The record-union., 1896-03-30
Alvin Stone and Wife, While Asleep at
Their Home, Killed by a Fled,
Who Literally Cuts Their Heads to
Pieces.
Two Daughters and the Family Man
Servant Also Attacked, One of the
Former and the Latter Being Fatal
1y Iniured-The Scene of the Fiend-
fsh Crime, Which is Surrounded in
Mystery, Near the Village of Tall
madge, Ohio.


o'clock this morning the most fiendish
crime that has claimed entrance to the
criminal history of Ohio was perpe-
trated near Tallmadge, small village
five miles north of Akron.
Alvin Stone. aged 50, and his wife,
aged 62, while asleep at their home,
were brutally murdered by fend. who
literally cut their heads to pieces, after
which numerous knife thrusts were
made into the bodies of the dead. Two
daughters. Hattie, aged %, Emma,
aged u, and the family man servant,
A F. Stillson, were also attacked. Two
of these are fatally injured, and lie un-
conscious and bleeding at the home
awaiting death. They had been beaten
about the head with a blunt instru-
ment, which of itself must have been
large and of great weight.
Alvin Stone and his wife were mem
bers of the wealthiest and most prom
inent families in Northeastern Ohio.
The object of the murderous assault
on the family was not robbery, as nu-
nrerous articles of value, including the
two gold watches of the aged couple,
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 one John
Smith, who is employed at Edward
Parker's blacksmith shop, near the
Stone homestead, on the Kent road.
Smith was discharged by Alvin Stone
two weeks ago. The two men had very
angry words, and Smith departed in
great anger. He is now under police
surveillance.
One of the Stone family alone es-
capped injury-Flora, the youngest
daughter, aged 16. She is laboring un-
der 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 chamber
on the lower floor. Hattie and Flora
slept upstairs, Emma across the hall
and the hired man at the rear of the
hallway on the same floor.
At about / o'clock this morning Flora
says she heard an agonizing scream
from Emma. She jumped out of bed,
and, opening the door, started to cross
the hall Hattie followed her. Flora,
turning before she entered Emma'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 a groan, fell senseless to
the floor while Flora in terror ran back
to her room and hid under the bed
clothes. Hattie, who is woman Of re-
markable vitality, despite her fright
fui injury, arose, and, going into Flora S
room, asked her to throw something
over her head. Flora was too fright
ened 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
a 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
a physician. When they arrived the
house was pitch-dark. The side door
was open. Entering the room occupied
by the old folks, they were 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 fear
full blow over the forehead and still
lies as one dead. The hired man was
found in his room in the same condi-
ton He had also been struck over the
forehead Flora was found under the
bedclothes in speechless fright.
In a few minutes the whole neighbor-
hood for miles around was aroused and
hundreds assembled about the Stone
homestead. The rage of those who for
so many years had lived with and loved
the amiable, honest Stone family knew
no bounds.
The Akron police department was no.
tilted, and Detective Dunn, Marshal
Mason, Sheriff Griffith and Deputy
Harter hurried to the scene. They
arrived at 9 o'clock. They found
what appeared to be tracks of a
man leaving the side door, which
was found open, and ending in the road.
The rain, which had steadily poured all
night, had, however, obliterated the
tracks along the road. Bloodhounds
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 organizing this afternoon to scour
the country in all directions. From the
appearance of those who are starting to
hunt for the murderer, it is idle to at
tempt to forecast what will happen if he
is found. There is but one fate should
he fall into the hands of the searchers
A strong clew leads toward Ravenna
where a, strange horse and buggy was
left by an unknown man, who acted
very suspiciously.
In Akron, Kent, Cuyohoga Falls,
Tallmadge and the surrounding terri
tory the excitement over the atrocious
murder at the latter place grows apace
Young Frank Smith, who was held in
surveillance by the police, was re-
leased at Tallmadge this afternoon
This deepens the mystery.
Smith was subjected to a time hon
ored and awesome ordeal. Accom-
panied by the police and townsfolks
he was brought to the Stone homestead
and confronted with the appalling
sight of the mutilated dead. The young
man did not quail. Tears came to his
eyes, and he asked in a voice of pathos
that touched all the beholders of the
scene: Gould you people who have
known me for years think me guilty of
the blood of these good old peop1e?"
His employer and others testified
that he was in bed at the time of the
murders. It was the concensus of
opinion among the police and villagers