The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-29
TWO WOMEN FOLLY MURDERED AT THEIR HOME AT KIMBERLY House Set on Fire to Hide Crime and Bodies
 Are Burned HUSBAND FIRST TO
 DISCOVER CRIME Bloodhounds Taken to Scene, But Fail to Track Murderers.
 Negro Arrested by
 Hartsfield

Mrs. Mary Lancaster, aged 60, and Mrs. Anna Trice, aged 40, are dead as the result of one of the most cold blooded murders ever committed in the state yesterday afternoon at Kim berly. little mining town about 25 miles from Birmingham. The two women, at their home alone, were first attacked and their home then set on fire.
 crushed as the result of blows from a pick handle and hatchet. Their clothing caught on fire after their as- sailants. had left and their bodies were badly burned.
 News of the tragedy reached Bir- mingham yesterday about z o'clock, when the women were brought to Bir- mingham for surgical treatment by pr. Messenger, the company physician at Kimberly. Mrs. Lancaster died shortly before reaching the Birmingham in firmary, and Mrs. Trice died about o'clock last night.
 NEGRO ARRESTED
 Immediately after learning of the tragedy Coroner Rives notified the sheriff's office and Sheriff Batson dis patched Deputy Chris Hartsfeld to the scene. Deputy Hartsfield was the first officer on the scene and made an in- vestigation of the crime. Later on the receipt of telegram from pr. Messenger he arrested a negro, Joe Barnes, and immediately start ed for Birmingham with his prisoner. The supposition is that one of the crime before she died.
 Meanwhile Sheriff Batson and number of deputies started for Kim berly. The city's bloodhounds were also taken in the party.
 Barnes is negro about 45 years of age. He denied any connection with the crime last night at the coun- ty jail.
 RESCUED BY HUSBAND
 T. E. Trice. section foreman in the of the Louisville and Nashville railroad, accompanied his wife and mother-in-law to Birming- ham. He was the first to discover their peril and rescued them from the burn ing building.
 q was working with my section
  mile from my home" he said yester- day while at the Birmingham infirm- ary. T happened to glance toward my house and saw it in flames. I imme. diately started to render assistance. having no idea that my wife and her mother had been murdered.
 When I reached my home, and did not see my wife or her mother, I start ed a search over the house. found iv 1yit heads showing an ugly wound. Their clothing was on fire. I extinguished their clothing as quickly as possible and then removed them from the burn ing structure.
 ''As soon as I saw their condition I did not wait to investigate but rushed them at once to the depot and caught q train, placing them on the train to bring them here. My wife's mother firmary.
 Tt was about 3:sO o'clock when the crime was committed. My house is about 150 feet from the Louisville and Nashville tracks and only about 100 yards from the Louisville and Nash vile depot at Kimberly I have no idea why the crime was committed, but I intend to push the investigation to the limit"
 ROBBERY [ MOTIVE
 According to Deputy Hartsfeld, the crime is one of the most brutal ever in the state. "Trice and his wife operated small store, or fering for sale only small articles, and using the supplies chiefly for the men under Mr. Trice," said MT. 
 "In the storeroom of the structure a pool of blood and pick handle GOV. cred with blood were found. It seems that Mrs. Trice was hit in the head here and then carried into the bed- room of the house. In this room an other pool of blood and a hatchet cov- cred with blood was found
 Tn this same room 1t could be cas- fly seen where the fire had been start ed. The women were lying over the sxact spot The fire was evidently