The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-05-11
LIVE AND DIE UNKNOWN.
The Strange Community OF Hinhloyites
Living In Pennsylvania.

The Strange Community OF Hinkloyites
Living In Pennsylvania.
One Of the strangest sects in the United
States are the Hinkleyites, who occupy a
ynall settlement among Pennsylvania s
hills, few miles from the New York state
line, not far from the city of Binghamton.
There, strange rs 10 may seem, money Is n
drug on the market, and yet the inhabit-
ants are contented and happy. But it Is
doubtful, though, If all Tho money in the
entire community were scraped together
that Ii would foot up more than $40 at any
one time.
This peculiar settlement Is known as
Hinkley's Corners. 1t consists of q half
dozen houses, like number of barns and
other outbuildings and frame structure
used as place of worship in cold weather.
AS long as the weather will permit, the re-
ligious rites of this strange sect are held in
the open air, usually in q cave near the
woods.
The history Of this peculiar community
is strange one. About 80 years ago
man named Hinkley began preaching a
crusade in the city of Pittsburg. He
claimed that Christianity, by disregarding
the Mosaic laws, had violated one of the
principles upon which it was founded.
Hinklcy's crusade was so much of u
success, many prominent persons follow
ing his standard that the police suddenly
put stop To the sacrifices. Tho result of
this threat was to cause Hinkley and q
few followers TO emigrate TO the noun,
tains, there to start the peculiar settle
ment that exists today. While working
about the farms the men wear ragged
clothes that i'm the summer season scarcely
cover their bodies, but on Saturday, the
day set apart for public worship, they don
their best apparel. The services open with
an invocation, the sacrifice having been
previously prepared and laid on the altar.
The fire is then lighted, and if the smoke
arises in straight column both men and
women burst into songs of thanksgiving,
but should the smoke hang in cloud
above the altar weird, wailiDg song fills
the air until the priest has replenished the
fire, prepared "a new Offering, and the smoke
ascends directly heavenward.
A strange, weird and solemn sight is a
funeral among these strange people. The
body is carried to its last resting place on
a bier, the grave having been previously
lined with straw, and into this the un-
coffined remains are lowered. Each person
in attendance then sprinkles handful of
cartn on tne corpse, al tne Wnlle cnanbin9
the funeral hymn and finally passing out
of the graveyard until only the sexton is
left to complete the work of burying the
dead.
A wedding is an unusually quiet affair.
The contracting parties call upon the
priest, who requires them to sign an agree
ment to live together as man and wife and
then performs a short ceremony, at the
conclusion Of which he pronounces the
couple united. Then at the next funeral
or the next day of worship he announces
the wedding, and the newly married cou-
pie are accorded the rights usually be-
slowed upon man and wife-they are at
liberty to purchase farm, and the com
munity will become security for the pay
ment within five years. If at the end OF
that time the farm is not paid for, the
priest, who is the chief executive officer of
the community, forecloses the claim, and
the couple are Obliged TO separate and
seek work where they can among their
fcllows.-New York Herald.