Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1896-04-03
WORK OF A BUTCHER
\ FAMILY BEATEN AND MUTILATED
NEAR TALMADGE, OHIO.
Room. and Only One Out
of Six Escaped.


Akron. Ohio. March 2s-At a late
hour last night a masked man entered
the farmhouse of Alvin NJ. Stone. near
Talmadge. and in prleI space of half
an hour committed q horrible butchery.
When he took his departure. Stone
and his wife, both aged people, We're
lying dead in bed horribly mutilated
and Ira Stilson the hired man. and
Emma Stone, the eldest of three daugh-
ters, were unconscious from blows dealt
by the murderer
The murderer entered the house by
means Of a ladder. W hich he raised to
an upstairs window. He first passed
through the room in which Flora and
Hattie Stone We're sleeping without
awakening them. Going quietly down
stairs to the room in which Mr.. ana
Mrs. Stone slept, he attacked them
with a blunt weapon Of some sort. hit
ting both upon the head. They were
probably rendered unconscious and pos
sibly killed by the blows, but the
iiend, not satisfied with that, proceeded
to mutilate their bodies with a knife.
He cut off one Of stones ears, slash
cd him across the face. and stabbed
him In the back. Then he laid Mrs.
Stones check open with the knife.
After satisfying his fiendish desires
downstairs, he proceeded to the room
of Stilson. upstairs. The hired man
heard the intruder, apparently, for he
had arisen when he was dealt a stun
ming blow on the head. Then the muir
derer turned his attention to Emma
Stone who slept in room by herself.
When he entered her room she
screamed. That awakened the two
other girls, who slept across the hall
Hattie Stone arose to go to her sister
assistance, but as she entered the lat
ters room she was felled to the floor
by blow on the head, but fortunately
was not rendered unconscious. Regain
ing her feet she ran to her own room
and locked the door. Throwing bed
quilt about her she leaped from the
window and ran through the rain and
mud to the nearest neighbors, quar-
ter of mile away.
After he had struck Hattie down the
murderer returned to Emma'.' room
and struck her on the head, leaving hen
unconscious. Then he tried The dooi
to the room in which Hattie had left
her younger sister Flora when she
Jumped from tho window. Finding the
door locked he battered Il down. Find
ing only Flora in the room he asked
where the other girl was. When told
she had gone for help he hastily lefi
the house and made his escape.
Hattie, with the blood streaming
from the wound on her head, mana Sed
to reach the neighbours house told hei
story. and then tainted. After she had
been put 10 bed the neighbnr, calling
for help, went to the Stone house. Their
the evidences Of the hutchery We're dis
covered. The only person In the house
who was able to speak was Flora stone
ged 16 and she was badly frightened
For this; reason all she could tell wa.
that the man who committed it wore 8
mask over his face.
The crime Ia a mystery. There is M
| possible motive for the murders so ia
as can be learned. Certainly the muir
derer was not bent on robbery, for II
bureau drawer In Mrs. stones room
were two gold watches and some
money, and nothing had been taken.
| The sheriff Of Summit county Wa
| allied to the scene of murder early II
| the morning and posse has beer
| searching all day for clues. One maj
| was found who says he saw buSg!
| pass his house late last night in IN
| direction of the stone house. and tn
\ same horse is believed Go have beef
| found IN the streets Of Kent, a few
miles east of Talmadge, this morning.
Ira Stilson and Emma and Haiti
| Stone have not yet recovered conscious
ness. and it is feared Stilson will lie
while the chances for the recovery q
| Tho two rirIs is very small.