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Creffield and the Holy Rollers made page one headlines from 1903 to 1907. When I was researching Holy Rollers: Murder and Madness in Oregon’s Love Cult I spent months transcribing hundreds of articles. I’m not sure why I was so obsessive. Maybe it was my way of immersing my self into a cult without joining one. Anyway, I’m posting them all for those who are really interested in the story, or are interested the history of journalism, or are interested in how a scandalous story played out in the "media" in a by gone era. Since I no doubt made typos and unconsciously corrected papers' typos, these web pages should not be cited in anything serious (e.g. your dissertation). For such projects they should only be used as starting points and you should refer to the original sources. If you want a shorter version of the story, buy my book. Enjoy.
August 3, 1914: Esther
Mitchell is Dead By Own Hand
Evening Telegram (Portland) 8/3/1914 p2
Esther Mitchell is Dead By Own Hand
Girl of Holy Roller Fame, who Killed Her Brother, is Suicide.
Newport, Or., Aug. 3.--Esther Mitchell, of Holy Roller fame, who since
her recent marriage was Mrs. James K. Berry, committed suicide late Saturday
evening at her home at Waldport, by taking a dose of poison, and was dead when
found. The killing of her brother at Seattle, after he had killed Joshua
Creffield, the Holy Roller priest, had apparently preyed upon her mind
continually, and friends and relatives have been keeping a close watch on her
for a long time. She was married last March to J. K. Berry, of Waldport, but
that did not improve her mental condition, and recently, while visiting
relatives at Yachats, she bade them a “long good-bye.” Coroner Carter held an
inquest yesterday, and the jury’s verdict is not yet known.
A few days
before her suicide Mrs. Berry started from her home to Yachats to visit
friends, and failed to arrive there. Later she reappeared at her home and claimed that she was deathly sick. It is now believed that she had then taken
poison and because of taking an overdose, or not enough to be fatal, she became
ill. Her action in taking a dose sufficient to cause death is believed to have
been the result of a deliberate plan to kill herself.
HEADLINES IN
PAPERS FOR THE SAME ARTICLE
Morning Oregonian (Portland) 8/3/1914 p4
Girl’s Career is Tragic
Oregon Daily Journal (Portland) 8/3/1914 p14
Holy Roller Principal Suicide
Strange Control by ‘Holy Roller’ Cause of Brother’s
Murder.
Newport, Or., Aug. 3.--Esther Berry, who as Esther Mitchell was the
central figure in the Mitchell-Creffield murders in Seattle, almost a decade
ago, is dead, a suicide at her home at Waldport. She took strychnine, the same
poison by which her sister, Mrs. Maud Hurt-Creffield, took her life in 1906.
Mrs. Berry’s death is the
last of the tragic Creffield “Holy Roller” cases which resulted in the killing
of Franz Edmund Creffield, founder of the peculiar religious sect, by brother,
George Mitchell, and his subsequent killing by Esther Mitchell in revenge, just
two days after he had been acquitted for killing the “Holy Roller” in Seattle.
Mrs. Berry committed suicide
Saturday night at 11 o’clock at the Berry home. The coroner’s jury returned a
verdict of intentional suicide. She was married to James Berry of Waldport
about five months ago and appeared happy to all who knew her, but has had
despondent spells ever since she shot her brother in Seattle several years ago.
Her other brother and sisters feared that she would do something of this kind
at some time in her life, and she has been carefully watched. Up till her marriage
to Berry she lived with the family of O. V. Hurt at Waldport, and spent some of
her time visiting Seattle and Portland relatives.
The Holy
Rollers were organized by Creffield near Corvallis in 1903. Creffield seemed to exercise absolute
control over women. In 1904 it was learned that the sect’s ritual was such that
officers secured Creffield’s arrest on a statutory charge and was given two
years in the state’s prison.
Following his release he
returned to Corvallis, met Esther Mitchell, who with her sister, later
Creffield’s wife, went to Seattle. George Mitchell followed them and finally
shot Creffield to death. He was tried for murder, acquitted, and was leaving
for Portland when Esther met him at the depot and shot him down in revenge.
Both Esther and her sister
were held for their brother’s murder. They were adjudged insane and Mrs.
Creffield, in the King county jail, got possession of strychnine and ended her
life. Esther was sent to the state hospital for the insane at Steilacoom, and
finally discharged.
Daily Gazette Times (Corvallis) 8/3/1914 p4
Esther Mitchell a Suicide
Esther Mitchell-Berry, of
“Holy Roller” fame, and well known in Corvallis, suicided last night at Waldport, according to an Oregonian special. She took strychnine.
No reason for her act is given. She was married but a few weeks ago to James
Berry, and previous to this had been a quiet and respected resident of
Waldport.
Esther Mitchell was an
ardent disciple of Creffield, the founder of the “Holy Rollers.” Her brother,
George Mitchell, followed Creffield to Seattle and shot him dead on the street.
Two days after he acquittal Esther Mitchell, still devoted to the dead
Creffield’s creed, shot and killed her own brother in the Union depot at
Seattle. Mrs. Berry’s death was caused by the same drug which killed Mrs. Maud Hurt-Creffield November 6, 1906. Mrs. Creffield and Esther
Mitchell were said to have planned the murder of George Mitchell in revenge for
the death of Creffield. Mrs. Creffield died suddenly, and an autopsy showed
that strychnine was the cause of her death. Esther Mitchell, then in jail,
denounced the coroner’s jury for terming it a case of suicide.
Morning Oregonian (Portland) 8/3/1914 p4
“Holy Roller” Girl Slayer Is Suicide
Esther Mitchell, Who Killed Brother, Who Slew Leader
of Sect, Ends Life Parole Granted in 1910 Tragic Death at Waldport Last Act in
Career Strangely Controlled by “Joshua” Creffield, Originator of Creed.
NEWPORT, Or., Aug 2.--(Special.)--Mrs. James N. Berry, formerly Esther
Mitchell, committed suicide last night at Waldport, Or., by taking strychnine. Mrs. Berry was married in this city a few weeks ago. she became notorious through her connection with the “Holy
Rollers” sect and her slaying of her own brother, George Mitchell, at Seattle
in 1906, after he killed “Joshua” Creffield.
She lived quietly in Lincoln
County since her release from the Steilacoom Asylum under the parole to the
Superior Court of King County, Washington, until her recent marriage.
Yaquina Bay News (Newport, OR) 8/6/1914 p1
An empty strychnine bottle
and an ordinary water glass at the laboratory of Dr. F. M. Carter, county
coroner is grim evidence of the manner in which Mrs. James K. Berry, formerly
Miss Esther Mitchell, came to her death at her home in Waldport Saturday evening.
Although the suicide
occurred Saturday evening complete details were not available in Newport until
the return Monday afternoon of Dr. Carter, who had gone to Waldport Sunday to
hold an inquest over the body.
The inquest was devoted
mainly in hearing the testimony of Mrs. Cora B. Hartley who, with her little eight year old son, were the only persons in the Berry house
at the time the tragedy took place.
Following is Mrs. Hartley’s
account of the suicide:
We were all gathered around
the supper table at 6:30 o’clock in the evening, Mr. and Mrs. Berry seemed in
her ordinary spirits and there was nothing in her actions to lead us to believe
that she contemplated ending her life. After the meal had been finished she
helped wash the dishes and assisted in dressing some chickens. Mr. Berry had
gone down town to help unload a boat.”
“Mrs. Berry went upstairs to
her bedroom at 9:30 o’clock. At about 11:00 o'clock I hear a cry of distress
from her room and rushing in found her in bed with the bed
clothes drawn over her. I spoke to her, asking if there was anything I
might do. She said “No.” I then attempted to turn her on her right side, but
she said, ‘You hurt me.’ ‘Let me go.’”
“These were her last words. About
15 minutes transpired from the time I heard her cry until she breathed her
last.”
“As soon as I saw she was
gone, I hurried from the house to arouse the neighbors. Mrs. O. V. Hurt was the
first to respond.”
“On a table two feet from
the bed was an empty strychnine bottle, with the cork out, near it a common
water glass. It appeared as if the poison had been dissolved in water, although
no water remained in the glass. A few undissolved strychnine crystals were in
the bottom.”
“Besides the bottle and
glass was a note addressed by Mrs. Berry to her husband. It read:
Dear James:
Please deed the two lots
over to mother and father. Give the piano and ring I sent away today to Martha. The silver watch to Attie. Signed: Esther.”
“P. S. Of course, this place
is now free from mortgage and is yours--also the little money in the bank.”
The bottle in possession of
Dr. Carter was labeled as containing one-eighth of one ounce of strychnine, whether the young woman took the entire amount
cannot be determined. The bottle held 60 grains of poison, while one grain is
sufficient to bring about death. It is not known where the poison was procured.
The bottle bears the label of a drug manufacturer in Philadelphia, but whether
she got the strychnine from there or somewhere else is not known.
Mrs. Berry was 26 years old
last January and was married about five months ago.
Interment took place in the
Fern Ridge Cemetery near Waldport Monday. Besides her husband, the dead woman
leaves a father, mother, two brothers and one sister.
Saturday’s unfortunate
occurrence adds another tragedy to the list of misfortunes which have followed
the Mitchell family since 1906. . . (the usual recap)
Lincoln County Leader 8/7/1914 p1
Newport
News came to Newport from
Waldport Sunday morning that Esther Mitchell Berry, wife of James K. Berry, was
dead. The investigation of the coroner’s jury showed the following facts: On
Saturday evening at the Berry home, about 6:30 the family, consisting of James
Berry, Mrs. Berry, Mrs. Cora Hartley and Kenneth Berry, the eight year old son
of Mr. Berry, were at the table. There was nothing unusual occurred in the
family. Mrs. Berry was cheerful and apparently happy. After supper Mr. Berry
went down to town and Mrs. Berry helped with the dishes and also helped to
dress a couple of chickens for dinner the next day. At 9:30 Mrs. Berry went to
her bedroom upstairs and about 11 o’clock Mrs. Hartley heard a noise up stairs
as though someone was in distress. She went up stairs and found Mrs. Berry
lying on the bed under the covers and in her night clothes,
in a spasm. Mrs. Hartley asked what she could do for her, and Mrs. Berry said,
“Nothing.” Mrs. Hartley then tried to turn her on her side and Mrs. Berry said,
“You hurt me; let me go,” and immediately expired. The coroner’s jury found the
body rigid, the arms drawn upon the breast and the fingers clenched; lower
limbs extended and rigid,, eyes, pupils contracted and
glaring; body warm, face and hands red. On the stand table two feet from the bed,
with a lamp burning on it was found an empty bottle that had contained one dram
(60 grains) of strychnine with the cork out. A glass with some undissolved crystals
of strychnine in it and it appeared as though water had been used to dissolve
the strychnine. It was evident from the condition of the body and the empty
bottle of strychnine on the table that Mrs. Berry had coolly and calmly planned
to take her own life. It could not be ascertained where she got the poison or
how much was in the bottle. Strychnine is a very fatal poison, is quickly
absorbed and if taken in sufficient quantity the respiratory muscles are
paralyzed and death occurs in a very short time. In strychnine poisoning the
muscles twitch, the limbs jerk, violent convulsions set in, the limbs are rigid
and death soon occurs. Mrs. Hartley gave the alarm and soon Mrs. O. V. Hurt
came and other neighbors and friends, after Mrs. Berry had passed away. Mrs.
Berry was paroled from the Steilacoom Asylum several years ago and place in the
care of O. V. Hurt, who was appointed her guardian. While in his care she was
treated as one of the family, everything being done to make her feel at home
and happy. She was a woman of nervous sanguine temperament, of refined, retiring disposition had had a very impressible
temperament. She was 26 years old last January. On recommendation of a
physician the parole was removed and about two and a half month ago Miss
Mitchell was married in Newport to James K. Berry and they afterwards went to
Waldport to make their home. Within the last few months Mrs. Berry complained
of feeling ill and it was noticed by her friends that she was failing in health
and losing flesh. The funeral services were held at the home of the deceased,
conducted by Rev. Cook, pastor of the Presbyterian Church at Waldport, and the
Interment took place at the Fern Ridge Cemetery. Many
beautiful floral offerings were placed upon her grave by friends and many
tears were shed by those who knew her best. she is
survived by two brothers, Perry Mitchell, who lives at Ocean View, a brother in
Portland, and Mrs. Donna Starr, who also lives at Ocean View, and her husband.
(Newspaper Source and date
not written on photo-copy. The type style sort of
looks like the Lincoln County Leader (Toledo, OR) 8/?/14
Report of Coroner’s Jury
We, the jury empanelled to
inquire into the cause of death of Mrs. Esther Berry, wife of James K. Berry,
find after careful examination of the evidence produced, that Mrs. Berry came
to her death by taking strychnine administered by her own hand, with suicidal
intent. We further find that no blame is attached to anyone. J. W. Walker,
foreman, W. V. Leeper, S. L. Olsted,
O. N. Starr, D. E. Chesley, E. E. Everson, F. M.
Carter, Coroner.
The following note was found
on the table in the room where Mrs. Berry died:
Dear James: Please deed the
two lots over there to mother and father; give the piano and ring I sent away
today to Martha; the silver watch to Attie. Esther.
“P. S.--Of
course this place is now free from mortgage, and is yours, and the little money
in the bank.”
Yaquina Bay News (Newport, OR) 8/13/1914 p3
O. V. Hurt, the Republican candidate for county commissioner was in Newport Monday en route home from a trip out to Oregon City and Portland.
Chapter of Holy Rollers where these articles are some of the sources:
Chapter 30: Final Chapter
***April 9, 1914: Esther Mitchell Marries James Berry
Chapter 30 From Holy Rollers: What Happened With The Rest
of Their Lives
***
1897-1903: B.C. (Before Creffield)
October to December 1903:Holy Rollers Burn Furniture & Pets
January to March, 1904: Holy Rollers Tarred and Feathered
April to June 1904: Holy Rollers are Committed to the Asylum
July 1904: Creffield is Found & Arrested
September 1904: Creffield's Trial
April 1906: Men are Gunning For Creffield
May 1906: Creffield is Murdered, Murderer is Considered a Hero
May 1906: Holy Rollers Found Starving Near Heceta Head
June 1906: George Mitchell's Trial Begins
July 1906: Hurt Testifies of Debauched Wife and Debased Sisters
July 1906: Esther Mitchell Kills Her Brother
August to October 1906: Seattle Prepares for another Big Trial
November 1906: Maud Hurt Creffield Commits Suicide
April 1909-August 1914: Esther Leaves the Asylum
1953 Stewart Holbrook's Murder Without Tears
1951Startling Detective Magazine, Nemesis of the Nudist High Priest
***
Chapter 1: Trust Me, Brothers And Sisters
(Life Before Creffield [B.C.])
Chapter 2: God, Save Us From Compromising Preachers
(Creffield's Preachings)
Chapter 3: The Flock
(Profiles of the Holy Rollers Were)
Chapter 4: The Holy Rollers
(Things Start to Get Wild on on Kiger Island)
Chapter 5: Housecleaning
(There's a Sacrificial Bonfire)
Chapter 6: Community Concerns
(Officers Visit)
Chapter 7: Esther, The Chosen One
(Creffield Plans to Marry 16-Year- Old)
Chapter 8: Tar and Feathers
(The Men of Corvallis Act)
Chapter 9: Sane People Don’t Go Bareheaded
(Holy Rollers are Committed to the Asylum)
Chapter 10: More Beast Than Man
( Creffield is Arrested)
Chapter 11: God Will Plead Creffield's Case
(Creffield in Court)
Chapter 12: Scandal
(Shocking Testimony at the Trial)
Chapter 13: Calm Before the Storm
(The Holy Rollers Resume their Lives)
Chapter 14: Giving Up The Ghost
(Men are Gunning for Creffield)
Chapter 16: The Widow Creffield
Chapter 19: An Inherited Streak of Insanity
Chapter 23: Seeking Reconciliation
Chapter 24: Another Holy Roller Page One Murder
Chapter 25: What Can Papa Do For You?
Chapter 26: Human Life is Too Cheap In This Community
Chapter 30: The Final Chapter
(What Happened to Everyone Afterwards)
The Epilogue
(Heaven's Gate)
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Theresa (T-) McCracken, 890 North Bayview, Loop Waldport, Oregon 97394 (541) 563-3112
***
Home Chapters Articles Asylum Records Brainwashing Hymns Contact
1897-1899:Local Lore, News Of Corvallis and Vicinity Told in Brief B. C. (Before Creffield)
1900:Holy Rollers' Lives Before Creffield
1901:Holy Rollers' Lives Before Creffield
1902:Holy Rollers' Lives Creffield
January 18, 1903: Fred Mitchell Attempts Suicide
June 10, 1903: Salvation Army Major Deserts and Joins the Holy Rollers
October 31, 1903: Zealot Worshipers Burn Furniture, Dogs & Other Things
November 2, 1903: Fanatics In Court
November 3, 1903: Had Promise of Tar and Feathers
November 4, 1903: Flight of The Apostles
November 5, 1903: Once-Esteemed Family No Longer Has the Sympathy of the Community
November 6, 1903: Rollers Take On New Life
November 7, 1903: Is Creffield Back?
November 11, 1903: “Apostle” Creffield Still Under Cover
November 24, 1903: Girl of Sixteen Almost Insane
November 25, 1903: In Pursuit of Creffield
November 27, 1903: The Lord May Starve Them
November 28, 1903: Holy Rollers Receive Unwilling Baptism
December 7, 1903: Demented Woman Suffers
December 8, 1903: Hurt Seen In Portland
December 11, 1903:Holy Rollers Roll Into Eugene Church
December 21, 1903:Holy Roller Victim Worse December 22, 1903: Linn County Holy Rollers December 23, 1903: Is Crazy Now
December 29, 1903: Holy Rollers’ Not Liked at the Dalles December 30, 1903: Owner of Property Refuses to Permit Séances January 6, 1904: Holy Rollers Tarred and Feathered January 9, 1904: Their Welcome Departure January 12, 1904: Editorial Comment: “Put yourselves in our place!” January 13, 1904: Where Brooks Went January 19, 1904: Our Brainy Contemporaries January 25: Holy Rollers’ in Hobo Camp Life February 1, 1904: Camp In Linn County Is Broken Up By Officers February 6, 1904: How They Tell The Holy Roller Story In Far Off Scotland February 11, 1904: Medium Mystify Corvallis People March 1, 1904: The “Holy Rollers” Offend Humanity March 16, 1904: Holy Rollers to Be Arrested on Serious Charge March 17, 1904: Where is the Apostle? March 21, 1904: Reward For Creffield's Capture March 23, 1904: Fugitive Creffield March 28, 1904: Reward is Offered April 1, 1904: “Holy Roller” Chief Very Badly Wanted April 18, 1904: Holy Roller High Priest Is Seen April 29, 1904: Urania Seeley is Arrested May 2, 1904: Frank & Mollie Hurt are Committed to the Asylum May 4, 1904: Maud Hurt-Creffield & Sophia Hartley are Committed May 7, 1904: Attie Bray &Rose Seeley are Committed June 11, 1904: Attie Bray Escapes June 17, 1904: Mae Hurt is Committed June 29, 1904: Sarah Hurt is Committed July 22, 1904: Holy Roller on Death Row July 29, 1904: Creffield Found Half Dead Under Hurt’s House July, 30 1904: Armed Guards Protect Creffield July, 31 1904: Corvallis Could Not Raise a Mob August 1, 1904: Creffield says, "I am Elijah" August 2, 1904: Creffield Does Not Dislike Prison August 4, 1904: Creffield Says He Is Entirely Purified August 5, 1904: He Does Nothing Unless Directed by God August 6, 1904: Creffield Believes in Satan and Eternal Punishment August 9, 1904: No Flowers For Creffield August 13, 1904; The Holy Rollers And The Man Who Made Them August 16, 1904; Creffield Reward Will Be Returned August 19, 1904: Followers in Asylum Stick To Faith August 23, 1904: Creffield Will Fight His Own Case August 28, 1904: Creffield Destroys His Revelations September 16, 1904: Creffield is Guilty September 21, 1904: Holy Rollers go in and Out of the Asylum March 22, 1905: Prison Life Of Joshua Creffield> April 8, 1905: Life In Corvallis Returns to Normal December 12, 1905: Frank & Mollie Hurt Have a Baby Girl April 24, 1906: Creffield Establishes a Camp Near Waldport April 30, 1906: Donna Starr Leaves Children to go to Her Spiritual Love, Joshua Creffield May 1, 1906: Creffield Takes Credit for The San Francisco Earthquake May 3, 1906: Creffield In Fear Of His Life May 7, 1906: Holy Roller Shot Down Like A Dog May 8, 1906: Medal to Be Given Mitchell in Recognition of His Killing May 9, 1906: Oregon Prosecutor Would Aid Mitchell May 10, 1906: Shows No Emotion At Husband’s Grave May 11, 1906: Bail Is All Ready May 12, 1906: Mitchell Denied Bail May 13, 1906: Creffield is Due To Rise Today May 14, 1906: Creffield’s Widow Watches At Grave May 15, 1906: Corvallis Starts Fund for Defense of Mitchell May 16, 1906: Holy Rollers Starving Near Heceta Head May 17, 1906: Public Sentiment Favors Mitchell May 18, 1906: Creffield Railed in Vermont May 19, 1906: Mitchell to Enter Plea of Not Guilty May 27, 1906: Joshua Says Not to Worry June 1, 1906: Morris Claims Mitchell Rid World of a Fiend June 16, 1906: Prosecution and Defense are Making Last Preparations June 19, 1906: Many Witnesses For Mitchell June 24, 1906: Trial Will Cost Taxpayers Ten Thousand Dollars June 25, 1906: George Mitchell on Trial For His Life June 26, 1906: Mitchell Jury is Selected With Care June 27, 1906: Mitchell Trial Held Up By Squabble June 28, 1906: Jury is Secured to Try Mitchell June 29, 1906: Trial is Now on in Earnest June 30, 1906: Mrs. Creffield's Testimony July 1, 1906: Creffield’s Ghost Controls His Flock July 2, 1906: Esther Mitchell on Stand Refuses To Aid Brother July 3, 1906: Hurt Tells of Debauched Wife and Debased Sisters July 4, 1906: Creffield’s Unsavory Record Presented to the Jury July 5, 1906: Expected Admissibility of Evidence Will Arouse Controversy July 6, 1906: Others Testify They Wished to Kill Creffield July 7, 1906: Insanity Expert on the Witness Stand July 8, 1906: Plan To Revive Holy Rollerism July 9, 1906: Killing of Judge Emory May Effect Mitchell July 10, 1906: Mitchell Case Goes To Jury July 12, 1906: General Rejoicing at Mitchell’s Acquittal July 13, 1906: Esther Mitchell Kills Her Brother! July 14, 1906: Mitchell Boys Are Done With Esther July 15, 1906: Hurt Will Come to Aid of His Daughter July 16: 1906: Will Mortgage His Home for Daughter July 17, 1906: Let’s Think When We Talk July 18, 1906: Mrs. Starr’s Life Threatened July 19, 1906: Mrs. Creffield Weeps in Jail July 20, 1906: George Mitchell’s Attorney Offers Aid to Murderesses July 21, 1906: Mitchell Boys to Stand by Esther July 22, 1906: Hurt Thinks Both Women Are Insane July 23, 1906: Frater Favors a Commission of Alienists July 24, 1906: Mackintosh Will Oppose Calling Commission July 26, 1906: Is Reconciled to Holy Roller Wife July 27, 1906: Holy Rollers Seek Home in Wyoming July 28, 1906: Mitchell Juror is Insane July 30, 1906: Esther Will Deny Committing Murder In The 1st Degree July 31 1906: Esther Mitchell Says Not Guilty August 1, 1906: Relatives to Help Esther Mitchell August 4, 1906: Creffield Greatly Hurt True Religion August 6, 1906: Mitchell Boys in Drunken Row August 8, 1906: St. Louis Woman Coming to Convert “Rollers” August 12, 1906: Esther Mitchell Close to Death from Typhoid August 13, 1906: Esther Mitchell Not Seriously Ill September 1, 1906: Four Charged with First Degree Now in County Jail September 10 1906: To Examine Minds of Slayers September 12, 1906: Hurt Thinks His Daughter Insane September 13, 1906: Esther Mitchell Objects to Help September 14, 1906: Women Not Agitated September 15, 1906: Mrs. Creffield’s Trial Set for Next Month September 17, 1906: Mrs. Creffield on Stand September 18, 1906: Maud Creffield Anxious to Hang September 19, 1906: Are They Sane of Insane? September 21, 1906: Both Women May Go Scott Free September 22, 1906: Where is This Thing to End! September 23, 1906: Murders Must Be Tried September 24, 1906: Must Not Deport September 25, 1906: Judge Frater is in Very Small Business September 28, 1906: Insanity Board Not Paid October 1, 1906: Holy Roller Woman Dies While in Trance November 9, 1906: Mrs. Creffield Said to Be in Very Nervous State November 17, 1906: Maud Creffield Dies in the County Jail November 18, 1906: Death May End a Hypnotic Spell November 19, 1906: Reviews Findings in Examination of Brain November 20, 1906: Mrs. Creffield Killed Herself with Poison! November 21, 1906: Poison Is Found In The Stomach Of Mrs. Creffield November 22, 1906: Esther Says Maud Did Not Kill Herself December 4, 1906: Washing Dirty Linen December 17, 1906: Sad Christmas For Holy Roller February 21, 1907: Esther Mitchell Goes to Asylum April 30, 1907: Esther Mitchell Still Believe in Creffield & His Return April 6, 1909: Esther Mitchell Leaves Asylum April 9, 1914: Esther Mitchell Marries James Berry August 3, 1914: Esther Mitchell is Dead By Own Hand 1953 Stewart Holbrook's Murder Without Tears 1951 Startling Detective Magazine: Nemesis of the Nudist High PriestA List of All the Articles
***
***
***
1903 to 1907 Newspaper Articles About the Holy Rollers
1906 Editorial Calling for Gun Control
After Multiple Murders Involving the Holy Rollers
Stewart Holbrook Holy Rollers Article
Advertisements from 1893 to 1913
***
Oregon Insane Asylum
Where the Holy Rollers Were Committed
Creffield, Brainwashing & Thought Reform
Early Cases of Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity
1906 Autopsies Of Holy Rollers
Forensics Before CSI
Holy Roller Bizarre Divorce Decree
Hartley describes trying to kill his wife's lover
***
The Shadow Testament
A Play About The Holy Rollers
How the Fire Fell
A Movie About The Holy Rollers
***
Life in Corvallis in the early 1900s
Life in Waldport, OR in early 1900s
Facts & Stats about 1906
And How The Holy Rollers Measured Up
Oregon State Penitentiary
Where Creffield Was Incarcerated
***
Could you ever be lured into joining a cult?
Share your thoughts about, and experiences with, cults
***
The Salvation Army Opening Fire in 1886
Reverend Knapp's Bible Songs of Salvation & Victory
Songs Sung by the Holy Rollers
About the Authors
In addition to writing, McCracken is a cartoonist.
To see some of her 'toons, go to the Home of McHumor Cartoons mchumor.com
Snail Mail
Theresa (T-) McCracken
890 North Bayview Loop
Waldport, Oregon 97394
(541) 563-3112
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