Murdering Holiness explores the story of the "Holy Roller" sect led by Franz Creffield in the early years of the twentieth century. In the opening chapters, the authors introduce us to the community of Corvallis, Oregon, where Creffield, a charismatic, self-styled messiah, taught his followers to forsake their families and worldly possessions and to seek salvation through him. As his teachings became more extreme, the local community reacted: Creffield was tarred and feathered and his followers were incarcerated in the state asylum. Creffield himself was later imprisoned for adultery, but shortly after his release he revived the sect. This proved too much for some of the adherents` families, and in May 1906 George Mitchell, the brother of two women in the sect, pursued Creffield to Seattle and shot him dead. The authors take us into the courtroom for the trial that made headlines across North America, as Mitchell was acquitted of murder. Though the formal plea was insanity, the defence built its case on the "unwritten law" that justified killing to protect or avenge family honour. Based on court records and archival sources, this case study includes a detailed examination of the trial, the media?s response to it, and the dramatic aftermath, and sheds light on the rise of ardent religion in the Pacific Northwest, the justice system in Seattle, and the role of the press in influencing public opinion.
Authors
- Bibliography, etc. Note
- Includes bibliographical references (p. 325-339) and index
- Control Number Identifier
- CaOOCEL
- Dewey Decimal Classification Number
- 345.797/02523
- Dewey Decimal Edition Number
- 21
- General Note
- Issued as part of the desLibris books collection
- Geographic Area Code
- n-us-or
- ISBN
- 9780774851916
- LCCN
- KF224.C69
- LCCN Item number
- P48 2003eb
- Modifying agency
- CaBNVSL
- Original cataloging agency
- CaBNVSL
- Physical Description | Extent
- 1 electronic text (x, 347 p.)
- Published in
- Canada
- Publisher or Distributor Number
- CaOOCEL
- Rights
- Access restricted to authorized users and institutions
- System Control Number
- (CaBNVSL)gtp00521816 (OCoLC)181843258 (CaOOCEL)404299
- System Details Note
- Mode of access: World Wide Web
- Transcribing agency
- CaBNVSL
Table of Contents
- Contents 6
- Acknowledgments 8
- Cast of Principal Characters 10
- 1 Introduction 14
- 2 The Creffield Sect in Corvallis, 1903 20
- 3 Driving Out the Sect: The Triumph of the White Caps, 1903-1904 48
- 4 “Sensualist Practices Prescribed and Ordained as Coming from Heaven”: Sex and the Creffield Sect 70
- 5 Disciplining the Sect: Invoking Insanity Law, 1904 89
- 6 Revival and Revenge, January to May 1906 107
- 7 Seattle Prepares for Trial, May and June 1906 118
- 8 Justifiable Homicide and the Unwritten Law: Seattle Debates the Mitchell Case 134
- 9 The Trial of George Mitchell, Part 1: Jury Selection and the Case for the Prosecution 154
- 10 The Trial of George Mitchell, Part 2: The Unwritten Law 171
- 11 “And the Evil That Men Do Lives After Them”: The Death of George Mitchell 205
- 12 The Law, Maud Creffield, and Esther Mitchell 219
- Epilogue 246
- Appendix: The Creffield Sect Membership 258
- Notes 260
- Bibliography 338
- Index 354
- A 354
- B 354
- C 355
- D 356
- E 356
- F 356
- G 356
- H 356
- I 357
- J 357
- K 357
- L 357
- M 357
- N 358
- O 358
- P 358
- Q 359
- R 359
- S 359
- T 360
- U 360
- V 360
- W 360
- Y 360
