Evening star., 1934-08-19
PASTOR WAIVERS
ABOUT KIDNAPPING
Seems Like Dream, He Says,
Admitting Possibility OF
Breakdown.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. August ia
Questions inSinuating that r. H.
Askew, -Four Square Gospel" evangel-
ist from Goldsboro, N. c.. had
Imagined" he was hpnaped by three
men at Raleigh and held captive for
four days were asked him late today.
While insisting in reply to one
question that he had been kidnapped.
Askew agreed In response to another
that he might have suffered a nervous
breakdown. Answering another queS-
ton, he said, This whole thing seems
like a dream"
1t was the opinion of Chief Of
Detectives Elkin Lewis that ASkew
has had nervous breakdown. He
declined. however, to comment on
the story told by the 2s-year-old
minister.
Agent Has No Comment.
w. A. Rorer. special agent OF the
Department of Justice in charge OF
lAlC NdSklNllAC OAll(CH AO NOAA~
ment on the case.
Don't you think this whole thing
is Just imagination on your part2"
Chief Lewis asked.
mo, sir"
"You still maintain that all these
things you say happened actually
happened?"
Its all so strange to me-"
Don't you feel that you have had
little nervous breakdown and don't
know what happened?"
Yes"
"You don't know for sure just what
happened?"
II don't know all Of It,"
Ready to Allow Return.
The detective chief told Askew that
both the Government and the detec-
tive department were ready for him to
return to North Carolina and 1t was
decided to get in touch with Mrs. As
kew at Goldsboro.
do you have a telephone in your
homer" Lewis asked, and received the
reply, "I believe we do"
1t developed that the Askews lived
in a house with another family. A call
was placed for Mrs. Askew and Askew
talked.
II feel awfully weak" Askew said
into the telephone. My head Is Just
in a whirl. I feel like I'm sinking"
He asked his wife to send him q ticket
and said he thought it best to 60 by
train.
He told Lewis his wife had agreed
to provide transportation.
Askew was asked by a reporter II 1t
wasn't mistake that he had been
kidnapped.
IT have been kidnapped" he replied.
Later he added:
'ProwI Around q Lot"
They prowl around my house
whole lot"
Lewis asked who did the prowling,
but Askew didn't know. "I ran q man
off not long ago for messing around
| about midnight" he added.
Asked why any one would kidnap
him when he admittedly had no
money, he replied:
Il don't know. I'm Just as poor
as I can be-"
Askew, who had been missing from
his home in Goldsboro since last Tues
day, walked into police headquarters
early this morning and told of being
| put out Of a big green automobile"
in which he said three men had held
him since Tuesday night, when he
said he was kidnapped at Raleigh.
Askew told the detectives that In
| Washington he was forced to take of
his suit and put on a pair of over
! alls. The overallS, bearing a label
showing they we're made in Hickory,
N. c., fitted the tall evangelist well.
Notified at her home in Goldsboro
that Askew was safe in Nashville, his
wife raised her hands above her head,
looked upward and said, GLORY bel"
Ransom Demanded.
During Askew's absence two ransom
demands for $4,000 were made, one
to his wife and the other to Aimee
Semple Mcpherson Of the Angelus
Temple, headquarters of the -Four
Askew is af1liated.
Talking with reporters at police
headquarters tonight ASkew declared
''It all seems like dream-a night
mare"
"Are you sure you were kdnaped7"
he was asked.
1T certainly stands out in my
memory that was"
Would you take an oath that you
were?"
No. I don't believe in taking
oaths.'
Would you testify in court that
you were?"
IT would testify to just what have
told here
Chief Of Detectives Lewis asked the
evangelist: Has there been anything
in this that appeared to you as q
dream?"
EYES," was the reply. 'T had q
dream not long ago about climbing
a mountain with a burden on my
back and two fellows came out from
behind some bushes and waylaid me,
but turned me loose"
This whole thing seems Ike .
dream to me-" he added.
Askew planned to leave for home at
$50 tonight and said he expected
TO take a rest for while.