Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1885-04-22
A WERETED FATE.
The Author of n Horrible Murder
Hanged in New Hampshire.

Hanged in New Hampshire.
Tacoma, n. H., April 1.-THE par
tlculars of the crime for which Thomas
Samon was hung at 11:3OA. M. to-day
are as follows:
Thomas Samon was the perpetrator of
one OF the most fiendish crimes ever com
mitted in New Hampshire, his victims being
Mrs Jane Ford, aged about 60 wears. John
Ruddy, aged as, and his little how FronI
13 months, who lost their lives Novernbar
"a and %, 1888. Samon, then a, marriad
man, had boarded with Mr.. and Mrs. Ford
having, it is alleged, been on terms Of in,
timacy with the latter for several months
preceding the tragedy. Both were more or
less addicted to drink. Samon was we'll ar
quainted with the Ruddy family, having
been a quite constant visitor at their house
On the afternoon of Saturday, November
"a, he came there, having with him
| a wheelbarrow, upon which was a. large
trunk. Mr.. Ruddy was not at home,
but his wife gave Samon permission to re-
move the trunk, which seemed very heavy
when lifted into the house and also told
him he might remain there that night if her
husband did not object when he returned
from work. Mr.. Ruddy readily assented to
this when he came home, and all retired
about 9 O'Clock. Samon arose about 4
O'Clock Sunday morning and in passing
through the apartment occupied by Mr..
and Mrs. Rudy, awoke them and they saw
him look out into the street. They both
got up and Mr.. Rudy followed Samon into
the kitchen. Soon afterward Mrs Ruddv
heard something fall and going the door
leading to the kitchen, she saw her
husband hanging over q chair, arms
down. No sooner had she appeared than
Samon rushed upon her, struck her on the
head with hatchet and felled her to the
f1oor. Meanwhile the little child had been
awakened by the disturbance in the kitchen
and began to cry. AS soon as Samon had
knocked Mrs. Ruddy down he went into
the front room, and going to the bed where
the baby lay, he killed it, nearly severing
the head from the body with the hatchet
! He then returned to the kitchen and dealt
Mrs. BUDDY, who had arisen, in the hopes
! of making her escape from the house before
he come from the front room, another blow
on the head with the axe, again prostrat-
! ing her on the floor. Having, as he supposed
| killed all the members Of the family he
dragged the bodies of Mr.. Rudy and the
! baby to where the wife and mother law
made q pile of them and took afeather and
q straw bed and placed them on the bodies.
! He saturated the beds with kerosene oil
and after setting them on fire escaped from
the house. No sooner had he gone than
Mrs. Ruddy, who, although suffering terri
| bly, from the effects of her INJURIES was
! able to realize what was taking place
! dragged herself to the front window and
after desperate effort succeeded in arous-
ing some of her. neighbors Fortunately
| help arrived before serious damage was
done by the fire either to the bodies Of Mr.
Ruddy 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 a lot of bedding which had been
! placed upon and about the trunk and then
sPrinkled with kerosene oil. When Mrs.
| Fold's remains were removed from their
receptacle it was discovered that the legs
had been chopped off near the knees, and
that the limbs had been bent up and tied
| down to the body with piece of clothes
| line. The murderer had found it necessary
to mutilate the body in this shocking man
ner in order to get it in the trunk. Mrs
| Ruddy had thirteen wounds on her person.
| One hand was nearly severed at the wrist,
! two fingers were cut off and there were also
several ug y cuts on her hands and face.
Samon was captured near Plymouth and
confessed his crimes.
Samon was an Irishman and about
40 years old.