The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1891-08-28
i. abbott luDs FRauK c. aLplY.

The above cut shows George HI. Abbott
alias Frank G. Almy, the murderer of
Christie Warden of Hanover, N. H., as he
was before he was sentenced to The state
prison in Windsor in 1881. and was good
likeness of him at that time, and is also a
good likeness of him to-day, except that he
Is ten years older and now has . inustache.,
In 1875 or 1873 he was sentenced to the
State prison in Concord, N. H., by the Su-
prelne Court at Hayerhlll, for the term Of
four years, for burglary in Oxford. While
at Concord he was subservient to all the
rules of the prison, thereby gaming tlmr,
SO that his term of confinement was cOnsld-
erably shortened and when released 1t
was hoped that he had SO far seen the error
OF his ways as to become reformed and
thereafter lead better life, but such was
not the case, for within q short time after
he returned to his home in Thetford,'
.burglaries were committed in various
places within radius of twenty miles of
his home-depOts, stores. ontbuildings and
dwelling houses were broken into and c0n-
tents stolen, These burglsries were COM
mitted one xftcr Smother, to StlcirWn- -rxtcfss'
that people became frightened They were
not only Iii constant fear lest their places Of
BUSINESS or homes might be burglarized,
but from every weeks Developments were
more and more in fear OF their lives.
Attention was soon directed to George II.
Abbott as the perpetratOr of these crimes,
and it was soon aScertained that there was
a gang Of burglars and robbers, Of which
Abbott was the leader, with headquarters
somewhere on the mountain in the vicinity
of Ely station in Thetford Under the
leadership of sheriff 5. K. Berry, the people
in that locality, armed with guns, pistols
and all sorts of implements OF warfare
with the outskirts properly sentineled,
made a raid upon the mountain, and there
found and surprised Abbott in his den, and
after a severe struggle In which firearms
were freely used on both sides, AbbOtt be-
ing badly wounded in various places, was
captured and taken to North ThetfOrd, and
his wounds cared for. Within twenty-four
hours, he, in almost naked condition and
crippled, made his escape, but was soon
found under railroad bridge at q farm
crossing and again secured. In MS den
was found two carloads of stolen goods.
including rifle stolen from the house OF
sheriff Berry. After preliminary hearing
he was committed to Chelsea Jail BY sheriff
Berry and K. 5. Peaslee, then at Bradford,
to await the action of the grand jury. Ihe
grand jury found five indictments against
him for burglaries he and his gang had
committed in this vicinity, v hich OF course
did not include the many burglaries BY
them committed up and down the river In
the state of New Hampshire.
Abbott employed John III. Watson OF this
place to defend him, but after looking the
cases and evidence against Abbott over
Mr.. Watson could see no way
to escape conviction on each Indictment
and advised a plea of guilty to each and
ting a short sentence. The cumulative |
sentence of the court was fifteen years IN |
the States prison at Windsor
While in Jail at Chelsea awaiting the dis
position of his cases, Abbott gave his pho
tograph to Mr.. Watson which he now has,
and from that photograph the above cut was
engraved. In Windsor prison. as in Con-
cord prison, AbbOtt's demeanOr was all
that the PRISONS officials could wish, and
became to be trusted away from the imme-
liate eye of the guard, and was given the
position OF engineer. While thus acting as
engineer, he about four years ago made his
escape in midday, and although an alarm
was soon given, and large reward offered
for his recapture, nothing was ever heard
If his whereabouts until the country was
shocked by the most dastardly and fiendish
murder of Christie Warden in Hanover, N.
H., few weeks since by man calling
himself Frank q. Almy. The particulars
,f the murder are familiar to all of our
'eaderS, as is also the capture of the muir
lerer. The history of the past life of this
lend was a great mystery, and attention
vas, upon his capture, at once turned
Oward his past life, ascertaining wlio.he
vas, where he came from, and what crime,
I any, he had previously committed. The
act that he would give no account of his
,ast career stimulated the officers and peO-
lie in this research, as 1t was felt by all
hat Frank G. Almy' was not his true
lame, and that his character was of the
most desperate. Some of his movements
o resembled those of George H. Abbott,
hat it began to be .nOised about that ..Al-
N.Y. was none other than Abbott, and pe0- I
lie who knew Abbott well. including ex-
bariffa llQrrv md ell 4, a;<vl,- |.
Ors in ThetfOrd visited him at Hanover,
nd although not allowed to speak to him,
{ once pronounced it Abbott, and so it, up
a full identification, proved to be, with
II the telltale scars on his person, from che
I'm shot wounds received from Sheriff
His identification accounts nor I I
Is always carrying two revolvers on his
ersOn, not even going into the dOOryard ! 1
+ field to work without them, and sleeping