Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-22
THE STORY OF ALMY.
He Denies Having Killed Christie
Warden Intentionally.
THE RELATIONS BETWEEN THEM.
A Package of Letters That Will Prove
Highly Interesting
THE MURDERER ARRAIGNED IN HIS BED
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPATcH.l


ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPATcH.l
HANOVER, Aug. 21.-Very little sleep
was secured in this village last night. The
people were too excited by the thrilling
events of yesterday to think of slumber, and
when day broke they were astir in greater
numbers than usual. Breakfast was bolted
| in hurry and then the farmers drove into
town to hear the latest news about Murderer
| Almy. All over the highways leading to
| Hanover there was almost a continual pro-
| cession of teams coming in loaded with
people.
Although yesterday it would have re-
quired perhaps but single word to lead
the populace to take the law, as regards
Almy, into its own hands, yet to-day that
phase of the situation was modified to a
more peaceable condition. This does not
argue the slightest change of feeling toward
the prisoner, but only shows on the part OF
excitable persons willingness to allow the
| law to take its usual course. The result is
that the sentiment of the crowd to-day was
mainly desire to get look at Almy.
The prisoner had hard night of it. and
looked haggared this morning. He was un-
able to sleep on account of his suffering
from his wounds, which were very painful,
and the green apples which he ate Wednes-
day night had developed into large sized
dose of the collie.
ARRAIGNED IN HIS BED.
The next thing to do with Almy was to
arraign him On account of his broken leg
it was impossible for him to go to
court, so the court had to go to
him. The complaint, which was of
the customary form, was signed
by N. A. Frost and was read to Almy as
he hesitated and said: 81 don't know what
to do" Turning to Sheriff Foster, a near
neighbor of the Warden's, with whom he
was well acquainted, he inquired: 'What
would you do, Henry?" Foster replied:
s'I don't know, Frank" Attorney General
Bernard then suggested that it was always
safe to plead mot guilty." and in that way
his plea stands recorded. He waived ex-
animation and was committed to Jail with
out bail.
Almy is pitiful object. He is pale and
worn and is terribly broken up mentally
and physically. He seems to manifest
little interest in what is transpiring around
him. He is carefully guarded, and an officer
person going up outside of the guests of the
house and the authorities engaged upon the
case.
ALMY's FEARS BANISHED.
The officers are convinced that the great
fear which seized Almy when discovered in
the barn, that he was likely to suffer vio-
lent death at the hands of the excited popu-
lace has given way to confidence on his
r4 hat ha will ha fria in ha nal mo
ner in court with perfect fairness and i'm
partialitv. Almy's statement regarding
the shooting is not received with much
favor by the people There are SO many
discrepancies in it that it will not bear the
light in the way of defense before jury,
and will probably not be clung to by Almy.
The State will claim that the crime was
premeditated, and that they have good
deal to prove the truth of their assertion.
Almy's first claim, and the one on which he
thinks he can show that death was acciden-
tai, is that the shot was fired as he, in his
excitement and great haste, was dragging
the girl into the pasture lot. He says he
had hold of her ankle with one hand and
with the other grasped the revolver.
A CONFLICTING STORY.
In dragging her toward the willows the
pistol struck something in the field; the
cartridge exploded, the bullet tearing its
way beneath the young woman's dress and
entering the abdomen. In this princi pal
point Almy conflicts with the declaration
of the doctor who attended the young
woman. He saws that the flesh where the
bullet entered was burned and blackened
showing that when the shot was fired the
barrel was held not over two or three inches
from the flesh.
With this contradictory fact, his next
claim falls of its own weight. He says that
he sped the fatal bullet, the second one, on
its way because the girl was suffering such
excruciating agony that he could not bear to
see her suffer. Whether the first bullet
would have caused the girls death or not is
question that the doctor would not state,
but it is certain that after the second was
fired she lived but a very few minutes.
That the first was accidentally fired Almy
will attempt to prove. The State will en-
deavor to disprove it.
SECRET OF ALNIY's PAPERS.
There is great interest on the part of the |
public to learn the import and contents of
certain papers and letters which Almy, be- |
fore surrendering, threw out from his hid |
ing place upon the floor of the barn to be |
taken into the keeping of John Fuller, the |
head farmer for the State Agricultural Col |
lege.
Before Mr.. Fuller had even the oppor-
tunity to open the package Solicitor Mitch
ell effected an arrangement with him |
whereby, for the present, at least, none
of the contents of the manuscripts |
committed to Mr.. Fuller's hands will be
made public. 1t is understood that Almy
states the package contains a personal state
ment of his own which he a few DAYS ago
prepared and signed in the belief that escape
in the end would be impossible for him and
that as a last resort he would take his own
life rather than to surrender. Almy posi-
lively stated that in the package would be
found letters written to him by Christie and
that they would prove that there was on the
part of Christie much stronger sentiment
entertained for Almy than the public here
have been willing to believe.
QUITE IMPORTANT LETTERS.
If Almy tells the truth in relation to this
matter, they will certainly play very i'm
portant part in the coming trial of Almy.
Fanny Warden, who endeavored so braveiy
to shield her sister from harm on the night
of the murder, as well as all the other mem
bers of the Warden family, persistently
that no letters were sent by Chris
tie to Almy that contained any expressions
Almy excepting those of pure
and kindly esteem.
The matter of the actual personal rela-
tions that existed between Almy and Chris
tie has now, as the excitement over the cap