The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1908-04-30
FANATIC BAND
MURDERS BABY
NEW SECT HOLDS WILD ORGY
At EAZARETH, PENNsYL-
VANiA.
CALLED DEVIL CHASERS
Rich Woman Tells OF Uncanny Meet
ing and Death Of infant Niece
Service Attended BY Prom
inent People.


| Nazareth, Pa, April 80 God drogs
the devil ont OF her; for h.urs We
stood by praying for his victory. lie
has trlumphed. God is my husband
he killed her.
Mrs. Robert Buchanan. sisterinlaw
iof one OF Northampton county's mil
lionaires, made this statement TO tbs
authorities here today when questi
! cd about the strange death OF May
Irene Smith. her S-yearold niece The
child's death, which occurred some
time yesterday, was the outcome Of q
religious orgy OF new sect styling
themselves Devil Cbasers, that las.-
ed from SatIrdav ailgrnoon until the
1 little one djad rhe child's body is
Ihorrih'y mutiIisted the flesh On the
Ileg5 and back having been torn into
Ishreds
The tragedy occurred In the home
Iof Robert Buchman. brother cf a
lwealthy cement manufacturer OF All
ance, Pa. In their frenzy the Devil
Chasers literally wrecked the place
from cellar TO roof. Doors weta
wrenched from their fastenings, win
dow frames hauled out and furniture
lsmashed Sc that not trace OF its
original form remains
Coroner Investigating.
! The fact that the torn and mui.l.
lated bodies Of score Of chickens
and OF d collie dog belonging to Bueh.
man were found scattered about leads
1.-THE authorities to believe that the
Smith child may have been killed IN
some horrible sacrincial rite praeticad
by the sect.
Coroner j A. Fotherol is assisting
Detective Johnson Of Easton. who In
inlaking ~ investigation vgopg ttIts
| line The schrieks Of the fanatics
attracted scores Of persons on SUNDAY.
iHalfnude men and wcmen would ap.
| pear now and then by window. From
1.-The faces and bodies Of some blood
streamed evidence of the body torture
inflicted in the strange Worship
Several times party of Indignant
country folk made a move toward the
house, but they were greeted each
time with yolley cf crockery and
curses.
Keep away, you devils. God q
after such AS you
| The Mysterious Rites.
Cries such as these would be follow
cd by hysterIcal prayers.
! Until six months ago Buchman was
considered one of the best working
men In his brothers cement factory
Side by side he labored with his brotA.
erin-law, Councilman Henry Smith
At that time the Devil Chasers." who
had their headquarters In Reading
sent missionaries through this section
Ito secure converts.
Buchman. lured by the mysterious
rites of the "Chasers." embraced the
strange belief aud soon became one ot
the leading spirits of the band. After
considerable persuasion his brother
inIaw, Smith agreed to attend one of
the meetings on Saturday last. and
tcok with him his wife and little
daughter.
| None Of those who attended ths
Injecting will give any correct account
of what occurred in the meeting.
which lasted from Saturday evening
until the death of the child, Durins
| the whole time. however no food
passed the lips of the worshippers.
The c-ronor learned that two or
three times the Smith child called out
for food. aud each time was told to ba
quiet Finally when the child cor
tinued her opportunities, she was put
in room somewhat isolated from that
| In which the Devil Chasers" were
holding their uncanRy services.
Monday the child's cries became nit
eous. 1t alleged that Buchman then
declared she was possessed Of a devil
and they must drive It ont TheH.
from what can be gathered from the
scraps let fall by some of the fansticS
there hegan hideous scene In the
mind Of Buchanan and the others. the
I"Devil' jumped from the child 80
bureau The furniture was promptly
smashed and hurled from the house
Then the "fend" would apDear -
the frenzied sect on the ceiling
Chase the Devil.
Two OF three holes punched clear
Through to the foer above give evi-
ldenee Of the vigor of the pursuit Once
lit was supposed 10 have lighted upoa
Mrs Buchanan and she vas driven
with blows and curses from the house.
So Il continued for hours
Just how the child met d~ath g vet
very hazv Mrs. Smith was the ona
/ Who discovered the boz Alth"uga
she herself was one of the most On
ithuSiastic Of the Devil chasers~ shs
declares that above the din she fas-
eied she heard her little one calling