Murdering holiness : the trials of Franz Creffield and George Mitchell
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
Electronic books
1 online resource (x, 347 pages) : illustrations, map
9780774809061, 9780774851916, 9781283131223, 9786613131225, 077480906X, 0774851910, 1283131226, 6613131229
181843258
AcknowledgmentsCast of Principal Characters 1. Introduction2. The Creffield Sect in Corvallis, 19033. Driving Out the Sect: The Triumph of the White Caps, 1903-44. "Sensualist Practices Prescribed and Ordained as Coming fromHeaven": Sex and the Creffield Sect5. Disciplining the Sect: Invoking Insanity Law, 19046. Revival and Revenge, January to May 19067. Seattle Prepares for Trial, May and June 19068. Justifiable Homicide and the Unwritten Law: Seattle Debates theMitchell Case9. The Trial of George Mitchell, Part 1: Jury Selection and the Casefor the Prosecution10. The Trial of George Mitchell, Part 2: The Unwritten Law11. "And the Evil That Men Do Lives After Them": The Deathof George Mitchell12. The Law, Maud Creffield, and Esther Mitchell EpilogueAppendix: The Creffield Sect MembershipNotesBibliographyIndex
English