Show l THOUSANDS PRAY s mR FOR EVANGELIST fV REPORTED DEAD Many Followers of Aimee Semple McPherson ColU Collect Collect Col Col- Col- Col lect at Venice Beach U THINK HER DROWNED t k Woman Preacher Rose From Obscurity She Claimed Healing Power t i r LOS os ANGELES May 19 API AP AP- AP I 1 While search continued toJ today today to- to J day along the beaches buches of Santa 1 Monica bay for the body of Aimee Semple McPherson internationally known evangelist who die appeared from the Strand at Venice yesterday yester day police were investigating a statement of Detective Lieutenant M. M 0 O. Barnard of Culver City that he saw the Angelus temple pastor In a Los Angeles bound sedan at o'clock in the tho afternoon Mrs t. t McPherson first was missed Secretary Secre L tary Miss Emna Emma Schaffer told the police shortly after 3 Culver Culver Cul cur ver City is approximately midway between Venice and Los Angeles Lieuten Lieutenant nt Bar Barnard ard asserted he saw caw the evangelist with another arother woman driving toward Los Angeles Mrs Barnard who said she know Mrs McPherson well corroborated the statement of her husband f k A LOS ANGELES Cal May 10 HI United Press Press Thousands Thousands ot of worshIpers worshipers wor wor- o of Alm e Alim-e e Semple McPherson son on noted radio rado evangelist gath gatI- gathered ered cred at the beach at Venice near nearl l here today and prayed for the safety safety safe safe- ty of ot their spiritual leader r Many of them had paced and prayed during the entire night clinging to a thread of hope that she was ave alive Mrs McPherson was believed r swimming In In- the tho late lata yesterday but her followers fol fol- fo- fo lowers Jowers refused to believe she had left tem until the body Ody was reL re- re L covered SEARCH IN VAIN Tor many hours police pollee ant and beach hands hands' have havo searched In vain for fori forlie i the lie body I Her J-er drowning was first reported I by radio last night over i 1 powerful stat station of Angelus Tempie Temple Tem Tern pie Mrs McPhersons McPherson's dol million-dot- lar soul factory Legions of followers erSt when It was s reported sue silo ml might t have just disappeared disappeared dis dIe app appeared ared for a flocked to the beach and pra prayed cd fervently that sh she shep p o be 11 found alive and safe sate l DAILY SWIM The evangelist was last seen by byI p I Miss lIss Emma Schaffer her s secre secretary cre- cre 1 tary The Tue latt l' l accompanied Mis McPherson to t tho the beach for her dally daily afternoon swim The evangelist evangelist evange- evange list took a dip II In III the surf while her comp companion waited on shore 1 Shortly after atter entering the water Continued on page lage 4 4 I Evangelist Reported Drowned 1 h r- r 4 t. t g i. i I I VIA i i ALL LL N NIGHT HUNT HUNTz MADE FOR BODY SEARCHERS PRAY Continued ed from page 1 Mrs lire McPherson disappeared from sl sight ht according to Miss Comparatively obscure only a few v veers vears ago ago MM McPherson n was known to m millions of ot radio fans fias throughout the country for tor hr lift evangelism and believed heating healing powers Sh She has hns thousands of ot devoted devote followers followers' In n southern California who have generously sly of their earnings Into the cotters coffers of ot her cause causo TOURED CITIES i Before l locating In LOS Loa Angeles she she- was an itinerant eYan lIst touring tourin all th the principal cities of ot the Bast and Middle lIddle Wt Weft l. l In all nil her mee meetings she prayed to for forthe forthe the sick and In to an err autobiography of herself herselt was contained hundreds of ot of oC healings s tI k- k ed d to s power power Her early meetings her here hee were e-were were ducted In a a tent and her success build a gigantic glean glean- enabled Her Ilet to soon which she tic tlc temple of ot worship called the hone that God built meetings meet meet- conducted dally Here she by thousands who Jags Ins attended the Into they regularlY poured l collection plates On the dedicatory day of Angelus Angelica temple January Januar 1 1 I 1923 more than was donated donated donat donat- ed to the cause of ot divine healing by worshipers rs Subsequently her popularity grew Bible Dible so ao rapidly sho started a school and tr trained Ined scores of men girls as missionaries to women and In tn preach her four tour square gospel n nall alt all parts of the world Sirs Mrs McPherson was known knon Among her fono followers ers a as a. a leader lender if C f personal magnetism She would great take tale the younger members oCher of oL her congregation n on hikes and swimming swim swint- ming d 7 trips She was vise as an accomplished swimmer At one time she who officiated at t n a surf wedding near heat the place where she is fa believed ed to drowned |