The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-31
FRANK WALwORTHSCRIME
a TRIAL FOR PARRICIDE THAT TOOK
PLACE IN VIEW FORK.
the Mnrder OF Mansfield Wniworth by Els
Treatment or Ills WHO That
Lee to tho Decd Famous Counsel En-
EnEed In the TrI.i 4 nn1nnrn nf InannliN.

Lee TO tho cd-Enmo Counsel Rn.
gagged In tho TrinI-A Defence OF 1nsnnits.
Few guests who may occupy room 26I in The
rear part OF the Sturtevant House in this city
ever learn OF tho tragedy that occurred in IL on
the morning OF June ., 1873, and led TO one of
tho most dramatic trials ever held In this city.
IL commanded wide attention because OF the
social position OF the families affected and also
because II involved the rare crime OF parricide.
One OF the greatest jurists OF this state was
Chancellor Walworth, who succeeded the great
Kent. His residence was at Saratoga Springs.
where sons and daughters were born to him. IL
was one OF III" sons WIN was the victim OF tho
Sturtcvant House tragedy. Chancellor Wal.
worth, shortly after the Mexican war. married
for his second wife the widow of the bravo Ken
lucky Colonel and Congressman, John J. Hardin,
who was killed at the battle of Buena Vista.
Mrs. Hardin had "A beautiful daughter named
Ellen, and the Chancellor, by his first marriage.
"A promising son named after the great English
Lord Chief Justice, Mansfield. With the APP.
proval OF their parents these two children were
married.
As Mansfield Walworth increased in years he
contracted dissipated Aabits, for Saratoga in
thos, d~ays-tbe fftics noted for deep
drinking, and gambling houses abounded I'M.
checked. 1t soon became Saratoga gossip that
young Walworth was brutal TO his wife, both
WIN 'ohbhS "hu huhuN uHu lho a.
public when young Mrs. Walworth returned to
her old Kentucky home. The Chancellor
brought about II partial reconciliation and the
sOn-who had become a writer of what critics
called hysteric fiction for a New York pub
lisher-spent much time in the metropolis
of his native State, there enjoying his literary
notoriety and loading n Bohemian life. Chan
cellor Walworth's death brought new marital
troubles to his daughter.in.law. for by his will,
x-l .-l- AZ. l,,tA al "a a-- at-t- la
disinherited his son because of the %latter's way
wardness and left the sons share TO the wife as
trustee for her husbands support. This act
greatly enraGcd Mansfield Walworth and he
conceived u hatred for the wife and charged her
with poisoning his fathers mind against him.
Separation cnsued. The wife with her mother
occupied the Walworth homestead and the hus.
band resided in this city, from which he contin.
ually addressed bitter letters to his wife, taunt-
ing and often profane and vulgar in character.
Their son Frank grew up almost n daily witness
of his fathers brutal treatment of his mother,
and from what he saw and heard conceived a
veritablc alteration for her and unmistakable
hatred Of his father. Tho father, when the year
1872 arrived. had issued, through the then pop.
ular publishing house of Carleton in this city.
three novels entitled Warwick" Beverly -
and Mission of Death Frank Walworth had
constituted himself the guardian of his mother.
and would watch the Saratoga Post Office for
letters addressed to her in his fathers hand.
writing and would intercept them. so that she
might not be annoyed or disturbed by reading
them. These letters he opened and retained.
Early on June /, 1873. a letter more abusive
than usual, and written in the high-flown Ian.
guage that characterized the fathers fict on.
came into Frank Walworthls hands. A year
before he had met his father in the street at
Saratoga, and in the presence of several passers-
by had demanded that his father cease sending
scurrilous letters. The father made the prom
Use demanded, but in a short time broke it and
continued to break it. After receiving the let.
ter referred to Frank determined TO visit New
York and take legal proceedings against his
father. Without telling any one of his errand
he started for New York. After his departure
his mother discovered the envelope in his
fathers handwriting with n recent date stamp.
and suspected that he must have become
angered by its contents and left to visit his
father. Events soon disclosed that the surmisc
was correct.
BY the testimony on the trial it appeared that
Frank on his arrival from Saratoga in New
York went to the Sturtovant House, where he
registered, and then set out for his fathers
boarding house on Park avenue. near Fifty.
f.urth street. Arriving there travcl.stained
and dusty, he found that his father was absent
and he wrote a note requesting his father to call
on him forthwith at The Sturtcvant House for Il
conference on family matters" As early as
half past u tho next morning the father anne to
the hotel and sent up his card by n nell boy.
Frank Walworth, aroused from sleep, canc to
the door in his nightshirt and received the card.
Tell the gentleman he can come up he said.
Some minutes elapsed before the father
reached the room. and in the meantime the son
appears to have hastily dressed himself. The
tenant OF the next room WAS awakened by the
NTntfnA N tho IA unl EnT anf Gnnn hnArl a
pistol shot. and then another and another. with
cries Of "Murder!" but was restrained by pru-
stairs in great excitement. and, rushing up 10
the clerk in the hotel Office, said:
Il have just shot my father in sclf-dcfcncc.
and ! suppose have killed him. as INV pistol was
close TO his head. ! wish to give myself up.
Please send for an officer"
A bell boy at once ran to the room and OPEN
ing the door saw a gray-haircd man lying at the
base OF The washstand and blood upon the floor.
custody Frank Immediately placed himself.
The policeman wished Frank to accompany him
to the room, but the young man c oily said: -,
No use; for my father ID dead because l fired
lie was then taken to the station house near
by, preserving on the walk perfect calinncss and
silence; When before the desk he handed a pIs.
toll TO the Sergeant and said:
Here is the weapon with which l have killed
my father
that the prisoner must be q lunatic to talk in so
matter-ot-fact a way about, parricide. Later
Frank made a statement 70 the Coroner. detail.
feud between them. and tho causes thereof.
He also produced the shameful letter that had
moved him 10 the deed. lie protested that in
making the appointment lie had not intended
violence. but hal drawn and used his pistol e.
cause his father had first draw WI one. and that
he had pulled the trigger under the belief that il
was necessary to do so TO save his own life. The
novelist was dead when found. and no pistol
was discovered upon him to corroborate tho
story or self dcfcacc. Reporters found no ditii
Guilty in interviewing Frank Walworth. lie
again d~isclaimed any intention of killing his
father whom he left Saratoga, ana declared that
his only wish had been to cause Il cessation Of
the letter writing and of, the llolestation of lis
mother. He was surprised, he said. that his
father should call at such an untimely hour,
and taking tho early visit in connection with
his father 3 wild manner on entering the room
no believed that the circumstances evidenced N
design OF violence upon him. To the puolic mind.
to the Coroner's jury, and to the District Attor-
ney the decd seemed prclneditatcd murder, and
on sucn II charge lie was held without bail.
Strange as 1t may seem to the present genera
tion. used to criminal delays, an indictment for
murder was found and Frank brought
to trial before a month had passed from the date
OF the homicide. The young man mother i'm