Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-10-05
Witness Ryan Tells \.
Of Kidnapping Probe
In Case of Evangelist

Los Angeles, Calf, Oct. 4-(P)-
Joe Ryan, deputy district attorney of
Los Angeles county, whom Aimee
Semple Mcpherson, evangelist. has
denounced repeatedly over her tenn
pie radio as her perscutor. faced her
today from the witness box in her
preliminary hearing on charges Of
criminal conspiracy.
Ryan recounted his part in the in
vestigation of Mrs McPherson's
stoly-that she was kidnapped at the
Santa Monica beach, May IS, last,
and escaped from her captors on the
Mexican desert June %.
The deputy district attorney, over
bitter opposition of W. I. Gilbert,
tale from his first meeting with the
evangelist in the Douglas, Ariz,, hos
pital following her arrival there from
the desert. He went over the futile
search for the shack in which she
was held below the Mexican border
and wound up with a comment on
pastor used on the train to make dark
circles under her eyes just before her
return to Los Angeles.
Ryan told of heel prints beside
automobile tracks in the desert sand
which he swore were identical with
the heels on the shoes Mrs. McPher-
son wore when he arrived at Douglas.
He identified articles of clothing
worn by Mrs. Mcpherson after reach
ing Douglas, together with map OF
his different fruitless excursions into
Mexico looking for the kidnappers'
shack described by the defendant,
and denied that the evangelist show
ed any i'll effects Of her fifteen or
twenty mile" trip afoot over the
sands of the Mexican waste.
RYAN said that he found at the
cottage of Kenneth G. Ormiston, for
mer radio operator of the Temple,
some grocery slips, a bottle of witch
hazel a bottle of petroleum, ana
some Los Angeles newspapers.
The grocery slips, he said, were
outside the kitchen door of the cot
tage. He also found radio set ana
He turned the grocery slips over
to the grand jury in Los Angeles
and the last time he saw them were
in the possession of Mrs. Edlln
Holmes, one of the jurors, he sad:
RYAN identified a photograph OF
the grocery slips which disappeared
in the grand jury room.
He said he searched every juror
pockets for the slips ana went
through Mrs. Holmes purse and the
drawers in her desk. Ryan sad ne
had pasted the slips on cardboard
alongside Mrs. McPherson's hand
writing. because it was so obvious
ly hers"
The witness explained that while
he was on the stand in the grand
Jury room he handed the grocery
Slips to w. II. Garter. grand jury
foreman. They were passed around
until they reached Mrs. Holmes and
disappeared he said.
Cross examined by Gilbert. Ryan
said he was assigned to the Nc
Pherson case June %, with orders
to go to Douglas. Ariz.
Answering a question. Ryan said
he began evolving theories when L
walked on the desert with Mrs. NC
Pherson." He declared the evangelist
was not in the physical condition
which would have resulted from
twenty mile desert walk. Gilbert
asked if the ten or twelve hours Mrs.
Mcpherson spent searching for the
shack had any effect on the evan
gelist's complexion. Ryan said no
and was stopped when he tried to
add because she was in a closed
car"
The witness said he went to Car
mel to investigate because Of infor-
nation he got from Ormiston. This
information, Ryan sad WIS contain
ed in a statement made BY the for
mer radio operator May II, when
Ormiston came here 70 see Mrs.
Kennedy. Ryan said when he came
back from Carmel he knew Mrs.
Mcpherson had been there
Court adjourned at 4.45 p. NJ. until
10 O'Clock tomorrow morning.