The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-04-18
SAMON HANGED.
Particulars of the Horrible Crime for
which ne Suffered the Death Penalty.

TACOMA, y. H, April Il -Samon was
hanged at IL: 80 to-day. The particulars OF
the crime for which Thomas Ssmon was
hanged te-ssy are as follows: Thomas
Samon was the perpstrator Of one Of the
most 6endish crimes ever committed in New
Hampshire, his victims being Mrs. Jane
Ford. aged about sixty years; John Rudy,
aged forty-fve, and his little boy Frank,
aged thirteen months, who lo5t their lives
November "a and 25, 1888. SamoD, then
married man, had boarded with Mr.. and Mrs.
Ford, having, it is alleged. been on terms Of
intimacy with the latter for several months
preceding the tregedy. Both were more or
less addicted to drink. Samon was well &C
quainted with the Rudy family, having
been quite constant visitor at their house.
On the afternoon OF Saturday, November 81,
he came there, having with him a wheel
barrow, upcn' which was large trunk. Mr..
Rudy WAS not at home, but his wife gave
S8mon permission 10 remove the trunk,
which seemed very heavy when lifted into
TIE house, and also teld him he might re.
main there that night IL her husband did not
object when he returned from WORK. Mr..
came home, and all retired about 8 O'Clock.
Ssmon arose about o'clock Sunday morn
ing sDd in passing through the apartment
occupied by Mr.. and Mrs.. Ruddy
avoks them, and they saw him
look out into the street. They
both got up and Mr. Rnddy followed him
ont into the Kitchen. Soon aitefTasd Mrs.
R0ddy heard something fall.and gong 10 the
door leading to the kitchen she saw her hus-
band hanging over chair arms down. No
sooner had she appeared than 83mon
rushed upon her and struck her on the bead
with q Ratchet and felled her to the floor.
Mean while the little child had been awaken
ed by the disturbance in the kitchen, and be-
gan to cry. As soon as SRmon had knocked
Mrs Rudy down he went into thu front
room, and going 10 the bed where the baby
lay, be killed 1t, nearly severing the head
from the body with the hatchet- He then
returned to the kitchen and dealt Mrs.
Rudy, who had arisen with the hope OF
making her escape from the house before be
came from the front room, another blow on
the be ad with the ak. again prostrating her
on the floor. Having as be supposed, killed
al the members OF the family, ne dragged
the bodies Of Mr.. Rudy and baby to where
the wife and m9ther lay, made pile of
them and took feather and straw bed and
placed them on the bodies. He satured the
beds with kerosene oil, and after setting
them on fire escaped from the house. No
sooner had be gone than Mrs. Rudy who,
although suffering terribly from the effects
OF her injuries, was able to realize what was
taking place, dragged herself to the
front window and after q desperate
effort. succeeded in raising some OF her
neighbors. Fortunately help arrived before
serious harm was done by the fire. little to
the bodies OF Mr.. Rudy and the baby or to
the house. In the chamber opening OFF from
the kitchen was the large trunk brought to
the house by Samon, and in which was
discovered the body OF Mrs Ford. An effort
had been made to destroy the trunk and
contents by igniting lot of bedding which
had been placed upon and about the trunk,
and ihen sprinkled with kerosene oil. When
Mrs. Ford s remains were removed from their
receptacle, 1t was discovered that thu legs
had been chopped of near the knees and
that the limbs had been bent up AID tied
down to the body with clothes line. The
murderer had found it necessary to mutilate
the body in this shocking manner II get it
into the trunk. Mrs. Rudy had thirteen
wounds on her person, one hand was nearly
severed st the wrist two fingers were cut of
and there were also several light cuts on her
hands and face. Samon was captured near
Portsmouth, and confessed his crimes. He
is an Irishman, and about forty years old.