America’s Daily NewsDelivered 100 Years Later
A Century Late
Thursday, September 30, 1926
NewsAs printed 100 years ago on page 2 of:Evening StarWashington, D.C.

STATE WILL CALL "MISS X" TO STAND

Context - explained by ACL:

The district attorney planned to call a woman who had confessed to perpetrating the "Miss X" hoax as a witness at the preliminary hearing of Aimee Semple McPherson and her mother, Mrs. Minnie Kennedy, seeking to show that the evangelist's kidnapping story was a fabrication and that the two had conspired to obstruct justice. The previous day the transcript of McPherson's grand jury testimony was read into the record, while one witness said the woman he had seen with Kenneth G. Ormiston at the beach city was not McPherson, and the owner of the cottage said he did not believe Mrs. Sielaff had occupied it; after reports that state witnesses were being followed, detectives were ordered to arrest anyone tampering with them.

A Los Angeles preliminary hearing of evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson and her mother, Mrs. Minnie Kennedy, on criminal conspiracy charges.

The printed page, with the story outlined
[The story on the printed page. Evening Star, Washington, D.C., September 30, 1926, page 2]

By the Associated Press. LOS ANGELES, Calif., September 30.—District Attorney Asa Keyes today plans to call Miss Lorraine Wiseman-Sielaff, confessed "Miss X," hoax perpetrator, as a witness in the preliminary hearing of Aimee Semple McPherson and her mother, Mrs. Minnie Kennedy, in an attempt to prove the evangelist's kidnaping story an "absolute fabrication."

The prosecution also relies upon the testimony of Mrs. Sielaff to prove the State's charges that the Angelus Temple pastor and her mother feloniously conspired to pervert and obstruct justice in order to support Mrs. McPherson's abduction story. Testifies by Proxy. Mrs. McPherson appeared on the witness stand by proxy yesterday when the transcript of her testimony recently given to the Los Angeles County grand jury was read into the record of the preliminary trial. The reading of Mrs. McPherson's dramatic recital of her alleged abduction and escape from captivity consumed the major portion of yesterday's court proceedings and will be resumed at the opening of the Municipal Court session today. Mrs. Kennedy's testimony before the grand jury also will be read. Mrs. McPherson, her mother and five others on criminal conspiracy charges. She injected herself into the case when she charged that she had been hired, schooled and financed by Mrs. Mc-Pherson to produce a "Miss X" to refute intimations that the evangelist spent 10 days at Carmel-by-the-Sea with Kenneth G. Ormiston, former Angelus Temple radio operator. Defense Scores Point. August English scored for the defense yesterday when he testified he had seen the woman who was with Ormiston at the beach city and was positive she was not Mrs. McPherson.

Howard C. Benedict, owner of the cottage at Carmel and one of the principal State witnesses, testified that he did not believe Mrs. Sielaff had occupied the cottage. He said she told him certain things about the house which only its actual occupant would know, but that she gave the impression of having been coached by the actual occupant.

Following reports that two of the State witnesses have been followed to and from the courtroom, Keyes last night ordered his detectives to arrest any person attempting to tamper with the witnesses. Officers were also assigned to guard the apartment of Mrs. Sielaff.

Reproduced unchanged from Evening Star, September 30, 1926, page 2.
This text reflects the language, attitudes and errors of its time. A Century Late publishes it as a historical document.
Text: read from the Library of Congress scan by A Century Late, within the article boundaries of American Stories (Dell et al., 2023), DOI 10.57967/hf/0757.

Yesterday's paper

September 30, 1926. The original articles, with the text exactly as it appeared and scans of the original newspaper pages, from that day’s editions of the following publications:New Britain Herald, Daily Kennebec Journal, Evening Star, Watauga Democrat, The Alaska Daily Empire, The Sauk Centre Herald, The Carbon County News, The Lambertville Record, The Bismarck Tribune, and Seward Daily Gateway.

Newsletter

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Today's paper

October 18, 1926. The original articles, with the text exactly as it appeared and scans of the original newspaper pages, from that day’s editions of the following publications:The Bismarck Tribune, The Washington Times, Imperial Valley Press, Seward Daily Gateway, and Evening Star.

A Century Late
Thursday, September 30, 1926 Price: 2 Cents
Notice to Readers: Every story as printed 100 years ago: nothing added, nothing rewritten, our notes marked. They didn't know how it ends.
You do.
NewsAs printed 100 years ago on page 2 of:Evening StarWashington, D.C.

STATE WILL CALL "MISS X" TO STAND

Context - explained by ACL:

The district attorney planned to call a woman who had confessed to perpetrating the "Miss X" hoax as a witness at the preliminary hearing of Aimee Semple McPherson and her mother, Mrs. Minnie Kennedy, seeking to show that the evangelist's kidnapping story was a fabrication and that the two had conspired to obstruct justice. The previous day the transcript of McPherson's grand jury testimony was read into the record, while one witness said the woman he had seen with Kenneth G. Ormiston at the beach city was not McPherson, and the owner of the cottage said he did not believe Mrs. Sielaff had occupied it; after reports that state witnesses were being followed, detectives were ordered to arrest anyone tampering with them.

A Los Angeles preliminary hearing of evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson and her mother, Mrs. Minnie Kennedy, on criminal conspiracy charges.

The printed page, with the story outlined
[The story on the printed page. Evening Star, Washington, D.C., September 30, 1926, page 2]

By the Associated Press. LOS ANGELES, Calif., September 30.—District Attorney Asa Keyes today plans to call Miss Lorraine Wiseman-Sielaff, confessed "Miss X," hoax perpetrator, as a witness in the preliminary hearing of Aimee Semple McPherson and her mother, Mrs. Minnie Kennedy, in an attempt to prove the evangelist's kidnaping story an "absolute fabrication."

The prosecution also relies upon the testimony of Mrs. Sielaff to prove the State's charges that the Angelus Temple pastor and her mother feloniously conspired to pervert and obstruct justice in order to support Mrs. McPherson's abduction story. Testifies by Proxy. Mrs. McPherson appeared on the witness stand by proxy yesterday when the transcript of her testimony recently given to the Los Angeles County grand jury was read into the record of the preliminary trial. The reading of Mrs. McPherson's dramatic recital of her alleged abduction and escape from captivity consumed the major portion of yesterday's court proceedings and will be resumed at the opening of the Municipal Court session today. Mrs. Kennedy's testimony before the grand jury also will be read. Mrs. McPherson, her mother and five others on criminal conspiracy charges. She injected herself into the case when she charged that she had been hired, schooled and financed by Mrs. Mc-Pherson to produce a "Miss X" to refute intimations that the evangelist spent 10 days at Carmel-by-the-Sea with Kenneth G. Ormiston, former Angelus Temple radio operator. Defense Scores Point. August English scored for the defense yesterday when he testified he had seen the woman who was with Ormiston at the beach city and was positive she was not Mrs. McPherson.

Howard C. Benedict, owner of the cottage at Carmel and one of the principal State witnesses, testified that he did not believe Mrs. Sielaff had occupied the cottage. He said she told him certain things about the house which only its actual occupant would know, but that she gave the impression of having been coached by the actual occupant.

Following reports that two of the State witnesses have been followed to and from the courtroom, Keyes last night ordered his detectives to arrest any person attempting to tamper with the witnesses. Officers were also assigned to guard the apartment of Mrs. Sielaff.

Reproduced unchanged from Evening Star, September 30, 1926, page 2.
This text reflects the language, attitudes and errors of its time. A Century Late publishes it as a historical document.
Text: read from the Library of Congress scan by A Century Late, within the article boundaries of American Stories (Dell et al., 2023), DOI 10.57967/hf/0757.

Reproduced unchanged from Evening Star, September 30, 1926, page 2.
This text reflects the language, attitudes and errors of its time. A Century Late publishes it as a historical document.
Text: read from the Library of Congress scan by A Century Late, within the article boundaries of American Stories (Dell et al., 2023), DOI 10.57967/hf/0757.

Yesterday's paper

September 30, 1926. The original articles, with the text exactly as it appeared and scans of the original newspaper pages, from that day’s editions of the following publications:New Britain Herald, Daily Kennebec Journal, Evening Star, Watauga Democrat, The Alaska Daily Empire, The Sauk Centre Herald, The Carbon County News, The Lambertville Record, The Bismarck Tribune, and Seward Daily Gateway.

Newsletter

Receive the original news from the press of 100 years ago, daily, weekly or monthly. Subscribe by December 1, 2026 and get
20% off for life!

Today's paper

October 18, 1926. The original articles, with the text exactly as it appeared and scans of the original newspaper pages, from that day’s editions of the following publications:The Bismarck Tribune, The Washington Times, Imperial Valley Press, Seward Daily Gateway, and Evening Star.

A Century Late
Thursday, September 30, 1926 Price: 2 Cents
Notice to Readers: Every story as printed 100 years ago: nothing added, nothing rewritten, our notes marked. They didn't know how it ends.
You do.
NewsAs printed 100 years ago on page 2 of:Evening StarWashington, D.C.

STATE WILL CALL "MISS X" TO STAND

Context - explained by ACL:

The district attorney planned to call a woman who had confessed to perpetrating the "Miss X" hoax as a witness at the preliminary hearing of Aimee Semple McPherson and her mother, Mrs. Minnie Kennedy, seeking to show that the evangelist's kidnapping story was a fabrication and that the two had conspired to obstruct justice. The previous day the transcript of McPherson's grand jury testimony was read into the record, while one witness said the woman he had seen with Kenneth G. Ormiston at the beach city was not McPherson, and the owner of the cottage said he did not believe Mrs. Sielaff had occupied it; after reports that state witnesses were being followed, detectives were ordered to arrest anyone tampering with them.

A Los Angeles preliminary hearing of evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson and her mother, Mrs. Minnie Kennedy, on criminal conspiracy charges.

The printed page, with the story outlined
[The story on the printed page. Evening Star, Washington, D.C., September 30, 1926, page 2]

By the Associated Press. LOS ANGELES, Calif., September 30.—District Attorney Asa Keyes today plans to call Miss Lorraine Wiseman-Sielaff, confessed "Miss X," hoax perpetrator, as a witness in the preliminary hearing of Aimee Semple McPherson and her mother, Mrs. Minnie Kennedy, in an attempt to prove the evangelist's kidnaping story an "absolute fabrication."

The prosecution also relies upon the testimony of Mrs. Sielaff to prove the State's charges that the Angelus Temple pastor and her mother feloniously conspired to pervert and obstruct justice in order to support Mrs. McPherson's abduction story. Testifies by Proxy. Mrs. McPherson appeared on the witness stand by proxy yesterday when the transcript of her testimony recently given to the Los Angeles County grand jury was read into the record of the preliminary trial. The reading of Mrs. McPherson's dramatic recital of her alleged abduction and escape from captivity consumed the major portion of yesterday's court proceedings and will be resumed at the opening of the Municipal Court session today. Mrs. Kennedy's testimony before the grand jury also will be read. Mrs. McPherson, her mother and five others on criminal conspiracy charges. She injected herself into the case when she charged that she had been hired, schooled and financed by Mrs. Mc-Pherson to produce a "Miss X" to refute intimations that the evangelist spent 10 days at Carmel-by-the-Sea with Kenneth G. Ormiston, former Angelus Temple radio operator. Defense Scores Point. August English scored for the defense yesterday when he testified he had seen the woman who was with Ormiston at the beach city and was positive she was not Mrs. McPherson.

Howard C. Benedict, owner of the cottage at Carmel and one of the principal State witnesses, testified that he did not believe Mrs. Sielaff had occupied the cottage. He said she told him certain things about the house which only its actual occupant would know, but that she gave the impression of having been coached by the actual occupant.

Following reports that two of the State witnesses have been followed to and from the courtroom, Keyes last night ordered his detectives to arrest any person attempting to tamper with the witnesses. Officers were also assigned to guard the apartment of Mrs. Sielaff.

Reproduced unchanged from Evening Star, September 30, 1926, page 2.
This text reflects the language, attitudes and errors of its time. A Century Late publishes it as a historical document.
Text: read from the Library of Congress scan by A Century Late, within the article boundaries of American Stories (Dell et al., 2023), DOI 10.57967/hf/0757.

Reproduced unchanged from Evening Star, September 30, 1926, page 2.
This text reflects the language, attitudes and errors of its time. A Century Late publishes it as a historical document.
Text: read from the Library of Congress scan by A Century Late, within the article boundaries of American Stories (Dell et al., 2023), DOI 10.57967/hf/0757.

Yesterday's paper

September 30, 1926. The original articles, with the text exactly as it appeared and scans of the original newspaper pages, from that day’s editions of the following publications:New Britain Herald, Daily Kennebec Journal, Evening Star, Watauga Democrat, The Alaska Daily Empire, The Sauk Centre Herald, The Carbon County News, The Lambertville Record, The Bismarck Tribune, and Seward Daily Gateway.

Newsletter

Receive the original news from the press of 100 years ago, daily, weekly or monthly. Subscribe by December 1, 2026 and get
20% off for life!

Today's paper

October 18, 1926. The original articles, with the text exactly as it appeared and scans of the original newspaper pages, from that day’s editions of the following publications:The Bismarck Tribune, The Washington Times, Imperial Valley Press, Seward Daily Gateway, and Evening Star.

A Century Late
Thursday, September 30, 1926 Price: 2 Cents
Notice to Readers: Every story as printed 100 years ago: nothing added, nothing rewritten, our notes marked. They didn't know how it ends.
You do.
NewsAs printed 100 years ago on page 2 of:Evening StarWashington, D.C.

STATE WILL CALL "MISS X" TO STAND

Context - explained by ACL:

The district attorney planned to call a woman who had confessed to perpetrating the "Miss X" hoax as a witness at the preliminary hearing of Aimee Semple McPherson and her mother, Mrs. Minnie Kennedy, seeking to show that the evangelist's kidnapping story was a fabrication and that the two had conspired to obstruct justice. The previous day the transcript of McPherson's grand jury testimony was read into the record, while one witness said the woman he had seen with Kenneth G. Ormiston at the beach city was not McPherson, and the owner of the cottage said he did not believe Mrs. Sielaff had occupied it; after reports that state witnesses were being followed, detectives were ordered to arrest anyone tampering with them.

A Los Angeles preliminary hearing of evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson and her mother, Mrs. Minnie Kennedy, on criminal conspiracy charges.

The printed page, with the story outlined
[The story on the printed page. Evening Star, Washington, D.C., September 30, 1926, page 2]

By the Associated Press. LOS ANGELES, Calif., September 30.—District Attorney Asa Keyes today plans to call Miss Lorraine Wiseman-Sielaff, confessed "Miss X," hoax perpetrator, as a witness in the preliminary hearing of Aimee Semple McPherson and her mother, Mrs. Minnie Kennedy, in an attempt to prove the evangelist's kidnaping story an "absolute fabrication."

The prosecution also relies upon the testimony of Mrs. Sielaff to prove the State's charges that the Angelus Temple pastor and her mother feloniously conspired to pervert and obstruct justice in order to support Mrs. McPherson's abduction story. Testifies by Proxy. Mrs. McPherson appeared on the witness stand by proxy yesterday when the transcript of her testimony recently given to the Los Angeles County grand jury was read into the record of the preliminary trial. The reading of Mrs. McPherson's dramatic recital of her alleged abduction and escape from captivity consumed the major portion of yesterday's court proceedings and will be resumed at the opening of the Municipal Court session today. Mrs. Kennedy's testimony before the grand jury also will be read. Mrs. McPherson, her mother and five others on criminal conspiracy charges. She injected herself into the case when she charged that she had been hired, schooled and financed by Mrs. Mc-Pherson to produce a "Miss X" to refute intimations that the evangelist spent 10 days at Carmel-by-the-Sea with Kenneth G. Ormiston, former Angelus Temple radio operator. Defense Scores Point. August English scored for the defense yesterday when he testified he had seen the woman who was with Ormiston at the beach city and was positive she was not Mrs. McPherson.

Howard C. Benedict, owner of the cottage at Carmel and one of the principal State witnesses, testified that he did not believe Mrs. Sielaff had occupied the cottage. He said she told him certain things about the house which only its actual occupant would know, but that she gave the impression of having been coached by the actual occupant.

Following reports that two of the State witnesses have been followed to and from the courtroom, Keyes last night ordered his detectives to arrest any person attempting to tamper with the witnesses. Officers were also assigned to guard the apartment of Mrs. Sielaff.

Reproduced unchanged from Evening Star, September 30, 1926, page 2.
This text reflects the language, attitudes and errors of its time. A Century Late publishes it as a historical document.
Text: read from the Library of Congress scan by A Century Late, within the article boundaries of American Stories (Dell et al., 2023), DOI 10.57967/hf/0757.

Reproduced unchanged from Evening Star, September 30, 1926, page 2.
This text reflects the language, attitudes and errors of its time. A Century Late publishes it as a historical document.
Text: read from the Library of Congress scan by A Century Late, within the article boundaries of American Stories (Dell et al., 2023), DOI 10.57967/hf/0757.

Yesterday's paper

September 30, 1926. The original articles, with the text exactly as it appeared and scans of the original newspaper pages, from that day’s editions of the following publications:New Britain Herald, Daily Kennebec Journal, Evening Star, Watauga Democrat, The Alaska Daily Empire, The Sauk Centre Herald, The Carbon County News, The Lambertville Record, The Bismarck Tribune, and Seward Daily Gateway.

Newsletter

Receive the original news from the press of 100 years ago, daily, weekly or monthly. Subscribe by December 1, 2026 and get
20% off for life!

Today's paper

October 18, 1926. The original articles, with the text exactly as it appeared and scans of the original newspaper pages, from that day’s editions of the following publications:The Bismarck Tribune, The Washington Times, Imperial Valley Press, Seward Daily Gateway, and Evening Star.

A Century Late
Thursday, September 30, 1926 Price: 2 Cents
Notice to Readers: Every story as printed 100 years ago: nothing added, nothing rewritten, our notes marked. They didn't know how it ends.
You do.
NewsAs printed 100 years ago on page 2 of:Evening StarWashington, D.C.

STATE WILL CALL "MISS X" TO STAND

Context - explained by ACL:

The district attorney planned to call a woman who had confessed to perpetrating the "Miss X" hoax as a witness at the preliminary hearing of Aimee Semple McPherson and her mother, Mrs. Minnie Kennedy, seeking to show that the evangelist's kidnapping story was a fabrication and that the two had conspired to obstruct justice. The previous day the transcript of McPherson's grand jury testimony was read into the record, while one witness said the woman he had seen with Kenneth G. Ormiston at the beach city was not McPherson, and the owner of the cottage said he did not believe Mrs. Sielaff had occupied it; after reports that state witnesses were being followed, detectives were ordered to arrest anyone tampering with them.

A Los Angeles preliminary hearing of evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson and her mother, Mrs. Minnie Kennedy, on criminal conspiracy charges.

The printed page, with the story outlined
[The story on the printed page. Evening Star, Washington, D.C., September 30, 1926, page 2]

By the Associated Press. LOS ANGELES, Calif., September 30.—District Attorney Asa Keyes today plans to call Miss Lorraine Wiseman-Sielaff, confessed "Miss X," hoax perpetrator, as a witness in the preliminary hearing of Aimee Semple McPherson and her mother, Mrs. Minnie Kennedy, in an attempt to prove the evangelist's kidnaping story an "absolute fabrication."

The prosecution also relies upon the testimony of Mrs. Sielaff to prove the State's charges that the Angelus Temple pastor and her mother feloniously conspired to pervert and obstruct justice in order to support Mrs. McPherson's abduction story. Testifies by Proxy. Mrs. McPherson appeared on the witness stand by proxy yesterday when the transcript of her testimony recently given to the Los Angeles County grand jury was read into the record of the preliminary trial. The reading of Mrs. McPherson's dramatic recital of her alleged abduction and escape from captivity consumed the major portion of yesterday's court proceedings and will be resumed at the opening of the Municipal Court session today. Mrs. Kennedy's testimony before the grand jury also will be read. Mrs. McPherson, her mother and five others on criminal conspiracy charges. She injected herself into the case when she charged that she had been hired, schooled and financed by Mrs. Mc-Pherson to produce a "Miss X" to refute intimations that the evangelist spent 10 days at Carmel-by-the-Sea with Kenneth G. Ormiston, former Angelus Temple radio operator. Defense Scores Point. August English scored for the defense yesterday when he testified he had seen the woman who was with Ormiston at the beach city and was positive she was not Mrs. McPherson.

Howard C. Benedict, owner of the cottage at Carmel and one of the principal State witnesses, testified that he did not believe Mrs. Sielaff had occupied the cottage. He said she told him certain things about the house which only its actual occupant would know, but that she gave the impression of having been coached by the actual occupant.

Following reports that two of the State witnesses have been followed to and from the courtroom, Keyes last night ordered his detectives to arrest any person attempting to tamper with the witnesses. Officers were also assigned to guard the apartment of Mrs. Sielaff.

Reproduced unchanged from Evening Star, September 30, 1926, page 2.
This text reflects the language, attitudes and errors of its time. A Century Late publishes it as a historical document.
Text: read from the Library of Congress scan by A Century Late, within the article boundaries of American Stories (Dell et al., 2023), DOI 10.57967/hf/0757.

Reproduced unchanged from Evening Star, September 30, 1926, page 2.
This text reflects the language, attitudes and errors of its time. A Century Late publishes it as a historical document.
Text: read from the Library of Congress scan by A Century Late, within the article boundaries of American Stories (Dell et al., 2023), DOI 10.57967/hf/0757.

Yesterday's paper

September 30, 1926. The original articles, with the text exactly as it appeared and scans of the original newspaper pages, from that day’s editions of the following publications:New Britain Herald, Daily Kennebec Journal, Evening Star, Watauga Democrat, The Alaska Daily Empire, The Sauk Centre Herald, The Carbon County News, The Lambertville Record, The Bismarck Tribune, and Seward Daily Gateway.

Newsletter

Receive the original news from the press of 100 years ago, daily, weekly or monthly. Subscribe by December 1, 2026 and get
20% off for life!

Today's paper

October 18, 1926. The original articles, with the text exactly as it appeared and scans of the original newspaper pages, from that day’s editions of the following publications:The Bismarck Tribune, The Washington Times, Imperial Valley Press, Seward Daily Gateway, and Evening Star.