The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1896-04-04

Cleveland. o.. March 3o.--At ono
o'clock Sunday morning the most
flcndish deed that has ever claimed
~ntrance 20 the criminal history Of
Ohio was pcrpetrated near TalImadge,
village five miles north of Akron.
Alvin Stone. aged 60, and bis wife. aged
CO. while asleep az their home were
bruta!ly murdered by fiend, who lit
orally heat their heads to pieces. after
which numerous knife thrusts were
made into the bodier Of the dead Two
daughters. Hattie, aged 90: Emma.
aged 81, and the family man servant,
A. u. Stillson. were also attacked. AL
three Of these are fatally injured and
lie unconscious and bleeding at the
home, awaiting death. They had been
beaten about the head with blunt i'm
strnment. which Of itself must have
been large and OF great weight.
Alvin Stone was among the most
wealthy and prominent of Summit
county 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 nurder-
GUS assault on the family was not rob-
berry, as numerous articles OF value,
including the two gold watches of tho
aged couple. which were on the bed
room dresser. were easily obtainablc.
One member OF the family alone escaped
injury Flora. the youngest daughter,
aged 10. She Is laboring under intense
excitement but was able. between tears
and hysterical 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. AT about one o'clock
Sunday morning, Flora says, she heard
an agonixing scream from Emma.
She jumped from bed and. opening the
door, started across the hall. Hattie
followed her.
Flora turning before she entered
Emmn's room. the door OF which was
open, saw a masked man strike Hattie
over the head with what looked like a
crowbar. Hattie with groan fell
senseless 70 the floor. while Flora in
terror ran back TO her room and hid
under the bedclothes. Hattie. who Is
q woman OF remarkable vitality. despite
her frightful injury, arose, and going
into Flora's room urged her 20 throw
something over ler head Flora was
too frightened 70 move. Hattie left her
room and entering that of her sister.
noticed the window was open and that
n ladder reached up TO II from the
ground. She wrapped q quilt around
her and went down the ladder. running
10 Charles Sackett's farm. quarter OF
n mile away. where she told her story
and collapsed.
Two of the Sacketts hurried 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
bodies of the father and mother. Emma
was found unconscious on the floor of
her bedroom. 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 condi-
lion. He had also been struck over the
forehead. Flora was found under the
bedclothes In specchless fright.
Akron. o., March 31.--The authors
ties have theory that Anton Strong
murdered the Stone family Saturday
night. Three years ngo Stone WINS i'm
strumental In sending Strong 10 the
penitentiary for horse stealing. and at
that time Strong vowed vengeance on
Stone and his family. Strong WINS re-
leased recently. hut has not been seen
near the scene OF the crime. All the in
jured except Stillson. the nephew. will
recover. Sstiiiisonss dsath Is me-
mentarily expected.
Strong was arrested Monday after
noon and formally charged with The
crime. The arrest sook place at RAJ
VIENNA. lie denies the charge and
claims he can prove an nlihi. At the
house OF his sister, where he claims to
have spent Saturday night, an over
coat and a pair of pants were found
that had just been washed and were
not yet dry. The sister said they got
wet In n rain last Thursday. Strong
has served two terms in the peniten-
tiary for stealing.