The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-03-30

AKRON, Ohio. March 29.--At n late
hour last night a masked man entered
the farm house Of Alvin NJ. Stone. near
Tallmadge, few miles from this city
and in the brief space OF half an hour
committed horrible butchery. When
he took his departure Stone and his
wife, both aged people, were lying dead
in bed. horribly mutIlated and Ira Still
son, the hired man. and Emma Stone
the Oldest Of three daughters were un-
conscious from blows dealt by the muir
derer.
The murderer entered the house by
means Of q ladder which he raised to
an upstairs window. He first passed
through the room in which Hattie and
Flora Stone were sleeping without wax
ing them. Going quietly down stairs TO
the room In which Mr.. and Mrs. Stone
slept. he attacked them with a blunt
weapon OF some sort. hitting both upon
the head. They were probably render
ed unconscious and possibly killed by
the blows, but the fiend. not satisfied
with that, proceeded to mutilatc their
bodies with knife. He cut of one OF
Stones ears, slashed him across the
face and stabbed him In the back. Then
he laid Mrs. Stones cheek open with
the knife. After satisfying his hendish
desire down stairs, he proceeded to the
room OF Stlllson upstairs. The hired
man heard the intruder apparently. for
he had arisen, when he was dealt a
stunning blow on the head. Next the
murderer turned his attention 10 Emma
Iv, ~ harg.1F
When he entered her room she scream
ed. That awakened the two other girls
who slept across the hall. Hattie Stone
arose 10 20 to her sisters assistance,
but as she entered the latter'S room
she was felled to the floor by blow on
the head, but fortunately was not rem
dered unconscious. RegaininR her feet,
she ran TO her own room and locked
the door. Throwing a bed quilt about
her she ieaped from the window and
ran through the rain and mud 70 the
nearest neighbOr's, O quarter OF mile
away.
After he had struck Hattie down. the
murderer returned to Emma's room and
struck her on her bed. leaving her un-
conscious. 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. he battered It down. Finding
only Flora In the room. he asked where
the other girl was. When told that she
had gone for help. he hastily left the
house and made his escape.
Hattie. with the blood streaming from
the wound In her head. managed to
reach the neiEhbor's house, told her
story and then tainted. After she had
been put 10 bed, the neighbOr, calling for
IN ~.
the evidences OF the butchery were dis
covered The only person in the house
who was able TO speak was Flora Stone,
aged sixteen. and she was so badly
frightened, that she could tell nothing
about the murder. except that the man
who committed & wore a mask over his
face. The crime IS a mystery. There
is no possible motive for the murders,
so far as can be learned. Certainly the
murderer was not bent on robbery, for
in a bureau drawer in Mr.. Stones room
were two gold watches and some money
and nothing had been taken appar-
entity.
The sheriff OF Smith county was called
to the scene OF the murder early In the
morning and with n posse Of men he
has been searching all day for clues to
the murderer. Nothing has been dlscov-
cred. one man has been found who
says he saw a buggy pass his house
last night going in the direction OF
the Stone house and the same horse Is
believed TO have been found In the
streets Of Kent, few miles east Of
Tallmndgc. this morning, Ira StillSon.
the hired man. and Emma and Hattie
Stone have not yet recovered conscious
ness and II Is feared that Stlllson atleast
will die. while the chances for the re-
covery OF the two girls nre very small