BELTANE
by
Jacob O. Berry
INT. THE PITS OF HELL
SUPER: What you are about to see is one of the more
unusual stories told.
If you have no prior belief in the supernatural,
this may be boring –
a pastor's use of satanic mind control. It is as a Church of
Satan philosophy - for example, words of
an invocation: "I command the forces of darkness to bestow their infernal
power."
This
occurred in a rural area of the Northern Plains during the Farm Crisis
(1980-85). It will be told, not so
much through “action”, but through “documentation”.
That is, the documentation of a fantasy through narration, a court
deposition, legal arguments, letters and taped phone conversations concerning
maleficia within the Pentecostal Movement.
Not one thing has been altered – original, exact documentation has been
used. The Movement does not label it
“maleficia”, but, as stated in United States Federal Court, the “operation of
spiritual forces invoked”, the “actions
of Satan as applied". They label it a “Job trial”. The Movement has
taken full credit, but has little remorse.
You, the audience, are the jury.
Is the pastor innocent, or guilty, of the invocation of a destructive
demonic force.
EXT. STREET NEAR COLLEGE – DAY
JACOB BERRY, 150 lbs., ranch
hand build, in his mid-forties, wearing small, black-rimmed glasses, sits in
driver’s seat of l977 Ford Thunderbird on a fall afternoon, speaking into a hand
held VOICE-RECORDER. He wears blue
jeans, plaid shirt, baseball cap.
SUPER: A street near
(little nervous)
This is a story that deals with myself, Jacob O. Berry, and a pastor of an
Assembly of God church in Newell, South Dakota -– Morris Conklin.
This deals with an act that took place May l of l983.
This story is about the problem of “cursing people” and the inability or
lack of desire of the church, in this case Assembly of God to...
INSERT - DEMONS
Shadowy demons FAINTLY HOWL in the background.
...that is cursing people as being grounds, if the pastor does this for, as
misconduct, for dismissal, for discipline, and this type of thing.
And, in this particular case, and this will be unfolding, there was
nothing, absolutely nothing done by the leadership of this denomination.
This deals with an act that was committed, like I say, May l of l983.
CUT TO:
EXT. NEWELL – DAY
Small, typical PRAIRIE COMMUNITY of the Northern Plains -– with three gas
stations, one market, one bank, one bar, four churches, etc.
SUPER:
The story begins in September of 1979, and I moved to
EXT. NORTHEAST OF NEWELL – DAY
l20 acre FARM, one mile east and two miles north of Newell, with old woven wire
exterior and cross fences, 60 acres of dead sunflowers, two cisterns on south
part of property, and three trees.
House and outbuildings are gone.
AERIAL SHOT, in small plane, from Newell to farmstead, zeroes in on property and
surveys it.
...and bought 120 acres of bare land...
EXT. SPEARFISH – DAY
On a lot, on house beams, sits GUESTHOUSE of old mansion -- an 1879 vintage, l6’
x 32’, one-and-a-half story house.
The mansion has been moved.
SUPER: Spearfish,
...and began to fix it up -– bought an old 1879 farmhouse, moved it over there,
put it on the property...
MONTAGE – 1879 FARMHOUSE
-- House-moving truck hauls old house down Hwy. 212
between
-- Three miles northeast of Newell, house is lowered
onto foundation, near old
cistern, on 120 acre
farmstead while
watches.
-- In small living room,
legged on the floor in front
of a fire in a barrel
wood stove (i.e. stove made
out of a barrel). Door
of stove is open.
-- Twenty feet from house is a large pile of chopped
wood from old buildings, an
old beat-up wagon full of
firewood, and two piles of
uncut boards.
some boards that he has
placed on sawhorses, using a
chainsaw.
-- It is winter and upstairs in bedroom, with an old bed
and dresser,
-- Still winter and
red outhouse (northwest of
house ten yards), as wind
roars and snow blows into
outhouse through cracks.
-- It is spring and
ranch red with white trim.
EXT.
In the spring,
...and began to put various small improvements on there -– a small barn and etc.
over a five year period of time.
MONTAGE - LIFE ON THE FARM
-- It is spring and
old drill and 1952 Farmall
“C” tractor. He drives,
looking ahead and over his
shoulder, watching drill.
-- It is summer and
railroad ties for posts,
nails cross-piece boards on
railroad ties, then nails
wood slabs, from local
sawmill, onto cross-piece
boards.
-- More summer. Near chicken house a
dozen
Red chickens run around.
grain, scattering it to
chickens.
-- Next spring and barn is finished.
piece of tin on roof of 1½
story barn.
-- Same spring and
-- It is summer and
Cow is tied with rope around
neck to one of four center
posts supporting barn’s
ceiling. Leg chain hooks
around cow’s legs and Berry
sits on a milk stool. Then
he takes pail of milk and
pours it into small metal
half-barrel, (i.e. cut in
half), for half dozen Red
Duroc feeder pigs.
-- More summer.
hold cattle.
Same procedure as previous corral
construction.
-- It is fall and
pigs and one for cattle.
-- Next spring and
(railroad tie and two steel
post for posts –- four
strands of barbwire for
wire).
-- It is summer and
railroad tie posts which
stand in curved formation);
nailing sawmill slabs onto
cross-piece boards as two
half-draft, half-Quarter
horses and two Quarter
horses watch.
-- It is fall and
for two cattle feed lots (one
west of corrals and one
south of corrals).
CUT TO:
INT. DEPOSITION ROOM – DAY
SUPER: Deposition Room (United States District Court,
HELMERS
First of all, I guess I’ll just state for you, Jacob, you’re here representing
yourself in this lawsuit; is that correct?
You don’t have an attorney at this time?
Basically before the trial I probably won’t have an attorney.
At the trial there will be an attorney representing me.
HELMERS
And maybe we just better first have you state your full name and address for the
record.
My name is Jacob O. Berry. Address:
HC 81,
HELMERS
And you’re willing to go ahead with this deposition today?
That’s correct.
EXT. STREET NEAR COLLEGE – DAY
(dryly)
I was attending this church...
CUT TO:
EXT. ASSEMBLY OF GOD – MORNING
The CHURCH is a white, 1960s style building -– a classic, small town church
edifice capable of holding 150 parishioners.
Rectangular sign, on legs, on lawn says “Assembly of God” and “Services:
Sunday morning ll:00 A.M., Sunday night
SUPER: Assembly of God - October 1979
...pastored by this Reverend Morris Conklin...
INT. ASSEMBLY OF GOD - DAY
Inside the church PARISHIONERS sit in pews while MORRIS CONKLIN, a man in his
mid-‘30s with black moustache, black hair parted in the middle and DEAD EYES,
good looking with an unathletic body, tries to preach a sermon in an anemic
voice. He walks somewhat slow, not
really in a rush to do much of anything.
He has a few problems –- asking the congregation for scripture
references; browbeating; accusing a needy parishioner of being demon-possessed;
justifying divorce; saying “judgment for his sin” concerning the death of a
teenage parishioner in a freak vehicle wreck.
ANGLE ON the eyes. The
parishioners are farm/ranch types.
Johanna Michaelsen in The Beautiful Side of Evil, experienced a dark side: “What many of us in the church never expect is to find satanic counterfeits operating in the very
midst of Pentecostal and charismatic meetings. Yet what I have seen happen
in some of these meetings has made my blood run cold.”
...in Newell three miles away.
INT. DEPOSITION ROOM – DAY
Helmers Deposition.
HELMERS
And if you can, just tell me, what are the sorts of problems that you had with
Conklin before May 1983?
When I first came to the church, I had been there a couple weeks, Conklin asked
me to come over to his house for supper.
Normally a pastor would say, “Would you like to come over for supper.”
Conklin said, and I quote, “We’re going to have you over.”
And the tone of voice was like you really don’t have a choice, you will
come over and have supper at my house.
INT. PARSONAGE BASEMENT - NIGHT
Various items stored. In a corner
are a half dozen BEE HIVES.
The other thing that concerned me, he kept some bees at his house...
LATER THAT NIGHT
Conklin shows
...and afterwards we went in the basement and he showed me his beekeeping and he
kept referring to it as his craft...
INT. DEPOSITION ROOM – DAY
Helmers Deposition.
...and it struck me as being odd at the time.
He said, “This is my craft, this is my craft” over and over again.
LATER IN
HELMERS
(repetitive)
Jacob, I guess to go back, prior to May of 1983 you had had some difficulties in
your relationship with the pastor, Morris Conklin, correct?
(matter-of-factly)
Subtle homosexual harassment coupled with emotional abuse.
HELMERS
When you use the phrase subtle homosexual harassment, what specific actions do
you speak of?
INT. ASSEMBLY OF GOD – DAY
After the Sunday morning service, parishioners mill about.
Conklin proceeds to shake
Example, Morris loved to touch me.
He would come up to me after the services to talk, get nice and close.
When he would shake my hand after the service, this didn’t happen all the
time, but then he had a very, at least I thought, soft hand and when he shook my
hand, he would kind of -– instead of shaking my hand in a normal fashion, he
would kind of rub his hand on mine while he shook it while he was standing just
too close for a normal person. In
other words, a normal person, when you talk to somebody or when you shake
someone’s hand, you keep some distance, a certain amount of distance.
It’s a normal courtesy. He
would get way too close while he would do this.
HELMERS
(questioning)
Did he touch you in any other physically offensive way than that?
(flatly)
Yes.
HELMERS
How is that?
INT. ASSEMBLY OF GOD – NIGHT
Berry sits in chair, with other MALE parishioners, all sitting in an oval
formation after Sunday evening service in Sunday school room.
Conklin also sits in chair.
After several parishioners WASH each other’s feet, Conklin proceeds to take a
towel and a washbasin, and FONDLE, as he washes Berry’s feet.
Berry sits, stone-faced.
SUPER: Fall 1979
BERRY (V.O.)
We had a foot washing service and it was males in one room, females in another
room. He chose to wash my foot over
other people’s feet, and when he washed the foot, he really didn’t wash the
foot, he basically fondled the foot with that soft hand, at least that’s what I
felt.
Conklin worked, in his job as minister, approximately twenty-five hours per
week. He worked no other job to
support himself as pastor of this small town church.
He had plenty of time for mischief.
EXT. FARMHOUSE - DAY
At front door of house, Conklin hands Berry a brown paper sack containing
various food items.
SUPER: Six months later
Morris would give me small gifts of food, canned goods, packages and cereal...
He wanted gay sex.
INT. ASSEMBLY OF GOD – DAY
After service, as parishioners mill around, talking and leaving, Conklin makes a
BEELINE for
...and then do these things, come up to me and then basically try to force a
relationship with little gifts of food.
Conklin was a married man at that time. He
could measure #2 on the Kinsey bisexual scale.
INT. DEPOSITION ROOM – DAY
Helmers Deposition.
HELMERS
(querying)
What other emotional abuse.
INT. ASSEMBLY OF GOD – DAY
In the church FOYER after a service.
CONKLIN
You don’t even pay your tithe.
INT. ASSEMBLY OF GOD – DAY
COMMUNION is served on Sunday morning.
As the plate passes down the row
He accused me
A FEW MINUTES LATER
Grape juice passes down row.
HELMERS (V.O.)
And what did you say then?
I was in such a state of shock I didn’t say anything.
It was like someone pouring a five-gallon bucket of ice water on your
head.
EXT. STREET NEAR COLLEGE – DAY
When I was having problems finding a job...
EXT. FARMGROUND - DAY
In the spring, on 5000 acre sheep ranch four miles northeast of
...this was during the Farm Crisis of the first half of the 1980s...
MONTAGE – JOBS DURING THE FARM CRISIS
-- On same ranch,
corral) with Falzarano’s
wife, THERESA, a stocky
middle-aged woman, behind
1500 head of sheep. They
yell and wave their arms,
trying to get the sheep
to go into a huge sheep barn,
in the winter, to get
out of the cold.
Sheep at first refuse to budge.
Finally one sheep gingerly
walks into barn -- then
herd mentality takes over and
they all pack the
barn.
-- Still winter and
kitchen table for supper.
The house is old, built
perhaps in the ‘40s, with
modern kitchen
appliances. Table is long,
with a tablecloth.
FALZARANO
This is our last supper.
Falzarano gets out checkbook,
writes out check for
$.75/hour and hands it to
check with an surprised look.
-- In a barn on small cattle ranch four miles west
of
rebuild barn –- hammering
some nails into new
lumber, in the spring.
GUY CASTEEL, the owner,
comes into barn.
CASTEEL
We can pay you $2.25 an hour.
-- In the 1879 farmhouse,
owner of a 4000 acre cattle
ranch, on black wall
telephone.
SWAN
We’ve got a job for you shoveling
cow manure if you’re interested.
-- On cattle ranch, seven miles east of Newell, Berry
shovels a barn full of
manure, in the spring. He
uses normal manure pitchfork
and shovels into
manure trailer hooked to
tractor.
INT. ASSEMBLY OF GOD – DAY
Pastor’s OFFICE. Conklin sits behind
the desk, with
...Conklin’s comment was...
CONKLIN’S POV –
He looks across the desk at
CONKLIN (O.S.)
(extreme derogatory tone)
I don’t care where you’ve worked.
EXT. FARM – DAY
SUPER: Spring 1981
(exasperated)
Shit.
So,
Having to walk down to the church on a muddy day, due to a mechanical breakdown
-– three miles to the church...
INT. ASSEMBLY OF GOD – DAY
...Conklin’s comment was...
INT. ASSEMBLY OF GOD – DAY
Parishioners mill about in the FOYER.
Conklin comes up to
CONKLIN
(extreme derogatory tone)
You came to the church in dirty jeans.
CUT TO:
INT. HOUSE – NIGHT
A shadowy scene, late 1960s/early ‘70s, in the living room with an adult male
and female child in a sleeping bag on the floor.
SUPER: He had previous mis-behavior, detailed in an e-mail dated
AALGAARD (V.O.)
Well, for introductions, my name is Lou Aalgaard.
I am a 46-year-old woman that was sexually molested by Morris Conklin
when I was very young up until 1975.
I have recently found out that my step-sister was also.
Morris Conklin is my uncle, brother-n-law to my mother.
I have always lived in the state of
They are worse than the Catholics.
EXT. FARMHOUSE – NIGHT
WINDY WINTER NIGHT. Outside circular
temperature gauge, next to outside door, registers 10o below zero.
I went through a lot of deprivations at this time which perhaps laid me open to
this type of harassment.
INT. FARMHOUSE – NIGHT
There were times it was below 0o in the house when I was first
starting out due to a lack of heat...
INT. FARMHOUSE - NIGHT
On barrel wood stove, in the spring, is a COPPER BOILER.
A fire is in the stove.
...no running water at times in the house, basically heating was with wood.
“Specifically, she (Walker) adapted Seligman’s theory of ‘learned helplessness’
to explain why so many battered women fail to leave their abusers.
Seligman’s theory sought to explain certain forms of psychological
paralysis based on a study conducted with laboratory animals whereby the animal
was repeatedly shocked. The theory
argued that the reason the animals failed to attempt to escape, even when escape
was possible could be found in their distorted perceptions of one’s capacity to
alter their position. Seligman then
drew comparisons between the behavior of the animals in the study and certain
forms of human depression. Drawing
from Seligman’s work,
INT. DEPOSITION ROOM - DAY
Helmers Deposition.
HELMERS
O.K. You had some handwritten notes
here, too, that you were referring to.
Do those have anything to do with this case?
Helmers looks at notes that
EXT. CATTLE RANCH – DAY
Forty miles north of Newell, a RANCHER drives his pickup truck on the prairie
checking his cows. CAMERA scans
expanse of 30,000 acres in western
Yeah. Basically the reason -– one
reason I came to the church was the cattle ranchers were friendly to me when I
attended.
INT. ASSEMBLY OF GOD – DAY
After spring service, parishioners mill around talking to each other, some
walking out the door to leave in their cars.
He admires Hotchkiss’ hat.
(interested)
Hey, Howard, what have you been up to?
REVERSE POV
HOTCHKISS (O.S.)
(chuckling)
As little as possible.
This is what interested
EXT. STREET NEAR COLLEGE - DAY
Berry narration.
Coming down to the church, of course, you’re kind of down because it’s a
depressed economic time and etc.
Kicking someone when they’re down, as a minister, is not appropriate.
Conklin was a roller coaster. The
abuse did not occur weekly -– the minister was somewhat normal with binges of
BIZARRE BEHAVIOR, perhaps once every two or three months.
He was no fool –- he knew if he indulged too often, he might get caught.
In spite of the cattle ranchers, Berry’s attendance at this church in
1982 was sporadic. He still attended
maybe once every other month.
INT. ASSEMBLY OF GOD – DAY
The congregation didn’t seem to have any problem with it.
EXT. ASSEMBLY OF GOD – DAY
They leave to get in their CARS.
BERRY (V.O.)
The church had all sorts of problems while Conklin was there...
INT. ASSEMBLY OF GOD – DAY
CAMERA is in lobby of church.
Conklin heard speaking from the office.
SUPER: Fall 1982
...two divorces...
CONKLIN (O.S.)
There’s another pastor in this town who is a divorcee.
SCREEN TEXT: “Written material concerning a divorce in the church.”
INSERT – LETTER
LETTER from Conklin dated
CONKLIN (V.O.)
There was a young lady who had asked if she could live in our home until her
wedding, since her family was moving away from town.
SCREEN TEXT: “The wife, only, moved out of town as a divorcee.
Conklin gave out mis-information.”
INT. ASSEMBLY OF GOD – DAY
CAMERA in lobby again. Conklin
whines from the office.
...a foreclosure.
CONKLIN (O.S.)
I don’t care about their business.
Perhaps
EXT. CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH - DAY
PARISHIONERS leave the church, a building built in the ‘40s, laughing, talking,
looking at BALLOONS they have been given.
CAMERA makes it clear that church is located one block from Assembly of
God.
SUPER: Easter Sunday 1983
EXT. ASSEMBLY OF GOD – DAY
Parishioners leave church looking like they have been to a FUNERAL.
EXT. STREET NEAR COLLEGE – DAY
(matter-of-factly)
And this all led to this so-called dismissal proceeding for my calling former
members of the church
INT. DEPOSITION ROOM - DAY
Helmers Deposition.
HELMERS
(interested)
Let’s talk, then, about that ceremony.
It was May l of 1983, correct?
Correct.
HELMERS
How did you hear or receive word that you were being asked to attend?
INT. FARMHOUSE – DAY
Conklin had called me on the phone after the services
INT. DEPOSITION ROOM – DAY
Helmers Deposition.
HELMERS
(fascinated)
And you agreed to come down?
Right.
HELMERS
Did he say why he was asking you there?
No, he didn’t.
EXT. ASSEMBLY OF GOD - DAY
SUPER: Newell Assembly of God -
HELMERS (V.O.)
And so you arrived to this meeting, correct?
Correct.
INT. DEPOSITION ROOM – DAY
Helmers Deposition.
HELMERS
And were other people present?
Yes, there were.
HELMERS
Approximately how many?
EXT. ASSEMBLY OF GOD – DAY
The excommunication CEREMONY.
Fifteen.
HELMERS (V.O.)
Male and female?
Correct.
HELMERS (V.O.)
Alright. And Conklin was there?
That’s right.
HELMERS (V.O.)
And these individuals were all members of the church?
Yes.
HELMERS (V.O.)
Were they leaders of the church in some respect?
Did they hold some office?
Some were, some weren’t.
HELMERS (V.O.)
And where did this meeting take place?
In a Sunday School room.
HELMERS (V.O.)
And tell me what first happened when you got there.
When I first got there Conklin said...
MEGADEATH song in background: “Now that you can see the darker side of me...”
CONKLIN
(slithering)
I’ve had enough of this.
INT. DEPOSITION ROOM – DAY
Helmers Deposition.
HELMERS
What was he referring to, do you know?
I had been asking about other people leaving the church for quite some time
because there were quite a few people that had left the church and were having
problems.
SCREEN TEXT: “Former members of church on phone - spring 1983”
INT. FARMHOUSE - DAY
SUPER: Spencer Hall,
(into phone)
Mr. Hall, how have you been?
HALL (V.O.)
Fine, fine. We bought a nice ranch
down here in
(into phone)
Kind of decided it was time to get out of
HALL (V.O.)
Yeah...
INT. FARMHOUSE - DAY
SUPER:
(into phone)
MILLS (V.O.)
(somewhat negative)
Alright, I guess. I drive around all
day checking gas wells. We live in a
trailer.
(into phone)
So, having a rough time then?
MILLS (V.O.)
Somewhat...
INT. FARMHOUSE - DAY
SUPER: Ron Feickert,
(into phone)
Mr. Feickert, how are you?
FEICKERT (V.O.)
(television blaring
in the background)
Alright.
(into phone)
Say, what happened with your dairy?
FEICKERT (V.O.)
(defensive)
You’re prying, you always pry...
INT. FARMHOUSE - DAY
SUPER: Alice Schmele,
(into phone)
SCHMELE (V.O.)
I’m fine, thankyou. How are you?
(into phone)
Fine. How is
SCHMELE (V.O.)
Wonderful.
(into phone)
Ever think about coming back to Newell?
SCHMELE (V.O.)
(exuberant)
If the Lord leads me...
The former members of the church said nothing negative, but Conklin was worried.
INT. DEPOSITION ROOM – DAY
Helmers Deposition.
HELMERS
Alright. Anything else, then?
So Conklin says, I’ve had enough of this, right?
INT. ASSEMBLY OF GOD – DAY
Excommunication ceremony.
CONKLIN
(matter-of-factly)
Would you please sit in the chair.
As Berry sat in the chair, he had a vague feeling of fear and apprehension.
He was about as much “on the ball” as was the
INT. DEPOSITION ROOM - DAY
Helmers Deposition.
HELMERS
Alright. And you sat in this chair
basically in front or surrounded by these other people?
Right.
HELMERS
Was your back to them or were you facing them?
I was facing them, but my back was to Conklin.
HELMERS
And Conklin was standing behind you?
Right.
HELMERS
When he spoke to you did you turn to speak to him?
I don’t think so. I don’t know.
HELMERS
What happened then?
Okay. He accused me of heresy and
witchcraft.
INT. ASSEMBLY OF GOD – DAY
Excommunication ceremony.
HELMERS
(V.O.)
Okay. Keep going.
What else happened in this meeting?
Then a member named John Williamson -–
JOHN WILLIAMSON stands up and speaks as procedure continues.
WILLIAMSON
(matter-of-factly)
We understand you’ve been making phone calls and writing letters.
CUT TO:
EXT. RANCH - DAY
Simple, neat improvements on cattle/sheep ranch -– barn, sheds, small granary,
nice ranch house built in the ‘60s, and etc.
SUPER: Ranch near
INT. RANCH HOUSE BASEMENT – DAY
SUPER: John Williamson on phone - spring 1996
(into phone)
Do you remember I called you about a year ago and was asking you about the
problems about the Newell Assembly?
WILLIAMSON (V.O.)
Yeah.
(into phone)
I had a couple of things I wanted to ask you.
There’s some, I don’t know how to put it, some satanic problems I’ve
had...
WILLIAMSON (V.O.)
Uh-huh.
(into phone)
...down through the years due to what happened back then, and I don’t know if
you recall, remember I kind of asked you, maybe some of the things that you
recalled...Let me ask you something –- you believe that Satan exists, don’t you?
WILLIAMSON (V.O.)
Um-hum.
(into phone)
You believe he has power to harm?
WILLIAMSON (V.O.)
Only if we give it to him...
(into phone)
But what I was concerned about was when Conklin either called upon, loosed,
delivered to Satan...I have had problems with satanic attacks...
INT. DEPOSITION ROOM – DAY
Helmers Deposition.
HELMERS
(curious)
Then what happened?
INT. ASSEMBLY OF GOD - DAY
Conklin, still standing behind
Conklin said...
CONKLIN
(authoritative)
He that criticizes me blasphemes God.
EXT. STREET NEAR COLLEGE - DAY
Then he proceeded to go through his step-by-step procedure to, what was admitted
to years later, “invoke spiritual forces”.
This was admitted to by the General Council Assembly of God in a legal
document.
INT. ASSEMBLY OF GOD – DAY
Excommunication ceremony.
CONKLIN’S POV –
Conklin speaks the WORD, looking at the back of
CONKLIN (O.S.)
(snarling)
I loose Satan upon you.
MORBID ANGEL song “Evil Spells” in b.g. (first three lines only):
“Caught within my evil spell...Now it’s time to burn in hell...You were
fooled, no return...” The
Pentecostals slowly break down the victim’s will to resist dark forces.
They deserve the lowest rungs of hell.
The pronouncing of an ancient satanic curse, by the congregation, the means to
the end of the RAPE OF THE POOR. A
definition of “poor” is from a standpoint of the agricultural community.
120 acres in western
The reason
EXT. STREET NEAR COLLEGE – DAY
Berry narration.
(nailing)
...then he accused me of being demon-possessed, then he cast Satan out.
There may be another reason he loosed Satan –- revenge for something in the
past. It could have been a former
congregation, who asked him to leave.
Or his preacher father neglecting him as a child, when the father led a
church.
INT. DEPOSITION ROOM – DAY
Helmers Deposition.
HELMERS
And then what happened?
And then he used the scripture, which is what the lawsuit is all about.
INT. ASSEMBLY OF GOD - DAY
Excommunication ceremony. Conklin
speaks, mute to audience.
HELMERS (V.O.)
And what scripture is that?
First Corinthians 5.
HELMERS (V.O.)
He read it over you?
Yeah, he read it over me.
CUT TO:
INT. PENITENTARY - DAY
SUPER:
DARK GOTHIC AND METAL song “The Dawn No More Rises” in b.g. (chorus only):
“Lightning strikes the realm of light...Angels burn in flames of
fire...Storms from hell embrace the skies...As blackwinged hordes
arrive...Infernal winds...Come forth from the ‘byss...Satan rides the winds of
wrath...Across the blackened sky.”
CONKLIN (V.O.)
“When the Newell church dismissed you from membership and fellowship by a
unanimous show-of-hands vote we prayed for you and prayed exactly according to I
Corinthians 5:5 ‘We hand this man over to Satan...’ and actually quoted the
verse.”
The act presaged ill fortune. It
would take
INT. ASSEMBLY OF GOD - DAY
Excommunication ceremony. Conklin
speaks.
CONKLIN
(self-righteous)
Not to even eat with such a one.
A parishioner concludes.
PARISHIONER
(condescending)
We love you.
CUT TO:
EXT. RANCH - DAY
Same 1996 ranch as before.
INT. BASEMENT - DAY
SUPER: David Nelson (South Dakota District Council Assembly of God chairman) on
phone - spring 1996
(into phone)
Mr. Nelson, Jacob Berry, how are you doing this morning?
NELSON (V.O.)
I’m fine, how are you.
(into phone)
Great. I had a question for you.
What does, to you, I Corinthians 5:5 mean -– deliver such a one to Satan?
NELSON (V.O.)
Well, Paul, as I understand this, Jake, was talking about someone in the church
who was guilty of fornication.
That’s not an easy verse to interpret.
Sounds like they were giving Satan approval to work in a man’s life.
(into phone)
In the church today, when would this be used?
NELSON (V.O.)
(nicely)
That would be difficult to answer, Jake, it would depend on the circumstances
within the church.
(into phone)
See, that’s what Conklin had done, and that’s why I asked you how it’s justified
with my situation.
NELSON (V.O.)
(trailing off)
Doesn’t really give much detail, it would be helpful if it did...
Nelson wasn’t telling the full truth.
INT. BASEMENT – DAY
SUPER: Pentecostal pastor in
(into phone)
Are you a pastor of a Pentecostal church there in Rapid?
PASTOR (V.O.)
Yes I am.
(into phone)
Alright. Well my name is Jacob Berry
and I live on a ranch up by
PASTOR (V.O.)
(curious)
Ah, what does it say?
(into phone)
It says, to deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh that
the soul might be saved.
PASTOR (V.O.)
Yeah I am...
(into phone)
What do you think would happen to someone this was done to, have any idea?
PASTOR (V.O.)
(pragmatic)
Well, I’ll tell you, I think it would be perhaps tantamount to what happened to
Job when the Lord told Satan, you can remove the hedge from around him.
Of course He left him, and said you can’t take his life.
But I think it would be just submitting someone to some harsh trials.
The pastor knew harm could come, using this.
INT. DEPOSITION ROOM – DAY
Helmers Deposition.
HELMERS
(forcefully)
Would you agree that it is among the powers of the church, the local church, to
determine and govern its own membership?
In other words, they can decide, they have the power to decide who will
be a member and who won’t be a member.
Isn’t that part of the powers that the local church would have?
That is true, but let me read this to you.
This is out of the Interpreter’s Bible. “But since deliver to Satan for
the destruction of the flesh can only be death, the emphasis lies on that
conception. Paul calls for the
invoking of a curse to bring about the man’s death.”
Now, the Catholic Church used this same scripture when they were burning
the Protestants at the stake and they identified it the same identical way.
HELMERS
(defensive)
I understand that you interpret this Bible scripture to have done something to
you other than simply...
No, they interpret this Bible scripture, not me.
HELMERS
I understand.
They do.
HELMERS
We’re talking about two different things.
On the one hand we’re talking about dismissing you as a member of the
church, and you agree that the local church has the power to do that?
That’s right.
HELMERS
And then secondly is that you believe in addition to that, they were acting to
loose Satan upon you and cause you harm, correct?
Deliver to Satan. The loosing of
Satan goes back to the first lawsuit.
That’s been dropped. Deliver
to Satan is a church doctrine.
There’s a difference.
HELMERS
Okay. So in this case you’re saying
they delivered you to Satan and that caused you some harm, correct?
Right.
EXT. STREET NEAR COLLEGE – DAY
At the time, I didn’t take this seriously, I was just glad to be out of the
church, I took it kind of as a big joke.
INT. ASSEMBLY OF GOD - DAY
CHURCH PEWS. Back two fifths of pews
are roped off. Back fifth of pews
are marked with a sign, “ONLY FOR PARENTS WITH SMALL CHILDREN”.
Two fifths of the church were roped and marked off at the time -– one fifth was only for parents with small children, and the other fifth, I believe, you couldn’t sit there.
People left.
EXT. STREET NEAR COLLEGE - DAY
This procedure, whatever it
wishes to be called, May l, l983, caused a “satanic attack” to occur.
What this caused, in my case, were problems over a ten-year period of
time. On this farm, there was land
payment due May 1st of l984.
Now, May l is one of the four satanic feast days...
INSERT - DEMON
A little DEMON DANCES for a MOMENT.
This demon is midget-sized.
It has horns out of a bald head, eyes glowing like hot coals, scales on the
body, claws for fingers, bat wings, pointed ears, a sinister smile on its face,
fangs for teeth, ashen gray in color.
...Beltane. The farm was
subsequently foreclosed on, in January of ’85.
INT. DEPOSITION ROOM - DAY
Helmers Deposition.
HELMERS
(fascinated)
So now let’s talk about the consequences that you believe began to occur after
this ceremony was held in which you were delivered over to Satan.
O.K.
HELMERS
I’ve got a list of some of them because I’ve had some of these documents.
Helmers glances at a stack of
documents in front of him. A
meaningful discussion of the satanic in the church follows.
HELMERS (cont’d)
Your farm was foreclosed on?
Right.
HELMERS
Who held the mortgage on your farm?
Who did you owe money to?
Martin Hubbard. May I explain the
foreclosure?
HELMERS
I’m not sure we need to go into many of the details.
I paid the land payment, I paid the taxes.
I was foreclosed on for not paying the irrigation water bill, which was a
technicality of the contract.
HELMERS
(impatient)
I understand that you disagreed -- that it may have been unjustified, but you
were foreclosed upon, correct?
The date the land payment was due was May l, l984.
This is when this foreclosure came on.
I was late paying it. May l
is a satanic feast day. Basically
what I’m saying is Satan, which is what we’re dealing with in this lawsuit, was
leaving his footprint or, if you wish, his calling card, okay, on that
foreclosure...
HELMERS
(co-operative)
One of things that you believe, you’ve done some research that tells you that
among those that practice Satan worship, May l is a key date on the calendar.
It’s a satanic feast day. And
a number of these adverse events occurred to you either on that date or very
close to it, correct?
Correct.
Helmers agreed that May 1 is a satanic feast day
for those who practice Satan worship.
EXT. STREET NEAR COLLEGE – DAY
(little tense)
There was a barn I put up, and
some sheds, loading chutes, corrals, and there were three fires down there that
were a little strange.
EXT. FARM – DAY
Berry drives a 1957 one-and-a-half ton truck, box
with a hoist, full of railroad ties to area of new lot (a big corral) being
built, west of corrals. Some posts
are in the ground. After driving to
west and past large loading chute, truck stops and
One was a prairie fire by the
loading chute, around October 10th-October 15th of 1984.
I put that out myself.
EXT. FARM – DAY
A two year old HAYSTACK
immediately south of corrals smolders, then bursts into FLAMES.
One was a haystack fire -– there was a haystack in the corrals, this is in
October, this is toward the end of October –- this is October 20th,
and somehow this haystack, this was old hay, but at that time, in
INT. FARMHOUSE – DAY
Spontaneous combustion -– how so. I
did not see any tracks of any human beings, I did not do it myself.
That was put out by the fire department.
EXT. FARM – DAY
Fire
truck douses flames of haystack.
Isn’t
this a note from hell.
EXT. FARM – DAY
While cutting wood with
chainsaw,
The third fire, October 28th, was by the barn itself, right in front
of the barn. They were systematic
fires. Again, there were no tracks,
I did not see anyone.
He runs to fire and stomps it out with his foot.
The three fires were possibly extraordinary supernatural disturbance --
arson by witchcraft. Kind of a
SCORCHED EARTH POLICY.
INT. DEPOSITION ROOM – DAY
Helmers Deposition.
HELMERS
(querying)
And so then sometime in 1984 Morris Conklin left Newell, is that right?
I believe it was at the end of 1983, Possibly December of ’83.
HELMERS
Where did he go?
HELMERS
Alright. And then --
Which he had
problems with as well. He left in
six months.
...and the Reverend Wayne Sharp had
replaced him.
EXT. SHARP’S HOUSE – DAY
Small, older home north of
January 1985, I visited with him concerning the Reverend Morris Conklin.
INT. SHARP’S HOUSE – DAY
In the minister’s house, WAYNE SHARP, a fairly muscular man in his early to
mid-30s, his WIFE, a good looking, mid-sized woman in her early 30s, and
SHARP’S POV –
He looks sharply at
SHARP (O.S.)
(protective)
Touch not the Lord’s anointed.
LATER IN CONVERSATION
WIFE
(belligerent)
You’d better not speak a word against Morris.
LATER IN CONVERSATION
SHARP
(light and airy)
Children will be children, must have been something in your childhood.
EXT. STREET NEAR COLLEGE – DAY
Berry narration.
BERRY
May 1 of 1985...
EXT. FARM – DAY
A large Holstein milk cow eats hay in corral outside of small ranch-red barn.
BERRY (V.O.)
...I owned a milk cow, one milk cow...
INSERT - RECEIPT
This is a COPY of a milk cow medicine receipt.
BERRY (V.O.)
...medicine was bought for this cow, it was sick, the date on the receipt...
INSERT - DEMON
A little demon dances for a moment.
BERRY (V.O. cont’d)
...again was May l, l985 -– Beltane, satanic feast day.
EXT. FARM – DAY
Spring 1984 --
BERRY (V.O.)
Here is the more scarier part of this deal.
When this type of thing is used, it can cause you to be deceived, they
talk about Satan as being an angel of light spirit.
VOICE speaks to Berry’s mind, not audible.
VOICE
(commanding)
Burn it down.
At front door of bunkhouse,
I tried to save the farm from foreclosure which resulted in burning down an 8’
by 12’ shed...
In witchcraft, there is
satanic control. It is like a
distant cousin of mind control –- causing an individual to self-destruct.
INT. COURTHOUSE – DAY
A courtroom in
SUPER:
...which resulted in defrauding an insurance company...
FITZGERALD
It was a vicious plot to pay his land payment and taxes.
CUT TO:
EXT.
PRISON – DAY
The building of the main
prison in
SUPER:
...which resulted in a free trip to the Pen.
INT. PRISON – DAY
Now, the day I was sent down
to the Pen. was
INSERT - DEMON
A little demon dances for a
moment.
...Beltane.
INT. DEPOSITION ROOM – DAY
Helmers Deposition.
HELMERS
What was the charge that was made against you formally?
Defrauding an insurance company.
HELMERS
And you were sentenced to five years in the State Penitentiary.
Five years with three suspended.
HELMERS
So you served about 20 months.
Exactly.
HELMERS
And you entered the Pen on
No. In this witchcraft calendar,
these satanic feast days -– this goes back to the Celts, the pagans, etc.,
pre-Christian Europe, and these satanic feast days began at sunset and ended at
sunset; therefore, this particular satanic feast day began at sunset April 30
and ended at sunset May 1.
Conklin was getting his
revenge.
INT. PRISON - DAY
SUPER: Fall 1986.
CELLS of the Penitentiary.
INMATE, small man with long, straight hair, parted in the middle and a
substantial beard, talks through cell bars with
INMATE
If these people loosed Satan on you, then...
Inmate, holding a Bible in his
hand, reads three passages out of Revelation, that he has underlined, that speak
of the GREAT WHORE. ANGLE ON the
passages.
INMATE (V.O.)
“And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked
with me, saying unto me, Come hither: I will show unto thee the judgment of the
great whore that sitteth upon many waters.”
SUPER: Revelation 17:1
INMATE (V.O. con’t)
“And I heard another voice from heaven saying, Come out of her, my people, that
ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her
iniquities.”
SUPER: Revelation 18:4-5
INMATE (V.O. cont’d)
“And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.”
SUPER: Revelation 18:23
This refers, at least in part, to the use of satanic power within the church.
EXT. STREET NEAR COLLEGE – DAY
Also...
EXT. PRISON FARM – DAY
FARM located ten miles west of
Sioux Falls, South Dakota which contained a milk barn with cows, various sheds
for large pig operation, including sows, feeders, basketball court, baseball
diamond, and trustee building.
CAMERA does a tour of the farm.
...when I was down at
INT. DINING ROOM – NIGHT
...I was told by two Pentecostal leaders in 1987...
PASTOR
(sarcastic)
You should have got before you got hurt.
INT. DINING ROOM – NIGHT
...and...
PASTOR
(belligerent)
You’d better forgive, because you have to live with it.
The witch trial is having its
effect.
INT. TRUSTEE BEDROOM – NIGHT
...when I began to talk to them about this satanic attack, and this satanic
power, and this type of thing. This
stuff is powerful, it will mess you up.
DILGER
(lecturing)
April 30th of the year is the eve of May Day, and in the spirit world
it is known as Beltane...if you wanted to get even with your enemies, that was
the time to do it. Beltane, today,
as we know it, is not forgotten. We
still have May Day parades; there are still people that practice witchcraft,
other forms of magic, on other people around the world.
Modern day witches, or modern day sorcerers, they use other methods: they
call to Satan...
LATER IN DILGER’S LECTURE
DILGER (con’t)
...Now it’s hard to believe in this 1987 that these things happen.
I know I’ve seen proof, I’ve seen it.
I’ve seen spells put on people and mysterious fires start.
Nobody started them, they just happened.
There are spells put on people, the whole farm goes to hell.
May Day is the day you can ask for this.
EXT. PRISON FARM – DAY
EXT.
SUPER:
INT. DEPOSITION ROOM – DAY
Helmers Deposition.
HELMERS
(hardball)
Just so we’re clear, though, you don’t contend that Morris Conklin or anyone
from the General Council of the Assembly of God set any fire on your property?
(defensive)
No, of course not.
HELMERS
(softer)
They didn’t have anything to do with the foreclosure on your farm personally?
No, not personally -- they believe that once they do this, you can have a loss
of property, you can have health problems, marital problems, financial problems,
so when they do this, it is a belief among these people that they will have
these problems. So when he delivered
me to Satan, they believe that once they had done this, I was going to have all
sorts of problems and this is simply the form that these problems took.
Because when these things happen on satanic feast days, it was like Satan
was leaving his calling card every time saying I did this, I did that.
HELMERS
(real hardball)
So did anybody tell you, did Morris Conklin tell you that evil things such as
this were going to occur to you because of that ceremony?
Did he tell you that evil things were going to happen to you because of
that?
(disgusted)
Not at the time, but in 1996 I found out other things.
This is when I discovered this.
HELMERS
Let’s go back, then. But you agree,
Morris Conklin and nobody from the South Dakota District level, no one from the
General Council personally or physically had anything to do with the fires or
the foreclosure or your insurance claim or the arrest or the cow loss, correct?
They weren’t personally and physically there causing that to happen or
influencing it in any way.
CUT TO:
EXT. SECOND HAND STORE – NIGHT
ENNING has one school, seven
or eight houses, and one second hand store with a CONFEDERATE FLAG flying over
it. LAURA NEUBERT, a forty-one
year-old medium built brunette, STEVE FOUDRAY, thirty-four years old, and SCOTT
GLASSGOW, thirty-three years old, drive from Eagle Butte to
SUPER:
It’s just like when a man fires a gun, he does not do the damage.
In the case of Tifft, it’s the bullet that did the damage.
The man didn’t do anything.
Foudray gets out to buy the
sodas. The van’s dome light is on.
FOUDRAY
Laura, you’ll have to have a Coke, they’re out of Pepsi.
NEUBERT
O.K.
Foudray sees RUBE TIFFT,
thirty-seven years old, standing in the BEAM of Neubert’s headlights, twenty or
thirty yards away from the van. He
holds a “mini 14”, a smaller version of the military M-14 RIFLE.
FOUDRAY
(yelling)
Get out of here, Laura.
Foudray jumps back in the front seat.
Neubert starts to back up and sees Tifft pointing the rifle at her HEAD.
As Neubert backs onto the highway, Tifft FIRES.
The BULLET smashes through the windshield and across the left side of
Neubert’s FACE, from her nose toward her ear.
NEUBERT
(screaming)
Oh my God, I’m shot...I’m shot.
Blood pumps down the back of
Neubert’s THROAT. She presses a
sweater against her face and somehow begins to steer the van down the highway.
Tifft continues to fire and SHOOTS OUT both front tires.
INT. DEPOSITION ROOM – DAY
Helmers Deposition.
(digusted)
It’s the same type of situation here.
They knew full well the damage that could be done using this doctrine and
they did and the damage was done. In
a sense they’re not involved and in a sense they are involved.
EXT. STREET NEAR COLLEGE – DAY
November of ’90, I called the
North Dakota District Council Chairman over the phone...
CUT TO:
EXT. PHONE BOOTH - DAY
SUPER:
...and I believe Morris Conklin was in North Dakota, and began to speak to him
about some of the harassment, the abuse, and the satanic, and he didn’t have a
problem with it...
BAKKE (V.O.)
(covering)
We
shouldn’t get upset over trivial matters.
INT. KILL FLOOR - DAY
This is the R.C. Western Meats KILL FLOOR on a typical morning, capable of
handling approximately fifteen head of beef per day.
The header, LARRY STRICKLAND, a man weighing 170 lbs with a weight lifter
build -- approximately thirty years old, takes the cattle out of the chute,
after punching them in the head with a “head-puncher”.
He proceeds to cut off the head and sets the animal up for the skinner,
VICTOR HOLZER, approximately thirty years old, 150 lbs., with black hair and a
black moustache. He, with the help
of the State Meat Inspector, DON VESPER, approximately sixty years old, graying
hair, 170 lbs, skins out the carcass.
As it is raised, so its butt is up in the air, the splitter,
I got a job at Western Meats, down in
EXT.
On west end of trailer court
is trailer house with an attached room
-– about three miles west of Box Elder,
...I began to investigate mostly from a Christian perspective the occult because
I suspected that Conklin was involved in the occult and had used a form of it on
me.
INT. TRAILER HOUSE – DAY
Several scenes in rapid
succession with
I didn’t quite know what it was, or understand it, but I began to really look
into it. Again, not the
how-to-use-it, but basically from a Christian perspective -- spiritual warfare
and this type of thing.
The following scenes serve to
educate the audience, so they can make an intelligent analysis on the issue of
maleficia. ANGLE over
SUPER: Witchcraft at
(reads to himself)
“If anything, the English law was the more comprehensive.
The first section read...
EXT. 17TH CENTURY
Shadowy scene of three PEOPLE
burning on the gallows, their lifeless bodies swaying in the wind.
...‘One that shall use, practice, or exercise any invocation or conjuration of
any evil or wicked spirit...whereby any person shall be killed, destroyed,
wasted, consumed, pined, or lamed in his or her body, or any part thereof: such
offenders duly and lawfully convicted and attainted, shall suffer death.’”
VENOM song “Don’t Burn the
Witch” in b.g. (chorus only): “Don’t burn the witch...The ways of hell aren’t
wrong...Don’t burn the witch...Let them brew their song.”
INT. TRAILER HOUSE - DAY
Same trailer scene, different
weekend and book.
SUPER: Encyclopedia of
Witchcraft and Demonology, by James Russell
(reads to himself)
“Maleficia. Misfortunes,
injuries, and calamities suffered by persons, animals, or property, for which no
immediate explanation could be found, were called maleficia...According to
Nider, [they] could work malefice [by] 1) inspiring hatred, 2) depriving of
reason, 3) injuring property or animals...”
Maleficia: the operation of
spiritual forces invoked, the actions of Satan as applied...to your life.
INT. TRAILER HOUSE – DAY
Different weekend.
SUPER: Witches, by
Colin Wilson
BERRY
(reads to himself)
“In a chapter called “The Psi Underworld” in The Indefinite Boundary, Guy
Playfair, tells a story of a psychology graduate named Marcia who picked up a
small plaster statue of the sea god Yemanja on the beach at Sao Paolo and,
against the advice of a friend, took it home.
A run of appalling bad luck began as soon as she had placed it on her
mantelshelf: first, food poisoning, then tuberculosis...”
INT. SMALL HOUSE – EVENING
A GIRL cooks something in a
pressure cooker, which suddenly EXPLODES shooting burning hot gravy and pot
roast on her and the walls.
SUPER:
“...then burns from an exploding pressure cooker...”
GIRL
(screaming)
Oh my God.
She runs into the bathroom, crying.
INT. HOUSE – EVENING
Girl cooks a roast in her
OVEN, different night. Suddenly, as
she is in the living room watching a black and white TV, the oven explodes.
The roast is everywhere in the kitchen.
“...then an exploding oven.”
EXT. STREET IN SAN PAULO - DAY
Girl stands in the middle of
the block. She begins to run across
the street in front of the cars, but turns back as cars honk.
“She began to experience suicidal urges, having to struggle to prevent herself
from flinging herself in front of cars...”
INT. TRAILER HOUSE – DAY
Same trailer scene.
(reads to himself)
“...or out of a window. Finally, she
decided to visit the local Umbanda center.
She took along the statue.
The director of the center told her that her sufferings were ‘revenge’ for the
unlawful removal of the statue, and advised her to take it back to the place
where she had found it. When she did
this, her life quickly returned to normal.
It was only after the Umbanda director warned her about the statue
that she noted something odd...”
INT. HOUSE – DAY
Girl looks at the small
plaster statue as she places it back on the beach where she found it.
She notices PATCHES of paint remaining on the statue.
“...the paint was worn off the face and arms of the statue: patches remained in
exactly the same places she had suffered burns; even the ‘spot’ on her lung
corresponded to a remaining patch of paint.”
INT. TRAILER HOUSE – DAY
Different weekend.
SUPER: Satanism, by Bob
Larson
(reads to himself)
“October 31 is one of four major witches’ sabbats, the four ‘cross-quarter’ days
of the Celtic calendar. The first,
February 2, commonly known as Ground-Hog Day, honored Brigit.
The second, a May holiday called Beltane, was witchcraft’s time to plant.
The third, an August harvest festival in honor of the sun god,
commemorated Lugh. The last,
Samhain, marked the coming of winter.”
INT. TRAILER HOUSE – DAY
Different weekend.
SUPER: Witches, by
Colin Wilson
(reads to himself)
“On the evening of
INT. APARTMENT - NIGHT
Somewhere in
SUPER:
MAN
(screaming)
I don’t want to die.
EXT.
A mid-60s car drives on a
BRODY
(yelling)
What the fuck.
(screaming)
Help me.
The truck crashes into the
car.
INT. TRAILER HOUSE – DAY
Same trailer scene.
(reads to himself)
“...At the time of her death, Jayne Mansfield was being groomed by the studio as
a successor to Marilyn Monroe, and her lawyer, Sam Brody, had the utmost
objection to her involvement in LaVey’s satanic cult, which might cause
embarrassment to the publicity department.
When he threatened to start a newspaper campaign, LaVey retaliated by
pronouncing a solemn ritual curse.
He told Brody that he would be dead within a year, and warned Jayne Mansfield
not to share Brody’s car.”
INT. TRAILER HOUSE – DAY
Different weekend.
SUPER: Man, Myth, and Magic,
compiled
(reads
to himself)
“Samhain marked the beginning of winter.
Because the Celtic day started at sunset, and ran to the following
sunset, the festival began on the eve on 1 November.
There were four main festivals in the Celtic year.
Imbolc (1 February) marked the coming of ewes into milk.
Beltane (1 May) was a fire festival.
Lugnasad (1 August) was sacred to the god Lugus.”
INT. TRAILER HOUSE – DAY
Different weekend.
SUPER: Witches, by Colin Wilson
(reads
to himself)
“Neals’ Ju-ju in My Life describes his own gradual conversion to belief
in the malevolent power of witchdoctors -– in this case, through unpleasant
personal experience. After causing
the arrest of a man who had been extorting bribes from farmers, Neal was told
that he had now become the target for ju-ju.”
A mid-‘70s British CAR.
A middle-aged British man, NEAL, looks on the seat of the car and sees a
strange black powder. His CHAUFFEUR,
a middle-aged Black man, carefully brushes off the powder.
SUPER: Somewhere in
“On three occasions he found a black powder scattered on the seat of his car,
which his chauffeur carefully brushed off, urinating on it to remove the
‘spell’.”
INT. AFRICAN HOUSE - DAY
Neal lies DELIRIOUS in a bed. Sweat
pours off him.
“Then Neal became seriously ill although the European doctors could not diagnose
the illness.”
INT. HOUSE – DAY
Neal still delirious in bed.
A BLACK MAN performs certain rituals over the sick man.
“A black subordinate offered to call in his uncle, an expert on ju-ju attacks.
The uncle performed certain rituals, then described in detail the man who
was behind the attacks -– a man he had never seen.”
INT. TRAILER HOUSE – DAY
Different weekend.
SUPER: Celtic Magic, by
D.J. Connelly
(reads to himself)
“The ancient pagan world counted nights rather than days.
All their festivals were celebrated on the Eve, or night before.
Their day began at sundown.
Samhain, pronounced sow-en and called Halloween today, was the ending of the
Celtic year. The new year actually
began with sunset on October 31. The
ritual was known as Ancestor Night or Feast of the Dead.”
INT. TRAILER HOUSE – DAY
Different weekend.
SUPER: Don’t Call Me
Brother, by Austin Miles
(reads
to himself)
“I became increasingly aware of the astonishing prevalence of homosexuality
among Assemblies of God ministers.
‘Why couldn’t the people see this?’ I wondered.
I had resisted seeing it myself, even though my early experiences as
victim ought to have sensitized me.
But the faithful accepted effeminate characteristics in ministers as examples of
the gentleness and tenderness of Christ.
In one large church...”
An Assembly of God church in a
suburban neighborhood. The CONGREGATION of perhaps 200 to 300 stands and claps
during the song service. The PASTOR
stands next to the SONG LEADER near AUSTIN MILES.
During an exuberant congregational song, the pastor glances over at the
young man, WINKS his EYE, SMACKS his LIPS...
“...the pastor was standing next to the handsome young song leader, near where I
was sitting on the platform...”
PASTOR
(lustfully)
You’re so gorgeous I could just eat you up.
INT. TRAILER HOUSE – DAY
Same trailer scene.
(reads to himself)
“During a regional ministers’ convention, within earshot of me, a pastor...”
ADULTS and CHILDREN mill
around in large room. Donuts and
coffee on a table. A PASTOR walks
over to a BOY within earshot of Miles who talks to someone else.
Miles overhears the pastor.
“...sidled up to a boy who belonged to the Royal Rangers, an Assemblies’ youth
organization.”
PASTOR
(seductively)
My wife will be gone for the next four days.
Why don’t you come and sleep with me?
INT. TRAILER HOUSE – DAY
Same trailer scene.
(reads to himself)
“At a district meeting of ministers in
A large meeting room somewhere
in
“...tweaked the cheek of another Assemblies’ pastor.”
MOMENTS LATER
The cheek-pinching pastor then
proceeds to TWITCH the other pastor’s ear with his fingers.
“The first pastor came back a few moments later and playfully twitched the
second pastor’s ear with his fingers.”
“Victim” pastor walks over to
Miles, smacking his lips.
“The second pastor walked over to me shaking his head.”
PASTOR
That makes me so mad when he twitches my ear like that.
INT. TRAILER HOUSE – DAY
Same trailer scene.
(reads to himself)
“I began to take special note of this sort of behavior in ministers as I went
from church to church all over the
INT. TRAILER HOUSE – DAY
Different weekend.
SUPER:
(reads to himself)
“During the winter of 1691 and 1692...”
INT. PARSONAGE – DAY
A room in a late 17th
century home in
“...a circle of young girls had been formed, who were in the habit of meeting at
Mr. Parris’ house for the purpose of practicing palmistry, and other arts of
fortune-telling, and of becoming experts in the wonders of necromancy, magic and
spiritualism.”
LATER IN THE BOOK
(reads to himself)
“On the 23rd of March, a warrant was issued...for the arrest of
‘Rebecca, wife of Francis Nurse’, and the next morning...the examination took
place forthwith at the meeting-house.”
INT. MEETING-HOUSE – DAY
JOHN HATHORNE, magistrate,
REBECCA NURSE, suspected witch, a kindly old lady in her 70s, ANN PUTNAM, MARY
WALCOT, ELIZABETH HUBBARD and ABIGAIL WILLIAMS, afflicted girls, hateful CROWD
are present in a 17th century Salem meeting-house (17th
century name for church). The
magistrate sits in front of the pulpit facing the crowd, a long raised platform
before him. Nurse sits on the
platform, away from the crowd. All
wear 17th century Puritanical clothing.
SUPER:
HATHORNE
Abigail, have you been hurt by this woman?
WILLIAMS
Yes.
Putnam was a grievous fit.
PUTNAM
She hurts me.
HATHORNE
Goody Nurse, here are two, Ann Putnam and Abigail Williams, complain of your
hurting them. What do you say to it?
NURSE
I can say, before my eternal Father, I am innocent, and God will clear my
innocency.
HATHORNE
You do know whether you are guilty, and have familiarity with the Devil; and
now, when you are here present, to see such a thing as these testify –- “a Black
man whispering in your ear, and birds about you” –- what do you say to it?
NURSE
It is all false, I am clear.
HATHORNE
Possibly, you may apprehend you are no witch, but have you not been led aside by
temptations that way?
NURSE
I have not.
LATER IN THE BOOK
(reads to himself)
Many of the documents exhibit a levity of spirit among these girls, which show
how hardened and reckless they had become.
INT. HOUSE – DAY
A 17th century
SUPER:
GIRL
(looking up into the air)
There’s Goody Procter.
RAYMOND
(stern)
You’re lying.
INGERSOLL
You’re telling a lie, for there is nothing.
GIRL
(laughing)
I did it for sport.
LATER IN THE BOOK
(reads to himself)
“On the appearance of the accused, many of the witnesses against her instantly
fell into fits. The magistrate
inquired of them...”
INT. MEETING-HOUSE – DAY
Hathorne, magistrate, SUSANNA
MARTIN, suspected witch, Williams, Putnam, MERCY LEWIS, OTHERS, afflicted girls,
same hateful crowd are present in same meeting-house.
The magistrate sits in front of pulpit facing crowd.
Martin sits on platform.
SUPER:
HATHORNE
(to the girls)
Hath this woman hurt you?
WILLIAMS
She hath hurt me often.
Putnam throws her GLOVE at
Martin in a fit. The other afflicted
girls are silent. Martin laughs.
HATHORNE
(to Martin)
What. Do you laugh at it.
MARTIN
Well I may at such folly.
HATHORNE
Is this folly to see these so hurt?
MARTIN
I never hurt man, woman, or child.
LEWIS
She hath hurt me a great many times.
With this, Martin laughs
again. Other afflicted girls moan.
HATHORNE
What do you say to this?
MARTIN
I have no hand in witchcraft.
HATHORNE
What did you do –- did you consent these should be hurt?
MARTIN
No, never in my life.
HATHORNE
What do you think ails them?
MARTIN
I do not desire to spend my judgment upon it.
HATHORNE
Do you think they are bewitched?
MARTIN
No, I do not think they are.
HATHORNE
Who do you think is their master?
MARTIN
If they be dealing in the black art, you may know as well as I.
LATER IN THE BOOK
(reads to himself)
“The number of persons who had publicly confessed that they had entered into a
league with Satan, and exercised the diabolical power thus acquired, to the
injury, torment, and death of innocent persons, produced a profound effect upon
the public mind. At the same time,
the accusers had everywhere increased in number...”
INT. VARIOUS PRISONS – DAY
The inside of 17th
century prisons, dark and dank.
Various PRISONERS -- men, women and children sit on the ground, chained to the
walls in various cells. They cry for
help, but no one seems to hear.
“...The prisons in
LATER IN THE BOOK
EXT. WITCHES HILL – DAY
The gallows.
Nurse, with four other women, hang lifeless, their necks broke.
She, even in death, has a look of godliness that defies all the lies
peddled against her by the Puritans.
SUPER: Witches Hill,
Mr. Noyes, the minister of
INT. TRAILER HOUSE – DAY
Same trailer scene, different weekend and book.
SUPER: Witchcraft: The
Heritage of a Heresy, by Hans Sebald
(reads to himself)
“Witchcraft is a version of an awesome human venture: the pursuit of magic.
Man’s search for magic is ancient, and at its core lies his attempt to
master life’s dangers and vicissitudes by commanding the service of supernatural
powers.”
AC/DC song “Highway to Hell”
in b.g. (chorus only): “I’m on the
highway to hell...On the highway to hell...Highway to hell...I’m on the highway
to hell.”
INT. DEPOSITION ROOM - DAY
Helmers Deposition.
HELMERS
And then the next problem that
I understand that you attribute to this incident, to the May 1983 ceremony, was
during your job at Western Meats in
I was harassed about the act
at Western Meats, right.
HELMERS
You were harassed by whom?
Two supervisors and one meat
inspector.
HELMERS
These were employees at
Western Meats?
The meat inspector was an
employee of the State of
HELMERS
How did they learn that this
ceremony had occurred?
They didn’t know anything
about this ceremony, which makes it that much stranger.
HELMERS
How were they harassing you?
Things like, “You burned your
barn down,” “Better not give you any matches.”
HELMERS
Did you tell them that you had
been in jail for this offense relating to the fire?
The employer knew.
The employer knew that.
Saying, “You burned your barn
down,” began to bother
INT. FAB ROOM – DAY
RON DASCHLE, supervisor of the fab room, a fiery
man, 160 lbs., 5’9”, approximately thirty years old, cuts down a Mexican
co-worker, with a small build. Other
WORKERS in fab room cut up hindquarters and fronts into appropriate cuts of
meat.
DASCHLE
(jabbing)
Eh, my little Taco.
INT. FAB ROOM/KILL FLOOR - DAY
DASCHLE
(teasing)
Popeye.
INT. FAB ROOM/KILL FLOOR - DAY
Different day, same game.
SUPER: Two days later
DASCHLE
Popeye.
INT. FAB ROOM/KILL FLOOR - DAY
Different day, same game.
SUPER: The next week
DASCHLE
Popeye.
Not the
conduct you might expect from a Senator’s cousin -– Ron Daschle being Tom
Daschle’s cousin (U.S. Senator from South Dakota, 1990).
INT. FAB
ROOM – DAY
LANCE WALD, another State Meat Inspector, approximately thirty years old, black
hair, medium build, speaks to a FEMALE WORKER, also approximately thirty years
old, short black hair, pretty face, stout build.
Daschle and other workers are busy cutting up beef into appropriate
fronts and hind quarters.
WALD
(pointing to Daschle)
Make love to “Dash”.
She ultimately quit and
threatened to sue Western Meats.
INT. KILL FLOOR – DAY
WALD
(playing)
I’ll lock you up and you won’t come out for a nice long time.
Wald knew
INT. DEPOSITION ROOM – DAY
Helmers Deposition.
HELMERS
And what other kind of harassment had they given you?
(matter-of-factly)
I had four assaults against me.
MONTAGE – ASSAULTS ON THE JOB
-- In the fab room
on, holds meat hook for
Holzer as Holzer attempts to
hang beef hind quarter onto
hook. The quarter slips
through Holzer’s fingers and
drops onto
foot.
The pain shows on the face.
HOLZER
(sarcastic)
You should have moved your foot.
-- On kill floor after a “kill” during the clean-up,
Strickland goes nuts and pins
right fist swirling.
what’s going to happen next.
Strickland calms down
and walks away.
-- In break room ANGLE ON a small day calendar –- date:
-- In the front room
are engaged in front room
tasks. Daschle, passing
close to
as a bait.
EXT. STREET NEAR COLLEGE – DAY
(dryly)
What this led to...
INT. BREAK ROOM – DAY
ANGLE ON same calendar –- date:
...was two days after...
INT. KILL FLOOR – DAY
...the supervisor had stabbed this other worker in the arm...
INT. KILL FLOOR – DAY
On February 21 the “kill” goes badly.
Bull carcasses pile up waiting to be washed, weighed and pushed into
cooler. An extra MAN helps Holzer,
but Holzer won’t send him to help
...I was splitting beef, I was getting behind; he had an extra man he could have
sent to help me –- he told me in a very derogatory tone...
Holzer looks over at
HOLZER
(snarling)
You better hurry up.
The “straw that broke the camel’s back”:
...and I wound up chasing him twelve yards with a boning knife.
Temporary insanity.
INT. LOCKER PLANT - DAY
After incident,
HOLZER
Is Jud in?
RECEPTIONIST
No.
Then,
VESPER
Why don’t you just go on home.
O.K.
INT./EXT. LOCKER PLANT - DAY
INT. DEPOSITION ROOM – DAY
Helmers Deposition.
HELMERS
Then there were some physical assaults in the workplace?
Right.
HELMERS
(querying)
Anything else?
(shocked)
Other than the harassment and the assaults, no.
HELMERS
And in one of these incidents you reacted by chasing your supervisor, Victor
Holzer, with a skinning knife, correct?
Right.
HELMERS
And as a result of that incident, you were criminally charged again?
Right.
HELMERS
And that was for an aggravated assault?
Right.
Although it could be said that
the overt harassment and assaults caused this, the root was the subtle, constant
harassment about the fires which
SUPER: Holzer was a Catholic,
Wald a Lutheran, and Strickland an Evangelical.
The church is the law?
MONTAGE – RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES
OF THE “BOYS”
-- With a solemn look on his
face, Holzer proceeds to
take COMMUNION from a PRIEST, the
wafer and the cup,
in a Catholic church.
-- Outside of
other PARISHIONERS.
The building is a mid-1940s
structure.
ANGLE on sign stating name of church.
-- In a room, Strickland has
an open Bible in front of
him, sitting at the head of a
table. Other BIBLE
STUDY STUDENTS sit on both
sides of table.
STRICKLAND
Tonight we are going to talk about the love of God.
EXT. COURTHOUSE - DAY
The courthouse in
SUPER:
INT. COURTHOUSE – DAY
OSBORNE’S POV –
He looks across desk at
OSBORNE (O.S.)
(maliciously)
Even if
you were provoked, if you commit a foul, you’re taken out of the game.
Apparently, in the state of
EXT. STREET NEAR COLLEGE – DAY
(very upset)
I was told if I would plead guilty...
INT. COURTHOUSE – DAY
Courtroom.
The Judge, JOHN KONENKAMP, a middle-aged man with graying hair in Judge’s
robes, the D.A., DENNIS GROFF, a man in his mid-30s, black hair, lanky, wearing
a suit, Defendant’s attorney, RAMON ROUBIDEAUX, a man in his early 60s, a
half-Native American, Defendant -- Berry, a COURT REPORTER, and a SHERIFF are
present.
...I would get probation...
KONENKAMP
This is the sentencing in the State of
LATER IN COURT PROCEEDING
GROFF
And unfortunately, some of the things that we are learning as we get into this
case are equally bizarre. But I want
to take that position that certainly I’m not changing or going back on anything
here. If he is eligible for probation and
the Court feels comfortable with that, I’m recommending probation.
LATER IN COURT PROCEEDING
KONENKAMP
Right now Mr.
ROUBIDEAUX
May I inquire of the Court if we could have a very short recess?
How is your time schedule?
KONKENKAMP
Yes, we can take a short recess.
ROUBIDEAUX
I think a couple of minutes is all we need to speak outside.
INT. COURTHOUSE - DAY
ROUBIDEAUX’S POV –
He looks at
ROUBIDEAUX (O.S.)
(soothing)
The Judge almost always accepts the recommendation of the D.A.
REVERSE POV
(nervous)
O.K.
INT. COURTHOUSE - DAY
...and they played “bait-and-switch” with me...
KONENKAMP
Now we are back on the record in the case of the State of
ROUBIDEAUX
Yes. I discussed it completely with
him and he understands all of the aspects of it and he’s elected to proceed with
the plea that’s been already made and would urge the Court to accept the
recommendation of the State’s Attorney with the complete understanding that the
Court’s not bound by it.
KONENKAMP
You understand I’m not bound by he State’s recommendation, Mr.
Yes, your Honor.
KONENKAMP
Alright. I will then proceed with
sentencing. I’ll ask if the State
wants to make any comments?
GROFF
I think I made a detailed record including the recommendation and how it’s
changed over time based on our recommendation as prior record so I have no
further comments other than those already on the record.
KONENKAMP
Mr. Roubideaux.
ROUBIDEAUX
The only thing we want to add to the Court is that the weapon involved here was
one of the tools of his trade at the place where he was working at and wasn’t
something that he brought into work or something that he was introducing into a
foreign atmosphere, but one of the tools they worked with there.
KONENKAMP
(frowning)
Well, I have got grave reservations about you Mr.
(pissed off)
That’s a lie.
KONENKAMP
(professorial)
It will be the sentence of the Court, upon your conviction for aggravated
assault, that you be sentenced to four years in the South Dakota State
Penitentiary.
BLACK MARIA song “Rats in the
Prison” in b.g. (first two lines only):
“Rats in the prison...sentenced to obey...”
The sheriff escorts
CUT TO:
EXT. JAIL – DAY
JAIL, a very large and neat
and new five story building.
SUPER:
INT. JAIL – DAY
A “pod” set-up with tables and
chairs. Cells are along the outside
wall, two levels. INMATES, dressed
in orange jumpsuits, sit, talk, play cards, stand around.
INMATE, a small man with long, straight hair parted in the middle, with a
substantial beard, stands on the second level and drops ARTICLE from Rapid City
Journal to Berry.
...and I wound up in prison again.
INT. JAIL - DAY
Inmates look at their mail.
HUCHINGS (V.O.)
“Your letter arrived at my desk today.
Thank you for sharing that testimony with us.
A colleague with whom I shared the letter found few surprises in it; he
likewise left the charismatic movement a couple of decades ago.”
This refers to an eight-page
synopsis begun in November 199l, finished January 1992, on the “satanic
problem”. A copy was sent to
Hutchings. The initiation of a
satanic attack by the Pentecostals did not stir Hutchings.
INT. JAIL – DAY
Off to one side of “pod”
set-up in small room, with table and two chairs, where inmates may talk to
clergy and attorneys, Negro PASTOR visits with
SUPER: Pentecostal pastor
discusses satanic problem
He looks across table at minister.
(matter-of-factly)
I think that Conklin was a devil-worshipper hiding under the Bible.
REVERSE POV
PASTOR (O.S.)
(soothing)
Even devil-worshippers need love.
It didn’t bother him.
INT. JAIL – DAY
Tall and lanky INMATE sits at
table, talking with
VENOM song “Possessed” in
b.g.: “Look at me and you will see,
fire is burning inside of me...”
INMATE
(asinine)
Don’t put Satan down or he’ll fuck your world up.
CUT TO:
EXT. JAMESON UNIT – DAY
A plain brick building, built
in 1992.
SUPER: Jameson Unit,
INT. JAMESON UNIT – DAY
Letter from attorney, went through a Writ of Habeas Corpus, on a satanic feast
day...
INSERT - DEMON
A little demon dances for a moment.
...
CUT TO:
INT. COURTHOUSE – DAY
Courtroom. District Attorney MILLER,
a short, stocky man in his mid-30s, sits at a table, Berry sits at another table
with his attorney, RICHARD BODE, a slight man also in his mid-30s, Judge
FITZGERALD, a stocky, graying judge, presides, the witness Roubideaux, and the
COURT REPORTER are present.
SUPER:
FITZGERALD
Call your next witness.
BODE
Thank you, Your Honor. Call Mr.
Roubideaux.
FITZGERALD
Mr. Roubideaux, would you come forward, sir, and be sworn.
Roubideaux is sworn in.
LATER IN COURT PROCEEDING
BODE
And did you note the inconsistencies in the discovery material between the
statements initially given to the police and those that were ultimately provided
to the Court through the Pre-sentence report?
FITZGERALD
Statements from whom?
BODE
From the victims.
ROUBIDEAUX
(incredulous)
Inconsistencies with what?
BODE
With what had initially been reported to the police, and what ultimately turned
up in the pre-sentence report.
ROUBIDEAUX
Oh, there may have been some small inconsistencies, I don’t remember anything of
any importance.
LATER IN COURT PROCEEDING
FITZGERALD
Mr. Miller...
Bode sits down, and Miller walks over to witness stand.
MILLER
Now, in reference to the pre-sentence report.
I want to make sure I understand this.
Your client had an opportunity to review the actual pre-sentence?
ROUBIDEAUX
That’s right. It’s my recollection
that we did it right there in the courtroom.
MILLER
Okay. And this wasn’t something that
you read and merely summarized for him in your own words?
ROUBIDEAUX
No. I let him read it and told him
to ask any questions, if he didn’t understand anything or if there was anything
there that was not true.
MILLER
Did he have a problem with anything in the pre-sentence report that you recall?
ROUBIDEAUX
None whatsoever that I remember.
LATER IN COURT PROCEEDING
Bode cross-examines Roubideaux.
BODE
Mr. Roubideaux, you could have subpoenaed those victims into court in order to
allow Mr.
ROUBIDEAUX
Yes. He made no request that I do
so, though, at the time that we read the pre-sentence report.
BODE
Which, according to your recollection, was just prior to the hearing or can you
recall?
ROUBIDEAUX
Prior to the sentencing.
BODE
Prior to the sentencing, excuse me.
ROUBIDEAUX
It’s been a long time ago. I’m sure
we did discuss the statements against him, because he was very upset about those
statements and we -– we had some discussion about it.
The FLIP-FLOP. Roubideaux oscillates
back and forth, from “none whatsoever” to “very upset”.
He missed Holzer’s railroad job -– the provoking of the assault, then
fabricating a story to the police.
LATER IN COURT PROCEEDING
Judge Fitzgerald cross-examines Roubideaux.
FITZGERALD
So the only way you could find the report prior to the day of sentencing, at
least based upon the practices of almost the last twenty-five years that I’m
familiar with, is you would have to call the Court sometime during the course of
the week of the scheduled sentencing and say “Judge, is the report there, do you
mind if my client and myself come down and read it now?”
Isn’t that true?
ROUBIDEAUX
Yes.
FITZGERALD
Now, you and I are both aware that there is a statute that says that the Court
can allow a victim to come into court and testify if they make that request and
express their viewpoint as to what the Judge should do with sentencing to a
defendant?
ROUBIDEAUX
That’s true.
FITZGERALD
And you will also agree that the statute then allows that defendant in the event
that this person says something that they disagree to, can ask the Court for the
opportunity to refute it, to ask the Court for time for witnesses to appear for
his reputation?
ROUBIDEAUX
That’s true.
FITZGERALD
This case, as I understand it, no live victim came and said stuff in person, but
they came in the form of letters that were contained in the victim’s assistance
-–
ROUBIDEAUX
Yeah. I’d asked Mr.
FITZGERALD
Okay. But I’m talking just about the
victim.
ROUBIDEAUX
Alright.
FITZGERALD
Now, when Mr.
ROUBIDEAUX
No.
FITZGERALD
(querying)
What did it mean to you?
ROUBIDEAUX
(defensive)
Just meant that he said “That’s a lie.”
FITZGERALD
(sarcastic)
“That’s a lie.” He never said he
wanted to have a hearing?
ROUBIDEAUX
No.
FITZGERALD
And you were quiet?
ROUBIDEAUX
What’s that?
FITZGERALD
You never inquired of it?
ROUBIDEAUX
No.
CUT TO:
EXT. STREET
NEAR COLLEGE – DAY
When I first
was locked up, complaining pretty viciously to a fellow inmate about this
satanic problem that I’d experienced for years, and it is interesting to note
that working in the kitchen that day...
INT. MAIN
PRISON – DAY
A prison
kitchen.
SUPERVISOR
Did you give
a cup of coffee to that inmate?
Uh, huh.
SUPERVISOR
(matter-of-factly)
You’re fired.
What?
INT. MAIN
PRISON – DAY
An 8’x12’
concrete cell. A simple bunk, prison
bars, small wash basin and toilet, etc.
...the next
day found blood on my pillow...
INT. MAIN
PRISON – DAY
Same cell a
few minutes later.
(frustrated)
Now where’s
that stupid key?
He looks
everywhere in the 8’x12’ cell –- under the bed, on the shelf, under the
mattress, but no key. Bucking the
church will wreak havoc in your life.
CUT TO:
INT. JAMESON UNIT LIBRARY –
DAY
“I was calling former members of the church, Newell Assembly of God,
Occult activity in the church.
INT. JAMESON UNIT – DAY
The “pod” unit.
Inmates play cards at tables, read books, talk.
Sitting at table,
ALLEN (V.O.)
“We received your correspondence dated
INT. JAMESON UNIT – DAY
Next day.
Same table, different letter dated
NADOLSKI (V.O.)
“I am in receipt of a letter dated August 18, 1993 and certain documents and partial documents that were included with the letter...When I talked to you on the phone and told you I had some experience with regard to both clerical misconduct and satanic misconduct I was referring to experiences involving physical and emotional misconduct and abuse...Please understand that this firm will do nothing further on your behalf regarding the issues you have addressed in your letter of August 18, 1993.”
The synopsis of the occult
problem, and other documents, were sent to the attorneys.
No interest.
INT. JAMESON UNIT – DAY
I wrote Conklin concerning some of these things, I received a letter postmarked
on
EXT. STREET NEAR COLLEGE - DAY
I
continued to appeal my assault case, I had to do it pro se beyond the
first appeal. From the U.S. Court of
Appeals I received a letter dated February 2 of 1994, Imbolc, satanic feast
day...
INSERT - DEMON
A little demon dances for a moment.
...verifying that a pro se appeal was received.
INSERT - LETTER
This is a letter from the
GANS (V.O.)
“We have received certified copies of the notice of appeal and docket entries
from the Clerk of the United States District Court...it will be forwarded to a
panel of judges for consideration.
You will be advised of the action taken by the court.”
The appeal was denied, probably due to the fact it was pro se.
INT. JAMESON UNIT – DAY
SUPER:
EXT.
CUT TO:
The church is a 1920s building capable of seating
100 people.
SUPER: Faith,
PASTOR
So, what are you doing now?
He looks across the desk at
the pastor.
I’ve been thinking about
joint-venturing a small cattle ranch.
The pastor smirks.
PASTOR
(derogatorally)
Do you think with two felonies
against you, anyone would want to finance you?
SUPER:
PASTOR’S POV –
He looks at
PASTOR (O.S.)
(soothing)
I don’t believe anything could
happen to you.
EXT. ROAD NEAR CHURCH - DAY
POLICEMAN
I need to see your driver’s
license.
What’s this all about.
POLICEMAN
(snickering)
The
pastor was concerned about you.
INT. CHURCH PARSONAGE – DAY
LAY MINISTER
(screaming)
You need to forgive.
As Baptist minister looks on,
INT. DEPOSITION ROOM - DAY
Helmers Deposition.
HELMERS
(querying)
So the difference is that
prior to March of 1996, you believed that the harms we’ve listed occurred to you
because Morris Conklin was dealing in satanic rituals of some kind, right?
Right.
HELMERS
But instead, then, in March of
1996 you concluded that all that harm occurred to you because of the operation
of a church doctrine, mainly the delivery over to Satan in the same ceremony in
May of 1983, correct?
(carefully)
You’re talking about a fine
line here. It’s hard to know when
you cross it.
EXT. STREET NEAR COLLEGE - DAY
I decided to pursue a pro
se lawsuit against Morris Conklin.
I received a letter from Morris Conklin’s attorney...
INSERT - LETTER
This letter is from ALLEN NELSON, a partner of the
NELSON (V.O.)
“...I am enclosing a copy of the Order I
received from Judge Battey requiring counsel to jointly prepare and file with
the Clerk of Courts a complete written report of a Rule 26(f) meeting as
described in this Order...”
...The date on the letter was
INSERT - DEMON
A little demon dances for a moment.
(calmly)
...and I mean you’re seeing the satanic
feast days begin to pile up.
EXT. STREET NEAR COLLEGE – DAY
After the lawsuit was filed, the lug nuts on the left, front wheel of a 1977
Ford T-bird I owned, began to come loose.
They were tightened down with a lug wrench and came loose again.
This happened four or five times, near
EXT. RANCH – DAY
This is the same ranch as the
previous ranch when
SUPER: Ranch near
REICHERT
(enthusiastically)
Well, I’m off for my school
tour. So, you’re in charge of the
ranch.
When will you be back?
REICHERT
Not for
quite a while.
Reichert was gone for most of the year, although he had phone contact with
EXT. RANCH HOUSE – DAY
A well-built ‘60s house with some snow on it.
INT. RANCH HOUSE BASEMENT - DAY
SUPER: Mark Hotchkiss (a
member of the Newell Assembly of God who was at the ceremony
(into phone)
There’s nothing ridiculous
about satanic power.
HOTCHKISS (V.O.)
No, there isn’t about satanic
power, but there is about accusing people of using it -- misplacing ideas...
(laughing)
You even had some problems in
the Pen. from what I understand.
(into phone)
That’s all connected to this
little satanic curse your beloved pastor put on me -- it’s right there in the
synopsis if you read it.
HOTCHKISS (V.O.)
That’s what you put in
there.
(into phone)
What do you mean that’s what
I put in there?
HOTCHKISS (V.O.)
How come the suit was dropped,
how come...
(into
phone)
You want to know why the suit
was dropped?
HOTCHKISS (V.O.)
(questioning)
I’m wondering a lot of things.
(into phone, high-pitched)
Would you like to know why it
was dropped?
HOTCHKISS (V.O.)
Sure.
(into phone, matter-of-
factly)
‘Cause the wheel almost fell
off my car twice, and I saw the handwriting on the wall, and I dropped it.
HOTCHKISS (V.O.)
(laughing)
(into phone)
You think that’s kind of
funny, don’t you.
HOTCHKISS (V.O.)
(hardball)
Well,
what I feel is funny is that you keep trying to push a lot of this stuff, and
that every corner, or avenue, that you try to take to antagonize, or blow it up,
you get stopped.
The church is the law.
Hotchkiss was a key member of the Newell Assembly of God, having grown up
in that church.
INT. BASEMENT – DAY
SUPER: Kieran Huber (present
at the ceremony
Let me ask you something. Do you
believe that Satan exists?
HUBER
Definitely.
Do you believe he has power to harm?
HUBER
Sure.
Why would Conklin either call on, loose or deliver myself to Satan?
HUBER
I don’t recall him doin’ that.
He’s already admitted to it in writing.
HUBER
I guess, what are you trying to do then?
Get this straightened out.
Witchcraft in the church is pretty serious.
HUBER
Well, I mean, you’re right. Who’s
ever into that kind of stuff, it is a very serious thing, you’re right.
He knows witchcraft is wrong.
INT. BASEMENT – DAY
SUPER: Nathan Johnson (pastor
of the Newell Assembly of God) on phone - spring 1996
When you call on Satan to destroy somebody, and you have, apparently have a
certain amount of power, and you use that, and of course people are sitting
there...
JOHNSON
Umhmm.
You understand? It’s like a girl
that’s raped, and you tell her, “Why don’t you go talk to your raptist” - that’s
crazy.
JOHNSON
What are you after then?
Justice, in a sense. The church
dealing with the situation. What’s I
Corinthians 5:12-13 say out of your Living Bible?
It says, those who are without God will judge.
Somebody does something to you that is evil that’s without the church,
God will take care of it...
JOHNSON
Why don’t you just let God...
No, no, without the church. Within
the church, the Bible says you are to judge and to deal.
Read that sometime.
JOHNSON
Umhmm.
So, spiritual leaders are to judge and deal, not me.
And that’s basically what I am concerned about.
JOHNSON
So, what are you after?
I’m after the proper dealing according to scriptural guidelines.
JOHNSON
Which would be?
He should be expelled.
JOHNSON
Who should be expelled?
Morris.
JOHNSON
O.K.
You don’t deal with Satan, you know better.
LATER IN CONVERSATION
You never expected Jimmy Swaggart to be messing around with a whore, did you?
JOHNSON
But he did.
He was a fine preacher, with an excellent character, O.K.?
JOHNSON
Sure.
It’s the same thing with Morris Conklin.
If you like him as a person, it means nothing.
We are not reflecting on his character.
When I was in
LATER IN CONVERSATION
JOHNSON
What are you trying to do by going to all the other churches trying to solicit
support?
I don’t solicit support, the Bible says we’re to expose hidden deeds of
darkness.
JOHNSON
Why do you write letters to the papers?
Because we’re to expose deeds of darkness.
JOHNSON
Huh.
The Bible mandates it. That’s out of
Ephesians 5. It’s to be brought to
light.
JOHNSON
Well, Jacob, I guess I’m not going to do anything about it.
Johnson shut off the problem
from exposure...the verb definition of “occult”.
EXT. RANCH - DAY
A BLIZZARD.
INT. BASEMENT - DAY
I spoke to Morris Conklin on the phone, trying to get him to admit, at least in
part, to the delivering to Satan...
As Conklin speaks on phone, lights in room go OFF.
CONKLIN (V.O.)
We read the scripture from I Corinthians 5:5 over you and prayed exactly like
that.
The call continues in the DARK.
...and the electricity in that part of the house went off.
In another room at circuit breaker,
Playing with the circuit breaker couldn’t bring it back on.
It was a welder outside the house, but again why at that particular time.
Causing satanic activity as
usual.
INT. BASEMENT - DAY
I talked to Marcus Bakke on
the phone, he was strong-arming and smoke-screening to keep it quiet...
BAKKE (V.O.)
I don’t believe you can be
touched, really I’ll be honest with you, if you were in Jesus, unless you got
outside of your own safety net, then you’re in trouble, see, that I will accept.
O.K.
LATER IN THE CONVERSATION
BAKKE (V.O.)
(huffy)
I wouldn’t even spend any more
time thinking about it. You’ve had
some problems and they aren’t all Morris Conklin’s fault.
(into phone, defensive)
Well a lot of those things
happened on satanic feast days. I’m not
going to get into that, but...
BAKKE (V.O.)
(irritated)
Well...
You know, I mean it was like
Satan was leaving his calling card every time something happened, on a satanic
feast day. It’s like he was leaving
his calling card saying I did this, I did that.
BAKKE (V.O.)
(triumphant)
Have you read the book of Job?
He doesn’t care.
SUPER: Marcus Bakke was the North Dakota District Council Assembly of God
chairman in 1996
EXT. RANCH - DAY
INT. BASEMENT - DAY
I talked to Reverend Don Wileman, who was the pastor who replaced Morris Conklin
in 1984...
WILEMAN (V.O.)
Hello.
(into phone)
Don, Jacob Berry.
Did you get a chance to read the story I sent you?
WILEMAN (V.O.)
Yeah, I read that.
(into phone)
Did you have any comments,
would you like me to elaborate on anything?
WILEMAN (V.O.)
No, it sounded like a pretty
good story. I put it away now, I
can’t remember all of it –- it’s been a month ago, hasn’t it.
(into phone)
Yeah, a couple, three weeks at
least.
WILEMAN (V.O.)
It’s about your life.
(into phone)
Basically, this individual
called on Satan and there were some pretty dire consequences to it -– pretty bad
things happened. I know in
historical Christianity, people who were in authority said that anytime anyone
would call to an evil spirit, or Satan, and wonders would occur, they called
that witchcraft. What’s your
feeling?
WILEMAN (V.O.)
My understanding of witchcraft
is that you use Satan as an image of worship.
(into phone)
But you can use Satan to harm
someone too, black magic –- that’s basically what happened to me, in this
situation. And do you agree with
that then?
WILEMAN (V.O.)
Yeah, I
agree with that, maybe not all the ins and outs of it -– there’s a point there.
Wileman admits to the
possibility of black witchcraft done in church.
EXT. STREET NEAR COLLEGE - DAY
I went after the General Council. I
wrote them repeatedly...
INSERT - LETTER