[Editor’s notes: This report was transcribed by Heather Shannon. The editors are grateful for her invaluable assistance.
[This report appears in two locations in the FBI’s FOIA release: at RYMUR 89-4286-B-4-c (67) – c (68); and at RYMUR 89-4286-C-7-g-1a – g-1b.
[This document retains its original spellings throughout, with corrections made only when the meaning may otherwise be unclear. In addition, where known, we have added first or last names in brackets to those identified by a single name. It should be noted that a number of names have not been annotated. The name is either unknown, there may be more than one person with that name or – most often the case – the name is in code.]
B-4 c (67)
[Handwriting: “To Carolyn Layton 2nd copy”]
LAW OFFICE REPORT #34
from June [Crym]
page 1
June [Handwriting: “21”], 1978
1. Papers on the Marcelline [Temple boat] – attached in the manila envelope are the original bill of sale on the Cudjoe-Marcelline, which I was asked to send over with the next people out: These turned up from 3 sources: the law office Guyana file, Tish’s [Leroy] papers in the 8 file cabinets spread out all over, and Harold’s papers he left behind. I hope they are complete.
2. Marshall Farris divorce – Clarence Wilridge, SF attorney, called Mrs. Farris’s attorney and arranged for her default judgment to be set aside so that Marshall could filehis response. (THIS IS FOR [EUGENE] CHAIKIN/HARRIET [TROPP] or WHOEVER IS WORKING ON THIS CASE – MAYBE JAN G [Jann Gurvich]). The wife’s attorney realizes the slowness of the mails and that it will be several weeks before a response is received back signed from Marshall. Attached to this report are forms for Marshall to file out. Please have him fill out one set in pencil, being as specific as possible, and have him sign a blank set in ink. His answers on the pencilled sheets will be typed onto the blank set after we receive it here, then forwarded onto attorney Wilridge.
Wilridge notes it was a 37 year marriage and anticipates the Court will likely award Mrs. Farris some support to be paid by Farris. As he understands it, there is just the home and Marshall’s pension. He figured the preferable route would be to sell the home and split the proceeds. However, of cour se he wants to know exactly how Marshall feels about the situation and what he wants to demand on the response. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU HAVE THESE PAPERS FILLED OUT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND ROUTED BACK TO GEORGETOWN FOR MAILING. I would attache a separate note explaining that there is no notary within 300 miles, have him sign it, and have 2 witnesses sign the note also, so that Mr. Wilridge can produce this to the Court should Farris’s signature not be acceptable, being out of the State of California.
3. Cynthia Pursley – there’s been some question about covering Cynthia legally when she goes over and her mom returns after a visit. I asked Jim Herndon at [Temple attorney Charles] Garry’s office about it because he does a lot of custody stuff; the parents are divorced and there’s a question of consent for a mentally incompetent adult. Herndon recommends doing a conservatorship because of the possibility of parents changing their minds once Mrs. Pursley returns, and the father not having been friendly to us at all. But first he suggests we examine the divorce papers to see what are the rights of the father as to Cynthia. Conservatorship would require notice to California relatives up tothe third degree. We might be stirring up more waves than necessary.
[Handwriting: “If the divorce papers are OK, I should think having 2 adult sisters there would be enough. JC [June Crym]”]
4. Vincent Lopez case; Jim Herndon went into court today (June 19) and got the hearing continued until September 27. He will need an affidavit from Chaikin re what he has done to try to withdraw himself fromthe case, how long he has been out of the country, that there were no assets of the minor that came into his hands and insofar as he knows the minor has no assets, that he lost contact with the guardian on (date) and that he did make an effort to withdraw as counsel. Herndon will write a letter requesting this formally from Chaikin and he will give it time to be hand delivered on the next shipment out. The good part about this is that the thing has been delayed; the bad part is that [we] will receive a bill for Herndon’s court appearance, but I don’t see that we had any choice under the circumstances. HERNDON’S LETTER [illegible word] SUPPORT TO THE REPORT – DEPENDS IF I GET IT IN TIME.
B-4 c (68)
LAW OFFICE REPORT #34
from June
page 2
June [Handwriting: “21”], 1978
5. Air Compressor at the Office Complex: See law office report #29, item 7 for background. I think everyone over there is pretty well acquainted with this problem by now; well this weekend was the time when our monthly lease of the garage ran out, on the 19th and we would remove the balance of our materials left in the garage and be done with it. The balance included the air compressor; we had cleared it overseas and both Charles Garry and Marshall Bentzman agreed, upon examining the inventory and the lease, that we were in our rights to keep the air compressor. Saturday Irvin [Perkins] and James removed the air compressor and put it back on the church parsonage lot on East Rd. Sunday when they went to get the rest of the stuff out of the garage, they found that the owner, Snyder, had locked the gate to the driveway and had filed a criminal complaint witht he Sheriff’s Office against us, saying we had stolen his air compressor. Bonnie [Beck] called here; we (Jean B [Brown] and I) called Charles Garry, telling Bonnie to hold on til we could get back to her; Garry advised we break the lock and go in and get what was ours to take and not turn over the air compressor. The Deputy Sheriff told them he would have to take the air compressor and holditin neutral territory, though he said it sounded like we had a good case of ownership. By the time we got back on the phone to Bonnie. which was about 10 minutes, she told us that the air compressor had already been turned over to the Deputy Sheriff and taken to the County Garage. Later it turned out that they ran a make on Irvin and found he had outstanding traffic warrant on his record (this was an error as he had receipt of fine paid and traffic school attended) and told him they could have taken him in. So he played it low key and turned over the air compressor to them.
Doxie [Swaney] told me that the day they removed the air compressor. Snyder was there and watched themdo it. But he told the Deputy Sheriff that we had snuck in at night and removed the compressor without his knowledge.
6/20/78: Today Tim C [likely Clancey, could be Carter], Jean and I went to see Bentzman and had him call Ukiah Sheriff’s office to track down present status of compressor. The trail led to the D.A.’s office and Bentzman ended up talking with one of the assistant D.A.’s, a close friend of TOS [Tim Stoen] and a rightwinger. The guy said he had not made a determination yet whether they were going to file e criminal complaint, none had been filed as yet, but that he figured if it wasnt he would return the compressor to Snyder Bentzman pointd out that he was making an arbitrary decision when he had no authority, and if anything, the compressor should be returned to the person to whom the Deputy Sheriff had given a receipt when he had confiscate it, which was Irvin. The D.A. said he didnt want to do that, that when it came down to it, it looked like Peoples Temple was leaving and going to Guyana and he’d rather give the compressor to Snyder. Bentzman laid a heavy on him and said he’d keep in touch; tomorow we will meet with Charles and Bentzman together to see what further can be done. In the Ukiah Daily Journal today there was an item about Snyder’s air compressor having been stolen, no mention by whom or any of the extenuating circumstances.
8/21/78: We will be meeting today with Charles & Bentzman about this, but will not get back in time to add this report so this is all I can write about this case right now.