Frank C. Almy (born George H. Abbott, June 5, 1857 – May 16, 1893) was an American convicted murderer

hanged Hanging is killing a person by suspending them from the neck with a noose or ligature strangulation, ligature. Hanging has been a standard method of capital punishment since the Middle Ages, and has been the primary execution method in numerou ...

by the state of

New Hampshire New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

for killing a woman in

Hanover, New Hampshire Hanover is a New England town, town located along the Connecticut River in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 11,870. The town is home to the Ivy League university ...

, in July 1891.

Background

George Abbott was born in 1857 in

Salem, Massachusetts Salem ( ) is a historic coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, located on the North Shore (Massachusetts), North Shore of Greater Boston. Continuous settlement by Europeans began in 1626 with English colonists. Salem was one ...

, and moved with his foster parents to North Thetford, Vermont, at age 10. At age 17, in 1874, he was sentenced to four years in New Hampshire prison for a burglary in Orford, New Hampshire. After his release in 1878, he returned to his hometown of Salem, but by 1879 was back in the

Connecticut River The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States, flowing roughly southward for through four states. It rises 300 yards (270 m) south of the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges into Long Isl ...

area of Vermont and New Hampshire, where he was involved in more burglaries. He was eventually caught, and sentenced to 15 years in prison in Vermont, entering in June 1881, aged 23. He escaped from prison in September 1887, and thereafter went by the name Frank C. Almy. During 1889 and 1890, Almy worked in Massachusetts in Peabody, Lynn, Marblehead, and Danvers. By July 1890, he had relocated to

, and took a job on the farm of the Warden family there. He left in April 1891, returned to his hometown of Salem, then took a job in the Dorchester neighborhood of

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

Crime

On July 17, 1891, Almy confronted four women near Hanover. He singled out Christie Warden, aged 25, and dragged her away, while using a handgun to threaten the other women, including Warden's mother and her younger sister. After dragging Warden away, he killed her with two gunshots and removed most of her clothing. Almy had previously worked for Warden's father, and she had reportedly rejected his attention. Almy then disappeared, leading to a large manhunt.

Apprehension

On July 21, Almy was thought to be in Canada, believed to have boarded a train in

Sherbrooke, Quebec Sherbrooke ( , ) is a city in southern Quebec, Canada. It is at the confluence of the Saint-François and Magog rivers in the heart of the Estrie administrative region. Sherbrooke is also the name of a territory equivalent to a regional count ...

, bound for

Richmond, Quebec Richmond, population 3,232 (2016), is a town nestled amidst rolling farmlands on the Saint-François River between Sherbrooke and Drummondville, in the heart of Estrie in Quebec, Canada. History Originally settled by colonists from New England, ...

. He was then suspected of having boarded a ship bound for England. On July 29, a man detained in

Montpelier, Vermont Montpelier is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Vermont and the county seat of Washington County, Vermont, Washington County. The site of Government of Vermont, Vermont's state government, it is the Lis ...

, on suspicion of being Almy, was found not to be him. Eventually, Almy was captured on August 20 in Hanover, having hid himself in the barn of the Warden family for 33 days. After being discovered in the barn, Almy exchanged gunfire with his pursuers, and ultimately surrendered after being shot in the leg and becoming weak due to the loss of blood. His capture garnered a six-column story on the front page of ''

The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...

''. Newspaper reports that Almy was actually Abbott surfaced within days of his arrest.

Legal proceedings

On September 16, Almy was indicted by a

grand jury A grand jury is a jury empowered by law to conduct legal proceedings, investigate potential criminal conduct, and determine whether criminal charges should be brought. A grand jury may subpoena physical evidence or a person to testify. A grand ju ...

for the murder of Christie Warden. On November 16, the day before his trial was set to begin, Almy was brought to court in

Plymouth, New Hampshire Plymouth is a New England town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States, in the White Mountains Region. It has a unique role as the economic, medical, commercial, and cultural center for the predominantly rural Plymouth, NH Labor Market A ...

, where he changed his plea from not guilty to guilty. Three days later, he was sentenced to death by hanging by the Supreme Court of Grafton County, the sentence to be carried out in December 1892. Motions by Almy's defense led to another court hearing in May 1892, at which time he was again sentenced to death by hanging, with the sentence to be carried out in May 1893. On May 16, 1893, Almy was executed by hanging in

Concord, New Hampshire Concord () is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Hampshire and the county seat, seat of Merrimack County, New Hampshire, Merrimack County. As of the 2020 United States census the population was 43,976, making it the List of municipalities ...

. He was the last person executed by the state of New Hampshire during the 19th century.

Background

Crime

Apprehension

Legal proceedings

See also

Notes

References

Further reading