New-York tribune., 1907-09-21
TORTURED TO DEATH.
Woman Killed by "Casting Out
Devils" in Zion City.

Chicago Sept. 2O.-Five members Of the sect
of ParhaInites charged with manslaughter
in Zion City for torturing TO death Mrs Letiua
Greenhaulgh, sixty-four years old, 1t is said. TO
show their belief in the religion they PROFESS
They Walter and Jennie Greenhaulgh' the
son and daughter of the woman: Harold
Mitchell. Mrs Harold Mitchell and Mrs. S1nltu'
The sect of Parhamites was founded about
year ago by Charles F. Parham and NUMBERS
about 200. The members originally belonged
10 Dowies church, and believed in the sht VI
tongues and especially in diabolical possession
of the body by evil spirits The condition OF
Mrs. Greenhaulgfl who suffered from Theulla-
tisnn convinced the five that she must be pos
sessed OF the devil. and they determined 10 eA
orcise the evil spirit They knelt by the oe"-
side, and. after prayer, began their work Ihe
6rms Of Mrs Greenhaulgh. stiffened by rheu1ha-
tisn. were jerked and twisted about, that ule
devil might be driven out. The cries or the
aged woman were considered TO be those OF an
evil spirit and were greeted with tr1umphalA1
shouts. Then her neck was twisted
Walter Greenhaulgh said to-day that for some
time his mother, who had consented to il, pore
the treatment bravely. but at last the agony De-
came so great that she could not restrain her-
self and exclaimed, "Oh, Lord. help me-" num-
Der of times. The five worked over the victim
until she died. After that according 10 Green
haulgh. Mrs. Smith became tho leader of q
resurrection scene" In this efforts were made
to restore the dead woman to life. When these
had failed the announcement Of her death was
made.
Mrs. Greenhaulgh died Wednesday noon. but
II was thirty-six hours later that the circuln-
stances under which she died were learned
Chief of Police Walker Of Zion City at once
ordered investigation, and the coroner or
Lake County advised.
10 s1A+
Parhamite- According TO the story told before
the coroner's Jury by the younger Greenhaulgn
il was necessary to get the elder Greenhaugh
out OF the way before the exOrcism could take
place On Wednesday morning the husband was
called out of the house on a pretext, and then
the five exorcsers entered the room where Mrs
Greenhaulgh was lying helpless.
Mitchell took her by the hands," the son
testified. and pulled her arm away from her
body. She screamed. Oh, she screamed ter
ribly! 1 jumped forward. Mitchell held me
back and put his hand over my mothers mouth
and stopped her cries He said. OF course
shall not hurt her Those cries not her
cries. That is the screaming Of the demons and
the devils they leave her. She is all right "
Greenhauigh told of movements like those OF
a hypnotist that Mitchell made above the pros
trate woman, and continued: Mitchell and his
wife again drew my mother. They took her
arms and threw them out straight. There was a
cracking sound I found out afterward that
they broke the bones. They did the same with
her legs They pulled at her head. They
pinched and worked with her flesh. She groaned
and cried out They said she would soon be all
right. Then mother seemed to become quiet.
She looked at She said: I in hell;
am in heaven now 1 thought she meant she
was getting better. believed that God was
helping her. When she said that they started
work with renewed vigor.''
Greenhaulgh sobbed as he told the story.
Mitchell told him to pray and that his mother
was sleeping.
MY father was not allowed in the room dur
ing the treatment" Greenhaulgh went on. Mrs.
Mitchell told him that my mother was sleeping,
and that she would eat supper with that
night When she failed to appear my father
became worried and wanted to go TO the room.
but this was not allowed. In the evening I be-
gan TO realize that my mother dead and I
confessed all 10 my father. We WATCHED the
greater part Of the night for signs Of returning
life. but none came"
Mitchell and Greenhaulgh were laborers en-
ployed by Lake Forest University. The men
were neighbors and close friends. When the
husband and son realized that Mrs Greenhaulgn
was dead the body turned to
dertaker and embalrned for burial.