Douglas daily dispatch. [volume] (Douglas, Ariz.) 1903-1961, 1926-06-24

again another time. We went to a
quiet hotel so l would escape being
I, recognized. There | changed into my
bathing suit and slipped on a dress
over it, as Miss Shaeffer and l were
going to get some clam chowder.
eve got it and went to the beach
where we rented a little beach tent
went in swimming. [ sent Miss Shaef.
fer to get the names of the soloists
and the music. She warned me not to
go too far into the water. l went in
| bathing. After while, and before
Miss Shaeffer returned, which would
not havestaken her more than Is min
utes, / came back out on the beach
/ There were life savers drilling there.
l was interested because I had just
recently performed marriage cere-
mony for one of the life guards.
II went back into the water, just
, watching them. I heard someone call,
ing, oh Mrs. MCPHERSON. 1 was an
noyed that l had been recognized, but
turned about.
"a woman was there. She had black
.bobbed hair, brown eyes and was of
rather a heavy, stolid type She eX-
planned that her baby was dying ana
that she wanted me to pray for it. L
did not want to go, but she said her
husband had the baby in the car. She
had coat over her arm. I went to
che car with her and was standing at
the side. 1t was sedan, believe, a
Hupmobtle. The woman inside the
car had what 1 thought was tho baby
in her arms.
- II T
pushed into the can on the floor.
The front seat of the car was one
that turned down. I ought to know,
for I was on the floor enough. TIL,
woman threw blankets over me and /
tasted and smelled sweet, sticky sort
of substance. (Here a nurse interrupt
ed to remark soto voice, 'chloroform.D
"That was the last I knew until
came to, on a small white bed, like a
hospital bed. 1t was in a room with
a window almost completely closed.
L was violently i'll, and vomiting. The
woman, who was called Rose, was
holding a pan for me.
ut was dawn. do not know
whether It was the next day or not.
but they told me it was the morninss
following.
Il asked them what they wanted of
me. They said they were holding me
for half million dollars ransom. I
told them they were foolish, that I
did not have that much money, that
the church did not have it. They re-
piled that they knew better. was
kept there day after day. Later they
told me they had made plans to get
the ransom. Then, from remarks L
later overheard, I learned that they
had almost been captured in San
Francisco when trying to make ar
rangcments to get the money.
DAY after day we ate canned food.
1 shall never be able to look at car,
again. Then, just a few days ago,
was moved.
1--WE were in two automobiles. We
Travelled long distances. Then we
came to another house. I should
imagine it was of wood constructions.
We remained there two days. The men
were not there. The house was not
nearly as comfortable as the other
one we had been in. They had burned
me with cigar on this finger (exhib-
iting the burned SCARF to make me
tell the answers to questions they said
my mother had asked to prove that
was alive. They threatened to cut off
this finger (the second finger of the
right hand which has a long white
scar thePeon) SO that my mother
would know when she received it that.
did have me captive.
81 refused to talk. I did answer.
one question, but / would not answer
the rest
She was asked if she had been
abused.
mo- she replied. 1.-The woman Rose
tried to be nice to me. / prayed con
stantly and talked . to them of God.
I'll bet they We're tired of hearing my
preaching
This is the story she told over
and over again during the day and
early evening as reporters from
other cities came. to her bedside.
story OF Escape
AS for the escape, Mrs. McPher-
son had the following to tell:
II had been in the last place
where they took me for about three
or four days, I believe Il was hys-
terical, frantic / could not remem
Der days. | did nos know what day
it was. What day is this, Friday?
When was it 1 was abducted? On
the 18th of May. What a terribly,
terribly, horribly long time that has
been. After my captors got me in
the last house there where they kept
me in a room, I understood that the
two men, one of whom is called
Steve, were going to make their final
attempt to collect the ransom. They
were to get the money Friday, L I'M
derstand.
1.-THE woman called Rose said = she
was going to have to go for provis-
ions. 1 begged her not to gag me
any more. They had gagged me when
they captured me. She promised.
With the aid of the men, 1 was tied
up with a sort of flat rope.
When they tied me when they
first took me to the house, they
used little round ropes, like tele-
phone wire. They cut into my flesh
and hurt, terribly. The flat sort of
rope did not hurt SO much.
AFTER they were all gone, I was
left locked in the room. There was