February 8, 1933 in the Tomahawk community in Martin county, authorities broke down the door of a small mountain cabin. Inside the home, members of a family were chanting, dancing and praying while the family matriarch, bound in chains, lay dead on a makeshift altar.
This story sparked a national media frenzy with the bizarre tale of religious extremism, cults and ritual sacrifice.
Sources:
The Lexington Herald Leader 7/6/31, 2/9/33, 2/12/33, 2/16/33, 2/19/33, 2/28/33, 4/3/33, 4/7/33, 4/8/33, 4/9/33, 4/10/33, 4/11/33, 4/22/33, 11/3/33
The Lexington Leader 2/9/33
The Lexington Herald 2/10/33, 2/11/33, 2/12/33, 4/3/33, 4/6/33, 4/7/33, 4/9/33, 4/11/33,
Courier Journal 2/9/33, 2/10/33, 2/11/33, 2/12/33, 4/2/33, 4/7/33, 4/9/33, 4/11/33, 4/12/33, 4/13/33
The Kentucky Post and Times Star 2/9/33, 2/10/33, 2/11/33, 4/3/33, 4/5/33, 4/10/33, 4/11/33, 4/12/33, 11/3/33
The Winchester Sun 2/9/33, 2/11/33, 4/8/33
The Paducah Sun Democrat 2/10/33, 2/11/33, 4/4/33, 4/5/33, 4/6/33, 4/10/33
The Cincinnati Post 2/9/33, 2/10/33, 2/13/33, 4/5/33, 4/6/33, 4/8/33, 4/11/33, 4/12/33,
The Cincinnati Enquirer 2/10/33, 4/10/33, 4/12/33
The Kentucky Advocate 2/11/33, 2/18/33,
The State Journal 2/11/33, 2/17/33, 4/9/33, 11/3/33
The Owensboro Messenger 2/9/33, 2/10/33, 4/6/33, 4/8/33, 4/11/33, 6/6/33,
The Park City Daily News 2/13/33, 4/10/33
The Middlesboro Daily News 4/11/33
Delphos Daily Herald 2/9/33
The Messenger Inquirer 2/9/33, 2/10/33, 2/11/33, 2/14/33, 4/11/33,
The Messenger 2/10/33, 4/3/33,
The Harlan Daily Enterprise 2/12/33, 1/3/34,
The Santa Rosa Republic 2/9/33
Troy Daily News 2/9/33
The Winchester Sun 2/9/33
The Advocate Messenger 2/9/33, 4/12/33
The Messenger 2/9/33
The Imperial Valley Press 2/9/33
The Galion Inquirer 2/10/33
The Hustler 2/10/33
Marysville Journal Tribune 2/10/33
The Pittsburgh Press 2/10/33, 2/11/33
The Pasadena Post 2/11/33
The Daily Times 2/11/33, 4/12/33
The Daily News 4/5/33, 9/9/34
The Daily Advocate 4/17/33,
The Santa Maria Times 2/15/33
The Charleston Daily Mail 2/19/33,
The Modesto Bee 4/11/33
The Oakland Post Inquirer 4/11/33
The San Francisco Examiner 4/12/33
The Akron Beacon Journal 9/24/64
The Mansfield News 6/15/26
The Pentecostal Witness May 1957:
https://pentecostalarchives.org/?a=d&d=PWI195705-01.1.5&e=-------en-20--1--img-txIN------------
Findagrave:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/219036500/john-hampton-mills
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/217564833/laben-t-mills
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/219037101/lucinda-mills
United States Census Records 1920, 1930, 1940 and 1950
The National Institute of Mental Health:
Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_County,_Kentucky
Marshall Digital Scholar:
https://mds.marshall.edu/asa_conference/2018/accepted_proposals/65/
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