Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-11-26
H0RRID TRIPLE MURDER
A Laconia, N. H., Fiend Deals Destruction
In Family-NO Reason for his Fearful
Acts.
MURDER AND SUICIDE.

TACOMA, N. H., Nov. 25.-This morn
ing residents were startled by the story of
terrible tragedy which occurred at 4
o'clock. s. S. Andrews, neighbor of
james Rudy, aged forty years, and en-
ployed IN the Laconia car works, was
alarmed by woman's scream. He
aroused his son and hurried to Ruddy's
house whence the screams pro.
ceeded. They found Mrs. Rudy
aged 36 years, lying on the ground be-
meath the 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. Assistance
was obtained 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
bodies of Rudy and his only child, one
and one-half years old, were found.
They were lying on the kitchen floor,
both cut in 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 as to be nearly past recogni-
ton. In the bedroom was found the
trunk of the lifeless body of Mrs. Ford,
which was identified by her husband. One
OF the limbs had been chopped off and the
detached member and the remaining leg
bound to the woman's body with clothes
line. The bed clothes had been
saturated with oil, piled on the
body and the attempt made to
set them on fire, which failed. Mrs. Rud-
dy being questioned, said the crime was
committed by Thomas Samon, an Eng
lishman and an acquaintance of the fam
lily. cook by trade, thirty-six years of
age, with a Ratchet. Mrs. Ruddy's state
ment before the coroner's jury was: We
went to bed about 8 O'Clock; at IL Samon
came into the front room and looked out
the window, saying he was nervous and
could not sleep; 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 and acted queerly; he went
back into the kitchen, and my husband and
got up and he also went into the kitchen.
l soon heard fall and going out found
my husband hanging over chair with
his arms down. Samon started for me
and struck me with the Ratchet 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
l tried to unlock the kitchen door, but he
returned and again struck me on the
head knocking me down. I laid per-
fectly quiet. He went back into the front
room and got the baby and then came
back and poured feathers and straw over
us and went out. got up and tried tc
open the front window but could not. ]
then broke pane of glass and jumped
through. He was very nervous in the
kitchen nearly all the night. The hatche-
with which the murder was probably com
mitted was found in the river. It is
stated that Samon took Mrs. Ford's BODY
to Ruddy's house on Saturday morning in
trunk where it remained until the ira
gedy occurred. The coroner's Inquest
rendered a verdict that the persons
came to their death at the hands OF
Thomas Samon, and the latter was arrested
this afternoon near Plymouth. He die
not resist arrest, and has been taken il
charge by the Plymouth officers. Suspi
cion being against Ford, husband of The
murdered woman, that he might be impli
Gated in the affair, he was arrested thil
forenoon and remains in custody. Sew
eral suspicious circumstances tend to SHOW
his guilt. At Ford's there was no evidenc,
of Mrs. Ford's murder, and it is though
that her death was accidental q
Samon's hands, and that, wishing t,
conceal the body he took it to Ruddy's
where, perhaps, he could carry it from tn,
house during the night, that Rudy refused
to assist him when struggle ensued
The superstition is that Mrs. Fore
died either from strangulatiol
or dragging, as she frequentl,
iudulged in strong drinks. Samon will bt
brought to Laconia on Monday for trial
Great excitement prevails and fears ar
entertained that vigilance committe
will be organized, and the prisoner viii
be lynched upon his arrival at the depot
A later report from Ply
mouth states that Same,
denies all knowledge of the affair and hi
arrest is perfect surprise. Samon ha
never been regarded as vicious, even whel
intoxicated. ct q late hour o-night Mrs
Ruddy's condition was no worse.