Hallie Hancock

Notes:

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/JDXL-MJZ
name: Hallie Bigham
death date: 04 Feb 1960
death place: San Antonio, Bexar, Texas
Cause of Death: stabbed in chest and abdomen with icepick like object, simultaneously had larynx fractured from choking
gender: Female
race: White
death age: 54 years
estimated birth date:
birth date: 29 Jan 1906
birthplace: Texas
marital status: Divorced
spouse's name:
father's name: Charles A. Hancock
father's birthplace:
mother's name: Nora Cousins
mother's birthplace:
occupation: Tavern Manager
place of residence: San Antonio, Bexar, Texas
cemetery: Silsbee
burial place: Silsbee, Texas
burial date: 08 Feb 1960
additional relatives: X
film number: 2116049
digital film number: 4166202
image number: 2618
reference number: cn 6839
Collection: Nora Cousins in entry for Hallie Bigham, "Texas, Deaths, 1890-1976"

San Antonio Express
San Antonio, Texas, Friday, Feb. 5, 1960
Page 1
Stabbed 41 Times, S. A. Woman Dies
Tavern Owner Ice Pick Victim

A 48-year-old woman tavern operator, slain about 1 p.m. Thursday, was stabbed about 41 times ina death struggle, Dr. Robert Hausman, county medical examiner, revealed late Thursday.

The woman, Hallie Bigham, was found about 1:30 p.m. on the floor of Hallie's Place, 4234 Culebra Road.

Police Thursday night were looking for a Seguin man, reportedly a regular customer of the tavern.

Hausman said the woman was stabbed 31 times in the chest and abdomen and bout 10 times in the arms.

He said the woman, who reportedly lived in the rear of the tavern also was chocked and cut one on the chin.

Police theorized the death struggle started behind the counter where a pool of blood ran about 15 feet from the counter to the spot where the woman's body was found.

Hausman said the wound apparently was inflicted by an ice pick or some other long, slender weapon.

One of the wounds's fractured the woman's right wrist, Hausman said.

A broken bottle found on the tavern floor was believed to have inflicted the four inch cut on the woman's chin.

Audrey L. Real, a service stateion operator whos lives at 1030 John Page Dr. discoverd the woman's body at 1:30 p.m. when he went to the tavern.

Real, 47, after seeing the woman's body near the front door of the tavern, notified Mrs. Dora Britz, 4221 Culebra Road, owner of the tavern. She notified police.

Police picked up five persons but released them after questioning.

They ruled out robbery in the murder after finding $118.37 still in the cash register.

The February 11, 1960 issue of the same newspaper, also page one, had an article titled "Seguin Man Tells About Fatal Fight: Guadalupe Co. Sherrif Arrests 18-Year Old" The article stated that Juan Valdez was arrested shortly after noon on February 10 as he and several friends were on their way to a movie. Valdez stated that the struggle which ended with Hallie Bigham's death started when she demanded $5 from him. Valdez said her refused to pay, and the woman called him a "dirty Mexican." He slapped her across the face with a bottle, and she raced from the table at which they had been drinking and grabbed in ice pick.