Summary prepared by Fielding M. McGehee III. If you use this material, please credit The Jonestown Institute. Thank you.
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FBI Catalogue Jones Speaking
FBI preliminary tape identification note: One Tracs 60/ in envelope marked “Jim: Political Analysis”
Date cues on tape: November 18, 1977 (specified on Q 604)
People named:
Forbes Burnham, Guyana Prime Minister (Q 604)
Eric Gairy, Grenada Prime Minister (Q 604)
Fidel Castro, leader of Cuba (Q 604)
Isidore Kozminsky, numerologist and astrologer (Q 603)
Albert Schweitzer, doctor and humanitarian (Q 604)
Margaret (likely code, for Sandy Bradshaw) (Q 604)
Lynetta Jones [by reference] (Q 603, Q 604)
Marceline Jones [by reference] (Q 604)
Tish Leroy (speaks) (Q 603, Q 604)
John Victor Stoen (Q 603, Q 604)
Bible verses cited: None
Summary:
(Editor’s note: This tape was reviewed by Tim Carter for its specialized language, and we are grateful to him for his invaluable assistance.)
Tapes Q 603 and Q 604 consist of a reading of the astrological chart of Jim Jones by Temple member Tish Leroy on November 18, 1977. The reading focuses mostly on Jones himself, but there is a short section at the end of the second tape comparing Jones’ chart with those of the leaders of several countries, as well as the countries themselves, including Guyana, Grenada (where the Temple leadership once contemplated emigrating to before it settled on Guyana), Cuba, China and the Soviet Union.
Tish Leroy lauds the strengths she sees in Jones and suggests how his attributes will benefit those around him, as well as the nation of Guyana where they find themselves. Her loyalty to him leads her to pull back on a couple of her findings, however, even as her tone of voice acknowledges that. “It would be better if you could work less than 24 hours a day,” she suggests at one point. “I don’t know that I have any business saying that, but that would be my advice to the ordinary person with that position.”
She confesses a few other times of being out of her depths, and at one point, she couches her conclusion that “you will probably be one of those who will will yourself to go out when you want to go out” – i.e. commit suicide – with the observation that “I don’t know how else to explain the tension pattern.” While there are places in the tape that she pauses to choose her words carefully, this is the point where she is the most uncomfortable.
FBI Summary:
Date of transcription: 3/6/79
In connection with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s investigation into the assassination of U.S. Congressman LEO J. RYAN at Port Kaituma, Guyana, South America, on November 18, 1978, a tape recording was obtained. This tape recording was located in Jonestown, Guyana, South America, and was turned over to U.S. Officials in Guyana and subsequently transported to the United States.
On March 2, 1979, Special Agent (name deleted) reviewed the tape numbered 1B47 #45. This tape was found to contain the following:
An introduction and second reading (not complete on this tape) of the astrological chart of JONES.
This tape was reviewed, and nothing was contained thereon which was considered to be of evidentiary nature or beneficial to the investigation of Congressman RYAN.
Differences with FBI Summary:
The summary is accurate and meets the FBI’s purposes. The only exception of note is that, even though the tape focuses completely upon the astrological chart of Jim Jones, he is not the one who speaks.