By: Leland Taylor
Early Life
o Born in 1870 as Hamilton Fish
o Father was 43 years older than mother
o Kids called him “Ham and eggs” so he
changed his name to Albert
o Spend much of his early years in an
orphanage
– Whipped and beaten
– Enjoyed the pain
– Beatings gave him erections, which others
kids teased him for
Early Life Cont.
o Mother took him back in
– Began a homosexual relationship at the age of
12 with another boy
– Fish spent lots of his free time going to public
baths where he could watch boys undress
o Moved to New York
– Became a male prostitute
– Claimed to have raped many boys
Marriage
o Marriage
– Mother forced marriage on him
– Had six children
– Arrested for embezzlement and sent to Prison
» While in prison rapped many men
o After being released he became a house painter
– Fish continued to molest young boys (mostly
under 6)
– During a relationship with a retarded man, Fish
tried to tie him up and castrate him.
– Fish continued also going to brothels where he
could be beaten more
Murders and Abductions
o Constantly killed mentally retarded
men and black people
– He did this because “he believe, they would
not be missed”
Grace Budd
– Father placed an ad in paper looking for work
for his son
– Fish was originally interested in the son
– After meeting Grace (10 years old) he
changed his plans
– Fish convinced parents to allow her to go to
Fish’s sisters birthday party
– She was never seen again
Grace Budd Letter
Billy Gaffney
o Billy Gaffney
– Billy was last seen playing outside with his friend
– They both disappear, but his friend was found on a
roof top soon after
– The friend said that the “boogey man took him”
– Fish was caught and sent to Sing Sing jail
Billy Gaffney Confession
Catching Fish
o The letter sent to the Budd family was
key to finding Fish
– The letter was sent in an envelope that had a
company symbol on it
– A janitor said that he had taken some of the
stationary and left it in a room that he was
previously staying in
– Fish had told that he was returning soon with
money to pay for his room
– Police captured him when he arrived
The Trail
o Fish pleaded insanity
o Claimed to have heard voices from God
telling him to kill children
o The jury found him sane and guilty
o He was given the death penalty
Execution
o Fish was given the electric chair
o Fish is claimed to have said that
“electrocution is the thrill of my life…I
don’t even know why I am here”
o The first shock short circuited because
Fish was so had so much metal within
him
– An X-ray showed that Fish had placed over a
dozer needles into his pelvis and testicles