The Portland daily press., 1883-11-26
A FIEND's WORK.
Nearly an Entire Family Murder
cd in Laconia. N. H.

The Murderer Hacks His Victims 10
Pieces with Hatchet-Their Bsdies
Covered With Feathers and Oil and then
Set en- Fire-The Alleged Murderer AR
rested.
LAcoNIA, N. H., Nov 25.-Shortly after 5
| o'clock this morning, the Inhabitants OF this
town were awakened by the ringing of bells
| and cries OF FIRE. Upon investigation 1t was
found there was hot only a fire, but that a
most brutal and fendish murder had been
committed, and that as the result three persons
met their death, and another, devoted wife
and mother, lays at the point Of death.
The particulars are as follews: James Rud-
dy, with his wife and child, (of Irish descent),
resided about half mile from the post office,
in the Northeast part of the village. Ruddy
was respectable man, about "A years of age,
employed fog long time in the Laconia Car
1 Works. His wife is about 36 years old, and
his only child one and half years old He
had lived in the village many years.
Thomas Samon, an acquaintance, aged SO, a
cook by trade. who had been employed at the
Flume House, in the White Mountains, during
the summer, and previous to this at the Pemi-
gewasset House, Plymouth, is married, but
has not lived with his wife at times. and now
resides at Plymouth, is an Englishmsn. He
has, OF late, INDUCED in strong drink frequent
! ly and was seen this morning about the
streets with woman. Saturday morning he
! was noticed BY neigAbor taking down q
| clothes-line in the yard Of the house where he
occupied an upper tenement John Ford and
wife occupying the lower part. 1t was noticed
that his hands trembled, and his work attract
| ed considerable attention.
| 1t appears that he left home with trunk at
IL o'clock Saturday forenoon, wheeling it
| towards Lake Village in wheelbarrow, down
| Lake street and up Water street, distance of
nearly mile. Finally he stopped at Ruddy's
| house, leaving the trunk in front, where it re-
mained TWO hours, and was afterwards taken
to room he had previously engaged for the
| purpose of boarding for q short time. The
trunk was carried into the house with consider
able exertion by Samon.
Ruddy returned home at the usual time, and
ever, thing was quiet till an early hour this
morning, yet lights were frequently seen by
heighbors during the night.
Shortly after O'clock this morning, s. s.
Andrews, who resides near, was alarmed by
the scream of a woman, and aroused his son,
o. h. Andrews. who quickly dressed and hur-
ried in the direction of the screaming woman,
and found her lying on the ground, under
front window, through which she had made
| desperate leap. Mrs. Ruddy was bleeding pro-
fusely.
On being asked what was the trouble, she
said: "Pick me up I'm cut to pieces" He
| assisted her to the residence of Charles Fegate
| directly opposite and she was soon unconscious
He then telegraphed for Chief Officer Judkins
| and physician, and after waiting q short
| door and burst it in. As they did so, flames
| burst out, showing that the house was on fire.
| An alarm was sounded, but the fire was extin-
| guished before the department arrived.
Gaining an entrance, the officers found, lying
| upon the kitchen floor, the body of Ruddy and
| his child, both cut in horrible manner and
| covered with the contents of feather bed :,
| which had been saturated with kerosene and
| set on fire, both bodies being dsfgured by tn Q
| flames nearly past recognition. Near by, in a
bedroom, was the trunk above mentioned, and
| also the body OF a woman, recognized to be
| Mrs. Ford, who was identified by her husband
| who soon arrived. He remarked it was his
| trunk and wheelbarrow, but requested that it
| remain quiet. Bed clothes had been placed on
| the body and saturated with oil from can,
| which was found nearly empty and an attempt
| had been made to burn it, An examination
| revealed that one leg had been chopped off,
and the limbs were bound to the body with a
| olothes-line. These particulars wsre CLEANED
| from Mrs. Rrddy, who said the crime was
| committed by Salnon with hatchet, which
| has been found in the river
The officers Immediately commenced work
| on the case, and men were sent in every direc-
/ t1on to capture Samon. Coroner ID. A. Am
| brose, of Meredith, held an inquest about
noon, until which time nothing was removed
| from the house. An immense throng Of peo-
| pie from Laeonia and adjoining towns visited
| the scene during the day. Mrs Ruddy's life
/ being uncertain. her deposition was taken,
1 which is substantially as follows: We all went
to bed about 9 O'CLOCK. At IL O'Clock, Samon
| came into the front room, went to the window
| xllaAt tban fatn SD and Bad ont
| He said he was nervous and could not sleep.
| She 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, looked out the win
/ dow and went back into the kitchen. My hus-
| band and got up. and he went into the
| kitchen also. I soon heard fall and going
| out found my husband over a chair arms down.
| Samon started for me and struck at me with
| the Ratchet, striking me on the head. l
/ grabbed his arm but hestruck me and threw me
| to the floor. He then went into the front room
and killed my baby. The baby was crying
| quite loud. While be was there l tried to un-
| lock the kitchen door but he came backand
struck me on the head again, knocking me
| down and laid perfectly quiet. He then
| went back into the front room, got baby and
had come back. pouring feathers and straw
| over us aud going out. then got up and went
| to the front window and tried to get it up but
| could not; l then broke pane OF glass and
| jumped through He was very nervous walk
ing in the kitchen nearly all night. did not
| know but trunk was all right.
| At the coroner's inquest the verdict was
| that the persons came to their death by the
| hands of Thomas Samon. Where she jumped
| through the frent window, and outside, were
| spattered with block. Suspicion being against
Ford, the husband, of the murdered woman,
that he might be implicated in the affair he
| was arrested early in the forenoon and still re-
mains in custody. He shows evidence of guilt.
He called at a neighbors house last evening,
and leaving family bible remarked that his
| wife had gone away with another mon and he
wished they should keep the bible till called
| for, and il his wife should come aud attempt to
| sell the household goods to Immediately notify
him. Mrs. Ruddy's injuries consisted OF. cut
nearly severing the lett wrist, cutting off fin-
/ ger, and ugly wounds upon the face, neck and
back. At Folds and SamoDs there was no
| evidence of the murder of Mrs. Ford, yet it is
| thought her death was accidental at the hands
| of Samoa and that wishing to conceal the BODY
he took it down stairs in the trunk, thence to
| Ruddys and thinking perhaps he could carry
| it from the house during the night. Ruddy re-
fused to aid him when struggle commenced.
Friday Mrs. Ford informed her husband that
| he need not return home from Lake Village
| that night, request which he seemed ready
| to comply with. The supposiIion is that Mrs.
1 Fora died from strangulation or by being
| drugged as she frequently INDUCED in strong
| drinks.
/ The murderer was captured at 2 o'clock this
/ afternoon, short distance from Plymouth
| village on the 1a1n road from baconla, about
/ 20 miles from the scene of the murder. He
| was passed by team occupied By Manson
1 Brown of Plymouth, who upon going to the
| telephone office learned of the affair with a
description of the william, when it occurred to
| him that he passed such person, and going
| back took Samon into custody. Upon notify
| ing Sheriff Story, Brown was ordered to place
| him in the hands of the Plymouth officers
| where he will remain until Monday and
| then be taken to Laoonia for tsal. Great ex
| element prevails and fears are entertained
| that vigilance committee will be organized
| and upon arrival of the murderer he will be
lynched.
LATER
Later reports from Plymouth states that
Samon denies knowing anything about the
tragedy and is surprised at his arrest.
Many are OF the opinion that Samon will be
brought down during the night, but the sheriff
claims that he will not A great crowd are
anxiously awaiting his return. Ford is al
present under bonds to keep the peace for
shooting at some boys year ago, and is gen
orally called rather hard character. Samon
has never been regarded as vicious, even when
under the influence of liquor.
An axe was found in a sink in Ford's house
but no traces of blood are upon it. A hatchet
was also found in Ruddy's house, but the one
used by Samon was found in the river on the
way to Plymouth.
At g o,oIook to-nioht canoon ,yas .aro-to5 =,