The date when a shaft of divine light came down from the heavens and transformed Franz Edmund Crefield,

from an obscure backwater evangelist into the prophet Joshua II in all his glory remains a mystery.

We also don't know the exact spot where this spiritual ordination occurred,

but we do know that it was in 1903, and we also know the city where this miracle occurred

was Corvallis, Oregon. History has shown us that trouble tends to follow in the wake of modern day prophets as naturally as water runs downhill.

And if the prophet has a face covered with an Old Testament beard and a chronic need to chase after the skirts of young women,

then the trouble is sure to be multiplied and, of course, lurid and salacious

too. This particular Backwood's prophet had both the beard and the taste for women, but it was said

that he also had tremendous power. In fact, when he raised his voice in holy anger, as he did on one memorable

occasion, the city of San Francisco shook horribly, then fell, trembling, and smoking into ruins,

becoming one of the greatest disasters that America has ever known.

Welcome to American Nightmares, the podcast dedicated to America's history of horror.

Through sinister tales of murder, madness, mayhem, spirits, scandals, and sins,

I'll be presenting the origins of American terror with true accounts of diabolical witches,

murderous madmen, haunted houses, death and dying, and stories of revenge and despair

that have been torn from the pages of our haunted past.

As you're aware from previous episodes, we've been exploring the diabolical figure of the devil,

but this episode is not so much about the devil himself, but serves as a sort of warped sequel

to an earlier episode that marked the rise of the Pentecostal

movement in American history, although this one is, well, a little different.

American Nightmares is written, performed, and produced by Troy Taylor. That's me. And I want to thank you for joining me for episode 14,

the Holy Rollers Sex Cold.

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