Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1891-08-28
ALMY ALIAS ABBOTT.
A Highly Interesting Local Narrative.

Evidence has come to The Phoenix this
week which seems to show conclusively
that the first man to identify the murderer
Almy as George II. Abbott, the expert
burglar and escaped Windsor prison con-
vict, is resident of Bratteboro-Daniel
L. Prescott, for a term of years section
master on the New London Northern rail
road, resident in Vernon. Before moving
to Vernon 16 years ago Mr.. Prescott was a
section hand at Fairlee, VT, and was
familiar with the dOings of George II,
Abbott, who then lived with his uncle.
Israel Abbott, in Thetford and as a lad of
II or IA years was just beginning his Grim
inal career. After the murder of Christie
Warden Mr.. Prescott read with interest the
newspaper accounts of the tragedy, and
followed the efforts which were made for
Almy's discovery. He was well acquainted
with the facts of Abbott's escape from
Windsor, and certain circumstances which
were related caused the idea to cross his
mind that Almy and Abbott were identical.
Among the reasons which led Prescott to
identify Amy with Abbott was the story
of his being crack shot, the scars on his
body, his being able to talk French, which
he learned from one of his early confed-
crates, his good looks and tidy appearance.
and the fact that Almy could be traced
back only to about the time when Abbott
escaped from the prison at Windsor He
thought of this for two or three DAYS,
putting other different things together, and
on the 18th of August told Officer Mcclure
and Hon. James l.. Martin his reasons for
the conviction that had been forced upon
him. Several days before this he had told
this belief to Mrs. Prescott and to Mr..
Dion. The conviction grew so strong with
Mr.. Prescott that he and Mr.. Mcclure
arranged to go to Hanover, but the latter
being delayed in his plans two or three
days, Mr.. Prescott started by himself on
Monday of last week, August 18th, feeling
sure that he could give the local officers
valuable information. He went first to his
old home in Fairlee, where he sought out
Harvey kibbey, and with whom he went to
Thetford, spending Monday night and
Tuesday making investigations in that
vicinity, looking over Abbott's old hiding
places about there, etc. Wednesday morn
ing he went by himself to Hanover, where
he found all the officers gone, some looking
in one direction for Amy and some in
another, He had a talk with F. W. David
son, stOrekeeper, and brother-in-law of
the sheriff. Davidson told him that the
officers were completely beat" and that
of anything that would give them a clue.
From Davidson's Prescott went to the
Warden farm. being first assured by David
son that anything he might do would not
be considered an interference by the
officers. At first the Wardens were in
clined to be reserved and silent. but when
he told them that he was raised in the
same town that they used to live in Bath.
n. H., they became communicative. and
talked the whole matter over with him
freely. He said nothing to them of his
suspicion that Almy was Abbott but
several things which the Wardens told him
convinced him more than ever that this
was the fact. One of these was des-
criptiOn of the way Almy's mouth was
drawn to one side when laughing, and how
his teeth showed more on that side than on
the other. This he knew was caused by
shot which Abbott got near the ear.
When Prescott asked Mr. Warden about
certain scars on Almys wrist, Mr.. Warden
said Almy had a scar on his arm. caused by
wound from hoe while cutting up corn.
This led Farmer Warden to describe Almys
unusual way of cutting up corn by using a
sharp hoe with short handle. This Pres
colt knew that Almy must have learned in
Fairlee, where the method was peculiar to
some dozen or fourteen farmers living
there. "When | came away" Prescott
says, all the world could not have con-
WINGED me that Almy was not Abbott"
One statement made by Chrstie's sister
to Prescott has not heretofore been in
print, namely, that Almy told the family
that he thought he once killed one of his
relatives by striking him over the head
with a chair in self-defence. and that he is
UuiltN of tbic prip1a is I1u1ouhta6lx tY1,a
At the time of his visit to the Wardens
the cans, jelly tumblers, ETC., which had
been found by the Wardens after they were
thrown away by Amy were standing out
doors on the piazza, and by his advice they
were taken inside the house for safe keep
ing. On returning to Hanover street Pres
colt had some further talk with Mr.. David
son, and there learned of the plan for
grand search of the country for 20 miles
around on the next Sunday "The first
place to be searched" Prescott told them,
sis the Warden barns From Hanover
he returned to Fairlee. 1t was then Mr..
Prescott's belief that it was Almy's plan,
if driven to close quarters, to go to Wind
sor prison, give himself up as Abbott, and
serve out his sentence, thus dropping COM
pletely out of sight as Frank c. Almy.
The next morning Mr.. Prescott started
for home by the White Mountain train.
When he reached Windsor he learned of
Almy's discovery and returned at once to
Hanover He there saw Almy at the hotel,
felt sure he was Abbott, and that Abbott
recognized him. Prescott told the sheriff
and states attorney his belief, but in the
excitement they seemed to pay little heed
to what he said. That night Mr.. Prescott
came to BrattlebOro by the night express,
and on the way sent word to Warden Cakes
at Windsor prison, by the engineer running
south to that place, that his man Abbott
was at Hanover, and he had better go up
to see him. Cakes did so and identified
Amy as Abbott. SO much for Mr.. Pres
colts story, which is certainly perfectly
straight and reasonable one.
Three hundred dollars reward was offer
ed for Abbott's return to Windsor, but as
by its terms his body must be returned
there, the man who gets the reward will
have to wait at least until the eXecutioner
is through with Almy.
New Facts about AImy's Early History.
One of the most interesting parts of Mr..
PrescOtt's story is that relating to what he
knew of Abbott when he lived in Fairlee,
20 years ago. Prescott at that time work.
ed for railroad section man named MOrey.
One winter they built small house near
the track in which they put a small box
stove and other things for their comfort in
bad weather. In the spring they found that
this stove, and all their other things, had
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