[Editor’s note: Two of the subjects of this serial whose names are inconsistently deleted are Cyril Maitland – the subject of the interview – and Gordon Lindsay. Both worked on a story about Peoples Temple for the National Enquirer in June 1978. There is also a deletion on the name of Tim Stoen. The deleted information from the memorandum – designated by brackets – which is known to the editor has been indicated by red type.]
0 090200Z DEC 78
FM LOS ANGELES (89-436) (3) (P)
TO DIRECTOR FBI (89-4286) (IMMEDIATE)
MIAMI (89-179) (IMMEDIATE)
SAN FRANCISCO (89-250) (IMMEDIATE) (SF VIA FBIHQ)
BT
UNCLAS
RYMUR.
Re Bureau teletype to San Francisco, et al, dated December 1, 1978, and Miami teletype to Bureau, et al, dated December 6, 1978.
On December 7, 1978, [name deleted] [Cyril Maitland] was interviewed at Los Angeles and advised that in May, 1978, he received a telephone call from a [name deleted], private investigator from Los Angeles, who indicated that she had been hired by the Concerned Relatives organization to make inquiries into the Peoples Temple (PT). Maitland stated that [name deleted] was contacting them since she felt this matter was newsworthy. [Maitland] indicated that he referred
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[name deleted] to his associate, [name deleted] [Gordon Lindsay], and that subsequent to this conversation, [Maitland] and [Lindsay] traveled to Florida and spoke with [name deleted], National Inquirer [Enquirer] magazine, who furnished financial backing to [Maitland] and [Lindsay] in order to develop a story. According to [Maitland], on June 8, 1978, he and [Lindsay] traveled to Guyana for the purpose of interviewing Reverend Jones regarding the PT and the allegations put forth by the Concerned Relatives group. [Maitland] stated that upon their arrival at the Georgetown, Guyana airport, they were harassed by the Guyana immigration people and that after they told these officials the purpose of the trip, immigration officials thoroughly searched their luggage as well as their persons. [Maitland] stated that immigration officials seized a “legal file” from [Lindsay] which concerned the allegations and background of the PT. [Maitland] stated that they were told by immigration officials to proceed to their hotel in Georgetown for one night and that they were to report to an individual named Bread, an
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official of immigration, the next morning. [Maitland] stated that approximately 8:00 a.m. the next morning, they returned to the immigration office and spoke with Bread and after securing the reason for the trip, advised them to see the Minster of Information, name not recalled, which they did. [Maitland] stated that after speaking with the Minister of Information, they were then told to return to Mr. Bread as he was the only one through which they could extend their visa. [Maitland] stated that when they returned to Bread, he advised them that they would have to leave the country and when they inquired as to why, Bread informed them that he was not in a position to say on whose instructions they were asked to leave. [Maitland] stated that they then proceeded to the United States Embassy in Guyana and spoke with a Mr. [Richard] McCoy who informed them that he could not assist them. [Maitland] stated that on June 20, 1978, he and [Lindsay] departed Guyana and flew to Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, and after approximately one week had located a pilot who was willing to fly back them back to Guyana. [Maitland]
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indicated that on approximately June 25, 1978, they flew back to Guyana in a chartered jet and then flew over Jonestown where [Maitland] took aerial photographs. He stated that they did not land and immediately returned to Port-of-Spain, Trinidad. [Maitland] stated that on June 30, 1978, he and [Lindsay] returned to the United States and that the photographs he took of Jonestown were subsequently sent to the National Inquirer in Florida. [Maitland] indicated that they did not spend any time in jail while in Guyana and does not know how [name deleted] got that indication. [Maitland] stated that as far as he knows, [Lindsay] contacted Congressman Ryan approximately six weeks to two months prior to their travel to Guyana, October 1978, and that [Lindsay] apparently spoke with Ryan via telephone wherein Ryan requested [Lindsay] to furnish him with all material he had developed regarding the PT. He indicated that [Lindsay] again met with Ryan one week prior to Ryan’s departure from Guyana in San Francisco but [Maitland] has no personal knowledge of what [Lindsay] said to Ryan.
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[Maitland] had no personal knowledge of the inner workings of the PT and could not furnish names of potential assassins. [Maitland] could not provide any pertinent details regarding the assassination of Congressman Ryan and stated he did not travel with [Lindsay] to Guyana in October 1978.
On December 7, 1978, [Gordon Lindsay] was interviewed at Los Angeles and advised that in mid August, 1978, he contacted Congressman Ryan through Joe Holsinger, Administrative Aide to Ryan at San Mateo, California. Holsinger then telephonically contacted Ryan and allowed [Lindsay] to speak with the Congressman. [Lindsay] stated that this conversation lasted approximately 15 minutes and at the conclusion of the conversation, Ryan agreed to go Guyana to make inquiries about the PT. [Lindsay] stated that Congressman Ryan during the first conversation indicated to him that he was well aware of the PT because his (Ryan’s) best friend named Houston had a son in the PT who had defected approximately two and one half years ago and was subsequently killed in a railroad accident in San Francisco. [Lindsay] stated that
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in this first conversation with Ryan, he advised Ryan of the allegations put forth by the Concerned Relatives group. [Lindsay] indicated that he has tapes of the conversation with Ryan as well as all interviews he conducted regarding his investigation into the PT. [Lindsay] indicated that Ryan had stated he wanted three relatives of PT members, an aide, a photographer, [name deleted] and a medical doctor (MD suggested by [name deleted]) to travel with him to Guyana. [Lindsay] then stated that on the Wednesday before they left for Guyana, a meeting was held with Congressman Ryan at the San Francisco airport which was attended by [Lindsay], Joe Holsinger, Don Harris, [three names deleted], wherein they discussed the trip to Guyana and the inherent danger of travel to Jonestown. [Lindsay] advised Ryan of the possible danger wherein Ryan indicated that he had faced danger before. Ryan further stated that he would take things as they come and felt that because of his position as a congressman, that he would have no problem entering Jonestown. [Lindsay] stated
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that at this meeting it was decided that Ryan, Jim Schollaert, staff consultant for the House Committee on International Relations, which was headed by Ryan, and Jackie Spears [Speier], confidential secretary to Ryan, would travel to Guyana separate from the news orders [reporters] and the Concerned Relatives. [Lindsay] stated that all three groups departed San Francisco except for Ryan who met with the group in New York. [Lindsay] indicated that the last thing Holsinger told him was, “[Gordon], please take care of the Congressman”. According to [Lindsay], prior to their departure from the San Francisco airport for Guyana, Tim Stone [Stoen] pointed out to individuals whom Stone knew as current members of the PT who apparently were at the airport to see the group off. [Lindsay] does not remember the names of these individuals but indicated that Stone would. [Lindsay] feels that Congressman Ryan was well aware of the dangers but neither the congressman nor others involved felt that PT members would kill a United States Congressman. [Lindsay] related following information regarding his trip to Guyana in
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June, 1978. [Lindsay] indicated that upon their arrival to the Jonestown [Georgetown] airport and subsequent to his having advised immigration that the purpose of their trip was to interview Reverend Jones about the PT, that the immigration official then went to the telephone, returned to [Lindsay], and commenced to search not only their luggage but their persons. [Lindsay] indicated immigration officials had confiscated legal documents which were papers filed by Tim Stone, Jim Cobb and [Steven] Katsaris along with background notes on the PT. [Lindsay] identified this immigration official as being a Fernandes Wade. [Lindsay] then stated that they stamped both their passports with 24 hour visas and told [Lindsay and Maitland] that they could appeal the case to Robert Baird, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs in charge of Guyana security. [Lindsay] indicated that the next morning they went and visited Baird who then sent them to the Minister of Information named Hutton Archer. [Lindsay] related that Archer contacted the PT who maintained a house in Georgetown for [name deleted]
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wherein the PT indicated that it would take 48 hours for them to contact Reverend Jones. [Lindsay] stated that Archer felt that they would have no problems extending their visa and that they should return to Baird for his approval. [Lindsay] stated that when they returned to Baird, Baird told him that he had bad news and that both [Lindsay and Maitland] would have to leave the country as soon as possible but gave no reason for this order.
[Lindsay] then stated that they went to the Port of Spain, Trinidad, chartered a plane and took aerial photographs of Jonestown and immediately returned to Trinidad. [Lindsay] indicated that during July, 1978, he made contact with the following individuals regarding the PT:
Representative Phillip Burton; Congressman Don Edwards, above two being in the San Francisco Bay Area.
[Lindsay] stated that in June 1978, he talked with Richard McCoy of the United States State Department about the PT allegations wherein McCoy stated that the State
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Department could not do anything because of the Privacy Act. [Lindsay] then spoke with Frederick Henneke, Special Council [Consular] Services, Department of State, about the PT and the allegations wherein Henneke told [Lindsay] that everything was fine in Jonestown, that the State Department has not received complaints and that the State Department was not going to investigate. Henneke informed [Lindsay] that he could not do anything because of the Privacy Act. According to [Lindsay], and talking with the above two Burton and Edwards, that although they seemed interested, they did not assist since they were currently tied up on other matters. [Lindsay] indicated that subsequent to Congressman Ryan’s assassination he has not had any contact with any government officials other than Joe Holsinger. [Lindsay] indicated that Will Holsinger who is an attorney and the son of Joe Holsinger, reportedly has been threatened by the PT which [Lindsay] believes was reported to the FBI in San Francisco. [Lindsay] stated that this threat occurred one week after the assassination
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of Congressman Ryan. [Lindsay] indicated that Will Holsinger handled all the advanced legal matters for Ryan in regards to the Guyana trip and was the author of the letter sent to Reverend Jones advising Jones that Ryan planned to visit Jonestown. [Lindsay] indicated that Will Holsinger can be contacted at telephone number [deleted] (office), and [deleted] (home).
San Francisco: Will reinterview [deleted name] [Tim Stoen] regarding the identity of the two PT members observed by him at San Francisco airport.
Armed and dangerous; suicidal tendencies.
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