The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1883-11-28
ANOTHER TRAGEDY.
Three Persons Butchered and an
Attempt to Burn their Bodies.
A Fourth Victim Escapes, Though Terribly
Injured, and Tells the Story of
the Crime.

LACoNIA, N. H., Nov. 26.-This morn.
ing residents were startled by the story
of a terrible tragedy which occurred at
4 O'Clock. s. 8. Andrews, a neighbOr OF
James Ruddy, aged 40 years, employed
in the LacOnia Car Works, was alarmed
by wOman's screams. He aroused his
son and hurried to Ruddy's house, from
which the screams proceeded. They
found Mrs. Ruddy, aged SO, lying on the
ground beneath the front window,
through which she had leaped. She
was bleeding prOfusely. She was prop
erly cared for. Assistance was obtain
ed, and the door of Ruddy's house forced
open, when the flames burst forth and
the alarm Of fire sounded. The flames
were quickly extinguished, and the bod
les of Ruddy and his only child, year
and half old, were found lying on the
kitchen floor cut in a terrible manner,
and covered with the contents of fea-
ther bed, which was saturated with
Kerosene and set on fire. The bodies
were 80 disfgured by the flames az To
be nearly past recognition. In the bed
room was found the trunk of the body
OF Mrs. Ford, which was identified by her
husband. One of her legs had been cut
off, and the detached member and re-
naming leg bound to the wOman's body
with clothes line. The bed clothes had
been saturated with oil, piled on the
body, and an attempt made to fire them,
which failed. Mrs. Ruddy, being ques-
toned, said the crime was committed
by Thomas SOmOn, an Englishman and
acquaintance of the family, a cook by
trade, about 80 years Of age, with hat.
chet, Mrs. Rudy's statement before the
coroner jury was:
eve went to bed about 8 O'Clock. At
IL SOmOn came into the front room and
looked out of the window saying he was
nervous and could not sleep. got up,
made him a cup of tea and went back to
bed. AT 4 o'clock SOmOn again came
into the front room and acted queerly.
He went back into the kitchen. My hus-
band and got up and he Also went into
the kitchen; l soon heard fall. and GO
ing out, found my husband hanging
over a chair with his arms down. SOmOn
started for me, and struck me with a
hatchet on the head. grabbed his arm
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 kitch-
en- door, but he returned and again
struck me on the head. knocking me-
down. l lay perfectly quiet. He went
back into the room, got the baby, came
back and poured feathers and straw
over US and went out. got up and tried
to open the front window, but couldn't.
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
committed was found in the river II
is stated SOmOn took Mrs. FOrd's body To
Ruddy's house Saturday morning in
trunk, where it remained until the trag-
edy occurred. The cOrOner's inquest
rendered a verdict that the persons came
to their death at the hands of ThOs. So
mon. The latter was arrested this af
ternOOn near Plymouth.
Later reports from Plymouth say So
mon denies all knowledge of the affair.
SOmOn had never been regarded az vic
iOus, and his arrest is a surprise. Alta
late hour tonight Mrs. Ruddy's cOndi-
tiOn was not worse.