The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1883-11-29
HORRIBLE TRAGEDY
Three Atrocious Murders Committed
in New Hampshire.
The Body of One Murdered Woman Taken
to q House Whore Two Others
.. are Killed. .tsr

Tacoma, N. H., November 25.-This
morning the residents were startled by the
story that terrible tragedy had occurred.
At four O'Clock S. s. Andrews, neighbor of
James Ruddy, aged forty years, employed
lin the Laconia Car Works, was alarmed by
a woman's screams. He aroused his son
and hurr ed 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 profusely, and said she
had been cut all to pieces. She was prop
erly 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 extin.
guished, and the bodies of Ruddy and his
only child, one and one-half year old, were
found lying on the kitchen floor, both cut
nm a terrible manner and covered with the
contents of a feather bed, which had been
saturated with kerosene and set on fire.
The bodies were so disfgured by the
flames to be nearly past recognition.
In the bedroom was found the trunk of
the lifeless body of Mrs. Ford, which was
identified by her husband. One of her
limbs had been chopped off, and the de-
tached member and remaining leg were
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
failed. -.s ..--r es..
Mrs. Ruddy, being questioned, said the
crime was committed with a hatchet by
Thomas Samon, an Englishman, and an
acquaintance of the family, who was cook
by trade, and about thirty y-six years of age.
Mrs. Ruddy's statement before the Coro-
ner's Jury was as follows: 1--WE went TO
bed about 0 O'Clock. AT II Samon came
into the front room and looked out of the
window, saying he was nervous and could
| not sleep. l got up and made him cup of
| tea and went back to bed. At O'Clock
| jSsmon came into the room again and acted
| queerly He went back into the kitchen. My
| husband and got up and he also went
| into the kitchen. l soon heard fall, and
| ;going out found my husband hanging over
Ia chair with his arms down. Samon start
| led for me and struck me with hatchet on
the head. 1 grabbed his arm, but he then
struck me, and threw me to the floor. He
Iwent into the front room and killed the
| baby, who was crying. While he
twas, there 1 tried to unlock the
again struck me on the head, knocking me
down. / lay perfectly quiet. He went
back into the front room and got the baby
and then came back, and poured feathers
land straw over us, and went out. got up
land tried to open the front window, but
could not. 1 then broke pane of glass
! land jumped through. He was very nerv-
ious in the kitchen all night"
| The hatchet with which the crime was
probably committed was found in the
,Ford's body to Ruddy's house Saturday
| morning in trunk, where it remained
until the tragedy occurred. The Coroner's
| Inquest rendered a verdict that the per
| sons came to 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
| Iby Plymouth officers.