The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1906-07-19
NASTY STORY OF
HOLY ROLLERS

That George Mitchell was sane
mau when he slew "Joshua" Cretfield
was the conclusion arrived at by ply
sicians of Seattle who performed a
post mortem examination on the
young mans brain, which was normal
In every detail
q Mitchell's sanity is expected to have
an important bearing on the case Of
his sister when they put her on trial
for murder.
The report that the Holy Rollers
are assent bling at Seattle has caused
activity in the police department.
Chief Wappenstein states he has had
enough of this sect, and that no more
of them will be tolerated in Seattle
The police are now working on clues
which may implioate others Of this
sect in Mitchell's murder.
Holy Roller ism as taught by
Joshua" Creffield, had its inception
ut Corvallis, Ore, In the spring of
1903. Creffield held camp meetings
and succeeded In getting a group of
followers ut once.
Previus to this he had been Saliva
tion Army worker. He was born in
Germany and was q deserter fl ON the
German army.
On the night of January 4, his fa-
natical teachings had gone to such
lengths that indignant fathers and
husbands of Corvallis women took him
out aud gave him coat of tar and
feathers. They gave similar treatment
to one of his followers, G. Brooks.
The men were warned that they would
he killed should they ever return to
CorvPllis.
The next day Crefiield returned Gov
ertly and was secreted by the Hurt
woman under the floor OF their home.
Here he dispensed with his clothing
aud proclaimed himself a prophet cf
God and carried on his revolving Or
gies in the name of religion.
July %, 1904, Crettield's hiding
place became known and he was taken
out and put In jail.
In the meantime Esther Mitchell,
because of his influence over her, had
been sent to the Boys and Girls Aid
society. After being kept there few
weeks she was sent to her father s
home in Illinois. She was not per.
mitted to return to Oregon until
Oreflleld was sent to the penitentiary.
Other women including Mrs. q. v.
Hurt aud Maud Hurt, we're sent to
the insane asylum, for short time
because of Cretiield's influence over
them while he was secreted under the
Hurt residence.
Cretiield, a few days after his dis
covery, was brought to Portland on a
statutory charge preferred by Burgess
h. Starr, husband OF Mitcbell's elder
sister, a Cretiield victim.
In August Cretheld was found
guilty. Soon after Crefiield went to
prison his wife, Maud Hurt Cretiield,
whom he married shortly before being
tared and feathered, secured di.
vorce. There were no further Holy
Roller demonstrations, and seemingly
the dangerous craft was broken up.
Early In February, 1906, Cretiield g
sentence was commuted by good be-
havior, and he left the state prison,
going to California. From there he
got in correspondence with his former
wife, who had remained with her
father, o. V. Hurt, of Corvallis. A
reconciliation was effected. Cretiield
returned to the vicinity of Corvallis
and got number of women and one
man, Frank Hurt, TO go to a lonely
spot on the beach In Lincoln county.
His purpose was to found Holy
Roller colony.
He made particulr efforts to secure
Esther Mitchell to his keeping, say
ing she was to be the mother of SEQ
ond Christ, who was to be born to
the world.
Late in April of this year, Mithcell
after being released from the Good
Samal itan hospital In Portland, where
he had been confined with an attack
Of measles, declared to close friends
his intention of killing CTettield. lie