Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-04-18
JUSTICE

Dealt to an lncarnate flenu-1hoHiaS soy :
mons Crime.
LACoNIA, N. H., April l7.-Thomas Sa-
mon, the brutal murderer of three persons
was hanged here this morning at ll:3O
o'clock. No unusual scene occurred.
His Awful Crime.
Thomas Samon was the perpetrator OF one
OF the most fendish crimes ever committed
in New Hampshire, his victims being Mrs
Jane Ford, aged about 60 years, John Rud'
dy aged A, and his little boy Frank, l3
months, who lost their lives November 24th
and 25tb, 1883. Samon, then q married
man, had boarded with Mr.. and Mrs. Ford,
having. it is alleged, been on terms OF init
macy with the latter for several months
preceding the tragedy. Both were more or
less addicted to drink. Samon was well &C.
cuaiuted with the Ruddy family, having
been quite constant visitor at the house
On the afternoon of Saturday. November
-, he came there, having with him a
wheelbarrow upon which was large trunk.
Nr. Ruddy was not at home, but his wife
gave Samon permission TO remove the
tIunk, which seemed very heavy when
lifted into the house, and also told him he
night remain there that night il her hus.
and did not object, when he returned
from work. Mr.. Ruddy consented to this
when he came home and went to bed about
9 o'clock. Samon arose about o'clock
Sunday morning and while passing through
the apartment occupied by Mr.. and Mrs.
Ruddy awoke them and they saw him look
out into the street. They both got up and
Mr.. Rudy followed Samon into the
kitchen. Soon aherward Mrs. Ruddy
heard something fall and going to the door
she saw her husband hanging over a chair
arms down. No sooner had she appeared
than
samon Rushed Upon Her,
struck her on the head with Ratchet and
felled her to the floor, Meantime the little
child had been awakened by the disturbance
in the kitchen and began to cry. AS soon as
Samson had knocked Mrs Ruddy down he
went into the 'front.' room, and, going to the
bed where the baby lay, he killed it, nearly
seyeriDg the head from the body with the
hatchet. He then returned to the kitchen
u, dealt Mrs Ruddy, who had arisen in the
hopes of making her escape from
the house before he came from the
!ront room, another blow on the head with
be aAe again prostrating her on the
floor. Having, as he supposed, killed all
the members of the family, he dragged the
bodies of Mr. RuGdy aud the baby to where
the wife and mother lay, made pile Of
ITEM aid took feather and straw bed
and placed them on the bodies. be sstura-
ted the beds with kerosene oil, and after set
ting them on fire escaped from the house
No sooner had he gone than Mrs Rudy
aho, although suffering terribly from the
Effects of her injuries, was able to realize
what WIS taking place, dragged herself to
he front window, and after desperate et'
tort succeeded in arousing the neighbors
Fortunately help arrived before much dam
sge was done by the FIRE either to the bodies
or Mr.. Ruddy and the baby or to the house
Mrs. Ford in the Trunk.
In the chamber opening OF from the
kitchen was the large trunk brought to the
house by Samon, and in which was discov-
cred 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 then
sprinkled with oil. When Mrs Fords re-
mains were removed from their receptacle it
vas discovered the legs had been chopped
of near the knees, and that the limbs had
been bent up and tied down to the body with
piece of clothesline The murderer had
found it necessary to mutilate the body IN
this manner in order to get it in the trunk
MIS-. Ruddy had thirteen wounds on her per
son. One hand was nearly severed at the
wrist, two fingers were cut of and there
were also several ugly cuts on her hands
and face. Samon was captured neal
Plymouth and confessed his crimes. He ,
an Irishman and about 40 years old.