Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1891-08-28
ALMY, THE MURDERER.
He Is George II. Abbott, an Escaped
Convict from WindsO


The Prisoner Taken to Manchester Jai
for safe Keeping---TAe Strange story
of his Career.
Frank c. Amy, the murderer of Christie
Warden, who was captured in the Warden
barn at Hanover y. H., last week Thurs
day, was taken to the jail at Manchester
y. H., on Tuesday. The Grafton county
jail is not considered strong enough to keen
desperate criminal like Almy Whose real
name is George II. AbbotU, and it was
necessary to get an order from the supreme
court for his removal to the Manchester iail.
which is the strongest in the state The
Hanover people became very uneasy and
indignant over the delay in his removal.
and at the public attention which he at
tracted while kept under guard in the hotel
at that place, and on Monday they united
in a public protest to the supreme court
against his being kept there longer. The
keeper of the horel, moreover, served notice
on the officers that he must be removed, as
his presence there drew away all the legti-
mate trade of his house
His removal from the hotel was made as
secretly as possible early Tuesday morning.
"h'ii III was Ahhtn VII Ills COl Ill Il large
wagon to the railroad station at West Leb-
anon and placed in baggage-car for trans
portatiOn to Manchester, accompanied by
the sheriff and an armed guard. News
that he was on board preceded the train
and people gathered at many of the sta
tions. Almy first showed signs of fear
when he heard the buzz of the crowd at
Concord, when his breathing became rapid,
his tapp hapa1pn NN-bfta h. 81.
sheet over his face. At Manchester, where
crowd of at least 1000 people were gath
cred, he did the same thing, keeping his
face covered from the time of his removal
from the car until he was landed inside the
Jail.
Since the night of his arrest. when his
wounds were attended to. his broken leg
has been encased in plaster of paris and Sc
curely bandaged. He has been feversh
and restless and much of the time has
seemed to be a good deal Frustrated. In
spite Of his condition, however, the officers
feared that a criminal SO desperate as he
has now proved to be might make a break
to escape, and he has been closely guarded.
Saturday night the guard around the hotel
was doubled when some new intimatiOn as
to his desperate character was received.
~ WI A-HNNpfu NOhNAtN from the
Vermont state Prison.
Since last Friday it has been proved be-
yond a doubt that Almy's real name is
Geo. II. Abbott. and that he has served one
term in the New Ilamp shire state prison,
was afterward the terror of Thetford. Vt.
and towns in that vicinity, was finally ar
rested after a desperate fight. tried con-
Nicted. and sentenced to the Windsor pris-
ON, from which he escaped in 1887 when
his term was about half through. The
warden and one of the keepers of Windsor
prison went over To Hanover last SATURDAY
and identified Almy as Abbott. and since
then he has been identified by numerous
other persons. some of them his own rela-
tives.
The facts of Almy's history appear to be
brief that he was born of a good family
in Salem. Mass, about the year 1876. His
mother died shortly after, and he was sent
to live with his fathers brother in Thet-
ford, with whom he grew up, the wife of
this uncle being the only mother he ever
knew He was bright as schoolbov, but
is remembered as having been deceitful.
tricky and unreliable. Returning to his
father in Salem for a short time he proved
on account of his vicious
his life from boyhood on, but before he
reached the age of 20 he appeared at Con-
cord, y. H.. where he engaged in swind-
ling operations which led to his arrest, con-
viction and sentence to a term of two wears
in prison, which he served Previous to
this an uncle died, leaving him small for
tune, which he quickly squandered One
IF his ventures was the purchase of a Yacht,
which quickly used up his funds. A pho
-ograph of him in 1881 shows him in
sailor suit, with good face and a general
y attractive appearance.
After his discharge from the Concord
prison he appears to have gone back to
live in Thetford, or that vicinity, and in
1880 he showed up as the ringeader of a
gang OF burglars who operated in the towns
up and down the Connecticut river from
Barnet, Vt, on the north to Lyme, y.
H., on the south. The accounts say that
turing the time these depredations were 90
ng on Abbott's home was with his uncle
1t Ely station. The officers finally got
upon his track, and in December, 1880 he
VAS captured in the woods near Ely by
posse of citizens under the leadership of
Deputy Sheriff Berry. Stored in the
woods were found over 800 different arti-
hem rifle which he had stolen from his
'aptor, Deputy Sheriff Berry. Abbott
lad also taken $500 from him. At the
line of his capture he took refuge in a sort
If cave among the rocks and made a des- |
Ierate resistance, receiving 20 different bull |
ct wounds before he surrendered. Four |
lays after, he escaped from his captors and |
an over mile and a half with Nothing on
mi his NIGHT shirt and n bp,lsnraa1 tbrou-u |
Iround him. He concealed himself in a |
abroad culvert, but was soon found. He |
old the officers then that if he had not |
,een so badly wounded he would have swan |
he Connecticut river and made good his |
'scape. He was then taken to Chelsea Jail. |
ried and sentenced to Is years. He plead !
ii guilty to nine charges of burglary. Alb |
,ott conducted himself so well in prison |
hat he gained the confidence of every Off
er connected with the institution. At the |
nd of about seven years he was given a |
,lace of responsibility in the engine room |
which secured him more liberty than was |
recorded the other prisoners. He was !
obliged to touch, every - minutes, n but |
on which rang bell in the warden's of |
ice. One morning, soon after, his bell |
ang at quarter past seven but at half past |
even it did not ring. Investigation show |
ID that he had gone through passageway |
md escaped over the prison wall With |
nut ID minutes start he used his time so |
we'll that he was never tracked and no clue |
vas ever obtained to lead to his capture, al |
hough a reward was offered and he was
thoroughly advertised.
That Almy and Abbott are one and the |
anne person now admits of no doubt. As |