The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1883-12-05
A HORRIBLE TRAGEDY
Three AtrOciOus Murders COM
mitted i'm New Hampshire.
The Body of One Murdered Wo-
man Taken to a House Where
90 Two Others Are Killed.


LAcoNIA, N. H., November 25.-
This morning the residents wer,
startled by the story that terrible
tragedy had occurred. At 4 O'Clock
S. S: Andrews, a neighbcr of james
Ruddy, aged forty years, employed
in the Laconia car works, was
alarmed by woman's screams. He
aroused his son and hurried to
Ruddy's house, whence the screams
proceeded, There they found Mrs
Ruddy, aged thirty-six years, lying
on the ground beneath the front
window, through which she had
leaped. She was bleeding profuse-
ly, and said she had been cut all ia
pieces. She was properly cared
for, assistance obtained, and the
door Of Ruddy's house forced open,
when flames burst forth and an alarm
of fire was sounded. The flames
were quickly extinguished, and the
bodies Of Ruddy and his only child,
one and one half year old, were
found lying on the kitchen floor
both cut in a terrible manner and
covered with the contents ofa feath-
or bed, which had been saturated
with kerosene and set on fire. The
bodies were so disfgured by the
flames as to be nearly past recogni-
ton. In the bedroom was found
| the trunk of the lifeless body of Mrs
Ford, which was Unidentified by her
husband. One of her limbs had
been chopped eff, and the detached
member and remaining leg We're
bound to the woman's body with
a clothes-line. The bedclothes had
been saturated with oil, piled on
the body, and an attempt made to
set them on fire, which had fail
ed. @
Mrs. Ruddy, being questioned,
said the crime was committed with
hatchet by Thomas Samon, an
Englishman, and-an acquaintance
of the family, who was a cook by
trade, and about thirty-six years of
age. Mrs. Ruddy's statement be-
fore the coroner's jury was as fol-
lows: ave went to bed about 8
o'clock. At11 Samon came into
the front room and looked out the
window, saying he was nervous
and could not sleep. l got up and
made him a cup of tea and went
back to bed. At 4 o'clock Samon
came into the front room again and
acted queerly. He went back to
the kitchen. My husband got up,
and he also went into to the kitch-
en-. | soon heard fall, and going
out found my husband hanging
over a chair with his arms down.
Samon started for me and struck me
with a hatchet on the head. / grab
bed his arm, but he then struck me
and threw me to the floor. He went
into the front room and killed the
baby, who was crying. While he
was there l tried to unlock the
kitchen door, but he returned and
again struck me on the head, knock
ing me down, | lay perfectly quiet.
He went back into the front room to
get the baby and then came back
and poured feathers and straw over
Us, and went out. / got up and
tried to open the front, window, but
could not. Ithen broke a pane of
glass and jumped through. He was
very nervous in the kitchen all
night"
The hatchet with which the
crime was probably committed was
found in the river. 1t is stated
shat Samon took Mrs. Ford's body
to Ruddy's house Saturday morning
in q trunk, whore it remained until
the tragedy occurred. The coroner's
inquest rendered a verdict that the
persons came 10 their death at the
hands of Thomas Samon, and the
latter was arrested this afternoon.
near Plymouth. He did not resist
arrest, and has been taken in charge
by Plymouth officers.
Suspicion being against Ford,
the husband of the murdered wo-'
man, that he might be implicated in
the affair, he was, arrested this fore
noon and remains in custody. Sus-
piciuos circumstances tend to show
his guilt There was no evidence
of Mrs. Ford's murder, and it is
thought her death was accidental
at Samon's hands; that wishing to
conceal the body he took it to Rud-
dy's whence, perhaps, he could carry
it from the house during the night; !;
that Ruddy refused to assist him,
when a stuggle ensued. The sup
position is that Mrs. Ford died
either from strangulation or drug
ging as she frequently iudulged in
strong drink. Samon will be brought
to Laconia on Monday for trial.
Great excitement prevails, and fears
are entertained that vigilance
committee will be organized and
the prisoner lynched uponIhis arriv-
al at the depot. Is
Later reports from Plymouth state
that Samon denies all knowledge of
the affair, and that his arrest was o.
perfect surprise. Samon has never
been regarded as vicious, even when
intoxicated. AT a late hour tonight
Mrs. Ruddy's condition was no
worse. a,
SERGEzNT KASON FREE.
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