Season 8, Episode 11

Elyse: THIS WEEK ON HISTORY DETECTIVES, WHAT ROLE DID THIS CLOCK PLAY IN KEEPING 19th-CENTURY AMERICA RUNNING ON TIME?

Gwendolyn: WHAT CAN THIS 200-YEAR-OLD DOCUMENT REVEAL ABOUT THE FIRST AMERICAN-BORN WOMAN TO LEAD A RELIGIOUS MOVEMENT?

THAT'S AMAZING!

Tukufu: AND IN AN ENCORE PRESENTATION, DOES THIS LETTER REVEAL A TOP SECRET ARMY PROGRAM TO TURN MAN'S BEST FRIEND INTO A WEAPON OF WAR?

Elvis Costello: ♪ WATCHIN' THE DETECTIVES ♪ ♪ I GET SO ANGRY WHEN THE TEARDROPS START ♪ ♪ BUT HE CAN'T BE WOUNDED 'CAUSE HE'S GOT NO HEART ♪ ♪ WATCHIN' THE DETECTIVES ♪ ♪ IT'S JUST LIKE WATCHIN' THE DETECTIVES ♪ ♪ WATCHIN' THE DETECTIVES ♪ Elyse: OUR FIRST CASE EXAMINES THIS PECULIAR-LOOKING CLOCK AND ITS SURPRISING INFLUENCE ON 19th-CENTURY AMERICA.

IN THE EARLY 19th CENTURY, MUCH OF THE UNITED STATES STILL RESEMBLED THE JEFFERSONIAN IDEAL: YEOMAN FARMERS WORKING FROM SUNRISE TO SUNSET, THEIR COMINGS AND GOINGS MEASURED BY NATURE'S DESIGN.

TIME WAS LOCAL AND PERSONAL, A GLANCE AT THE SUN AND ITS FALLING SHADOW.

[ whistle blows ] BUT THE INDUSTRIALIZING UNITED STATES STOOD AT THE DAWN OF A NEW ERA, AND TECHNOLOGY WOULD SOON TRANSFORM HOW ITS CITIZENS MEASURED THEIR DAYS AND CALCULATED TIME.

NOW A WOMAN FROM EMPIRE, MICHIGAN, WONDERS IF THE TICKING SHE GREW UP WITH COULD HAVE BEEN A PART OF THIS HISTORIC MOMENT.

IT'S ABOUT TIME WE FIGURED OUT THE MYSTERY OF MY GRANDMOTHER'S CLOCK.

I'M TRAVELING TO EMPIRE TO MEET CHERRIE BRICKER STEGE.

OH, COME RIGHT IN.

THE CLOCK WAS GIVEN TO MY GRANDPARENTS BY AN UNCLE OF MY GRANDMOTHER, JOHN MAYO, IN THE EARLY 1900s.

WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT JOHN MAYO?

HE HAD A JEWELRY STORE IN CHICAGO, BUT THAT'S ALL I KNOW.

HOW DOES THE CLOCK WORK?

IT NEEDS TO BE WOUND; IT'S NOT ELECTRIC.

IT KEEPS VERY GOOD TIME.

IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE A NORMAL CLOCK THAT YOU WOULD HANG ON YOUR WALL.

IT HAS THE MINUTES GOING AROUND, AND THE NORMAL 1 THROUGH 12 IS KIND OF DOWN HERE IN A SMALLER VERSION.

IT'S INTERESTING IN THAT IT HAS A SEPARATE SECOND HAND, WHICH NOT ALL CLOCKS DO.

HAS IT ALWAYS BEEN IN THIS CONDITION?

IN THE 1960s, THE CLOCK WAS REFURBISHED AND CLEANED.

THE ACTUAL FACE WITH THE NUMBERS WAS REPLACED AT THAT TIME.

DURING THAT RESTORATION, CHERRIE SAYS, A MYSTERIOUS MECHANISM AND WIRES WERE REMOVED.

FAMILY LORE IS THEY CONNECTED SOMEHOW TO THE WESTERN UNION TELEGRAPH SYSTEM.

OKAY, SO WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU WANT ME TO FIND OUT?

MY GRANDFATHER TOLD US THAT IT HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH TIMEKEEPING FOR THE UNITED STATES.

TO ME, THAT SEEMED A KIND OF ELUSIVE REMARK.

I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS CLOCK.

OKAY, WELL, I CAN'T TAKE IT WITH ME, SO I'M GOING TO NEED TO TAKE SOME PICTURES.

CHERRIE OFFERS TO TAKE THE COVER OFF THE CLOCK, BUT TRUTHFULLY, THERE IS VERY LITTLE TO GO ON.

[ shutter clicking ] THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS THAT I CAN TELL JUST BY BEING AN APPRAISER.

WHEN I LOOK AT THE CLOCK, I CAN TELL THAT IT'S GOTHIC REVIVAL -- THE ARCHES HERE, THE POINTY PIECES HERE -- WHICH USUALLY DATES TO ABOUT THE MID-19th CENTURY.

CHERRIE MENTIONED THAT THIS FACE HAS BEEN REPLACED, AND I DON'T SEE A MAKER'S MARK HERE OR IN THE BACK.

THE INTERIOR MECHANISM IS MADE OF BRASS.

BRASS WAS AN EXPENSIVE METAL AT THE TIME, SO THIS CLOCK WAS LIKELY A HIGH-END TIMEPIECE.

THERE'S THIS WONDERFUL PENDULUM.

IT'S ALMOST LIKE THERE'S SOME TYPE OF METAL OR SOMETHING INSIDE.

IT'S SILVERY AND GRAY AND IT HAS BUBBLES, AND I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT IS.

SHE DID MENTION THAT THERE WERE WIRES.

WHAT THE WIRES MAY HAVE DONE IS IMPOSSIBLE TO TELL.

WE'LL SEE WHAT WE CAN FIND OUT.

CHERRIE SAYS THAT HER FAMILY THINKS THAT THE CLOCK MAY HAVE BEEN USED TO REGULATE TIME.

TIME REGULATION, MEANING A STANDARD SYSTEM OF KEEPING THE SAME TIME OVER A SPECIFIED AREA, IS AN IDEA THAT TOOK SHAPE WITH THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION.

IT SAYS HERE THAT THE FIRST REGULATION OF TIME WAS ACTUALLY IN ENGLAND.

TIME WAS SET BY SOLAR MEASUREMENTS TAKEN BY THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY IN GREENWICH, A STANDARD THAT WAS KNOWN AS GREENWICH MEAN TIME, OR GMT.

"GREENWICH MEAN TIME WAS ADOPTED "ACROSS THE ISLAND OF GREAT BRITAIN "BY THE RAILWAY CLEARINGHOUSE IN 1847 AND ALMOST ALL RAILROAD COMPANIES THE FOLLOWING YEAR."

IN 1880, LAWS WERE PASSED REQUIRING ALL OF GREAT BRITAIN TO USE THE GMT STANDARD.

BUT IN THE UNITED STATES, DIFFERENT ENTITIES COMPETED TO REGULATE TIME.

WESTERN UNION TEAMED UP WITH THE NAVAL OBSERVATORY IN 1865, TRANSMITTING THE OBSERVATORY'S SOLAR TIME SETTINGS TO NAVAL PORTS AND AGENCIES.

CHERRIE'S FAMILY SAID THAT THIS CLOCK WAS USED BY WESTERN UNION.

WAS THE CLOCK SOMEHOW PART OF THIS SYSTEM?

PATRICIA ATWOOD IS AN APPRAISER AND CLOCK EXPERT.

WE'VE ARRANGED TO MEET AT THE AMERICAN CLOCK AND WATCH MUSEUM IN BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT.

SO HERE ARE SOME PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE CLOCK.

FIRST IMPRESSION, WHAT DO YOU THINK?

WELL, THE FIRST THING IS SOMETHING THAT EVERYBODY WOULD NOTICE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS DIAL, IS YOU SAY, "WAIT A MINUTE, WHAT TIME IS IT?"

PATRICIA EXPLAINS THAT IN THE PHOTO I TOOK, THE CLOCK READS 3:46 AND 28 SECONDS.

WHAT'S IMPORTANT HERE ARE THE MINUTES, WHICH ARE ON THE OUTER EDGE, AND THE SECONDS, WHICH ARE ON THE TOP DIAL.

AND THE HOURS ARE JUST AN AFTERTHOUGHT AT THE BOTTOM.

PATRICIA BELIEVES THIS ARRANGEMENT OF DIALS CAN MEAN ONLY ONE THING.

ANYONE WHO KNOWS ANYTHING ABOUT CLOCKS WOULD SAY THAT IS A REGULATOR.

AND WHAT EXACTLY IS A REGULATOR?

IT'S A VERY PRECISE CLOCK THAT'S USED TO REGULATE OTHER CLOCKS OR WATCHES OR REGULATE SOMETHING ELSE.

IT'S THE STANDARD.

BEING ABLE TO READ PRECISE MINUTES AND SECONDS WAS OF GREATER IMPORTANCE THAN CHECKING THE HOUR.

PATRICIA SAYS OUR CLOCK'S PENDULUM IS ALSO TELLING.

THERE'S A GLASS TUBE THAT'S FILLED WITH MERCURY.

THAT IS A MERCURY-COMPENSATED PENDULUM.

MERCURY, WHY MERCURY?

PATRICIA EXPLAINS THAT A PENDULUM CLOCK KEEPS TIME BECAUSE OF THE CONSISTENT SWING OF THE METAL PENDULUM.

CHANGES IN TEMPERATURE CAN INTERFERE.

WHEN THE TEMPERATURE VARIES, THE LENGTH OF THE PENDULUM, THE METAL, EXPANDS AND CONTRACTS.

THAT'S TERRIBLE FOR TIME MEASUREMENT.

WHAT THE MERCURY DOES IS IT WILL MOVE IN THE OPPOSITE WAY TO COUNTERBALANCE THE EXPANSION AND CONTRACTION OF THE METAL, AND THE NET RESULT IS THAT THE MOVEMENT OF THE MERCURY WILL COUNTERBALANCE THE MOVEMENT OF THE METAL AND KEEP IT THE SAME.

IN YOUR OPINION, WHO MADE THIS CLOCK AND WHAT TIME PERIOD IS IT?

PATRICIA EXPLAINS THAT THE STYLE AND CRAFTSMANSHIP OF OUR CLOCK LEADS HER TO BELIEVE THAT IT WAS MADE BY EDWARD HOWARD.

HE MADE HIGH-QUALITY TIMEPIECES FROM THE 1840s UNTIL HE RETIRED IN 1882.

HE WAS KNOWN FOR MAKING THE VERY BEST CLOCKS OF HIS TIME.

HE WAS KNOWN FOR MAKING PRECISION REGULATORS LIKE THIS.

PATRICIA EXPLAINS THAT THE EARLIEST KNOWN HOWARD REGULATOR CLOCK WITH A SERIAL NUMBER DATES TO 1865.

BECAUSE OUR CLOCK DOESN'T HAVE A SERIAL NUMBER, SHE BELIEVES IT WAS MADE EARLIER.

I THINK THAT IT'S AN E. HOWARD REGULATOR THAT WAS MADE APPROXIMATELY 1860.

THE PEOPLE THAT OWN THIS REGULATOR SAID THAT AT ONE TIME THERE WERE WIRES HANGING FROM IT.

DOES THAT MAKE SENSE TO YOU?

PROBABLY THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE TELEGRAPH.

YOU HAVE GEARS CLICKING INSIDE THE CLOCK, AND THERE'S ONE THAT WOULD GO EVERY SECOND.

IF YOU CAN ATTACH A LITTLE WIRE SO THAT IT TOUCHES, TOUCHES, TOUCHES, TOUCHES, YOU CAN TRANSMIT THE TIME, YOU CAN TRANSMIT EVERY SECOND.

DO YOU THINK THAT THIS CLOCK COULD'VE BEEN USED BY WESTERN UNION?

GENERALLY THE CLOCKS THAT I THINK OF TO BE USED FOR WESTERN UNION WERE CALLED SELF-WINDING CLOCKS, AND THEY WERE LATER.

THEY WERE IN THE 1880s AND THEY DIDN'T HAVE PENDULUMS.

PATRICIA'S NOT SURE WHERE OR FOR WHOM OUR CLOCK REGULATED TIME.

SHE SUGGESTS I SPEAK WITH MICHAEL O'MALLEY, WHO HAS WRITTEN EXTENSIVELY ABOUT HOW THE UNITED STATES ATTEMPTED TO STANDARDIZE OR REGULATE TIME.

HE AGREES TO MEET ME AT THE ADLER PLANETARIUM IN CHICAGO.

ALL RIGHT, SO HERE'S THE PICTURE OF THE CLOCK I HAVE, AND I'M PRETTY SURE IT'S PRETTY MID- OR LATE-19th CENTURY.

IT LOOKS LIKE IT.

IT LOOKS LIKE A PRETTY FANCY CLOCK.

THIS WOULD'VE BEEN SOMEBODY'S -- SOMEBODY WOULD'VE BEEN PRETTY PROUD OF THIS.

THIS LOOKS LIKE KIND OF A DISPLAY OF EXPERTISE, I THINK.

MICHAEL AGREES IT'S A REGULATOR, AND EXPLAINS HOW THE CLOCKS WERE PART OF AN EFFORT TO BRING ORDER TO A CHAOTIC AND PATCHWORK SYSTEM OF TIMEKEEPING.

BEFORE THE CIVIL WAR, EVERY CITY AND VILLAGE AND TOWN IN AMERICA KEPT ITS OWN STANDARD OF TIME: THEY JUST LOOKED AT THE LOCAL SUN.

WHEN THE SUN PASSED DIRECTLY OVERHEAD, IT WAS NOON, THAT'S IT.

TIME WAS A FUNCTION OF WHERE YOU WERE ON THE EARTH.

YOUR TOWN 20 MILES AWAY WOULD BE RUNNING ON A DIFFERENT NOON.

IT MIGHT BE FIVE MINUTES DIFFERENT, IT MIGHT BE JUST A COUPLE MINUTES DIFFERENT, MIGHT JUST BE A FEW SECONDS, BUT IT WOULD DEFINITELY BE DIFFERENT.

DO ALL THESE DIFFERENT TIMES CAUSE PROBLEMS?

IT DOESN'T REALLY CAUSE PROBLEMS UNTIL YOU HAVE THE TELEGRAPH OR UNTIL YOU HAVE TRAVEL FAST ENOUGH TO NOTICE IT.

AS THE NATION EXPANDED WESTWARD AND CITIES GREW, REGULATING COMMERCE AND COMMUNICATION WAS INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT WITH LOCALLY BASED TIME.

WHEN YOU NEED TO HAVE INSTANTANEOUS COMMUNICATION BETWEEN CITIES, IT BECOMES MORE APPARENT, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TWO DIFFERENT PLACES.

IF YOU'RE DOING BUSINESS ON THE PHILADELPHIA STOCK EXCHANGE WITH THE NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE, YOU NOTICE THAT NEW YORK CLOSES EARLIER THAN PHILLY.

MICHAEL EXPLAINS HOW LOCAL TIME GAVE WAY TO A SYSTEM OF REGIONAL TIMES, WHICH WERE OFTEN FIXED BY THE MAJOR RAILROAD SERVING THOSE REGIONS.

EVENTUALLY PHILLY RUNS ON A KIND OF REGIONAL PHILADELPHIA TIME, NEW YORK RUNS ON NEW YORK TIME, BOSTON RUNS ON BOSTON TIME, PITTSBURGH ON PITTSBURGH TIME.

HOW MANY REGIONAL TIMES DID WE END UP WITH?

BY THE 1870s, THERE ARE 70-SOME REGIONAL TIMES.

THAT'S CRAZY!

IT'S REALLY PRETTY REMARKABLE.

EVERY CITY, EVERY RAILROAD RUNS ON ITS OWN STANDARD TIME.

WHY WOULD THE RAILROADS END UP SETTING THE TIME?

WELL, THEY'RE THE BIG DOG IN THE ECONOMIC GAME.

THEY'RE THE ONES THAT -- THEY'RE CARRYING THE COMMERCE, THEY'RE CENTRAL TO LIFE FOR THE TOWN.

SO THEY INTRODUCE THEIR OWN STANDARDS, AND THEY ASSUME, REALLY, PEOPLE WILL TAKE THEIR TIME FROM THE RAILROADS.

MICHAEL EXPLAINS THAT THE RAILROADS ALSO SAW HOW TAKING THE LEAD IN REGULATING TIME WAS VALUABLE PUBLIC RELATIONS.

A RASH OF TRAGIC TRAIN ACCIDENTS HAD GIVEN THE RAILROAD INDUSTRY A BAD NAME.

AND THE RAILROADS CAN CLAIM THAT THEY RUN WITH CLOCK-LIKE PRECISION, THAT IT WOULD STOP ACCIDENTS.

MANY OF THE RAILROAD ACCIDENTS OF THE DAY WERE BLAMED ON POOR MANAGEMENT OR EVEN DISREGARD FOR SAFETY.

I DON'T THINK IT EVER DID STOP ACCIDENTS.

I DON'T THINK ACCIDENTS WERE CAUSED BY LACK OF SYNCHRONIZED TIME, BUT THEY WOULD OFTEN SAY THAT: "WE GET THIS REALLY PRECISE SIGNAL, SO OUR RAILROAD RUNS LIKE A FINELY TUNED WATCH."

WHERE ARE THE RAILROADS GETTING THEIR TIME FROM?

INCREASINGLY, RAILROADS ARE GETTING THEIR TIME FROM ASTRONOMERS.

THEY WOULD OFTEN DISTRIBUTE IT FROM AN OBSERVATORY TO A JEWELER, AND THEN THE JEWELER MIGHT EVEN HAVE A TELEGRAPH SENDING IT SOMEWHERE ELSE.

I EXPLAIN HOW CHERRIE HAD TOLD ME HER RELATIVE OWNED A JEWELRY STORE.

EARLY ON, JEWELERS ARE WATCHMAKERS, AND THEY WANT TO SHOW OFF THEIR SKILLS.

THE JEWELER GETS TO SAY, "THIS CLOCK SHOWS THE MOST ACCURATE TIME POSSIBLE."

SO IF YOU'RE WALKING ALONG THROUGH THE STREETS, YOU CHECK YOUR WATCH AGAINST THE JEWELER, AND THEN YOU KNOW YOU'RE IN SYNCH WITH THE RAILROAD.

AND SO THE JEWELERS WERE VERY IMPORTANT AS SYMBOLS OF PRESTIGE BUT ALSO SOURCES FOR REAL ACCURATE TIME SIGNALS.

SO IF I WANTED TO FIND OUT HOW THIS CLOCK WAS USED TO REGULATE TIME, WHERE WOULD YOU SUGGEST I LOOK?

I WOULD WANT TO LOOK AT THE JEWELRY STORE ITSELF.

SO IT LOOKS LIKE CHERRIE'S RELATIVE, JOHN B. MAYO, MIGHT HOLD THE KEY.

IT TAKES A WHILE, BUT I GET LUCKY IN THE COOK COUNTY CENSUS RECORDS FOR 1870.

HERE'S A JOHN BROWN MAYO, AND IT LOOKS LIKE HE LIVED IN CHICAGO AND WAS A JEWELER.

HE'S OUR GUY.

ACCORDING TO THE CENSUS, MAYO WAS ENGLISH-BORN AND WORTH A CONSIDERABLE $30,000.

AND IT SEEMS THAT JOHN B. MAYO AND COMPANY WAS LOCATED AT AN UPSCALE HOTEL CALLED THE PALMER HOUSE.

AND HERE'S A PICTURE OF THE STORE.

AND THIS IS EXCITING.

HERE'S AN ARTICLE DESCRIBING MAYO'S OLD-TIME CLOCK.

IT SAYS THAT IT SURVIVED THE CHICAGO FIRE, WHICH WAS 1871.

BUT THERE IS NOTHING ABOUT THE CLOCK REGULATING TIME THROUGH THE RAILROADS OR BEING CONNECTED TO WESTERN UNION.

I'M GOING TO GIVE THIS ONE MORE TRY.

THE LARGEST RAILROAD RUNNING THROUGH CHICAGO AT THE TIME WAS THE ILLINOIS CENTRAL LINE.

RAILROAD ENTHUSIAST FRED ASH HAS AGREED TO MEET ME AT THE ILLINOIS RAILWAY MUSEUM IN UNION, ILLINOIS.

I KNOW THE DATE OF THE CLOCK IS ABOUT 1865, AND I KNOW IT USED TO BE IN A JEWELRY STORE, BUT I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW I CAN TRY TO CONNECT IT TO THE RAILROAD.

WELL, THE ILLINOIS CENTRAL RAILROAD STARTED IN 1850, AND IT WAS THE LONGEST RAILROAD IN THE WORLD AT THE TIME IT WAS BUILT AND FINISHED IN ABOUT 1855.

THE RAILROAD EVENTUALLY BOUGHT A LINE THAT WENT TO NEW ORLEANS, AND THAT WAS REALLY WHAT THEY WERE KNOWN FOR, THE CHICAGO TO NEW ORLEANS LINE.

TIMEKEEPING WAS VERY IMPORTANT ON THE RAILROAD.

OBVIOUSLY, YOU HAD A SCHEDULE THAT YOU HAD TO KEEP TO.

HOW DID THE ILLINOIS CENTRAL KEEP TIME?

THERE WAS A TELEGRAPH OFFICE IN EVERY STATION, AND EVERY STATION HAD A REGULATOR CLOCK IN THEIR DEPOT.

EACH OF THE TRAINMEN WAS REQUIRED TO PURCHASE, AT THEIR OWN EXPENSE, A POCKET WATCH WHICH THEY WOULD USE ON THE TRAINS, AND THEY WOULD SET IT FROM THE DEPOT.

HOW DID THEY GET THEIR TIME?

WELL, EVERY DAY AT 12:00, A MESSAGE WAS SENT OUT FROM THE MAIN OFFICE SO THAT ALL THE STATIONS ALONG THE LINE SYNCHED THEIR CLOCKS SO THAT THEY WERE ALL IN AGREEMENT.

AND WHERE WERE THEY GETTING THEIR TIME FROM?

THE MASTER CLOCK GENERALLY WOULD HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH A JEWELER, WHO REALLY HAD THE TECHNOLOGY TO MAINTAIN CLOCKS TO A VERY ACCURATE LEVEL.

SO IS THERE ANY WAY TO CONNECT OUR CLOCK WITH THE ILLINOIS CENTRAL?

WELL, WHEN YOU CALLED, WE ACTUALLY DID A LITTLE RESEARCH, AND WE FOUND SOMETHING YOU MIGHT FIND OF INTEREST.

IT WAS A REALLY FUN INVESTIGATION.

I TELL CHERRIE HOW I WAS ABLE TO TRACK DOWN JOHN B. MAYO AND HIS JEWELRY STORE.

OH, WOW, MAYO AND COMPANY JEWELERS.

WOW, LOOK AT THAT.

BUT THE BREAKTHROUGH CAME WHEN I LOOKED INTO A POSSIBLE RAILROAD CONNECTION.

YOUR CLOCK WAS INTEGRAL IN THE STANDARDIZATION OF TIME, AND I WAS ACTUALLY ABLE TO FIND OUT ITS SPECIFIC ROLE.

WELL, WHAT WE FOUND IS A TRAVELER'S GUIDE FROM THE 1870s.

AND WE HAVE HERE A SCHEDULE FROM CHICAGO TO NEW ORLEANS, AND AT THE TOP OF THE SCHEDULE, IT SAYS, "ALL TRAINS ON THIS ROAD ARE RUN BY THE STANDARD TIME OF J.B. MAYO AND COMPANY JEWELERS."

MAYO WOULD MAKE HIS OWN SOLAR OBSERVATIONS OR GET THE TIME FROM CHICAGO'S DEARBORN OBSERVATORY AND SYNCHRONIZE HIS REGULATOR ACCORDINGLY.

SO THE CLOCK AT J.B. MAYO AND COMPANY WOULD'VE BEEN SENT BY TELEGRAPHIC SIGNAL AT NOON TO SET EVERY CLOCK IN EVERY DEPOT ALONG THE RAILROAD, AND IT WAS USED BY MOST OF THE TOWNS AT LEAST IN CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND PROBABLY ALL THE WAY TO NEW ORLEANS.

THIS WAS THE HEARTBEAT OF THE RAILROAD, YOU KNOW, THAT KEPT TIME ALL ALONG THE RAILROAD LINE, AND THE COMMUNITIES ALONG THE RAILROAD LINE DEPENDED UPON THIS CLOCK.

OH, MY GOODNESS!

LOOK AT THAT.

THAT IS AMAZING.

SO J.B. MAYO WASN'T ONLY JUST A PROMINENT JEWELER.

THE HANDS OF HIS CLOCK REACHED ALL THE WAY TO NEW ORLEANS.

WORLD WAR I SAW THE STANDARD TIME ACT OF MARCH 19, 1918, WHICH CODIFIED THE FOUR-ZONE SYSTEM AND INSTITUTED DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME IN AN EFFORT TO MAXIMIZE DAYLIGHT HOURS DURING THE WORKDAY, THEREBY SAVING FUEL.

BUT THE LAW WAS REPEALED AFTER THE WAR.

ITS USE VARIED UNTIL 1966, WHEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FINALLY STANDARDIZED THE START AND END DATES OF DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME FOR THE COUNTRY.

TODAY, INTERNATIONAL TIME IS SET USING ATOMIC CLOCKS, WHICH USE ATOMS AND MOLECULES INSTEAD OF PENDULUMS AND GEARS TO TAKE PRECISE MEASUREMENTS OF TIME.

AT THE INTERNATIONAL BUREAU OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES NEAR PARIS, FRANCE, THE TIME FROM HUNDREDS OF ATOMIC CLOCKS AROUND THE WORLD IS AVERAGED TO ARRIVE AT INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC TIME.

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Gwendolyn: OUR NEXT CASE ASKS WHAT THIS DOCUMENT CAN TELL US ABOUT A CONTROVERSIAL RELIGIOUS GROUP IN 18th-CENTURY NEW YORK.

1790s, WESTERN NEW YORK: FOR THE NEW NATION, THIS VAST EXPANSE OF FOREST IS THE GREAT UNKNOWN, A BARELY CHARTED TERRITORY FOUGHT OVER BY SENECA INDIANS, BRITISH AGENTS, AND LAND SPECULATORS.

BUT FOR SMALL BANDS OF RELIGIOUS BELIEVERS, THIS IS THE PROMISED LAND, ITS ISOLATION FERTILE GROUND FOR RELIGIOUS REVIVAL AND SPIRITUAL AWAKENING.

FOR ONE GROUP OF PILGRIMS, THE VISION OF A NEW LIFE IN THE WILDERNESS IS MADE EVEN MORE ALLURING BY THEIR CHARISMATIC AND UNLIKELY FEMALE LEADER.

NOW, MORE THAN 200 YEARS LATER, JEANIE WAITE FROM BETHEL, MAINE, HAS COME ACROSS A DOCUMENT THAT MAY SHED LIGHT ON THE EARLY DAYS OF A RADICAL CHRISTIAN GROUP AND ITS PIONEERING FEMALE FOUNDER.

I ALWAYS WONDERED WHY MY GREAT-GREAT-GRANDMOTHER HID IT IN HER LETTER PORTFOLIO, BECAUSE IF I WASN'T AS NOSY, I WOULD NEVER HAVE FOUND IT.

COME ON IN.

THANK YOU.

GWEN, HERE'S WHAT I WAS TELLING YOU ABOUT.

WHAT DO YOU THINK THIS IS?

I DON'T REALLY KNOW.

I DO KNOW THAT IT WAS WRITTEN IN 1791, SO IT'S FAIRLY OLD.

AND IN THE BLUE PAPER THAT IT WAS WRAPPED IN, THE UNIVERSAL FRIENDS SOCIETY ACT OF INCORPORATION.

WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT IT?

HAVE YOU READ IT THROUGH?

I THINK IT'S SOME KIND OF A LEGAL DOCUMENT, BUT I'M NOT SURE WHAT KIND.

JEANIE TELLS ME SHE'S DONE A LITTLE RESEARCH ON THE UNIVERSAL FRIENDS SOCIETY.

IT WAS A CONTROVERSIAL RELIGIOUS GROUP FOUNDED BY A WOMAN NAMED JEMIMA WILKINSON.

BUT HER NAME DOESN'T APPEAR ANYWHERE IN THE DOCUMENT, WHICH I FIND VERY CURIOUS.

NOW, HOW DID YOU FIND IT?

I FOUND IT TUCKED, KIND OF SECRETED BEHIND MY GREAT-GREAT-GRANDMOTHER'S LETTER PORTFOLIO.

HER NAME WAS MARTHA ELISABETH GALLETT, AND SHE WAS BORN IN WESTERN NEW YORK.

SHE'S CURIOUS WHY HER GREAT-GREAT-GRANDMOTHER HELD ON TO THIS AND HID IT, BUT SHE'S NEVER FOUND ANY FAMILY CONNECTION TO THIS RELIGIOUS GROUP.

TELL ME EXACTLY WHAT YOU'D LIKE FOR ME TO FIND OUT ABOUT IT.

I'D LIKE YOU TO FIND OUT WHAT THE DOCUMENT REALLY IS AND HOW IT RELATES TO MY FAMILY.

WELL, I'LL HAVE TO TAKE IT WITH ME, BUT I'D LIKE TO LOOK AT IT VERY CLOSELY BEFOREHAND.

THAT'D BE FINE.

OKAY, THANKS.

I'M CONCERNED THAT I WON'T FEEL ANY WEAKNESSES IN THE PAPER IF I HANDLE IT WITH GLOVES, SO I'LL JUST EXAMINE IT BRIEFLY.

WELL, THIS DOES LOOK LIKE AN ORIGINAL DOCUMENT FROM THE LATE 18th CENTURY.

I THINK THE DOCUMENT'S BEEN FOLDED A NUMBER OF TIMES, BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME TEARS ALONG THOSE FOLDS.

NOW, LET'S LOOK CLOSELY.

"WHEREAS BY AN ACT OF THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK."

WELL, THIS DOES SEEM TO BE A LEGAL DOCUMENT.

IT'S CLEARLY A RELIGIOUS GROUP, TOO.

THEY SPEAK ABOUT THE CHURCH CONGREGATION AND COMING TOGETHER IN A CHURCH MEETING HOUSE FOR DIVINE WORSHIP.

AND IT SAYS, "UNIVERSAL FRIENDS SOCIETY ACT OF INCORPORATION."

"INCORPORATION" SIMPLY MEANT THAT A GROUP OR ORGANIZATION WAS RECOGNIZED UNDER THE LAW.

HERE IT LISTS THE GROUP'S TRUSTEES.

RICHARD SMITH, ISAAC NICHOLS, ABEL BOTSFORD, JOHNATHAN DANES.

BUT THERE'S NO MENTION OF JEMIMA WILKINSON.

AND JEANIE HAD SAID WILKINSON SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN THE LEADER OF THE CONGREGATION, SO THAT'S A BIT CONFUSING.

AND THERE'S ALSO NO MENTION OF MARTHA GALLETT OR ANYONE IN THE GALLETT FAMILY.

THE DOCUMENT WAS SIGNED IN JERUSALEM, NEW YORK.

TODAY, THIS AREA OF WESTERN NEW YORK IS MAINLY FARMLAND, BUT IN THE 18th CENTURY, IT WAS INDIAN COUNTRY, A MOSQUITO-INFESTED FOREST CONSIDERED THE WILD WEST.

LOCAL HISTORIAN PRESTON PIERCE HAS AGREED TO MEET ME AT THE GENESEE COUNTRY VILLAGE AND MUSEUM.

GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.

NICE TO SEE YOU, TOO.

HE TAKES ME TO A QUAKER MEETINGHOUSE.

WELL, PRESTON, HERE'S THE DOCUMENT THAT I TOLD YOU ABOUT.

IT WAS FOUND UP IN MAINE.

WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF IT?

WELL, IT'S CLEARLY A RELIGIOUS INCORPORATION.

IT'S MADE OUT FOR THE SOCIETY OF UNIVERSAL FRIENDS, WHICH I BELIEVE WAS A GROUP ORIGINALLY COMPOSED MOSTLY OF FORMER QUAKERS.

WELL, WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE UNIVERSAL FRIENDS?

IT WAS FOUNDED BY A WOMAN NAMED JEMIMA WILKINSON, WHO HAD BEEN A QUAKER.

REPORTEDLY BORN IN 1752, JEMIMA WAS RAISED IN RHODE ISLAND AND FOUND HER CALLING EARLY.

THERE WAS PLENTY OF CONTROVERSY AROUND HER, STARTING WITH THE FACT THAT SHE WAS A WOMAN WHO WAS THE HEAD OF A CHURCH.

THERE WERE A GREAT MANY THAT THOUGHT THAT WAS VERY STRANGE, AND THERE WERE A FEW THAT THOUGHT THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING ABSOLUTELY WRONG ABOUT IT.

SO WHAT DID SHE BELIEVE?

SHE WAS ADVOCATING A SIMPLE LIFE, A LIFE THAT WAS FREE OF OSTENTATION.

SHE FELT THAT HER FOLLOWERS SHOULD LIVE RATHER COMMUNALLY.

THIS COMMUNAL EXISTENCE REPRESENTED JEMIMA'S BELIEF THAT EVERYONE WAS EQUAL: WOMEN AND MEN, AND PEOPLE OF ALL RACES.

BASICALLY, SHE WAS REJECTING THE OLD NEW ENGLAND IDEA OF PREDESTINATION, THAT SOME WERE SAVED AND SOME WERE LOST.

SHE BELIEVED THAT THERE WAS AN INNER LIGHT IN EVERY HUMAN BEING THAT WAS THE SPIRIT OF GOD.

IT WAS A COMBINATION OF MOST OF THE BELIEFS OF THE QUAKERS AND THOSE BELIEFS OF THE BAPTISTS THAT HAD BEEN INFLUENCED BY THE ENTHUSIASM THAT WENT ALONG WITH THE PREACHING OF THE GREAT AWAKENING.

PRESTON EXPLAINS THAT THE GREAT AWAKENING OF THE LATE 18th AND EARLY 19th CENTURIES, ALSO KNOWN AS THE SECOND GREAT AWAKENING, COINCIDED WITH A TIME OF TREMENDOUS FERMENT AND CHANGE IN THE YOUNG NATION.

MANY PEOPLE BELIEVED THAT THE SPREAD OF SECULARISM AND MATERIALISM DEMANDED A RENEWED RELIGIOUS COMMITMENT IN AMERICAN LIFE.

THE RESULT WAS A WILDFIRE SPREAD OF TENT REVIVALS AND EMOTIONAL EVANGELICAL PREACHERS LIKE JEMIMA WILKINSON.

THOSE WHO WITNESSED HER PREACHING SAID THAT SHE WAS VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT THE BIBLE, THAT SHE COULD BRING TOGETHER WHOLE PASSAGES FROM MEMORY.

PRESTON SAYS JEMIMA'S MESSAGE WAS NOT NEW; IT WAS THE FORCE OF HER PERSONALITY THAT MOVED PEOPLE AND MADE HER THE FIRST AMERICAN-BORN WOMAN TO LEAD A RELIGIOUS GROUP.

SHE WAS A VERY CHARISMATIC INDIVIDUAL, AND IN THE END, HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE CHOSE TO FOLLOW HER.

WHAT EXACTLY WAS THE PURPOSE OF THIS DOCUMENT?

NEW YORK STATE LEGISLATURE PASSED AN ACT IN 1784 THAT WAS A GENERAL INCORPORATION ACT FOR RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES.

IT WAS PASSED FOR THE SPECIFIC PURPOSE OF PROMOTING RELIGIOUS FREEDOMS.

THIS DOCUMENT ALLOWED A RELIGIOUS GROUP TO MEET AND FORM ITSELF TOGETHER INTO A FORMAL BODY.

PRESTON EXPLAINS HOW THE ACT HAD BEEN SIGNED SEVEN YEARS BEFORE THE RATIFICATION OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE U.S. CONSTITUTION, WHICH GUARANTEED RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.

THE NEW YORK ACT PROTECTED THE RELIGIOUS GROUPS DRAWN TO THE NEW YORK FRONTIER BY THE BOUNTIFUL LAND.

THE QUAKERS WERE HERE, THE SHAKERS SHOWED UP, BAPTISTS CAME IN, THERE WERE METHODIST CIRCUIT RIDERS WHO WERE COMING THROUGH THE AREA.

IT WAS AN AREA WHERE RELIGIOUS REVIVALS ACTUALLY RESULTED IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SOME NEW RELIGIOUS DOCTRINES: THE UNIVERSAL FRIENDS HERE AND ALSO, JUST TO THEIR NORTH, THE LATTER-DAY SAINTS, THE MORMONS.

I'M CURIOUS, IN THE DOCUMENT, IT'S AN ORGANIZATION RUN BY A WOMAN, BUT ALL OF THE SIGNATORIES AS TRUSTEES ARE MEN.

WHY WOULD THAT BE?

WELL, THE SIMPLE ANSWER TO THAT IS THAT THE STATE LAW THAT PROVIDED FOR THIS DOCUMENT SPECIFICALLY SAID THAT ONLY MEN WOULD BE TRUSTEES.

I WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT JEMIMA WILKINSON.

PRESTON SUGGESTS I SPEAK WITH CURATOR CHUCK MITCHELL.

HE ASKS ME TO MEET HIM AT THE LOCAL OLIVER HOUSE MUSEUM, WHICH HOLDS A COLLECTION OF JEMIMA WILKINSON ARTIFACTS.

THIS IS JEMIMA.

THIS IS THE ONLY IMAGE WE HAVE OF HER PAINTED FROM LIFE.

SHE WOULD'VE BEEN IN HER MID TO LATE 50s.

WELL, WHAT'S VERY STRIKING IS THAT THERE'S A COMBINATION OF MALE AND FEMALE ATTRIBUTES, THAT HER HAIR UP HERE IS LIKE A MAN'S WIG, AND THEN THERE ARE THESE FEMININE RINGLETS COMING DOWN.

THEY WOULD SAY THAT SHE DRESSED LIKE A MAN.

CHUCK EXPLAINS THIS ANDROGYNOUS STYLE OF DRESS WAS NO ACCIDENT.

JEMIMA HELD UNUSUAL BELIEFS ABOUT HER IDENTITY.

WHEN SHE WAS YOUNG, WHEN SHE WAS LIKE 18, SHE HAD AN ILLNESS.

PRIOR TO THE ILLNESS, SHE NEVER SHOWED ANY INDICATION OF A RELIGIOUS BENT, IF YOU WILL.

SHE WAS ACTUALLY A BIT OF A WILD CHILD.

HE EXPLAINS THAT JEMIMA WAS IN A COMA FOR DAYS.

WHEN SHE WOKE, SHE CLAIMED THAT SHE HAD DIED AND BEEN RESURRECTED AS A GENDERLESS SPIRIT SENT BY GOD.

HER DETRACTORS TOOK THAT A STEP FURTHER AND SAID THAT SHE WAS CLAIMING TO BE THE SECOND COMING, WHICH SHE DID NOT.

IN HER NEW GENDERLESS FORM, SHE SWORE HERSELF TO CELIBACY TO KEEP HER BODY PURE FOR GOD.

SHE ALSO REJECTED THE NAME JEMIMA WILKINSON AND INSTEAD RENAMED HERSELF SIMPLY THE PUBLICK UNIVERSAL FRIEND.

FROM THAT, SHE STARTED PREACHING.

ALMOST IMMEDIATELY SHE STARTED PREACHING AND GAINED A FOLLOWING THROUGHOUT NEW ENGLAND.

"THE SPIRIT OF LIFE FROM GOD HAS DESCENDED TO EARTH," SHE PREACHED, "TO WARN A LOST AND GUILTY, PERISHING, DYING WORLD TO FLEE FROM THE WRATH THAT IS TO COME."

BUT A WOMAN IN A POSITION OF POWER WAS SEEN BY SOME AS A THREAT TO THE NORMS OF SOCIETY.

CRITICS LATCHED ON TO THE STRANGER ASPECTS OF HER PERSONALITY AND VILIFIED HER, ACCUSING WILKINSON OF EMASCULATING HER MALE FOLLOWERS BY TREATING THEM LIKE ANIMALS AND FORCING THEM TO DO HER CHORES.

BY THE LATE 1780s, JEMIMA DECIDED TO MOVE HER FLOCK TO THE WILDERNESS OF WESTERN NEW YORK, WHERE THEY WOULD LIVE COMMUNALLY.

SHE WAS SEEKING THE NEW JERUSALEM.

SHE WAS LOOKING TO GET AWAY.

I WANT TO LEARN WHAT HAPPENED TO THE FLEDGLING CONGREGATION, AND I STILL DON'T KNOW WHY JEANIE'S GREAT-GREAT-GRANDMOTHER OWNED THIS DOCUMENT.

I'VE ARRANGED A VISIT WITH FRAN DUMAS, WHO IS WRITING A BOOK ON JEMIMA WILKINSON.

WE ARE MEETING AT A HOUSE THE UNIVERSAL FRIENDS BUILT FOR THEIR LEADER.

COME ON IN.

THANK YOU.

FRAN EXPLAINS HOW SOME 260 UNIVERSAL FRIENDS ARRIVED IN WHAT IS NOW KNOWN AS THE FINGER LAKES REGION OF NEW YORK IN THE LATE 1700s.

THEY BEGAN CLEARING VIRGIN FORESTS AND PLANTING CROPS TOGETHER.

THEY ERECTED A GRISTMILL AND A SAWMILL.

THIS HOME, WHICH WAS BUILT IN 1814, IS NOW A PRIVATE RESIDENCE.

IT IS WHERE THE FRIEND LIVED AT THE END OF HER LIFE.

THIS IS HER BEDROOM.

THIS IS, IN FACT, THE ROOM THAT SHE DIED IN.

SHE TELLS ME SEVERAL PEOPLE, MOSTLY WOMEN, ONCE LIVED TOGETHER IN THIS HOUSE.

YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT THIS HOUSE WAS DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR THE FRIEND, AND WHERE WE'RE STANDING RIGHT NOW IS WHERE SHE STOOD TO PREACH.

SHE COULD PREACH TO PEOPLE DOWN BELOW HER HERE, AND SHE COULD ALSO PREACH TO A HALL FULL OF PEOPLE UP HERE.

WELL, I SENT YOU THE SCAN, AND NOW I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU THE ORIGINAL DOCUMENT.

OH, BEAUTIFUL.

ISN'T IT?

SO WHAT DO YOU THINK?

IT'S REALLY REMARKABLE THAT THIS DOCUMENT STILL EXISTS.

I DIDN'T REALIZE AT ALL THAT THEY HAD INCORPORATED.

FRAN BELIEVES THE REASON WHY THEY INCORPORATED WASN'T JUST THEIR DESIRE FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.

SHE EXPLAINS HOW THE DOCUMENT WAS SIGNED AT A TIME WHEN JEMIMA AND HER FOLLOWERS WERE SEARCHING FOR A SAFE HAVEN FROM CRITICS AND LAND SPECULATORS.

I HAVE A LETTER, OR A QUOTATION FROM A LETTER, THAT THE FRIEND WROTE.

WHAT SHE SHOWS ME NEXT WILL CERTAINLY SURPRISE JEANIE.

I'VE ARRANGED FOR HER TO MEET ME IN WHAT WAS ONCE JEMIMA WILKINSON'S NEW JERUSALEM.

WELL, JEANIE, YOU HAVE A REMARKABLE DOCUMENT THAT TELLS US A GREAT DEAL ABOUT COMPETING AMBITIONS FOR THE NEW AMERICAN REPUBLIC.

JEMIMA WILKINSON WAS THE FOUNDER AND THE LEADER OF THE SOCIETY OF UNIVERSAL FRIENDS, AND THIS WAS HER HOUSE, THE LAST HOUSE THAT SHE LIVED IN.

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL PLACE.

IT WAS A HOUSE BUILT IN 1814 AFTER THE ORGANIZATION HAD MOVED OUT HERE WHEN IT WAS TOTAL WILDERNESS.

THEY FELLED TREES AND MADE FARMS AND MADE HOUSES, AND THEY HAD A GOOD REASON TO INCORPORATE.

I HAVE A LETTER, OR A QUOTATION FROM A LETTER, THAT THE FRIEND WROTE.

"I HAVE LONG PRAYED THAT THERE MIGHT BE A PEACEABLE HABITATION "FOR ME AND ALL MY FRIENDS TO DWELL SOMEWHERE, "A TRACT OF LAND WHERE NONE BUT OUR FRIENDS HOLD ANY TITLE OR PROFESSION."

FRAN TELLS ME JEMIMA IMAGINED A SETTLEMENT OF FAMILIES WITH THEIR OWN PRIVATE TRACTS AND COMMON LAND FOR THOSE LESS FORTUNATE.

AS A CORPORATION, THEY COULD OWN LAND COLLECTIVELY.

THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.

THAT'S AMAZING.

SHE WAS A YOUNG WOMAN, AND ABLE TO DRAW PEOPLE TO HER WITH A BRAND-NEW IDEA, AND THEY FOLLOWED THAT CONCEPT INTO THE WILDERNESS.

SHE MUST HAVE BEEN REALLY CHARISMATIC.

JEANIE, YOU HAD ANOTHER QUESTION.

YOU WANTED TO KNOW THE CONNECTION BETWEEN YOUR FAMILY AND THIS DOCUMENT.

I'VE GOT SOMETHING I WANT TO SHOW YOU.

COME WITH ME.

THANK YOU.

FRAN HAD RECOGNIZED THE NAME MARTHA GALLETT AND HAD SHOWED ME A SMALL CEMETERY NEAR THE HOUSE.

IF YOU DON'T MIND JUST PUSHING THROUGH THIS, THERE'S SOMETHING BACK HERE THAT I THINK YOU'LL FIND QUITE EXTRAORDINARY.

OH, MY GOD, THERE'S ALL KINDS OF HEADSTONES IN HERE.

AND THIS IS THE FOOTSTONE OF MARTHA GALLETT.

HERE'S A WHOLE PART OF YOUR FAMILY, JEANIE.

I EXPLAIN THAT THIS GRAVESTONE BELONGS TO AN EARLIER MARTHA GALLETT, AN ANCESTOR OF HER GREAT-GREAT-GRANDMOTHER.

OH, HER INITIALS ARE RIGHT HERE ON THE BACK.

OH, MY GOODNESS, THAT'S AMAZING.

AND, JEANIE, OVER HERE IS JOHN, HER SON.

"JOHN A. GALLETT," OH, MY GOODNESS.

I GUESS I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY.

I'M KIND OF LIKE, "WOW."

I TELL JEANIE THAT FRAN BELIEVES MANY OF THESE GALLETTS WERE PART OF JEMIMA'S FLOCK.

ALTHOUGH THE FRIEND PREACHED THE VIRTUES OF CELIBACY, SHE WELCOMED MARRIED COUPLES AND THEIR CHILDREN.

SO THEY WERE PART OF THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS, WOW.

I THINK I'M REALLY PROUD OF THEM THAT THEY EXERCISED THEIR BELIEFS AND LEFT BEHIND THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF NEW ENGLAND AND WERE WILLING TO TAKE A RISK AND TO GO TO THE FRONTIER AND PRACTICE THEIR BELIEFS.

THAT TOOK A LOT OF COURAGE.

MY RELATIVES STOOD AND LISTENED TO JEMIMA WILKINSON PREACH.

THAT'S PRETTY SPECIAL FOR ME.

IT ALSO HELPS YOU UNDERSTAND WHY YOUR FAMILY HAS HAD THIS DOCUMENT FOR SO LONG.

WELL, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR EFFORT, AND I'M HOPING THAT I CAN GIVE THIS DOCUMENT TO AN ORGANIZATION THAT WILL TAKE GOOD CARE OF IT AND ALLOW OTHER PEOPLE TO STUDY AND APPRECIATE IT.

ALTHOUGH THE GROUP INCORPORATED SO THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO BUY LAND COMMUNALLY, THEY NEVER DID.

INSTEAD, THEY PURCHASED LAND IN THE NAME OF A FEW TRUSTEES.

THIS PROVED TO BE THEIR DOWNFALL.

LAWSUITS BETWEEN THE FRIENDS AND THE TRUSTEES AND THEIR HEIRS DRAGGED ON FOR DECADES AND FRACTURED THE GROUP.

JEMIMA WILKINSON PASSED AWAY ON JULY 1, 1819.

SHE WAS BURIED IN THE BASEMENT OF HER HOME, THEN SECRETLY MOVED TO AN UNMARKED GRAVE.

WITHOUT THEIR CHARISMATIC LEADER, THE GROUP GRADUALLY DIED OFF, ENDING IN 1863.

TO READ THE ORIGINAL UNIVERSAL FRIENDS DOCUMENT, GO TO HISTORY DETECTIVES ON THE WEB AT pbs.org.

THE PHRASE "SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE" IS NOT ACTUALLY PART OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT OF THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION.

IT COMES FROM A LETTER WRITTEN OVER A DECADE LATER IN JANUARY 1802 BY PRESIDENT THOMAS JEFFERSON.

THE DANBURY BAPTIST ASSOCIATION HAD WRITTEN TO JEFFERSON COMPLAINING THAT THEIR RELIGIOUS LIBERTIES WERE NOT BEING PROPERLY ACKNOWLEDGED BY THE CONNECTICUT STATE LEGISLATURE.

JEFFERSON'S REPLY QUOTED THE FIRST AMENDMENT CLAUSE WHICH ESTABLISHES RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.

HE CALLED IT, QUOTE, "A WALL OF SEPARATION BETWEEN CHURCH AND STATE," UNQUOTE.

BUT IT WASN'T UNTIL SEVERAL DECADES LATER THAT SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE BECAME SYNONYMOUS WITH THE FIRST AMENDMENT.

IN AN 1878 DECISION CONCERNING GEORGE REYNOLDS, A LATTER-DAY SAINT CHARGED WITH BIGAMY, THE SUPREME COURT UPHELD THAT THE GOVERNMENT COULDN'T PASS LAWS REGULATING RELIGIOUS THOUGHT.

IT COULD, HOWEVER, PASS LAWS REGARDING RELIGIOUS PRACTICES IF THEY THREATENED THE SOCIAL ORDER.

CHIEF JUSTICE MORRISON WAITE CITED JEFFERSON'S PHRASE, CALLING IT, QUOTE, "AN AUTHORITATIVE DECLARATION OF THE SCOPE AND EFFECT OF THE AMENDMENT," UNQUOTE.

SEVENTY YEARS LATER, IN McCOLLUM v. BOARD OF EDUCATION, THE COURT AGAIN QUOTED JEFFERSON'S LETTER IN ITS DECISION THAT RELIGIOUS TEACHINGS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS VIOLATED THE FIRST AMENDMENT.

BUT SOME HAVE TAKEN ISSUE WITH THESE INTERPRETATIONS.

TODAY, MORE THAN TWO CENTURIES AFTER THEY WERE WRITTEN, JEFFERSON'S WORDS CONTINUE TO BE A SOURCE OF ONGOING DEBATE OVER RELIGION'S ROLE IN PUBLIC LIFE.

Tukufu: OUR LAST CASE EXPLORES A STRANGE USE OF DOGS DURING WORLD WAR II.

[ barking ] AS THE SMOKE CLEARS OVER PEARL HARBOR IN DECEMBER 1941, THE U.S. ARMY KNOWS THAT A COSTLY WAR IN THE PACIFIC IS NOW INEVITABLE.

BUT THE OPENING MONTHS OF 1942 GO BADLY FOR THE ALLIES, AND MORE AND MORE TERRITORY IN THE PACIFIC IS LOST TO THE JAPANESE.

THERE'S A GROWING SENSE OF DESPERATION.

HOW WILL THE MILITARY DEFEAT AN ENEMY THAT IS NOW DUG IN ON ISLANDS ALL ACROSS THE SOUTH PACIFIC?

MORE THAN 60 YEARS LATER, ANDREW TURNER FROM KANSAS CITY, KANSAS, HAS A DOCUMENT THAT MAY REVEAL A CLASSIFIED ATTEMPT TO GIVE NEW BITE TO THE NATION'S ARMED FORCES.

I SEEM TO HAVE STUMBLED UPON A BIT OF MYSTERIOUS WWII HISTORY.

HONORED TO MEET YOU.

COME ON IN.

THANK YOU.

SO WHAT DO YOU HAVE HERE FOR ME?

WELL, I HAVE A BUNCH OF DOCUMENTS, 1940s, WWII-ERA, FORMERLY BELONGING TO A SERGEANT HENRY SIMPSON.

HOW DID YOU COME ABOUT THIS STUFF?

I WORKED FOR AN ONLINE AUCTION COMPANY, AND THIS STUFF CAME IN ON CONSIGNMENT.

THE DOCUMENTS APPEAR TO BE ABOUT A SECRET PROGRAM TO TRAIN ATTACK DOGS OFF THE COAST OF MISSISSIPPI.

WHAT'S REALLY COOL ABOUT THESE DOCUMENTS IS THEY DEAL WITH K-9 SERVICE IN WORLD WAR II, BUT AS I WAS GOING THROUGH THE DOCUMENTS, IT KIND OF SEEMED LIKE THERE WAS AN EXTRA LEVEL TO IT, LIKE IT WASN'T JUST SIMPLE DOG TRAINING.

WHAT LED YOU TO THAT CONCLUSION?

MOST OF THE DOCUMENTS ARE BUREAUCRATIC AND NOT TERRIBLY INTERESTING, BUT ONE LETTER CAUGHT ANDREW'S EYE.

TO SERGEANT SIMPSON FROM A SOLDIER HE HAD SERVED WITH NAMED DON REYNOLDS.

IT APPEARS THAT THERE'S SOME SORT OF OFFICIAL ARMY INVESTIGATION GOING ON.

OH, REALLY?

YEAH.

HE SAYS, "WE HEARD ON THE ISLAND THAT TWO FULL COLONELS WERE COMING DOWN FROM WASHINGTON TO INVESTIGATE AFFAIRS."

IT'S NOT CLEAR WHAT THE INVESTIGATION IS ABOUT, BUT THE TARGET IS A MAN NAMED PRESTRE.

"IT LOOKS AS THOUGH THE COLONEL KNOWS "THAT MR. PRESTRE IS AFTER HIS HIDE, SO HE IS GOING AFTER MR.

PRESTRE'S."

WHO IS MR. PRESTRE?

APPARENTLY, HE HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH TRAINING THESE DOGS.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK OF MR. PRESTRE AS A DOG TRAINER?"

WHATEVER THE INVESTIGATION IS ABOUT, THE LETTER WRITER SEEMS VERY NERVOUS.

OH, LOOK AT THIS: "PARDON MY TERRIBLE TYPING.

"I'M IN THE ORDERLY ROOM IN GULFPORT AND WAS AFRAID "ONE OF THE OFFICERS WOULD COME IN ANY MINUTE.

"HOWEVER, I DON'T THINK THERE IS ANY FEAR "OF YOUR LETTERS BEING OPENED, AND I THINK YOU CAN WRITE TO ME SAFELY."

THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON.

SOMETHING SHADY IS HAPPENING HERE.

OKAY.

I CONSIDER MYSELF AN AMATEUR WWII HISTORIAN, BUT I'VE NEVER HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT THIS BEFORE.

NOW, WHAT IS IT YOU WANT ME TO FIND OUT FOR YOU?

WELL, BASICALLY, WHAT WAS THE ARMY DOING TRAINING THESE DOGS AND WHO IS THIS MR. PRESTRE AND WHY WAS THE ARMY INVESTIGATING HIM?

WELL, I'M GOING TO DO MY BEST.

I'M A CAT GUY MYSELF, BUT I'LL TRY TO FIND OUT AS MUCH ABOUT YOUR DOG STORY HERE AS I CAN, ALL RIGHT?

OKAY, GREAT, THANKS.

SO I'LL GET BACK TO YOU.

I LOOK FORWARD TO IT.

ALL THE DOCUMENTS IN THE FOLDER DATE TO WORLD WAR II.

THE LETTER BETWEEN SIMPSON AND REYNOLDS DISCUSSING THE INVESTIGATION OF MR. PRESTRE IS CERTAINLY THE MOST CURIOUS.

IT APPEARS THEY GAVE A QUESTIONNAIRE TO ALL THE MEN: "DID MR. PRESTRE EVER PROMISE OR OFFER YOU A COMMISSION?"

"WHAT THREATS DID YOU EVER HEAR MR. PRESTRE MAKE AGAINST FELLOW OFFICERS OF THIS COMMAND?"

BUT IT DOESN'T REALLY TELL US WHAT HE DID OR EVEN WHAT HE WAS ACCUSED OF.

WHAT THE DOG TRAINING IS FOR IS NOT CLEAR EITHER.

LET'S SEE WHAT ELSE WE'VE GOT HERE.

SO THIS IS LIKE A LIST OF DOGS ASSIGNED TO THE PROJECT AND THE DATE THAT THEY WERE ACQUIRED BY THE MILITARY.

ACCORDING TO THESE DOCUMENTS, THE DOGS ARE BEING TRAINED OFF THE COAST OF GULFPORT, MISSISSIPPI, AT A PLACE IRONICALLY CALLED CAT ISLAND.

I DON'T HAVE MUCH LUCK ONLINE RUNNING DOWN ANY OF THE PEOPLE MENTIONED IN THE DOCUMENTS, BUT THE ENTRY "WAR DOGS" THROWS UP A COUPLE OF INTERESTING ITEMS.

LISTEN TO THIS FROM MARCH 1942.

THIS IS JUST THREE MONTHS AFTER THE BOMBING OF PEARL HARBOR.

"THE ARMY WILL ACCEPT DOGS OF GOOD HEALTH AND INTELLIGENCE TO BE TRAINED FOR NATIONAL DEFENSE" AND CALLED UPON OWNERS OF SUITABLE DOGS TO VOLUNTEER THEIR PETS FOR SELECTIVE SERVICE.

IT WAS A TIME OF GROWING NATIONAL PARANOIA: GERMAN U-BOATS HAD BEEN SPOTTED OFF THE AMERICAN COAST AND THERE WERE REPORTS AND WORRIES ABOUT SPIES COMING ASHORE.

THE MILITARY WAS WORRIED ABOUT SABOTAGE OF THEIR COASTAL SUPPLY DEPOTS AND DECIDED THEY WANTED TO USE SENTRY DOGS TO HELP GUARD AGAINST THESE KINDS OF ATTACKS.

THE U.S. ARMY TURNED TO ITS QUARTERMASTER CORPS TO TRAIN THE DOGS.

BUT THERE'S NO MENTION OF WHETHER OR NOT THIS IS CONNECTED TO WHAT WAS GOING ON ON CAT ISLAND.

LET ME TRY TO DIG A LITTLE BIT MORE HERE.

LISTEN TO THIS: "THE CAT ISLAND WAR DOG RECEPTION AND TRAINING CENTER."

"CASUAL VISITORS ARE NOT WELCOME.

TRAINING SECRETS REMAIN SECRET."

CAT ISLAND IS ABOUT EIGHT MILES OFF THE COAST OF GULFPORT, MISSISSIPPI.

I'VE ARRANGED TO MEET A GULFPORT NATIVE, BARRY FOSTER.

SO YOU'VE BEEN OUT TO THIS CAT ISLAND?

THIS CAT ISLAND IS VERY SPECIAL TO ME.

HE SAYS HE STARTED RESEARCHING CAT ISLAND AS A TEEN AFTER HEARING RUMORS ABOUT ITS SECRET WARTIME PAST.

I ALWAYS HAVE TIME FOR AMATEUR HISTORIANS; THEY OFTEN TURN UP INFORMATION THAT PROFESSIONAL HISTORIANS HAVEN'T COME ACROSS.

LOCAL CAPTAIN KIM FULTON HAS AGREED TO FERRY US OUT TO THE ISLAND.

CAPTAIN KIM, HOW YOU DOING, MAN?

IT'S ABOUT A HALF-HOUR TRIP FROM SHORE.

BARRY TELLS ME HE WAS SO TAKEN WITH THE MYSTERY OF CAT ISLAND THAT HE SPENT YEARS DOING RESEARCH AND TRACKING DOWN EYEWITNESSES.

THAT'S IT, SEE IT?

IF THE MILITARY WANTED A SECLUDED HARD-TO-REACH PLACE TO RUN A SECRET PROGRAM, THIS WAS DEFINITELY A GOOD CHOICE.

THERE'S NOT EVEN A DOCK WE CAN LAND AT.

THEY PROBABLY BELIEVED THAT THE TERRAIN HERE WAS SOMEWHAT SIMILAR TO THE ISLANDS IN THE PACIFIC.

WE COME ACROSS REMNANTS OF THE ARMY'S PRESENCE HERE: RUSTED HULKS OF MACHINERY AND FOOTPRINTS WHERE BUILDINGS ONCE STOOD.

I BELIEVE WE HAVE THE KENNELS HERE, TUKUFU.

I TELL BARRY WHAT I'VE READ ABOUT THE ARMY QUARTERMASTER CORPS PROGRAM TO TRAIN DOGS AS SENTRIES, SCOUTS, AND MINE DETECTORS.

IS THIS PART OF THAT?

NO, ACTUALLY, AT THE TIME THIS STARTED, THERE WERE FOUR SITES WHERE THEY WERE TRAINING DOGS.

THIS WAS A FIFTH THAT WAS KIND OF OFF THE RADAR.

OFF THE RADAR?

BARRY EXPLAINS THAT THE TOP SECRET PROGRAM ON CAT ISLAND STARTED AROUND NOVEMBER 1942.

IT WAS RUN BY THE ARMY GROUND FORCES AND HEADED UP BY A CIVILIAN, A SWISS REFUGEE FROM NEW MEXICO.

HIS NAME WAS WILLIAM A. PRESTRE.

YES, THIS IS THE GUY IN MY LETTER.

BUT WHAT WAS HE TRYING TO DO?

HE CONVINCED SOMEBODY HIGHER UP IN THE MILITARY THAT HE COULD TRAIN DOGS TO SCENT AND ATTACK PEOPLE WITH JAPANESE BLOOD.

BARRY TELLS ME THAT PRESTRE'S PLAN TO WIN THE WAR WAS TO TRAIN A FEROCIOUS ASSAULT FORCE OF 20,000 OR 30,000 DOGS.

PACKS WOULD BE TRAINED TO SNIFF OUT THE JAPANESE AND HUNT THEM DOWN IN A FIRST WAVE OF ISLAND INVASIONS.

OKAY, IT SOUNDS KIND OF FARFETCHED, BUT I -- IT SOUNDS VERY FARFETCHED NOW, BUT REMEMBER DURING THAT TIME THAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR ANY ADVANTAGE WE COULD GET TO WIN A WORLD WAR.

BARRY SAYS THE ARMY GREEN-LIT PRESTRE'S PLAN AND GAVE HIM THREE MONTHS HERE TO TEST HIS THEORY.

THE LETTER THAT I'M INVESTIGATING SUGGESTS THAT PRESTRE WAS UNDER INVESTIGATION BY THE MILITARY.

DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THAT?

YOU KNOW, I DON'T.

BARRY SAYS SIMPSON AND REYNOLDS WERE SIMPLY SOLDIERS STATIONED ON CAT ISLAND.

HE SUSPECTS THAT THE INVESTIGATION THEY ARE DISCUSSING MAY HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH PRESTRE'S TRAINING METHODS.

WELL, HIS IDEA WAS TO TAKE AMERICAN SOLDIERS WHO WERE OF JAPANESE DESCENT, AND THE JAPANESE AMERICANS WERE BROUGHT HERE NOT AS DOG TRAINERS, TUKUFU, BUT DOG BAIT.

AS WHAT?

AS DOG BAIT.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN, THEY WERE DOG BAIT?

BARRY TELLS ME THAT SOME OF THE EYEWITNESSES HE INTERVIEWED WERE THESE JAPANESE-AMERICAN SOLDIERS.

HE'S ARRANGED A MEETING FOR ME BACK ON SHORE.

[ ♪♪♪ ] BARRY SENT ME TO A LOCAL VFW WATERING HOLE TO MEET A VETERAN NAMED RAYMOND NOSAKA.

NOW 92, RAY WAS 26 AND TRAINING IN WISCONSIN WITH THE ALL-JAPANESE-AMERICAN 100th INFANTRY BATTALION WHEN HE AND 24 OTHERS SUDDENLY RECEIVED NEW ORDERS.

THEY TOOK US TO GULFPORT, MISSISSIPPI.

NOW, THEY DIDN'T EXPLAIN TO YOU WHY THEY WERE DOING THIS?

ALL WAS SO SECRET.

WE STAYED THERE ABOUT THREE WEEKS ON THE ISLAND, AND THEN THEY TOLD US WE WERE GOING TO TRAIN DOGS, BUT ACTUALLY US GUYS, WE WERE THE BAIT, DOG BAIT.

ACCORDING TO RAY, THE DOGS SOON GREW ACCUSTOMED TO THE 25 JAPANESE AMERICANS, SO HE WAS ORDERED TO USE BRUTAL METHODS TO TRY TO TEACH THE DOGS TO, QUOTE, "HATE."

"YOU HIT THE DOG!"

I HIT THE DOG TILL HE BLEEDS.

RAY WAS GIVEN PROTECTIVE PADS AND ORDERED BY THE DOG'S HANDLER TO RETREAT 30 PACES AND WAIT.

AND HE TOLD THE DOG, "KILL HIM!"

NOT TO ATTACK, HE SAID, "KILL!"

THAT'S THE COMMAND THEY GAVE.

SO WHEN THEY COME FOR YOU, THEY MEAN BUSINESS.

THE DOG'S SO MAD ALREADY BECAUSE I HIT HIM AND BITE ME ALL OVER THE PLACE.

SO IT'S NOT A PLEASANT THING, BUT I ALWAYS SAY, "WELL, THAT'S OUR DUTY, WE HAVE TO DO IT."

SO WHY DID THEY SELECT JAPANESE-AMERICAN SOLDIERS TO BE THE LIVE BAIT?

THAT SWEDISH GUY TOLD US THAT WE SMELLED LIKE THE ENEMY JAPANESE.

THIS IS WRONG.

THE THEORY IS NOT RIGHT.

I'M DOING AN INVESTIGATION TRYING TO FIND OUT ABOUT HIM.

DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT MR. PRESTRE?

I REALLY CAN'T SAY TOO MUCH ABOUT HIM, BECAUSE WE HARDLY -- WE HARDLY SEE HIM.

DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE INVESTIGATION OF MR. PRESTRE?

NO, I NEVER -- MAYBE THEY WERE INVESTIGATING HIM, BUT THEY DON'T WANT US TO BE FRIENDLY WITH THE TRAINERS NOR THE DOGS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

YOU'VE BEEN A GREAT HELP.

RAY NEVER HEARD ABOUT PRESTRE AFTER THE WAR.

HE SAID PRESTRE HAD LOOKED AT LEAST 20 YEARS OLDER THAN THE ENLISTED MEN, SO HE'S ALMOST CERTAINLY PASSED AWAY.

I'M HEADING TO FORT LEE, VIRGINIA, HOME TO THE U.S. ARMY'S QUARTERMASTER MUSEUM AND SOME MODERN-DAY MILITARY WORKING DOGS.

I'M MEETING THE MUSEUM'S CURATOR, LUTHER HANSON, AND DOG HANDLER, STAFF SERGEANT NATHAN GIBSON.

AH!

WHOO, GOOD GIRL!

THE DOG CAN SNIFF OUT A FUGITIVE IN THE WOODS OR NARCOTICS HIDDEN IN A VEHICLE.

I ASKED SERGEANT GIBSON IF THEIR DOGS COULD BE TRAINED TO IDENTIFY AND ATTACK CERTAIN RACES BASED ON THEIR SCENT.

NO, SIR, IT WON'T BE BY SCENT.

SO THE DOG DOESN'T KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN ASIAN, A CAUCASIAN, AN AFRICAN AMERICAN?

NOT BY SCENT, SIR.

I TELL BOTH MEN ABOUT MY INVESTIGATION.

LUTHER CONFIRMS WHAT BARRY TOLD ME ABOUT THE SECRET MISSION ON CAT ISLAND.

I'VE HEARD SOME UNBELIEVABLE STORIES ABOUT HOW JAPANESE-AMERICAN SOLDIERS WERE TREATED ON CAT ISLAND.

IS THAT WHY MR. PRESTRE WAS BEING INVESTIGATED?

NO, I DON'T BELIEVE SO.

THE ARMY LOOKED AT IT AS A WAY OF SAVING AMERICAN LIVES.

THEY TRIED IT FOR 90 DAYS AS AN EXPERIMENT ONLY.

WHY DID THE ARMY END PRESTRE'S EXPERIMENT?

IT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL.

THE DOGS WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE BETWEEN THE JAPANESE AMERICANS AND ANY OTHER SCENTS THEY WERE ABLE TO FIND IN THE WOODS.

THEY WERE ALSO UNABLE TO KEEP THE PACKS TOGETHER.

UNLESS YOU HAD A HANDLER THERE POINTING AND GIVING DIRECTION TO THE INDIVIDUAL DOGS, THE DOGS WENT AFTER DIFFERENT SCENTS AND ESSENTIALLY EITHER LOST OR DIDN'T FIND THE SOLDIERS.

HE EXPLAINS THAT AFTER PRESTRE WAS FIRED, THE ARMY QUARTERMASTER CORPS TOOK OVER THE CAT ISLAND TRAINING PROGRAM.

SO IF THEY WEREN'T INVESTIGATING HIS METHODS, WHY WAS MR. PRESTRE INVESTIGATED BY THE MILITARY?

I'M NOT SURE, BUT I DO KNOW THAT THE PAPERS HAVE RECENTLY BEEN DECLASSIFIED AT THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND THERE MAY BE SOME MORE ANSWERS THERE FOR YOU.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

I'VE REQUESTED THE DECLASSIFIED CAT ISLAND FILES FROM THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES IN WASHINGTON, D.C. MY OFFICE HAS FORWARDED THEM TO ME IN THE FIELD.

IT APPEARS THAT AS PRESTRE'S 90-DAY EXPERIMENT WOUND DOWN IN JANUARY 1943, AN INSPECTION WAS HELD TO SHOW ARMY BRASS THE RESULTS.

AND IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE IT WENT WELL AT ALL.

LISTEN TO THIS: "THERE WAS NO ACTUAL FEROCITY DISPLAYED BY THE DOGS.

IT WAS MORE NEARLY COMPARABLE TO A VAUDEVILLE ACT."

IT SOUNDS LIKE THINGS WENT DOWNHILL FAST FOR PRESTRE.

CHECK THIS OUT.

"MR. WILLIAM A. PRESTRE WAS NOTIFIED "THAT HIS EMPLOYMENT WITH THIS PROJECT TERMINATES FEBRUARY 2, 1943."

BUT, YOU KNOW, I STILL DON'T SEE A REASON FOR THE ARMY TO HAVE STARTED AN OFFICIAL INVESTIGATION.

WAIT A MINUTE, IT LOOKS LIKE PRESTRE'S FIRING WASN'T THE END OF THE MATTER.

"SUBJECT: INVESTIGATION OF CAT ISLAND TRAINING PROGRAM, CONDUCTED MARCH 30-31, 1943."

PRESTRE HADN'T GONE DOWN WITHOUT A FIGHT.

HE CLAIMED THE ARMY HAD HAMPERED HIS ABILITY TO GET RESULTS FROM HIS DOGS, AND HE MADE SEVERAL ALLEGATIONS OF INCOMPETENCE AGAINST HIS ARMY BOSSES.

AND IT LOOKS LIKE IN EACH CASE THE ARMY INVESTIGATORS RULED AGAINST MR. PRESTRE.

BUT THE INVESTIGATION HAD SUDDENLY TAKEN A FAR MORE SERIOUS TONE.

I FOUND WHAT I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR.

LISTEN TO THIS.

SO YOU WERE RIGHT.

THERE WAS CONTROVERSY.

THERE WAS TENSION AROUND MR. PRESTRE AND THE CAT ISLAND TRAINING FACILITY.

I TELL ANDREW ABOUT WILLIAM PRESTRE'S PLAN TO TRAIN ATTACK DOGS AND THE MEN LIKE RAYMOND NOSAKA WHOSE DUTY IT WAS TO SERVE AS HUMAN BAIT.

AS DEGRADING AND DISTASTEFUL AS THAT MAY SOUND, THESE MEN REALLY DISTINGUISHED THEMSELVES IN THIS MISERABLE CIRCUMSTANCE.

THEY STILL SERVED THEIR COUNTRY EVEN THOUGH THEY WEREN'T EXACTLY TREATED VERY WELL BACK HOME.

BUT YOU WANTED TO KNOW SPECIFICALLY ABOUT MR. PRESTRE, AND OUR DECLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS HAVE A LOT TO SAY ABOUT THAT AS WELL.

THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE FAILED DOG TRAINING PROGRAM HAD TURNED INTO SECRET SCRUTINY OF ITS UNSTABLE PROMOTER.

PRIOR TO HIS DEPARTURE, MR. PRESTRE MADE SEVERAL THREATS, THE GIST OF WHICH WERE THAT UNLESS THE PROJECT IS CONTINUED, HE WOULD MAKE PLENTY OF TROUBLE "FOR ANY AND ALL THAT OPPOSED HIM, UP TO AND INCLUDING THE PRESIDENT."

LISTEN TO THIS: "IT IS BELIEVED ADVISABLE "TO ACQUAINT THE FBI WITH HIS ACTIONS AND ATTITUDE "AND REQUEST THAT HE BE PLACED UNDER SURVEILLANCE IF DEEMED NECESSARY."

I CAN FIND NO MENTION OF MR. PRESTRE AFTER THIS.

WOW, I'M REALLY GLAD THAT I WAS ABLE TO STUMBLE UPON SOMETHING THAT BRINGS THIS LITTLE-KNOWN PIECE OF WWII HISTORY TO LIFE.

AND FOR THAT I THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

NICE WORK.

ALTHOUGH THE CAT ISLAND EXPERIMENT WAS A FAILURE, THE ARMY'S OVERALL WAR DOG PROGRAM WAS A SUCCESS.

BY THE END OF THE WAR, THE ARMY HAD TRAINED CLOSE TO 10,500 DOGS AND CREATED 15 WAR DOG PLATOONS.

ALMOST 1,900 DOGS SERVED OVERSEAS, MOSTLY AS SENTRIES, SCOUTS, MESSENGERS, AND DRAFT DOGS.

THEIR SUCCESS PROVED HOW VALUABLE MAN'S BEST FRIEND COULD BE TO SOLDIERS AND SOLIDIFIED THE ROLE OF THE WORKING DOG IN THE MILITARY.

U.S.

TROOPS APPRECIATED THE SERVICE AND BRAVERY OF DOGS DURING THE VIETNAM WAR, MOSTLY GERMAN SHEPHERDS.

MORE THAN 4,000 OF THESE WAR DOGS SERVED AS SCOUTS, SENTRIES, TRACKERS, AND MINE DETECTORS.

CANINES SERVED ON OVER 88,000 ARMY MISSIONS.

THEY'RE CREDITED WITH SAVING 10,000 LIVES.

THE WAR DOGS WERE SO EFFECTIVE THAT THE VIET CONG OFFERED $20,000 BOUNTIES FOR THEIR CAPTURE.

NEMO WAS ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS.

WHILE PATROLLING A VIETNAMESE GRAVEYARD IN 1966, NEMO AND HIS HANDLER, AIRMAN SECOND CLASS BOB THORNEBURG, WERE ATTACKED.

DESPITE A GUNSHOT WOUND TO THE HEAD, NEMO THREW HIMSELF AT THREE GUERRILLAS, GIVING THORNEBURG TIME TO RADIO FOR HELP.

WHILE WAITING, NEMO SPREAD HIMSELF OVER THORNEBURG'S INJURED BODY.

RETIRED WITH HONORS BUT BLIND IN ONE EYE, NEMO WAS THE FIRST VIETNAM WAR DOG TO RETURN HOME FROM ACTIVE DUTY.

HE WAS ONE OF THE LUCKY ONES.

WHEN THE U.S. MILITARY LEFT VIETNAM, THEY DESIGNATED MOST OF THESE DOGS AS "EXCESS EQUIPMENT."

MANY WERE EITHER ABANDONED, EUTHANIZED, OR GIVEN TO THE SOUTH VIETNAMESE ARMY.

THE VIETNAM DOG HANDLERS ASSOCIATION IS LOBBYING CONGRESS FOR A NATIONAL MEMORIAL IN WASHINGTON HONORING THESE CANINE HEROES.

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