Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1885-04-18
A TRIPLE MURDERER.


ZETTE, was hanged at Laconia, n. H., yes
terday, was the author of one of the most
fiendish crimes ever committed in New
Hampshire. His victims were Mrs. Jane
Ford, aged about sixty years; John Ruddy,
aged forty-five, and his little boy Frank,
thirteen months The murders were com.
mitted in November, 1888. Samon, then a
married man, had boarded with II /. and
Mrs Ford, having it is alleged, been On
terms of intimacy with the latter tor several
months preceding the tragedy. Samon vas
we'll acquainted with the Ruddy family,
having been visitor at their house. On
the afternoon of Saturday, November Oath,
he came there, having With him wheel.
barrow upon which was a large trunk Mr..
Ruddy was not at home, but his wife gave
Samon permission to remove the trunk,
which seemed very heavy when lifted into
the house, and also told him he might re-
main there that night if her husband did not
object. Mr.. Ruddy agreed, but several times
during the night Mr.. Ruddy and his wife
were awakened by Samon moving about the
house He told them that he was nervous
and could not sleep. Early the next morn
lug Mr.. Ruddy went to the kitchen. Soon
afterwards his wife was about to enter
the kitchen, when she saw her husband
hanging over a chair, arms down. When
she appeared, Samon rushed upon her,
and felled her TO the floor with
blow on the head from q hatchet. The
little child, awakened by the disturbance,
began to cry, whereupon the murderer went
to the bed where the baby lay and killed it,
nearly severing the head from the body
with the hatchet. Believing that Mrs
Ruddy was dead, he dragged the bodies of
Mr.. Ruddy and the baby to where the wife
aud mother lay made pile Of them, and
took feather bed and straw one and placed
them on the bodies. He saturated the beds
with kerosene oil, and after setting them
on fire, escaped from the house. No soouer
had be gone than Mrs. Ruddy, who, al
though suffering terribly from the effects of
Of her injuries, was able to realize what was
taking place, dragged herself to the front
window and aroused the Geighbors. For
tunately, help arrived before serious dam
age was done by the fire either to the bodies
of Mr.. Ruddy and the baby,or TO the house.
When the neighbors entered the place the
evidence of the horrible work Of the mur-
derer vas revealed. Lying upon the floor
of the kitchen were the remains of Mr.. Rud-
u
horrible manner. They were partly covered
with the contents of the beds, which, with
the clothing worn by the victims, had been
ieuited The bodies were burned som ewhat,
but not beyond recognition. In the chamber
opening OFF from the kitchen was the
large trunk brought to the house by Samon,
and in which was discovered the horribly
mutilated body Of Mrs. Ford. An effort had
been made to destroy the trunk and con-
tents by ignitipg 81 lot Of bedding which had
been placed upon and about the trunk and
then sprinkle with kerosene oil. The mur
dercr was captured the following Sunday.
He confessed the triple murder. In giving
the details of the murder of Mrs. Ford he
said beth had been drinking, and while in q
fit of anger he struck her, and, without iu-
tended 10 do SO, killed her. After seeing
what he had done, he undertook to conceal
all trace OF the deed, and to effect this be
obtained the trunk, and after mutilating
the body, placed it in the trunk. Some
time alterward be put the trunk on the
wheelbarrow and went to the Ruddy house.
His reasons for attempting to murder the
entire Ruddy family and burn their house
was that he feared they had discovered in
some manner that he had taken the life Of
Mrs. Ford, and he believed if he could ac
complish his purpose, his authorship of the
crime would never be known or suspected.
He pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to be
hanged April II, 1885. In spite Of his con-
fession, several efforts were made to prove
him insane, which delayed the imposing Of
sentence for long time The condemned
mans wife visited him last Monday. He
was an Englishman and about forty.five
years of age.