The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-22
LIVE AND DIE UNKNOWN.
The HinIxIeyites of Pennsylvania Are
Strange Band of People.

New York Herald.
One of the strangest sects in the United
States, whose existence was until recently
practically almost unknown, are the Hink-
ieyites, who occupy a small settlement
among Pennsylvania hills, a few miles
from the New York state line, not far from
the city of Binghamton. There, strange as
it may seem in these hard times, money is a
drug on the market, and yet the inhabit-
ants are contented and happy But it is
doubtful, though, If all the money in the
entire community were scraped together,
it would foot up more than $40 at any one
time.
This peculiar settlement is known as
dozen houses, a like number of barns and
other outbuildings, and frame structure
used as place of worship in cold weather.
xAs long as the weather Will permit the re-
ligious rites of this strange sect are held
in the open air, usually in a cave near the
woods.
The history of this peculiar community
is a strange one. About thirty-five years
ago man named Hinkley began preaching
a crusade in the city of Pittsburg He
the Mosaic laws, had violated one of the
principles upon which it was founded
cess SINAI many prominent Persons following h his
standard, that the police suddenly put
stop to the sacrifices. The result of this
followers to emigrate to the mountains
there to start the peculiar settlement that
exists to-day. While working about the
farms the men wear ragged clothes that
in the summer season scarcely cover their
bodies, but on Saturdays, the day set apart
for public worship. they don their best ap-
parel. The services open with an invoca-
ton, 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 a cloud above the altar
a weird, wailing song fills the air until the
priest has replenished the fire, prepared
new offering and the smoke ascends direct
ly heaVenward.
strangely weird and solemn sight is a
funeral among these strange people. The
body is carried to it's last resting place on a
bier. the grave having previously been lined
with straw and into this the uncoftined re-
mains are lowered Each person in attend
ance then Sprinkles a handful of earth on
the corpse, all the while chanting the fu-
neral 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 agreement to
live together as man and Wife. and then
performs a short ceremony, at the conclu-
sion of which he pronounces the couple
united. Then at the next funeral or on the
next day of worship he announces the we'd
ding, ana the newly married couple are
accorded the rights usually bestowed upon
man and wife; they at liberty to pur-
chase n farm, and the community will be-
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
obliged TO separate and seek work where
they can among their fellows