Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1896-04-04
SLAIN WHILE ASLEEP.
Unknown Fiend Murders an Aged
Couple in Ohio.
Two Daughters and Male Servant At
tackled and Fatally Injured-Sur-
vIvor Tells the story of
the Crime.

Cleveland, o., March 30.--At one
o'clock Sunday morning the most |
fendish deed that has ever claimed |
entrance to the criminal history of
Ohio was perpetrated near Tallmadge,
village five miles north of Akron.
Alvin Stone, aged 60, and his wife, aged
81, while asleep at their home were
brutally murdered by fiend, who lit
orally heat their heads to pieces, after
which numerous knife thrusts were
made into the bodies of the dead. Two
daughters, Hattie, aged 20; Emma,
aged 27, and the family man servant,
A. f. Stillson, were also attacked. All
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 in
strument, 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
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 the two gold watches of the
| aged couple, which were on the bed
room dresser. were easily obtainable.
| Onemember of the family alone escaped
| injury-Flora, the youngest daughter,
aged 16. 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 agonizing scream from Emma,
She jumped from bed and, opening the
door, started across the hall. Hattie
followed her.
Flora turning before she entered
Emma's room, the door of which was
open, saw masked man strike Hattie
over the head with what looked like
crowbar. Hattie with a groan fell
senseless to the floor, while Flora in
terror ran back to her room and hid
under the bedclothes. Hattie, who is
a woman of remarkable vitality, despite
her frightful injury, arose, and going
into Flora's room urged 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 window was open and that
a ladder reached up to it from the
ground. She wrapped quilt around
her and went down the ladder, running
to Charles Sackett's farm, a quarter of
a mile away, where she told her story
and collapsed.
Two of the Sacketts hurried to the
Stone house, while another summoned
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 a
fearful blow over the forehead, and still
lies as one dead. The hired man was
found in his room in the same condi-
tion. He had also been struck over the
forehead. Flora was found under the
bedclothes in speechless fright.
In few minutes the whole neighbor.
hood for miles around was aroused
and hundreds assembled about the
Stone homestead. The scene was ter
ribly impressive. The rage of those
who for so many years had lived will
and loved the amiable, honest Stone
family knew no bounds. The Akron
police department was notified, anG
Detective Dunn, Marshal Mason, Sher
iff Griffin and First Deputy Hart hur
ried to the scene. They arrived at nine
o'clock.
! They found what appeared to b,
. tracks of man leaving the side door
which was open, and ending at tn,
road. The rain which had steadil,
poured all night had, however, oblit
Grated the tracks alcng the road. Blood
hounds were put into service, but the,
could do nothing owing to the rain
a.NN