Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-21
The Brutal Murderer of Christie
Warden at Last Captured, and
in Her Fathers Barn.
THERE BESIEGED BY OFFICERS
lie Holds the Fort Amid Storm of Bullets
Until the Patience of the Crowd
Is Worn Out.
ON THE PROMISES OF A FAIR TRIAL
lie Finally Surrender Is Taken to Jail and Guarded
Against the Mob

Almy, the murderer of Christie Warden
was found to-day in the large hay NOW il
the barns of the Warden homestead.
Notwithstanding that little has been said
publicly, vigilant search has been constantly
going on. Monday evening Mrs. Warden
while looking for chickens in the barnyard
discovered a small opening at the underpin.
ming of the barn which she thought might
lead 10 the chickens hiding place. She re-
moved a small board, and found on the in
side an empty jelly tumbler, and further in
u cans which had recently contained sal
mon, oysters, peaches and other substantial
eatables. There were also empty wine and
beer bottles
F. W. Davidson and n. A. Frost, who
had been told of Mrs Warden's discovery,
made further search yesterday, and found
more cans and club. The cans and bottles
were identified as having been stolen, with
their contents, from the cellars of families
in the village.
ALMY SEEN IN A GARDEN.
Last night Prof Witcher and Sheriff
Brown watched the premises and at 2
o'clock this morning they saw Almy walk
ing about the garden. He was barefooted,
ragged, pale and thin. He filled bag with
apples from the trees, eating ravenously at
tine same time. He then went back to the
barn and walked around to the other side of
it. The watchers returned to the village
and aroused about 40 men, who soon sur
rounded the barn and a search began.
Charles f. Stewart, a student at the
State College. was the first to locate Almv.
He was prodding the hay with shovel
handle. when he struck the body of the
concealed man. Instantly Almv fred
through the hay. The bullet missed Stew
art. Almy fired again and again, making
his way up through the hay at the same
time.
He fred at least Is shots, and the barn
was quickly deserted. One OF the bullets
struck and slightly wounded AFRO Turner
of Norwich, VT, a student here. The
smoke from Almy's revolvers created the
impression that the barn was afre and
added TO the excitement. A council of the
besiegers was held and resulted in the ap-
pointing of the following as a committee of
procedure: SheriffS Stevens, of Lancaster,
and Clark, of Lebanon; General C. o. Kurl-'
but, of Lebanon, and ex-Sheriff n. c.
Bridgman.
BESIEGED IN THE BARN.
While many favored burning the barn to
drive Almy ont, the majority favored en-
tering the barn. and volunteers for this pur-
pose were called for. Twenty-Five men i'm
mediately responded. AS the party went
into the barn Almy's voice was heard. He
asked that John Fuller be sent to him, as
he wished to talk TO him.
Fuller and ex-Sheriff Bridgman went into
the loft. Almv refused TO surrender, but
called for Mr.. Mitchell. the prosecuting at
Jorney, who then went into the barn.
Solicitor Mitchell says as follows: 81
went up into the barn in accordance with
the request of Almy. He sat on the hay
and said his leg was broken. He had a
large revolver in each hand and flourished
them. pointing them sometimes at me and
sometimes at his own head. He asked me
ii I would guarantee him a fair trial 1 as
sured him that L would most certainly do
so. e: =esz>.d to know how much of his
past histoty l had found out. | told him
we would not discuss that now. Pointing
the re oliver at his own head, he asked me
If thought he had better shoot himself.
The sseult of the conference was that he re-
fused - come out
A. A Smith, a medical student then had
a conference with Almy. He saws Almy
told him he did not mean to kill Christie.
II lie said he fired the first shot accidentally,
which threw him into a frenzy. Then he
shot her again. He then said to Smith, as
he pointed his pistol at him, you get right
down now: 1 will see you later
THE MOB SPIRIT UNLoosED.
At o'clock the decision was reached by
the Citizens Committee to catch Almy un-
awares and shoot him. and thus put an end
10 what was becoming grim farce. When
this conclusion was made known it was
greeted with wells of delight by the people,
who, though strongly inclined to let the law
-..l-. a~E a..,.l h..
officers then renewed their attack upon the
barn with Winchester rifles. Almy retail
ated with shot after shot from his revolver.
AT 800 o'clock Al lmy offered to surrender
The officers re-entered the barn. Ex-Sheritf
Bridgman returned, mounted a ladder lean
ing against the house, and said: Fellow
citizens, Amy has been found Now l call
upon you, in the name of law and good order,
TO restrain your anger and let the law take
its course with this foul murderer. l say
this al the request of the county officials
men whom we chose by our votes to act for
us. We all have confidence in them. We
have as good courts as there are on the face
OF the earth
Then, turning to the County Solicitor, he
said: Solicitor Mitchell. think l can as
sure you that these 1000 people, most of
whom l know personally, will consent to
let the law take its course
''Nes, yes; let the law take its course
Mr. Bridgman further said: "Almy is at
this moment concealed under 20 feet OF hay.
He says: If you don't give me protection,
! Will sell my lie as dearly as possible and
then kill myself, but if You will guarantee
Inc protection through John NJ. Fuller, L
will give up my arms and come out
QUIETLY TAKEN TO JAIL.
Tne law-abiding spirit of the people was
put to q severe test, but the feeling soon be-
came strong that Alma should die decently,
after a verdict Of guilty had been brought in
from a regularly constituted jury. Mr..
Bridgman, still perched Oh the ladder, then
said:
"Your assurance that Almy shall be dealt
with according 10 law is satisfactory.
promise you that YOU shall all have an op-
portunity to see him. Form in lines on
each side of the road, and he shall pass along
between the lines
The crowd then formed in line, and Almy,
guarded by posse was brought out, es-
corted between the rows of excited specta-
tors and taken to Jail. Here half q dozen
officers, with drawn revolvers, stood at the
foot Of the stairs holding back the excited
crowd.
THE STORY OF THE CRIME
The following is brief story of Almy's
crime: Frank Alnv was employed as a /
farm hand by Andrew Warden, in whose |
barn he was discovered this morning. He
was handsome, and was more refined than is |
usually the case with 4 man in his position.
While attending to his duties on the farm
Almy made love to Christie Warden, the "a |
year-old daughter of his employer. She was |
well educated and popular in social circles |