Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-06-27
Trial of Frank A. WalWorth for
the Murder of his Father,
Mansfield Tracey Wal
worth.
Statement of the Mother of the
Rash and Foolish Young Mur-
derer-Family History.
A BOnne-BOuehe for the GOssipS
Old Wounds ReOpened-A
Sad, Sad, Story.

friends and relatives or the prisoner
were in the courtroom in deep mourn
ing. The prisoners mother sat beside
him, and the other relatives present
were Mrs. Chancellor Walworth, the
brother of the deceased, and three
young sisters, and the young brother Of
the accused, General Hardin, and J..
Hardin, uncles of the accused, Rev. DIR.
Backers and wife, brOther-in law and
sister of the deceased. The first witness
called was for the defense, a. Ebert,
gentleman who occupied a room
in the Sturtevant house, adjoining
that in which the tragedy occurred,
and who has already testified for the
prosecution. He said he did not hear
any cry of murder, and that the only
words he could distinguish of cOnver-
satiOn taking place were the words
"hope mother" could not make out
any connected sentence.
Rev. Johnathan c. Backus testified
that the accused was a youth of excel
lent character, and much attached to
his mother.
Mr.. J. Backus, Judge Barbour, Joseph
w. Hill, John r. Putnam and w. c.
Parrett, all of Saratoga, gave similar
testimony. Also Ansom McBOyd and
Otto Van Below. The latter is princi-
pal of the boys boarding school, which
young Walworth attended.
The mother of the prisoner next took
the stand, but was withdrawn to give
place to Rev. Clarence A. Walworth,
Catholic clergyman, who testified that
he was the elder and only brother
of the deceased; he made no allusiOn to
the family scandals expected to be pa
raded for the defense, and says that he
knew the accused from his infancy; and
that he was kind, gentle and courteous
youth, whose character was as near per
feet as may be; the witness contemplate
ed travelling year in Europe with the
prisoner for a companion, and on that
subject received letter from him in Al
bany, dated the Sunday before the trag
edy, but on the Monday before receiv-
ing the letter he got a telegram from the
prisoners mother stating that Frank
had gone to New York, she feared, to
meet his father; the next cOmmunica-
ton was telegram on Tuesday, an
nouncing that Frank had shot his father.
Mrs. Ellen Hardin Walworth, being
sworn, said-I am the mother of Frank
WalwOTth; was married to NJ. /. Wal
worth IN st. Peters church, Saratoga
Springs, July %, 1852, and resided at
the chancellOr's house, which my
mother now owns; lived there till the
summer of 1851; the chancellOr's family
and my two brothers resided in the
house at the same time; in the summer
of 1861 / ceased to live at Saratoga, and
went to Kentucky, near Louisville, my
brother Samuel going with me and all
NV children; lived there until 1867; my
husband did not go there with me; lived
in Kentucky three years without seeing
him; he did not remain in Saratoga
when went to Kentucky; he promised
to meet me there; where he went to
| don't know; during the first winter
he was in Washington, and afterward
in Saratoga; l had a country place three
miles from Louisville, by means of
which / supported my family; the chan
C .llor visited me there, and three years
after the first event my husband came
to see me and. remained for about six
weeks; l next saw him in Saratoga the
following summer, and staid there about
q week; in December following / saw
him in New York at the Broadway
house in Madison avenue; | came to
New York to find employment, but not
succeeding, went to Washington and
secured an appointment under the gov
ernment; l then gathered my children
around me and put Frank at col
| lege in Georgetown; | was
| eighteen months government
/ clerk, during which time my husband
was with his brother Clarence, at
Albany; when l was discharged, owing
to a change of politics, went to Sara
toga, to the family mansion, and opened
| a boardinghOuse, and remained there
until October, 1859. during a portion OF
/ which time my husband was with me,
| Frank being then in Louisville; at the
urgent request of Mansfield L. Walworth
/ | came TO New York to a house on
! Twenty-thiId street, belonging to Mrs.
| MontrOse, all my children being with
me; the very day of my arrival | was
taken i'll, and continued so until taken
| to my brothers. house in Buffalo; my
husband did not go with me to Buffalo
soon after / went to Kentucky; the fol-
| lowing summer NJ. T. Walworth followed
and remained three weeks, after which
he went to Saratoga. l spent the sum.
mer of 1856 in Saratoga. Deceased was
there for three months, and the whole
family was together. l then went back
to Kentucky, and the deceased came
there in 1867, and remained till his
fathers death. Iarrived at Cbaacellor's
lust after his death, with my infant child
Rubina, but soon returned to Kentucky
and brought all my children, except
| Frank, back to Saratoga. Frank stayed
| with his uncle LemUel. The deceased
was living with his brother Clarence, ,anC
we discussed the question of our future
residence, but came to no UNDERSTANDING
about it. In November, 1870, l went
to my mothers house, in Fifty-sec'
ond street, New York. Mr.. WalwoItf
being with me, and we remained there
4 until the final separation, January %
1871; then went, with all my children
to Judge Barbour, and since then have
not seen the deceased; legal proceeding:
for limited divorce were commenced
in the superior court January q, 1871
and on April S, 1S7I, the decree of sepa
ration was concluded; ON July 3lst fol
lowing the decree was modified 81
as to allow Mr.. Walworth to se'
his children once a month; after
left Judge Barbour | went to my
brother, General Hardin, at the Hoff
man house; then went to my brother
in-law's, Clarence, at Albany; RENAME,
three weeks, and went to DIR. Backus's
taking my children with me; from Their
went to the old homestead at SaratO
ga: have remained there ever since witt
my children; Mr.. Walworth addresse,
me by letter frequently after our separ
: alton; after l left him my younges
child was born; being delicate from it
5 birth, il died in January, 1872; Mr.. Wal
: worth never came near the house, AM
: never saw his youngest child
/ did not always receive his letters; fo
, the past two or three months | did, bu
after that it was only occasionally tina
, / received them; some of his letter
never reached me; there was no NAL
person in my house who could protec
me except my son; Clarence Walwortl
! spoke to me on the Thursday before tn
! occurrence about taking Frank with hin
to Europe; l told Frank of it that even
ing: he seemed grstified, but said b
should think about 1t; he gave quail
, fed assent to the proposal, on which da
: he went fishing with his youDge
: brother to Saratoga, and returned abou
:. six O'Clock in the evening and retire
e early; on Saturday he was al
q ranging his clothes, books an
, other things, and went WALL
/, ing in the grove; on Sunday he sleI
/, until late; some young friends of hi
called in the afternoon, and they Wen
to walk in the woods; he wrote lette
9 on that day, and asked me for som
e note-paper, which gave him; on Nor
q day morning | came down early, anC
: seeing Frank in the hall, said, s'You al
4 up early" he made some casual reply
8 and went out at the front door, though
d he had gone to the springs and at th
Y breakfast-table l asked why he did NJ
e return; some one said he had gone ava
and had left a message that if he ws