The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1892-04-29
ANNIE WALDEN'S WICKED LIFE.
A CAREER OF EVIL BEGUN IN PHIL
ADELPHIA.
FORMERLY A COLUMBIA COUNTY GIRL.

was last week convicted OF murder IN
the second degree in New York, and
has been sentenced to Imprisonment
for life. The Philadelphia Times of
Monday contains the following
The girl murderess, Annie Walden,
who has been sentenced to life impris-
and whom the prosecutor in
the case styled ''the handson.est
women who has ever been arraigned
before the New York bar, and the
wickedest as we'll by all Odds" started
on her career of evil in this city and
married the man whom she murdered
in Camden. If her story is true she
was born at Carlisle and went to
school there, though doubt is cast up
on this part Of her story.
According to her own statement
she was ruined in this city by a man
named James Stewart when she was
II years old, her name being Annie
Graham. From that time her life was
a fast one, and she was a well-known
frequenter of the dives around Ninth
and Vine streets in the days before
Stokley's anti-dive crusade. She had
then the ready tongue which still dis
tinguishes her, and her ready'wit and
not least of all her beauty made her a
great favorite with dive visitors. One
of he, resorts was the place kept by
Joe Burns, on Vine street, between
Eighth and Ninth.
Burns was in his own way as famous
a character as Annie has become,
being one of a notorious trio of broth
ers, Pete Burns, famous bond thief,
who died in an Italian prison, and
John Burns, now of the New York
crooked fraternity, being the other
two.
Quaker City sin, however, became
too slow for this fast maiden, and she
went to New York. 1t was in Joe
Burns place that the incident occurred
which helped fix in her mind the con-
viction as to the slowness of Philadel-
phia wickedness. "It's too dead slow
there. They're all thinking of joining
the church." The cause of this re-
mark was that one night as she sat in
the big room back of the bar room in
Burns dive two of her former compan-
ions who had cast IN their lot with the
Salvation Army came in and asked her
to 60 with them.
"If I was as homely as you two are
I'd Join the Salvation Army, too. l
suppose you were broke and wanted
something to eat" This and enough
more was said to convince the Saliva
ton lasses that Annie was hopeless
case, and they left her to go her own
way.
In New York she led life Tor
which fast is mild sort of description.
She was passionately devoted to the
turf, and was constant attendant at
the races, her recklessness in betting,
and her extravagant purchases of
champagne when in luck, winning for
her the titles, "The Plunger' and
Swine Kitty"
Finally she came in contact with
young James Walden, son of one Of
the best known horsemen of New
York, and himself an ardent devotee
of the turf. They formed partner
ship and lived together, and when
Jimmy Walden came to the Glouces-
ter races "Kitty Marshall" as she was
then known, came with him.
Last fall one day Kitty said to her
partner:
Jimmy, l wish you would marry
me-"
"Why2 Amt things all right as
they are now2'
"Yes, but if was all right l think l
could do better"
Jimmy consented, and on Septem-
Der 10, 1891, they were married in
Camden by Rev. George w. Finlaw.
Like many another Camden marriage
it did not improve either man or wife,
and it was not long until they began
the quarrelng which ended in her
shooting her I9-year-old husband as
ne was coming away from the mousse
where he spent good deal of his
time after their disagreements began.
The girl is supposed to be Annie
Graham, formerly of Lime Ridge,
She was bright and pretty girl, and
about as fast as it is possible to be.
A few years ago she appeared in TIE
court here as witness in an unsavory
case, and on the witness stand un-
admitted her bad character.
For time she was quite notorious
in this section, and then disappeared,
going to the city.
1t is said that she had a very narrow
escape from conviction in the first de.
gree, which would have been punished
by death in the electric chair.