Born in Albany, Abraham Oakey Hall lost his father to yellow fever at the age of three and entered the public school system. He excelled in journalism from an early age, and his earnings from contributions to various periodicals helped him pay for his education at the University of the City of New York. By 1844 Oakey had received a B. A. and an M. A., followed by a semester of study at Harvard Law School. His studies at Harvard were cut short, possibly due to a lack of money, and he went to work at Charles W. Sanford’s New York City law office (Carman). He quickly left this position and moved to New Orleans where he worked as a reporter. Here, again, Hall moved away from the path he had chosen. His time as a reporter ended quickly after he decided to resume his legal studies. He was accepted into the New Orleans Bar Association and, in 1851, he returned to New York City and received permission to practice law there.
Soon after his return to New York, Hall began delving into politics, where he carved out a "political career which if not outstanding was at least notorious" (Carman). From 1851-1868, he held positions as an Assistant District Attorney and as a District Attorney. As District Attorney, his record showed that "during the last six years of his incumbency in this office he sent twelve thousand persons to prison and pigeon-holed more than ten thousand indictments against others" (Carman). At this time he also became associated with the Pfaffians, and is identified as one of the “Knights of the Round Table” of Bohemia in Charles Pfaff’s obituary (2). According to Francis Wolle, Walt Whitman described Hall as one of the leaders at Pfaff’s (126).
In 1864, he left behind his associations with Whigs and Republicans in favor of the power of Tammany Hall. This shift in alliances proved to be beneficial and, in 1868, he succeeded John T. Hoffman as Mayor of New York City. Hall’s years as Mayor were filled with shady dealings. He was implicated along with William M. "Boss" Tweed in the corruption scandal of Tammany Hall, but he denounced the charges and, acting as his own defense, won an acquittal in the 1872 trial.
A New York Times article published in March of 1877, speculating about the cause of Hall’s “mysterious disappearance” from the City, describes his irregular habits and evidence for mental derangement. It writes that, despite no evidence of decline in his legal pursuits, his friends “have noticed for some time past that he has had a habit of talking at random, that he would ramble off in his conversation in the most extravagant and dreamy fashion, talking about his past life and alluding in the most mysterious manner to his troubles, and sometimes talking about times gone by in a manner that appeared extravagantly untrue.” The article also refers to his financial troubles and his passionate yet unsuccessful defense of convicted murderer James Rice. Hall returned to the city the following November, declaring that he took a needed six month’s rest but has “no right to dispute with old constituents whether I am eccentric or not” (“A. Oakey Hall Back Again”). In 1879 Hall became the city editor for the New York World. He left the World in 1882 and traveled to London to work as a correspondent for the New York Herald. He also became editor in chief of the Leader after John Clancy’s death (“Obituary: Henry Clapp”).
Throughout his life, Hall maintained a love of literature and an enjoyment of writing. He was both an author and a playwright who created such books as The Manhattaner in New Orleans or Phases of "Crescent City" Life (1851), Old Whitney’s Christmas Trot (1857), Sketches of Travel (1859), Horace Greeley Decently Dissected (1862), The Congressman’s Christmas Dreams and the Lobby Member’s Happy New Year: A Holiday Sketch (1870), and Ballads of Hans York (1880). His plays include The Crucible, Loyalina, Brigadier General Fortunio and His Seven Gifted Aides-de-Camp (1864), Humpty Dumpty, Fernande, and Let Me Kiss Him for His Mother.
References & Biographical Resources Bateman, H. L. "The Bateman-Daly Controversy." New-York Saturday Press. 28 Apr. 1866: 4, 5. [pages:4] Carman, Harry J. "Abraham Oakey Hall." Dictionary of American Biography. Base Set. American Council of Learned Societies, 1928-1936. Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Thomson Gale, 2006. http://www.galenet.com/servlet/BioRC. Donaldson, Thomas. Walt Whitman the Man. New York; F.P. Harper, 1896. 276 p. [pages:208] Figaro [Clapp, Henry Jr.]. "Dramatic Feuilleton." New-York Saturday Press. 28 Apr. 1866: 4. Figaro discusses Hall's amusing remarks at the Marine Court during the recent case of Daly vs. Bateman (4). [pages:4] Figaro [Clapp, Henry Jr.]. "Dramatic Feuilleton." New York Saturday Press. 17 Feb. 1866: 104-105. Figaro mentions that Hall is currently District Attorney and that he can write a good play "if provoked to do it."Figaro is referring to Who Killed Cook Robin? which debuted at the Olympic (105). [pages:105] Haynes, John Edward. Pseudonyms of Authors: Including Anonyms and Initialisms. New York, 1882. This text identifies the following pseudonym: Hans Yorkel (42). [pages:42] "In and about the City: Death of Charles I. Pfaff.Something about the Proprietor of the Once Famous "Bohemia."." New York Times. 26 Apr. 1890: 2. The obituary identifies him as one of the "Knights of the Round Table" of the "lions of Bohemia." [pages:2] Lukens, Henry Clay. "American Literary Comedians." Harper's New Monthly Magazine. 01 Apr. 1890: 783-797. [pages:793] "Obituary: Henry Clapp." The New-York Times. 11 Apr. 1875: 7. The Leader became Mayor Hall's paper after the death of John Clancy. [pages:7] Odell, George C.D. Annals of the New York Stage: Volume VIII (1865-1870). New York:Columbia University Press, 1936. Odell mentions that Mayor Oakley Halloccupied a box at the opening of Booth's on Feb. 3, 1869, for the performance of Romeo and Juliet (424). [pages:424] Odell, George Clinton. Annals of the New York Stage: Volume VI (1850-1857). New York: Columbia University Press, 1931. Odell mentions that his play, The Coroner's Exhibition (a new farce), was performed at the last benefit of the season (for Mark Smith) on June 1, 1857. Odell also mentions that Hall will later be the Mayor of New York. [pages:528] Odell, George Clinton. Annals of the New York Stage: Volume VII (1857-1865). New York: Columbia University Press, 1931. Loyalina, or Brigadier-General Fortunio and his Seven Gifted Servants, "adapted and confrmed to Olympic wants, without leave or license from Planche" played April 11, 1864,produced by "Mrs. Wood." [pages:551] Thomas, Lately. Delmonico's: A Century of Splendor. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1967. Hall frequented the Delmonico's restaurant on Chamber's Street. [pages:124] Wolle, Francis. Fitz-James O'Brien: A Literary Bohemian of the Eighteen-Fifties. Boulder, Col.; University of Colorado, 1944. Whitman mentions that he was a a leader at Pfaff's. [pages:126] " “A. Oakey Hall Back Again”." The New York Times. 02 Nov. 1877. The Ex-Mayor returns home. His mysterious appearance in this city yesterday-Various theories regarding his return-Rumors that he intends to resume the practice of law. "“Abraham Oakey Hall, He Mysteriously Disappears.”." The New York Times. New York Times, March 21, 1877, 1877. Belief that he has either gone to Europe or Committed Suicide-Nothing seen or heard of him since last friday-unavailing efforts to trace his movements-his last appearance in court-he announces that he will never again appear in a homicide case-his irregular habits-evidence of mental derangement-anxiety of his friends.