The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-01-26
RELIGIOUS FANATICIsM.

YOUNG GIRL MAKES A FUNERAL
PYRE AND OFFERS HERSELF SACRIFICE
LYING DEAD IN AsHRs-HER LAST LETTER.
The correspondent of the New York
Times, writing from Honesdale, Penn, on
the 18th inst. gives the following account Of
a most remarkable sacrifice: Crissy
Hacker, an intelligent and beautiful young
lady, living at Whites Valley, Is miles west
of this place, deliberately burned herself to
death yesterday, while under the influence
of extraordinary religious ianaticism. She
was the daughter of William Hacker, a
wealthy and prominent farmer OF the
county. For some five or six years past she
has at times been subject to temporary in
sanity. during which lapses she imagined
that she had committed sins against cher
Emmanuel" which could be only absolved
by the making of burnt offerings. While
laboriDg under this mental hallucination,
she would erect affairs in the fields of her
fathers farm, and sacrifice lambs TO appe2se
the wrath of her offended deity, and also
burn clothing and household goods of diff
ferent kinds. Her father Ia widower,) fear
ing that she might, during one Of these in
tervals, do herself bodily harm, kept a
strict watch on her movements. Yesterday
Mr. Hacker had occasion to go to a neigh
boring village, and as his daughter nantes
ted the signs of recurrence of one of her
insane intervals, he charged his hired man TO
watch her during his absence. At noon the
man went to his dinner, leaving the young
lady in the kitchen reading the Bible. For
some reason he did not return TO the hOnse
until Mr.. Hacker came back, which was
about 2 O'Clock. When the latter entered
his kitchen he was paralyzed with horror at
the sight that confronted him. On the Goals
and ashes of what had evidently been one of
Miss Hackers affairs, lay the body of his
daughter, literally burned to a crisp. The
Qrf f.
withstanding
THE INTENSE AGONY
that she must have endured, her features
were not DISTORTED IN the least, but wore
an expression calm and peaceful, her lips be-
ing parted in smile, as if she died believing
that through the fiery ordeal she was to pass
into joyful eternity. 1t appears that
while the hired man was absent Miss
Hacker had formed out OF a set of quilting
frames a pyre or altar. On this she had
spread some carpet, and made herself pill
low. When found she lay on her right side,
with her cheek resting on her hand. Every
thing seemed to indicate that this was the
position she had taken at first, and from
which she had not moved. At one side OF
the altar she had piled up quantity of COM
bustible wood, and when all was IN
readiness had fired it, from which the flames
soon spread and enveloped the altar. In 4
the family Bible, wnlcn was Iound open 81
the Book of Job. the following note was
found in the handwriting of the deceased
DEAR FATHER: NV Emmanuel appeared II
to me to day. He reveals to me the factI
that j have committed the unpardonableI
sin, which 1 can only obtain forgiveness forI|
by passing through the cleansing of fire.I|
will intercede for you, my dear father.
You will find my purified body in the
northeast corner of the house. / wish to
have my ashes buried in my Immanuel'sU
ground, at the northwest corner of thH
house. Good bye. Meet me on the eternafN
ground. CRIssY.
Mr.. Hacker went to the corner of the
house indicated in the note as the spot
where the remains were TO be buried, and
found that his daughter had staked out /
there space for her grave. Martin Prem
tiss, Esq, summoned a jury and held an
inquest on the remains. A verdict in accor-
dance with the above facts was rendered