The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-05-17

dereE whose Insane Love for a
Pretty Girl Led Him 10 Kill Her.
One OF tho Most Remarkable Cases
In Criminal Anuals-A Bungling Ex'
Gcution.
Concord, N. H., May l6-Murderer
Frank G. Almy retired early asteyening.
He saiduothing to the death watch aside
from bidding them good night in his
usually pleasant manner.
AT 8 o'clock sharp this morning he
aroge and after cheerlly greeting the
watch, dressed himself, He ute hearty
breakfast with apparent relish. Chap
lain wilkinson went to the prison early
and he was with Almy to tho end, but
the condemned man paid no attention
the chaplaln's remarks. AT 10 o'clock
slhvp the warden, with the death watch
as y, Illnesses, formally delivered Almy
10 ina sheriff. The latter informed
NJ that he might cay anything he
led before going to the scaIold,
.lgy said he had nothing to say.
sIeahwRile The witnesses assembled in
NIL 9icw oil the gallows, Upwards Of
81 arson were present.
d jl0lS o'clock the death march
VA lakeni Up and in half minute the
y L IN
On qlcly 81 apped Alm'y arms at the
7.0ows an then pinioned his legs,
Amy said "May speakP" The sher-
III shook his head. Almy even then
appeared I'd want to speak but the cap
was HASTILY put over his face, and he
said nothing. Sheriff Hurlbut. after
the cap was fixed placed tho hang
mans knot around the left ear and at
1916 o'clock touched the spring. The
drop fell heavily and Almy's body went
through the trap. To the horror of the
spectators his feet struck the floor be.
low. HE knees bending under him.
Tho rope was evidently too long rs it
did not stretch any. The body benttothe
right and slightly forward. Inside OF q
minute, officers on tho platform Of the
scatTold swung the rope and pulled the
body up several feet.
Another feature OF the execution that
caused tho witnesses to shudder was the
position Of the rope and the knot. The
former pulled ovor tho lett ear, while
the knot was fully one foot above the
neck. 1t was evident that the con-
demned man strangled odoath, and the
execution was not u euccess in its de-
tails. But one or two tremors, or
twtching motions could be seen, and
then an entire absence OF struggling.
At 1880 Almy was pronounced dead.
The doors were then opened and the
spectators fled by the gallows and left
the prison.
ALMY's CRIME.
Almys crime was the awful murder
OF Christie Warden, which created Ut
the time tremendous sensation.
Tho identity of the man who COM
mtted the murder Is not actually
known, nor is his motive, and, though
the miserable criminal has never
opened his lips upon the former topic
and has told romantic story, which no
one credits, upon the latter, his birth,
his fate, and his crime embody US much
Of the weird and uncanny as was ever
Enclosed between yellow covers.
The shocking story OF Almy's last
crime has burnt itself into tho hearts OF
every household in New England. A
pure, innocent and noble young woman
was seized from her mothers side and
murdered with ferocity such as the
jungles OF India cannot rival.
This murderer came to Farmer War
denis house in Hanover. He was young,
good looking, educated, and politician
above his humble station--and the fam
lily "took to him" from the first. The
farmer suspected, from the young mans
accomplishments and from his retiCence
concerning his former life, that he was
an accomplished embezzler or other of
fender and looked with ill favor upon
him. When Christmas came "Frank,"
for so he was known, was remembered
In the distribution Of neckties and other
simple gifts from the mother and
daughters.
The farmer had a son and two daugh.
tors, OF whom Christie, the murdered
girl, was the eldest. Christie was fair
sample OF tho New England country
girl-nut beauty, but strong and
ruddy young woman, educated TO the
extent OF her fathers means, CONVEX
SAINT with books, competent with needle
and saucepan, active in church and
grange, and frank and engaging in man
ner, II is doing her no dishonor to say
that she had reached the age Of %
years and that there was in hor mind
as well as in tho minds OF others, the
lurking suspicion that her chances OF
finding husband were fast slipping
away.
1t was to Christie that Almy became
attracted, and when in the spring OF
1891 Farmer Warden dismissed Almy
for lack OF further employment he
mournlully remarked that he had no
other home, no place to go, nothing to
do. The farmer was glad to soc him do
part.
Almy and Christie had been much to-
gothor, He had disClo'ed to her an ab-
sencc Of conscience from which sho
ahrank in terror. She had told him,
when no had protested that Hho was
tho only person whom he loved, the
only ono who could save him, that
there was u moral gulf between them
which could never be bridged, and
that, while sho thought well OF him,
sho could never marry him.
The last Friday evening Of August,
1891, in company with her mother and
al ss.s.