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| Detroit Free Press, July 24, 1929 (enlarge) |
So you've got a plague, eh? Well, at least you're not being pursued
by a witch. Detroit of the 1920s was a mystical malaise of voodoo,
occultism, cults and mob murder. Not that Detroit was alone in such
incidents, as the last article shown here attests to, concerning the
Burgess murder in Kalamazoo not long before this incident, as well as
the Evangelista cult slayings in Detroit where the entire family was
decapitated.
In the summer of 1929 Roy and Della Tomlin went to Detro
it
police with their 5 children (Alec, 9, Elvina, 4, Evelyn, 16, Clice, 1 and Leona, 8) begging for protection from a witch and
were promptly placed under psychiatric care at Receiving Hospital.
According to their 16-year-old daughter Evelyn the episode started with
a hex from an old Livonia woman with an evil eye near their previous
home at Plymouth and Farmington Rds. She was capable of moving tables
and making a broomstick dance and had warned them that perhaps she was a
witch, PROOF!.
Apparently there was a ghost, too. After the
family moved to Detroit a white visage appeared at a window in their
home at 15016 Bramell Avenue. Roy chased the ghost down the street and struck at it but his hand
went through the white figure to the astonishment of the afflicted
family. Or so they said.
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| Detroit Free Press, July 26, 1929 |
Hospital officials thought otherwise and
Delia was later adjudged insane, having previously suffered mental
failings. I could find no determination upon Roy but his wife destined
for the asylum at Eloise or Pontiac, though I can find no record of
which she was eventually sentenced to.
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| Detroit Free Press, July 25, 1929 |
31 comments:
Fascinating story - do you know hwat happened to the children?
I do not. I'll do a follow-up search of their names and see if anything comes up.
Thanks - I note there is another follow on article in the same newspaper on the 25th July - but I cannot see what the text alludes to. Presumably a continuation of same story?
Oh, nothing...except that he had the right to kill the witch. I've posted the article at the end of the story. I've yet to discover anything about what happened to the children.
Many thanks for additional post. I remain struck by the tragedy of the event – and how differently we would have dealt with it today.
Irrespective of whether the witch was real or imagined, the threat nevertheless was perceived sufficiently real for the parents to seek help from the police – which seems in the circumstance to be an appropriate course of action – only then for both to be detained, and their children taken into care.
Yeah, no problem. Wish I had more time to look into it but have been fairly busy at work. Maybe next week. Thanks for checking in. Feel free to keep asking for or offering up information.
Two entirely different perspectives portrayed in this story: the police and psychiatrist clearly diagnosed this as mental illness, mainly on part of the woman – particularly in the recent context of the Kalamazoo incident – and yet it appears it was not just the mother that ‘saw’ and feared the witch (and also the ghost) – so also seems did the man and daughter. Indeed the most recent article you posted has the former apparently stating he would kill to defend his family from the witch, and tried to touch the ghost. Yet they were not detained by the police in the course of a crime, but rather actively sought police help. Would be valuable to hear the account from the children’s perspective – and also to know if there were any other reports of a ‘witch’ or such like in the locality recorded in the article. I am intrigued.
Literally weeks before the infamous Evangelista family cult beheading murders occurred in Detroit so the family was likely vastly affected by that horrendous crime. I'll look around elsewhere as well but psychologically this tragedy had to be fresh on their minds.
https://coldcaseshardcopy.blogspot.com/2011/07/divine-profetil-author-and-private.html
Also, I updated some of the dead links. Mind you, back when I first posted these stories Blogger had a data limit and one was forced to used secondary photo hosting sites, which has proved very problematic! Anyway, the ones updates from the early days are:
Axe Used To Kill Parents And Kiddies (2); The Border Cities Star, July 3, 1929
'Divine Prophet,' Wife, 4 Children Hacked To Death (2) (3); The Detroit Free Press, July 4, 1929
Massacre of 6 in Cult Family Baffles Police (2); The Detroit Free Press, July 5, 1929
Mystery Calls Bare Murder (2); The Detroit Free Press, July 5, 1929
Unfortunately the free book preview link has died and doesn't seem to have been uploaded elsewhere without a charge.
Additional posts provide fascinating (if disturbing) insight into Detroit 1930s - thanks. When I read first case (hexed family), I did wonder given the age of the youngest child and the period of onset whether postnatal depression may have been a contributing factor. In your post "Terrified, She Jumps Into Space (2); The Detroit Free Press, July 7, 1929", I note similar period, again Detroit, the woman here certainly seems to have had postnatal depression by the description offered - and heavily influenced by the Evangelina tragedy. Even so, I do wonder if there is any mention elsewhere of 'witch' in the hexed case, given the family allude to neighbours' warnings.
Here's a full page feature on Michigan's hex problem in the months after the mentioned cases.
https://flic.kr/p/2ksA9x2
Part 2 + another semi-related story:
https://flic.kr/p/2ksAfGr
https://flic.kr/p/2kswxe4
Again, appreciate your retrieving and posting of these articles. The first expands the hexed family story by describing the induced illnesses in other members of the family (not just the mother) – the second story again relates to a (younger) witch in similar region (near Livonia?) and probably similar time frame (article mentions ‘recent’ Tomlins case). I would not be surprised if same year.
Yes, these all occurred within the same time period. Sometimes within in weeks and months of each other. The rapid influx of immigrants from Europe and black folks from the south to Detroit to fill the ranks of the burgeoning auto industry working class brought with it everything from the superstitions of the evil eye to black magic. If you search around this blog you will see that Spiritualism had a hold on the Detroit of the 1920s and grouped with organized mob violence, police incompetence, religious zealots of doom, gloom and salvation, paranormal charlatans and suicide clubs, among the myriad, almost anything imaginable was possible and probably did occur. No wonder the insane asylums in Michigan were filled to overflowing.
Yes, most interesting – indeed you paint a vivid picture that provides valuable context to the original story – and the possible/likely influence on the family’s tragic experience. Following on your comment regarding a rise in spiritualism in Detroit – I did wonder what influence the Psychic Spiritualist church in Brightmoor (original article) might have had on this story, for the journalist to have made mention of.
I found nothing on the mentioned church that related to that time period. Though I have tracked down quite a few more articles in the Evangelista case.
Interesting - thought there might have been a reason journalist had mentioned - aybe not.
Struck by the picture of the disconsolate children in the Detroit Free Press article, I spent some time google searching and finally came up with article link below:
https://newspaperarchive.com/medina-county-gazette-mar-02-1954-p-1/
Cannot download (least not without cc), but think the mother involved in fire tragedy is possibly the Evelyn in hexed family article – particularly if children tragically lost in fire include Donald(/Duncan). Again, such a sad story. Not found much yet on other children in picture.
https://flic.kr/p/2kufMQZ
https://flic.kr/p/2kujWxe
Again, thanks for posting. Have now read and my 'possibly' is likely now 'probably'. Not a perfect match to profile I was building from weekend google searches, but close. If so then the article starting phrase 'Tragedy stalks ..' is tragically apt.
No problem. Luckily, I have free access to Newspaper Archives through some state library program that I signed up for.
Is there any particular reason that you're researching this story?
For interest sake. Find pictures that ‘tell a story’ fascinating. Picture of hexed family certainly one such and (via your blog) gives insight into bizarre story (stranger than fiction). Always taken by story with conflicting perspectives. Read several times and still unresolved as to whether a case of mental illness in time of heightened witch awareness (Evangelina, Kalamazoo), or was there some substance to the alleged ‘witch’ ? perhaps both. Based on the articles you could build a case for both. The untold story is how life then unfolded for family.
The Thomas Bradford case, which is probably my most popular post on the Weird Detroit blog may be the most fascinating of them all. Though the one with the girl in the trance--the name escapes me now and I'm too lazy to look--is up there as well.
Her name was Shirley Tapp. I found all of these stories while researching a local b-celebrity witch (former schoolteacher) named Gundella (Marion Kuclo; http://gundella.blogspot.com). Which eventually led to me researching a local legendary insane asylum and poorhouse (http://portraitsofeloise.blogspot.com) as well. No, I'm not attempting to promote my blogs but if you're interested in Detroit history well...I'm a pretty decent archivist, a very haphazard and temperamental scribe and I simply can't stop branching off from the two.
https://weirddetroit.blogspot.com/2011/08/slain-by-lord-shirley-tapps-awakening.html
https://weirddetroit.blogspot.com/2011/08/slain-by-lord-shirley-tapps-awakening.html
This story is about my grandmother. If you find out any other information on this story I'd love to know what you find.
What was her name and can you offer any information on her life after these incidents? Thanks for checking in.
An emerging hypothesis for you: Rev E Armitage = 'old witch'. Anything on the 'apparently absent' Rev Armitage? She is a recognised person in books on the subject of that age.
Haven't looked into this in a while in deference to Eber Brock Ward mania (https://houseofward.blogspot.com) but I'll take a peek.
Did a brief research post.
https://weirddetroit.blogspot.com/2021/03/the-first-psychic-spiritualist-church.html
Also, what information have you found about her because I've come across almost nothing?
Rev E Armitage featured in a book listing famed spiritualists across the world.
Which book?
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