Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-11-26
THE HORROR OF HORRORS.
A Tragedy Almost without Parallel
Numbering Family without
Motive or prOyOcatiou.

Motive or Pr0y0cati0n.
Laconia, n. H., November 25.-This
morning the residents of this place
were startled by the story of a terrible
tragedy which occurred at 4 O'Clock,
;. :. Andrews, ncighbor of James
ituddy, aged forty years, employed In
the Laconin Car works, was alarmed
oy woman's screams. He aroused
his son and hurried to Ruddy's house
whence the screams proceeded. They
found Mrs. Ruddy, aged thirty-six
years, lying on the ground beneath n
front window, through which she had
leaped: She was bleeding profusely.
and said she had been cut all TO pieces
she was properly cared for. Assist
nnce was obtained, aud the door of
ltuddy's house forced open. The
flames were quickly extinguished, and
the bodies of Rudy and his only
enid. one and one.half years old. were
found lying on the kitchen floor, both
cut In a terrible manner, and covered
with the contents of feather bed,
winch had been saturated with kero-
sene and set on fire. The bodies were
so disiigured 10y the flames ms TO be
nearly past recognition. In a bed
room was found the trunk of the life
less body of Mrs. Ford, which was
Identified by her husband. One
of her limbs had been chopped
OIL, and the detached member and
The remaining leg bound to the wo-
mans body with clothes line. The
bed clothes had been saturated with
oil and piled on the body and an at
tempt made to set them on fire, which
failed. Mrs. Ruddy being questioned,
said the crime was committed by
Thomas Samon, an Englishman and
acquaintance of the family, n cook by
trade, about thirty-siX years OF age,
with Ratchet. Mrs. Ruddy's state
ment before the coroner's Jury was
that she went to bed about 0 O'Clock.
At IL, Samon came into the front room
and looked out OF the window, saying
he was nervous and could not sleep. /
got up and made him cup of
tea and went back TO bed AT
4 o'clock Samon came into the
front room again and acted queerly.
He then went back into the Kitchen.
My husband and got up, and he also
went into the kitchen. soon heard
n fall, and going out found my hus.
band hanging over n chair, with his
and struck me with hatchet on the
head. l grabbed 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 / tried to unlock
the kitchen door, but he returned and
again struck me on the head. knock
ing me down. / laid perfectly quiet
He went back into the front room and
got the baby, and then came back and
poured the feathers aud straw over us
and went out. / got up and
| tried to open the front window, but
could not. then broke pane of
glass and jumped through. He was
very nervous in the kitchen nearly all
night The hatchet with which the
crime was probably committed was
found in the river. 1t is stated
Samon took Mrs. Ford's body
to Ridley's house Saturday morn
ing in n trunk, where it remained
until the tragedy occurred. The coro-
ner's inquest rendered verdict that
the persons came to their death at the
hands of Thomas Samon. The latter
was arrested this afternoon near Ply
mouth. He did not resist arrest, and
has been taken in charge by Plymouth
officer. Suspicion being aroused
against Ford, husband of the murdered
woman, that he might be implicated
in the aiiiiir. he was arrested this
forenoon and remains in custody.
Several suspicious circumstances
tend to show his guilt. At Ford's
house there was no evidence of Mrs.
Ford's murder and II is thought her
death was accidental ut Samon's
hands; that wishing to conceal the
body he took il to Ruddy's, whence
perhaps he could carry IL from the
house during the night, and that
Rudy refused to assist him, when n
struggle ensued. The superstition is
that Mrs. Ford died either from stran-
gulation or drugging, rs she fire.
auently INDUCED in strong drink.
Samon will he brought to Laconia on
Monday for trial. Great excitement
prevails. and fears are Ell
tertaimed that II vigilance
committee will he organized and the
prisoner lynched upon his arrival at
the depot. A report from Plymouth
states that Samon denies all knowl-
edge of the affair, and says his arrest
is perfect surprise. Samon has never
been regarded as vicious even when
intoxicated. AT late hour tonight
Mrs. Ruddy's condition was no worse.