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.
July 31 1906: Esther
Mitchell Says Not Guilty
Seattle Star 7/31/1906 p1
Esther Mitchell Says Not Guilty
Girl Who Killed Brother Takes No Interest In
Proceeding--Will Have Separate Trial.
At 10:30 this morning Esther
Mitchell pleaded not guilty before Judge Griffin to the charge of murder in the
first degree. As soon as the plea was entered Attorney A. E. Clark, of
Portland, Miss Mitchell’s chief counsel, asked the court for a separate trial,
which was immediately granted.
Mrs. Maud Creffield, charged
with the same crime, did not appear to change her plea of not guilty, entered
July 23, although she had that privilege.
LARGE CROWD PRESENT
When the prisoner entered
the court room at 9:30 (illegible) in the custody of
Deputy Sheriff Liner, a large crowd assembled to get a look at the girl who
shot down her brother without showing a trace of emotion after the act.
Owing to the fact that Judge
Frater, the regular judge of the criminal department, missed his train in
Everett, nearly an hour was consumed waiting. Finally prosecuting Attorney
Mackintosh made arrangements to have the hearing before Judge Griffin. Fully 75
people who had gathered in court room No 3. tried to crush into the smaller room occupied by Judge
Griffin. Not two minutes were consumed in the hearing.
GIRL IS CALM
During the time the prisoner
was seated in the courtroom there was no trace of agitation visible on her
features. Sitting primly in her chair, and clad as if for the street, she
seemed oblivious to the curious glances cast in her direction.
Attorney Clark says that
although his plans for the defendant are not nearly completed, the trial will
probably resemble in a large degree the trial of George Mitchell. He recently
had a long talk with Perry and Fred Mitchell, brothers of the girl in Portland,
and he said they expressed themselves as having a feeling of pity rather than
blame for their sister.
HEADLINES IN
PAPERS FOR THE SAME ARTICLE
Seattle Daily Times 7/31/1906
Esther Mitchell Pleads Not Guilty
Assured of the Support of Her Brothers, Fred and
Perry, She Enters Her Plea for Taking a Brother’s Life.
Women Spectators Crowd Courtroom.
Portland Friends Retain Oregon Lawyers to Defend
Her--Girl Demands That She Be Given Separate Trial.
Oregon Daily Journal (Portland) 7/31/1906 p8
Not Guilty, Plea of Murderess
Esther Mitchell Appears Worn and Haggard but Smiling
Before Court.
A SLIGHTLY ABRIDGED VERSION
OF THE SAME ARTICLE ALSO APPEARED IN
Corvallis Times 8/3/1906 p1
Pleads not Guilty
Esther Mitchell Appears Worn And Haggard But Smiling
Before Court.
Courtroom Crowded with Morbid-Minded Men and
Women--Girl has Portland Friends.
Smiling happily because she
had been assured that her two brothers, Fred and Perry Mitchell, would befriend
her in her trial, Esther Mitchell stood before Judge Griffin this morning and
entered a plea of not guilty to the information that charges her with murder in
the first degree, for the killing of her brother, George Mitchell.
A few minutes before she
entered her plea, her counsel, E. A. Clark, of Portland, told her that her
brothers would aid her to the best of their ability. The tired, haggard look on
the girl’s face was at once replaced with a look of pleasure, and still
smiling, she entered her plea, uttering the words, “not guilty,” in a sharp
clear voice.
MORBID CROWD PRESENT [Oregon Daily Journal (Portland)]
Long before 9:30 o’clock,
the time set for the arraignment the courtroom of department No. 5 was crowded
with morbid-minded men and women. A large number of women were present to see
the girl who had killed the brother who had taken another’s life to protect her
honor and virtue. The majority of the women spectators were young and a few well known young women gaily dressed were present to gratify
their morbid desires by gazing at the unfortunate murderess.
MANY SPECTATORS THERE (Seattle Daily Times)
When Esther Mitchell entered
the courtroom a whisper spread through the room. Women craned forward in their
seats to catch a glimpse of her for, and men and women not so fortunate as to
have obtained a seat pushed and struggled to gain a better view of her. If the
girl was aware of the curious eyes focused upon her she did not show it. With a
quick step and her eyes fixed vacantly straight ahead of her, she took her seat
behind the rail. Not once in the hour she sat there did she change her position
or show any interest in the crowd that stared at her. Occasionally when some
woman would stare at her the prisoner looked straight into the woman’s face
until the spectator dropped her eyes.
During a weary hour the
spectators remained in the courtroom awaiting the appearance of Judge Frater,
who had been detained out of the city. At the end of that time, Prosecuting
Attorney Mackintosh ordered the girl taken to Judge Griffen’s courtroom. Then the crowd scurried across the corridor to Judge Griffin’s
courtroom. The arraignment was all over in a minute and the girl was on her way
back to jail.
As soon as Esther Mitchell
had entered her plea her lawyer demanded a separate trial. The court ordered it
granted. It rests with Prosecuting Attorney Mackintosh to determine whether
Mrs. Creffield or Esther Mitchell shall first face a jury.
RETAINED BY PORTLAND FRIENDS
(Seattle Daily Times)
GIRL HAS PORTLAND FRIENDS [Oregon Daily Journal (Portland)]
A. E. Clark, who represented
the girl in court, declares that he was retained by Portland
friends of the girl. He refused, however, to divulge the names of these
persons, saying that he would do so later. Mr. Clark declares that Perry and
Fred Mitchell will come to Seattle to attend the trial of their sister, and
will do all they can to aid her.
Mr. Clark said: “Perry and
Fred Mitchell tell me that they have nothing but kindly feelings for their
unfortunate sister. They will be present at the trial to aid her. They realize
that she is mentally irresponsible and they are sorry for her. At first they
were somewhat bitter towards her, but this has passed away and now they are on
good terms with her.”
Mr. Clark said that he had not been retained to defend Mrs. Creffield. It is understood that O. V. Hurt, father of Mrs. Creffield, has made arrangements with a firm of local attorneys to look after her defense.
Chapter of Holy Rollers where these articles are some of the sources:
Chapter 28: Insanity?
***
July 30, 1906: Esther Will Deny
Committing Murder In The 1st Degree
***
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)