Hardin County Independent June 24, 1926
Wholesale Murder
ATTEMPTED BY FIEND IN HUMAN FORM.
The peaceful village of Elizabethtown was shocked and horrified last Sunday night when the news circulated that Pinckney Hines had entered the home of Henry Lanham, a neighbor and using an hand ax had crushed the skulls of both Mr. and Mrs. Lanham as they were quietly sleeping. A 13 year old daughter, Miss Martha, was sleeping in the same room, was struck several glancing blows by the ax but was not dangerously wounded.
The Hines and Lanhams were neighbors living on adjoining lots. Pinckney Hines who is about 40 or 45 years of age living with his father Fount Hines, the Lanham family consisting of Mr. and Mrs. Lanham and 5 children, the eldest the girl, Martha age 13. Hines who was evidently frightened by the screams of the girl, after committing the dastardly deed returned home, entered the coal house and cut his throat with a razor but failed to sever either the wind pipe or jugular vein, and when found was weak from the loss of blood with a gun near by, loaded and cocked. It was some little time after the tragedy in the Lanham home before any of the children dared to venture out to give the alarm, but after Miss Martha had somewhat recovered from the blows she had received from the ax she went with one of her younger brothers to the home of Charles Jackson and gave the alarm, and he notified the officers of the law who were soon on the scene, and a physician was called and first aid remedies applied.
The injured parties and the would be murderer were taken to the hospital at Rosiclare where medical attention was given and it was found that the skull of both Mr. and Mrs. Lanham had been crushed by the blows of the ax and there seems to be no hope for the wife and mother. Mr. Lanham will probably recover.
Hines' wounds were dressed and he was brought back to Elizabethtown and placed in jail.
The only reason assigned for the horrible deed was the infatuation of Hines who has the mentality of a 12 or 14 year old child, for the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lanham, and it is said he has been trying to force his attentions on her for several months, and when warned by her parents to desist, his rage found vent in the attempt of wholesale murder.
Source: Newspapers.com. Hardin County Independent. Elizabethtown, Illinois. June 24, 1926. Page 1.
