Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1906-09-25
CREFFIELD'S HOLY ROLLERS
TNATOR OF AN uNDEEiiv-
ABLE "RELIGION."

Mind That Made creffieId a Posi-
biIity.
The pretty little Oregan town OF
Corvallis awoke one day from its
meditations over hope, grain, and
manufacturing industries to a strange
condition existing among certain
members of its population. The holy
Rollers" had come to town.
Some person said that the Rollers
had been in town for many months,
and some declared that the queer
sect had only made its appearance
within few days, and that it would
not be long before the odd so-called
religion would die olt, as public opin-
ion was violently set against it.
! Other Oregon towns had acquired
the Holy Rollerism spirit, and Cor
wallis heard of this. No one seemed
to be able to explain the faith, and
no one offered to do so.
The Rollers themselves were pecu-
liarly reticent. Scandal after scandal
followed, and finally Franz Crefheld,
self-styled Joshua, was in receipt of a
piece of paper on which was writ
| ten: Leave town or die"
Similar notices were directed to
Franz at every town he visited and
soon the troubles OF the leader of the
Rollers were the subject for all sorts
of stories in both Eastern and West
ern neWSpaperS.
In a general way the history OF
Franz Creffield, the erratic originator
of an undefinable religion" Is
known. Columns have been written
about his meetings, his influence over
weak-minded men and wommen and
his wrongdoings in the guise of the
publication of the soul and the body
at the command of the Deity who
has commanded me to reform the
world"
On one occasion Crefheld was
found under a house when the angry
citizens of several towns were look
ing for him to lynch him. Two depu-
ties discovered him, without clothing
and almost starved te death and IN
company with a lean canine, reading
from Rollers pamphlet. The place
he had chosen for refuge was dark
and ill-odored, and Crefield only
come from it at night when he went
in search of scraps of foods enough
to keep him alive. He did just sucn
tricks-sometimes of necessity ano
sometimes not-until the day that ne
was killed by George Mitchell, VINO
recently was killed in Seattle by Es'
Their Mitchell, his sister. Esther MIL
chell was just the kind of woman
Creffield selected for his prey. Sne is
a wishy-washy female. not good look
ing and not particularly homely. She
was in Creffield's power, and her III
tie mind had not strength enough TO
resist the almost supernatural lnnu
ence that was welded over her. Miss
Mitchell is probably insane, but Franz
Creffield, in the opinion of most per
sons who have seen and talked WIN
him, was more of degenerate knaEe
than a simple fool.
Crefield seldom cared to talk with
any one of whom he had the sllght
est suspicion. He lived in fear or q
violent death, yet he courted 1t al
every turn. He was not well educat
ed, but he had applied himself TO
course of reading that ought to have
broadened his mind and made him q
decent man. His memory was re
marHable, and he could quote al
length from famous speeches and es
saws. and on some topics his logic
was clear and impressive. 1t was on
ly when questioned about his strange
faith that he seemed to lose tne
thread Of his argument and rambie
into vague explanations OF mere
after and the relations of the BODY
to the soul.
Creffield said that his belief was
based on three principles-that OF Ohe
simple life, the spiritual welfare o.
the soul, and the tanning of the temp
tations of the flesh. He chose 70 cor
rect the evils that flesh is heir to Dy
proving that in the mind only tnese
evils existed and that certain sins
were not sins if purity of thought
was made a part of so-called slnful
act. In fact, there could be no sl1
if there was purity of inspiration II
committing it-even though that SIN
be murder.
In nearly every instance Crefhelds
victims were women. 1t is said that
only one of these women was of
nature that was capable of resisting
the influence of strong personality
Creffield was weak as water to mosl
men hut he seemed to possess a fac
ulty of bringing out a strong individI
altv when he was weaving a weE
about an unresisting woman. The
victims mind was undoubtedly under
a hypnotic spell, for once Creffielo
gathered in a convert, that convert
seldom was able TO evade the efec'
of his sinister rulings and only deatf
appeared to be able to relieve the
mind from its bondage.
Perhaps some student OF psycholo
CIV may 10 able TO define the sort o.
mind that made Creffield a possibili
ty. but many who had studied his
character were as mystified as ever in
the end. The man was of several
distinct personalities, with a meas
ure of good in some and a preponder
anee of cunning wickedness in 9th
ers. Greed for money was not one
of his characteristics, although he
had been accused of getting sums
from his victims with which to main
tain his camps" and keep up his
crusade. There were times, how
ever, when he could have obtained
large sums from his followers, but
he did not do so.
Holy Rollerism made quite dea
of progress in Oregan until the au
thorities dealt with its converts III
the most drastic manner. The people
on several occasions took the law in
tn their own hands and converts were