1953 Bethurum Newspaper Story

Redondo Beach Daily Breeze, September 25th, 1953

EYE-WITNESS:Redondoan Tells of Visiting Space Ship

By JOHN MOON

There's a man in Redondo Beach who says he has been aboard a flying saucer 11 times. What's more, he plans to take a flight in it to a distant planet next time he sees the lady captain and makes arrangements.That trip, when arranged, will take Truman Bethurum, 55, of 519 N. Gertruda Ave., Redondo Beach, to the planet Clarion.Bethurum has been promised a space flight to the far distant planet by the captain of a flying saucer, Aura Rahnes, with whom he became acquainted last year.

Mrs.Rahnes, who said she had two grandchildren back on the planet Clarion, told Bethurum the trip through space would take "about two nights," in other words, about 48 hours.Bethurum says he struck up the acquaintance with the lady captain of the flying saucer in June (*written over 'July') 1952, while he was working on a road-building job near Mormon Mesa. Mormon Mesa is located on Highway 91 in Nevada about 70 miles from Las Vegas.But for full details of Bethurum's experience on the flying saucer we'll start from the beginning.

Bethurum's Own Story

Here, then, is Bethrurum's story as told to a Daily Breeze reporter. Before he began the story, however, Bethurum assured the reporter he was "not a drinking man" and that he had "never been in a straight jacket or confined in any institution."In June (*) of 1952 Bethurum began work for E.E. "Whitey" Edwards, an old friend, who was boss of a road job being done by the Wells Cargo Construction Co. near Glendale Junction, Nev.Work was pretty well caught up, recalled Bethurum, and he was transferred to a position as night mechanic on the water trucks.

One night, either on Saturday or Sunday of July 26 or 27, Bethurum had finished his work and decided to visit a nearby hilltop because he heard the ocean once covered it and left deposits of sea shells.It was about 3:30 a.m. when he parked his truck and used a flashlight to hunt for sea shells. He had no success during an hour or so of searching, so he returned to the truck and slept awhile.

Suddenly he was awakened by a "mumbling around the truck." The mumbling was unintelligible.Bethurum looked out the window and saw "eight to 10 small men, all about 4 feet 8 inches to 5 feet high." They were not dwarfs but fully developed men, said Bethurum.

'You Name It'

The strange men made no made no effort to molest him. Bethurum said he was afraid to attempt a getaway. He was still in the truck cab.One man spoke to him in a foreign tongue. Bethurum shook his head, indicating he could not understand.

Then the small man said:"You name it."It was perfect English, recalled Bethurum, who answered:"My God, you can speak English, too?""We have no trouble with any language," replied the man.

Bethurum then climbed out of the truck and stopped, awestricken.He saw a flying saucer parked about 75 yards away from his truck. It looked like burnished stainless steel.Bethurum said his heart was thumping so hard "I thought I was going to die."

However, he shook hands with all the "friendly" men and asked if their captain was around. The spokesman for the group volunteered to escort Bethurum to the captain, and led him toward the parked space ship.Meanwhile, Bethurum looked around and saw the short men were "Latin types," that is, with complexions "something like Italians." All were neatly dressed in uniforms similar to those "worn by Greyhound bus drivers."All had coal black hair and dark eyes. They had beautiful skin - skin which contained no wrinkles or blemishes.

The Space Ship

The spokesman for the group took hold of Bethurum's right elbow. While holding the arm gently, said Bethurum, the man seemed to "have me in his power completely. He gave the impression of great strength."

Soon the group arrived at the space ship. Bethurum described it as being made of some type of metal. He learned that it measured 300 feet in diameter and was "six yards deep in the center." A 3-foot metal rim with beveled edges surrounded the saucer-like ship. The rim, said Bethurum, was about 2 feet thick. The ship had "no rudder or stacks."

They entered the ship through a large wide door that Bethurum estimated was 41/2 feet wide and about 10 to 12 feet long. It was located atop the ship close to the metal rim around the edge.Inside, he met the woman captain, Aura Rahnes. He described her as having a "slender" Latin-type face. She wore a "radiant red skirt, black velvet short-sleeved blouse and a black beret with red trim."

He went into her lounge and talked.The woman captain said she was from the planet Clarion, which could not be seen from earth even with "progressive magnification," which Bethurum interpreted as meaning by telescope.She also said the planet was not known by people on earth by another name - such as Mars. About Mars: She said it was peopled and contained atmosphere, industry and homes. She said the people on Mars did not have to have any special breathing apparatus.

At that time Bethurum became aware that the Clarionites from the flying saucer did not need breathing apparatus.

See Daily Breeze Photos at Right

(Article Incomplete)

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