The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-02-11
BARE DETAILS
/. OF SACRIFICE
DEATH SCENE
Woman Tells of Wild
Religious Orgy in Her
Mountain Cabin.
HEARING SET FOR TODAY
Temporary Insanity viii Be
Pleaded in Behalf of
Alleged Killer.
By United Press

by NNCu PfCSS
INEZ, Ky, Feb. 11.-Mountain
folk poured into this village today
to hear the law" begin its reckon
ing with John Mills, SO, and eight
members of his strange mountain
religious cult, who are held in con-
nection with the killing of Mills
mother as a religious sacrifice.
Mills, glaSsy-eyed and muttering
in what his disciples call the
tongue was on his knees in his
cell as the hour grew near for his
arraignment on a charge of muir
der. He was praying to the spirit"
to fulfill its promise, and bring his
mother back to life, born anew
without sin"
Mills was the only one of the nine
charged with murder. The others.
all but one either children or wives
of husbands of children of the dead
woman, were charged as accessories.
Fantastic Story Told
Counsel for Mills, appointed by the
state, planned to enter a plea of
temporary insanity in his behalf.
From mountain gossip, officers
learned that two men members of
Mills cult have been plotting to
offer the leader as a burnt Offer
ing chained to a flaming cross.
They were jealous of his ability
to talk in the tongue" when he was
supposed to receive revelations di-
rect from heaven.
The fantastic story of what hap
pened at Tomahawk when aged
Lucinda Mills was killed in a sacri-
fetal ceremony by her religion
crazed kinfolk. has been given to
county authorities by Mrs. Tom
Boyd, in whose mountainside cabin
the cult members held their last
frenzied orgy.
Resurrection Awaited
AS Mrs Boyd, the victims daugh-
ter, narrated the incidents which
led to the death, the countryside
waited apprehensively for the prom
Used Resurrection" of the dead
woman.
Mrs. Boyd said she and her hus-
band and her mother were at home
in their cabin Tuesday.
I'VE got up about II o'clock"
she said, and ate breakfast. It
wasn't long before I heard shouting
down the crick, and 1 looked out
the window
John Mills was coming up the
holler holding a stick IN front Of
him. His eye were shut, and he
had a Bible in his other hand.
Smites Flock With Stick
alongside of him was Ballard
Mills "a nephew of Mrs. Mills and
he was carrying another stick, and
holding it just like John.
They came on stumbling up the
road, and I could see they we're
walking with their eyes shut because
they stumbled over the rocks and
bushes.
Behind John and Ballard were
their wives and Fred Mills and his
wife and about thirty-fv or forty
kids. When I saw them 1 was
scared. I knew something was GO
ing to happen.
After they got in the house, they
started praying and shouting and
John went around shifting people
with the stick to see if they were
worthy.
INSTRUCTED by Lord"
after a while, John said he had
been instructed by the Lord to kill
six virgins, and they all began to
look around to see who they would
pick for the virgins. Some of the
kids got scared, and ran out of the
house.
After they chanted a while, John
said he was going to drive the devils
out Of our mother. She was in the
other room, and had sick head
ache.
John brought her out. and she
sat down on the altar. Then John
told her to lay down. on the altar,
and he started waving his hands
and praying. The others we're YELL
ing in the tongue
Then, all Of sudden, John grab
bed her throat, and started to choke
her.
He got his knee in her chest, and
choked her with one hand and beat
her with the other.
She tried to get away but she
was too weak"
After Mrs. Mills had been killed,
preparations were being made to
burn her body as a sacrifice to God
when authorities, notified of the
chanting by neighbors, broke in the
cabin door.