Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1904-08-02
CREFlELD CAPTURED.
Found Half Dead Under Wick
Hurts House.


Crefe1d, the elong-sought-for out
law and religious enthusiast, was
captured Friday morning about
10 o'clock under the residence
of o. V. Hurt, who lives in the
south part OF town near Fischer's
mill. How long he had been
under there no one except his
Immediate followers know, but
he was living in a hole scraped
out in the earth, with two old quilts
to cover him, subsisting upon
what was given by his accom-
plices and without anything to
eat for at least two weeks.
Mr.. Hurts little boy was play
ing about the house and crawled
under the house looking for
cork for his fishing line when he
noticed something moving in the
dark north west corner. He
crawled out and running around
removed a brick from the founda-
ton and looked in when what
should meet his gaze but a long
haired, be-whiskered man. 1t
was Credeld. The boy ran swift
ly over to town and told his
father who with Chief Lane
secured a buggy and went over at
once. 1t was with some diff
Guilty Crefeld was induced to
come out. "When we got to
the house." SO the boy tells the
story, ''papa took some bricks
out OF the foundation and called
CrefeId's name two or three
times but there was was no an
swer. Papa continued calling
and at last Crefeld answered.
Then papa crawled little way
under the house and told him to
come out. Crefeld answered
that he had no clothes on, and
papa told him that if he would
come out he would furnish him
with clothes. At last Crefeld
crawled out. When he came out
he was an awful looking thing.
He had no clothes On and his
hair and whiskers were long and
he was so weak he could hardly
stand. Papa got some clothes
for him and he put them on and
he went off and lay down under
a tree. He complained about
being cold. Mr.. Lane wanted
to call a doctor but Cre6eld
whose faith forbids him would
have no DOCTOR"
Several people saw the fugi
tive crawl from under the house
and will never forget the sensa.
ton as the semi-human creature
l emerged where he could be seen
more beast than man, without
clothing, emaciated from lens
fasting, hair and beard shaggy
and uncombed, his whole frame
emaciated and trembling from
weakness caused by exposur,
and want of exercise.
! He was put into a buggy ane
quickly driven by a back wa,
to the county iail where he re
manned until Saturday when b,
was taken by Sheriff Word, O
Multnomah county to Portlan,
where he is wanted upon helm
Gus charge.
Under the house where Gre
field had been living was foun,
| a hole six feet long, two and
half feet wide and eighteel
inches deep in which wer
few articles of dirty under
clothing and two old quilts
These were the only articles Gre
field had to keep him warm
The dirt from the hole was S
placed as not to attract suspicion
from any one looking under tn
the house. Under the dirt wer
found several empty fruit jars
He had been supplied also wit
flour and butter, as remains wer
found in the jars. So tar as
known these are the only article
,,of food Creheld has had to liv
upon for several months It
supposed he has had little c
nothing to eat since Mrs. HUI,
was taken to the asylum nearl
a month ago. All his culinar
articles, consisting of a knife an
loud cY,oon uoro L,,~;aJ -. IL.