The camera peers through an open door and into the courtroom during Aimee Semple McPherson's preliminary hearing. Spectators sit in a row against a window-lined wall. At right, another photographer looks to camera while standing beside his camera.
At center, A. B. Murchison sits on the witness stand during the preliminary trial regarding Aimee Semple McPherson's disappearance. He sits facing towards the right and looks at a map unfolded in front of him. Two lawyers stand to the left of the witness box. Behind and to the right of Murchison, Judge Blake sits up at the bench and looks down towards the witness. In the foreground at right, a few lawyers sit at the counsel's table.
In 1926 evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson disappeared from Venice Beach in California for 5 weeks. Thought to have drowned, she emerged in Mexico, claiming to have been kidnapped. A grand jury investigation indicated that she had actually been staying with a former employee, Kenneth Ormiston. The case against McPherson was finally dismissed.
At center, an unknown woman in an apron stands and looks to camera. To the left of her, she holds up 2 cloths, the smaller one in front of the larger one. The smaller one is square and white. The larger one appears to be rectangular and is printed.
Photograph of a hand-drawn diagram that depicts Aimee Semple McPherson's account of her escape from her kidnappers in Sonora, Mexico. A dotted line, representing the U.S./Mexico border, extends across the upper third of the image. Below, the Sonoran town of Agua Prieta and its surroundings are depicted. Above the dotted line, Douglas, Arizona is represented. Notations and scale markers are also included in the diagram. A compass rose sits in the upper right corner. Signatures of witnesses Jackson Bergh and Mayor (of Agua Prieta) Ernesto Boubion are in the lower left corner.
At left, a witness sits on the witness stand during the preliminary trial regarding Aimee Semple McPherson's disappearance. The witness sits facing towards camera and looks down at an open book in front of him. To his left, Judge Blake sits up at the bench and looks down towards the witness. In front of the bench, lawyers sit at the counsel's table. In the foreground, a man stands with his back to camera along the right edge.
At left, a witness sits on the witness stand during the preliminary trial regarding Aimee Semple McPherson's disappearance. The witness sits facing towards the right and rests her elbow on the box's ledge. To the right of her, Judge Blake sits up at the bench and looks towards the counsel's table. In the foreground at right, a few lawyers sit at the counsel's table.
At left, a witness sits on the witness stand during the preliminary trial regarding Aimee Semple McPherson's disappearance. The witness sits facing towards the right and rests a elbow on the box's ledge. To the right of him, Judge Blake sits up at the bench and takes notes. In the foreground at right, a few lawyers sit at the counsel's table.
At left, attorney Forrest Murray stands beside the witness box during the kidnapping case of Aimee Semple McPherson. He stands facing slightly right and holds up the dress worn by McPherson when found in the desert. To the right of him, Alonzo B. Murchison, a native of Douglas, Arizona, sits on the witness stand.
Related to numerous stories reported by the Los Angeles Times on Aimee Semple McPherson's alleged kidnapping in 1926. McPherson, evangelist for the Angelus Temple, disappeared for some time, and when she reappeared, saying she was kidnapped, she and her mother, Mildred Kennedy, were charged with criminal conspiracy, perjury, and obstruction of justice.
![Notes written by Aimee Semple McPherson, [1926]](https://iiif.library.ucla.edu/iiif/2/ark%3A%2F21198%2Fzz002cwjg8/full/!200,200/0/default.jpg)
