The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-12-19

One death has resulted from Watch
man Thomas Ludden's mad rampage
at Old Forge, Sunday night, and an
other Is hourly expected to be charged
to the account of that miserable
wretch, now lying at the county Jail
more dead than alive from his own ex-
cesses and the terrible beating he re-
ceived at the hands of the infurated
neighbors of his two victims.
Patrick Rafferty,, the elder of the two
officers and the first to go down before
Ludden's frenzied, reckless fire, passed
away at 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon,
after twenty hours of the most agoniz-
ing suffering. Thomas McKenna, the
other wounded officer, was reported at
midnight to be slowly but surely dying.
Crowds congregated about the homes
of the afflicted families hast evening
and between the expressions of sym
pathy aroused by the contemplation of
the widow and ten orphans and a prob
able second widow and four more
orphans, there were no end of self-ac-
cusations and condemnations that the
opportunity for summary vengeance
iliO DtGH dlONtu 10 tSCuDe.
Luddan was heard to speak only
once yesterday. DR.. Donne, the jail
physician, examined him yesterday
morning and while feeling over his body
for injuries encountered a fractured
rib. The twang of pain that accompa
MED the pressure on the injured rib
raised Ludden from his stupor fer a
brief time and when the doctor re-
marked "They certainly came near
killing him." Ludden muttere I, "Wish
they had"
LUDDEN'S INJURIES.
The only injuries the doctor coul1
find on him besides the fractured rib
was a broken finger and the cuts and
bruises about the head and face. One
of his eyebrows appears to have been
kicked entirely away and his left eye
is closed so tight the ball cannot 5e
dscerned. In the struggle in the en-
gine room one of the men who came to
Fireman Thomas Moran's assistance
fastened a hold on Ludden by jabbing
a finger in the eye socket and his
thumb under his lip. This is the eye
that is swollen shut and there is POI
sibility that the sight Is injured, if not
entirely destroyed.
Several times during the day he
raved and ragged about his cell. Early
in the morning he tore off his clothing
and after the doctor had left him he
ripped the bandages from his body and
broken finger. During the afternoon
he was again in deep stupor and ap-
peared more dead than alive. There IS
no thought yet of giving him a hearing.
In Minooka, where Ludden has lived
most Of his days, the amazement is not
so great as elsewhere at his apparent
ly crazy actions.
HARMLESS WHEN SOBER.
When sober, he is a harmless, good
for-nothing fellow but when drinking
| heavily, he was more of a beast than
a human being, it is said. There is a
well-founded belief among the people
of that town that he Is affected with
rabies for invariably when under the
excitement of drink he would go about
! with his chin down, his teeth firmly
| set, growing continuously like a dog
| and foaming at the mouth. Whether
or not he was ever bitten by a dog no
| one has ever heard him say, but it is
a generally accepted fact in Minooka
| that he must have been.
This story reached Old Forge, yes
terday, and caused no end Of alarm tC
| Fireman Moran, whose arm was bitten
by Ludden during the struggle in the
engine room. His arm has swolle,
slightly in the immediate vicinity OF
the wound and is growing more pain
full all the time.
al l.,
rampage Friday night, by beating his
wife and turning her and his four chill.
dren out of doors. He then went to Ole
Forge and did not return again.
His record, it is hardly necessary tt
| say, is a bad one. He has been ar
rested at various times for minor
| offenses and spent a term in the county
Jail for larceny.
1t is also said that he nearly killed
a man in Old Forge about six years
ago. The affair occurred, so the stor!
goes, at the very spot, alongside tn
trestle opposite Fallon's. where he in
veigled and murderousiy assailed Johl
Lynch, Sunday night.
OF SAVAGE DISPOSITION.
Ludden's mother was found dead II
a deserted shanty in Greenwood an
while it was generally accepted tina
she died from exposure. there wer
whisperings that several youths of tn
neighborhood were partially respon
sible for her death, and whenever Lud
den would come across one Of these h
would invariably pummel him. One .
them was encountered by Ludden a
Old Forge when he was crazy drunI
and, dragging him into the seclude
spot above described, was beating tn
life out of him when assistance ar
rived and he was prevented from car
rying out his murderous purpose.
| Coroner Roberts win go to Old Forg