Original subtitles

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

[Applause]

it was in the mid

1920s a woman flashed across the

consciousness of millions a startling

erratic Comet successfully competing for

headlines with Bootleggers flag pole

sitters the Scopes Monkey

Trial also competing with the brilliant

personalities of the sports

world

the glitter of Hollywood Valentino

chaplain Senate and his famous Bathing

Beauties and many more she inspired the

most impassioned belief the most acid

skepticism legally she was Amy simple

mcferson but to the world she was Amy or

Sister Amy Amy was inspirational Amy was

unpredictable Amy was

news I'll take Jesus for

my

I'll take Jesus for

mine oh you can have the whole wide

world I'll take Jesus for

M oh you can have the whole world I'll

take Jesus

for I come to the Garden of

[Music]

the son God

is and he walks with me and he talks

with me and he tell me I am his own and

the

there

[Music]

there has ever

known

with I am

his

[Music]

and

Rock

ofes

for let

be

[Music]

with

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

[Music]

and

[Music]

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

[Applause]

the

[Applause]

I take Jesus for

mine I take Jesus for

mine I Jesus

for oh you

can my world I take Jesus for

the Lord bless

you God bless you for coming here in

such strength

[Applause]

tonight the

ordeal that I and my poor mother are

facing my beloved

mother whose only crime has been to love

and cherish her daughter

the ordeal we must Face

Tomorrow is nothing

new far from

it what we are

enduring what each one of you is sharing

with us is part of the unending

struggle the age old fight between the

children of

light and the people of Darkness oh it's

true speak out the hordes of evil

against the Crusaders for

[Applause]

Christ I don't have to tell you that the

enemy is

powerful and unscrupulous and determined

to destroy

me no I know word has reached me that

the district attorney said either she

will have to go

or we will have to go who will

[Applause]

goall yes I know the district attorney

means to do plenty to me but I am not

afraid let the district attorney plant

his false evidence let him parade his

pack of professional Liars let him look

back over the 17 years I have given to

preaching Christ's word and let him see

if he can find a flaw

anywhere

Hallelujah the mother and I are called

to make a stand for the right and such

stands must be made alone as our Lord

made his on the cross mother and I are

going on trial alone as our Lord did on

the cross mother and I want to go

through it alone as our Lord did on the

cross mother and I want to go through it

alone as our Lord did on the cross we

are going down there smiling and we are

coming up shining

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

I'll take Jesus for

m i take Jesus

for oh you can the whole world I'll take

Jesus

for I'll take Jesus

for I take Jesus

for for you can the my go I take Jesus

[Music]

for

over here

sister

[Applause]

luck

not even in the building already she's

winning the first

round London I am like a lamb led to the

slaughter we need much more than

that we need more than just that if

[Applause]

we

good morning ladies good morning Mr

mother Kennedy remember me I'm on your

side you better be considering how much

you're costing us Well ma'am some of us

work for love and some of us work for

money morning

a the da looks like something doesn't

agree with him maybe he heard sister's

sermon last night

all rise this Municipal Court City of

Los Angeles is now in session judge

Samuel Blake

presiding the people versus mcperson

this is a preliminary hearing for this

court to determine whether or not

there's sufficient evidence to try the

case before a

jury Mr

kais

[Music]

your

honor the people proposed to show that

Amy simple mcferson along with her

mother Minnie Kennedy conspired to

commit acts injurious to the public

morals to prevent and obstruct

Justice the people will show that Amy

sample mcferson disappeared

surreptitiously from Venice California

onor about May 18th

1926 and reappeared onor about 2:00 a.m.

in the morning June 23rd

1926 behind a Slaughter housee in Sonora

Mexico the people will show that Amy SLE

mcfur went before a grand jury and

knowing full well at the time that she

had not been kidnapped falsely and

fraudulently represented and pretended

that she had been kidnapped and kept in

an unconscious condition for more than

30

days the people will show that from May

19th on up to and including the 29th of

May

1926 Amy simple mcferson resided and

remained concealed with

goggles and other devices and

contrivances at Carmel By the Sea from

which place she departed with Kenneth G

orist with the full knowledge

acquiescence and consent of mother

Minnie

Kennedy and finally we would point out

to the court that as a direct result of

the defendant's fake disappearance two

men lost their lives in the Pacific

Ocean we take this action against a

person held so high in the religious

esteem of many with regret but the

people of this community and the

righteous people of all religions

deserve a right to a fair and open

hearing of this situation which has

become a nationwide a worldwide

scand as our first

witness we

call Emma

sh

place your left hand on the Bible please

and raise your

right you solemnly swear that the

testimony you shall give shall be the

truth the whole truth and nothing but

the truth so help you guide I

do you may sit

down

is it uh Miss Schaffer or

Mrs Miss how are you

employed I'm secretary to Mrs mcferson

you often accompany your employer on

errands outside the

temple yes where did you accompany her

on the afternoon of May

18th we went to Ocean Park

Beach and while sister enjoyed the water

I looked up Bible references for

her did you leave Mrs mcferson alone at

any

time yes I went to the hotel to call

mother Kennedy to tell her that sister

was unable to keep a 4:30 appointment

and also to bring back some orange

juice Emma come on I

eat bring it

out oh sister don't

tease I'll be with this

s

so you reported to Mother Kennedy that

Mrs mcferson had

drowned no I

didn't I uh never said that she'd

drowned I was afraid that's what had

happened but I never used that word I

told Mother Kennedy that sister had

disappeared in the water when you told

Mother Kennedy that her daughter had

disappeared into the water did she

become hysterical did she go all the

people

pieces mother Kennedy would never go all

to pieces she's the one who holds things

together she said I'll have to stand up

and make the best of it instead of

asking for Comfort she tried to comfort

us brothers and sisters here in the

temple and dear friends sitting at home

beside your

radios we share a heavy burden

tonight as many of you may have

heard this afternoon while swimming at

Ocean Park

Beach our beloved

Amy my cherished

daughter

drowned so far all our desperate efforts

to recover her body have

failed I know the word that echoing in

every heart that word is

why she was such a powerful

swimmer I cannot believe she was drowned

by any ordinary current or

Tide I believe a blow on her head caused

her

death often last summer after the

evening service we would drive down to

the

beach and our Amy would weep at the

sorted

scenes her heartbreaking for those

pitiful young

girls there weren't any

threats but you

know the underworld never warns before

it

strikes it cannot be a

coincidence that we lost Amy on the very

Beach she was going to preach against

why she was taken we do not

know how she was

taken we cannot be

sure but we do

know she is with

Jesus pray for her

[Music]

in the

Sweet By and

By we shall meet on that

beautiful

Shore in the

Sweet By and By

we shall

Le on that

[Music]

you miss Schaffer would you say mother

Kennedy accepted her daughter's death

very

readily she accepted it what else could

she

do everything was being done to recover

the

body take

[Music]

Jesus I'll take Jesus

for

[Music]

[Music]

let me

hide myself in

me let the

water and the

blood from th

w

[Music]

i mother Kennedy had a search

headquarters set up on the beach and we

served coffee and sandwiches Around the

Clock

a deep sea diver was brought in and

mother Kennedy was there listening to

his progress step by step and yet many

people felt from the first that there

was reason to believe that Mrs mcferson

was in fact

alive oh well there were rumors vicious

stories made up to sell

newspapers as if Mother Kennedy hadn't

enough to Bear the reporters gave her no

peace could your daughter have slipped

out of the water and chosen to disappear

she could have but she didn't she

drowned have you absolutely no hope then

she may be alive none Mrs Kennedy most

people in your situation would cling to

the least sh of hope nobody's ever been

in my situation before you say you have

no hope but you've posted a $225,000

reward to stop the rumors calling the

bluff of all the people who claim to

know where Amy is that's a generous

offer and yet we understand that Temple

is in financial trouble another vicious

rumor was Mrs mcferson heavily

insured there's not one Penny's worth of

insurance on Amy's life is it true that

you've heard from kidnappers to claim to

be holding Mrs mcferson that's true I've

handed it over to the police is it true

district attorney kais is considering a

move into the case ask

him is

it how many people lost their lives

searching for a body that was never

there lost their lives wasn't there at

least two deaths directly related to the

search there was the diver from Catalina

they said he died of a ruptured appendix

and pneumonia induced by strenuous

diving in icy

waters and there was another young

man with the unlikely name of Robert

browny

I remember now he thought he saw

sister's body and he tried to swim out

and an hour later his body washed ashore

can you identify this

Photograph yes please speak up who is

this

man Kenneth

ormiston people offer this photograph of

Kenneth orist as exhibit

a where did you know Kenneth ormiston

from he worked at the temple in what

capacity he's a radio engineer he

installed the station for s for Mrs

mcferson how long was Mr ormiston

employed by Mrs

mcferson about a year maybe a little

more did Mr oron work closely with Mrs

mcferson he did his

job

why did Kenneth ormiston leave the

temple he was dismissed by whom by

mother Kennedy she does all the hiring

and firing why would mother Kennedy fire

Kenneth ormiston you'll have to ask her

was Kenneth ormiston a married

man yes but while working with Mrs

mcferson he was separated from his wife

for part of the time yes hadn't Kenneth

oron's wife threatened to divorce him

and name Mrs mcferson as the other woman

objection Mr Ka is leading the

witness

sustain when did Mr Alston leave the

temple in January of this year did you

ever see Kenneth orston at the temple

after he was

dismissed in May May shortly before Mrs

merson's

disappearance

yes M Shaffer in the temple is there a

direct telephone line from the platform

to the radio station

upstairs there is did Mrs mcferson often

use that phone to speak with Kenneth

ormiston when the occasion

[Music]

demanded

and

HS

and is that an

order well you know I don't take orders

very gracefully but well this is one

more exception I'm going to make in your

case me

[Music]

too

well Mrs

Kennedy it's been a long time not long

enough visitors are not allowed in this

studio well being as how Kenny Mr

armiston used to work here I figured he

was an exception there are no exceptions

and if there were he wouldn't be one of

them

what are you doing here I came to see

Charlie well see Charlie on his own time

and in his own

place I thought you had accepted the

fact that the climate of Southern

California didn't agree with you

unfortunately it does seem hazardous

when your employment here was terminated

we added a get well bonus to finance

your search for a healthier spot blessed

are the merciful for they shall obtain

Mercy don't you mock

me we had an understanding a

bargain and you're not living up to your

part of it I mean

to I plan to move to the

Northwest Seattle when very soon

tonight this is mcferson

disappearance did the

corer for Los Angeles County refuse your

request for a death certificate

he did but mother Kennedy decided to

overrule the coroner and hold a gigantic

Memorial fundraising benefit anyway is

that not so there were Memorial Services

held for sister on Sunday June 20th a

little while and you shall not see me

and again in a little while you shall

see me because I go to the

father verily verily I say you shall

weep and the Min but the world shall

rejoice yes you shall be

sorrowful but your sorrow shall have

turned into

[Music]

Joy alas dear

friends you and I can no longer see our

beloved sister for she has gone to the

father for the wicked of the world it is

reason to

Rejoice many of you still grieve we

could not recover sister's body I never

thought we would recover her body it was

too precious to

Jesus

Hallelujah her Pulpit chair stands

empty it will never be occupied

again in

tribute to that glowing and undying

presence I know all of you are going to

be especially generous in your donations

and pledges to our Memorial collection

tonight

sister gave all to

you her dear dear

people I know that each one of you will

will always remember

[Music]

that for

me

let myself

in

go how much money was collected from the

memorial

tribute I can't exactly

recall wasn't it

$40,000 oh no no not that

much as I remember um was about

$4,500 in cash and about $30,000 in

pledges Miss

Schaffer do you recognize this envelope

these type

Pages yes this is the kidnap letter from

The Avengers have you read this letter

yes they claimed to be holding sister

and would release her if Mother Kennedy

paid them

$500,000 do you recognize

this yes that's a lock of hair that came

with that letter does this letter claim

the this to be a lock of Mrs mcferson

hair

yes did you think it

was no I couldn't recognize it as

sisters Miss shaer in this letter aren't

there answers to certain questions which

mother Kennedy posed as a test for the

authenticity of the kidnappers earlier

claims yes they describ a special

hammock that mother Kennedy had on her

Farm in Canada and her little dog

jip Miss schaer surely this lock of hair

and those accurate answers must have

convinced you and mother Kennedy that

Mrs mcferson was in fact alive no we

weren't convinced when did you give this

letter to Mother

Kennedy I believe it was Monday or

Tuesday wasn't it Saturday

no didn't mother Kennedy preach her

eloquent

$35,000 memorial service on Sunday after

she had read this letter on Saturday no

after she had seen this very convincing

evidence that Mrs mcferson was in fact

alive that letter wasn't read until

Monday or Tuesday after the

service no further questions at this

time

you may step

down

so help you God I

do Mr Moore you're a reporter for the

Santa Barbara press yes would you tell

the court what happened to you on the

afternoon of May 29th of this year uh

well we got a tip to the Los Ang times

that Kenneth Ariston was headed south

from San Lou abiso in a blue

Chrysler and there was a woman with him

Santa Barbara is halfway between s Louis

ab bisbo and Los Angeles yeah that's

right so uh late afternoon I drove a

little distance north on the Coast

Highway and parked it an

intersection

[Music]

w

hello hello what's this all about uh

we've been alerted to look out for a car

answering this

description oh you policeman I'm um

working with the police yeah uh what's

your

name Frank Gibson mhm and where are you

from I'm a hardware man from Sacramento

who alerted you uh where are you

going Los Angeles how do you do look

here what's all this about well uh

you're driving a car here that fits the

description of the machine that Kenneth

armiston and Mrs mcferson I supposed to

be

writing my god well we hate to be

mistaken for those two yeah

is this woman here this lady your

wife that's right now I want to know

what Authority you have to be

questioning us well no more questions

sorry to have bothered you have a safe

[Music]

trip Mr Moore is this the man the was

driving the blue Chrysler Coupe on the

afternoon of May

29th yes you're positive that the man

who said he was Frank Gibson was really

Kenneth ormiston I'm sure of

it Mr

Moore is that the woman that was with

Kenneth ormiston that

night um

I don't know Mr Moore you were within a

few feet of that

woman I'm sorry I just can't say for

sure no more questions I covered a

Revival in Fresno four years ago so you

would recognize her I think

so I have here A C copy of the Santa

Barbara press May 30th of this year in

which your story

appears and I

quote the

woman did not resemble Miss mcferson

except in general

Bill did you write those

words yes as a matter of fact when you

return returned to the office after

interviewing that couple in the car did

you say to your city

editor the woman was not Miss

mcferson Mr

Mo the witness will answer the

question yes I said in my opinion it

wasn't Amy

100% that's what it was part for us

today

100% in fact I'm going to forget what

little I know about arithmetic and say

it was

[Applause]

200% of

course we all

knew that our dear sister Emma would

stand firm and unyielding a rock of

Truth and Sanity and love what a shining

example we

have in Sister Emma's quiet

strength but that was only part of our

Triumph

today after dear sister Emma Mr kais

brought on The Fearless newspaper

reporter from Santa Barbara what

happened the well-trained little parot

didn't say the words they had put into

his mouth he

said the woman was not Mrs

mcferson in my opinion the woman was not

[Applause]

a dear

friends I wish you could have

seen asaki's face when he heard that his

lower lip qu Ed and dropped to his chin

and I thought for a minute the poor

frustrated man was going to

weep and we all

know Mr kais has good reason to

weep since our County Supervisors have

sworn out a complaint against

him yes our County Supervisors have

charged as hies with improper use of the

taxpayers money your

money while he persecutes us in one

courtroom he is facing a far Graver

felony charge in

another I know I know it isn't easy it

wasn't easy for our Lord do you think

it's easy for us but I ask you to do the

loving and Christian thing pray for the

man who is trying to bring us

[Applause]

down bring you

down she neglected to mention that I

indicted the supervisors

first we still have a strong case I

think day by day we can put it together

in the

courtroom not after tonight she can tear

it apart at the

temple

do you have any idea how many people

heard her just

now 200,000 300,000 half a million most

of them don't take her

seriously we'll have our day

tomorrow M clein you are now chief of

detectives of the Los Angeles Police

Department 17 years sir since 1909 when

Mrs mcferson disappeared on May 18 18th

of this year did you take a personal

interest in the case I did I put myself

on 24-hour Duty out at the beach isn't

that rather unusual

Captain this was a rather unusual case

sir I believe Mrs mcferson had drowned

but I wanted to make sure every lead was

traced through why were you convinced

the lady had

drowned well

sir what were the other possibilities

suicide there was no known motive and

besides why would a woman bother to

change into a bathing suit to drown

herself murder when she was last seen

she was in the water there was nobody

near her a lapse of

memory well if a woman in a green

bathing suit came out of the water and

wandered off how far do you think she'd

get with without being seen and kidnapp

him well sir how could the kidnappers

Spirit the lady out of the water passed

her

secretary you dismissed the possibility

of kidnapp but weren't there Ransom

notes from alleged kidnappers oh a lot

of them and we followed them all through

but they were mostly from

cranks seemed like half the population

of California wanted to be part of the

sure your

investigation was any attempt made to

locate Kenneth ormiston we certainly

did we had Witnesses usam at Angeles

Temple the week before Mrs mcferson

disappeared then 3 days after her

disappearance he was at the State motor

vehicle department in San

Francisco I was considering an allout

search for him

when N9 days after she disappeared he

strolled into search headquarters

without so much as a buy your

leave mother

Kennedy I understand you're looking for

me why

my Ken what a

surprise Captain Klein this is Mr

Ariston well how do you do sir Captain

Clan is investigating sister's

disappearance I'm glad you decided to

come in I read in a newspaper up in San

Francisco I was wanted for questioning I

caught the first train South Ah that's

fine that's fine I would you please take

a seat

thank

no were you on the beach with Mrs

mcferson the day she disappeared no of

course I wasn't no of course

not and when was the last time that you

seen her then at the temple a couple of

days before ah I spoke with Mother

Kennedy then

too and your relationship with Mrs MC I

admired and respected her and the

insinuations in the paper are an insult

to her memory oh yes

indeed you have been traveling around

under a lot of different names Mister

well my wife's threatened to make

adultery the basis of a divorce suit in

this state Captain adulter is a

statutory crime a man could end up in

prison or a

woman does your wife intend to charge

Mrs mcferson in this action oh no I

don't think even Ruth's that desperate

I'm the one she wants to

punish however in the face of what

mother Kennedy's going through my

problems seem very unimportant the

people who knew Mrs mcferson all they

have left is a memory of her and I

simply won't let the newspapers use me

to disfigure and mign that

memory so you found Kenneth ormiston

very Cooperative he cooperated

beautifully for about an hour on May

27th he's not not been seen since

Captain what was the next major

development in your investigation oh it

didn't do much except check out phony

leads until the morning of June

23rd I was awakened by a phone call from

the chief of police of Douglas Arizona I

went immediately to the temple residence

to report to Mother Kennedy he's sure

that it's Mrs

mcferson where is Douglas Arizona it's

in the uh Southeast corner of the state

on the border of Mexico as a matter of

fact apparently the kidnappers have been

holding her in

Mexico I don't believe it well it is

quite a ways from Ocean Park

Beach she escaped from the kidnappers

and ended up in a dead faint in some

Mexican's yard in a little nowhere place

called The auwa

prator can I call her she uh is going to

to call you here at

7:30 uh it's an hour later over there oh

there have been so many false alarms one

from kous Bay another one from montre

all yes but this time the authorities

are quite sure that it's the real Makai

but I can't blame you for being

skeptical I mean you get your hopes up

and then they're dashed to the

ground

hello

Mother

Amy mother it's so good to hear your

voice it is you

Amy oh my God it is

you are you all right yes they're Tak

good care of me here at the hospital but

mother has been a

nightmare all I want is to come home to

go on with my work don't

talk I'm coming

there and until I get there you just

rest and

relax mother don't

talk how could she have been taking

without being

seen Amy never listened to

strangers are you all right Mrs all

right it's just

that after accepting her

death delivering her memorial service

to hear a

[Music]

voice oh what's this a ransom

letter

and when did you receive this letter Mrs

yesterday and why didn't you notify me

then I was going to call you this

morning did you accompany Mrs Kennedy to

Douglas Arizona I did and a Mr Joseph

Ryan a deputy from your own office went

along with

us

mother

mother sister sister

mother mother who are these

gentlemen oh of

course this is Mr Ryan of the District

Attorney's office and Captain Klein

chief of detectives from Los

Angeles oh and uh this your young man is

a stenographer that we've borrowed from

the US

Cavalry why don't you sit over there

car Captain Klein uh Mrs

mcferson they burned me when they were

trying to get information out of

me Mr Ryan it's very good of you to come

this way you're looking very well Mrs

mcferson I'm feeling much stronger but I

still tire so easily Mr Ryan you must

not question sister now no mother these

gentlemen have come 500 mil to see me

even brought a stenographer with them I

can't disappoint them won't you sit down

thank you but may I ask you if I may go

through my story from start to finish

without stopping oh that'll be fine Mrs

there'll be time for all the questions

later and please I hope you'll be

patient with me because I won't be able

to give you exact times and

dates because I was blindfolded and

gagged kept locked

up it seems so long

ago I was in the

water Emma miss shaer my secretary was

on the beach working on my sermon notes

I swam out past the pier and as I came

back the tide carried me a little Way

Beyond where Emma sat on the beach as I

waited out I Heard a Voice say Mrs

mcferson it was a woman I had never seen

before she had black hair and brown eyes

she

was I would say she weighed in the

vicinity of 180 lb and she was plainly

rest now you tell me if I go too

fast there was a man with her he was

clean shaven heavy set with a clear

complexion and brown

hair oh Mrs mcferson the woman said my

baby's dying won't you please come and

pray for my

baby she said the baby was in an

automobile parked by the bath

house

I asked them how they had managed to

find

me they told me they had gone to the

temple and talked to you mother and you

would told them that I was at the beach

and that you were sure I would be glad

to pray for the

baby that sounded so much like you

mother that I had to believe

them the woman had a long black coat

over her arm and and she put it around

my

shoulders as we came close to the bath

house she ran on a hit to a sedan that

was parked by the curb there was another

man at the driver's wheel and the woman

climbed in the back seat huddled far

into the corner with a bundle in her

laps I thought it was the

baby I stepped my foot onto the running

board and the man came from behind me

and pushed me headlong into the into the

backseat of the car there was a blanket

thrown over me and something pressed to

my

face a sickly smell sister are you sure

you should try this

yes yes I'm

sure when I came to the woman was

standing over me I was lying on an old

iron bed by vomiting

severely it seemed to be Dawn terrible

room one

window almost boarded up to the top The

Light Came From a kerosene

lamp I could make out a table a

chair a dresser you had no idea where

you

were later I heard them speak of

kexo when the woman saw that I was awake

she called

Steve and the man who had pushed me into

the car came

in he told me that I was being held for

ransom they wanted me to write a

letter and they said they were asking

$500,000 in

Ransom

$500,000 I told them it just couldn't be

raised

you've got a million Steve

said then they began to question

me they asked me about our hammock in

Canada I told them it was a wi one

stretched between two apple trees they

wanted me to describe our

dog then they asked me to

describe our dining room

stove

and then they asked for a description of

Wallace I wouldn't give them those

descriptions that's when they began to

torture

me one of them grabbed me and Steve took

my hand and burned it the lit

cigar I told him to go ahead and burn it

I never moved my

hand finally when they saw they couldn't

frighten me they

stopped finally rose that was the

woman's name gave me an old dress to

wear much too

large one night I was blindfolded and

taken outside they threw me into the

back of an auto bound and gagged and we

began to drive they put a blanket over

me so I couldn't see where we were going

I heard another machine following

us finally the auto

stopped they took me into an old Adobe

Shack dirty with one poor

room they put down soldiers carts for us

to lie on Rosie slept on the cart next

to

mine 2 Days Later Steve came back and

demanded again that I write a letter to

you when I refused they cut off two

locks of hair from my head and if that

doesn't convince her we'll cut off your

finger and we'll send that to her

the next Tuesday was the first time that

I was

alone it was when Rosie went for

supplies I begged her not to not to gag

me again and she promised that she

wouldn't she bound my wrist with a a

flat

strap and she put me on the

cut she

left as I lay on the

cart I saw in the corner of the

room a tin can with a jaged edge it was

the kind we used to put maple syrup in

in Canada I managed to get off the cot

and crawl over to where the can was and

by working and pulling the straps

against the jagged edge of the can I

managed to pull myself free and break

the

straps I was

free I prayed for help and it came I

managed to go to the window I fell from

the outside it wasn't much of a drop and

then I started running I ran and I ran

from the position of the sun I would say

it was about 11:00 in the morning it was

hot I stumbled on and on and I fell many

many

times Knight descended on

me but I was afraid to

sleep many times I dropped from sheer

exhaust question blisters came on my

feet and the pain was

terrible after a long long

while I came to a little Shack with a

tin roof and I went to the door and I

called it was

empty I stumbled on and on until finally

I saw a glow in the

sky it looked like

heaven a

town a village at

last I went closer I saw a shadow and

then as I came even nearer I saw that it

was a

building a slaughter

house a man came out attracted by The

Barking of his dogs he was dressed in

his

bbds I asked him for help but he didn't

seem to understand so I went on I

stumbled on and on until finally finally

I saw our house with a light I called

out and then I'm afraid I

fainted those kind Mexican

people notified the

authorities and they brought me back

over the

border and here I

am

that's an incredible story Mrs

mcferson thank God it's

over now there's just a few

questions detectives and reporters know

Joseph Mrs

mcferson there have been persistent

rumors about your relationship with

Kenneth ormiston Witnesses claim that

they saw you with him in Selenas in St

Louis abiso riding with him in a blue

Chrysler Coupe near Santa Barbara now

all this supposedly during the time you

were missing Mr

Ryan since I was bound hand and foot in

a Mexican desert I obviously wasn't joy

riding with Mr ormiston in Santa Barbara

or anywhere else Mr mcferson the fact is

Kenneth or does own a blue chry La coup

in fact he purchased it with a money

order in Seattle signed by a James

Wallace now the only James Wallace we

could turn up was your half brother who

has been dead for 15

years you're treating me like a criminal

instead of the victim now please Mrs

mcferson we're only doing what we have

to why what was my

crime I tried to help a woman who said

her baby was dying gentlemen I'll have

to ask you to leave

now I'm sorry Mrs I didn't intend to

upset you I'm

not I'm not myself yet Mr

Ryan I promised the local police that I

would go with him to try to locate The

Shack this afternoon so I'd really

better rest may we talk later thank

you

nurse you may go I will look after

sister mother if you don't mind I really

would like to

rest it's a joy seeing you but also a

strain very well I'll check into the

hotel then I'll be

[Music]

back

the most experienced trackers in the

southwest fine tooth cone the entire

area no adby Shack with a wooden floor

could be found did you accompany Mrs

mcferson on her own personal search I

did on three separate occasions she

could not lead you to it she didn't seem

to recognize anything well she was real

confident and high-spirited at first but

when I took her and mother Kennedy back

to their hotel that last

time it was obvious to me Mrs mcferson

was very

discouraged

Amy don't start at me mother I want the

truth you've heard it so far I haven't

heard one word I

believe where were

[Music]

you you're not walking out on me without

an explanation

you owe me that much after what I've

been through after what you've been

through disappearing like that and

leaving me to face the music I've been

through hell these past 5 weeks and it's

your

fault if you think you can stroll back

into my life as though nothing had

happened think

again I want the whole truth and I want

it right

now all right let's call in the

newspaper people too oh you have done

enough damage there already I warned you

not to talk to anyone but

you oh

Amy Amy how can I protect you if I don't

know I'll protect myself by making up

more of these fairy

tales oh wake up Amy who do you think

you're

fooling

certainly not me or half of those

reporters down there I think most people

will believe me as most people always

have those who

don't well I'll just have to get along

without them don't threaten me

Missy no threat

mother believe or get out that's a

choice but if I am to defend you to

defend me all you have to remember is

that from this moment on everything you

do or say is based on the simple fact

that I am telling the

truth mother I don't want to lose you I

need all the help I can get but I can't

have you with me if you're doubting me

questioning weakening

[Music]

me

all

right you know I won't abandon

you and if you tell me I have to

believe then I have to

believe but the the reporters won't be

so easily

managed they smell a big story I've

given them a big story they smell a

bigger one didn't you see them talking

to the Mexican an the man who owned most

of the land that you claim to have

walked over well well well don't you

think he would know this

Shack and at the hospital questioning

the nurses why weren't you more more

exhausted dehydrated sunburned they seem

to believe

[Music]

me

seemed

they're setting you up Amy to pull you

down let them try let them my people

will believe me I'll

win I

will

[Applause]

w

[Music]

[Applause]

the

[Applause]

[Applause]

yes this is what kept me

believing this is what kept me from

despair knowing this moment would come

when we would be together

again

please everyone

sit

home home

again the Lord has brought me

home I could stand here for

hours just looking into these dear

familiar faces how many

times in the 39 terrible days of my

testing I thought I would never be here

again never see my beloved brothers and

sisters

again like

Daniel we will still be

betrayed by false

Witnesses Daniel was saved from the

Lion's Den but not from the lying

tongues

dear dear brothers and sisters God bless

you Sister God bless you

brother God bless you brothers and

sisters my

kidnapping and the vicious scandals that

circulated while I was away from

you all of this all of this is a plot a

plot hatched by the devil not to extort

$500,000 but to wreck this

Temple yes the prince of Lies used a

lie about a little

child to lure your Shepherd

away then the Wolves rushed in with more

lies to frighten and Scatter the flock

but the Sheep were not

scandalized your courage your faith Your

Love have delivered your sister from the

Lions and from the

liying I am

[Music]

delivered

[Music]

hallah Mr Ryan when you first heard the

defendant tell her story of her kidnapp

and Escape what was your reaction I

didn't believe it she didn't convince

you she had been kidnapped she did

not Mrs mcferson had not been kidnapped

where did she go on May 18th the day she

disappeared from Ocean Park Beach she

went to Carmel California with Kenneth G

armiston objection your honor the deputy

district attorney is presenting his

personal fantasy as fact Mr Gilbert we

will document Mr Ryan's statements

overruled Mr Ryan what first LED you to

believe that Mrs mcferson might have

spent part of the five weeks she was

missing in Carmel California on July

23rd the Monterey chief of police called

our

office he said he had convincing

evidence that Mrs mcferson had spent 10

days in Carmel I went up to investigate

his story and what did you find on May

14th a man calling himself George

McIntyre rented a bungalow on Scenic

Drive he said that his wife was

recuperating from her recent illness and

that she needed quiet and seclusion

they would move in late on the 18th of

May or early on the

19th I showed the real estate agent and

the owner of the Bungalow a photograph

of Kenneth ormiston they immediately

identified it as the man calling himself

George

[Music]

McIntyre this is this the house yes sir

it is did they move in on May 18th the

day Mrs person disappeared from Ocean

Park Beach actually it was uh 4:00 a.m.

the morning of May 19th sir how long did

the McIntyre stay at the house on Scenic

Drive 10 days from the 19th of May to

the 29th of May yes sir in the 29th of

May was the day that Kenneth armiston

and a mysterious woman were seen fleeing

South through Santa

Barbara apart from eyewitnesses was

there any other evidence that you found

that might have convinced you that Mrs

McIntyre was Mrs mcferson yes sir it was

a small notepad hanging by the back door

how which Mrs

mcf Mrs McIntyre left her daily orders

for groceries to be delivered in the

grass nearby I found two of those

crumpled grocery lists did you compare

the handwriting on those grocery lists

with Mrs mcferson yes sir I did and

subsequently experts held them to be

undeniably the same then why are those

grocery lists not introduced as evidence

here today well sir they were presented

along with other evidence to the grand

jury yes and as you know sir uh Mrs

mcferson testified before the grand jury

some months ago Mrs mcferson I have now

heard you tell your story a number of

times lately we've spent a lot of time

together Mr Ryan each time I've noticed

it sounds almost word for word the same

as if it were in fact memorized the

truth doesn't

bury when mother Kennedy rushed into

your arms in that hospital room there

was a quick exchange of Whispers did

that have anything to do with the

kidnapping yes sir I'll tell you exactly

what mother

said the same question I guess any

mother would ask her daughter at such a

moment mother

said my

dear did they molest you in any

way and I said no thank

God no mother they didn't

Mrs

mcferson Mrs

mcferson what was the relationship

between you and your mother just prior

to your

disappearance the same as they always

were deepest love and

affection did you and she see eye to eye

on the subject of Kenneth oron yes sir

we

did thank you Mr

kais may I be permitted to speak

directly to the Grand Jury for just a

moment yes amen thank

you my dear mother gave me to God before

I was

born my very earliest training was in

the

Bible

would you believe that when I was 5

years old I lined up chairs and preached

to

them I was converted at

17 and I fell in love with the

Evangelist who converted me I married

him and sailed with him to China never

expecting to return to my beloved

country again but willing to give my

life for

Jesus I buried my precious husband in in

that far away

land and I came back home with my little

baby in my arms she was born just one

month after we lost her

daddy as soon as I was able I began

preaching again to poor

people simple

people I saved a few dollars from the

first

collection and I bought a little tent it

was full of

holes but it was

mine all

mine well people began to hear that I

had a

gift a gift of

faith and they came and I shared

it it wasn't long before I was preaching

to as many as 16,000 people in one

day now when honest dedicated people

like you ask asked to investigate my

story I'm not afraid because my story is

true but do you know what does frighten

me I'm

afraid I'm afraid that those who are not

my

friends will seize the

chance to destroy a

dream a dream that started when I was 5

years old and preached to those empty

chairs

if there's any doubt in your

mind

please please call me talk with me let

me try to answer your questions

and pray for your

sister as she will surely pray for

you

you trying to get a after Mrs mcferson

left the grand jury took a 10-minute

recess during that period I saw Mrs

Holmes one of the jurors examining the

evidence including of course the grocery

slips then she excused herself and she

went to the lady's

room when I went over just to reassure

myself the grocery slips were

gone did you make an extensive search of

the room in the drawers yes sir I did

but I knew it was a waste of time those

slips were on their way to Elsa gundo

the municipal sewage disposal plant

Mr

Ryan how did you come to be on this case

I was assigned to it by the District

Attorney's Office Mr Gilbert according

to the usual procedure

mhm strange coincidence that the chief

investigator Captain kleene just so

happens to be your father-in-law my

father-in-law did not request my

assignment Mr Gilbert we never even

discussed the case until the trip to

Douglas

Iona didn't you brag that you were going

to Douglas to break Miss mcferson

absolutely not I went to Douglas with an

open mind and when did you shut it when

I discovered that Kenneth gorist was in

Carmel thank you that's all when I

examined those grocery slips and I

compared the handwriting when I returned

from car I knew that Amy mcferson was a

hypocrite and a fight and you are a

hypocrite and a

liar dear brothers and sisters the time

has come for a showdown a showdown not

before officials and official them but

before the Great American public I will

reveal a chain of evidence that will

make this whole damnable conspiracy

clear to every man woman and child in

the world who is it who is so determined

to assassinate the character of a

defenseless woman who district attorney

asakai working through his two

unscrupulous vindictive and biased

agents Herman kleene and Joseph Ryan

before Klein went to Douglas Arizona he

stated publicly and repeatedly his

belief that I had drowned in Douglas he

stated equally positively his belief

that I had been kidnapped what could

possibly be their motivation

what it's very simple my dear friend all

too simple both Herman Klein and Joseph

Ryan are Catholics persecuting a

Protestant

[Applause]

[Music]

minister

Mr

Benedict there is no doubt in your mind

that the man who rented your Bungalow in

carmell was Kenneth

ormiston no no doubt whatsoever when did

the mcintyres take occupancy was very

early in the morning on May 19th May

19th the day after Mrs mcferson

disappeared from Ocean Park Beach May

19th Mr Benedict did you ever see the

woman only once the second or third day

after they moved in I was attending to

some roses and when I was working in the

yard McIntyre came

[Music]

out well good morning Mr Benedict hi

don't mean to bother you folks but I had

to get these roses in the ground right

away a it's good to see you don't worry

I'm not going to be one of those livein

landlords

how does your M like the house oh she

just loves

it DK come on out here and say hello to

Mr Benedict he's working with these rose

bushes come on out

here well welcome to Carmel Mrs

McIntyre y' all been to the beach yet H

she's still not feeling so good well a

couple of weeks of this good Carmel air

and I'm sure she'll be feeling a lot

better

Mr

Benedict Was that woman in

Carmel Mrs

mcferson she was very

similar but is this the woman that you

knew as Mrs

McIntyre

I won't name Mrs

mcferson Mr Benedict are you

sure yes I wouldn't have been able to

recognize my own sister in that get

up no further questions your

witness your honor the defense has no

questions from Mr Benedict at this time

the witness is excused the court will

now adjourn for

[Music]

lunch excuse

me perhaps you're already aware of this

if not I feel obligated to inform you

Kenneth ormiston has just

surrendered and voluntarily agreed to

testify this

afternoon thank you Mr

kais after weeks and weeks of lies and

evasions in this courtroom perhaps we'll

finally hear the

truth shall we have

lunch

[Music]

tou testif to deal with the da are you

going to see him before he testifies

come on

free seen you

going what's going on here we' got to

get a statement

from come

On's going St ler is there anything I

get for you keep the reporters

away what and

say did you send for him or has he made

a deal with the district attorney after

so many months why should he decide to

come and and and testify he must have

made a deal

maybe he's tired of

running maybe he's buying some peace and

quiet by telling the

truth what is the

truth don't turn your back on

me what's left of my life is very

important to me and I do not want to

spend any part of it in a place like

this don't worry mother I'd never let

them send you to prison I know what

prison's

like what is that supposed to

mean

Amy I insist you tell me if you were

with

orist why won't you tell me because I

want one thing in my life that I can

call my

own something that isn't the Lord's that

isn't the temple that isn't my

people's and that isn't

yours you've always had me convinced

that the one worst thing I could ever do

the one unforgivable sin was to keep a

secret from you isn't that right

mother but mother everybody's entitled

to some little something of their

own something she doesn't have to share

with anyone else hasn't every person on

Earth the right to that much when you

became a minister of the Gospel you

surrendered that

right

I may have surrendered once with

arms no

Mom with

you the day I was born your

daughter since you've come back you're a

different

person you always confided in me we

we've always shared

everything everything thing is too much

to

ask we are in this together I have a

right to

know were you

withon answer me were you

withon

[Music]

the people call Kenneth ormiston Kenneth

AR

place your left hand on the Bible please

and raise your

right do you solemnly SW that the

testimony you shall give shall be the

truth the whole truth and nothing but

the truth so help you guide I

do state your full name

please Kenneth G

armiston your occupation I'm a radio

engineer but at the moment I'm

unemployed did you at one time work for

Amy simple mcferson yes sir I installed

the station in the temple for Mrs

mcferson when did you leave her employ

January for what

reason it's personal between you and Mrs

mcferson my wife was impossibly jealous

of the

lady on May 14th of this year did you

rent a Cottage in Carmel

California I did under the name George

McIntyre when did you take

occupancy early the morning of May 19

were you

alone no sir there was a lady with me a

woman you introduced to the owner of the

cottage is Mrs McIntyre that's

correct that lady who shared The Cottage

in Carmel with you for approximately 10

days late in May was she not in fact Amy

simple

mcferson

no she was

not

sir you are under an oath I am aware of

that I wanted on the record once and for

all that Mrs mcferson was in no way

connected with the so-called love nest

in Carmel

no more questions at this

time honor the defense has no need to

cross-examine Mr Ariston at this time

your honor the people would like to

request a brief

recess very well 10 minutes the witness

May step

down

your

honor after scrupulous analysis of the

testimony presented in court here today

it is my carefully considered

opinion that this case should

be

that this case can no longer be tried

With

Honor nor with little hope of

success we have come to

believe that Mrs mcferson will be tried

in the only Court of her

jurisdiction the court of public

opinion

therefore the people

request that all

charges be dropped against Kenneth

ormiston Minnie

Kennedy and Amy simple

mcferson our reaction has been identical

to yours Mr kais Therefore your request

is

granted all charges

[Applause]

dismissed

[Applause]

[Applause]

I Jesus

for oh you can have the whole my world

I take Jesus

[Music]

for I'll take Jesus for

M I'll take Jesus

for oh you can have the whole my world I

take

Jesus

[Music]

I Jesus from

high I Jesus from

high for you can have the whole

my I take Jesus for

next Tuesday on Channel 4 Richard

Chamberlain stars and