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, a witness sits on the witness stand during the preliminary trial regarding Aimee Semple McPherson's disappearance. The witness sits facing towards the camera 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. A tall stack of documents sits in the middle of the 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 while interlacing his fingers. Behind and to the right of him, Judge Blake sits up at the bench and also glances to the right. In the foreground at right, a court reporter sits with her back to the camera.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
Lorraine Wiseman with her son Clarence Wiseman. Clarence has his arm around his mother's shoulder. Out of focus in the background is a male figure. This photograph was probably taken during the Aimee Semple McPherson conspiracy trial between October and November, 1926 when Clarence testified against his mother. Lorraine Wiseman was a co-defendant in the trial, having admitted that she had falsely claimed to be Miss X, the woman believed to in fact be McPherson who had been with Kenneth G. Ormiston at a Carmel rental cottage.
![Notes written by Aimee Semple McPherson, [1926]](https://iiif.library.ucla.edu/iiif/2/ark%3A%2F21198%2Fzz002cwjg8/full/!200,200/0/default.jpg)
