Albert Fish, by his own admission, molested over four hundred children over a twenty-year span and was responsible for sixteen murders. He preyed on the young and retarded, preferring young boys. According to psychologists who examined him, he was the only individual who was diagnosed with every sexual perversion known, at that time. Eventually caught for the murder of Grace Budd, he was tried and executed for that crime.
Weird beginnings
Hamilton Fish was born somewhere near Washington D.C. in 1870. His father was forty years older than his mother and mental illness and religious mania ran through his family. After his father’s death, his mother placed him in an orphanage. The frequent beatings he recieved there seemed to have sexually roused him. As he was growing up, Albert Fish, admitted to frequenting bathhouses to view boys undressing, to becoming a male prostitute and to raping many young boys. In 1898, his mother arranged a marriage between him and his first wife; a woman nine years younger than him. In 1917, his wife ran away with another man and was never seen by the family again. He had a total of six children with her.
Grace
Albert Fish, besides being a regular visitor to the New York psychiatric wards, worked as a painter, for most of his life. He had access to many homes, allowing him in some cases to pick out his next potential victim. This is how he encountered victim Grace Budd. Answering an ad under the alias Frank Howard, he showed up to the Budd residence and immediately became enamored with Grace. Later on he admitted that he originally had his eye on the son, but realized that Grace was an easier target for him to handle. Ingratiating himself with the family, they began to trust him. On the day of Grace’s disappearance, Albert Fish, under the guise of a birthday party for his niece, was able to convince the Budd’s to allow him to accompany Grace to that fictitious party. This was the last time the Budd’s ever saw their daughter alive. It was later found out, that Albert transported Grace, by train, to his summer home, Wisteria cottage, in Westchester. It was there that he murdered, dismembered and ate the little girl, over a period of several days. Grace’s disappearance prompted an intense manhunt that lasted a little over six years.
Caught
The detective assigned to Grace’s disappearance, Will King, finally got the break to capture Grace’s killer, seven years later. In 1934 an anonymous letter arrived at the Budd residence. The letter, a horrific description of Grace’s death, was actually sent by Albert Fish himself. The letter had a peculiar emblem or mark in the form of a hexagon and letters NYPCBA. Handwriting analyses of the letter confirmed upon examination that it was similar to some telegrams that had previously been sent to the Budd’s by the fictitious Frank Howard. It was also learned that the symbol and letters stood for the NY Private Chauffeur’s Benevolent Association. Quick police action yielded results. One of the chauffeur’s questioned stated that he took some of the Association’s papers to a boarding house that he had stayed, approximately the same time that Mrs. Budd had received her letter. Information at the boarding house resulted in finding a man who had appeared to fit the description of the fictitious Frank Howard. On December 13th 1934, Albert Fish walked into the boardinghouse and was promptly arrested and charged with Grace Budd’s murder.
The end
At his trial, Albert Fish pleaded insanity. Despite his penchant for self-mutilation, such as insertion of needles up his scrotum and torture, the jury judged him sane and the judge sentenced him to death. It is stated that when Mr. Fish heard that he was to be electrocuted he said, "To die in the electric chair will be the supreme thrill of my life". He was sent to Sing Sing prison and on January 16th 1936 was executed.
Albert Fish, the innocent, grandfather-like man, will be remembered for living one of the most perverse lifestyles known to man. This real-life Hannibal Lecter, is still a fascination to many in the annals of psychiatric medicine. He is one of the most terrifying pedophiles and killers of all-time.
References
Colin Wilson and Donald Seaman; The Serial Killers, Virgin Publishing Ltd. 2004, page 176
Cyrus Dehkan - I am a dentist that's been in practice for 22 years. Although not a professional writer, I do enjoy giving views on various subjects. My ...
