The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-10-31
Girl Tortured Self With
Fire for Love, She Says
Tells Weird Tale Of Testing
Faith and Purity in Furnace
Flames

Lake Bluff, ILL.,, Oct. 81. -@-
Self torture by fire to prove hel
faith in q spirit love" was advanced
today to explain the strange case o1
Miss Elfrieda Knaak, 80 year ole
Sunday school teacher and book
agent.
It was weird, uncanny explana'
tion, full of holes and wide open Il
practical-minded police .skepticism
but It came from the lips of Mis-,
Knaak herself, lying near deatl
from burns mysteriously inflicted
in the basement Of the Lake Bluff
police station sometime Monda,
night.
Physicians were unconvinced.
ITO believe her story" said DR.
A. J. Risinger, attending her, "you
would have to believe these facts:
Facts Disprove Story
"That she first placed one foot
then the other, in the furnace anC
kept them there for some little
time; that she thrust head and arms
and held them there under what
certainly must have been terrific
pain. The fire box is only 12A b,
|8% inches.
ut does not seem possible that Z
person, even in q trance, could dt
that. Muscular reactions alone
would cause her to jump back from
the flames"
The name of Charles w. Hitch
cock, 45 years old, married and the
father of four children, was brought
into the case by Miss Knaak whit
during the night frequently criee
out: Hitch, oh, Hitch! Why don't
you come to met"
"Who did this 2" said the states
attorney, bending over the girls
cot.
II did it myself, for faith, fo,
purity" was the response. At in.
tervals, the officers obtained hel
story.
Knew Teacher Years
She had known Hitchcock -four
years, she said, having studied elo'
cution and salesmanship in classes
he conducts here.
II had an appointment with hin
Monday night. He did not keep it
(Hitchcok, who besides being &
teacher is night policeman Of Lake
Bluff, has been confined to his home
with = broken leg for = week.)
ITO prove my faith, I thought o1
the fire. ! removed my clothes ant
burned them. / burned myself.
n survived. / proved my faith
and I'll live. Be sure Of this:
knew I would survive"
Hitchcock, his leg in cast, was
unable to clear up the girls story
"Poor girl, il she had q crush OF
me, certainly didn't know it." ht
said.
Chris Louis, village employee, re.
lated how he found the girl.
Saw Nude Form
He said he was not employed reg
ularly to stoke the furnace in the
basement, but that yesterday morn.
ing Chief Of Police Rosenhager
asked him to do so. The chief usu.
ally tends the furnace, he said
Louis said he had descended intt
the basement about half way wheY
he saw q nude form reeling against
. second furnace which was not II
use. The form, with blackened arms
leg and head seemed to be motion
ing to him and stumbling about ths
basement.
Louis said he thought he had seer
= ghost, and rushed upstairs. Tht
chief, he said, was found outside thl
city hall, and they went back to
| gether. .
The chief found the girl lying Of
the floor, unable to talk. He wa,
positive tho woman possessed . ke,
to the village hall. but did not revea
how he knew this. He said th'
ashes In the furnace had been aifted
but the key was not found. Tn
grounds around the village hall wert
being searched today Tor the key
Girl Appears Rational
Miss Knaak stuck to her stor,
that she had burned herself despit
much doubt BY authorities. Georg
lContinued o. Paee Twol