Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction (1997–2024): Season 4, Episode 11 - Ghost Writer - full transcript
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CAMPBELL LANE: "Beyond Belief--
Fact or Fiction"-- hosted
by Jonathan Frakes.
Tonight, your challenge
is to separate
what is true from
what is false--
five stories, some
real, some fake.
Can you judge which are
fact and which are fiction?
To find out, you
must enter a world
of both truth and deception,
a world that is beyond belief.
[theme music]
In trying to
determine truth, we must
examine things from all angles.
For example, this sculpture,
when viewed head on,
is a simple, clean, cube shape.
But turn it around to another
angle, look what's revealed--
a mass of different
shapes and lines that was
previously hidden from view.
In tonight's stories, the
truth is often hidden.
We'll tell you which
stories are based on reality
and which are fiction
at the end of the show.
And remember, just like
this metal sculpture,
while you think you
see something clearly,
the truth may be hiding
just around the corner.
Do you have a favorite
cure for the flu?
Some people take
medications, vitamins, pills.
Others rely on home
remedies, like chicken soup.
No matter what you take into
your system to fight the flu,
everyone agrees on one thing--
you need plenty of rest.
Douglas Hibbard is exhausted.
His resistance is low.
And he's beginning to get
that dull, achy feeling.
Is it the flu?
Is it beyond the flu?
Is it, in fact, beyond relief?
JONATHAN FRAKES (VOICEOVER):
Attorney Douglas Hibbard
had spent the last five
days in Eureka, California,
conducting hearings
for the Employment
Development Department.
[douglas groaning and sniffing]
You you up that way?
I'm over here.
- Great job, Doug.
- Yeah, yeah.
It went pretty well.
See you back in Sacramento.
OK.
Oh, happy anniversary.
And take care of that cold.
Yeah, thanks.
[exhales]
JONATHAN FRAKES (VOICEOVER):
All Douglas wanted to do
was get home to his wife,
Carol, and celebrate
their 10th wedding anniversary.
He just wished he'd felt better.
[phone ringing]
Hello.
DOUGLAS HIBBARD (ON
PHONE): Hey, Carol.
Hey.
I knew it was you.
How did it go?
We kicked butt.
CAROL (ON PHONE): You
sound like you got worse.
Oh, yeah.
I feel horrible.
My body aches.
Fever.
Aw, Doug, I really
wish you were home.
So do I. Honey, I hate to
do this, but, uh, I, uh--
I'm a little worried about
making the five-hour drive
with this flu.
I'm thinking of spending
the night somewhere.
Really?
DOUGLAS HIBBARD (ON
PHONE): Don't worry.
I'll be home for our
anniversary tomorrow.
OK.
Well, you just take
care of yourself.
Get plenty of rest.
I love you.
I love you too.
[rings bell]
Oh.
How you doing?
Not so good.
I have the flu.
Oh, nasty stuff.
I just got over it myself.
I need a nice, quiet room.
Ah, well, I got plenty of
rooms and plenty of quiet.
I just need a major credit card.
Oh, right.
There you go.
There we are, thank you.
I can't breathe.
I just wish I was
there with you.
JONATHAN FRAKES (VOICEOVER):
Doug called his wife Carol
right after he checked in.
She was glad that he had found
a nice, clean place to stay,
but she was worried
about his health.
She begged him to get some rest.
Yes.
Yes, I'll try to get some sleep.
Doug had hope to sleep
through the night,
but it was of no use.
The flu wouldn't let him.
[panting]
Can I help you, Mr. Hibbard?
Yeah, I can't sleep.
Um-- I'm looking for, uh,
an open drug store nearby.
Yeah.
Yeah.
You just follow Crystal
Lake Drive for about a mile.
Yeah.
And then you come to the--
come to the first light,
take a right, Stanley's Drugs.
You can't miss it.
Thanks.
No problem.
[door shuts]
Mr. Hibbard.
Jeez, what happened to you?
I need you to do me a favor.
Well, sure.
I-- did you get your medicine?
I need you to put this
in the motel safe for me.
I'm afraid I might lose it.
What is it?
Thank you.
JONATHAN FRAKES (VOICEOVER):
It all seemed very
odd to motel owner Harold Plum.
Why was Doug Hibbard soaking
wet and covered with mud?
But Harold had learned
not to ask questions.
Weird.
[phone rings]
Eh, good evening.
Lakeshore Motel.
Hi, my name is Carol Hibbard.
And I believe my husband Douglas
Hibbard is registered there.
Yeah, he's here.
I keep calling his cell phone
and I'm not getting any answer.
Maybe he has it turned off.
I mean, I-- I know he's here.
I-- I just saw him.
Would you like me to ring
through to his room for you?
Yes, please.
HAROLD PLUM (ON
PHONE): OK, hang on.
[phone ringing]
Now, he's not answering.
Would you do me a favor?
Could you check on him
and see if he's all right?
He wasn't feeling well.
Oh, sure.
Just-- just give me
your number there
and-- and I'll call
you right back.
[knocking]
Mr. Hibbard?
JONATHAN FRAKES
(VOICEOVER): Harold
was surprised to
find that Douglas
Hibbard was not in his room.
He also found it
strange that there
was no sign of the
wet muddy clothes
that Hibbard was wearing.
Can I help you?
I need to talk to
you about a guest
I believe you have
registered here
by the name of Douglas Hibbard.
He's dead.
His car went off the road.
He had this room key on him.
Well, I was just talking
to him a few minutes ago.
Sir, that's impossible.
A witness saw Mr. Hibbard's
car go into Crystal Lake
about an hour ago.
He just towed it out.
His body was inside.
JONATHAN FRAKES
(VOICEOVER): Harold Plum
remembered the bag
Douglas Hibbard
gave him to keep in the safe.
He wasn't sure if
it would be there.
He wasn't sure of
anything anymore.
Carol Hibbard arrived
at the Lakeshore Motel
the following morning to
pick up Doug's belongings.
Inside the box was
the diamond ring
Doug couldn't afford to buy
when they first got married.
Years ago, he had promised
Carol that one day he
would buy it for her as
an anniversary present.
What really happened here?
How could Douglas
Hibbard have given
the motel owner that diamond
ring if he was already dead?
Was his will to keep
his promise so strong
that nothing, not even
death, could stop him from
delivering her anniversary gift?
Or did the motel owner just
imagine Douglas walked in?
If so, how did he
get the gift bag?
Is this story about
the dedicated husband
based on reality?
Or have we left you
holding the bag?
CAMPBELL LANE: We'll find out
if this story is true or false
at the end of our show.
Next, psychic powers are used
against a gang of thieves
on "Beyond Belief--
Fact or Fiction."
Wheelchairs like this are
used in many ways these days.
There is, of course,
the primary use--
as transportation
for those that are
unable to walk on their own.
But recreational
opportunities now
exist for the wheelchair-bound.
They're now used in
races, even marathons.
And wheelchair basketball has
become an exciting competitive
activity.
But you're about to see
a wheelchair show up
in a rather unusual place--
at a crime scene.
DETECTIVE HANSON
(VOICEOVER): As a detective,
I'd investigated many robberies
in my downtown district.
But the Tri-City jewelry heist
is the one I will never forget.
The Anvil Armored
Truck Service received
pickups at the Tri-City Jewelry
Company several times a week.
The guards were trained to
take nothing for granted,
and to approach each delivery
and pick up as a potentially
dangerous situation.
There was nothing that aroused
their suspicion that morning.
It all seemed routine.
OK, he's in.
We got three minutes.
DETECTIVE HANSON (VOICEOVER):
What the guards should have
taken a closer look at
was the flower delivery
van parked across the street.
Excuse me.
Can you tell me where to
catch the number three bus?
I-- I'm very late for
a doctor's appointment,
and I'm a little lost.
[grunts]
Get out of our way!
[engine starting]
What are you doing?
Are you crazy?
[doors slam shut]
[sirens]
DETECTIVE HANSON (VOICEOVER):
I arrived on the scene
a half hour after the robbery.
I never expected to find
anything out of the ordinary.
I was wrong.
OK.
So you really didn't get
a look at the guy, huh?
Never even saw him coming.
Sorry.
How about you?
This thing was
pretty well planned.
They must have been
watching you guys for weeks.
- Detective Hanson.
- Yeah.
I think I might
have something.
There was a guy in a
wheelchair that got caught
in the middle of the robbery.
Can he give us an ID?
Better than that.
He says he can tell
us where they are.
Mr. Siegmeier,
Detective Hanson.
I understand that you were
a witness to the robbery
that took place here.
I was a victim.
I was just passing by, minding
my own business, when this guy
comes running up,
pistol whips the guard
and knocks me out of my chair.
What kind of punk
would do that, huh?
To a guy in a wheelchair.
- I don't know.
- They're scum.
That's what they are-- scum.
Mr. Siegmeier, you told
Officer Hanna that you
knew where we could find them.
Is that true?
Yeah.
It's true.
I got this special power.
It comes and goes.
Sometimes, when I
get real mad, I see
flashes of stuff in my mind.
Stuff?
What kind of stuff?
Well, after that guy knocked
me down, I was yelling at him,
and this address just
popped into my head.
1211 Carlson Street.
Is that where
you think they are?
PETER SIEGMEIER: I know
that's where they are.
I can feel it.
See, that's how it happens.
Things just pop into my head.
OK.
Thank you, Mr. Siegmeier.
I'm gonna need your
address and phone number.
We may want you to come in and
take a look at some pictures.
Yeah, sure.
Whatever.
I want those animals put away.
DETECTIVE HANSON (VOICEOVER):
I had worked with psychics
before, so I decided to
check out the address
that Peter Siegmeier gave me.
1211 Carlson turned out to be
an abandoned warehouse downtown.
Even if it turned out
to be a waste of time,
I had no other leads.
You should have seen
the look on his face what
I knocked him out of his chair.
[laughing]
Get your hands up!
Put 'em up!
Put them where I can see them!
Put 'em up!
I gotta know--
how'd you find us so fast?
The guy in the wheelchair
that one of you gentlemen
knocked over.
He told you?
That's right.
Let me tell you
something, Detective.
That guy in the wheelchair,
he planned the whole thing.
He brought the guard so
I could get the money.
- What?
- Yeah, we met him in jail.
His name is Darren, Snyder.
Why'd you knock him over.
We decided to cut
him out, figured,
you know, what could he do?
I'll check it out.
Yeah, you do that.
There's just one thing
I don't understand.
How did he know we'd be here?
What do you mean?
We changed hideouts.
Snyder didn't know
about this place.
DETECTIVE HANSON
(VOICEOVER): I followed
up on the name Darren Snyder.
I found out that he was an
ex-con with a long rap sheet,
and that one of his aliases
was Peter Siegmeier.
I located Snyder a week
later and arrested him
for armed robbery.
He still insisted
no one had told
him the location of the
hideout, and that he
possessed a special power.
So how did Peter Siegmeier
know the new hideout
of the three men?
Did he somehow overhear
someone mention it?
That seems unlikely.
They were going out of their
way to keep it from him.
Was he truly psychic?
No one had ever seen
evidence of that before.
Maybe he was so furious
at being betrayed
he somehow converted his
anger into a psychic energy.
Was this story of
thieves falling out
inspired by an actual event?
Or are we double crossing you?
CAMPBELL LANE: We'll find out
if this story is true or false
at the end of our show.
Next, a young couple needs a
miracle on "Beyond Belief--
Fact or Fiction."
A life support system--
medical equipment
designed for the purpose
of sustaining life when our own
vital organs cease to function.
At its most
effective, the system
takes over temporarily until a
medical solution or a miracle
can be found.
At its least effective, life
can be prolonged indefinitely,
often without hope.
Julie Driscoll is
currently being
kept alive by life support.
Her boyfriend, Gary,
believes deep in his heart
she will pull through.
But right now, Gary is
searching desperately
for a second opinion.
GARY (VOICEOVER): My girlfriend,
Julie, had been in a coma
for the past seven months.
While driving, her head hit
the windshield after she was
broadsided by a pickup truck.
Julie never regained
consciousness,
but she was alive.
So the doctors put
her on life support.
She was on her way to meet me.
We were gonna go to a movie.
I hardly ever left Julie's
side since the accident.
I knew that somehow,
she could still hear me,
and that one day, she'd recover.
I ran into your
friend Denise today.
She, uh-- she sends her love.
She got a new puppy,
little golden lab.
GARY (VOICEOVER): I read
that it's good to keep
talking to a comatose patient.
Sometimes, it can
trigger something.
So I just talked about
whatever came into my head.
I had to keep connected to her.
Remember Lucy, your dog?
She misses you.
Everybody misses you.
Not as much as I do.
You know, I love you, Julie.
How you doing, Gare?
I'm OK, Dr. Parkins.
She looks so peaceful today.
Mm, she is.
Julie's parents are
here, and they-- they
want to see you for a minute.
Sure.
I'll be back.
GARY (VOICEOVER): Lately,
it seemed that Julie's
parents were losing hope.
It was hard for me to talk
with them like I used to.
Hi, Gary.
Hey.
I was just Julie you
about how her friend
Denise got a new puppy.
You know how much
Julie loves animals.
We couldn't even pass a
pet shop without her--
I'm sorry, Mrs. Driscoll.
I didn't mean to upset you.
Gary, I know
it's hard, but it's
time for us to face reality.
It's been seven months,
and Julie shows no sign
of coming out of the coma.
You-- you know we've
consulted several specialists.
And the consensus
is that Julie's
condition is irreversible.
No.
No, it's not.
I don't believe that.
Gary, we know how
much you love her.
We all do.
But it's time to let her go.
We've decided to disconnect
Julie's life support.
No No.
No, you can't do that.
She can come out of this.
I know she can.
The insurance has run out.
It's--
But it-- it's not
about the insurance.
It's-- if-- if
Julie had just shown
one sign of coming
out of the coma,
we'd keep her on life support.
Julie wouldn't want
to go on this way.
You know that.
Look.
Just give me one more day.
OK?
I-- I just want to talk to her.
I know-- I know she can hear me.
Please, just one more day.
OK.
GARY (VOICEOVER): I
didn't want to give up.
I pleaded with Julie to respond.
I could feel our
time running out.
Julie, you don't
have much more time.
OK?
I know you can hear me.
You have to come back.
What do you want me to do?
Why can't I reach you?
Don't you love me?
They're going to stop
your life support, OK?
You have to fight.
You have to live.
Julie, please.
How you holding up, Gary?
Everything's the same.
I just can't get through to her.
You've done everything
that you could.
You know, sometimes, all
the love in the world
is just not enough.
The Driscolls are going
to be here in a while.
So why don't you give
yourself a break?
I-- I can't.
I don't want to leave her alone.
Gary, you gotta
go easy on yourself.
Look, this isn't your fault.
I didn't know how I was
going to live without Julie.
I never let myself
think about it.
This is so hard, Julie.
GARY (VOICEOVER): I knew
there were no more options,
but I just couldn't
accept letting her go.
I was finally ready to
admit it was hopeless.
And then--
JULIE (OFFSCREEN): Gary.
Julie.
Julie, I heard you.
No, I didn't imagine that.
That was you.
It was your voice.
You say something to me.
Say something again.
Please.
JULIE (OFFSCREEN):
I hear you, Gary.
I hear you too, Julie.
I hear you.
I
JULIE (OFFSCREEN): I can move.
Look, you can't
pull life support.
She can move.
Julie can move.
You actually saw her move?
No, no, no, no.
She told me she could move.
She spoke?
Well, not exactly.
Look, I know this is
gonna sound crazy.
But Julie spoke to
me, telepathically.
I'm sorry.
There's no change.
No.
No, it can't be.
Julie.
Julie, do something.
Show them.
Please.
Go ahead, Dr. Parkins.
No, don't do this.
Let her go, Gary, please.
JULIE (OFFSCREEN):
Gary, look at my hand.
Her hand.
Look at her hand.
MR. DRISCOLL: Oh, Gary.
Please stop.
Just--
Oh, my god.
Oh, my god, Bill.
Look at her hand.
It's moving.
Julie.
Julie.
She's coming back.
GARY (VOICEOVER): Julie
slowly regained consciousness,
and after months of therapy,
she was able to return
to a normal life.
The doctors were amazed
by her total recovery.
There was absolutely
no brain damage.
Julie and I picked up
right where we left off,
and I'm more in love than ever.
Did Julie and Gary actually
communicate telepathically?
Or did Gary's sleep deprivation
cause him to imagine
that he heard Julie's voice?
If so, then why did
Julie's hand move exactly
when Gary heard her voice?
Was that just coincidence?
Does this story of a medical
miracle stand on its own?
Or does the truth show no
visible signs of support?
CAMPBELL LANE: We'll find out
if this story is true or false
at the end of our show.
Next, a young boy channels
a mysterious spirit
on "Beyond Belief--
Fact or Fiction."
Have you ever visited
a Chinatown section
in a major city?
It's like a world unto itself.
Souvenirs such as these
are found everywhere,
making Chinatown a must-stop
for many tourists, even those
who have no prior background
with the Chinese culture
at all.
Take Jim Barclay and his family.
They're from Wichita.
And on a visit they're
about to make to Chinatown,
it'll be very clear that
they're not in Kansas anymore.
ANNIE BARCLAY (VOICEOVER):
Our family had a 200-acre farm
back in Wichita, Kansas.
We'd been saving
up for a vacation
to San Francisco
for a long time.
Oh, Jim, look at these dolls.
Oh we've got plenty
of souvenirs, Annie.
We can open up shop of our
own, couldn't we, Randy?
Can we go on the
cable cars again?
Later.
After we eat, OK, bud?
OK.
ANNIE BARCLAY (VOICEOVER): We'd
hit all the top tourist spots--
the Golden Gate Bridge,
Alcatraz, Fisherman's Wharf.
It was our last day, and so
we came to the only place
we hadn't seen yet--
Chinatown.
I'm hungry.
Don't worry, we're gonna eat.
How about this place?
Well, the prices
are pretty good.
The duck looks pretty
good too, doesn't it, Randy?
Randy?
Jim, where did Randy go?
I don't know.
He was just here.
We just looked
away for a second.
Where could he have gone?
JIM BARCLAY: There he is.
Randy!
How did he get across
the street so fast?
Randy!
Why doesn't he answer me?
JIM BARCLAY: Randy!
You know, I think
I'd better have
a little talk with that boy.
ANNIE BARCLAY (VOICEOVER):
It was totally unlike Randy
to wander off like that.
But the mystery was
about to grow deeper.
[chinese]
ANNIE BARCLAY
(VOICEOVER): We couldn't
understand what was happening.
But it sounded like Randy
was talking Chinese.
JIM BARCLAY: What do
you think you're doing?
You don't know how
to talk Chinese.
[chinese]
Randy, you stop
talking like that.
This isn't funny.
We're leaving right now.
[chinese]
Randy, what's wrong?
Why are you doing this?
[chinese]
OK, it's time to
stop the play-acting.
We're going back to the hotel.
[beads jingling]
[chinese]
Randy, where are you going?
Randy?
Please.
They've waited almost a
century for this moment.
Now, what are
you talking about?
That's our son in there.
Right now, your
son is Wen Ching,
my great grandfather's master.
What?
This is insane.
I want my son back.
[chinese]
Jim, what's going on?
I don't know.
The bowl was made 100 years
ago by master artist Wen Ching.
It was entrusted to
my great-grandfather,
who was Wen Ching's apprentice.
He was to keep it
until they met again.
And so they have.
What are you saying?
The spirit of the great
artist Wen Ching is in your son.
I don't understand.
Why Randy?
He was chosen to be
Wen Ching's vessel.
It is a great honor.
[chinese]
I thought we were
going to have lunch.
Oh, Randy.
How'd I get in here?
Why do I have this bowl?
We'll explain it
to you later, son.
Here's your bowl back.
Oh, no.
It is your son's.
JIM BARCLAY: Are you sure?
Yes.
He was chosen.
Come on, Jim.
Let's go.
ANNIE BARCLAY (VOICEOVER): We
decided that the right thing
to do was to donate
the mandarin's
bowl to the Chinese Cultural
Museum in San Francisco.
The head of the museum
was very grateful.
He told us it was a priceless
artifact made by a master
artisan in the late 1800s.
And there were
some Chinese words
written on the side of the
bowl that he translated for us.
They said, "embrace this
bowl until next we meet.
I shall return as a child from
the yellow fields of wheat."
Wheat was the crop we grew
back on the farm in Kansas.
Is it possible that a
young farm boy from Kansas
could be possessed by the
soul of a Chinese artisan?
If not, how could the boy
suddenly speak Chinese?
Young Randy never
spoke a word of Chinese
before or after this incident.
Could he have stumbled upon
the ability temporarily?
There are stories
of people who have
played an instrument perfectly,
just once and once only.
Could this be the same
phenomenon at work?
Is this story of the
precious artifact
a vessel for the truth?
Or are we just trying
to bowl you over?
CAMPBELL LANE: We'll find out
if this story is true or false
at the end of our show.
Next, a tycoon hides an evil
secret on "Beyond Belief--
Fact or Fiction."
Helping a famous person
to write their autobiography
is a daunting task.
You must use every
tool at your command
to make accurate notes of
the thousands of stories
that you'll hear.
Martin Ames has taken a job
to write the autobiography
of Wilford Clayton, a
hard-headed businessman
with a heart to match.
In fact, Clayton is
so mean that-- wait.
Barton's been taking the notes.
Let's let him tell the story.
Now, where was I?
Sentiment.
Oh, yeah, sentiment.
OK, Mr. Clayton,
we're recording.
Sentiment is for losers.
You know, I learned a long
time ago that the weak work
for the strong.
You know, most people, they're
happy with very little.
They have no self-esteem.
They think that whatever
they're earning now
is all they deserve.
And they're right.
MARTIN AMES (VOICEOVER):
Wilford Clayton
was a cold-blooded monster.
He was the most insensitive,
self-loving egomaniac
I ever met.
That thing pick me
up if I walk around?
Yeah, it's very sensitive.
You know, most people
were born to serve.
Tell them what to
do, they'll do it.
Treat them like a
dog, they'll obey.
Show them the
hoop, they'll jump.
MARTIN AMES (VOICEOVER):
Clayton was the president
of the founder of one
of the largest textile
companies in the United States.
He hired me two months before
to ghostwrite his autobiography.
It was my first paying job as
a writer, and I was excited.
But that didn't last long
once I got to know him.
Now me, I own a
townhouse in New York,
another on a beach in
Barbados, and a villa
in the south of France.
MARTIN AMES (VOICEOVER):
At first, I took my notes
in longhand, but I
switched to a tape recorder
so I could tune out
his obnoxious opinions.
And I didn't get
everything I have today
by giving my employees
an annual cost of living
raise, I can tell you that.
They don't like it, they can
find themselves another job.
So what do you think, Marty boy?
Pretty good, huh?
I'd say got myself a
bestseller happening right here
in this room, wouldn't you?
Say it.
Yes, sir.
WILFORD CLAYTON
(ON TAPE RECORDER):
You gotta play a little mind
games with the worker ants.
Let them think the
other guy is doing
a better job than they are.
Keep them hungry and scared.
They work better that way.
I hate him.
I hate him.
I'd like to shove this tape
recorder down his throat
and tell them I quit.
WOMAN: Martin, we
need the money.
I know.
Why does a creep like
Wilford Clayton have so much
when so many good people have
to struggle just to get by?
You know, can you imagine
how empty his life must be?
All he cares about
is money and power.
We have so much more
than he'll ever have.
I love you.
I love you.
MARTIN AMES (VOICEOVER): Later
that night, we were both asleep
when the storm kicked up.
But what really woke us
was the tape recorder.
WILFORD CLAYTON
(ON TAPE RECORDER):
I used to have this
woman working for me.
She told me she was
a single mother.
She wasn't getting paid
enough to feed her four kids.
I fired her right on the spot.
Martin, what's going on?
I think the recorder came on.
WILFORD CLAYTON (ON TAPE
RECORDER): I hate weak people.
I really hate-- they can
come whining all they want.
They're not getting--
It won't go off.
[WILFORD CONTINUING ON TAPE
RECORDER]
[thunder rumbling]
[THUNDER AND WILFORD REACHING
CACOPHONY]
Stop it!
Stop it!
[sobbing]
It's over, [inaudible].
It's over.
[panting]
What-- what happened?
I wish I knew.
[phone ringing]
WILFORD CLAYTON: Yeah?
Eh, Mr. Clayton,
I'm sorry I'm late.
What with the storm
last night, I--
I don't want to
know your problems.
There's plenty of other
crummy ghostwriters out there
who can get here on time.
[door beeping]
- I apologize.
- Yeah, yeah.
Stop whining.
Let's get to work.
Today, I want to talk about
how I started this company.
OK.
We're recording.
Now, let's see.
WILFORD CLAYTON
(ON TAPE RECORDER):
He tried to warn me
about the fire hazard,
but I wouldn't listen.
WILFORD CLAYTON:
What are you doing?
I don't know.
It's playing back
instead of recording.
WILFORD CLAYTON
(ON TAPE RECORDER):
There was an explosion and the
fire broke out in the dye room.
I never said that.
What are you trying to pull?
You must have said it.
It's on the tape.
WILFORD CLAYTON
(ON TAPE RECORDER):
People were running and
screaming everywhere.
Some were trapped
and couldn't escape.
Nine people died.
Stop.
Stop it.
WILFORD CLAYTON (ON TAPE
RECORDER): Nine people died.
Nine people died.
Why won't this thing turn off?
WILFORD CLAYTON (ON TAPE
RECORDER): I denied it all
and collected the insurance.
(VOICE DISTORTED)
That's how I built
Clayton Fabrics and Textiles
into the company it is today.
WILFORD CLAYTON: No.
No.
It's not true!
[grunting in pain]
Mr. Clayton?
MARTIN AMES (VOICEOVER):
Wilfred Clayton
survived the massive
stroke he had that day
and became a changed man.
His autobiography
was released shortly
before his death a year later.
He gave me full writing credit.
And in his will, he
left Clayton Fabrics
and Textiles to the
families of those
that perished in the fire.
[clayton grunting]
How did Wilfred Clayton's
confession get on that tape?
Martin had left the recorder
with Clayton a number of times.
Did Clayton recorded
confession out of guilt
and then push the wrong
button trying to erase it?
Or was his brain in such
a pre-stroke condition
that he might have said
something involuntarily?
Or was it the ghosts
of nine dead workers
controlling things from beyond?
Is this story of the
mysterious autobiography
researched with facts?
Or should you check
our references?
CAMPBELL LANE: Next, you'll
find out which of our stories
are facts and which are fiction
when "Beyond Belief" returns.
Now, let's look back
at tonight's stories
and find out which ones are
inspired by actual events
and which ones
are totally false.
What about the man who may have
come back from the dead to give
his wife a special gift?
[rain falling]
Mr. Hibbard.
Jeez, what happened to you?
I need you to do me a favor.
Well, sure.
Did you get your medicine?
I need you to put this
in the motel safe for me.
I'm afraid I might lose it.
What What is it?
Thank you.
If you thought this story
was based on a real life
occurrence, you're right.
Our research uncovered
a similar incident.
How about the
wheelchair-bound man
with the apparent
psychic ability?
I was just passing by,
minding my own business,
when this guy comes running
up, pistol whips the gun,
knocks me out of my chair.
What kind of punk
would do that, huh?
To a guy in a wheelchair.
- I don't know.
- They're scum.
That's what they are-- scum.
Mr. Siegmeier, you told
Officer Hanna that you
knew where we could find them.
Is that true?
Yeah.
It's true.
I got this special power
that comes and goes.
Sometimes when I
get real mad, I see
flashes of stuff in my mind.
Stuff?
What kind of stuff?
Well, after that guy knocked
me down, I was yelling at him,
and this address just
popped into my head.
1211 Carlson Street.
Is that where
you think they are?
PETER SIEGMEIER: I know
that's where they are.
I can feel it.
This one has to
be false, right?
Wrong.
Our research shows
a similar incident
happened on the
Virginia-North Carolina
border in the mid '80s.
How about the couple
who loved each other
overcame a serious
medical crisis?
It's so hard, Julie.
JULIE DRISCOLL
(OFFSCREEN): Gary.
Julie.
Julie, I heard you.
No, I didn't imagine that.
That was you.
It was your voice.
Julie, say something to me.
Say something again.
Please.
JULIE DRISCOLL (OFFSCREEN):
I hear you, Gary.
I hear you too, Julie.
I hear you.
JULIE DRISCOLL
(OFFSCREEN): I can move.
Have you heard a
story like this before?
You may have.
A similar event happened
in the Rocky Mountain area
in the early '90s.
Let's have one more
look at the story
of the little boy from
Kansas who seemed to be
possessed by a Chinese spirit.
[chinese]
Jim, what's going on?
I don't know.
The bowl was made 100 years
ago by master artist Wen Ching.
It was entrusted to
my great-grandfather,
who was Wen Ching's apprentice.
He was to keep it
until they met again.
And so they have.
What are you saying?
The spirit of the great
artist Wen Ching is in your son.
Did a similar story
to this one take place?
Perhaps.
But our presentation is a lie.
The story of the
writer who discovered
a mysterious confession
on his tape recorder--
how did you judge that one?
We're recording.
Now, let's see.
WILFORD CLAYTON
(ON TAPE RECORDER):
He tried to warn me
about the fire hazard.
But I wouldn't listen.
WILFORD CLAYTON:
What are you doing?
I don't know.
It's playing back
instead of recording.
WILFORD CLAYTON
(ON TAPE RECORDER):
There was an explosion and a
fire broke out in the dye room.
I never said that.
What are you trying to pull?
You must have said it.
It's on the tape.
WILFORD CLAYTON
(ON TAPE RECORDER):
People were running and
screaming everywhere.
Some were trapped,
couldn't escape.
Nine people died.
Stop it.
Stop it.
WILFORD CLAYTON (ON TAPE
RECORDER): Nine people died.
Nine people died.
Nine people died.
Why won't this thing turn off?
WILFORD CLAYTON (ON TAPE
RECORDER): I denied it all
and (DISTORTED)
collected the insurance.
That's how I built Clayton
Fabrics and Textiles
into the company it is today.
Is this story so strange
that it must be true?
Not this time.
It's fiction.
How did you accomplish
your mission tonight?
We you able to predict which of
our stories were based on truth
and which were here to fool you?
However you did, be proud
of your achievement,
because the challenge of
separating fact from fiction
is a challenge that is
truly beyond belief.
I'm Jonathan Frakes.
CAMPBELL LANE: Wheelchair
Man and The Vigil
are true based on firsthand
research conducted
by author Robert Tralins.
For "Beyond Belief,"
this is Campbell Lane.
---
CAMPBELL LANE: "Beyond Belief--
Fact or Fiction"-- hosted
by Jonathan Frakes.
Tonight, your challenge
is to separate
what is true from
what is false--
five stories, some
real, some fake.
Can you judge which are
fact and which are fiction?
To find out, you
must enter a world
of both truth and deception,
a world that is beyond belief.
[theme music]
In trying to
determine truth, we must
examine things from all angles.
For example, this sculpture,
when viewed head on,
is a simple, clean, cube shape.
But turn it around to another
angle, look what's revealed--
a mass of different
shapes and lines that was
previously hidden from view.
In tonight's stories, the
truth is often hidden.
We'll tell you which
stories are based on reality
and which are fiction
at the end of the show.
And remember, just like
this metal sculpture,
while you think you
see something clearly,
the truth may be hiding
just around the corner.
Do you have a favorite
cure for the flu?
Some people take
medications, vitamins, pills.
Others rely on home
remedies, like chicken soup.
No matter what you take into
your system to fight the flu,
everyone agrees on one thing--
you need plenty of rest.
Douglas Hibbard is exhausted.
His resistance is low.
And he's beginning to get
that dull, achy feeling.
Is it the flu?
Is it beyond the flu?
Is it, in fact, beyond relief?
JONATHAN FRAKES (VOICEOVER):
Attorney Douglas Hibbard
had spent the last five
days in Eureka, California,
conducting hearings
for the Employment
Development Department.
[douglas groaning and sniffing]
You you up that way?
I'm over here.
- Great job, Doug.
- Yeah, yeah.
It went pretty well.
See you back in Sacramento.
OK.
Oh, happy anniversary.
And take care of that cold.
Yeah, thanks.
[exhales]
JONATHAN FRAKES (VOICEOVER):
All Douglas wanted to do
was get home to his wife,
Carol, and celebrate
their 10th wedding anniversary.
He just wished he'd felt better.
[phone ringing]
Hello.
DOUGLAS HIBBARD (ON
PHONE): Hey, Carol.
Hey.
I knew it was you.
How did it go?
We kicked butt.
CAROL (ON PHONE): You
sound like you got worse.
Oh, yeah.
I feel horrible.
My body aches.
Fever.
Aw, Doug, I really
wish you were home.
So do I. Honey, I hate to
do this, but, uh, I, uh--
I'm a little worried about
making the five-hour drive
with this flu.
I'm thinking of spending
the night somewhere.
Really?
DOUGLAS HIBBARD (ON
PHONE): Don't worry.
I'll be home for our
anniversary tomorrow.
OK.
Well, you just take
care of yourself.
Get plenty of rest.
I love you.
I love you too.
[rings bell]
Oh.
How you doing?
Not so good.
I have the flu.
Oh, nasty stuff.
I just got over it myself.
I need a nice, quiet room.
Ah, well, I got plenty of
rooms and plenty of quiet.
I just need a major credit card.
Oh, right.
There you go.
There we are, thank you.
I can't breathe.
I just wish I was
there with you.
JONATHAN FRAKES (VOICEOVER):
Doug called his wife Carol
right after he checked in.
She was glad that he had found
a nice, clean place to stay,
but she was worried
about his health.
She begged him to get some rest.
Yes.
Yes, I'll try to get some sleep.
Doug had hope to sleep
through the night,
but it was of no use.
The flu wouldn't let him.
[panting]
Can I help you, Mr. Hibbard?
Yeah, I can't sleep.
Um-- I'm looking for, uh,
an open drug store nearby.
Yeah.
Yeah.
You just follow Crystal
Lake Drive for about a mile.
Yeah.
And then you come to the--
come to the first light,
take a right, Stanley's Drugs.
You can't miss it.
Thanks.
No problem.
[door shuts]
Mr. Hibbard.
Jeez, what happened to you?
I need you to do me a favor.
Well, sure.
I-- did you get your medicine?
I need you to put this
in the motel safe for me.
I'm afraid I might lose it.
What is it?
Thank you.
JONATHAN FRAKES (VOICEOVER):
It all seemed very
odd to motel owner Harold Plum.
Why was Doug Hibbard soaking
wet and covered with mud?
But Harold had learned
not to ask questions.
Weird.
[phone rings]
Eh, good evening.
Lakeshore Motel.
Hi, my name is Carol Hibbard.
And I believe my husband Douglas
Hibbard is registered there.
Yeah, he's here.
I keep calling his cell phone
and I'm not getting any answer.
Maybe he has it turned off.
I mean, I-- I know he's here.
I-- I just saw him.
Would you like me to ring
through to his room for you?
Yes, please.
HAROLD PLUM (ON
PHONE): OK, hang on.
[phone ringing]
Now, he's not answering.
Would you do me a favor?
Could you check on him
and see if he's all right?
He wasn't feeling well.
Oh, sure.
Just-- just give me
your number there
and-- and I'll call
you right back.
[knocking]
Mr. Hibbard?
JONATHAN FRAKES
(VOICEOVER): Harold
was surprised to
find that Douglas
Hibbard was not in his room.
He also found it
strange that there
was no sign of the
wet muddy clothes
that Hibbard was wearing.
Can I help you?
I need to talk to
you about a guest
I believe you have
registered here
by the name of Douglas Hibbard.
He's dead.
His car went off the road.
He had this room key on him.
Well, I was just talking
to him a few minutes ago.
Sir, that's impossible.
A witness saw Mr. Hibbard's
car go into Crystal Lake
about an hour ago.
He just towed it out.
His body was inside.
JONATHAN FRAKES
(VOICEOVER): Harold Plum
remembered the bag
Douglas Hibbard
gave him to keep in the safe.
He wasn't sure if
it would be there.
He wasn't sure of
anything anymore.
Carol Hibbard arrived
at the Lakeshore Motel
the following morning to
pick up Doug's belongings.
Inside the box was
the diamond ring
Doug couldn't afford to buy
when they first got married.
Years ago, he had promised
Carol that one day he
would buy it for her as
an anniversary present.
What really happened here?
How could Douglas
Hibbard have given
the motel owner that diamond
ring if he was already dead?
Was his will to keep
his promise so strong
that nothing, not even
death, could stop him from
delivering her anniversary gift?
Or did the motel owner just
imagine Douglas walked in?
If so, how did he
get the gift bag?
Is this story about
the dedicated husband
based on reality?
Or have we left you
holding the bag?
CAMPBELL LANE: We'll find out
if this story is true or false
at the end of our show.
Next, psychic powers are used
against a gang of thieves
on "Beyond Belief--
Fact or Fiction."
Wheelchairs like this are
used in many ways these days.
There is, of course,
the primary use--
as transportation
for those that are
unable to walk on their own.
But recreational
opportunities now
exist for the wheelchair-bound.
They're now used in
races, even marathons.
And wheelchair basketball has
become an exciting competitive
activity.
But you're about to see
a wheelchair show up
in a rather unusual place--
at a crime scene.
DETECTIVE HANSON
(VOICEOVER): As a detective,
I'd investigated many robberies
in my downtown district.
But the Tri-City jewelry heist
is the one I will never forget.
The Anvil Armored
Truck Service received
pickups at the Tri-City Jewelry
Company several times a week.
The guards were trained to
take nothing for granted,
and to approach each delivery
and pick up as a potentially
dangerous situation.
There was nothing that aroused
their suspicion that morning.
It all seemed routine.
OK, he's in.
We got three minutes.
DETECTIVE HANSON (VOICEOVER):
What the guards should have
taken a closer look at
was the flower delivery
van parked across the street.
Excuse me.
Can you tell me where to
catch the number three bus?
I-- I'm very late for
a doctor's appointment,
and I'm a little lost.
[grunts]
Get out of our way!
[engine starting]
What are you doing?
Are you crazy?
[doors slam shut]
[sirens]
DETECTIVE HANSON (VOICEOVER):
I arrived on the scene
a half hour after the robbery.
I never expected to find
anything out of the ordinary.
I was wrong.
OK.
So you really didn't get
a look at the guy, huh?
Never even saw him coming.
Sorry.
How about you?
This thing was
pretty well planned.
They must have been
watching you guys for weeks.
- Detective Hanson.
- Yeah.
I think I might
have something.
There was a guy in a
wheelchair that got caught
in the middle of the robbery.
Can he give us an ID?
Better than that.
He says he can tell
us where they are.
Mr. Siegmeier,
Detective Hanson.
I understand that you were
a witness to the robbery
that took place here.
I was a victim.
I was just passing by, minding
my own business, when this guy
comes running up,
pistol whips the guard
and knocks me out of my chair.
What kind of punk
would do that, huh?
To a guy in a wheelchair.
- I don't know.
- They're scum.
That's what they are-- scum.
Mr. Siegmeier, you told
Officer Hanna that you
knew where we could find them.
Is that true?
Yeah.
It's true.
I got this special power.
It comes and goes.
Sometimes, when I
get real mad, I see
flashes of stuff in my mind.
Stuff?
What kind of stuff?
Well, after that guy knocked
me down, I was yelling at him,
and this address just
popped into my head.
1211 Carlson Street.
Is that where
you think they are?
PETER SIEGMEIER: I know
that's where they are.
I can feel it.
See, that's how it happens.
Things just pop into my head.
OK.
Thank you, Mr. Siegmeier.
I'm gonna need your
address and phone number.
We may want you to come in and
take a look at some pictures.
Yeah, sure.
Whatever.
I want those animals put away.
DETECTIVE HANSON (VOICEOVER):
I had worked with psychics
before, so I decided to
check out the address
that Peter Siegmeier gave me.
1211 Carlson turned out to be
an abandoned warehouse downtown.
Even if it turned out
to be a waste of time,
I had no other leads.
You should have seen
the look on his face what
I knocked him out of his chair.
[laughing]
Get your hands up!
Put 'em up!
Put them where I can see them!
Put 'em up!
I gotta know--
how'd you find us so fast?
The guy in the wheelchair
that one of you gentlemen
knocked over.
He told you?
That's right.
Let me tell you
something, Detective.
That guy in the wheelchair,
he planned the whole thing.
He brought the guard so
I could get the money.
- What?
- Yeah, we met him in jail.
His name is Darren, Snyder.
Why'd you knock him over.
We decided to cut
him out, figured,
you know, what could he do?
I'll check it out.
Yeah, you do that.
There's just one thing
I don't understand.
How did he know we'd be here?
What do you mean?
We changed hideouts.
Snyder didn't know
about this place.
DETECTIVE HANSON
(VOICEOVER): I followed
up on the name Darren Snyder.
I found out that he was an
ex-con with a long rap sheet,
and that one of his aliases
was Peter Siegmeier.
I located Snyder a week
later and arrested him
for armed robbery.
He still insisted
no one had told
him the location of the
hideout, and that he
possessed a special power.
So how did Peter Siegmeier
know the new hideout
of the three men?
Did he somehow overhear
someone mention it?
That seems unlikely.
They were going out of their
way to keep it from him.
Was he truly psychic?
No one had ever seen
evidence of that before.
Maybe he was so furious
at being betrayed
he somehow converted his
anger into a psychic energy.
Was this story of
thieves falling out
inspired by an actual event?
Or are we double crossing you?
CAMPBELL LANE: We'll find out
if this story is true or false
at the end of our show.
Next, a young couple needs a
miracle on "Beyond Belief--
Fact or Fiction."
A life support system--
medical equipment
designed for the purpose
of sustaining life when our own
vital organs cease to function.
At its most
effective, the system
takes over temporarily until a
medical solution or a miracle
can be found.
At its least effective, life
can be prolonged indefinitely,
often without hope.
Julie Driscoll is
currently being
kept alive by life support.
Her boyfriend, Gary,
believes deep in his heart
she will pull through.
But right now, Gary is
searching desperately
for a second opinion.
GARY (VOICEOVER): My girlfriend,
Julie, had been in a coma
for the past seven months.
While driving, her head hit
the windshield after she was
broadsided by a pickup truck.
Julie never regained
consciousness,
but she was alive.
So the doctors put
her on life support.
She was on her way to meet me.
We were gonna go to a movie.
I hardly ever left Julie's
side since the accident.
I knew that somehow,
she could still hear me,
and that one day, she'd recover.
I ran into your
friend Denise today.
She, uh-- she sends her love.
She got a new puppy,
little golden lab.
GARY (VOICEOVER): I read
that it's good to keep
talking to a comatose patient.
Sometimes, it can
trigger something.
So I just talked about
whatever came into my head.
I had to keep connected to her.
Remember Lucy, your dog?
She misses you.
Everybody misses you.
Not as much as I do.
You know, I love you, Julie.
How you doing, Gare?
I'm OK, Dr. Parkins.
She looks so peaceful today.
Mm, she is.
Julie's parents are
here, and they-- they
want to see you for a minute.
Sure.
I'll be back.
GARY (VOICEOVER): Lately,
it seemed that Julie's
parents were losing hope.
It was hard for me to talk
with them like I used to.
Hi, Gary.
Hey.
I was just Julie you
about how her friend
Denise got a new puppy.
You know how much
Julie loves animals.
We couldn't even pass a
pet shop without her--
I'm sorry, Mrs. Driscoll.
I didn't mean to upset you.
Gary, I know
it's hard, but it's
time for us to face reality.
It's been seven months,
and Julie shows no sign
of coming out of the coma.
You-- you know we've
consulted several specialists.
And the consensus
is that Julie's
condition is irreversible.
No.
No, it's not.
I don't believe that.
Gary, we know how
much you love her.
We all do.
But it's time to let her go.
We've decided to disconnect
Julie's life support.
No No.
No, you can't do that.
She can come out of this.
I know she can.
The insurance has run out.
It's--
But it-- it's not
about the insurance.
It's-- if-- if
Julie had just shown
one sign of coming
out of the coma,
we'd keep her on life support.
Julie wouldn't want
to go on this way.
You know that.
Look.
Just give me one more day.
OK?
I-- I just want to talk to her.
I know-- I know she can hear me.
Please, just one more day.
OK.
GARY (VOICEOVER): I
didn't want to give up.
I pleaded with Julie to respond.
I could feel our
time running out.
Julie, you don't
have much more time.
OK?
I know you can hear me.
You have to come back.
What do you want me to do?
Why can't I reach you?
Don't you love me?
They're going to stop
your life support, OK?
You have to fight.
You have to live.
Julie, please.
How you holding up, Gary?
Everything's the same.
I just can't get through to her.
You've done everything
that you could.
You know, sometimes, all
the love in the world
is just not enough.
The Driscolls are going
to be here in a while.
So why don't you give
yourself a break?
I-- I can't.
I don't want to leave her alone.
Gary, you gotta
go easy on yourself.
Look, this isn't your fault.
I didn't know how I was
going to live without Julie.
I never let myself
think about it.
This is so hard, Julie.
GARY (VOICEOVER): I knew
there were no more options,
but I just couldn't
accept letting her go.
I was finally ready to
admit it was hopeless.
And then--
JULIE (OFFSCREEN): Gary.
Julie.
Julie, I heard you.
No, I didn't imagine that.
That was you.
It was your voice.
You say something to me.
Say something again.
Please.
JULIE (OFFSCREEN):
I hear you, Gary.
I hear you too, Julie.
I hear you.
I
JULIE (OFFSCREEN): I can move.
Look, you can't
pull life support.
She can move.
Julie can move.
You actually saw her move?
No, no, no, no.
She told me she could move.
She spoke?
Well, not exactly.
Look, I know this is
gonna sound crazy.
But Julie spoke to
me, telepathically.
I'm sorry.
There's no change.
No.
No, it can't be.
Julie.
Julie, do something.
Show them.
Please.
Go ahead, Dr. Parkins.
No, don't do this.
Let her go, Gary, please.
JULIE (OFFSCREEN):
Gary, look at my hand.
Her hand.
Look at her hand.
MR. DRISCOLL: Oh, Gary.
Please stop.
Just--
Oh, my god.
Oh, my god, Bill.
Look at her hand.
It's moving.
Julie.
Julie.
She's coming back.
GARY (VOICEOVER): Julie
slowly regained consciousness,
and after months of therapy,
she was able to return
to a normal life.
The doctors were amazed
by her total recovery.
There was absolutely
no brain damage.
Julie and I picked up
right where we left off,
and I'm more in love than ever.
Did Julie and Gary actually
communicate telepathically?
Or did Gary's sleep deprivation
cause him to imagine
that he heard Julie's voice?
If so, then why did
Julie's hand move exactly
when Gary heard her voice?
Was that just coincidence?
Does this story of a medical
miracle stand on its own?
Or does the truth show no
visible signs of support?
CAMPBELL LANE: We'll find out
if this story is true or false
at the end of our show.
Next, a young boy channels
a mysterious spirit
on "Beyond Belief--
Fact or Fiction."
Have you ever visited
a Chinatown section
in a major city?
It's like a world unto itself.
Souvenirs such as these
are found everywhere,
making Chinatown a must-stop
for many tourists, even those
who have no prior background
with the Chinese culture
at all.
Take Jim Barclay and his family.
They're from Wichita.
And on a visit they're
about to make to Chinatown,
it'll be very clear that
they're not in Kansas anymore.
ANNIE BARCLAY (VOICEOVER):
Our family had a 200-acre farm
back in Wichita, Kansas.
We'd been saving
up for a vacation
to San Francisco
for a long time.
Oh, Jim, look at these dolls.
Oh we've got plenty
of souvenirs, Annie.
We can open up shop of our
own, couldn't we, Randy?
Can we go on the
cable cars again?
Later.
After we eat, OK, bud?
OK.
ANNIE BARCLAY (VOICEOVER): We'd
hit all the top tourist spots--
the Golden Gate Bridge,
Alcatraz, Fisherman's Wharf.
It was our last day, and so
we came to the only place
we hadn't seen yet--
Chinatown.
I'm hungry.
Don't worry, we're gonna eat.
How about this place?
Well, the prices
are pretty good.
The duck looks pretty
good too, doesn't it, Randy?
Randy?
Jim, where did Randy go?
I don't know.
He was just here.
We just looked
away for a second.
Where could he have gone?
JIM BARCLAY: There he is.
Randy!
How did he get across
the street so fast?
Randy!
Why doesn't he answer me?
JIM BARCLAY: Randy!
You know, I think
I'd better have
a little talk with that boy.
ANNIE BARCLAY (VOICEOVER):
It was totally unlike Randy
to wander off like that.
But the mystery was
about to grow deeper.
[chinese]
ANNIE BARCLAY
(VOICEOVER): We couldn't
understand what was happening.
But it sounded like Randy
was talking Chinese.
JIM BARCLAY: What do
you think you're doing?
You don't know how
to talk Chinese.
[chinese]
Randy, you stop
talking like that.
This isn't funny.
We're leaving right now.
[chinese]
Randy, what's wrong?
Why are you doing this?
[chinese]
OK, it's time to
stop the play-acting.
We're going back to the hotel.
[beads jingling]
[chinese]
Randy, where are you going?
Randy?
Please.
They've waited almost a
century for this moment.
Now, what are
you talking about?
That's our son in there.
Right now, your
son is Wen Ching,
my great grandfather's master.
What?
This is insane.
I want my son back.
[chinese]
Jim, what's going on?
I don't know.
The bowl was made 100 years
ago by master artist Wen Ching.
It was entrusted to
my great-grandfather,
who was Wen Ching's apprentice.
He was to keep it
until they met again.
And so they have.
What are you saying?
The spirit of the great
artist Wen Ching is in your son.
I don't understand.
Why Randy?
He was chosen to be
Wen Ching's vessel.
It is a great honor.
[chinese]
I thought we were
going to have lunch.
Oh, Randy.
How'd I get in here?
Why do I have this bowl?
We'll explain it
to you later, son.
Here's your bowl back.
Oh, no.
It is your son's.
JIM BARCLAY: Are you sure?
Yes.
He was chosen.
Come on, Jim.
Let's go.
ANNIE BARCLAY (VOICEOVER): We
decided that the right thing
to do was to donate
the mandarin's
bowl to the Chinese Cultural
Museum in San Francisco.
The head of the museum
was very grateful.
He told us it was a priceless
artifact made by a master
artisan in the late 1800s.
And there were
some Chinese words
written on the side of the
bowl that he translated for us.
They said, "embrace this
bowl until next we meet.
I shall return as a child from
the yellow fields of wheat."
Wheat was the crop we grew
back on the farm in Kansas.
Is it possible that a
young farm boy from Kansas
could be possessed by the
soul of a Chinese artisan?
If not, how could the boy
suddenly speak Chinese?
Young Randy never
spoke a word of Chinese
before or after this incident.
Could he have stumbled upon
the ability temporarily?
There are stories
of people who have
played an instrument perfectly,
just once and once only.
Could this be the same
phenomenon at work?
Is this story of the
precious artifact
a vessel for the truth?
Or are we just trying
to bowl you over?
CAMPBELL LANE: We'll find out
if this story is true or false
at the end of our show.
Next, a tycoon hides an evil
secret on "Beyond Belief--
Fact or Fiction."
Helping a famous person
to write their autobiography
is a daunting task.
You must use every
tool at your command
to make accurate notes of
the thousands of stories
that you'll hear.
Martin Ames has taken a job
to write the autobiography
of Wilford Clayton, a
hard-headed businessman
with a heart to match.
In fact, Clayton is
so mean that-- wait.
Barton's been taking the notes.
Let's let him tell the story.
Now, where was I?
Sentiment.
Oh, yeah, sentiment.
OK, Mr. Clayton,
we're recording.
Sentiment is for losers.
You know, I learned a long
time ago that the weak work
for the strong.
You know, most people, they're
happy with very little.
They have no self-esteem.
They think that whatever
they're earning now
is all they deserve.
And they're right.
MARTIN AMES (VOICEOVER):
Wilford Clayton
was a cold-blooded monster.
He was the most insensitive,
self-loving egomaniac
I ever met.
That thing pick me
up if I walk around?
Yeah, it's very sensitive.
You know, most people
were born to serve.
Tell them what to
do, they'll do it.
Treat them like a
dog, they'll obey.
Show them the
hoop, they'll jump.
MARTIN AMES (VOICEOVER):
Clayton was the president
of the founder of one
of the largest textile
companies in the United States.
He hired me two months before
to ghostwrite his autobiography.
It was my first paying job as
a writer, and I was excited.
But that didn't last long
once I got to know him.
Now me, I own a
townhouse in New York,
another on a beach in
Barbados, and a villa
in the south of France.
MARTIN AMES (VOICEOVER):
At first, I took my notes
in longhand, but I
switched to a tape recorder
so I could tune out
his obnoxious opinions.
And I didn't get
everything I have today
by giving my employees
an annual cost of living
raise, I can tell you that.
They don't like it, they can
find themselves another job.
So what do you think, Marty boy?
Pretty good, huh?
I'd say got myself a
bestseller happening right here
in this room, wouldn't you?
Say it.
Yes, sir.
WILFORD CLAYTON
(ON TAPE RECORDER):
You gotta play a little mind
games with the worker ants.
Let them think the
other guy is doing
a better job than they are.
Keep them hungry and scared.
They work better that way.
I hate him.
I hate him.
I'd like to shove this tape
recorder down his throat
and tell them I quit.
WOMAN: Martin, we
need the money.
I know.
Why does a creep like
Wilford Clayton have so much
when so many good people have
to struggle just to get by?
You know, can you imagine
how empty his life must be?
All he cares about
is money and power.
We have so much more
than he'll ever have.
I love you.
I love you.
MARTIN AMES (VOICEOVER): Later
that night, we were both asleep
when the storm kicked up.
But what really woke us
was the tape recorder.
WILFORD CLAYTON
(ON TAPE RECORDER):
I used to have this
woman working for me.
She told me she was
a single mother.
She wasn't getting paid
enough to feed her four kids.
I fired her right on the spot.
Martin, what's going on?
I think the recorder came on.
WILFORD CLAYTON (ON TAPE
RECORDER): I hate weak people.
I really hate-- they can
come whining all they want.
They're not getting--
It won't go off.
[WILFORD CONTINUING ON TAPE
RECORDER]
[thunder rumbling]
[THUNDER AND WILFORD REACHING
CACOPHONY]
Stop it!
Stop it!
[sobbing]
It's over, [inaudible].
It's over.
[panting]
What-- what happened?
I wish I knew.
[phone ringing]
WILFORD CLAYTON: Yeah?
Eh, Mr. Clayton,
I'm sorry I'm late.
What with the storm
last night, I--
I don't want to
know your problems.
There's plenty of other
crummy ghostwriters out there
who can get here on time.
[door beeping]
- I apologize.
- Yeah, yeah.
Stop whining.
Let's get to work.
Today, I want to talk about
how I started this company.
OK.
We're recording.
Now, let's see.
WILFORD CLAYTON
(ON TAPE RECORDER):
He tried to warn me
about the fire hazard,
but I wouldn't listen.
WILFORD CLAYTON:
What are you doing?
I don't know.
It's playing back
instead of recording.
WILFORD CLAYTON
(ON TAPE RECORDER):
There was an explosion and the
fire broke out in the dye room.
I never said that.
What are you trying to pull?
You must have said it.
It's on the tape.
WILFORD CLAYTON
(ON TAPE RECORDER):
People were running and
screaming everywhere.
Some were trapped
and couldn't escape.
Nine people died.
Stop.
Stop it.
WILFORD CLAYTON (ON TAPE
RECORDER): Nine people died.
Nine people died.
Why won't this thing turn off?
WILFORD CLAYTON (ON TAPE
RECORDER): I denied it all
and collected the insurance.
(VOICE DISTORTED)
That's how I built
Clayton Fabrics and Textiles
into the company it is today.
WILFORD CLAYTON: No.
No.
It's not true!
[grunting in pain]
Mr. Clayton?
MARTIN AMES (VOICEOVER):
Wilfred Clayton
survived the massive
stroke he had that day
and became a changed man.
His autobiography
was released shortly
before his death a year later.
He gave me full writing credit.
And in his will, he
left Clayton Fabrics
and Textiles to the
families of those
that perished in the fire.
[clayton grunting]
How did Wilfred Clayton's
confession get on that tape?
Martin had left the recorder
with Clayton a number of times.
Did Clayton recorded
confession out of guilt
and then push the wrong
button trying to erase it?
Or was his brain in such
a pre-stroke condition
that he might have said
something involuntarily?
Or was it the ghosts
of nine dead workers
controlling things from beyond?
Is this story of the
mysterious autobiography
researched with facts?
Or should you check
our references?
CAMPBELL LANE: Next, you'll
find out which of our stories
are facts and which are fiction
when "Beyond Belief" returns.
Now, let's look back
at tonight's stories
and find out which ones are
inspired by actual events
and which ones
are totally false.
What about the man who may have
come back from the dead to give
his wife a special gift?
[rain falling]
Mr. Hibbard.
Jeez, what happened to you?
I need you to do me a favor.
Well, sure.
Did you get your medicine?
I need you to put this
in the motel safe for me.
I'm afraid I might lose it.
What What is it?
Thank you.
If you thought this story
was based on a real life
occurrence, you're right.
Our research uncovered
a similar incident.
How about the
wheelchair-bound man
with the apparent
psychic ability?
I was just passing by,
minding my own business,
when this guy comes running
up, pistol whips the gun,
knocks me out of my chair.
What kind of punk
would do that, huh?
To a guy in a wheelchair.
- I don't know.
- They're scum.
That's what they are-- scum.
Mr. Siegmeier, you told
Officer Hanna that you
knew where we could find them.
Is that true?
Yeah.
It's true.
I got this special power
that comes and goes.
Sometimes when I
get real mad, I see
flashes of stuff in my mind.
Stuff?
What kind of stuff?
Well, after that guy knocked
me down, I was yelling at him,
and this address just
popped into my head.
1211 Carlson Street.
Is that where
you think they are?
PETER SIEGMEIER: I know
that's where they are.
I can feel it.
This one has to
be false, right?
Wrong.
Our research shows
a similar incident
happened on the
Virginia-North Carolina
border in the mid '80s.
How about the couple
who loved each other
overcame a serious
medical crisis?
It's so hard, Julie.
JULIE DRISCOLL
(OFFSCREEN): Gary.
Julie.
Julie, I heard you.
No, I didn't imagine that.
That was you.
It was your voice.
Julie, say something to me.
Say something again.
Please.
JULIE DRISCOLL (OFFSCREEN):
I hear you, Gary.
I hear you too, Julie.
I hear you.
JULIE DRISCOLL
(OFFSCREEN): I can move.
Have you heard a
story like this before?
You may have.
A similar event happened
in the Rocky Mountain area
in the early '90s.
Let's have one more
look at the story
of the little boy from
Kansas who seemed to be
possessed by a Chinese spirit.
[chinese]
Jim, what's going on?
I don't know.
The bowl was made 100 years
ago by master artist Wen Ching.
It was entrusted to
my great-grandfather,
who was Wen Ching's apprentice.
He was to keep it
until they met again.
And so they have.
What are you saying?
The spirit of the great
artist Wen Ching is in your son.
Did a similar story
to this one take place?
Perhaps.
But our presentation is a lie.
The story of the
writer who discovered
a mysterious confession
on his tape recorder--
how did you judge that one?
We're recording.
Now, let's see.
WILFORD CLAYTON
(ON TAPE RECORDER):
He tried to warn me
about the fire hazard.
But I wouldn't listen.
WILFORD CLAYTON:
What are you doing?
I don't know.
It's playing back
instead of recording.
WILFORD CLAYTON
(ON TAPE RECORDER):
There was an explosion and a
fire broke out in the dye room.
I never said that.
What are you trying to pull?
You must have said it.
It's on the tape.
WILFORD CLAYTON
(ON TAPE RECORDER):
People were running and
screaming everywhere.
Some were trapped,
couldn't escape.
Nine people died.
Stop it.
Stop it.
WILFORD CLAYTON (ON TAPE
RECORDER): Nine people died.
Nine people died.
Nine people died.
Why won't this thing turn off?
WILFORD CLAYTON (ON TAPE
RECORDER): I denied it all
and (DISTORTED)
collected the insurance.
That's how I built Clayton
Fabrics and Textiles
into the company it is today.
Is this story so strange
that it must be true?
Not this time.
It's fiction.
How did you accomplish
your mission tonight?
We you able to predict which of
our stories were based on truth
and which were here to fool you?
However you did, be proud
of your achievement,
because the challenge of
separating fact from fiction
is a challenge that is
truly beyond belief.
I'm Jonathan Frakes.
CAMPBELL LANE: Wheelchair
Man and The Vigil
are true based on firsthand
research conducted
by author Robert Tralins.
For "Beyond Belief,"
this is Campbell Lane.