~ ANNIE WALDEN ~ The Tragic Story

    During the past week the New York daillies have given extended accounts of the trial of one Annie Walden, in that city, for the murder of James Walden, her husband, on October 30, 1891 in the streets of New York.

    Few of our readers probably are aware that the woman is a daughter of Phillip Graham of Almedia, this county. She was defended during the trial by Mr. Howe, one of the most celebrated criminal lawyers at the New York bar.

    The verdict was guilty of murder in the second degree and was sentenced to imprisonment for life.

    Her life has been a checkered one ever since she has been sixteen years old. Some years ago she figured quite prominently as an important witness in the Columbia county Courts in a scandal and caused the audience to stand in amazement at her abandon. She had an attractive form and Mr. Wellman who conducted the prosecution said that the "prisoner was the handsomest woman who had ever been arraigned before the New York bar," and added "the wickedest as well by all odds."

    After leaving home she became a familliar character on Eight, Vine and Race streets, Philadelphia. She said life was too slow in the Quaker city and thereupon went to New York where she became acquainted with Lew Marshall a book-maker at the races. She lived with him for some time and he paid the rent for their quarters. her time was spent attending the races and in all manner of excesses. She contracted the habit of opium smoking and entertained her friends in that way when they called. Last summer she and Marshall quarreled and at Sheapshead bay she succeeded in captivating and capturing james Walden, a bright, jovial good-hearted fellow.

    They subsequestly attended the Gloucester races and in Camden were married September 19, 1891. After the season was over, they returned to New York, she bringing with her a companion named Blanche Belmont. The women went out together and stayed out at night. This led to frequent quarrels between them as Walden insisted that she should stay at home occasionally with him. After frequent quarrels, Walden packed up and left her. On the night of the tragegy she went to a friend of Walden's named Green and inquired there for her husband. She was refused admittance, but afterward Walden came out and walked up Seventh Avanue with her. She insisted that he must leave Green's but he only smiled and turned to walk away. Quick as a flash she whipped out a revolver and fired. It only produced a flesh wound. He turned to grasp her, but she pulled the trigger again and the bullet made a mortal wound in his neck.

 
ANNA JANE GRAHAM was born on May 20, 1869 in Benton, Jackson twp. Columbia Co. PA. She was the daughter of Rebecca Carruthers Farver and Phillip Graham, III, and the granddaughter of George Edel Farver and Catherine Young. Anna was the third of seven children born to her parents. On Thursday, April 28, 1892, the following article appeared in the Columbia County Pennsylvania newspaper; Republican:"

Two follow up articles on the Annie Walden incident appeared about 10 years later, on January 3rd and 4th.

Special Dispatch to The North American
New York, January 3.

    The happiest man in New York City is the Rev. Phillip Graham the cobbler-preacher of Almedia, Pa., who had come to this city to meet his daughter, Annie Walden, who was pardoned by Governor Roosevelt on Monday. Ten years ago she murdered her husband and had been In prison ever since.. The father Annie Walden Is 57 years old, tall and good-looking.

    "Yes, I am after my daughter, Annie," he said, in answer to the question of The North American reporter. "She In at the Endicott Hotel, in the apartments of Mrs. Beekman de Peyster. I had been trying to get her pardoned so long," he said, "that I had almost lost hope. I was thinking of her Tuesday morning as I walked down the streets of Almedia. She has been constantly in my mind, because, though we have six children, my wife and I love this little girl the best."

The News of the Pardon.

    ""I first saw the announcement of the pardon in a newspaper--my wife was present. I could not speak, but thrust the paper into her hands. She fell to the floor faint, but was straightway up and laughing and crying all at once."

    Here the old mail stopped and took off his glasses to wipe his gray eyes with a handkerchief.

    "We have not seen her for six years," the minister continued. "It was more than she could stand to have us come to the prison. At 17, Annie had a dozen lovers, honest country fellows. She was the handsomest girl in town. We never knew who, it was that got her away from home. It was some city chap. All we know Is that he came, with his smooth tongue, and she ran away with him.

    We found she was In Philadelphia. We went there, but she had gone to New York. Once after that she came home, telling that she was working in the city. We believed her, though afterward we learned better. Then came the came the shooting of the man."

The Voice in His Dream.

    "That was at 8 o'clock in the evening, We had gone to bed out in Almedia, and I lay awake thinking about her. At just 8 o'clock I heard her call 'papa' in a faint, frightened voice from her room upstairs. I jumped up and ran out to the hall. I told my wife that Annie was in trouble. Again in the night I heard a little cry from upstairs.

    The next morning the Sunday papers had it all. Then we got a letter from Annie, written in the Tombs, begging us not to go to New York. She didn't want her father and mother to see her in prison. We did not attend the trial."

The Meeting of Yesterday

    "She was sentenced for life, and after she had been in prison on Blackwell's Island for a time we went over to see her. It was a most awful meeting for her mother, and it simply broke my heart. I stopped preaching and went to work at my trade as a cobbler. It was the wrecking of my life, but it is all over now."

    When Mr. Walden reached the hotel Mrs. De Peyster opened the door and Annie in a black dress, stood in the centre of the room. Nine years in prison had failed to quench her pride. The girl waited for some token of tenderness on the part of the father. As she threw her arms around his neck and dropped her head upon his big shoulders, she sobbed happily – and Mrs. De Peyster shut the door.

    They will leave for Almedia to-morrow morning at 9 o'clock.

Special Dispatch to The North American.
Almedia, Pa., January 4.

     There is a general jubilee here over the return to the village of Annie Walden, daughter of the Rev. Philip Graham. She arrived unexpectedly on the 7:52 train from Philadelpia this morning.    Her father went to the Hotel Endicott, in New York, for her and after finding her took the train immediately for home. Every one in this village is heartily in sympathy with the little woman. The feeling is that she has been abused.

    They walked from the station to their house. The meeting of mother and daughter was very touching. The salute of white hankerchiefs was given from every house as the sturdy old clergyman, with beeming face and the trim little woman, with flushed cheeks, walked through the village to the Graham house.

    Mrs. Graham's sister and brother William were there to welcome her. The brother was 7 when she went away. The girl was 10.

    The house was full of neighbors in the afternoon to bid the liberated woman welcome to her old home. There was no embarrassment in the party of relatives and friends that came in. No one seemed to feel that there was anything to be ashamed of. Not a word was said about the past. Everyone passed that by mutual consent, but the woman herself spoke of it in a quiet way.

When the neighbors had gone, and only the old father and mother and two younger children were there, Mrs. Walden sat down to talk of her return.
    "There is no need of going over the past," she said. "I have been misunderstood and wronged. But that is nothing now. I will say that I do not blame the Judge or the jury. I have only charity for them."
    "I want to say that it was prayer that brought me my freedom. The influence that was brought to bear did not do it. I have prayed for ten years. So has my father and my mother. Oh, the long years that I hoped and prayed."
    "It is true that the father of Mrs. Walsh, the matron at Auburn Prison, wrote to President McKinley for his influence with Governor Roosevelt. he does not deny it. Mr. McKinley wrote that he would give it his immediate attention, and it was just after this that the pardon came."
    "I would not see any reporters in New York, because Mrs. Depeyste and others advised me not to. I was not at the Hotel Endicott as the papers thought. I was hid. When father arrived last night they brought him to me, and I was ready to start."
    "I was justified in what I did long ago, My conscience is not troubling me for anything in the past. I was not ashamed to walk down the street and the meet all the dear old people of the little village. I began to meet them as the train got into the county. Almost every face was familiar, and many I could name. Oh, there is no place like home." The little woman's eyes overflowed, and she laughed at herself for her weakness.
    "I do not care if I never see a city again," she added. "I am 31 years old, and have lived enough to know that peace and the love of parents are the sweetest illegible on earth."

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