The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1896-04-10
DASTARDLY CRIME.
AN OLD COUPLE MURDERED
WHILE ASLEEP.
other Members Of the Family At
tackled aud Fatally Injured.

40 o'clock Sunday morning crime
Of almost unparalleled alrocity waa
porpotratcd near Tallmadge, a village
five miles north Of Akron, Ohio. Alvin
Stone, sixty-hye years Of age, and his
wife, sixty-two years Of age. while
asleep at their home, we're brutally
murdered by a fend, who literally
beat their heado 10 pieces, after
which numerous knife thrusts
we're made into the bodies Of the dead.
Two daughters, Hattie, twenty-nine
years OF age, and Emma, twenty-seven
years Of age, and tho family man ser
want, A. #. Stillson, we're also attacked.
All three Of these we're fatally injured,
and lie at their home awaiting death.
They had been beaten about the head
with q blunt instrument, which must
have been Of great size and weight.
Alvin Stone was among the moss
wealthy and prominent Summit eoun-
~ farmers, and his wife was also a
member Of one OF the wealthiest and
most prominent families IN northeast
ern Ohio. The object of the murder
Gus assault on the family was not rob
berry, as numerous articles OF value,
including two gold watches Of the aged
people, which were on the bedroom
dresser, we're not taken. The crime
p shrouded in mystery, and the whole
country is agitated.
The only suspicion as yet rests on
one John Smith, who Is employed at
Edward Parler's blacksmith shop, one
eighth Of a mile from the Stone home
stead. Smith was discharged by Alvin
Stone two weeks ago. The former
was chores man about the place.
The two men had given angry words
and Smith departed in great anger.
He is now under police surveillance.
One member of the family alone es-
capped iniury-Flora, the youngest
daughter, aged sixteen. She is labor
ing under intense nervous excitement,
but was able, between tears and hys-
terial sobs, to tell what she knew Of
the affair.
The old folks, she said, occupied a
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.
About o'clock Sunday morning, Flora
says, she heard an agonized scream
from Emma. She jumped from the bed
and opening the door started to cross
the hall. Hattie followed her. Flora
turning before she entered Emma's
room, the door being open, saw a
masked man strike Hattie over the
head with what looked like crowbar.
Hattie, with a groan, fell senseless to
the floor, while FrOra, in terror, ran
back to her room and hid. Hattie,
who is woman of remarkable vitality,
despite her frightful injury, arose,
and, going to 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 the room was
open and that ladder reached up
from the ground. She wrapped a
quilt around her and went down the
J ladder, running to Charles Sackett'a
} farm, where she told her story and
collapsed.
Two of the Sacketts went to the
, Stone house, while another summoned
a physician. When they arrived the
house was pitch dark. The side door
was open, Entering the room occu.
} pied by the old folks, they were con
fronted by the two horribly mutilated
3 bodies of the father and mother. En-.
: ma was found unconscious on the floor
t of her bedroom. She had been STRUCK
: fearful blow over the forehead, anC
still lay as one dead The hired mar
q was found in his room in the same
f. condition. He had also been strucl
over the forehead. Flora was found
t under the bed clothes in speeches
, fright.