Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-03-30
BEATEN TO JELLY.
Horrible Crime by Unknown
Man at Ta|mage, Ohio.
Murders Alvin Stone and Wife, Beat
ing Them Both to Death.
Fatally Injuries Two Daughters and Servant
Lynching Awaits Him.

Cleveland. Ohio. March 29.-At /.
this morning, Il crime of almost unpaT-
alleled atr0city VAS perpetrated near
Talrnage FIVE miles north of Akron.
| Alvin Stone, aged Co. and his wife,
aged 81, While asleep at their home,
| We're murdered by Il fiend, who beat
| their heads TO pieces, after which
numerous knife thrusts We're made into
the bodies of the dead.
Two daughters. Hattie. aged 29, and
Emma, aged q, and the family man
servant. A. f. Stillson. were attacked
We're 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 a
member of one of the wealthiest and
most prominent families in north
eastern Ohio. The object of the muir
derous assault on the family was not
robbery. as numerous articles of value,
which We're on the bedroom dresser
were not taken. The crime is shrouded
i'll mystery and the whole county is
agitated.
AiC pitIy SuSplCloll, DIS YET, rests Oh
John Smith. employed at a blacksmith
shop. an eighth of mile from the
Stone homestead. Smith was dis
charged by Mr.. Stone. two weeks ago.
The former was a chores man about
the place The two men had angry
words and Smith departed in great
anger He is now under police. sur
veillance.
One member of the family alone es-
| capped injury-Flora. the youngest
daughter. aged Is. She was iaboring
under intense nervous 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 up stairs, Emma
| across the hall. and the 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 followed her.
Flora, turning, before she entered
| Emma s room the dooraof which was
Iopen. saw a masked man strike Hattie
over the head with what looked like a
| crowbar. Hattie. with a sroan. fell
| senseless to the floor, and Flora fled in
i-terror to her room and hid under the
bed clothes. Hattie, who is a woman
of remarkable vitality. despite her
frightful injury. arose and going into
Flora s room. asked her to throw
| something over her head Flora was
| too Heightened to move.
Hattie left her room and entering
that of her sister Emma, noticed that
| the window was open and that a lad
der reached up to it from the ground
She wrapped a guilt around her and
IWent down the ladder. running to
Charles Sackett's farm, a quarter of a
mile away. where she told the story
and collapsed.
Two of the Sackett's hurried to the
Stone house, and another summoned a
physician. When they arrived the
house was pitch dark. The side door
was open. Entering the room occupied
by the old folks, they We're confronted
by the two horribly mutilated 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 fore
head and still lies as one dead The
hired man was found in his room in
the same condition. He had been
struck over the forehead. Flora was
found under the bed clothes. speechless
with fright.
In a few minutes the whole neigh
borhood for miles around was aroused
nd biln5raic oil
house. The rage of those who for so
many years lived near and loved the
amiabl Stone family, knew no bounds
The Akron police department was no.
titled Several officers arrived at g.
They found what appeared to be
tracks of a man leaving the side door
ending at the road
The rain, which had steadily poured all
night. obliterated tracks along the road
Blood hounds were put into service, but
they could do nothing, owing to the rain
The impression seems to be that Smith is
not the right man, and committees are or
ganizing this evening. TO score 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. a strong clue leads
towards Ravenna. where strange horse
and buggy were left by an unknown man
who acted very Suspiciously.
Later-John Smith has been re-
leased. 1t has been ascertained that
three vars ago, Alvin Stone was
mainly instrumental in bringing to
Justice Alvin Strong, horse thief. who
was sentenced to three years in the
penetentiary. 1t is said that Strong
threatened when released. that he
would never rest until vengeance on
the Stone family was satiated. De-
scriptions of Stone have been sent
done