Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-06-15
From Stevens Point Journal

From Stevens Point Journal
One of the strangest cases of re-
ligious insanity on record, culminat-
ing the gouging out of the eyes of
Mrs. Pauline Elbrant of Hatley be-
sides the splitting of her tongue, was
taken in charge by Sheriff Guyant
and his deputies at the Joseph Bam-
benek house near the North Star sa-
loon in Sharon Sunday night. The
victims are Mrs. Lukasavicz and her
five daughters, Mrs. Michael Polun,
Mrs Peter Helbach and Mrs. Joseph
Bambenek of Sharon, Mrs. Pauline
Elbrant of Hatley and Mrs. Josie
Reynolds of Milwaukee. Mrs. Ell
brant lies at St. Michael's hospital
and Mrs. Bombanek was taken to the
Northern Hospital near Oshkosh to-
day. Sheriff Guyant stated this
morning that warrants will also pro-
badly be issued for the other I'M
| fortunates.
The frenzied women have been en-
gagged in sort of religious orgy at
| the Bambenek home for about a weak
past, the excitement and excuses
growing steadily worse. Mr.. Ram-
benek and others were not permitted
to enter the rooms occupied by TIE
women who made a furious fight
when disturbed Sunday, ejecting Dr.
Crosby of Arnott with much vic ence
and one of them biting Undersi ariff
Frank Kubisiak on the hand when he
attempted to take Mrs. Bambenek
from the house.
About week ago Mrs. Reynolds
came from Milwaukee to visit her
Sharon relatives. 1t appears she
instituted the new religious frenzy
which seemsto partake of the nature
of spiritualism, devil worship and
| pentacostal power, according to it's
| devotees. The excited women prayed
for an end ofthe European war and
the relief of Poland and from that
developed into the calling of God
down to earth, the casting out of
devils, the invocation of the spirits
etc. Throughout the week the orgy
had been growing in intensity, con-
tinuing day and night. Singing
was part of the rites.
Sunday morning conditions reach
ed a point where two women were
stripped of all clothing and were led
about the fields, early in the forenoon,
praying and indulging in religious ex-
ercises.
Mr.. Bambenek, although excluded
from the part ofthe house occupied
by the women, had learned that Mrs.
Elbrant's eyes had been injured in
some manner so called DR. Crosby of
Arnott. When DR.. Crosby arrived,
however, the women refused him adj
mission and drove him out. DR..
Crosby then went to Ellis and mott
fed Sheriff Guyant's office Mr. Ku-
bisiak started out in a taXicab driven
by Mr.. Holthusen between 2 and 3
o'clock Sunday afternoon Near Ell
lis a puncture stopped the taxi but
DR.. Crosby picked up the officer and
took him on to the Bambenek place
The women made desperate fight
against the officer and one of them
gave him a painful bite on the left
hand near the base of the index fin
ger. However, the officer succeeded
in placing handouts on Mrs. BAN
benek. The woman fled through the
fields handcuffed with the officer in
hot pursuit. She went to a certain
stone, which seemsto have been used
as shrine by the crazed women, and
dropped down there to pray. The
officer took her away while the other
women, who followed them out to the
stone, stopped and began to pray.
The undersheriff brought Mrs BAN
benek to the county jail and papers
for her commitment to the Northern
Hospital were made out Sunday. The
matter was completed by Judge Muir
at this morning and the woman tax
en- away in charge of Deputy Sheriff
ohm Leahy accompanied by Mrs. Bam-
benek
About s o'clock Sunday evening
Sheriff Guyant started out with
posse consisting of Undersheriff Ku-
bisiak, Guy Morrill,, Charles Currier,
T. H. Hanna and DR.. A. E. MacMil-
Han, the last two in Mr.. Hanna's road
ster. The party arrived at $50