The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1896-04-01
a MOST FIENpIsn cRlMe.


and a Hired Man Also Attacked.
CLEVELAND, March 30.-At l o'clock
Sunday morning fiendish crime was
perpetrated near Tallmadge, q village
five miles north of Akron. Alvin Stone,
aged SO, and his wife, aged 81. while
asleep at their hcme, were murdered
by fend who literally beat their
heads to pieces, after which numerous
knife thrusts were made into their
bodies Two daughters, Hattie, aged
30; Emma, aged 27, and the faithful
old hired man of the family, A. f.
Stillson, were also attacked. All three
of these lie unconscious and bleeding
at the home Their appearance indi-
Gates that they were struck on the
head with some blunt instrument
probably a crowbar.
Alvin Stone was among the most
wealthy of Summit county farmer.
The object of the murderous assault on
the family was not robbery, as numer-
Gus articles of value, including the two
gold watches of the aged couple, which
were on the bedroom dresser, were
easily obtainable.
The crime is shrouded in mystery.
The only suspicion as yet rests on one
John Smith, who is employed at Ed
ward Parker's blacksmith shop, near
the Stone homestead on the Kent road.
Smith was discharged by Alvin Stone
two weeks ago. The former was q
choreman about the place. The two
men had angry words and Smith de-
parted. He was under police surveil-
lance.
One member of the family alone es-
capped injury, Flora, the youngest
daughter, aged 1G. She is laboring un-
der intense nervous excitement, but
was able to tell what she knew of the
affair. The old folks, she said, occu-
pied chamber on the lower floor,
Hattie and Flora slept upstairs, Emma
across the hall and the hired man at
the rear end of the hallway on the
same floor.
Atabout a. m. Flora heard scream
from Emma. She jumped from bed,
iuNl OIJChlIlS Vic NOOI oOstI OCN w CIOoo
the hall Hattie followed her. Fora,
turning before she entered Emmais
room, the door of which was open, saw
masked man strike Hattie over the
head with what looked like crowbar.
Hattie fell senseless to the floor, while
Flora ran back to her room and hid
under the bed clothes. Hattie, who is
woman Of remarkable vitality, de-
spite her frightful injury arose, and
going into Flora's room asked her to
throw something over her head. Flora
was too frightened to move.
Hattie left her room and entering
that of her sister, noticed that the win
dow was open and that ladder
reached up to it from the ground. She
wrapped quilt around her and went
down the ladder, running to Charles
Sackett's farm, quarter of q mile
away, where she told her story and col
lapsed.
In few minutes the whole neigh
borhood for miles around was aroused
and hundreds assembled about the
homestead. Akron police were noti-
fed and Detective Dunn, Marshal Ma
son, Sheriff Griffin and First Deputy
| Hast hurried to the scene.
They found what appeared to be
tracks of man leaving the side door,
which was found open, and ending at
the road. The rain, which had poured
all night had, however, obliterated the
tracks to such an extent that they
could not be followed along the road.
Frank Smith, who was held in sur
veillance by the police, was released.
Smith was subjected to'a time-honored
and awesome ordeal. Accompanied
by the police he was brought to the
Stone homestead and confronted with
the appalling sight of the mutilated
dead
The young man did not quail. Tears
came to his eyes and his employer and
others testified that he was in bed at
the time of the murders 1t was the
opinion that Smith was guiltless, and
he was set at liberty.
Reporters have unearthed intelli-
gence which may throw light upon the
crimes. 1t was ascertained that some
three years ago Alvin Stone was in
strumental in bringing to justice a
horse thief who had piled his vocation
! at Tallmadge. The thief was sentenced
to three years in the penitentiary. 1t
is said that he threatened that when
released he would never rest until his
vengeance on the Stone family was
| satiated.