The Skarin Files

Annalee Skarin - Self-Styled 'Translated' Person Does Another Disappearing Act - Deseret News 3 November 1956 PDF

Transcript of Affidavit by Samuel A. McLaughlin, retired Los Angeles police officer, from page 8, Church News -

Deseret News p31
3 November 1956

"August 26, 1956

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

I, Samuel A. McLaughlin, do hereby swear that all statements contained
in the investigation report of Annalee Skarin alias Evon Janson and of Reason Skarin alias Raymond O. Janson are true and that all information given to me by any and all persions contained in the report was given freely and voluntarily with no malice or predjudice toward anyone.

I here do testify that Annalee Skarin and Evon Janson are one and the same person.

I stood within ten feet of Annalee Skarin on the evening of January 18, 1956 in the Christian Church located at 3030 Firestone Blvd., South Gate, Los Angeles, California, where she was introduced as Annalee Skarin by the Pastor Mr. Jarman, as the author of the book, "To God the Glory," which she was to review that evening. She stated that she was Annalee Skarin. I followed her to her home which was located at Hallwood Drive, El Monte, where she introduced herself and her husband to my wife Sabre McLaughlin and I as Evon Janson and Raymond Janson and my wife and I sat in the living room of her home where she related the story which is in my report.

The neighbors knew them only by the name of Janson and they also received mail under the name of Evon Janson at the above address.

Samuel A. McLaughlin

Subscribed and sworn
on this 27th day of August,
1956

County of Los Angeles
State of California

Notary"

*          *          *

Transcript:
Deseret News p31
Page 8 - Church News
Week Ending

3 November 1956 

"Self-Styled 'Translated' Person
Does Another Disappearing Act

(Editor's note: Mrs. Annalee Skarin, who has been in and out of the news in Salt Lake City for several years as a result of various purported "translations" in which she claims to have gone and returned from heaven, disappears again in California. She was last reported in Salt Lake City in July, 1955.)

(Special to the Church News)
Mrs. Annalee Skarin and her husband have disappeared again.

Where to? It was to Los Angeles and environs last time. Now it is rumored they have gone back to their former home in Buffalo, New York, scene of two previous disappearing acts, both of them under what were intended to be mysterious circumstances.

But no matter where to this time, there probably will be others in the future, with a new locale for each. Mrs. Skarin must not disappear twice again from the same place, as was the case with Buffalo. Repeat performances in the same town just don't work out. Too many people become suspicious.

Yet, disappear she must, for that is her stock in trade, especially if the act can be staged with trappings of the occult. It must have a supernatural appearance, for  that is her cloak—without any dagger.

It was in 1952 that Mrs. Skarin made her last previous dramatic exit. At that time it was via the route of an alleged "translation," even as Elijah and John the Beloved.

Mrs. Skarin had been gathering a group of "faithful" ones about her for several years after she claimed to have had a vision of the Savior. She then wrote a book which she says was dictated to her by revelation. Because of her refusal to discontinue teaching her "revelations" she was called before a bishop's court and subsequently excommunicated from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Her 1952 disappearance occured shortly after her trial for excommunication in the Hillcrest Ward in June of that year. She had been living with her friends, the Franchows, across the street from the meeting house. Then it was that she announced that heaven would vindicate her claims as a prophetess receiving divine revelations, despite many contradictions of the actual revealed word. But what did a few contradictions mean to her? If her claims were sufficiently spectacular, the gullible would believe, and there are always a few of those. So she would vindicate herself and give heaven the credit. And the vindication was to be a free trip into eternity—and back again.

She arranged for a return ticket on this trip, as she had done in Buffalo. That was an important little detail. Then she disappeared. She was back at the stand in just a few days though, much to the surprise of her faithful followers. She had forgotten some of the necessary trappings: some teeth, a hank of hair, and her genealogical books. The Deity, she said, had directed her to return for the books. The other things were her own idea.

Then she was gone again, this time to the heavenly place for sure. Heaven for her turned out to be a little apartment at 210 South Flower Street (Stanley Apartments), Zone 12, in Los Angeles. She didn't like the first apartment, it was a little too humble. So she moved to Apt. No. 400.

Her husband, who had obtained a year's leave of absence from his employment with the Buffalo, New York, police department in order to take this heavenly journey to California with his wife, and who was to be translated in the process even as she, joined her there. It was to be their hideout. From there they could venture forth, attend a few meetings with the faithful, appear as if from "on high" to keep up the act, and then suddenly retire from before the misty eyes of their followers, and hide again on Flower Street (Stanley Apartments).

With Don Jones of Los Angeles as their chauffeur, they flitted from place to place. He knew their secret—that they were of the earth, earthy, just like the rest of us—but he was a confidential sort of soul, and would not betray them. So, with his help they were safe from discovery, and continued to ply their trade. 

Soon they were able to buy a car for themselves. When Mrs. Skarin, made her hasty exit to her California heaven from the Franchow home in Salt Lake, she chose other transportation. It would not look good for a newly translated being to drive to heaven in the car they had in Buffalo, so she left it with the Franchows.

But being in Los Angeles without a car was most inconvenient. They would have to buy one. But how were they to buy it? Under their own name? If so, they would soon be discovered. And there was that most bothersome law requiring a driver's license. It would not look good for "translated" beings to have their names on such earthy things as drivers' licenses!

And maybe they should hide their true identity for other reasons. Suppose some inquiring reporter came around asking for the Skarin residence. Then they would be exposed, and that would never do.

So they changed their names. Mr. Reason Eugene Skarin became Mr. Raymond O. Janson, dutiful husband of the authoress Evon Janson.

By this time they discovered that even "translated" persons such as they had to face a mortal reality. They must eat. And to eat they must pay the grocer. How would they do it? Neither Elijah nor his flock of ravens came to feed them. Don Jones could not be expected to support them. After all, he had his own family responsibilities. But getting hungry was a progressive condition that got worse by the hour. "Translated" or not, they must eat.

Raymond was the answer. He must go to work.

So swallowing his dignity, and proving that he was a man who could support his wife, Raymond, even though "translated," started job hunting. There was an opening in the building maintenance department of the Aetna Company at 520 South San Pedro Street. Applying, he was hired at $250 per month.

While Reason (R a y m o n d) went to work, Annalee, alias Evon, began writing her next book which she produced under still another alias—Christine Mercie. Looking out of the window from her apartment she could see the large Pegasus on top of the Mobil Gas Building, the beautiful lights, and the pyramid dome on the library. These things she mentioned in her book, on page 46. She liked the miniature brass door knocker on the door of her apartment, so much so that she mentioned it in her book also, on page 45.

And she liked her landlady, Mrs. Thompson, so well that she described her in the book also, as the angel-faced Mrs. Wilcox. She dared not use the true name. She wasn't using any true names, not even for herself.

By June 1954, they had enough of apartment life. They moved to El Monte, California, and made their home at Hallwood Drive.

It was while living there that tragedy befell them. They had a serious automobile accident. Most unfortunate for "translated" beings! It was embarrassing too, becoming involved in anything so earthy as a motor crash. But it sent both of them and two other people to the hospital.

The accident occurred on a beautiful clear Sunday afternoon, December 26, 1954, at 2:50 p.m. on the corner of Figueroa and Thirtieth Streets. Their 1940 Chevrolet carried state license No. 9N80866. Reason's driver's license was No. D-816919 in the name of Janson, of course. Reason had never given consideration to the legal aspects of obtaining a driver's license under a false name.

The police accident report filed by Officers J. Misterley and N. C. Judd reported that Reason sustained probable skull fracture, sub-dural lacerations, and bad burns and bruises on much of his body. Evon, rather Annalee, sustained a cerebral contusion, with possible skull fracture, and what the doctors called hemotoma occupital; bad cuts on the lower lip, and such a serious cut on the upper lip and nose that it injured the sinus area. She also suffered many bruises on other parts of her body. 

The persons in the other car, who were from Michigan, were badly hurt, particularly one woman who was thrown out of the car by the force of the impact.

As the police quizzed the accident victims afterward, Reason, alias Janson, said, according to the official record: "I don't know anything that happened. I don't even know what direction I was going."

Mrs. Skarin—who gave her age as 30, although born July 7, 1899, at American Falls, Idaho, reported for the official record: "I was riding with my husband and we were on our way home to El Monte. We were going to get on the freeway. I don't really know what happened. I guess my husband must have taken his eyes off the road for a minute.  The last I can remember seeing was a green light. I don't know how fast we were driving."

The report sent by Officers D. E. Brown and L. D. Holton to the Aetna Company, to Reason's department manager, Mr. S. S. Zagel, said: "Mr. and Mrs. Janson, your employes, were injured today. They were treated at Georgia Street Receiving Hospital  and have been taken to General Hospital." The two officers operated police car No. TX1.

It was four months before Mr. Skarin felt able to go back to work. He reported at the Aetna Company, but was requested to comply with a new order in hiring men—that he have his fingerprints taken. He refused and walked out of the plant. What else could he do and maintain his standing as a "translated" being? It would not be dignified for a translated person to be fingerprinted.

So he went without a job. When he tried to collect unemployment compensation, he had to make a report on the matter, as did the Aetna Company. The report filed in the office of the California Department of Employment at 543 S. Tyler in El Monte by the Aetna officials reads as follows:

"Mr. Janson was on leave following an automobile accident in December, 1954, to April, 1955. On April 15, 1955, Mr. Janson returned to Aetna stating that he was prepared to work. He was asked to report to our personel department for fingerprinting  which was a company requirement for all employes. Mr. Janson refused to have either his fingerprints or his thumbprints for his identification card taken.
He walked out of the offices and has not been seen since. We feel that his action of refusing to comply with a company security regulation and leaving without an explanation makes Mr. Janson ineligible for compensation."

Things got hard for them. They still needed their meals, even though "translated." They sought public assistance. File No. 421 in the Bureau of Public Assistance, at 725 S. Tyler Ave., El Monte, Calif., provides the record. They were broke and on public relief.

Mr. S. S. Zagel of the Aetna Company was kind to the Skarins. So was his mother.
He paid Mr. Skarin for a vacation, even though he had not worked for so long. In writing to thank him, Mr. Skarin, alias Raymond O. Janson, as he signed the letter, said:

"Evon said that you mentioned disability insurance. Do I have such a thing coming?
It would surely help me out. Evon sends her love to your mother and special thanks for the cake, it was sure a help while she was unable to take care of herself the first couple of weeks she was home. Thanking you again for your great kindness and help at this time, I remain, sincerely yours, Raymond O. Janson."

So they were on relief. They were unable to meet their payments on their home; none came to their aid. They had to leave. Where did they go? They left no forwarding address.

But there was no doubt about the identification. Notarized statements clearly identify Mrs. Skarin as Mrs. Evon Janson, alias Christine Mercie. Neighbors, who knew them well and waited on them while they were convalescing, identifed photographs, signatures, handwriting. And their chauffeur, Don Jones, who even brought them to Salt Lake for a "heavenly" reappearance to the faithful here a year ago last July, also admits the facts.

Mrs. Skarin, far from being "translated" into heaven, got only as far as Los Angeles, spent time in a hospital, then on public relief, and now, another disappearance."

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Where did they go? To Sacramento, but that's a story for another episode. Stay tuned.