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THE KATHY HUNTER EPISODE
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Official Statement of Minister of Home Affairs of Guyana, Honorable Minister Vibert Mingo:
“We investigated and found her (Kathy Hunter’s) statements to be totally untrue and that she lied to gain entry into the country, which is a violation of our law.”
This is an official statement. Call the Ministry of Home Affairs, Georgetown, Guyana, to reach Hon. Minister Vibert Mingo to confirm this statement.
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[Letterhead of Press Demographic Publishing Company, Santa Rosa, California]
June 15, 1978
Mr. Charles R. Garry
Garry Dreyfus McTernan Brotsky Herndon & Pesonen Inc.
1256 Market Street
San Francisco, California 94102
Dear Mr. Garry:
This is in reply to your letter of June 9th in which you request a retraction having to do with the story carried in the June 8, 1978, issue of the Press Democrat about the People’s Temple. We also acknowledge the open letter to the media and the community which accompanied that letter.
With respect to your second paragraph, we wish to make it clear that Kathy Hunter did not go to Guyana under our direct assignment and control, and your statement that we sent her “to do a particular type of hatchet job” is entirely out of order. Kathy Hunter was a freelance writer on her own. There are numerous writers on a freelance basis with whom we have contact from time to time. Our commitment to her was merely that if she came back with a story we could use, we would buy it from her. At no time was she acting under assignment or orders from us. She was acting completely and totally as an independent entrepreneur, from whom we purchased a product.
Since it is the policy of this paper to provide space for readers to express views or ideas which are contrary to those carried in the paper, we will be running the open letter to the media.
Yours truly,
/s/ John H. C. Riley
John H. C. Riley
General Manager
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[Editor’s note: Another version of this open letter appears here.]
Peoples Temple
PO Box 15023
San Francisco, CA. 94115
OPEN LETTER TO THE MEDIA AND THE COMMUNITY
On Sunday, May 28, 1978, the Peoples Temple held a press conference to let the public hear firsthand about Jonestown, Guyana from a widely respected United Methodist minister and his wife who had just returned from visiting their two daughters and grandson at the Peoples Temple Agricultural Project.
Although most of the major media were present at the press conference, only one reported any of the views of Rev. and Mrs. Moore. The Moores’ comments resoundingly refuted the allegations against the Temple based on claims of the so-called “Concerned Relatives” group. With all the attention given by the media over the past year to the “charges” leveled against Peoples Temple and Rev. Jim Jones, it is remarkable that there is such disinterest in giving direct reputation in a forum at all.
Rather than covering the Moores’ glowing reports of the Jonestown community, the media devoted their attention to a new series of “charges” – all entirely false – relating to the visit of a news reporter, Kathy Hunter, to Guyana. They showed no inclination to search out the facts of the case or even quote the official statement from the Guyanese Minister of Home Affairs, whose comment would have resolved the matter completely. The stories that did appear were so full of errors and contradictions that the public did not get “news” at all, just more fabrication and speculation.
Any objective observer can conclude that the situation involving Kathy Hunter was a publicity ploy. Examination of the coverage, starting with her claim that the Prime Minister of Guyana had personally invited her to Jonestown (which call she later admitted was probably a “hoax”), shows it was nothing but a smear to insinuate that Peoples Temple could possibly be responsible for Kathy Hunter’s misadventures.
Peoples Temple wholly denies the recent allegations made by Mrs. Hunter and the various news media. We would like to know who made the alleged invitation over the telephone to Mrs. Hunter, if indeed there was such a call. We would like to know who was responsible for the false fire alarms and the bomb threats and the alleged “bugging” of her phone; and how the stories of “protective custody” and “interrogation” were invented. It might prove the best lead yet to the source behind the continued smear campaign against the Temple, and the conspiracy which attempted to cut off our members’ Social Security checks, to interfere with our amateur radio communications between the US and Guyana, the blackmail, payoffs, bribery, electronic surveillance, and attempts to stir up numerous agency investigations based on false charges.
This new “staged event” is reminiscent of the whole campaign against the Temple which was initiated last year by the alleged “break-in” of the New West magazine office. When Rev. Jones demanded a full-scale police investigation, the police found no evidence that any “break-in” had occurred at all.
The following points will recount what exactly happened in Guyana, and enumerate all the contradictions and fabrications that were put out to the public as “news”:
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The entire premise of Mrs. Hunter’s visit to Guyana was false: Kathy Hunter misrepresented herself to gain entry into the country. The Honorable Vibert Mingo, Minister of Home Affairs for the government of Guyana, stated: “We have investigated and found her (Kathy Hunter’s) statements to be totally untrue and that she lied to gain entry into our country which is a violation of our law.” This statement was released to all the major media. None reported it.
Mrs. Hunter told the Guyanese government that she was a personal friend of the Prime Minister, and that he had invited her to come. Although Mrs. Hunter had been considered a friend by Rev. Jones and the Peoples Temple, she did not inform them of her intended visit until after she had arrived. And though Mrs. Hunter’s stated reason for coming to Guyana was to write a story on Jonestown, she refused every invitation to visit the Jonestown project once she was in the country.
Contradictions given out in the press:
1. She went to do a story on Jonestown:
“Her sole purpose was to write an objective story after visiting Jonestown…” (Ukiah Daily Journal, 5/28/78).
She went to do a story on Georgetown:
“She was in that South American country to do a story on the camp in Georgetown…” (KPIX-TV, 5/26/78)
2. She went “simply to talk” to the people there:
“According to Mrs. Hunter’s husband, George Hunter, Executive Editor of the Ukiah Daily Journal, his wife had gone to Guyana ‘simply to talk’ to a few relatives of local (Ukiah area) residents serving on the church’s ‘agricultural outpost’ there”. (Press Democrat, 5/28/78).
She went to “investigate”:
“… a reporter who is in Guyana investigating the controversial Peoples Temple church…” (KCBS radio news, 5/26/78).
3. She was invited by the Guyanese government:
“Raymond (managing editor of the UDJ) said Mrs. Hunter was invited to Guyana by the government there to view Peoples Temple operations in its country.” (UDJ, 5/26/78).
She wasn’t invited by the Guyanese government:
“She (Mrs. Hunter)… learned that she had been hoaxed into believing that Guyana’s premier, Forbes Burnham, had invited her to the South American country.” (San Francisco Examiner, 5/3/78)
4. She had the right to be there:
“The reporter had every right to go to Jonestown.” (UDJ Editorial, 5/28/78).
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She didn’t have the right to be there:
“… she (Mrs. Hunter) says she was ordered to leave the country because she was told she had lied to the immigration officials.” (Ex. 5/30/78).
5. The Guyanese government asked Mrs. Hunter to report on Jonestown. She was also on assignment for the Ukiah Daily Journal:
“… Mrs. Hunter was invited by the Guyana government to report on the activities of Peoples Temple in the South American country… Mrs. Hunter, who frequently works on assignment from the newspaper (Ukiah Daily Journal) sought to investigate Temple… and to follow up local angles as a result of temple activities at its church in nearby Redwood Valley.” (Los Angeles Times, 5/27/78, as per managing editor of the Ukiah Daily Journal).
Mrs. Hunter was not on assignment for the Ukiah Daily Journal. She is not even employed by them:
“Mrs. Hunter, who formerly worked for the Daily Journal, but is not employed by the paper on this time and was not on assignment…” (UDJ, 5/29/78).
6. The Peoples Temple interrogated and threatened Mrs. Hunter,to keep her away from Jonestown so she wouldn’t be able to write a bad article:
“Mrs. Hunter has … spent the last seven days in Georgetown’s Pegasus Hotel following intensive ‘interrogation’ by members of Rev. Jim Jones’ church… There was apparently a threat, direct or implied, over whether her story would come out pro-Jones or anti-church…” (UDJ, 5/28/78).
Mrs. Hunter claims she ran into no problems at all until Temple members invited her to Jonestown and she refused:
“Recounting her troubles, Mrs. Hunter said everything was ‘sweetness and light’ until she turned down an invitation by the church to be its guest at Jonestown…” (Press Democrat, 5/28/78).
7. Mrs. Hunter was placed in “protective custody”to keep the Peoples Temple away from her:
“The Guyanese National Police… quickly posted a guard outside her hotel door… a police escort to the airport… which would indicate the authorities believed Jones’ followers were not above additional harassment…” (UDJ, 5/28/78).
Temple members visited her after she was confined to her room in “protective custody”:
“… she (Mrs. Hunter) was approached … by temple members who offered to allow her to visit the mission, but she had remained in protective custody”. (Ex. 5/26/78).
Falsifications given out in the press:
1. “PROTECTIVE CUSTODY”:Kathy Hunter was never held in protective custody. The Guyanese government found that Mrs. Hunter had entered the country on false pretenses and falsified her papers on entry. They checked out her story, found she had entered the country in violation of Guyanese law, and also international law which is supposed to be respected in all countries. Finally they asked her to leave. She was never in “protective custody”. Temple members had very cordially invited her visit the Project.
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The following media carried the false report about “protective custody”:
Ukiah Daily Journal; Press Democrat; SF Examiner; LA Times; KGO radio news; KCBS radio news; KTVU-TV; KPIX-TV; KGO-TV; KDIA; KKHI; KUKI Ukiah; and doubtless other sources of which the Peoples Temple is not aware, as UPI carried this false report.
The many “shocking details” – all entirely false – include:
She was “seized”. (UDJ, 5/26/78);
“She was placed under armed guard” (Ex. 5/26/78);
“Police state tactics” were used against Mrs. Hunter (KGO-TV, 5/28/78);
She was “locked in her hotel for a week” (Prescott Democrat, 5/28/78);
“A guard was posted outside her hotel door” (UDJ, 5/28/78);
She was guaranteed “an armed guard to the airport” (UDJ, 5/28478).
Not only is every one of these reports fictional, but what is she claiming to need protection from? We don’t carry knives or guns, or anything lethal at all. We voluntarily offered to people concerned to undergo a search, because we are non-violent and carry no kind of weapon.
2. “INTERROGATION”:Mrs. Hunter was never interrogated.It is an unmitigated lie that the Temple made anything but the friendliest of overtures to her. Mrs. Hunter was invited to the Project twice, and refused to go. She was invited to a Temple cultural presentation in Georgetown, accepted the tickets, and never came. When she complained the hotel rates were too high, Temple members volunteered to assist her in moving.
3. “HARASSMENT”:The Peoples Temple did not harass Mrs. Hunter in any way. Several media reports insinuated that the Peoples Temple was responsible for the “hoax call” bringing Mrs. Hunter to Guyana, the “mysterious fires in the storerooms and hallways of her hotel”, the “five false fire alarms”, and the “bomb threats”. Mrs. Hunter directly accused the Temple (Ex. 5/30/78) of keeping her under constant surveillance and bugging her telephone.
What is remarkable about all these claimed “harassments” however, is that they are anonymous in character. It would appear that someone was very intent on giving Mrs. Hunter a hard time, and having it falsely blamed on the Peoples Temple.
4. “THREATS”:The Peoples Temple did not threaten Mrs. Hunter about a possible story; or threaten her at all.
The truth is the reverse: MRS. HUNTER THREATENED THE TEMPLE WITH BAD PRESS COVERAGE, ALONG WITH HER REFUSAL TO EVEN SEE THE PROJECT.Mr. Mike Prokes and other Temple members met with her for lunch at her invitation May 20th. She told them she wanted to go to the Project and meet with Rev. Jones. Temple members expressed surprise that Mrs. Hunter did not make any advance confirmation of her visit, but even though they had been given no way to make advance preparations for her, she was welcome to come to Jonestown. By her own admission in the Press Democrat, 6/8/78, she was coming to “judge for herself”, with the expectation of interviewing select individuals privately, apparently on demand. She states she went so far as to say she would “make my own arrangements through the Guyanese government to visit Jonestown” after acknowledging that the day before, she discovered she was not in Guyana at the invitation of the Guyanese government at all. Although she was the unexpected visitor from 5000 miles away, no accommodation or hospitality the community of over 1000 residents in Jonestown could offer was good enough or quick enough for this woman, and she made a “not even veiled threat” to Mr. Prokes and other Temple members: that if she did not get what she wanted, it would go very badly for the Peoples Temple. She refused to visit the Project at all, and left the table.
Later the same day, Mrs. Hunter apologized for threatening the Temple with her statement. She was invited to Jonestown again several days later, but was hostile and refused to even discuss the matter.
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MOREOVER, IT IS HARDLY LIKELY THAT MRS. HUNTER CAME TO GUYANA AS AN INDEPENDENT, FREE-LANCE JOURNALIST TRAVELING ON HER OWN, AS THE MEDIA HAS PORTRAYED. SHE HERSELF TOLD TEMPLE MEMBERS “SEVERAL TIMES” THAT SHE HAD COME TO GUYANA TO WRITE FOR THE PRESS DEMOCRAT AND SEVERAL OTHER NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES.
NO NEWS SERVICE WAS IN GUYANA COVERING THE “STORY”, YET HER TRIP TO GUYANA PROVOKED AN INSTANT MEDIA BLITZ OF FALSE PUBLICITY AND SMEARS.
Mr. Prokes summed up the feelings of the Peoples Temple in the following statement:
“We now believe even more segments of the media are involved with this monstrous conspiracy. This was another attempt to make us the prey for sensational news to destroy us because we are a non-violent socialist church with belief in brotherhood and equality.
“We have a story that is really sensational in terms of building goodwill between nations and a model community to live in. We will not be bullied or threatened into giving a story to anyone. We will choose those to give the opportunity to see a glimpse into what everyone who has visited has either called a model community or a paradise. If the media wants a story from us, they will have to be objective and separate themselves from this smear campaign which is entirely based on politics.”
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[Letterhead of Charles Garry Law Firm]
July 19, 1978
Honorable Minister of Home Affairs
C. Vibert Mingo
Public Buildings
Brickdam, Georgetown
Guyana
South America
Re: Gordon Lindsay – Bureau Chief
Los Angeles News Agency
8273 Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90046
Dear Minister Mingo:
As you perhaps know, I am counsel for The People’s Temple, and I understand that you are interested in information that I obtained through the statements made to me by Mr. Lindsay that he was in a plane that had a reconnaissance over Jonestown, which is the northwest region of Guyana. He told me that he was able to see all of the projects in detail by virtue of the fact that he flew over Jonestown.
Since he did not tell me that he was telling this to me in confidence, I feel free-to be able to transmit this information to you. I do not have any further information regarding this matter. However, if you feel that the matter should be further delved into, you are free to use the address that I have indicated above to make further communications.
On behalf of my clients I want to thank you for all the courtesies that have been extended to them, and if there is anything further that you wish from me,, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me.
Very truly yours,
/s/ Charles Garry
Charles R. Garry
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[Letterhead of Charles Garry Law Firm]
June 17, 1978
Editor
San Francisco Chronicle
5th and Mission Streets San Francisco CA 94119
Dear Editor:
This letter is written in the interest of fair play. The latest salvo against the Peoples Temple that your paper grabbed on to is the allegation made by Deborah Layton. Her mother, Lisa, and her brother, Larry, both denounced her and stated the reasons why. No reference was made to their charges in your paper. You have seized every opportunity to malign the Peoples Temple without the opportunity for equal space of reply.
On May 28, 1978 at a press conference when your reporter was present at the Temple, Rev. John Moore and his wife had just returned from Jonestown, Guyana, who said as follows:
“I’m John Moore. I’m Pastor of the First United Methodist Church in Reno, Nevada. We have two daughters who are members of the Temple, obviously my wife and I are not members of the Temple. One, the older girl’s a teacher, and the younger one is a nurse. The two words that come to my mind, immediately as I was there and as I tried to reflect upon my experiences were ‘impressive’ and ‘amazing.’ It almost boggles my mind to see that great clearing and to understand how so much could have been done in the relatively short period of time. I think about a thousand acres, ‘ 800 acres have been cleared, and it’s in the midst of a jungle, and that’s part-of what’s impressive, and all except a part of the land that’s not been finally cleared, has been planted with various crops.
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I had a feeling of freedom. Neither in Georgetown, where there were about 25 or 30 people living, coming and going, all the time, with total freedom, nor at the project itself, did we – did I have – I’ll let my wife speak for herself – did I have any feeling that anybody was being restrained or coerced or intimidated in any way. What did impress me was that people who were living in Georgetown, in the house there, were all eagerly waiting for the time when they could return to Jonestown, and the project itself. One of the great things, I think, is the opportunity for some of the younger people, particularly, to be learning skills when that opportunity is not present here.
They have probably 35 preschoolers, I don’t know how many they have in school; they have newborn babies, several babies have been born there. They have a daycare nursery for parents who work, and there are those who are caring for them; and then they have the older people. That’s really a part of the beauty of it, we felt.
The school is accredited by the government of Guyana, that they’ve had people from the Department of Agriculture and their agricultural stations there working with the people- at the project. And certainly their supporting of the health center, there’s no question in my mind but that the health center is the best facility in that whole region in Guyana. There is a government, I think, nurse practitioner, in Port Kaituma a few miles away, but that simply does not have either the personnel, skills nor the equipment that they have. The health services are provided for the Amerindians or people who live in the community as well as. the members of the project itself.”
Mrs. Barbara Moore said the following:
“My impressions are, having just experienced our visit there, that this is a beautiful, heroic, creative project! It is absolutely miraculous. There are excellent medical services, excellent educational services, and … it’s a community of caring and sharing with an added dimension, and this dimension I would say, is love. If you want to use that term; in a sense it reminds me of … a New Testament community, in the purest sense of the word, in the love and concern for all, that we observed. And with
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complete freedom for creativity; those who want to farm, are farming; those who wish to teach, teach; those who like to cook, cook; they have an excellent nutritionist who is working scientifically all the time to discover new uses for the indigenous plants and growths there, and is in contact with the Guyanese experts to discover new and useful uses for these various crops, there. That was very • impressive to me. It was most impressive to see the elderly people, the older folks, who had their neat little yards, their little white picket-type fences, and their opportunity to take classes if they wished to, or to garden, or to just sit. They also have a lovely library of over eight thousand volumes, from poetry to “how-to-do it” … and this was most impressive, that one could sit and read.
It’s a complete city and one thing they do encourage is the nuclear family. You can choose to have your own home, or if you’re a single person, you may live in a dormitory, whichever you prefer. They have a lovely nursery for infants; they have a nursery for toddlers, and of course a fine educational set up.”
It is to be noted that not one word of the foregoing was reported. Rev. and Mrs. Moore spent in excess of two weeks at the jungle mission visiting their two grown daughters. Isn’t it about time that the voices of the 1400 persons who are in Guyana pioneering a new way of life receive equal coverage?
Very truly yours,
/s/ Charles R. Garry
Charles R. Garry
Attorney for the Peoples Temple
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[Letterhead of the San Francisco Chronicle]
July 6, 1978
Charles R.. Garry
Garry, Dreyfus, et al
1256 Market Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
Dear Mr. Garry:
This is in reply to your letter of June 17.
In Marshall Kilduff’s article of June 15, Deborah Layton’s allegations were answered with brief quotations from both Lisa and Larry Layton. Mr. Kilduff was unable to obtain any rebuttals immediately and another reporter placed the quotations in the fourth and fifth paragraphs of the article later in the evening.
As you know, the replies by Deborah Layton’s family were made to us over the telephone here. We were properly reluctant to use many of the quotations because of their potentially libelous nature, and so informed officials of the Peoples Temple.
As this newspaper’s relatively new city editor, I have absolutely no bias against the Peoples Temple and its members. I believe the organization is a “good story” because it seems to be another among the many new religious and social movements that have emerged in recent years as a result of the tempestuous and unsettling times in which we live. I am as interested in “fair play” as you are.
Please accept my apology for the lateness of this reply. I’m still swamped with unfamiliar duties. By the time you receive this letter you will probably have seen your own letter published on our editorial page. It is scheduled to run any day now.
Yours sincerely,
/s/ David Perlman
David Perlman
City Editor
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June 14, 1978
Transcript from telephone patch between:
Larry Layton and Lisa Layton in Jonestown, Guyana and Kevin Wallace of the San Francisco Chronicle
Operator: What are your questions, Mr. Wallace?
K. W.: I do not have any questions, just their response to what I read earlier. I don’t have any questions at all.
Operator: All rights I’ll ask that. There are no questions, it is simply what response do you have to what you were told earlier?
L.L.: My name is Lisa Layton, and I am her (Deborah Layton’s) mother. I am not the least bit surprised what she has said.
Operator: Please repeat.
L.L.: I am not surprised about what she is saying. She had been stealing thousands of dollars from me and others… I believe she had been on drugs, as she used to be before she was over here. I imagine she is probably still on drugs. She also took thousands of dollars from us, and me particularly.
Larry Layton: I am her brother, Larry Layton. I am an x-ray technician here. I live here with my wife. Seniors are treated beautifully here, do you copy? … I am 32 years old. I believe she is saying these things because we are socialists. And she is a thief.
Lisa.: I am Lisa Layton and my son is very upset about the whole thing. I am the mother of Debbie. Since I am a senior, I think you can understand that I can talk firsthand about the fact that seniors are treated beautifully here in Jonestown. We are socialists, and socialists treat their seniors very beautifully, always.
Larry L.: I would appreciate being able to say just a couple of words to refute these mountains of lies printed by my little sister, so-called. She is a thief! And that is the reason she is attacking us, because she stole money from her mother. That is why she is telling these ridiculous lies. And the reason they are being printed is because we are socialists; that’s what I think.
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[Letterhead of Law Offices of Garret McEnerney
June 13, 1978
Charles R. Garry, Esq.
Garry, Dreyfus, McTernan, Brotsky, Herndon & Pesonen, Inc.
1256 Market Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
Re: Peoples Temple Demand for Correction
Dear Mr. Garry:
Pursuant to our phone conversation on Tuesday, June 6, 1978, you indicated that the portion of your demand letter concerning the alleged failure to include the Guyana government’s view on Mrs. Hunter’s entry into Guyana was satisfied by an Examiner follow-up story, dated May 27, 1978.
With respect to the headline itself, enclosed is a copy of the Examiner correction, dated June 12, 1978. Said correction ran in all editions of that date.
I trust the above-noted items meet with your approval and assume the matter is concluded.
Very truly yours
/s/ John A. Knutson
John A. Knutson
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Mon., June 12, 1978 • S.F. EXAMINER – Page 3
Correction
On May 28, The Examiner published a story entitled “Report of Peoples Temple terror.” The word terror, was inappropriate and created a misleading characterization of the activities of the Peoples Temple in Guyana. The Examiner regrets the headline.
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[Letterhead of law offices of Cooley, Godward, Castro, Huddleson & Tatum]
July 27, 1978
Charles R. Garry, Esq.
Garry, Dreyfus, McTernan, Brotsky, Herndon & Pesonen, Inc.
1256 Market Street
San Francisco, California 94102
Re: “Jones Church linked to ’Terror’ Reign”
Dear Mr. Garry:
This letter will serve to confirm my oral advice to your office of June 25 that this office represents THE SANTA ROSA PRESS DEMOCRAT with respect to your demand for retraction and apology, and any other matters which were the subject of your letter directed to the client under date of July 3, 1978.
This will also confirm our conversation of June 24 and your agreement to extend the time within which THE SANTA ROSA PRESS DEMOCRAT must reply to your demand for retraction as set forth in Civil Code section 48(a)(2). We understand that, pursuant to your extension of seven days, we have to and including Wednesday, August 2, 1978, to comply with the provisions of the section cited above.
Thank you for your consideration.
Very truly yours,
/s/ Joseph P. Russoniello
Joseph P. Russoniello
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Newspaper articles
“Journal executive editor’s wife in protective custody in Guyana; Kathy Hunter seized while on Temple assignment,” Ukiah Daily Journal, May 26, 1978
“Kathy preparing to return home; Armed guards will accompany her to airport,” Ukiah Daily Journal, May 28, 1978
“Editorial: Why should Rev. Jones fear reporter visiting Jonestown?”, Ukiah Daily Journal, May 28, 1978
“Writer’s Guyana trip: Temple talks back,” San Francisco Examiner, May 27, 1978
“Ukiah Investigative Reporter Placed Under Protective Custody,” Los Angeles Times, May 27, 1978
“Newswoman leaving Guyana,” Santa Rosa Press Democrat, May 29, 1978
“Writer’s ‘nightmare’ journey to Peoples Temple mission,” San Francisco Examiner, May 30, 1978
“Temple offers $5000 reward; Attack on Reporter,” Santa Rosa Press Democrat, August 1, 1978
“Jones church link to ‘terror’ reign,” Santa Rosa Press Democrat, June 27, 1978
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REWARD
Peoples Temple of the Disciples of Christ offers as a reward $5000.00 to anyone who provides information leading to the arrest and conviction of any person or persons who are responsible for the threatening telephone calls allegedly received by Mrs. Kathy Hunter and for the alleged break-in of her home and assaulted she claimed took place Sunday, June 25, 1978.
Peoples Temple wholly and categorically denies any knowledge of these alleged events. No member of Peoples Temple is in any way connected with any one of them. We are incensed at the malicious allegations which continue to be made. We have called upon Ukiah Police Chief Saulsbury to conduct a full investigation of these events – if they did in fact occur at all – and offer this reward to assist in the investigation.
If you have any information, please contact Charles R. Garry, attorney-at-law. Confidential information respected. (415) 864-3131
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Peoples Temple challenges media
San Francisco Chronicle, Examiner, Press Democrat are challenged to print retractions in regards to flagrant abuse of ethical journalism
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[Letterhead of Charles Garry Law Firm]
June 9, 1978
Santa Rosa Press Democrat
427 Mendocino Avenue
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
Re: Retraction – “Reporter’s trek to Jonestown turns into nightmare”
Management:
On behalf of my clients, the People’s Temple, demand is hereby made for you to retract the innuendos and the assertions therein made that the People’s Temple either directly or indirectly had anything to do with the allegations contained in your Thursday, June 8, 1978 full-page dissertation page 13-C.
It is our understanding that Kathy Hunter went to Guyana under your direct assignment and control to do a particular type of “hatchet job.”
My clients herewith demand that you publish fully the enclosed open letter to the media and the community without any changes in the entire format.
Very truly yours,
/s/ Charles R. Garry
Charles R. Garry
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ADDITIONAL ITEMS – Pieces in the Puzzle
Jim Clancy, KTVU interviewer, was very ‘hot’ in the early media blitz against Peoples Temple. He called at all hours. He interviewed people with their backs to the camera, even though everyone in the Temple knew the ‘faceless accusers’ very well. He cornered a group of senior citizens near City Hall in San Francisco after an I-Hotel demonstration, and arrogantly mentioned to people in the crowd that Peoples Temple was “ripping off black people.” When the senior citizens left the area after the demonstration to walk towards their bus, Clancy and the cameraman from KIVU ran after them at breakneck speed. The cameraman began taunting the senior citizens, screaming at them to ‘go ahead, call me an Uncle Tom’ (he was black). Meanwhile Clancy egged him on. It was one “Of the grossest exhibitions by a news-reporter imaginable. Clancy openly snickered and made sarcastic comments.
Larry Hatfield, Examiner reporter who did an early article on Peoples Temple (re: New West break-in), is a friend of Tim Stoen. He has now been revealed to be an ‘expert’ in Latin-American affairs and is moving to Lansing, Michigan.
Concerning Lansing, Michigan – a man named Sheehan, working on the Karen Silkwood case, has reliably informed us that Jim Jones’ name is on a master computer headquartered in Lansing. He wouldn’t talk further, but pointed our investigators there for a lead.
Lester Kinsolving – The man who did the scurrilous series of smears and lies in 1972 (shortly after we helped Angela Davis’ Defense Fund with a large, public donation), has used his religion and ‘Washington’ column to regularly scandalize black and other militant leaders both in the church and elsewhere. The list of his targets is very long. He has also excoriated policies of black African nations and people who have been supportive of black liberation groups, especially in the church. He was finally exposed for taking money from corporations with large investments in South Africa to actively propagandize against black liberationist-.groups and leaders, as well as any anti-apartheid efforts. As a result of this revelation, he was expelled from an important Press organization in Washington about two years ago. Kinsolving’s vendetta against Jim Jones was carried by him onto TV and radio talk shows. He was preparing to launch another smear attack in 1975 when Peoples Temple members sued him for slander. Another interesting detail: shortly after visits to Peoples Temple in 1972, Kinsolving claimed that his home was ‘burglarized.’ (cf. New West break-in).
Innuendo was clearly made that Peoples Temple was responsible. Also, definite evidence was obtained directly from a Ukiah telephone operator that Kinsolving was involved in a telephone monitoring operation of Peoples Temple phones during this period. Kinsblving also harassed senior citizens over the phone who were members of the church.
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x-4-l-1b
More items, continued
Eureka Research Associates: An aerial reconnaissance outfit. Tim Stoen has been directly linked with them through a map (reconnaissance) of the African nation of Benin (?). ERA was possibly involved in a mercenary operation there, doing the aerial surveillance. (Note: one of Stoen’s group of ‘concerned relatives’ spoke openly of hiring mercenaries to ‘retrieve’ members of Peoples Temple residing in Jonestown. Evidence of activity in this regard: CB calls – mysterious – picked up by our members near the project. Also armed interlopers shooting into project, trespassing. Some were sighted. Finally, a CBS newscast (see transcript for details) spoke of the fact that attempts to find out about goings-on at the mission ‘by stealth’ had proven unsuccessful. What exactly did the newscaster mean? What was he referring to? Who gave him such information? In addition, there is the matter of the National Enquirer flight over the project for express purpose of aerial surveillance – undisguised.)
Who is Robert Coleman? We do not know the identity of this mysterious military person, perhaps a high-ranking officer, who has connection with anti-Temple group, very possibly with regard to ‘stealth’ and ‘mercenary’ operations.
Jim Wood is an Examiner reporter who was interested in coming down to the mission to do a story. He is a friend of Temple attorney Charles Garry, and in all likelihood his story would have been unbiased and, hence,-favorable to the Temple. But even after getting clearance to come from his union, his trip was blocked at the top: by Randolph Hearst himself.
Wackenhut Corporation – Florida-based, rabidly anti-communist right wing group with paramilitary character, may be involved in Mazor’s work against Peoples Temple. Mazor had phone connections with them.