The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1898-11-09
A TALE OF HORROR.
The Terrible Picture of a Flaming
Fanatic.

The Terrible Picture of a Flaming
Fanatic.
A WOMAN'S TERRIBLE ACT.
Poured Oil on Her Garments, and,
While Surrounded BY Her Chill
dren, Applied the Match, and
Perished in the Flames.
One of the most tragic scenes in the
history of fanaticism has just been en-
acted in the city OF New York.
Mrs. Muntag, Catholic, repenting
her marriage to Hebrew, inspired by
the zeal OF fanaticism and filled with
remorse because she had taken an un-
believer for a husband, saturated her
gown with kerosene and set it on fire.
Surrounded by her children, she NUT
tered prayers, and when the match was
applied, the little ones ran shrieking
away as the flames blazed about the
unfortunate woman.
For the distorted image of the faith
Of her fathers that scared her brain this
woman gave up her life in a most horri-
Bile manner as voluntary sacrifice.
There was in the awful act, not only
the blind zeal of the Christian, but the
savage rights OF heathcnish self-immo-
lation.
Believing that she had outraged her
religion by linking her destiny to one
of different faith, she made Of herself
burnt offering in the mad hope OF ap-
peasing the judgment which she dread
ed.
Even while pouring the oil on her
gown to feed the flames, she murmured
the formulas Of her religion, fingered
her string of beads, telling OF her last
prayers before seeking rest in flaming
death from the terror Of doom beyond
the grave.
Five years ago she was married. AS
Kate Hart she was happy young girl,
noted for her. devotion among the pious
Catholics, her family and friends. No
one was more firm in her faith either
in outward ceremony or inward coDvlc-
tion.
But even this deep rooted reverence
for her religion yielded to the workings
of her heart.
Charles Muntag, a Hebrew, loved
her. He sought her hand in marriage
despite the strong disappro7al Of her
family aud friends. When alone they
begged aud pleaded with her to give up
her sweetheart, but she turned deaf
eal to all entreaty.
She could see no sin in lavishing her
affections upon an honest man, al
though he was beyond the pale of the
church.
They were married.
And although her family and friends
refused to witness the ceremony she
was happy bride.
Muntag, as an insurance solicitor,
made good salary and was amply able
to provide for his wife in their home
at 3O1 East One Hundred and First
street.
The wedding over, the attitude Of
her friends did not change. They did
not forbear to impress upon her on
every occasion that she had wronged
the church by giving her heart to one
whom her faith consigned to outer
darkness.
Yoked for life to an unbeliever, not
all the kindness of her husband, nor all
the comforts Of good home, nor the
innocent prattle Of loving pretty chill
dren could lift the weight from her
mind.
She brooded over these things and
lost the cheerfulness of her youth.
True in her three little children she
found some relief from the dark fore
bodings of her religious convictions.
But she was never entirely happy and
as the years few by her great fear gath
cred gloom aud strength.
There We're ti:ues when, to her re-
proavnIul friends, she showed the inten-
SHY Of her feelings. She would speak
of expatiating her error and of winning
absolution.
They paid little attention to these
vague threatenings, but noticed that,
with her deep detection, her religious
zeal grew stronger.
For the past few days she had been
more silent than usual, and spent much
time kneeling before her little shrine
and counting her beads.
She seemed to be always in prayer.
When her husband had gone yester-
day she seated herself in her room and
called her little ones around her. While
they stood there in all the innocence OF
childish wonder, she closed her eyes
and lingering her beads rapidly, NUT
tered prayers.
Then she gave the eldest child some
money and sent her to a store for kero-
sene. When the child returned the
mother was still seated, whispering in
prayer, with parched lips. She took
the oil and poured it over her gown as
though amounting herself for sacrifice.
The children looked On silently with
wide open eyes.
Still praying in broken whispers, the
woman saturated her skirts with the
oil. one then struck match and touched
it to the hem of her garment.
Instantly the flames leaped up and
the children fed screaming. The
mother, the beais slipping swiftly
through her fingers. still prayed. and
the fire licked upward to her face. In
the scorching flames the fanatics zeal
was swept away, and the broken words
of prayer turned to shrek OF anguish
The neighbors, startled by the cries
of the children. came running from
above and below and burst into the
room, The woman was ravlng IN the
IL n ct1