Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-05-06
From the Troy n. Y. 7 mes. May 3
Horrible Murder from Religious Fanati-

The quiet Sabbath was broken in upon ycstcr-
,av ly The commission of IL lurril murder. in the
town of Snndlakc. about ii miles from Troy of
daughter by her father and only surviving pnrcnt,
man about GO years OF age. nnmed John beli
inc Tho scene Of the homicide il about four
miles cast of Sliters Tavern. and near the steam
slw-mll IN the Sandlake roni. The parties lived
ia little house, in which the father eurncd live
lih,d for himself and daughter hy following the
trade If II shoemaker. The daughter, name was
Christina. She j. about ID years of age and is
described hy the nel hhors as quiet and we'll
behaved rrI She had been unwcll for
time. and. it is said, bad been under the care of Il
iemne dnrrcss residing in Berlin, in this county
named Weaver. Her mind, it appears, WAS some
what affected, but whether from religious excite
meat or from some other cause. we are unable TO
say. She lahorcd under the impression that the
devil had possessed her. and used TO pray very
frequently for deliverance from his grasp. a day
or two before the murder. the old nan and duugl-
ter went over to the house Of David Horton. who
resided orppstc the Beldings when Christina
said she had taken medicine OF Mrs. Weaver. and
il made her feel as it '',hc devil in her. and
She would scratch him off; but that she had thrown
the medicine away, and drove the desI away.
too" The old man had not done much work re-
GENTLY rs it affected the girls head and it is sup
posed that in consequence OF his care at her, want
Of sleep, &c. his own mind had become Temporal
rilv affected and while under the delu>ion that
"l}cha, Hs he calls her, was the uc'l1, he Rllieu
ler.
The account which Bedding gives Of tn" affair
is thai he saw the devil lying on the bed. and he
struck it in the face. The girl. it appears, WAS
lying down in The back room. Bedding followed
her ir,m that room to the front room, i'll which
the murder was committed with shnrmnkcrs
hammer. Her skull was completely smashed t.
pieces. Portions of the hair were scattered about
the rnom, and pieces of the skull were living over
the floor. Her face, too, considerably bruised
and ,lists CURED, but marks of violence we're dis
covered on the other parts OF her body. BeldinS
SAYS he thought she was the deyil-that she APP
peared to him to lie four times rs large as 'Dcna'
that her face was too large for "Dcna and
from his previous and subsequent conduct there
can scarcely he doubt TINT the odd mlu ima@ncs
hc had Il fight with the devil. Or, rs he expresses
il, with 'thr' devils, and he done all he c,uld do
To- XIII them" They lived alone in the house. 1t
is supposed the murder was committed about l2l
o'clock yesterday afternoon. The first person wha
discovered the murder was Nicolas R,ermilcr
who first saw the o,! man outside the house. lie
appeared very much excited. and told Rycrmiler
that he had KILLED the devil, and it way lying in
there printing to his house. Ryrrmiller looked
in aud discovered lie dead body Of the dan .htcr
He asked the rli man il it not pena that no
hni killed? Bedding replied thnt he did not.
hnk it was. Boiling, hands and shirt sleeves
covered with blond Rycrm"r testified
before the Coroner's jury that the father and
nugher had lived with him about six months,
! rcviously to their residing in the house where
/ 10 murder was committed, niid that they always
0ppcarrd happy together. aud. rs the witness ex-
p.'c~srd it, Never mad any crazy times Chris
ii IA was quiet good girl.
Bedding was raving like maniac when the
g. "uner arrived.