Creffield and the Holy Rollers made page one headlines from 1903 to 1907. When I was researching Holy Rollers: Murder and Madness in Oregon’s Love Cult I spent months transcribing hundreds of articles. I’m not sure why I was so obsessive. Maybe it was my way of immersing my self into a cult without joining one. Anyway, I’m posting them all for those who are really interested in the story, or are interested the history of journalism, or are interested in how a scandalous story played out in the "media" in a by gone era. Since I no doubt made typos and unconsciously corrected papers' typos, these web pages should not be cited in anything serious (e.g. your dissertation). For such projects they should only be used as starting points and you should refer to the original sources. If you want a shorter version of the story, buy my book. Enjoy.
1893-1899: Local Lore, News Of Corvallis and Vicinity Told in Brief B. C. (Before Creffield)
Most of these
earliest articles are from the Corvallis Gazette and Corvallis Times, the latter of which had a regular feature titled, Local Lore, News Of Corvallis and Vicinity
Told in Brief, The comings and Goings of People, Social Gossip, Personal
Mention and Other Items of Public Interest. While not as juicy as the later stuff (the sex scandals, the mass
insanity, the murders, etc.) they do give one a glimpse into what life in
Oregon was like in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Corvallis Times 12/28/1893 p3
The
Salvation Army captured nine prisoners last week.
Corvallis Times 6/31/1894 p1
The
Salvation Army occasionally gets a new recruit. The other day a little lassie
came into our midst being very poorly clad; no shoes, not bonnet, no wrap, a
Mrs. Sam Dixon took her in and gave her a home. Sam says she is looking for
more soon.
Yamhill County Reporter (McMinnville) 12/14/1894 p3
Sometime
during the last winter Alfred Moore put an apple away in his trunk to see if it
would keep until the 4th of July. The apple was forgotten until one day this
week when it was found to still be sound, but on being exposed to light and air
it soon turned black.
Yamhill County Reporter (McMinnville) 12/14/1894 p3
Mrs.
Mitchell, the wife of Chas. Mitchell who resides a mile
northwest of Newberg, died suddenly Wednesday night at two o’clock. The
deceased has a spell of sickness two weeks ago, but seemingly had about
recovered. On Wednesday she felt rather badly, but no alarm was felt in the
family until in the night, when she was taken worse suddenly and died in a few
minutes.
Corvallis Times 1/7/1897 p3
A PIECE OF HOODLUMISM
While the
Salvation Army was busied with the usual nightly parade on Main Street, the
other night, some unknown person emptied on the floor of the barracks the
contents of a bottle of skunk musk. The musk is supposed to be the same that
Barber Case bought of a country lad, mention of which transaction was made in
the TIMES last issue. When the army with its congregation arrived at their
headquarters to proceed with the usual nightly meeting, the stench inside the
room was so vile that few people cared to brave it, even in the hope of
securing salvation free. The odor, it is said, even hangs about and haunts the
place to this day, in spite of the fact that every effort was made to remove
it.
Corvallis Times 8/7/1897 p1
The
Salvation Army of Corvallis attacked Philomath last Tuesday night in force
under the leadership of Ensign Leigh with his kintograph, assisted by Capt.
Duthie and Lieut. Spencer. The meeting was held in the brick college chapel. Ensign
Leigh explained the social work of the Salvation Army and what has been done to
relieve the poor and destitute in this division known as the North Pacific
Chief division.
Corvallis Times 12/8/1897 p3
MANY ARE PROSTRATED
There was
Poison in the Food -- Head Cheese and Sausage that made People sick.
Forty-six
Corvallis people prostrated, all seriously and some dangerously ill, with all
the physicians in town on the jump in caring for them is the unfortunate
condition brought about as a result of the consumption of poisonous food the
latter part of the week. So far no fatalities have resulted, and it is believed by physicians in charge that the danger point is
passed; but some of the victims are still in a bad state of prostration,
with the deadly poison thoroughly distributed through the physical system.
The food
eater was head cheese and sausage, made last week on
the farm of John Hurlburt who resides several miles south of Corvallis. A
quantity of the product was brought to town and distributed as a delicacy among
a circle of relatives and friends, many of them, being members of the Salvation
Army. In every instance, according to the best information obtainable, where
one ate either the head cheese or sausage, serious
illness has resulted. The symptoms are invariably the same, and include violent
vomiting and purging, accompanied by terrible pains in the stomach and bowels. The
physicians have in each case diagnosed the illness as poison, and the antidotes
applied have usually had the desired effect in reducing the pain and arresting
the further progress of the disease toward an alarming stage. The affected food
has not only been fatal to persons but also to domestic animals. A friend took
a small slice of the head cheese to Mrs. Horton, who
suffers with the illness. She declined to eat it, and her daughter Addie ate a
small portion and laid the remainder of the slice on the table. The house cat
came along, ate the remainder and has ever since been the sickest cat in town. A
pet dog on the premises of O.V. Hurt ate a small quantity of the stuff and its
health has since been similar to that of the cat.
So far as known
those ill as a result of eating the food are: O.V. Hurt, wife and four
children, besides Burt Sharp and Miss Whiteman residing in the same family;
Captain Plumstead, wife and child, and Marion Woods, all residing at the
Salvation Army barracks, Plutarch Lewis, wife and three children, ... Mr. Starr,
a brother of Mrs. O.V. Hurt; ...
Of all the
victims probably O.V. Hurt, Mrs. Plutarch Lewis, Miss Whiteman, and Mrs.
Gardner have been the most seriously affected. Mr. Hurt ate of the head cheese Friday evening at supper. Before daylight the
next morning he was taken sick, but was at his place at Kline's store during
the forenoon Saturday. Pains in the stomach and bowels and during the succeeding
night violent purging and vomiting made his case alarming. Dr. Farra was summoned
and the case was at once pronounced as a result of poison. By this time, which
was early Sunday morning, all the rest of the household was similarly ill. Up
to yesterday all in the house were still confined to bed, with the exception of
Mr. Hurt their condition was considered improved. Mr. Hurt himself was in a
serious condition of prostration, still suffering more or less pain, and very
much exhausted.
Corvallis Gazette 12/31/1897 p3
The debut
of the Corvallis Salvation Army Brass Band is to shortly occur.
Corvallis Times 1/5/1898 p2
Salvation Army Affairs
A ten days
session of the annual camp meeting of the Salvation Army was concluded on
Monday evening last. The services were largely attended and to the ranks there
was an accession of four recruits. Major Marshal, chief division officer for
the Northwest and Staff Captain, sectional officer with headquarters at Salem
were present Monday evening, the former commissioning a number of minor
officers. Among them were members of a band recently organized. The work here under the direction of Captain Plumstead and Lieut. Pearson is being prosecuted energetically and successfully. The soldiers now
enrolled in the Corvallis corps number thirty-three.
May (sic) Hurt, listed an excellent Young Soldier boomer for the Salvation Army newspaper [The War Cry], and receives second prize nationwide for greatest amount of papers sold. This enterprising Salvation Army lassie wins a fine guitar.
Chapter of Holy Rollers where these articles are some of the sources:
Chapter 1:
Life Before Creffield (B.C.)
***
1900: Holy Rollers' Lives Before Creffield
***
Newspaper Articles about Creffield & the Holy Rollers
1897-1903: B.C. (Before Creffield)
October to December 1903:Holy Rollers Burn Furniture & Pets
January to March, 1904: Holy Rollers Tarred and Feathered
April to June 1904: Holy Rollers are Committed to the Asylum
July 1904: Creffield is Found & Arrested
September 1904: Creffield's Trial
April 1906: Men are Gunning For Creffield
May 1906: Creffield is Murdered, Murderer is Considered a Hero
May 1906: Holy Rollers Found Starving Near Heceta Head
June 1906: George Mitchell's Trial Begins
July 1906: Hurt Testifies of Debauched Wife and Debased Sisters
July 1906: Esther Mitchell Kills Her Brother
August to October 1906: Seattle Prepares for another Big Trial
November 1906: Maud Hurt Creffield Commits Suicide
April 1909-August 1914: Esther Leaves the Asylum
1953 Stewart Holbrook's Murder Without Tears
1951Startling Detective Magazine, Nemesis of the Nudist High Priest
***
Chapters from
Holy Rollers: Murder & Madness in Oregon's Love Cult
Part 1: The Seduction
Chapter 1: Trust Me, Brothers And Sisters
(Life Before Creffield [B.C.])
Chapter 2: God, Save Us From Compromising Preachers
(Creffield's Preachings)
Chapter 3: The Flock
(Profiles of the Holy Rollers Were)
Chapter 4: The Holy Rollers
(Things Start to Get Wild on on Kiger Island)
Chapter 5: Housecleaning
(There's a Sacrificial Bonfire)
Chapter 6: Community Concerns
(Officers Visit)
Chapter 7: Esther, The Chosen One
(Creffield Plans to Marry 16-Year- Old)
Chapter 8: Tar and Feathers
(The Men of Corvallis Act)
Chapter 9: Sane People Don’t Go Bareheaded
(Holy Rollers are Committed to the Asylum)
Chapter 10: More Beast Than Man
( Creffield is Arrested)
Chapter 11: God Will Plead Creffield's Case
(Creffield in Court)
Chapter 12: Scandal
(Shocking Testimony at the Trial)
Chapter 13: Calm Before the Storm
(The Holy Rollers Resume their Lives)
Chapter 14: Giving Up The Ghost
(Men are Gunning for Creffield)
Part Two: The People V. Creffield
Chapter 16: The Widow Creffield
Chapter 19: An Inherited Streak of Insanity
Part Three: The Madness
Chapter 23: Seeking Reconciliation
Chapter 24: Another Holy Roller Page One Murder
Chapter 25: What Can Papa Do For You?
Chapter 26: Human Life is Too Cheap In This Community
Chapter 30: The Final Chapter
(What Happened to Everyone Afterwards)
The Epilogue
(Heaven's Gate)