Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-02-18
FOUR CONVICTED
OF HOLY BEATING
Two Boys Are Badly Hurt as
Result of Effort to Exor-
else the Devil.
MOB VIOLENCE is FEARED
Several Attacks Made on Defendants
in the Courtroom at Newton,
Illinois.

Newton. H.. Feb. 1s-Four men,
bers Of the Holiness sect are in the
Jasper county jail under heavy guard
to prevent mob violence as the result
of disclosures made in court yester-
day when the quartet was convicted
OF having severely beaten two young
boys a; their church on Sunday.
The sheriff swore in a posse to pro-
tect the defendants when spectators
in the cour. room attempted to attack
them while the trial was in progress.
The hearing was interrupted several
times when the crowd rushed on the
defendants. kicked and beat them,
and attempted to do further damage
to the preacher. the chief of the de-
PENDANTS.
Yesterdays trial was the second to
which the defendants have submit
ted. The first was held Monday and
the four were convicted and fined 500
and costs. Yesterdays hearing re-
suited in the same penalty. Today
action will be brought against all
those who were in the church on Sun
day. The defendants will number
score or more.
Forgotten Lessons Cause Beating.
Those who were convicted were p.
ID. Lyons. the Holiness preacher;
Cameron and Frank Cummins, who
are well to do farmers, and Mrs.
Emma Vantress. The boys who were
beaten were Cameron Cummins Rich.
ardson, aged ., and Raymond Rich.
ardson, aged IL. They are nephews of
the two Cummins men and of Mrs.
Vantress.
According to the testimony the boys,
whose home Is in Pacific, Mo-. had
been unable TO repeat lessons which
had been given them for recitation at
the meeting OF the Holiness congrega-
ton in the chapel southeast OF here.
II was accordingly decided by the con-
gregation that they were possessed OF
the devil and that he should be beaten
out OF them.
They were tied hand and foot and
placed on the floor and three men
applied a whip which was half an inch
in diameter. The members of the sect
gathered around and prayed constant
ly that the whipping might hasten the
departure OF the evil one. The chas-
tisement started at 9 o'clock in the
morning and was continued with only
a few minutes stop nearly all day.
The stop was taken to permit a strang-
er 10 pass. Then the boys were put
to bed without any medical attention.
Boys Are Seriously Injured.
ra ~ NJ ha 1aGhfnOG
shown when the boys backs were ex-
hibited in the court ROOM They were
slashed and cut in all directions and
both boys were IN such physical con- |
dition that they could hardly move a
Their condition was made
worse by the fact that they had been
forced TO undergo several fasts to
starve out the devil before it was de- I.
cided to beat him out.
When called on to testify the
preacher started 10 deliver long SER
mon, but was forbidden by the court. |
His defense was that the Bible said !
to whip with a rod and that he was 4
doing his duty by his actions. The
boys mother, a convert TO the sect. !
arrived from Missouri and testified .
for the defendants.
Followers Desert Ellis.
Alto Pass, Ill, Feb. 1s.-The So
called Holy Rollers of the OZarks have
deserted Walter Ellis. their leader. (
who is waiting action OF the grand .
jury for trying to beat the devil out
Of an epileptic boy.
That beating was not OF God" said
Joseph Lindsay and his uncle. Isadore
Lindsay, when they conducted their
in the church at Macedonia.
Ellis misinterpreted the word of God.
His was the work OF the devil"