The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1906-05-08
TARRED AND FEATHERED.
When Crefield fell into the Hands
of White Caps at Corvallis.

The death of CreHield by the
hand of a young man whom be had
deeply wronged. recalls the incl
dent at Corvallis in which the bo-
gus saint was tarred and feathered.
The date was January 4, 1904. The
story as told in the Times at the
time it happened, runs thus, in
part:
Tar and feathers were admins
tered to Apostles Crefield and
Brooks, by a crowd of 20 men
Monday night. The affair took
place under the light of winter
moon near the first bridge near the
sawmill at about 10 o'clock. The
White Caps crossed the ferry and
went over to the Beach house, 200
yards to the eastward. They stole
noiselessly up to the house, which
they surrounded. Then they broke
in the front door, took the apostles.
and recrosstng the ferry, went to
the bridge. where the clothing was
remvoed from both men and the tar
and feathers applied. With the
ceremony complete. their clothing
was again put on, and the apostles
told to leave the vicinity and not to
return, or worse treatment might
be applied. They started north
along the Albany road, running at
full speed. While the affair was in
progress, Brooks was stoical, never
uttering a word. Just before the
tar and feathers were applied how
ever, Crefe1d who had tremb1ed
all along, said, Let US pray"
1--WE have heard too much of your
prayers already" was the gruf re-
sponse of one of the party, and
Crehield had nothing more to say.
There was no attempt at secrecy
by those who took part in the affair.
None wore masks, and none affect
ed a disguise. The identity of
many of the party is known, and
all are men of standing and char
acter. They say there was not a
boy or hoodlum in the party. In
the main they were persons who
have felt the unhappy consequences
of the strange spell the apostles
seem to exert on the members OF
families often in way to bring sor.
row and trouble.
At the Beach house a dozen
members of the rollers held rendez-
vous for the past month. When
the white caps arrived, they imme-
diately surrounded the house, bar
ring all avenues of escape. Then
several stalwart men advanced to
the front door, and after a loud
knock, burst it in. Nearly a dozen
rcllers were in tie room, Brooks
and Cref6eld among them. Some
of them were seated on chairs and
others on the floor. Most of them
were bare footed.
AT the sudden appearance of The
intruders, the members of the sect
were more or less startled. Brooks
and Crefield we're told to put or
their shoes. The female portion
of the assembly began to sing anc
so continued during the rest of the
ceremony. Brooks and Crefielt
obeyed the order to put on thei1
shoes and hats and both were tieo
together and led out of the door
After leaving the house the party
marched directly to the ferry ane
crossed to the Corvallis side. Or
the boat, the captors stood clos'
about the prophets to prevent any
attempt at escape. Passing unde
the electric lights en- route, tn,
White Caps came directly from the
ferry to Main street, and then wen
north On Main street past the saw
mill and on north to the frs
bridge. Hating there they order
ed the prophets to remove thei
clothing. The men did as told
The scene at the moment was dra
matte. The moon shone clear ant
bright in the East, with the tw'
apostles, nude and shivering in tn
center of the group. Silence wa
only broken by the movements O
the men and by an occasional re
mark, sometimes of jocular char
acter. One man, surveying Cret
field after the tar and feathers ha,
been we'll smeared, remarked
well, you would make fine oil
Santa Claus now" Crefleld mad
no reply. All the time he tremble,
like an aspen, and was undoubted
ly much frightened. 1t was Other
wise with Brooks, who was stoica
throughout and apparently undis
turbed by the proceedings. Afte
the incident, Crefield returned t
the Beach house and attempt wa
made to remove the tar and featt
ers. The next day Crefheld we
married at Albany, after which
disappeared. The next time