Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1891-08-28

damage done to shipping and property
may safely be classed as stupendous.
About two-fifths of the island was
under cultivation and the mountain
slopes were covered with forests. All
the cultivation and all the forests in the
path of the hurricane appear to have been
swept away. Latest reports put the loss
of lives at over 300.
Last Saturday afternoon there occurred
one of the most fearful and fatal catas-
trophies that have happened in New
York city or in the neighborhood of the
city since the destruction of the Brooklyn
theatre in December, 1876. A large
brick structure, comprising four five
story buildings, facing the south side of
Park place, suddenly collapsed, and in
an instant became one mass OF lurid,
smoking flame. Until nearly 6 O'Clock
the fire burned. Since then bodies hor-
ribly defaced and dcformed have been
taken to the morgue, and as yet the
CHASTITY procession has not ceased. How
the accident happened remains a mystery.
1t is generally believed by those most
com Jetent to Judge that there was no
explosion, as at first was supposed, but
simply a sudden collapse of the building
in consequence of the pressure of the
printing presses on the upper floors, the
walls, and defective mortar and string
ers. 1t is said that the building had
been condemned as unsafe, and that the
insurance companies had charged in con-
sequence premiums unusually high, but
these rumors are not substantiated. The
stringers, on which the floors rested,
were of wood and not of iron, and set
into the wall only a few inches, and the
dresses, of which there were fifteen, were
all set so as to work toward the street.
At last accounts 81 bodies had been re-
covered from the ruins.
Frank G.. Amy, who murdered Christie
Warden at Hanover, n. H., is in the jail
at Manchester. He was captured last
Thursday morning in barn on the
Warden premises, where he had been
hiding since the commission of the crime
on the 18th of July. On Monday evening
of last week Mrs. Warden, while looking
for some chickens in the barnyard, dis
covered Il small opening In the under
pinning, which she thought might lead to
the chickens hiding-place. She removed
a small board and found, on the inside,
an empty Jelly tumbler, and, further in,
II cans, which had recently contained
salmon, oysters, peaches and other sub
stantial eatables. There were also empty
wine and beer bottles. Wednesday morn
ing f. w. Davidson and n. A. Frost
made further Investigations under the
barn, finding more bottles and fOrmid-
able bludgeon about the shape, but some
what longer than a pOliceman's club.
Wednesday night Prof. G. III. Whitcher
and Sheriff Ii. G. Brown watched the
premises. At about 2 o'clock, while they
were hid in scme corn IN the garden,
man whom they first supposed to be
Warden, came towards them to some
apple trees within 10 feet of where they
stood. They finally recognized him as
Almy. They returned to the village,
and aroused 40 men, who surrounded
the building. After while Almy was
discovered hiding in the hay. He fought
the officers and surrendered only after he
had been shot three times, twice in the
legs and once in the head. He was taken
to the hotel and guarded and on Friday
morning was arraigned and pleaded not
guilty. He says that he did not intend
to hurt the girl, but accidentally shot her
in the excitement and then killed her to
put her out of misery. 1t has been proved
that Almy is George II. Abbott, who
escaped from Windsor State prison about
six years ago. Abbott is known as an
expert burglar and IA desperate criminal.
When he escaped from the State prison
at Windsor a reward of 500 was offered
for his capture, but he has never been
again arrested. At the time of his escape
he was serving out a sentence of fifteen
years, having been convicted of nine diff
ferent indictments for breaking and en-
teriug to which he pleaded guilty in
January, 1881. When Abbott was arrested
in 1880 he was the ringleader of "A gang of
burglars who operated in the towns up
and down the Connecticut river from
Barnet, VT, on the north to Lyme, n. H.,
on the south. Abbott made his home
most of the time that the depredatiOns
were occurring at the house of his uncle
at Ely station. In December, 1850, he
was captured in the woods near Ely
station by posse of citizens under the
leadership of Deputy Sheriff Berry.
Stored in the woods were found over 300
different articles which the gang had stolen
and among them a rifle which he stole
from his captor, Deputy Sheriff Berry.
Abbott had also taken $500 from him.
At the time of his capture he made a des-
perate and determined resistance and re-
ceived 20 different bullet wounds before
he surrendered. Four days after he
escaped from his captors and ran over a
mile and half with nothing on but his
night shirt and bedspread thrown
around him. He concealed himself in a
railroad culvert, but was soon found.