The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1926-06-24
$500, 900 Was Ransom
Asked; Thousands Join
In Hunt for Kidnapers

1ACACuS = MUUS0uUS JOIN
In Hunt for Kidnapers
DOUGLAS. Ark, June 81 with
the arrival of dawn today, several
posses representing the United
states Government, the Mexican
government. C0chlsa County depu.
ties and Douglas police started ANEW
the relentless search IL Sonora,
Mexico, for the supposed lkidnapcrs
Of Aimee Semple Mcpherson. noted
evangelist Of Angelus Temple. Los
Angeles.
efforts in an attempt to locate the
shack near the border where Mrs.
Pherson was held pFisOner Cor
several days, according TO her story.
and from which she escaped Tues.
day morning.
The rugged character d the
country over which the posses are
working prevented the use OF horses
IN back tracking the tran left In
the desert wastes By Mrs. McPher.
son ii her flight 70 the boundary
line. Eearchers found q trail OF
footprints in the sands and followed
them Tor nearly ten miles.
The chase for the lEfdnapers was
IN progress al along the Arizona
Sonora boundary, and & close watch
Was kept ct all points On the line
where, tho alleged abductOrs might
attempt - slip across the border.
Information received here early
today Indicated that the three %.
ductOre, two men and q woman,
had fled from the shack and had
retreated into the mountains Food
and water are extremely scarce IN
this region, and III was the belief
pf authorities that thirst and star
walton VIII drive them from their
hiding place into the hands Of the
searching parties. They VIII be
turned over to the Americans.
Mrs. McPhefaOn was rapidly re-
turning to her normal state of
health today. The rest ii the local
hospital, combined with proper
nourishment and the happy sur
r0undingG makes IL only 3 few days
before the entire I'll effects Of the
kidnapping viii have been dissipated.
So happy was Mrs. Mcpherson at
her reception here that she has
promised to deliver sermon for
Douglas toWngpeople before she
leaves for Los Angeles.
Five thousand dollars was the ran
som placed upon the head Of Aimee
Semple Mcpherson by the three kid
napers from whom she escaped.
This was revealed by the noted
woman evangelist today when she
told the complete story Of her alb
duction, mistreatment and miracu-
lous escape.
The kidnapers were apparently
the same who, two weeks following
Sister" McPherson's disappearance
from the beach at Ocean Park, had
bartered with a blind lawyer III
Long Beach to act as their agent
in collecting the ransome money
from Mother" Minnie Kennedy
and the Angelus Temple.
They told me they were holding
me for 100000 ransom" Mrs. Nc.
Pherson said. They had written
letters to my mother explaining
their proposition. When / refused
to write letter to my mother AZ
their request, they tortured me
by burning my right hand with
lighted cigar butts. AZ another
time they threatened to sell me 10
q slave to q Mexican whom they
introduced as Felipe II ! continued
to refuse TO aid them In their
plans"
Gives Story In Detail
Mrs. Mcpherson reclined on q cot
at the Calumet and Arizona Hos
pital, where she was taken a. soon
as she revealed her Identity
She was clad In pink silk dress
l he fas
streamed down over her shoulders.
| In the tranquil face were q few
deep lines, mostly around the mouth,
and her wrists and ankles were
sorely bruised from the weeks Of
constant binding by her abductors.
/ All day long scores Of new-found
friends in Douglas have been stream.
ling to her hospital cot, congratulate.
ling her. Many knelt beside the
white cot and prayed for her safe
return.
Numerous others loitered out.
side the hospital in wondering be.
wilderment at the so-called miracle
that had delivered q woman, long
thought drowned. from the dead.
God has resurrected me from the
dead" Mrs. Mcpherson told them In
a wan smile.
A few Of the incidents in her ex.
periences Mrs. Mcpherson cannot
recall, but she told a straightfor-
ward story Of one of the most un-
usual abductions in the history OF
the West.
She preferred to begin at the be.
ginning, from the moment when
Miss Emma Schaffer, her secretary
last saw her on the beach at Ocean
Park.
Monday, you know, is always my
day OF rest" she said as she toyed
with rose in her hand. But on
Monday revealed to my congrega
ton at two packed houses the log
OF my recent trip through the
Holy Land.
Thousands had come and could
not squeeze into the temple. ]
could not turn them away, so !
told them / would repeat the same
program on the following evening,