St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-04-18
The Hanging OF a Fiend.

TACOMA, \. H., April 17.-IhOmaS
SamoD was hung here at 1880. Thomas
Samon was the perpetratOr of one OF the
most fendish crimes ever committed in New
Hampshire, his victims being Mrs. Jane
Ford, age 60. John Ruddy, age 45, and his
little boy Frank, 13 months old. Samon,
then married man. boarded with Ford,
having, it is alleged, been on terms of init
macy with Ford'S wife several months pre-
ceding the tragedy. All were addicted to
drink. SamOn was well acquainted with
the Ruddys. having been quite a constant
visitor at their house. On the afternoon of
Saturday, Nov. Q, Che came there, having
with him wheelbaTow. upon which was
a large trunk. Mr.. Rudy was not at
home but his wife gave Samon permission
to remove the trunk, which
SEEMED VERY HEAVY
when lifted into the house, and told him
that he might remain in the
house that night if her hus-
band did not object when he returned
from work Mr. Rudy readily assented to
this when he came home. and all retired.
About o'clock on Sunday morning. in
passing through the apartment occupied by
Mr.. and Mrs Ruddy, he awoke them, and
they saw him look out into the street. They
got ND and Mr.. Ruddy followed Samon in
the kitchen. Soon after Mrs. Ruddy heard
something fall, and going to the door lead
ing to the kitchen she saw her husband
hanging over chair with his arms down.
No sooner had she appeared than Samon
rushed upon her. struck her upon the
HEAD WITH HATCHET
and felled her to the floor. Meanwhile the
little child had been awakened by the dis
turbances in the kitchen and began to cry;
as soon as Samon had knocked Mrs. Ruddy
down he went to the front room and going
to the bed where the child lay he killed it,
nearly severing the head with the Ratchet
He then returned to the kitchen and
dealt Mrs Ruddy. who had arisen, IN the
hopes of making her escape from the mouse
before he came from the front room, an
other blow on the head with the axe, again
prostrating her. Having, a. he supposed,
killed all the members OF the family, he
dragged the bodies of Mr.. Ruddy and the
baby to where the wife and mother lay.
made pile of them and then took leather
bed and placed it on the bodies. He
saturated the bed with kerosene oil, and
after
SETTING IT on FIRE,
escaped. No sooner had he gone than Mrs
Ruddy. though suffering teTilDiy from lhe
affects of her injuries, was able to realize
what had taken place, dragged herself to the
front windows and succeeded IN aroas-
ing some neighbors, who arrived be-
fore serious damage was done by the
fire. either TO the bodies or the house. In
the chamber opening of from the kitchen
was the large trunk brought TO the house by
Samon. in which was found the body OF
Mrs. Ford. An effort had been made to
destroy the trunk by igniting lot OF bed
ding which had been placed on and
AROUND THE Trunk
and saturated with kerosene When Mrs.
Ford's remains were removed from the re-
eeptaele il was discovered that both legs
had been chopped OF near the knees and
the limbs bent up and tied TO the body with
a piece OF clothes line. The murderer
found it was ne eessaTy to mutilate the
body in this shocking manner TO get Ii IN
the trunk Mrs RUddy had thirteen wounds
on her person. One hand was nearly
severed at the wrist. two fingers cut OF and
several ugly cuts ON her hands and face
Samon was captured near Plymouth and
cnofeSsed his crime He IS Al Irlshman
aobuf 40 years old