The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-11-27
A FAMILY MURDERED WITH A RATCHET,
The House Fired 20 Cover Up All Traces OF
the Crimc-~A Dead BODY I'm Trunk-A
New England Tragedy.

wholesale murder ever known IN New
England was committed here about 4
O'Clock this morning Those killed were
James Ruddy. Mrs. John Ford and Frank
Ruddy. the infant child OF James and
Rosa BUDDY. Mrs. Ruddy was so horribly
cut and bruised that she will die. Thomas
salmon. the murderer. escaped, but was
captured this afternoon at Plymouth, hav-
ing walked there, a distance OF twenty-five
miles. He denies all knowledge Of the
crime.
James Ruddy. an Irishmar, with wife
and one child. lived In 4 story and-a-half
co;tage-house In the outskirts Of Laconia.
He was in comfoi table circumstances and
had a happy home. Thomss Salmon, n
married man. separated from his wife. was
boarder with John Ford, neighbor, aud
is said 10 have caused an enlargement be-
tween Ford end his vile. Saturday after
noon Salmon came 10 his friend Ruddy's
house, wheeling a large trunk upon q
wheelbarrow. He took the trunk into the
house and put II I'm a bedroom opening
out Of the kitchen, having obtained Mrs.
Ruddy's permission 10 leave IL in her
charge. When Ruddy came home from
his work he found Salmon with his wife
and asked him 10 stay 10 supper and after
ward 10 remain all night.
wONAN's SCREAMS.
Shortly after O'Clock this morning a
neighbOr, :. :. Andrews, was aroused by
the screams Of a woman. 1urrying 10
Ruddy's house he found Mrs. Rudy,
bleeding profuScly. lying on the ground
under a window, through which she had
jumped.
.sPick me up" she moaned, family; 81
am cut all TO pieces"
Andrews took her to his house, and get
ting assistance ran back 10 Ruddy's cot
tage. As they broke in the back door
flames burst out, and the house was seen to
be on fire. With difficulty the fire was eX-
tinguished. and then evidences Of horrible
work were revealed. Lying upon The floor
In the kitchen were the bodies OF Ruddy
and his child, both cut aud gashed in a
horrible manner, partially covered with the
contents of feather and straw bed.
which had been set on fire. The two boz
dies were partially burned, but not beyond
recognition.
DEAD BODY IN TRUNK.
In bedroom opening from the kitchen
was the trunk before mentioned, in which
was the body of woman, ascertained TO
be that of Mrs. Ford. An effort to burn
this had been made by pilng the bed
clothes upon il. A kerosene can was near,
and the contents had evidently been plen-
tifuly sprinkled about. Upon being re-
moved from the trunk the legs were found
TO be chopped off near the knees, and the
limbs were bound TO the body by q clothes
line.
Mrs. Ruddy. who lost consciousness
while being taken 10 Andrews's house.
was revived sufficiently to tell the story OF
the fiendi,h crime. She says:
"The trunk was brought to the house
about O'Clock yesterday afternoon. 1t
stood outside until about D, and was then
carried to the bedroom. All went 10 bed
about O'Clock. About III O'Clock Salmon
came into the room, went TO window,
pulled the curtain aside and looked out.
asked him why he didn't 90 10 bed. He
said he was nervous and could not steep.
] got up and made him cup OF tea and
then went back to bed again. About 4
O'Clock Salmon came into the front room
and looked out OF the window again, and
then went back to the kitchen.
KILLED WITH A RATCHET.
"Ruddy and then got up and Ruddy
went into the kitchen. L soon heard
fall: went in and saw my husband hang
Ing over a chair with his arms down. Sal
mon rushed ut me, struck at me with n
hatchet and hit me on the head. | grab
bed his arm, but be struck me and threw
me on the floor. He then went into the
front room and killed baby, almost sever
ing the head from the body. The baby
was CRYING. While he was there i got up
and tried to unlock the kitchen-dOor. He
then came back and struck me on the head
again, knocking me down. lay perfectly
quiet. Salmon then went back into the
front room and got the baby and bed and
came back. He poured feathers and straw
over us and set it on fire. He then went
out. | got UP and went to the frOnt-room
window and tried TO get it up, but could
not. l broke the glass and jumped through.
Salmon was yery.uervOus and walked IN
the kitchen nearly all night. | did not
think but the trunk was ali right"
Mr.. Ford, husband OF the woman whose
mutiated remains were in the trunk, spent
the whole night hunting for his wife. Be
fore starting on his search he took his
family Bible to a neighbOr named Sittum,
and said: "My wife has run away with
Salmon. II she comes back and tries to
sell our furniture, come TO Lake Village
and let me know" Ford was among the
first at Ruddy's house this morning, and
recognized his wife's remains. IL seems
that Salmon left Ford's house with the
trunk ut noon, and wheeled IL three quar-
tiers OF Il mile through public streets to
Ruddy's house. He was seen TO cut piece
from Ford's clothes-line, and 1t was no.
tced his hands were trembling.
THE MURDERER ARRESTED.
Salmon was arrested at Plymouth, n. H..
this afternoon. On receipt OF the news OF
the murder a general alarm was given and
the people Of the town turned out to join
in the search The alleged murderer was
captured on the road from Laconia by Dep
uiy United States Marshal Brown. The
accused man appeared stupid ana half
dazed when arrested. lie afterwards
frightened up httle and emphatically de-
MED all guilty knowledge OF the murder.
He said that few days ago he made an ar
rangement TO work for Mr.. Rudy. Yes
terdav he carried his trunk to Ruddy's,
leaving it on the sidewalk till evening,
when he returned and carried 1t to his
room. Then he went TO bed at the house
OF a man named Ford, where he had
been employed. lie arose, he says, at D
this morning and started on foot for Ply
mouth, short distance out OF Tacoma:
lie was gwen ride by man, who told
him OF the murder, and he claims that was
the first he had heard of the murder. But,
according 10 his own story. the alarm OF
fire must have been given an hour before
he left Tacoma. He said he walked be-
cause he was destitute OF money and that he
came 10 obtain money from his wife to pay
for his furniture. Five dollars were found
In his pockets. Three bloodstains were
found on his shirt front and Others on his
vest.
Salmon is forty years old and dissolutee