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4-Year-Old Kills Mother After She Wouldn’t Let Him Play With Matches
A horrifying matricide at the hands of a child barely past their toddler years was due to a bizarre reason
One of the most common words a child hears from their parents is “no.” However, it’s all part of a learning process as boundaries and expectations are defined and become part of maturing. Children may dig their heels in but generally ultimately go along with what they are told. One exception was a four-year-old from the 1920s, who became a major news story after he intentionally shot and killed his mother when she wouldn’t let him play with matches. He followed that up by threatening to also murder the investigator who was trying to figure out what had happened.
The tragedy occurred in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania in 1927. Four-year-old Tommy Ruby was nearly reaching school age. One day, he asked his mother if he could play with some matches because he was intrigued by the light and odor they emitted. She quickly told him no and thought little about it before going on with her day.
Unfortunately, the refusal seemed to make something snap within Tommy. Later in the day, he grabbed a chair and used it to reach a higher shelf in a closet where his father kept a 32-caliber pistol. Taking the gun, he went out…
