The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-03-31
Masked Man Butchers an Old
Couple While Asleep.
THEIR BODIES MULlTATED
Three Other Members of the
Family Attacked.
AND THREE OF THEM MAY DIE
An Ex-Convict Has Been Arrested on
CircumstantiaI Evidence But no
Motive For the Crime
is Known.
is Known.

Akron. Ohio, March 3O.-At late
hour Saturday night a masked man
entered the farm house of Alvin n.
Stone. near Tallmage, a few miles from
this city, and in the brief space of
half an hour committed a horrible
b1tcherv. When he took his departure
Stone and his wife, both aged people,
were living dead in bed. horribly mutt
lated, and Ira Stillson, the hired man,
and Emma Stone, the eldest OF three
daughters, were unconscious from
blows dealt by the murderer.
The murderer entered the house by
| means of a ladder which he raised to
an upstairs window. He first passed
through the room in which Hattie and
| Flora Stone were sleeping without
awakening them. Going quietly down
stairs to the room in which Mr.. and Mrs.
| Stone slept, he attacked them with
| blunt weapon of some sort, hitting
both upon the head. They were proba-
bly rendered unconscious, and possibly
| killed by the blows, but the murderer,
not satisfied with that, proceeded 10
mutilate their bodies with knife. lie
cut off one of Stones ears, slashed him
across the face, and stabbed him IN the
back. Then he laid Mrs. Stones cheek
omen with the knife.
After satisfying his homlcldal de-
sires down stairs, he proceeded to the
| room Of Stillson upstairs. The hifeu
man heard the intruder, apparently,
| for he had arisen, when he was dealt
| . stunning blow on the head. Next
| the murderer turned his attention to
Emma Stone, who slept in room by
/ herself When he entered her room
| she screamed. That awakened the
two other girls, who slept across the
hall.
Hattie Stone arose to go to her sis
| ter's assistance, but as she entered etle
/ lafter's room she was felled 10 the
| floor bv blow on the head, but for
tunately was not rendered uncon-
| scious.
Regaining her feet she ran to her
| own room and locked the door. Throw
| ing a bed quilt about her, she ieaped
| from the window and ran through
the rain and mud to the nearest
neigbbor's. a quarter of a mile away.
| After he had struck Hattie down, the
murderer returned to EInma's room
/ and struck her on the head, leaving
| her unconscious.
Then he tried the door to the room
in which Hattie had left her younger
sister Flora, when she jumped from
the window. Finding the door locked
ne battered it down. Finding only
| Flora In the room, he asked where
| the other girl was. When told tlat
/ she had gone for help, he hastily left
/ the house and made his escape.
Hattie. with blood streaming from
/ the wound in her head, managed TO
/ reach the neighbor's house, told her
! story and then tainted. After she had
/ been nut to bed, the neighbor, calling
| for help. went to the Stone house.
/ There the evidences Of butchery were
| discovered. The only person in the
1 house who was able to speak was Flora
| Stone aged sixteen, and she was so
/ hadly frightened that she could tell
| nothing about the murder, except that
/ the man who committed it wore mask
/ over his face.
| The crime is mystery. Certainly the
| murder was not committed for robbery,
/ for in a bureau drawer in MIR. Stone =
i room were two gold watches and some
| money, and nothing had been taken,
| apparently.
The Sheriff of Summit county was
/ called to the scene of the murder early
| in the morning, and with posse Of
| men searched all day Sunday for cleWs
| to the murderer.
| This afternoon Arson B. Strong was
/ arrested at Ravenna, Portage county,
/ and charged with the murder. The eyi-
| dence on which the charge is based is
largely circumstancial.
/ Thirteen years ago Strong was sent
| to the penitentiary for horse stealing,
| his conviction being secured by the tes-
/ timony Of Stone. Several years later,
| after his release from prison, he was
/ arrested again for the same crimes, and
/ convicted on the testimony OF Stone.
| He gained his liberty the second time
about three weeks ago, and was at once
/ suspected of the murder Of Stone and
his wife.
When taken In custody to-day Strong
/ said that he was at the home OF his
/ sister in Rayenna all of Saturday, and
| he had gone to church Sunday morning
| A search of the sisters house, however,
/ resulted in the discovery of a suit OF
/ clothes and an oyerc0at, which had
been placed by a stove to dry. There
were no blood stains ON the clothing
/ But Strong's sister said she had washed
| the garments in an outhouse early this
/ morning In one Of Strong's pockets
/ was found a railroad ticket from RAJ
/ VIENNA to Kent, the latter place being
/ within two miles of the scene of the
/ tragedy. The ticket was purchased
/ Saturday.
/ The news of the arrest soon spread
/ and a big crowd assembled. There was
no disorder, but Mayor Harper decided
/ to prevent an outbreak by ordering