{"id":78033,"date":"2018-02-05T15:25:27","date_gmt":"2018-02-05T23:25:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/?page_id=78033"},"modified":"2026-02-27T14:55:33","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T22:55:33","slug":"q417-summary","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/?page_id=78033","title":{"rendered":"Q417 Summary"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary prepared by Fielding M. McGehee III. If you use this material, please credit The Jonestown Institute. Thank you.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

To return to the Tape Index, click here<\/a>.
\nTo read the Tape Transcript, click here<\/a>. Listen to MP3 (Pt. 1<\/a>,\u00a0Pt. 2<\/a>,\u00a0Pt. 3<\/a>).<\/p>\n

FBI Catalogue<\/strong> Jones Speaking<\/p>\n

FBI preliminary tape identification note:<\/strong> Labeled in part “Huey Newton”<\/p>\n

Date cues on tape:<\/strong> Article read by Jones dated July 10, 1978<\/p>\n

People named:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Public figures\/National and international names:<\/em><\/p>\n

Jimmy Carter, U.S. President [named in article]
\nRichard Nixon, former U.S. President [named in article]
\nRep. Ron Dellums (D-Calif.) [named in article]
\nDon Hopkins, aide to Rep. Dellums [named in article]
\nJerry Brown, California governor [named in article]
\nJ.L. Anthony Cline, legal affairs secretary to Gov. Brown [named in article]
\nEvelle Younger, California attorney general
\nLionel Wilson, Oakland Mayor [named in article]
\nJohn George, Alameda County Supervisor [named in article]<\/p>\n

Che Guevara, [named in article]
\nMao Tse-Tung, [named in article]
\nForbes Burnham, prime minister of Guyana<\/p>\n

Martin Luther King, Civil Rights leader
\nLeonard Bernstein, composer [named in article]
\nKingman Brewster, Yale University president [named in article]
\nJane Fonda, actress and political activist [named in article]
\nJessica Mitford, author [named in article]<\/p>\n

Paul Avery, co-author of “The Party’s Over”
\nKate Coleman, co-author of “The Party’s Over”
\nSteve Gavin, San Francisco Chronicle editor
\nAngela Davis, professor, member of Communist Party
\nCharles Gain, San Francisco police chief [named in article]
\nCharles Garry, attorney representing Newton (and Temple)<\/p><\/div>\n

Names related to Black Panthers:<\/em><\/p>\n

Huey Newton, leader of Black Panthers
\nElaine Brown, Panther leader, Newton’s successor
\nBilly Carr, Panther allegedly involved in murders
\nEldridge Cleaver, Panther leader
\nCarl Colar, Bobby Seale’s bodyguard
\nLen Colar, Carl Colar’s brother
\nGwen Fontaine, Newton’s secretary, later his wife
\nFlores “Fly” Forbes, assassinated Oakland Panther
\nMichael Fultz, Panther newspaper editor
\nFred Hampton, Black Panther assassinated by police
\nRobert Heard, Newton bodyguard
\nLarry Henson, Oakland Panther
\nRobert Hilliard, Black Panther Party co-founder
\nPat Hilliard, wife of Robert Hilliard
\nLouis T. Johnson, Panther killed by other Panthers
\nAllen Lewis, Oakland Panther
\nNelson Malloy, wounded Oakland Panther
\nSam Napier, Panther leader in New York
\nElmer “Geronimo” Pratt, Panther leader in Los Angeles
\nSaundra Pratt, wife of Geronimo Pratt [by reference]
\nRollin Reid, Oakland Panther
\nGeorge Robinson, Oakland Panther allegedly involved in murders
\nBobby Seale, Black Panther Party co-founder
\nBetty Van Patter, Panther bookkeeper allegedly murdered by Panthers
\nJimmy Ward, Huey Newton’s cousin<\/p>\n

Ed Bercovitch, Oakland businessman
\nPreston Callins, Oakland tailor attacked by Newton
\nPhillip Cole, owner of Black Knight Bar allegedly murdered by Panthers
\nWillie Ralph Duke, heroin dealer allegedly murdered by Panthers
\nJohn Frey, police officer allegedly shot by Newton
\nRafael Garry, aka Crystal Gray, Oakland prostitute
\nKenny Hall, white man beaten up by Panthers
\nJames Harris, man allegedly murdered by Panthers
\nTommy Jackson, doorman of Brass Rail allegedly murdered by Panthers
\nMichael Kennedy, friend of Sheldon Otis
\nWilbert LaTour, owner of Brass Rail nightclub
\nVernon McInnis, drug dealer allegedly murdered by Panthers
\nMary Matthews, victim of Panther burglary
\nHoward Moore, attorney representing Callins
\nTom Orloff, Alameda County Deputy District Attorney
\nSheldon Otis, Panther lawyer
\nHelen Robinson, young woman harassed by Heard
\nBert Schneider, Hollywood producer, friend of Newton
\nKathleen Smith, Oakland prostitute
\nDiane Washington, young woman harassed by Heard
\nWilly White, man allegedly wounded by Panthers<\/p>\n

Armelia Johnson, mother of Huey Newton [by reference]
\nMelvin Newton, Huey Newton’s brother
\nWalter Newton, father of Huey Newton [by reference]<\/p><\/div>\n

Jonestown residents:<\/em><\/p>\n

Eugene Chaikin [by reference]
\nHarriet Sarah Tropp [by reference]
\nEbony Duncan [by reference]<\/div>\n

 
\nBible verses cited:<\/strong> None<\/p>\n

Summary:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jim Jones reads \u201cThe Party\u2019s Over<\/a>\u201d, an article about Black Panther leader Huey Newton which was published in the July 10, 1978 edition of the biweekly New Times<\/em> Magazine.<\/p>\n

The article is long, detailed and – most of all – highly critical of the Panthers and its leadership. Even before he begins reading, then, Jones disparages the author Paul Avery, a “liberal” who had witnessed some of Jones’ “unusual miraculous powers” and seemed to “understand our socialist course.” Because of the turnaround Avery evidences in writing this piece, Jones suggests that he might have been with the CIA. Certainly, Jones adds, it’s true that Avery “was high on dope and drinking all the time.”<\/p>\n

Jones is also disappointed with the magazine that published the piece, saying that “New Times magazine has appeared to be progressive. But now it’s showing its true colors, in this horrible murder in press against Huey.” Those true colors have to do with the capitalist nature of any publication.<\/p>\n

The reading is quite dramatic, and Jones inserts comic breathlessness and feigned incredulity throughout. He also provides a running commentary, almost all of which is obvious \u2013 by the tone of his voice, by the rhetoric that he uses \u2013 although he periodically declares that these additions are his own. After one editorial aside, he reminds his listeners: “That’s my commentary. Anything decent about Huey will be my commentary, because this is nothing but a total smear.”<\/p>\n

Beyond that, there are periodic embellishments, extra details which are not in the original article, such as attributing one of Newton’s actions to his paranoia, or saying that a man’s institutionalization was in “an insane asylum.”<\/p>\n

Most of the commentary pertains directly to the subject matter, although Jones does draw lessons for the Jonestown community. Early in the piece, Jones reminds everyone that this smear campaign is happening to Newton, despite the black leader’s influence and connections and respect within his community. Think of what the white power structure does to blacks, including everyone in Jonestown, without any of Newton’s advantages. “I don’t know why you think you could make it back in USA.”<\/p>\n

Jones also compares those who left the Panthers to Peoples Temple apostates. “[T]hey left because they were cowards,” he says, “like a lot of people of our own traitors, that can’t take the heat for being a socialist.”<\/p>\n

But Jones’ most acerbic venom is reserved until the end of the reading, when he attacks the writer for not having the courage to accurately explain the most important words in Huey Newton’s message. “He knew what those historic words [revolutionary suicide] meant. To die for the people means to give up your life for the people you love. And revolutionary suicide is an act of giving yourself \u2013 if it even sacrifices yourself \u2013 to bring down the corrupt racist capitalist system.”<\/p>\n

In closing, Jones reiterates his underlying message: the article demonstrates “how impossible it would be for you to go back there.”<\/p>\n

FBI Summary:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Date of transcription: 6\/26\/79<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

On June 5, 1979, Special Agent (name deleted) reviewed the tape numbered 1B100-24. This tape was found to contain the following:<\/p>\n

A speech supporting HUEY NEWTON by JIM JONES.<\/p>\n

Differences with FBI Summary:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Other than the fact that Jones reads an article instead of making a speech, the summary is accurate and meets the FBI’s purposes.<\/p>\n

Tape originally posted January 2018.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary prepared by Fielding M. McGehee III. If you use this material, please credit The Jonestown Institute. Thank you. To return to the Tape Index, click here. To read the Tape Transcript, click here. Listen to MP3 (Pt. 1,\u00a0Pt. 2,\u00a0Pt. 3). FBI Catalogue Jones Speaking FBI preliminary tape identification note: Labeled in part “Huey Newton” […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":27996,"menu_order":236,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-78033","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/78033","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=78033"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/78033\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":134293,"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/78033\/revisions\/134293"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/27996"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=78033"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}