The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1875-01-28
A YOUNG GIRLS MADNESS.
Ercited on Religious Topics, She Erects a
Funeral Pyre and Burns Herself to Death.

Funeral Pre and Burns Herself to Dedth'
HoNEsDALE, Pa, Jan. Is.
The country around here is greatly ex-
cited over the unparalleled affair that has
lust been brought to light in the case Of
Crissy Hacker, an intelligent and beau
tiful young lady, at Whites Valley, six
teen miles west of this place, who delib-
erately burned herself to death on We'd
nesday while under the infuene of an
extraordinary religious fanaticism. 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 tempo
rary insanity, during which lapses she
imagined that she had committed sins
against cher Emmanuel" which could
only be absolved by the making of burnt
offerings.
While laboring under this mental hal
lucination, she would erect alters in the
fields OF her fathers farm, and sacrifice
lambs to appease the wrath of her often
ded deity, also burn clothing and house,
hold articles of different kinds Her
father ia widower), fearing that she
might, during one of these intervals, do
herself bodily harm, kept strict watch
on her movements. so.
On Wednesday Mr.. Hacker had occa-
sion to 90 to neighboring village, and
as his daughter manifested signs Of the
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
house until Mr.. Hacker came back, which
was about two o'clock. -'' w ~ .,
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 6fMiss Hackers affairs, lay the body
of ''is daughter, literally burned to a
crisp The face was the only part not
Burned Notwithstanding the intense
agony that she must have endured, her
features were not distorted in the least,'
but wore an expression calm and peace
full, her lips being parted in smile, as
if she died believing that through that
fiery ordeal she was to pass into a joyful
eternity.
1t appears that while the hired man
was absent Miss Hacker had formed out
of set Of quilting frames pyre or altar.
On this she had spread some carpet, and.
made herself pillow. u
When found she lay on her right side,
with her cheek resting on her hand.
Everything 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 a
quantity of combustible wood, and when
all was in readiness had fred it, from
which the flames soon spread and envel-
oped the altar. :,
In the family Bible, which was found
open at the book of Job, the following
note was found in the handwriting Of the
deceased:
DEAR FATHER. My Emmanuel appear
ed to me to-day. He reveals to me the
fact that have committed the unpar-
donable sin, which l can only obtain for
giveness for by passing through the
cleansing of fire. l 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 ImmanuePs ground, at the
northwest corner of the house. Good
bye. Meet me on the Eternal 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
outthere space for her grave. .."
Martin, ,Prentis, Esq, summoned ajury
and held an inquest on tie remains A
verdict in accordance with the above
facts was rendered. ..h