Charlie Morgan has friends, 1868

A woman was arrested. Brooklyn Union [Brooklyn, New York] 1 June 1868; p. 4.

A woman was arrested for appearing in the streets in male attire. She would give no explanation why she done so, but that she had been in the habit of assuming the male appearance for some time. She was dressed very fashionably.

Yesterday’s New York police records. Brooklyn Daily Eagle [Brooklyn, New York] 1 June 1868; p. 2.

Yesterday’s New York police records disclose a remarkable case of sexual deception. It seems that for four years a young woman, said to be under the protection of a wealthy banker who supplied her liberally with money, has assumed the dress and manners and adapted the habits of a man. She has lived at first-class hotels under the name of Charles F. Morgan, and been introduced in reputable society by the banker as his nephew. In company with young men who like to be considered as fast she has engaged in the forms of dissipation regarded by rapid youths as the realization of extreme felicity. Thus the story runs. Julia, as her best friends call her, excited the suspicions of the police, and yesterday she was arrested for appearing in public in male attire. Influences were employed in her interest which procured her discharge by a magistrate.

“Arrest of an Eccentric Female.” New York Daily Herald [New York, New York] 1 June 1868; p. 5.

A well known member of the demi-monde has been in the habit during some time past of robing herself in male attire and cutting quite a dash in various parts of the city, especially in the maisons de joie, and so complete was her disguise and so manlike her demeanor that she baffled detection. By some means, however, her eccentricity became known to the police, and yesterday afternoon she was found by Sergeant Fields, of the Fifteenth precinct, sporting around dressed in the most exquisite style as a young gent, and was taken to the station house. It being after court hours she was locked up, but after some strenuous exertions by influential friends she was released from custody. She has been known as Charles F. Morgan, alias Ward, alias Julia, and she claims to be the mistress of a wealthy stockbroker.

“Adventures Extraordinary.” World [New York, New York] 1 June 1868; p. 5.

Arrest of a Woman in Man’s Attire—Her Career at the Watering-Places and in New York—Four Years in Borrowed Costume—Female Flirtations with Women.

For some four years past a young female, the particular protege of a wealthy and preminent banker of this city, has been practising a most surprising and successful deception on the community at large, by assuming the dress and apeing the manners of one of the sterner sex, but unfortunately for herself she came to grief yesterday by an ignominious arrest at the hands of a lynx-eyed sergeant of police. This young woman, known to her intimate female friends as Julia, but rejoicing in the cognomen of Charlie Morgan among her deceived male acquaintances, is a beauty of the brunette order; but her features are, as may be supposed, of the masculine type, yet not sufficiently so to render her at all less good-looking. She is of the medium height, well formed, yet has none of that peculiarity of form which renders deception in such cases almost impossible. She wears her hair cut short, and parted at the side and back, and usually has it brushed well forward. If the stories about this remarkable woman are to be credited, and they come from authentic sources, she has not worn the usual dress of her sex for nearly four years past but has constantly appeared both in public and private in male attire of the latest style and most expensive materials. During all this time she has been in the company of the wealthy banker, mentioned above, who has lavished large sums of money upon her to gratify her peculiar whims of counterfeiting a fast young man. As the nephew of the banker she has been introduced into some of the best families in this city, and has necessarily been on intimate terms with the fast young bloods about town and has been their companion in many a “spree.” In the character she assumed she spent her money freely, drank champagne cocktails, and smoked cigars with the fastest of her boon companions, and occasionally indulged in a “swear.” Her “uncle” supplied her with the needful to gratify her extravagant tastes, and many of the bloods about town will remember the champagne suppers succeeding visits to the opera at which “Charlie Morgan” acted the host with such natural felicity that her real sex was not for a moment suspected. During the summer the “uncle” accompanied by his charming “nephew” made the rounds of the watering places where the nephew paid such court to the fair ladies as to cause many a heartache. Her team was the fastest and the most stylish on the road, and she handled the ribbons with such a masterly hand, that a ride behind her spanking team was considered so great a [b]oon that the ladies almost fought for the privilege.

Another singular phase of the case is, that Charlie Morgan was always a favored and acceptable visitor at the fashionable “maisons de joie” in this city, and there is no doubt that some of the queens of the demi-monde were in her secret.

But her career was doomed to an abrupt termination. Some time ago this enterprising young female was a guest at the New York Hotel, registered as Charles F. Morgan, and was a frequent visitor at the haunts of the demi-monde in the Fifteenth Ward. During her perambulations by night and day, she attracted the attention of Sergeant Lucien P. Fields, of the Fifteenth Precinct, who thenceforward kept a strict watch upon her movements whenever she went abroad. Becoming convinced that Charlie Morgan, who was well-known by reputation throughout the ward, was a woman in male attire, he determined to arrest her on the first opportunity, and yesterday afternoon the Sergeant carried his resolution into effect. “Charlie” had just left the fashionable resort kept by Louise Walcott, in Neilson place, when she was seen by the Sergeant, who at once arrested her.

She treated the arrest very coolly, laughed at the absurd idea that she was anything but what she appeared to be, and so nonchalant was she, and so perfect her disguise, that the Sergeant was for a moment staggered. He however took her to the Station-house where she gave her name as Charles F. Ward, to which the police added the aliases of Morgan and Julia. By order of Captain Caffrey she was locked up in one of the rooms of the station-house. She was attired in a black broadcloth frock coat, dark vest, cut low to show a broad plaited shirt-bosom adorned with handsome diamond studs, light cassimere pantaloons, patent leather boots, and fine black Derby hat. All these articles were of the finest quality and most exquisite cut. She also wore a heavy gold neck-chain and an elegant gold watch. Her entire outfit was perfect, and her appearance would stand the closest scrutiny. She really appeared to be a fast beardless youth of perhaps eighteen summers. She persisted for some time that she was a man, but on a proposition being made looking to a personal examination she admitted the truth. In the meantime her friends had heard of her mishap and were making extraordinary efforts to procure her release. Miss Louise Walcott called and had a long interview with her, and numerous other friends called. Finally the services of Justice Ledwith were procured and that official called at the Station-house to order her discharge, but that being contrary to police regulations, the magistrate proceeded to the Jefferson Market Police Court, where he opened court and ordered the prisoner to be brought before him. Captain Caffrey produced the prisoner, and after hearing the complaint of Sergeant Fields, the magistrate reprimanded Julia and discharged her. She left the court-room accompanied by a bevy of friends, and it is thought will not be caught in such a scrape again. This is one of the most remarkable cases of the kind on record, and it is almost incredible that the girl could have practiced the deception to such an extent and for so [l]ong a time without detection.