The Mena weekly star., 1907-09-26
MAS TORTURED 10 DEATH |
Aged Cripple at Zion City Dead as Result of Treatment by New
 Religious Sect.
SON AND DAUGHTER AMONG ACCUSED
Five Persons Arrested in the City Es- tsbIished by Dowie, Charged With the Death of Mrs. GreenhauIqh-- They Claim They Were Exercising an Evil Spirit From Victim.

Chicago, Sept 21.-Five people. members of the sect of Parhamites. are under arrest in Zion City, accused of torturing to death Mrs. Letitia GreenhauIgh, 64 years old, a cripple for 20 years, in order to show their belief in the religion they profess.
 Those arrested are Walter and Jen- nie Greenhaulgh, the son and daughter of the woman, Harold Mitchell, Mrs. Harold Mitchell, and Mrs. Smith. Mrs. Greenhaulgh had been for 20 years an invalid, suffering from paraly- sis and rheumatism.
 The sect of Parhamites was founded about year ago by Charles F. Par ham, and numbers about 200 persons. It's members originally belonged to Dowie's church, and they believe in the gift of tongues, and especially in diabolical possession. It is their theory that sickness is an evidence of the pos session 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 jerked and twisted about in order that the devil might be driven out. The cries of the aged woman were con sidered to be those of an evil spirit and were greeted with triumphant shouts. After course of this violent treatment Mrs. Greenhaulgh not only became so weak that she could not use her limbs, but became incapable of making any motions. Then her neck was twisted, and for some time this treatment was kept tip.
 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 devote his time to casting out demons from the sick. Young Greenhaulgh de clared that his mothers consent was obtained before the treatment was commenced. He declared that hyp- notic 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. Greennaulgh'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 she shrieked "Oh Lord, help mel" a number of times. According to Greenhaulgh, Nit chell 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 un. | til she died shortly before noon. After that, according to Greenhaulgh, Mrs. Smith became the leader in a ''resur- rection scene" In this efforts were made to restore the dead woman to life. When these failed the announce ment of her death was made The case is being further investigated by the authorities of Lake county in which Zion City is situated.