The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1907-09-24
EVIL SPIRITS RESIST
Efforts to Drive Them Out Cause
Death OF the Patient,
FIVE PERSONS ARE JAILED

Zion City Parhamites Charged With
MansIauehter in Torturing to Death
an Aged Woman Whom They Wore
Giving "Treatment."
Chicago, Sept. 2 Five persons,
members OF the sect of Parhamites,
ere under arrest in Zion City accused
of torturing to death Mrs. Lolita
Greenhaulgh, sixty-four years old, to
show their belief in The religion they
profess.
Those under arrest are Walter and
Jennie Greenhaulgh, son and daughter
Of the woman; Harold Mitchell, Mrs.
Harold Mitchell and Mrs. Smith. All
are charged with manslaughter.
Mrs. Greenhaulgh had been for
twenty years an invalid, suffering from
paralysis and rheumatism.
The sect Of Parhamites was founded
about year ago by Charles F. Par
ham and numbers about 200. The
members originally belonged to Dow
les church and believe in the gift of
tongues and especially in diabolical
possession. 1t is their theory that
sickness Is an evidence of the posses.
sion Of the body by evil spirits.
The condition of Mrs Greenhaulgh
convinced her son and daughter and
the three persons 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, after prayer, commenced
their work. The arms of Mrs. Green
haulgh, stiffened by rheumatism, were
ierked and twisted about in order that
cries Of the aged woman We're consid-
cred to be those of an evil spirit and
were greeted with triumphant shouts.
After a course of this violent treat
ment Mrs. Greenhaulgh not only be-
came so weak that she could not use
her limbs but became incapable of
making any motion. Then her neck
was twisted and for some time this
treatment was kept up.
Son Testifles at Hearing.
Walter Greenhaulgh testified at the
coroner's inquest that Mitchell and his
wife recently had a vision" in which
Mitchell was ordered to quit work and
devote his time to casting out demons
from the sick. Young Greenhaulgh
declared that his mothers consent was
obtained before the treatment was be-
gun. He asserted that hypnotic passes
were made before his mothers face
and then followed the muscular force,
which, he said, was strongly resisted
by the demons"
Mrs. Smiths part in the treatment,
according to the testimony before the
coroner's jury, consisted in raising
Mrs. Greenhaulgh's head and holding
her while Mitchell and his wife at
tempted 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 shrieked,
"Oh, Lord, help me-" a number of
times. According to Greenhaulgh
Mitchell said 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. After that, according
to Greenhaulgh, Mrs. Smith became
the leader in resurrection scene"
In this efforts were made to restore
the dead woman to life When these
efforts had failed the announcement of
her death was made.
The case will be further investi-
gated by the authorities.