Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1906-07-10
WHAT BERRY TOLD.
In Mitchell Trial=Brother OF
Murder Also on Stand.

TO near the lSSllluODS III liz A'Ais =
chell trial at Seattle. Elderly
ladies send and bring bouquets o
sweet peas and roses to tn ac
cused, Geo. Mitchell, and sympa
thy in Seattle seems very dec ided
ly in favor of the young ma now
standing trial.
Friday was given over to the
testimony of Perry Mitchell, z
brother of the murderer, and tc
the story of J. K. Berry of Cor
wallis. Of the days proceeding:
the Oregonian has this to say:
Perry said he learned of Cref-
fields power over Esther three
years ago. At that time he and
George had her sent to the horue
of the BOYS and Girls Aid Socie-
ty to be treated for what they be-
lieved to be mental weakness
Later, fearing Cretfield might alb
duct her, they sent her to her
fathers home in Illinois. Perry
went along to see that she reach
ed her destination.
"Before see went" said the
witness, George and 1 called on
her at the Aid Society's place.
She refused to recognize US as her
brothers, saying we were such in
name only. George broke down
and cried when she told him this.
After I got her to Illinois, her
sister, Mrs. Starr, kept writing
to her, at Crefield's command,
telling her to keep up her faith
and hurry back to Cref6eld.
"Mrs. Starr assured her over
and over in these letters that the
flock would soon again be reuni-
ted. My father intercepted these
letters and destroyed them. Es-
ther suspected this. She refused
to call her own father by that
name, saying her only father
was God and that she had no ia
ther on earth.
"After few months, though
she got more sensible, and we
thought she was cured. We let
her go back to Oregon after Cref-
field had been put in Jail. But
as soon as he got out she got back
into his power again. George
was very angry that we had let
her come away from home, and
said he would never speak to Ell
ther father or me if Crefield sue
ceeded in getting control OF Es-
ther."
Witness then testified that his
brother Fred had committed sui
eide in Portland three years ago
as the elimination of an unfort-
innate love affair. This testimony,
introduced for the purpose OF
showing the family faint of in.
sanity, was ruled out by Judge
Frater.
In conclusion Perry told of the
day his brother started out to kill
Creheld. 80
ut was in April last," he said.
"and George had just Leen re-
leased from the Good Samaritan
Hospital at Portland, after getting
over an attack of measles. He
was very weak, and had little
money, but said he was going tc
find Crefield, even if he had to
walk from place to place in order
to get him. He also told me he
had been talking with the spirits
and that God had commanded
him to deliver up the spirit oi
Creheld. -
On cross-examination Perry
admitted that he made no effort
to talk his brother out of the idea
of killing the Holy Roller.
Mr.. Berry, the principal wit
ness of the forenoon session, ad-
mitted having given some heed
to Creffield's teachings at one
time, at Corvallis.
"He told me-" the witness tes-
tilted, "that he needed money to
build a tabernacle. He told me
that I must sell all my valuables,
including my automobile, and
give the money to him. He said
God had told him I must do these
thugs, and that he had also been