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The Travis Walton Abduction Case 16 The Travis Walton Abduction Case 16 uncovering blocked memories," Walton under hypnosis are indistinguishable (Mike Roger's younger brother) had would write years later. (The on board from truths.] pled guilty to the theft of blank payroll experience will be discussed later.) "They're afraid of the tests," he cheques which they had cashed using a Sheriff Gillespie had arranged added [without evidence]. forged signature. Apprehended almost for polygraph examinations for Travis He said that Travis appeared upset at immediately, they were given two and Duane, to be administered by Cy first, but he was completely calm when year's probation and ordered to repay Gilson, the same man who had tested the two brothers left, and Steward the stolen money. That was the the logging team earlier in the week. All described that reaction as symptomatic beginning and end of Travis's criminal concerned agreed that it must be done in of drug use [Lowe, 1975]. history. Not even Sank Flake, who did secrecy, to eliminate the media circus These were extraordinarily not like Travis and openly accused him that had afflicted the previous irresponsible charges. To start with, no of hoaxing the UFO story, deemed this polygraph episode. Unfortunately, evidence existed whatsoever to support anything other than a youthful mistake, someone leaked news of the intended the allegations that Travis was under but it was deeply embarrassing to have examination. On Friday morning, as the the influence of drugs at any time. to admit to it, and Travis talked about it sheriff left his office, he saw clear signs According to all available testimony, only on the understanding that the that reporters were following him. not just Travis's but other people's, matter would be kept confidential. Around that time a reporter phoned Travis so opposed drug use that he did Yet McCarthy, whose Duane's house and wanted to know not consume alcohol or even coffee. occasionally sarcastic and sometimes when Duane and Travis planned to go to True, he had taken drugs in the past, in abrasive remarks betrayed his Holbrook for the test. When Duane common with many other young skepticism, went out of his way to heard about the call, he exploded. He people of the period, but he had remind Travis of the incident a few cancelled the test and accused the stopped doing so two years previously. minutes later. After McCarthy had used sheriff - who was in fact innocent as the Whatever one makes of the UFO claim, the word "collusion" and Travis Waltons themselves - of bad faith. the drug accusation was and remains a admitted that he did not know the At this stage, everybody's canard, though would-be debunkers word, McCarthy snapped, "That means nerves were on edge. The Waltons also would keep it alive for years to come. acting in concert with somebody else, WALTON were angry and upset at the many The National Enquirer wanted one or more people to perpetrate a WALTON ABDUCTION CASE - rumors and accusations in circulation. Travis to take a polygraph examination hoax, acting in collusion with somebody else, you know, to set this ABDUCTION CASE - Some of these saw print. The next day, as soon as possible, while it still had PART II Saturday the fifteenth, the Phoenix him available and before another thing up. Just like you acted in PART II Gazette ran an publication collusion with this friend of yours to uncritical was able to burglarize the office, steal the cheques, By Jeorme Clark. piece on "Dr. scoop it. and forge them, right?" Lester H. Harder though A few minutes later McCarthy Continues from the April Edition Steward, Travis might announced, "Travis, your responses are of THE 'X' CHRONICLES….. Director of or might not deceptive," and declared that he had the Modern be lying failed the polygraph test. Hypnosis (though Flabbergasted, Travis protested, "There By the next day, Wednesday, Instruction Harder was must be some mistake." He asked for November 12, 1975 Spaulding was Center." After convinced of another test. McCarthy refused. being quoted in the press as saying that spending "two his "There's no need to go any further," he he and his group had found unspecified hours with truthfulness), said. "I've got my answers." "holes in this story." Spaulding, who Walton and his but there But perhaps he did not. At that had directed the Waltons to "Dr." brother could be no point McCarthy made a strange remark Steward. Also stressed that the Duane," the question that to Walton: "Could it be that you have investigation required more than article he was just, uh, made yourself believe that this anything "competent scientific reported, exhibiting happened to you?" A polygraph personnel conducting scientific tests." Steward plenty of examination can determine only if the Later that day he told reporters, "We're stated, "He stress. Three subject believes he is telling the truth, going to blow this story out today." [Travis] was psychiatrists and McCarthy had just declared that On Thursday, Travis and out who had been where Walton was concerned, it Duane slipped away to nearby hallucinating on some drug, probably brought into the case concurred, showed otherwise. Reflecting on this Scottsdale, where the National LSD." He further claimed that the insisting that any results would have no contradiction years later, Walton was Enquirer had a room at the Sheraton Walton's had come on like a couple of meaning. One psychiatrist, Jean led to observe: Hotel waiting for them. There they met freeloaders who wanted a physical Rosenbaum, spoke with particular There's simply no way to APRO scientific consultant James A examination without having to pay for authority here; he was a court accepted rationalize the implication of his Harder, a professor of engineering at it; yet when he arranged for such an authority on polygraph use. question away. He certainly wasn't the University of California at exam, the two young men fled his But the Enquirer persisted. A trying to be nice to me; he was Berkeley. Harder, who had a particular office. The article went on to recite positive polygraph result would bolster unceasingly hostile throughout our interest in hypnotizing UFO witnesses, other false and dubious allegations: the impact of its story; besides, reporter encounter. Evidently something in soon regressed Travis, who proceeded Steward said Duane Walton Paul Jenkins argued, the results would those charts, which we'll never see, told to tell for the first time all that had called him Tuesday about regressive not be released without Travis's McCarthy something he could not happened, or supposedly happened, hypnosis [not true]… The hypnosis permission. Travis finally consented, reconcile with whatever conviction he aboard the UFO. Heretofore he had never came off [it was never asked for]. and APRO director Jim Lorenzen had when he'd entered that testing been reluctant to discuss it and had Steward said, and he believes the reason contacted John J McCarthy, director of room [Walton, op. cit.]. given it out piecemeal even to his is that the Waltons fear exposure. the Phoenix-based Arizona Polygraph Even so, McCarthy concluded brother. Unlike many other abductees, Steward challenged the alleged Laboratory. McCarthy said he would his official report thus: however, Walton's conscious recall and infallibility of the lie detector tests… be willing to administer the test. When His reactions on the control unconscious "memory" were the same, Five reportedly passed, but Steward Harder expressed concern about test were normal. He appeared to be and he could account for only a said he would be unconvinced that they Travis's emotional state, McCarthy lucid, and prior to testing he stated that maximum of two hours, and perhaps were telling the truth unless they went assured him that he would take it into he understood each of the questions to even less, of his missing five days. through regressive hypnosis [as, in fact, account. be asked and he would answer each Curiously, during a particularly deep Travis Walton already had.] Unfortunately, when they met with a "Yes" or "No." It was obvious part of the hypnosis, Walton "The polygraph is only ain Walton's too, at the Sheraton, during the examination that he was encountered an impenetrable mental machine, and I think they got together McCarthy did nothing to reassure deliberately attempting to distort his block and expressed the view that he and beat it," he said. "But they can't beat Travis. Instead, in the pre-test respiration pattern. would "die" if the regression hypnosis. If they did go into hypnosis, interview McCarthy got Travis to Continued on Page 17 continued. "Dr. Harder could not they can lie, but I can show they are admit to two episodes about which he precisely determine whether the block lying, and they can't control it. [Nothing was deeply ashamed: His past drug use For high speed internet service in is an actual warning… or only a false in the professional literature of hypnosis and a 1971 scrape with the law. In the Ontario and Quebec, check out threat designed to discourage efforts at substantiates these claims. Lies told latter instance he and Charles Rogers www.interpc.ca