The Washington times., 1906-07-23
LORD TOLD HER
TO KILL BROTHER
Girl Shot Relative Who Slew
" Holy Roller Prophet"
She Liked.
NO REGRETS FOR THE CRIME
Remarkable Statement by Esther
Mitchell in Jail FOX
FTatricide.

PORTLAND. Ore, July 22.-Esther
Mitchell, in jail for shooting and killing
her brother George, says she has no re-
grets for her crime, and insists that the
Lord called upon her TO take vengeance.
George had killed Franz Edmund Cref-
deld. chief apostle Of the Holy Rollers"
who. II is alleged. had debauched Esther.
The tragedy was due 70 the disordered
mental condition Of the young girl who.
with her sister. Mrs. Burgess Starr, had
been lured into the fold OF the strange
cult. whose weird orgies and dancing
dervish" ceremonies caused a great
many emotional young girls TO attach
themselves 20 the prophet"
On the death Of Cremeld. after valnIy
waiting FOR him TO rise from the grave
as he had promised. Esther vowed
vengeance on her brother. At the re-
cent trial, at which George Mitchell was
acquitted on the technical defense OF
insanity, she had testified against him.
Hated Her Brother.
The shooting occurred at a railway
station, where the sister had been In
duced by her father 70 meet her broth
ers Fred, Perry, and George. with a
view 70 effeCung reconciliation. The
father had hoped at this time also 70
win his daughter away from her al
legiance 10 the fanaucal religious sect
whose cause she still espoused.
Esther had expressed bitter hatred for
the brother whose vengeance had de-
prived the Holy Rollers of their apostle.
s. and had sworn 70 be revenged. She
armed herself. and. feigniug a friendly
feeling for her brother. chatted pleas
anuy with him until he started for the
train which was 10 take him and his
brothers 10 their home in this city. Then,
pressing close To him as II 10 bid him
EOOd-by, suddenly she drew a revolver
and clapping IL 10 the side of his head,
nred. The brother died instantly.
The younger brothers. overwhelmed by
this last calamity. were found later
Clinging together on a bench. weeping.
The sister was sitting on the lap OF one
OF them. with her arms around his neck.
The girl was Immediately placed under
arrest and is being held IA Seattle jail,
pending an examination into her sanity.
Glad She Did II.
When questioned regarding her motive
for killing her brother she replied:
That's what he got for taking the
prophet away from me. ] am glad I did
it."
The wife of CremeId was with him
when he was shot In the streets Of
Seattle two months ago. Since then
Esther has made her home with the
widow OF the prophet" The widow has
confessed that she and Esther plotted
the killing Of Esthers brother.
Throughout her brothers trial the girl
had often expressed the bitter hope that
lie would be hanged, but after her faith
er, who had come from Illinois to aid
In the defense of the boy, had pleaded
with her IL was thought she had for
given her aVengeT.
The order or the Holy Rollers. which
had been virtually disintcgrated since
the killing Of It's head, has had consid- /
cradle vogue in Pacific coast towns, from
Los Angeles u COrVillc, Ore, its most
recent center. 1t Is an orIshOot OF Dr. |
Cyrus K. Teed.s strange communistic
and religious cult known as the hOreshi /
ECclesia, or Church ATchtriumphant /
which ftourished score Of years ago IN /
Chicago and EsOterO, Fla.
A Queer Cult.
Koreshi (Which IS the Hebrew trans |
lation OF Cyrus taught thar the surface /
OF the earth is really concave instead Of /
convex. ana that We are living on the /
inside Of the shell OF the earth. Teed
published a paper in Chicago called the /
Flaming Sword and gained thousands Of /
angels" many Of them wealthy
After Teed, who called himself "the /
new Messiah now in the world" had
been run out Of his latest refuge in Lake /
county. California, owing 20 alleged i'm
moral practices. the remnant of his fol-
lowing formed the nucleus OF the Holy /
Rollers They asserted that they had a i
monopoly Of the business Of saving souls
While engaged in breaking up homes.
which they declared 10 be contrary 10 /
divine law, they established private /
heavens with angels recruited large
ly from the rural districts. And, although 1
the doctrine of chastity and CelibacV
were preached. unbelievers accused the
leaders OF gross violations o. the moral /
code.
The killing OF Crehield known as 4
Joshua the Prophet" was applauded /
throughout the Northwest. where a BIT
ter feeling had been engendered by the
propaganda OF the weird and erratic doc /