Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1896-03-31
BEATEN TO DEATH.
HORRIBLE MURDER OF a MAN AND
HIS WIFE.
Two Daughters and n servant Also
BrutnIIy Beaten Iiy the Murderer,
Who Makes Ills Escape.

Akron. O.. March sO.--At late hour
Saturday night a masked man entered
the farmhouse of Alvin NJ. Stone, near
Talmage, lew miles from this city,
and in the brief space OF half an hour
committed 4 horrible butchery. When
he took his departure stone and his
wife, both aged people, were dead and
horribly mutilated and Il. a. Stilson
the hired man, and Emma Stone, the
eldest of three daughters, were I'M
conscious from blows dealt by the muir
derer.
The murderer entered the house by
means of ladder which he raised to
an upstairs window. lie first passed
through the room in which Hattie and
Flora Stone were sleeping without
awakening them. Going quietly down
stairs to the room in which Mr.. and
Mrs. Stone slept, he attacked them
with a blunt weapon OF some sort, hit
ting both upon the head.
They were probably rendered uncon-
scious and probably Killed by the blows.
but the ilend. not satisfied with that,
proceeded to mutilnte their bodies with
n knife. He cut off one of stones ears,
slashed him across the face and stab
bed him in the back. Then he laid
Mrs. stones check wide open with a
knife.
After satisfying his nendish designs
hthL HAullHs ne Ilb1tkutu ~ OlllSbll >
room upstairs. He heard the intruder
apparently. for he awoke when he was
dealt u stunning blow on the head.
Next he attacked Emma Stone, who
slept in a 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 sisters assistance.
but as she entered the latter's room
she was fclled to the floor by a blow
on the head but fortunately was not
rendered unconscious. Regaining her
feet, she ran to her room and locked
the door
Throwing a bed quilt about her. she
leaped from a window and ran through
the rain and mud to the nearest neigh
boris, quarter Of a mile away.
After he had struck Hattie down,
the murderer returned to Emma's room
and struck her on the head. leaving her
unconscious.
Then he tried the door TO the room
In which Hattie had left her younger
sister, Flora. when she jumped from
the window. Finding Gully Flora In
the room, he asked where the other
girl was, When she told him she had
gone for help he hastily left the house
and made his escape.
Hattie, with the blood streaming
from her head, managed to reach thu
nc'ghbcr's house, told her story ard
then tainted.
After she had been put to bed, tho
neighbor, calling for help. went to the
stone house There the evidences of
the butchery were discovered The only
person in the house who was able to
speak was Flora Stone, aged 16, and
she was so bacly frightened that she
coull tell nothing about the murder
except that the man who committed
Il wore mask over his face.
The crime is a mystery. There IL
no possible motive for the murders, so
far as can be learned. Certainly the
murderer was not bent on robbery, for
in a bureau drawer in Mr.. stones room
were two gold watches and some mon
ey and nothing was taken.
The sheriff II Summit county was
called to the scene of the murder early
in the morning, and with a posse has
been searching all day for clcws to
the murder Nothing has been discov-
cred. one man has been found who
says he saw a buggy pass his house
late Saturday night going in the di-
rection OF the Stone house.
Ira stilson, the hired man, and EN-
ma and Hattie Stone have not yet re-
covered consciousness, and II is feared
that Stilson at least will die. while the
chances for the recovery Of the two
girls are very small.