Los Angeles herald., 1907-09-21
DEMON FIRM,
WOMAN DIES
FANATICS KILL CRIPPLE TRYING
TO GUST DEVIL
Five Former Members of Dowie's
Church Arrested for Torturing
Aged Patient, Sufferer
from Rheumatism
By Associated Press.

| BY Associated Press.
CHICAGO, Sept 2O.-Five persons
, members of the sect of Parhamites, are
under arrest in Zion City accused OF tor
turing to death Mrs. Letitia Greenhaulgh,
Ga years old, cripple for twenty years, in
order to show belief in the religion they
profess.
Those arrested are Walter and Jennie
Greenhaulgh, the son and daughter of the
woman; Harold Mitchell, Mrs. Harold
Mitchell and Mrs Smith. Mrs. Green
haulgh had been for twenty years an
invalid, suffering from paralysis and
Rheumatism.
The sect of Parhamites was founded
about a year ago by Charles F. Parham,
ard numbers about 200 persons. Its mem
bers originally belonged to Dowie's
church and they believe in the gift of
tongues and especially in diabolical pos
session. 1t is their theory that sickness
is an evidence of the possession of body
by evil spirits. The infiiction of Mrs.
Greenhaulgh convinced her son and
daughter and the three arrested with
them that she must be possessed of the
devil, and they determined to exercise the
evil spirit.
The five knelt by the bedside and COM
menced their work. The arms of the
woman, stiffened by rheumatism, were
jerked and twisted about in order that
the devil might be driven out. The cries
of the aged woman were considered to
be those of an evil spirit and were greet
ed with triumphant shouts. After a
course of. this violent treatment Mrs
Greenhaulgh not only became so weak
that, she could not use her limbs, but be-
came incapable of making any motions
Then her neck was twisted and for some
time this treatment was kept up.
To Cast Out Demons
Walter Greenhaulgh testified at the
coroner's inquest that Mitchell and his
wife recently had "vision," in which
Mitchell was ordered to quit work and de-
vote his time to casting out demons from
the sick. Young Greenhaulgh declared
that his mothers consent was obtained
before the treatment was commenced He
declared that hypnotic passes were made
before his mothers face and then fol-
lowed the muscular force which, he said.
was strongly resisted by the demons"
Mrs Smiths part in the treatment, ac-
cording to the testimony before the coro-
ner's jury, consisted in raising Mrs.
Greenhaulghs head and holding her
while Mitchell and his wife attempted
to Straighten the woman's limbs which
had been twisted by years of rheumatism.
Greenhaulgh broke down and cried as
he told his story. He declared that for
some time his mother bore the treatment
bravely, but at last the agony became so
great that she could not restrain herself,
and she shrieked "Oh, Lord, help mev'
number of times. According to Green
haulgh. Mitchell declared that her cries
must not be heard by outsiders, and he
put his hand across her mouth to smother
them. The five worked over the victim
until she died shortly before noon. After
that according to Greenhaulgh, Mrs.
Smith became the leader in "resurrec-
tion scene" In this efforts were made to
restore the dead woman to life When
these had failed the announcement of her
death was made. The case is being fully
Investigated today by the authorities of
Lake county, in which Zion City is sit
uated