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.
May 27, 1906: Joshua Says Not to Worry
HEADLINES IN
PAPERS FOR THE SAME ARTICLE
Seattle Sunday Times 5/27/1906 p10
Joshua Says Not
to Worry.
Sunday Oregonian (Portland)--5/27/1906 p4
Creffield Says, ‘Don’t Worry
Mrs. Maud Hurt Creffield Writes to
Corvallis Relatives That She Has Received Message From Husband. One Disciple of the Holy Roller Leader Declares That the Religion
Is Bound to Carry the World.
Widow of Holy Roller Claims She Has
Message From Dead Fanatic Leader. Why Esther Mitchell Incriminates Brother. Frank
Hurt Missing and Relatives Have No Tidings of His Whereabouts--One Follower
Declares Strange Faith is Bound To Grow.
The Times
Special Service/Special Dispatch to The Journal
CORVALLIS,
Saturday, May 26.--”I have got a message from Joshua
telling me to worry no more about that poor old earthly body of his,” is what
Mrs. Maud Creffield writes to Corvallis relatives from Seattle. She is the
widow of the late Holy Roller leader, for the murder of whom George Mitchell is
now awaiting trial in Seattle.
Mrs. Bert Starr
of Portland, who deserted her family to join Creffield, for whom she claimed to
have a spiritual love,” is still in this city. Asked by a friend what she
intended to do, she replied:
“I am going to
do whatever God wants me to do.”
Other members of
the faith here say little or nothing of their belief, although one disciple
stated:
“There has never
been a religion like it. It is bound to carry the world.”
One familiar
with the history of the Holy Rollers, said today:
EXPLAINS SISTER’S ACTION [Sunday Oregonian (Portland)]
“To one who
knows the story, the fact of Esther Mitchell going on the witness stand against
her brother George is not strange. Esther was taken from the Holy Rollers long
before things had gone to extremes and was place in the Boys’ and Girls’ Home
in Portland. She escaped and returned to Corvallis, but was again taken away
and finally sent East where she remained until after
Creffield was sent to the penitentiary. It was after her departure that
Creffield carried on his villainous schemes, and she may not
have been harmed by him as she states.
“Many times
Creffield remarked that he must see Esther Mitchell, but he never did from the
time she was taken East until he went to Waldport
recently. Even then he was only at the camp one day, leaving that night for
Siuslaw.”
Mrs. Frank Hurt
and child are still here awaiting word from Frank Hurt at Seattle to join him. Relatives
have not heard from him for two weeks.
FRANK HURT
MISSING [Sunday Oregonian (Portland)]
Will H. Morris
of Seattle, who is George Mitchell’s lawyer, arrived yesterday in search of
evidence and data for the defense. Subscriptions to aid Mitchell are still
being received.
Seattle Star 5/28/1906 p7
Gets Message From Messiah
Mrs. Creffield Writes to Corvallis
Relatives That She Has Received Word from ‘Joshua’ Not to Worry About His
Earthly Body
CORVALLIS, OR., May 28 (the rest of the article is illegible)
Seattle Post
Intelligencer 5/30/1906 p5
Mitchell Declares He Is Not Guilty
W. H. Paulhamus Offers Alleged Slayer of
Creffield Permanent Position.”
George Mitchell, the alleged slayer of
Franz Edmund Creffield was arraigned in the superior court yesterday before
Judge Frater, and entered a plea of not guilty to a charge of murder in the
first degree.
The trial of the case was set for June
25.
When Mitchell
made his way to the bar, the court room was full of
spectators and the majority of them were women. The young man made a neat
appearance as he stood erect before the bar of justice and spoke the words that
mean a long trial for him.
Will H. Morris,
one of the prisoner’s attorneys, declares that the trial will be one of the
hardest fought that the county has known and asserts that he is determined to
see the young man free. He says the time set for the trial is just as he
desired it and that he and Mitchell are anxious to have it over as soon as
possible.
During the
afternoon Mitchell received a call from his brother Fred, of Oregon, and the
two men spent some time talking over the affair. The brother left last night
for his home.
A letter was received yesterday afternoon, according to the statement of the attorney, in which W. H. Paulhamus, a well known farmer of the Puyallup valley, declares that he will qualify the sum of $5,000 for the release of the prisoner until the time for the trial and that moreover, he will give the boy a position on his farm “until Mitchell is acquitted.” After that he asserts that the boy shall have a permanent position with him.
Chapter 16: The Widow Creffield
***
May 19, 1906: Mitchell to Enter Plea of Not Guilty
June 1, 1906: Morris Claims Mitchell Rid World of a Fiend
***
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)