The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-03-30
DEATH WHILE ASLEEP
The Fiendish Crime of a Monster in
Human Form.
MAN AND WIFE BUTCHERED
Three Others FrightfulIy Injured
and May Die-The Whole Affair
Is a Mystery-No Motive
for the Awful Deed.

Akron. Ohio, March 2s-At a late
hour last night a masked man entered
the farm house of Alvin Stone near
Talmadge, and in a brief space of half
an hour committed a horrible butch
cry. Then ne took his departure. Stone
and his wife, both aged people, were
lying dead in bed horribly mutilated
and Ira Stilson, the hired man, and
Emma Stone. the eldest of three daugh-
ters, were unconscious from blows
dealt by the murderer.
The murderer entered the house by
means of a ladder which he raised to
an up stairs widow 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 blunt weapon of some sort, hit
ting both upon the head. They were
probably rendered unconscious and
possibly killed by the blows, but the
fiend. not satisfied with that. proceed
ed to mutilate their bodies with a
knife. He cut off 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 fiendish desire
down stairs, he proceeded to the room
of Stilson, up stairs. The hired man
heard the intruder, apparently, for he
has arisen when he was dealt a stun
ming blow on the head. Then the MUIR
derer turned his attention to Emma
Stone, who slept in a room by herself.
When lhe entered her room she scream
ed. That awakened the two other
girls who slept across the hall. Hattie
Stone arose to go to her sisters as
sistance, but as she entered the lat
hn foll 70
by a blow on the head. but fortunately
was not rendered unconscious. Regain
ing her feet she ran to her own room
and locked the door. Throwing a bed
Quilt about her she leaped from the
window and ran through the rain and
mud to the nearest neigthbors, a quar-
ter of a mile away
After he had struck Hattie down the
murderer returned to Emma's room.
and struck her on the head, leaving
her unconscious. Then he tried the door
of the room in which Hattie had left
her younger sister Flora when she
jumped from the window Finding the
door locked he battered ii down. Find
ing 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 neighbor, 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 ~os
Flora Stone, aged 16, and she was bad
ly frightened. For this reason all she
could tell was that the man who COM
miUted 1T 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 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, has
been searching all day for clews. One
man was found who says he saw a
buggy pass his house late last night in.
the direction of the Stone house and
the same horse is believed ito have been
found IN the streets in Kent, a few
miles east of Talmadge this morning.
Ira Stilson and Emma and Hattie
stone have not yet recovered conscious
ness, and bt is feared Stilson will die.
while the chances for the recovery of
the two girls is very small.