“His wife told the Coroner that the child had been killed by God, and that her husband was God.”

From Robert Matthews to Mel Lyman to Krishna Venta, America has never known a shortage of messianic kooks. Once such self-styled Christ found his way into the pages of the April 29, 1908 New York Times. The story:

“Allentown, Penn.–A murder by a religious fanatic occurred last night in the Borough of Alliance, near here, Councilman Henry Smith’s little daughter was killed by his brother-in-law, Robert Bachman of Nazareth, Penn., while on a visit at the Bachman home. At the time of the killing Bachman was in a frenzy, during which he drove everybody except the little girl out of the house.

Bachman was at the head of a new praying band, and last week he got the Smiths interested. Thy went to Bachman’s house yesterday, prayed and held services, and then decided to remain until the spirit told them to leave. Late last night, under Bachman’s direction, Smith, in fighting the devil, broke three doors, kicked in the floorboard of a bed and jumped, smashing it. Meanwhile Bachman was in an adjoining room with the Smiths’ only child, May Irene, who would have been 5 years old today. 

When Mrs. Smith entered that room she found her daughter dead on the floor and Bachman on his knees alongside in a religious frenzy. The horrified mother snatched up the body of her child and ran shrieking from the house. Later the father and mother took the body to their home, eight miles distant. The forehead and upper portions of the child’s bosy were bruised and scratched. 

This afternoon Bachman was arrested. His wife told the Coroner that the child had been killed by God, and that her husband was God. The belief is that Bachman, in his frenzy, unwittingly killed the child.

Smith and Bachman are cement mill workmen.”