The Gazette
February 8, 1905
News reached Farmerville Saturday morning of a terrible tragedy which occurred Friday night at the residence of Mr. Mack Stancil who lives about eight miles east of town, resulting in the killing of Mrs. Stancil by her son, Palmer Ham.
It seems that young Ham, who is about 16 years of age and another boy of he own age were out in the yard playing and observing a light in the field back of the house. They became frightened and ran into the house and asked Mr. Stancil where the gun was as they thought someone was prowling around the place. Young Ham secured the gun and went out the back door and around the house and in the meantime Mrs. Stancil had gone out the back way and was standing on the back gallery watching the light, which was evidently only someone passing by.
The boy came up within about 30 feet and discovered his mother standing on the gallery and thinking that she was some prowler, raised his gun and fired without saying a word. When the gun fired she screamed and Mr. Stancil, recognizing his wife’s voice went in search of her and found her at the door-steps stone dead.
Shiloh to Canaan 