The San Francisco call., 1896-03-30
An Aged Couple, Two Daughters
and a Hired Man Are
the Victims.
CLUBBED AND KNIFED IN BED.
Awful Story of Girl Who Escaped
The Community Frantic-Trailing
With BloodhoundS.

CLEVELAND, OHIO, March 29.-At
o'clock this morning the most fiendlsh
deed that has ever claimed entrance to the
criminal history of Ohio was perpetrated
near Tallmadge, village five miles north
of Akron.
Alvin Stone. aged SO, and his wife, aged
60, while asleep at their home, were bru-
tally murdered by a fiend, who literally
beat their heads to pieces, after which
numerous knife thrusts were made into
the bodies of the dead: Two daughters
Hattie, aged 90, Emma, aged q, and the
family man-servant, A. F. StiIson, were
also attacked. All three of these are
fatally injured and lie unconscious and
bleeding at the home, awaiting death.
They had been beaten about the head with
blunt instrument, which of itself must
have been large and of great weight.
Alvin Stone and his wife were members
of the wealthiest and most prominent
families in Northeastern Ohio. The object
of the murderous assault on the family
was not robbery, as numerous articles Of
value, including the two gold watches of
the aged couple, which were on the bed
is shrouded in mystery and the whole
county is agitated. The only suspicion
as vet 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 former
was chores man about the place. The
two men had very angry words, and Smith
departed in great anger. He is now under
police surveillance.
One memb Der of the family alone escaped
injury - Flora, the youngest daughter,
aged l6. She is laboring 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 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 agonising scream from
Emma. She jumped from bed and OPEN
ing the door started to cross the hall.
Hattie followed her. Flora, turning be-
fore she entered Emma's room, the door
of which was open, saw 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 bedclothes.
Hattie, who is 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 frightened 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 quilt around her and went
down the ladder, running to Charles Sack
ett's farm, quarter of mile away,
where she told her story and collapsed.
Two of the Sacketts hurried to the Stone
house, while another summoned a physi-
clan. When they arrived the house was
pitch dark. The side door was open. En-
tering the room occupied by the old folks,
they were confronted by the horribly
mutllated bodies of the father and mother.
Emma was found unconscious on the
floor of her bedroom. She had been
struck fearful blow over the forehead,
and still lies as one dead. The hired man
was found in his room III the same condi-
ton. He had also been struck over the
forehead. Flora was found under the bed
clothes 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 notified and Detective Dunn, Marshal
Mason, Sheriff Griffin and First Deputy
Hart hurried to the scene. They arrived
at o'clock. They found what appeared
to be tracks of man leaving the SIDE door,
which was found open, and ending at the
road. The rain which had steadily poured
all night had. however, obliterated the
tracks along the road. Bloodhounds were
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 evening to scour the coun-
try in every direction. From all the in
dications of those who are starting to hunt
down the murderer it is idle to attempt a
forecast of what will happen if he is cap
tured. There is but one fate in store for
him if he falls into the hands of the citi-
zens who are looking for him, aided by
bloodhounds.
This evening strong clew leads toward
Ravenna, where strange horse and bug
gy was left by an unknown man who
acted very suspiciously.