The Portland daily press., 1896-03-30
DRAINED and llUTILATED.
Series Of Murders Unspeakably
Hideous in An Ohio Town.
ONLY ONE OF HOUSEHOLD LEFT
TO TELL THE TALE.

An Aged Couple Attacked by a Fiend
While in Their Bed-Their Heads
Beaten to Pieces and Bodies Filled
With Knife Thursts-Two Daughters
and Hired Man Also victims-Piteous
Story of Surviving Daughter.
Cleveland, Ohio March 80. AT O'Clock
4 this morning a crime of almost unparal-
ieled atrocity was perpetrated near Tai
mage, five miles north Of Akron.
Alvin Stone, aged SO and his swife,
aged .62, while asleep at their home,
were murdered by fend, who beat their
heads to pieces, after which numerous
knife thrusts were made into the bodies
OF the dead. Two daughters. Hattie,
aged 80, and Emma, aged ~, and the fam
lily man servant A. 4. Stilson, were at
tacked. and all threelfatally injured. They
had been beaten about the head with
a blunt instrument, which must have
been of great size and weight.
Alvin Stone was among the most
wealthy and prominent of Summit county
farmers, and his wife was member of
one of the wealthiest and most prominent
families in Northeastern Ohio. The OBJ
leot of the murders was not robbery as
numerous articles of value which were
on the bedroom dresser were not taken.
The crime is shrouded in mystery and
the whole county is agitated. The only
suspicion as yet rests on John Smith, a
man employed at blacksmith shop an
eight of a mile from the Stone home
stead. Smith was discharged by Mr.
Stone two weeks ago. The former was
Ia chores man about the place. The two
men had angry words and Smith depart
ed in great anger.
lie is now under police surveillance
One member of the family alone escaped
injury, Flora, the youngest daughter.
aged 1a She was laboring under Intense
nervous excitement. but was able, be-
tween tears, to tell what she knew OF
the affair. The old folks, she said, ocou-
pied chamber on the lower floor. Hat.
tie and Flora slept up stairs; Emma
J across the hall, andsthe hired man at the
rear end of the hallway, on the same
floor. About l this morning, Flora heard
an agOniZing scream from Emma
She jumped from her bed and opening
; the door started to cross the hall. Hattie
ollowed her. Flora, turning before she
: inferred Emlna's rc1.n, the door of which
was open, saw
MASKED MAN STRIKE HATTIE
over the head with what looked like q
GROW bar. Hattie, with a groan, fell sense
less to the floor, and Flora fed in terror
to her room, and hid under the bed
/ clothes. Hattie, who is woman Of
! remarkable vitality, despite her frightful
injury, arose and going into Flora IS
room, asked her to throw something over
, her head. Flora was too frightened to
{ move. Hattie left her room and entered
that of her sister Emma, and noticed
that the winaOw was open and ladder
reached up to it from the ground.
: She wrapped quilt around her and
+ went down the ladder, running to Chas
Sackett'S farm, quarter Of mile away
! where she told the story and collapsed
Two of the Sacketts hurried to the Stone
house, and another summoned ply
sician.
When they arrived, the house was pitch
dark. The side door was open. Enter
? ing the room occupied by the old folks
they were confronted by the two horribly
mutilated bodies of the father and moth
er Emma was found unconscious on
the
FLOOR OF HER BED ROOM.
She had been struck fearful blow over
the forehead. and still lies as one dead.
The hired man was found in his room in
the same condition.
He had beensstruok over the forehead.
Flora was found under the bedolothes
speechless in fright. In few minutes
. the whole neighborhood for miles around
was aroused and hundreds assembled
about the house. The rage of those who
for so many years lived near, and loved
! the amiable Stone ssfamily, knew no
5 bounds.
!. The Akron police department was
notified. Several officers arrived at 9.
They found what appeared to be the
tracks of a man leaving the side door,
, ending at the road The rain had steadi-
ly poured all night and obliterated the
put into service, but they could do moth
, Ing, owing to the rain.
The impression seems to be that Smith
Is not the right man, and committees are
( being organized to scour the country in
: every direction. There is but one fate in
store for the murderer if he falls into the
hands Of the citizens. This evening q
strong clue leads towards Ravenna,
where strange horse and buggy were
lat Dy an unknown man, who acted very
susplctously.
IN Later Information.
Cleveland, March 29.-John Smith has
neen released. 1t has been ascerJained
that three years ago, Alvin Stone was
mainly instrumental in bringing to JUS
tice Anton Strong, a horse thief. who
was sentenced to three year s in the peni-
tentiary., 1t ia said that Strong threat
ened that when y released, he would never
: rest until his vengeance on the Stone
family was satiated. Descriptions of
Strong have been sent broadcast.