, 1896-03-30
An ATR0C|0US MURDER.
Alvin Stone and Wife Killed in
Ohio.
TWO H E
The Terrible Work offs Cold. ed
Ficnd Near Talmadge, = small
Town of the Buckeye
State.

Akron. Ohio, March 29.--At a late
hour last night a masked man entered
the farm house Of Alvin NJ. Stone, near
Tallmadge, a few miles from this city,
and in a brief space of half an hour
committed a horrible butchery. When
he took his departure Stone and his
wife, both aged people, wera lying dead
in bed, horribly mutilated. 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 the 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
a blunt weapon Of some sort, hitting
both upon the head. They were prob
ably rendered unconscious and posi-
bly, killed by the blows. but the fiend,
not satisfied with that, proceeded to
mutilate their bodies with a knife.
He cut of one OF Stones ears, slash
ed him across the face and stabbed him
in the back. Then he laid Mrs. Stones
cheek open with the knife. After sat-
listing his fiendish desires down stairs,
he proceeded tI the room Of Stillson,
upstairs. The hired man heard the in
truder. apparently, for he had risen
when he was dealt a stunning blow on
the head. Next the murderer turned
his attention to Emma Stone, who
slept in a 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 sisters assistance,
but as she entered the latter's room
she was feied to the floor by a blow on
the head, but fortunately was not rem
dered unconscious. R%egainina her feet,
she ran to her own room and locked
the door.
Throwing a bed quilt apout her, she
leaped from the window and ran
through the rain in the mud to the
nearest neighbors. a quarter Of a mile
away. After he had struck Hattie
down, the murderer returned to En-
mas 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 sis
ter Flora, when she jumped from the
window. Finding the door locked, he
battered 1t down.
Finding only Flora in the room he
asked where the other girl was. When
told she had gone for help. he hastily
left the house and made his escape.
Hattie, with the blood streaming
from the wound on her head, managed
to reach the neighbor's house. told her
story and then tainted. After she had
been put to bed, the neighbcr, calling
for help, went to the Stone house.
There the evidences of the butchery
were discovered. The only person in
the house who was able to speak was
Flora Stone. aged 16. and she was badly
frightened. For this reaso all she
could tell was that the man who COM
mitted 1t wore a mask over his face.
The crime is q mystery. There is no
possible motive for the murders, SO far
as can be learned. Certainly the MUIR
derer 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.
The sheriff of Summit county was
called to the scene of the murder early
In the morning and with a posse Of
men he has been searching all day for
clues. Nothing has been discovered.
One man has been found who says he
saw a buggy pass his house late last
night in the direction OF the Stone
house and that the same horse is be-
lived to have been found In the streets
in Kent. . few miles east of Tallmadge,
this morning .
Ira Stillson and Emma and Hattie
Stone have not yet recovered con-
sciousness, and 1t is feared Stillson at
least will die, while the chances for the
recovery Of the two girls are very
small.