International Journal of Cultic Studies ■ Vol. 1, No. 1, 2010 37
cult” (Ottawa Citizen, 1983 see Daley, 1985:
154–155). Moreover, upon her return, she bore
scars on her legs and buttocks that her
mother, once a member of the church,
claims are the result of whippings
administered by sect members. ‘These
are sick and dangerous people who
would do this to a child in the name of
Jesus,’ the mother, Deborah Heflin 26,
said in a telephone interview....
(Nickerson, 1983: 87)
A medical doctor in Alabama examined Spring,
and he reported that “she had ‘multiple, long,
narrow, discolored scar tissue areas over the ...
buttocks and posterior thighs—the result of
severe blows to this area with a rod-like
instrument’” (quoted in Daley, 1985: 155).
It turned out, too, that Spring had babysat Juan
Mattatall’s daughter, Lydia, in Europe. The
information that she brought back, however, was
deeply disturbing. Detective Corporal Peter M.
Johnson filed a report about his interview with
Spring, indicating that she told him,
During the time in Spain, Spring was
severely disciplined by Kirsten Nelson
and Gene and Marsha Spriggs. Spring
Howell advised that she was hit all over
with a stick with her clothes off. During
the interview, Spring showed concern
for children that [sic] were still with the
group Spring named Lydia (Lydia
Mattatall), Semony Daniel and
Benjamin Sayer that [sic] they were still
getting beaten Spring advised that
during breakfast, if she asked for more
food, she would get a beating. Spring
was suppose[d] to take care of Lydia
Mattatall and advised that Lydia was
still in diapers Spring got a spanking for
lying about Lydia wetting the bed.
(Johnson 1983a: 1)
Shifting to information that the police officer
received from Spring’s mother, his report
continued:
Deborah Heflin advised that at one
point, approximately 3½ years ago, she
was forced to watch as Gene Spriggs
and James Brooks hit Spring with a stick
until she bled Deborah advised that
Spring was scarred up when she came
home from Spain and that a few weeks
after she returned, photographs were
taken Deborah gave this officer written
permission to obtain the photographs....
(Johnson, 1983a: 2)
It appeared, therefore, that the founder and
leader of the Northeast Kingdom Community
was practicing corporal punishment against
children, not to mention requiring a child to care
for an infant. About a month after officer
Johnson filed this report, and in a surprise twist
of fortune, Mattatall recovered his daughter, in
October 1983, when Canadians living on Cape
Sable Island, Nova Scotia who had seen a
television show about the group recognized
Spriggs and phoned both the Royal Canadian
Mounted Police and Canadian Broadcasting
Corporation television (Gorham, 1983).18
Information provided by defector Arthur Fritog
(apparently in January 1983)19 established the
connection between the alleged beating behavior
by the leader and his wife in Spain and the
probable beating practices in Island Pond,
Vermont. Fritog departed the group after having
attended the meeting where two elders asked
baptized community members to pray for Juan
Mattatall’s death. As a Vietnam War veteran
told a friend at the time, however, “‘I’ve
watched a lot of men die, and I’ve been party to
a lot of men dying…. I assured him that nobody
knew what death was. I could not ask for a man
to die,’” so he left the meeting and departed
18 Palmer, (1999: 162) mistakenly gives the year as 1982 when
Mattatall retrieved his daughter, but it was 1983.
19 As sometimes happens when one tries to piece together events
by using documents, I have encountered some problems around
events and dates concerning Arthur Fritog that I cannot resolve.
The newspaper article indicating that Fritog had left the Northeast
Kingdom Community has a handwritten date on it of “January 12,
1983” (Braithwaite, 1983). I also have, however, an affidavit by
Detective Corporal Peter M. Johnson, dated July 18, 1983, alleging
that that a person named Timothy Pendergrass had committed
“simple assault” against Fritog’s son by “hitting hit with a piece of
2 x 4 on the buttocks” as a punishment for laughing with two other
boys (Johnson, 1983c). Does this report mean that Fritog remained
in Island Pond after he left the group? Did he rejoin it after issuing
his harsh criticisms against the media? Is the handwritten date
incorrect on the newspaper photocopy that I have? The fact that
detective Johnson reached Arthur Fritog by telephone suggests that
he no longer was a part of the Northeast Kingdom Community but
if that is so, then why did Pendergrass allegedly beat his son? I
cannot resolve these issues.
cult” (Ottawa Citizen, 1983 see Daley, 1985:
154–155). Moreover, upon her return, she bore
scars on her legs and buttocks that her
mother, once a member of the church,
claims are the result of whippings
administered by sect members. ‘These
are sick and dangerous people who
would do this to a child in the name of
Jesus,’ the mother, Deborah Heflin 26,
said in a telephone interview....
(Nickerson, 1983: 87)
A medical doctor in Alabama examined Spring,
and he reported that “she had ‘multiple, long,
narrow, discolored scar tissue areas over the ...
buttocks and posterior thighs—the result of
severe blows to this area with a rod-like
instrument’” (quoted in Daley, 1985: 155).
It turned out, too, that Spring had babysat Juan
Mattatall’s daughter, Lydia, in Europe. The
information that she brought back, however, was
deeply disturbing. Detective Corporal Peter M.
Johnson filed a report about his interview with
Spring, indicating that she told him,
During the time in Spain, Spring was
severely disciplined by Kirsten Nelson
and Gene and Marsha Spriggs. Spring
Howell advised that she was hit all over
with a stick with her clothes off. During
the interview, Spring showed concern
for children that [sic] were still with the
group Spring named Lydia (Lydia
Mattatall), Semony Daniel and
Benjamin Sayer that [sic] they were still
getting beaten Spring advised that
during breakfast, if she asked for more
food, she would get a beating. Spring
was suppose[d] to take care of Lydia
Mattatall and advised that Lydia was
still in diapers Spring got a spanking for
lying about Lydia wetting the bed.
(Johnson 1983a: 1)
Shifting to information that the police officer
received from Spring’s mother, his report
continued:
Deborah Heflin advised that at one
point, approximately 3½ years ago, she
was forced to watch as Gene Spriggs
and James Brooks hit Spring with a stick
until she bled Deborah advised that
Spring was scarred up when she came
home from Spain and that a few weeks
after she returned, photographs were
taken Deborah gave this officer written
permission to obtain the photographs....
(Johnson, 1983a: 2)
It appeared, therefore, that the founder and
leader of the Northeast Kingdom Community
was practicing corporal punishment against
children, not to mention requiring a child to care
for an infant. About a month after officer
Johnson filed this report, and in a surprise twist
of fortune, Mattatall recovered his daughter, in
October 1983, when Canadians living on Cape
Sable Island, Nova Scotia who had seen a
television show about the group recognized
Spriggs and phoned both the Royal Canadian
Mounted Police and Canadian Broadcasting
Corporation television (Gorham, 1983).18
Information provided by defector Arthur Fritog
(apparently in January 1983)19 established the
connection between the alleged beating behavior
by the leader and his wife in Spain and the
probable beating practices in Island Pond,
Vermont. Fritog departed the group after having
attended the meeting where two elders asked
baptized community members to pray for Juan
Mattatall’s death. As a Vietnam War veteran
told a friend at the time, however, “‘I’ve
watched a lot of men die, and I’ve been party to
a lot of men dying…. I assured him that nobody
knew what death was. I could not ask for a man
to die,’” so he left the meeting and departed
18 Palmer, (1999: 162) mistakenly gives the year as 1982 when
Mattatall retrieved his daughter, but it was 1983.
19 As sometimes happens when one tries to piece together events
by using documents, I have encountered some problems around
events and dates concerning Arthur Fritog that I cannot resolve.
The newspaper article indicating that Fritog had left the Northeast
Kingdom Community has a handwritten date on it of “January 12,
1983” (Braithwaite, 1983). I also have, however, an affidavit by
Detective Corporal Peter M. Johnson, dated July 18, 1983, alleging
that that a person named Timothy Pendergrass had committed
“simple assault” against Fritog’s son by “hitting hit with a piece of
2 x 4 on the buttocks” as a punishment for laughing with two other
boys (Johnson, 1983c). Does this report mean that Fritog remained
in Island Pond after he left the group? Did he rejoin it after issuing
his harsh criticisms against the media? Is the handwritten date
incorrect on the newspaper photocopy that I have? The fact that
detective Johnson reached Arthur Fritog by telephone suggests that
he no longer was a part of the Northeast Kingdom Community but
if that is so, then why did Pendergrass allegedly beat his son? I
cannot resolve these issues.
