Lenoir, Oct. 17—After shooting and fatally injuring Philip King, his brother-in-law, and then going to the home of tom Winkler, whom he killed instantly, Harding Mabe, prominent Caldwell County farmer, today blew off his head with a shotgun. This last tragedy occurred in the public road within half a mile of the first.
In Mabe’s pockets were found four extra shells, a loaded 22 caliber pistol and a bottle of carbolic acid from which about two tablespoonsful had been removed.
Searchers did not look in the public road for Mabe, but confined their efforts to the woods. He had ended his own life within half an hour after the shooting of the other two.
It is believed he was crazed.
Lenoir, Oct. 17—Harding Mabe, a prominent farmer of Hartland, seven miles west of Lenoir, this morning shot and probably fatally wounded Philip King, his brother-in-law, and then proceeded to the home of Tom Winkler, a mile distant, and killed him instantly. A shot gun was used in both instances and posses are scouring the county for the assailant.
King and his father were coming to Lenoir in a wagon over the old Morganton road when Mabe, coming up from behind, emptied a shotgun into his brother-in-law's back at a distance of 10 paces. It is not believed King can live.
As soon as Mabe had shot King, he turned around and drove to the home of Tom Winkler and shot him standing on his porch. Winkler was killed instantly.
The killing is believed to have been the outgrowth of a boundary dispute. Philip King and his father were coming to Lenoir, it was said, to have a surveyor run the lines again and Mabe followed them. Winkler had nothing to do with the dispute, it is said.
Mabe has been known as one of the best citizens in his township, having vigorously opposed liquor making and in consequence has received many threatening letters. His friends can account for his terrible act only on the theory that his mind was deranged by the threats against his life and that he set out to clean up the whole section with his gun.
Twenty-five armed men took up the chase and this afternoon Sheriff J.A. Triplett, who had been out of town, joined in the chase. The sheriff’s office had not received any word from the search at 1:45 this afternoon.
Lenoir people who knew Mabe were utterly surprised at the report of his crimes. There had been no better citizen in the county than he and his desperate acts could not be accounted for only on the supposition that he was mentally unbalanced.
From the front page of the Hickory Daily Record, Monday, Oct. 17, 1921
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