Vigilante Newspapers: A Tale of Sex, Religion, And Murder in the Northwest [Paperback]

Gerald J. Baldasty (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 5, 2005

This riveting work of social history documents the role the news media played in spurring two murders revolving around Edmund Creffield, a charismatic 'Holy Roller' evangelist who arrived in Corvallis, Oregon, in 1903 and quickly enraged the citizenry by defiantly challenging the religious and sexual mores of the time. When ardent female followers began refusing to speak to their non-believing husbands, vigilantes tarred and feathered Creffield, eventually forcing him to flee to Seattle. Once there, Creffield was murdered by George Mitchell, the brother of one of his followers.The news media in Seattle and Oregon applauded George's defence of his sister Ethel's honour, influencing the jury. Citing temporary insanity, the jury quickly acquitted George, pleasing the cheering crowds and the approving media. As George prepared to return to Oregon, however, Esther shot him point-blank at Union Station and another moralizing media frenzy broke out. Esther was sent to Western State Hospital and committed suicide after her release.Her short life was among the most poignant of the dozens wrecked by the controversy. Gerald Baldasty's examination of Seattle and Oregon media coverage shows the tenacity with which frontier media protected traditional mores, particularly the notion that men are responsible for women's purity and have the right to take action if they feel another man has besmirched a woman's honour. Expertly crafted in a brisk, accessible style, Vigilante Newspapers illustrates through the tragic tale of Edmund Creffield, George Mitchell, and Esther Mitchell how the news media defined social deviance using vague concepts such as hysteria and temporary insanity, vigorously defending the established order of religious, class, and gender norms.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The facts of the case are relatively straightforward, if a little tawdry. In a small Oregon town more than a century ago, Edmund Creffield started a weird little cult involving women and a certain amount of nudity. George Mitchell, brother of one of the women, killed Creffield and then was acquitted of murder, the jury finding that he acted in defense of his sister. Unfortunately, his sister, Esther, didn't quite agree; she shot and killed her brother. Later, Esther took her own life. In telling their story, the author, a communications professor at the University of Washington, focuses on media coverage of the case. How did newspapers report this odd, twisted story? How much did newspaper accounts of the proceedings affect their outcome (Mitchell, for example, was consistently portrayed as a hero, protecting family values)? And, more generally, where is the line that separates reporting the news from influencing its development? Highly recommended, in particular, to journalism students. David Pitt
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Review

"An outstanding book on a compelling sequence of events, told in a fashion that is at once engaging and full of implication for the broader history of the media and gender roles." John Nerone, author of Violence Against the Press: Policing the Public Sphere in U.S. History "This is a powerful and instructive story of how intolerant and sensational newspapers in Corvallis and Seattle encouraged vigilante violence, murder, and lawlessness toward an Oregon religious cult. The author places multiple tragedies that befell Edmund Creffield and his mostly female followers in the context of important changes under way in the urban and community press in the twentieth century."- Steve Ponder, author of Managing the Press: Origins of the Media Presidency, 1897-1933

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 189 pages
• Publisher: Univ of Washington Pr (November 5, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0295985291
• ISBN-13: 978-0295985299
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #466,264 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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