Arthur Morgan was born circa 1863[1] to Beatrice and Lyle Morgan in the northern US.[2] As a child, his mother died of unknown causes, while his father was a petty criminal and outlaw. In 1874, when Arthur was 11 years old, his father was arrested for larceny. Morgan later witnessed his death and, despite a strained relationship with him, still donned his hat and kept a picture of him.[3][4]

Around 1877, Arthur was found as a 'wild delinquent' and picked up off the streets by Dutch van der Lind