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[Music] our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents if you feel at
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anytime you need support please contact your local crisis center for suggested phone numbers for confidential support
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please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website this series on Jamestown deals with
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horrific events the series deals with mass murder and suicide of men women and children as well as other abuses the
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episodes are graphic and distressing especially episode three there will not be suitable for all listeners please use
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your discretion the tropical country of Guyana is located on the northern mainland of
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South America Guyana features a variety of striking natural landscapes spectacular volcanic
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escarpments rivers Botanical Gardens rain forests and waterfalls are hidden throughout colorful and exotic animals
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such as flamingos iguanas parrots toucans can be found in the dense jungles Guyana is raw beauty vibrant and
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expensive Dianna's motto is one people one nation one destiny it was the only english-speaking country in South
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America and was a cooperative Socialist Republic for those reasons Guyana caught the eye of Jim Jones Jones
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perceived the United States as racist and oppressive and he wanted to create a self-sustaining remote communities
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thousands of followers to immigrate to and permanently live in the would be a benevolent multiracial socialist
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paradise where everything was owned and shared by the community as a whole in 1974 Peoples Temple negotiated with
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Diana's government to develop approximately 4,000 acres of land by 1976 an official 25-year land lease was
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signed people's temple were to pay roughly 1,000 dollars annually to the Guyana government for the chosen lien an
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isolated area of jungle along the Venezuelan border was chosen for Jim Jones's socialist community
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Jonestown [Music] two years before the lease was signed 15 people's temple members set out to
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Guyana to prepare for the construction of the commune they set sail from Miami in July 1974 it took ten days to cross
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the Atlantic Ocean between North and South America the ocean lapped pummeled and almost swallowed the trawler the
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windshield cracked the rudder snapped and cargo fell overboard but the sea battered people's temple travelers
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managed to reach Cayenne as coastal capital city George Tiller they purchased the spacious 2 story building
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in an upscale area of Georgetown which became temple headquarters the People's Temple pioneers then pulled back onto
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their trawler and sailed up the wainy River before steering down the kite Houma River the
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Kitumba river snaked through the foggy rainforest and led the trawler towards final destination port code tumor the
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harsh reality of the third-world nation hit when they arrived at the Riverside village of Port Kojima slums of shanty
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homes made from mismatched timber with corrugated iron roofs line the streets residents suffered from disease and
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malnutrition children's bodies were swollen sweaty and covered in sores dead animals rot in trenches of mosquito
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infested water on the side of swampy red clay roads the humid air felt oily and tasted burnt nevertheless the People's
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Temple pioneers were determined each day they'd wake early Paul into flatbed trucks and drive six miles down the
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pothole clay road to where their commune was to be established what started as a single foot path
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through the jungle was cut away by hand using axes cutlasses and machetes it was hard back-breaking work the
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jungle was unspoiled and inaccessible mic to shet and early people's temple settler in Guyana quote living down
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there was hard heavy work mostly with your hands in your back but with the additional challenges of the jungle
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thrown in like the heat the rain and the bugs we were all so isolated from everything and everyone if we needed a
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piece of equipment we couldn't go down to a local supply store we had to fashion it ourselves or wait
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for weeks while the order came in from Georgetown or even further away or do without you had to have a pioneering
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spirit to survive a bulldozer and backhoe were eventually shipped over from the united states allowing walls of
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jungle to be torn down with these the foundations of the first buildings were laid and fields were tilled in
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preparation for crops the commune was formally named the People's Temple agricultural project the People's Temple
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agricultural project population grew slowly at first housing just 50 residents in the first few months
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despite the difficulties of the foreign landscape and tropical climate hope remained high as chosen temple members
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made their pilgrimage from the United States to Guyana their jungle paradise was referred to as the promised land or
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freedom lenient but most called it Jonestown after their leader Reverend Jim Jones
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the success of Jonestown relied on the determination and motivation of its residents most were born and raised in
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America's cities and few had farming or laboring experience Mike Touche quote we worked from sunup till dark
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rain or shine we worked hard to build what we thought was going to be a better way of life for the family members back
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in the States after a satisfying breakfast of eggs with biscuits pastries and coffee labor
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is headed to the fields and planted and harvested crops tended to livestock and laid down foundations for more buildings
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the furniture Department built beds cabinets and cribs the sawmill produced the frames for residents homes a medical
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clinic was also established at lunchtime everyone took a break to eat a sandwich
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and relax elderly residents ordered cleaned and prepared vegetables for dinner dinner was either a plate of
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fried chicken or fish with green vegetables on the side and peanut butter fudge for dessert after dinner the early
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settlers met in the pavilion in the center of the commune the pavilion was a large open-air structure with a
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corrugated iron roof set on wooden columns used as a central meeting area it featured a stage at one end with
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multiple benches and chairs in front signs with slogans such as loved one and other were featured within at night it
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was a hub of social activity elderly residents played dominoes and cards children watch movies and television
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teenagers Flis ndon danced to music and couples snuck away for privacy preparation to send more people's temple
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members to Guyana took months passports visas and immunizations were needed in the United States apartments were
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vacated homes sold bank accounts closed and jobs quit population influxes were gradual so as to not overwhelm the
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commune and to give new settlers time to prepare by May 1976 there were approximately 100 temple members living
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in Jonestown these early days of Jonestown were filled with optimism and positivity a shortwave radio was built
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in the commune to communicate with people's temple headquarters in San Francisco positive updates about the
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jungle commune were relayed to temple members still living in America by April 77 almost three years since the
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first point here is arrived in Guyana there were 400 temple residents living in Jonestown the commune had become an
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impressive Township beyond the entrance into Jonestown were six cottages for senior residents amongst these homes
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were a doctor's office an infirmary a laboratory and a pharmacy further along was the dining tent kitchen bakery and
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distend full of hanging bananas of various shades of green there was a vegetable stand for storing sorting and
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preparing fresh food and herbs as well as a smokehouse and a sump in selador a laundry was built behind the cooking
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area where the heat from the kitchen was used to dry damp clothes at the end of the main road was the tool shop garage
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sawmill supply storage fuel tank and a warehouse a dirt footpath snaking from the main road led to West's house this
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was where Peoples Temple senior leadership and staff stayed during visits it was larger than all other
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residential structures in the commune in the center of the commune was the main pavilion and adjacent to that was the
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radio room next to the radio room were to educational tents and a library where school classes were held for children
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there was also a playground and a basketball court a dormitory was used as a nursery for toddlers and preschool
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children another was used as an animal refuge beyond these dormitories the part forked
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in two directions to the left were several cottages known as East house where outside visitors stayed the second
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path led to 48 pastel colored cottages where Jones towns adults slept overlooking the cottages was a guard
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tower and had children's slides installed at a slowest level and a wind-driven generator at its top
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bathrooms and sharing facilities were nearby the toilets were built over a pit and the toilet seat was a long bench
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with six oval holes generator buildings and numerous wells and windmills were located throughout the commune further
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away where the piggery barns and a chicken coop and cultivated fields and orchards for the planter crops
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surrounded the communes edges Reverend Jim Jones visited his come--and throughout its progress when Jones came
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to town residents were tense and irritable in America Temple members sunk his money into energy in the People's
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Temple they were rewarded with long work hours of violent punishments public humiliations social isolation and
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blackmail the negativity corrupted the purpose of the temple to bring equality through socialism once a compassionate
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leader Jim Jones transformed into a paranoid drug abuser sexual predator and egotistical tyrant as temple life in
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America spiral into one of cruelty and control temple life in Jonestown without Jones was a relaxed atmosphere
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Jonestown resident Eugene Smith quote when Jim Jones wasn't there things tended to be a little bit lighter people
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would be dancing or singing they'd be music in different cottages but when Jones was present it was very very dark
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it was almost like a dark cloud jain's film at one of his visits and the footage was spliced together by People's
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Temple PR teams to relay an image of the commune that was favorable but not truthful the PR videos featured painting
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footage of the large agricultural fields lined with growing fruits and vegetables
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but they didn't show that most crops failed to reach harvest due to unpredictable weather pests and poor
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soil fruit trees took years to grow and produce so they provided no immediate sustenance the videos featured close-ups
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of satisfying meals consisting of bacon barbecued ribs sausages and fried chicken
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however cows pigs and chickens were dying from a mysterious illness and the meat had become a rare ingredient from
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Jones town's menu Jones toward the chicken coops on camera and delight about there being thousands of chickens
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in the commune and that none of them had ever died calling it a miracle of miracles residential cottages were shown
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in impeccable condition with only two bunk beds featured in each in reality cottages were overcrowded because homes
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were not going up as fast as new residents were arriving by me to 1977 there were already more people in
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Jonestown than the land could support Jonestown residents were unaware of the bad news unraveling in America on August
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1st 1977 new west magazine published an article titled inside people's temple the article featured testimony of ex
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temple members who exposed Jim Jones as a possessive and violent fraud the article claimed Jones was in the late
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stages of orchestrating a mass exodus of his temple to their commune in Guyana prior to the
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articles publication the magazine's editor warned Jim Jones about the articles content Jones knew backlash
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over the article would open him up to investigation and possibly criminal charges or civil suits his entire
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organization would be destroyed so Jones escaped for Guyana six hours before the
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article went to print and as the article predicted he ordered his temple members
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to following the mass exodus to Guyana happened almost overnight temple members were told father had called them to the
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promised land they packed their belongings quit their jobs and abandoned their families and friends to avoid
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suspicion members told loved ones they were going on a routine temple bus trip temple star forged letters on behalf of
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members stating they left for Jamestown voluntarily and were in good spirits to avoid unwanted attention
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buses split the hundreds of migrants between airports across the country the media noticed the disappearing act the
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People's Temple quickly released statements denying they were pulling out of America they attacked the media for
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orchestrating a well coordinated conspiracy and smear campaign against Jim Jones over the following days
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worried friends and relatives of temple members arrived at the temple San Francisco headquarters but no one
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answered the door one worried relative told the media quote I think that Jim Jones took his
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group down to Guyana because he was afraid to face the publicity Indians are the questions here in this country
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I don't think that he feels confident having Peoples Temple members talk to their relatives I think the only way he
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can survive and sustain what he started is to isolate all his followers from this country and from their families
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temple members were excited to go to James teaming for years they'd listen to updates of Jonestown over radio and to
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watch the videos they thought they would be visiting for just days weeks or maybe
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even months but would eventually return to America but they were unaware of a confidential order direct from Jim Jones
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to temple leadership the trip to Guyana was final for anyone who took it no one would ever return to America once in
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Guyana new arrivals were made to surrender their belongings as everything was communal in socialist Jamestown
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their passports were confiscated for safekeeping and locked away janestown leadership determined housing and job
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placements parents were upset to find they were lied to there wasn't a cottage for every family
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in Jonestown leadership divided couples into different cottages men and women were housed separately and children were
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taken to the nursery long time Jonestown residents were anxious the mass exodus from America brought more than 500 new
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people into Jonestown within weeks the population spiked from 400 to almost a thousand people
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Jonestown wasn't equipped to sustain a population of that size it was already struggling with the population it had
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before the Exodus each residential cottage was designed for four people they now housed between 10 and 20 people
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some cottages were missing doors and window screens cramped inside were combinations of
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double and triple bunk beds with additional beds in the upper loft area mattresses were thin slabs of foam and
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blankets were too thick cottages would become stifling hot as the South American Sun roasted their corrugated
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iron roofs residents will work in each day at 6 a.m. and sometimes as early as 3 a.m. newcomers were expected to head
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straight into the agricultural fields and start working upwards of 12 to 16 hours per day soon all mill was
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consisted of rice and gravy portion sizes shrunk daily and some mills were skipped entirely food became currency
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you'd earn it if you work for it insects fell in the soupy sticky pots of food and they were impossible to pick
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out so people laid in darkness to avoid seeing what ended up in their mouths gone were the days of cooked meat
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pastries coffee and peanut butter fudge wounds festered infection spread mosquito bites thundered skin diarrhea
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dehydration intestinal worms and rashes were common the promised land was everything but what they were promised
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Jamestown wasn't a place of freedom and equality it was more like a police state
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as Peoples Temple members suffered their leader lived comfortably in his two-bedroom West House cottage with his
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mistresses Jones's cabin had air conditioning a double bed window screens a typewriter a radio and a refrigerator
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stocked with his favorite soft drinks and treats his daily meals consisted of meat salad jelly and coffee
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despite his luxuries Jones felt like a prisoner in his own home his reputation in the States was ruined and he could
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never return paranoia with old personal responsibilities he was convinced his enemies including the US government the
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CIA and the temple defectors were out to destroy him to cope he became more dependent on drugs and alcohol
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loyal aides kept an eye on Jamestown residents and updated Jones on the status of the commune reports were
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always the same people weren't happy they missed America Jones censored all incoming and outgoing mail to cut the
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emotional ties his followers head to what he called a fascist America Jonestown residents were sent hundreds
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of letters from worried loved ones back home a father Saudi answers from his ex-wife
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who took their children to go Anna her brother asked his sister to see him before he died of cancer one letter
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notified her mother that her daughter had overdosed some put money inside their letters for flights back home
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letters were first received by Jonestown senior staff and then read to Jones when
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asked if the recipients should receive their mail Jones's reply was always the same no residents started to question
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why they weren't receiving letters anymore at first Jones blamed the US government and when
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that answer became unsatisfactory he claimed their relatives had simply stopped writing to them Jones allowed
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for outgoing mail under the condition that letters were written in front of census approved letters were filled with
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lies about what residents were eating what they were achieving and how healthy and how happy they were Jones read the
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loudspeaker system throughout Jonestown every day for hours at a time he'd rent into a microphone about America fascists
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and his enemies and he would give his own biased opinions and commentaries on reported news Jonestown resident Deborah
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Layton quote only Jim spoke on the speaker system that went 24 hours a day and he would tape himself so in the
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middle of the night all through the night his voice was talking to you Jones used the droning broadcasts as a
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deliberate psychological technique to interrupt free thinking they kept listeners in a disjointed state that
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made them receptive to fed information access to radio and television had been prohibited so members had no idea what
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was truly happening outside of Jonestown large-scale race riots mass murder of minorities and of the reintroduction of
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slavery were just some of the lies Jones spread about America he wanted to make life in Jonestown appear better than
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life back home residents were quizzed daily on the content of Jones's broadcasts those who failed the tests
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were made to work twice as hard and were forbidden to talk to others Jones's loudspeaker ramblings were
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frantic nonsensical and outrageous some residents quietly contemplated if Jim Jones had finally gone insane in
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December 1977 four months after moving to Jonestown Jim Jones's mother Lunetta passed away Lunetta lived in her own
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private cottage a longtime smoker she suffered from lung disease and rarely left her bed one day she had a stroke
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and two days later she was dead publicly Lunetta was a great defender of a son Jones loved his mother deeply her
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avid interest in humanitarianism defined his formative use and influenced these goals in life
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privately Lunetta was the only person of Jones's inner circle run afraid to confront shame and to control him
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when Lunetta died that caused the dramatic shift to ripple throughout Jamestown Jones lost his only source of
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authoritative moderation and constraint now no one could stop him Jones called a meeting at the pavilion
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days after his mother's passing the topic of conversation was death and Jones considered and compared the
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different ways to die remarking that drowning would be most preferable as it is easy numbing and peaceful his crowd
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remained silent Jones yelled at them some of you people get so [ __ ] nervous every time I talk
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about death when an elderly woman scowled at him Jones told her you're gonna die someday honey you are [ __ ]
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you're gonna die one night from the depths of the jungle a gunman fired several bullets in quick
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succession at West House the bullets narrowly missed Jim Jones who was standing at the window at the
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time he ran to the loudspeaker and yelled to his people alert alert we are under attack frightened residents rented
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the pavilion and Jones was waiting for them their government allies had abandoned
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them he said and now fascist mercenaries had surrounded Jonestown they were going
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to kidnap their children invade the town and capture them all this pervasive feeling of being under attack felt very
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real to Jonestown residents Jones's daily loudspeaker tirades often featured warnings that enemy forces were heading
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to Guyana to destroy them farming tools were handed out to residents who were ordered to stand in a line facing the
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jungle they were told to defend Jonestown from the invading mercenaries or die trying'
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no one in the line knew that the gunman who shot at Jim Jones was not an enemy mercenary who was their leader's son Jim
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Jones jr. he'd been ordered by his father to go into the jungle and shoot at West house Jones pressed himself
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against the interior sidewall to avoid the bullets he knew were coming anxious residents watched the jungle throughout
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the night and into the morning they were permitted to sleep in short shifts before taking their defensive positions
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once more Jones allowed them to work during the day to maintain food production but at night he ordered them
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back into defensive lines traumatized children were sedated while Jones walked the line in tears saying
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goodbye er to each person this was it he told them this siege lasted six days on
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the sixth day Jones permitted his makeshift army to stand down on he gave a rousing speech
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about how they all proved they'd rather die than surrender to their enemies Jones asked who was willing to die and
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commit revolutionary suicide for their cause only two people out of hundreds raised their hands they were two members
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of Jones's inner circle everyone else wanted the fire they felt they owed their commitment to socialism to stay
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alive as long as possible they didn't come to Jamestown to die Jones called a meeting in the pavilion every night he'd
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press a microphone through his lips only stopping his long-winded grants to chew
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on blocks of ice peanuts or pills Jones looked puffier and puff here at each meeting he still wore his trademark
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sunglasses at all times to hide his red drug aged gaze sickly aggressive and easily distracted Jones constantly
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licked his lips a habit common in drug abusers his speech stuttered and slurred and he interchangeably blamed exhaustion
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illness a tooth infection incorrect medication and the sound system through his odd behavior residents cheered sang
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and rallied at his order but their enthusiasm was weak Jones would rant for hours without break even when his
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audience appeared bored and weren't paying attention during meetings Jones would often get drunk and vulgar he'd
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swear and threaten people brag about sex burp urinate and vomit during one meeting he shot a pistol into
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the air and yelled I ought to kill every last one of you meetings went all night with residents
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crawling into bed at 4:00 a.m. only to be woken an hour or two later to start work Jones continued to dole out
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punishments of these meetings gone were the whipping belt and the Board of Education they were replaced by crueler
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punishments that wouldn't just cause physical pain but extreme mental distress one teenage boy was forced to
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eat slices of an incredibly spicy native pepper after it was discovered he was growing his own watermelon crop a 60
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year old woman was punished by being stripped naked and paraded down the aisles of the pavilion troublemakers
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were tied to a pole and left on the edge of the jungle under the impression they
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were going to be eaten by a tiger a resident deathly afraid of snakes was forced to endure a snake being wrapped
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around her another was marched into the jungle and had a gun pressed against his
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head until he agreed to apologize the Jim Jones for his wrongdoings other transgressors were paraded by the crowd
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slapped and beaten this misplaced violence between residents was a form of emotional release some residents were
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locked in the box for several days the box was a 1 point 2 by 1.8 meters shipping container that had been dug
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into the earth that was soundproof dark and hot the sensory and social deprivation caused them to hallucinate
00:29:31
for long-term punishment Jones invented the learning crew infractions that could
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get your science to the learning crew included being late to work worshiping God acting capitalist or saying the
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words I want to go home the learning crew were forced to do low-status exhausting and undesirable
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tasks repeat offenders got extended sentences the special care unit was an area in the medical section of Jonestown
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reserved for the most rebellious residents those who were increasingly vocal in expressing opposition to Jones
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protesters were restrained and sedated with drugs until they were almost catatonic if they wouldn't willingly
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swallow the tranquilizers they were forcibly injected it seemed impossible to escape Jonestown the surrounding
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thick walls of unexplored jungle were impossible to track for most residents however one person took a chance on an
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early August morning Guyanese police in Port kites Houma noticed the disheveled men emerged from the dense jungle he
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introduced himself as Leon Broussard a member of Peoples Temple and resident of Jonestown
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Leon told the police Jonestown was a slave colony when Guyanese police investigated Jim Jones called Leon a
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drug-addicted lawyer but agreed to return the man's passport and pay for him to return to the US after dis escape
00:31:04
Jones encouraged his followers to spy on each other and report dissent if a resident looked too long at the jungle
00:31:12
they were reported for plotting an escape residents became so paranoid about their thoughts and behavior they
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confessed to minor infractions before others would Dodd the men janestown resident Vernon Gosney
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recalled quote a father would turn in a son a husband would turn in a wife a small child would turn in a parent there
00:31:36
was no freedom to express the one another what was going on because everything was suspect the most
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forbidden thing to express was to leave Jamestown's resident doctor was a 29 year old man called Lawrence Eugene
00:31:53
sharked Lawrence or Larry as you is known was once addicted to crystal meth and Peoples Temple helped rehabilitate
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him temple leadership noted sharked as emotionally unstable and insecure but also highly intelligent the temple
00:32:10
funded sharked to study medicine at University he graduated with honors and began an internship at San Francisco
00:32:17
General Hospital but by the fifth week of his internship Schacht disappeared Tim Jones had ordered him to Jonestown
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shocked was the only doctor in Jamestown and his inexperience was a problem he was unfamiliar with treating simple
00:32:33
medical issues such as setting broken bones and medicating skin rashes dr. sharked worked up to 16 hours per day
00:32:41
looking after all 1000 Jamestown residents to cope he started taking the calming drug valium but it fostered
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depressive tendencies within him to Jonestown residents dr. Schaack was a strange loner who was emotionally
00:32:57
unstable paranoid and highly inappropriate he would perform prostate exams on male temple members who didn't
00:33:04
require them Jamestown resident Laura Johnston coal recalled quote Larry was really
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different because once he got to Jamestown he never really established close relationships with anyone it's
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almost like it was kind of a recluse in the community there wasn't anybody else in Larry's life that was anywhere near
00:33:24
as monumental as his relationship with Jim Jones there's not one friend that I can think
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of that Larry ever spent time with or Hungary [Music] dr. shark had one free day per week
00:33:38
Wednesday but it wasn't long before Jones gave him work to do on Wednesdays as well private discreet work Jones had
00:33:48
ordered him to find ways to carry out a mass suicide Jones had been obsessed with the idea of killing his entire
00:33:56
congregation for years prior to relocating to Guyana Jones had orchestrated mock mass suicides within
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his own leadership group those who had witnessed Jones's death plans had brushed them away as loyalty tests when
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dr. sharked was given the direct order to find an ideal way to kill 1,000 people over 300 of whom were children
00:34:18
his first step was to ask Jones for a book on forensic medicine dr. Larry sharked quote I am quite capable of
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organizing no suicide aspect and will follow through and try to convey concern and warmth throughout the ordeal
00:34:37
in May 1978 dr. Schaack believed he'd come up with the quickest and cleanest method for mass suicide cyanide sharked
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explained to Jones that cyanide was one of the most rapidly acting poisons depending on the dosage cyanide could
00:34:56
take up to three hours or only minutes to kill cyanide poisoning stops body cells from absorbing oxygen and results
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in the sensation of suffocation symptoms of cyanide poisoning occur within minutes and include headaches dizziness
00:35:12
fast heart rate shortness of breath and vomiting followed by seizures slow heart
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rate low blood pressure and loss of consciousness ending in cardiac arrest Jonestown residents noticed dr. shark
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exhibiting strange behavior around town muttering to nobody shaking appearing sick and ingesting large amounts of the
00:35:35
calming drug Thorazine no one knew why the doctor was increasingly on edge but what he was planning to do to them
00:35:43
all Jim Jones started importing guns into Jonestown hidden in false crates marked agricultural supplies he referred
00:35:55
to them as Bibles he amassed over 30 different firearms and said there are enough Bibles here to do a lot of
00:36:03
praying if necessary Jones called a town meeting of the pavilion when residents arrived they were shocked to find guards
00:36:12
circling them holding guns Vernon Gosney recall quote there were people that are
00:36:19
knew for years with guns and they weren't pointed outward they were pointed inward it was a sense of an
00:36:25
armed encampment Jones then went on one of his usual paranoid tangents one resident recalled he would tell us that
00:36:34
in the United States african-americans were being herded into concentration camps that there was genocide on the
00:36:40
streets they were coming to kill and torture us because we chosen what he called the socialist tract he said they
00:36:47
were on their way another resident recalled we were informed that our situation had become
00:36:55
hopeless and that the only course of action open to us was a mass suicide for the glory of socialism we were told that
00:37:02
we would be tortured by mercenaries were we taken alive residents watched as staff brought forward stacks of paper
00:37:11
cups placing them on the table at the front next to a large vat filled with dark liquid lineup Jones ordered drink
00:37:20
the liquid it would be painless in 45 minutes you'd fall asleep forever when the reality of what Jones was asking of
00:37:32
them said in the crowd protested but armed guards stood them up and March them to the VAT
00:37:38
the victim was handed a cup filled with liquid and made to drink it at gunpoint they were then forced to the field next
00:37:45
to the pavilion and told to lie down Jones threatened if anyone tried to flee that would be shot everyone was made to
00:37:54
get in line to drink the liquid even children those who had been through similar drills before believed this was
00:38:02
just another one of Jones's loyalty tests those who continue to resist weren't shot instead guards held them
00:38:10
down pulled open their jaw and poured the liquid forcibly down their throats others drank willingly they were so
00:38:18
disenfranchised by Jonestown that death was welcomed hundreds of stained cups were piled up around the near empty VAT
00:38:27
and hundreds of people lay together watching the sunset they held each other's hands
00:38:33
whispered farewells and close their eyes to fall asleep forever until Jones's booming voice shattered the silence he
00:38:43
didn't take anything he had only punch with something a little stronger in it they simulated
00:38:52
suicides would come to be part of what was called white noise code for extreme emergency every few weeks
00:39:00
Jones's voice would ring out over the loudspeaker what night what night get to the pavilion your lives are in danger
00:39:09
all residents would run to the pavilion and would be made to either partake in sieges that went for days or rallies
00:39:16
that went for hours each white night ended the same residents were told to line up take a cup drink and die
00:39:28
at the end of each white night Jones would laugh and clap he'd explained it was only a rehearsal and now he knew
00:39:35
whom he could trust then he'd say go home my darlings sleep tight James was manipulating his followers
00:39:49
into a learned behavior by repeating in action over and over until it no longer had an emotional impact frequent white
00:39:57
knights made each one less terrifying than the last eventually as residents were handed their cup of dark colored
00:40:04
liquid nobody fought back nobody refused there was no fear after each white knife Jones would cast
00:40:13
another vote for revolutionary suicide in the beginning only several hands would rise but Jones continued to call
00:40:21
white Knights until residents were physically mentally and emotionally exhausted by the process white knights
00:40:27
became so meaningless they just wanted them to end and eventually when Jones asked who would commit revolutionary
00:40:34
suicide all hands went up in the air some American government officials visited Jamestown briefly throughout its
00:40:45
inception but Jamestown leadership would spend weeks preparing residency answers
00:40:50
to questions and shipping large quantities of food beds were removed from cottages to dispel rumors of
00:40:56
overcrowding residents who looked unhealthily thin were given larger servings of food to fatten up when
00:41:04
official visitors arrived in Jamestown they didn't appear to be any signs of trouble when they questioned residents
00:41:10
to see if anyone was being held against their will residents assured them that they were
00:41:14
free to leave if they desired without seeing any guards guns or barbed wire the officials left with the impression
00:41:21
that everything was well in Jones Piron back in America the relatives of temple members refused to believe the positive
00:41:29
news coming out of Jonestown they compared letters they had received from loved ones in Guyana letters bought
00:41:36
striking similarities to each other quoting similar lines of text they noticed things such as spelling errors
00:41:43
being crossed out and corrected in someone else's handwriting letters arrived unsealed some were cut off at
00:41:49
the bottom eventually they stopped receiving letters at all together with ex temple members they founded a support
00:41:58
group called the concerned relatives the concerned relatives picketed in San Francisco and sent letters to the media
00:42:04
government officials and members of Congress they handed out flyers to raise public awareness of the abuses happening
00:42:11
in Jonestown the Flyers read this nightmare is taking place right now will you help us free our families we are
00:42:20
individuals having only one bond in common relatives isolated in the Jonestown jungle encampment in Guyana
00:42:27
South America under the total control of one man Jim Jones we espouse no political or religious viewpoint our
00:42:36
only concern is for our families we have bewildered and frightened by what is being done to them their human rights
00:42:43
are being violated and that fabric of our family life is being torn apart a very few Jamestown residents had
00:42:52
successfully escaped the commune most who did were members of the Jamestown leadership group and were within Jim
00:42:58
Jones's inner circle being trusted by Jones they had access to the locked away piles of passports and were able to
00:43:04
obtain their own before fleeing the commune upon their return to America they were able to publicly detail the
00:43:11
conditions in Jamestown and strengthen the claims made by the concerned relatives group on April 11 1978 the
00:43:20
concerned relatives delivered a document titled accusation of human rights violations by Reverend James Warren
00:43:28
Jones the document attacked Jim Jones directly and outlined the many abuses rampant in Jonestown the concerned
00:43:37
relatives gave copies of the document to the press and various members of Congress including congressman Leo Ryan
00:43:46
Congressman Leo Ryan was a member of the Democratic Party and had served as the US Representative from California's
00:43:53
eleventh congressional district since 1973 a vocal advocate for the often overlooked less fortunate and poorly
00:44:00
treated people within society Brian's hands-on activism made him a standout campaigner it was not the type of
00:44:08
politician to just sit behind his desk doing nothing he always carried a strong sense of responsibility to personally
00:44:14
help those who couldn't help themselves one of Ryan's peers said this about him he was accustomed to going into battle
00:44:22
he really felt there was nothing to worry about he was a congressman as if he had some kind of a protective shield
00:44:31
synonymous with Ryan's name was the word gutsy he never took no for an answer when he believed in something no matter
00:44:38
how difficult he never gave up his unique head first style of investigating was given the name of experimental
00:44:47
legislating boys peers due to his hard earned political success and respect in late 1978
00:44:54
congressman Ryan was reelected for his fourth term in office by 78 to 22 majority congressman Ryan had been
00:45:02
keeping an eye on news regarding Peoples Temple and Jim Jones but had yet to make
00:45:06
a move on the medal it wasn't until Sam Houston an old friend of Ryan's contacted the congressman seeking an
00:45:13
investigation into the death of his son that Leo Ryan stepped in Sam Houston's son was Bob Houston bob was a longtime
00:45:22
temple member whose body was found crushed to death by a train car in San Francisco in October 1976 Bob's death
00:45:30
was ruled a workplace accident but his work colleagues took issue with that rumors suggested Jim Jones had
00:45:37
orchestrated Bob's death congressman Ryan agreed to investigate Peoples Temple and Jim Jones on November
00:45:46
1st 1978 brian announced plans to travel to Guyana to visit Jonestown on an open and honest
00:45:53
fact-finding mission to determine if residents were being held in the communicants their will he said he would
00:46:00
go to Jonestown with or without Jim Jones's permission and he would stay there for as long as it took to find out
00:46:06
what was really going on Jim Jones believed Ryan's intention was to bring media attention to Jamestown to smear
00:46:13
the temple and destroy the church he refused to permit Ryan visitation into Jonestown and sought help from the
00:46:21
Guyanese government to refuse Ryan and his delegation into the country at all but he was unsuccessful Jones said we
00:46:31
preferred death to this kind of harassment and it would be a grave mistake if the Ryan delegation came to Jamestown
00:46:41
anxiety consumed Jim Jones he was obviously ill his body was bloated and it strained him to walk
00:46:47
Jones was awakened distracted and some residents saw this as an opportunity to escape but Jones noticed the rebellious
00:46:56
undercurrent and warned them see if you can get to any Passport try I dare you to try you don't know who
00:47:05
you were talking to just because I don't use the language of the church I am that
00:47:10
which they call God I will see you in the grave many of you as the date of the Rhoyne visit approached Jones spent days
00:47:22
bunker down in his cabin tended to boys mistresses armed guards stood at his door day and night white nights were the
00:47:30
tensest they'd ever been Jones was worried that when Ryan visited some of his followers would escape with a
00:47:36
congressman therefore Jones ordered 420 problematic Jonestown residents to be sedated in the
00:47:42
special care unit during ryan's visit people he was worried must speak out against him or attempt to leave he then
00:47:50
painstakingly coached other residents on what their work to say and do when Ryan arrived quote as
00:47:57
far as your relatives coming up to talk to you be civil but don't get engaged into long conversations with them tell
00:48:05
them how happy you are tell them what your food is how much food that you wouldn't go back to the United States if
00:48:11
someone were to give you a ticket tomorrow days before Ryan's visit a special delivery arrived to Johnstown it
00:48:20
was a large steel drum an image of a human skull sitting on two angled bones was marked on its surface the chemical
00:48:29
drum wasn't listed on any itinerary it was whisked away and hidden in the warehouse by Johnstown medical staff the
00:48:36
moment had arrived the presence of the drum lingered in the minds of those few who had seen it they considered the
00:48:43
possibility that Jim Jones was planning to poison congressman Ryan they didn't know that inside the drum was one pound
00:48:51
of sodium cyanide enough to kill 1,800 people on November 12 1978 Ryan his media entourage and 14 concerned
00:49:03
relatives arrived in Guyanese Capitol City George Tiller congressman Ryan traveled
00:49:09
to the temples headquarters in Georgetown and negotiated with the Johnstown leadership over radio for
00:49:14
several days it was eventually agreed that the congressman could enter Jonestown for a few days to interview
00:49:20
residents for his investigation but not all of Ryan's delegation were permitted to enter his staffer from the US Embassy
00:49:28
was accepted as were several reporters a producer a cameraman and a Sandman only
00:49:35
four out of the 14 concerned relatives were given permission to visit the night before the visit
00:49:41
Jones hold a final rally in the pavilion he said we've been debating about dying
00:49:48
it's easier to die than talk about it I'll worry about what you people think because you're trying to hold on to life
00:49:55
but I've been trying to give mine away for a long time and if that [ __ ] wants to take it he can have it but we'll have
00:50:03
a hell of a time going together on November 17 1978 congressman Ryan organized the light
00:50:11
plane charter to take his group from Ty Murray Airport south of Georgetown and to make the 150 mile flight to the Port
00:50:18
Clyde to him airstrip located just a few miles out of Jamestown the narrow dirt runway of Port Kitumba was initially too
00:50:27
muddy to land so the pilot turned away to realign his landing path to a space that was drier while turning his plane
00:50:35
around he briefly flew over Jones town giving his passengers a look at the massive size of the project below it was
00:50:43
a fully realized to town not a small jungle camp as they expected reporter Tim reader Minh quote when we flew over
00:50:54
the jungle it became pretty clear how remote and inaccessible Jonestown really was it became clear how difficult it
00:51:01
would have been for anyone to leave Jonestown the pilot returned to port costumer and landed on the side of the
00:51:09
runway waiting for Ryan and his delegation was a beat-up flatbed truck that would take them to Jones down the
00:51:17
only Road in and out of Jonestown was the Mathews ridgeport code tumor Road it was a narrow long road of red clay a
00:51:25
cleared of crimson color dust rose when the truck carrying congressman Ryan's entourage drove towards Jonestown logs
00:51:32
were placed across the road in what the visitors perceived was a deliberate act to keep them out they waited for a
00:51:39
bulldozer to arrive and clear the way forward by the time they reached her Jonestown Day had become 9:00
00:51:48
swinging over the entrance was a sign that read welcome to Jamestown People's Temple agricultural project there were
00:51:56
no barbed wire fences surrounding the commune now watchtowers guard posts or prisons
00:52:02
no guards with guns aside from the wall of thick swampy jungle surrounding the communes edges it was an open space and
00:52:12
it appeared as though people were free to come and go as they pleased at Jonestown sentence 51 year old Marceline
00:52:19
Jones the wife of people's temple leader Jim Jones warmly welcomed congressman Ryan and his delegation she was to be
00:52:27
their tour guide during their short visit Marceline took the visitors down the road towards the main pavilion
00:52:35
reporter Charlie Krause immediately noticed the hundreds of Jamestown residents milling about and realized
00:52:41
that he's in his group's imaginings and assumptions of Jonestown were completely
00:52:45
wrong he later stated I noticed immediately the contrary to what the concerned relatives had told us nobody
00:52:54
seemed to be starving indeed everyone seemed quite healthy I began to walk toward the main building
00:53:00
in the center of Jonestown thinking that considering everything this little place
00:53:05
was rather pleasant I could see how someone might want to live here reporter Tim Reid Hammond later described his
00:53:13
first impressions of Jonestown when we pulled into Jonestown my first impression was that this place had taken
00:53:19
a tremendous amount of work to produce to make something from scratch in the middle of nowhere was an impressive feat
00:53:25
there were hundreds of people around the pavilion and we were escorted there directly to the Reverend Jim Jones
00:53:34
47 year-old Jim Jones were a red sleeveless button shirt and light-colored pants for the occasion his
00:53:41
thick black hair was neatly styled back from his face hiding his eyes were his trademark aviator style sunglasses next
00:53:50
to Jones said his lawyers Jones greeted his guests and sat with them over a dinner of barbecued pork biscuits greens
00:53:59
and coffee he spoke candidly on-camera to reporters they were quick to notice his
00:54:05
peculiarities and speech impairments the way he stuttered and slurred his way through grants about conspiracies while
00:54:11
licking his lips the reporters believed Jim Jones was high on drugs the reporters asked Jones
00:54:20
about his threats of mass suicide he responded I only said it is better that we commit suicide than kill the four
00:54:31
concerned relatives who were allowed into Jonestown were able to reconnect with the loved ones they hadn't heard
00:54:36
from or seen in months but the reunion they'd been waiting for was prickly residents gave evasive
00:54:42
answers to important questions and some even accused their relatives of coming to Jonestown to kill them during the
00:54:50
welcoming dinner Ryan interviewed many Jamestown residents when the residents were discreetly shown a card instructing
00:54:57
them to not if they wanted to leave they kept their heads perfectly still at one stage Jim Jones brought a young
00:55:05
child over to meet congressman Ryan he had a mop of thick brown hair dark eyes and skin darkly tanned from the South
00:55:12
American Sun the child appeared shy his eyes were red and glossy as though he was on the verge of tears and his make
00:55:20
small contradicted his uneven eyebrows that gave the impression the boy was incredibly uncomfortable he was John
00:55:27
Victor stone the son of grace stone who had defected from the church years earlier when grace defected James
00:55:35
kidnapped the boy and moved him to Guyana grace had won custody of her son but Jones refused to hand him over
00:55:42
claiming the boy was biologically HIDs although an American court order compelled Jones to return the boy to his
00:55:49
mother he refused James knew if he ever returned to the US he would be arrested for non-compliance after dinner the
00:55:59
Jonestown entertainment committee put on a show of song dance and comedy for their guests within the people of
00:56:06
Jonestown there was a clear sense of camaraderie community and purpose laughter echoed around the pavilion news
00:56:14
that the Jonestown basketball team had just won its game in Georgetown was announced the crowd erupted in cheers
00:56:20
Tim Jones jumped to his feet and announced gleefully that's a coupe marceline Jones then introduced
00:56:28
congressman Ryan who stood and faced the large group of Jamestown residents of the event hanging about the stage behind
00:56:35
Ryan was a sign that read those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it
00:56:42
congressman Ryan began his speech quote very glad to be here I think all of you know that I am here to find out more
00:56:51
about questions that have been raised about your operation here and I can tell you right now that a few conversations
00:56:57
I've had with some of the folks here already this evening that whatever the comments are there are some people here
00:57:04
who believe that this is the best thing that ever happened in their whole life the Jonestown crowd erupted in booming
00:57:11
cheers and applause most gave a standing ovation the over-the-top show of joy was
00:57:17
deafening and continued on for longer than a minute before congressman Ryan put a stop to the noise and continued on
00:57:23
with the speech quote that's really a pleasure to be here I really appreciate the hospitality you've shown me already
00:57:30
my work here is important to me I know it's very important to you too I hope to be through here tomorrow sometime in the
00:57:39
meantime you're obviously having a very good time tonight I don't want to spoil any more with political speeches just
00:57:46
let me say thank you on behalf of my staff on behalf the press who are here and on behalf of the relatives who are
00:57:51
in here now for hosting us here this evening we really appreciate it thank you so much
00:57:59
during the congressman's speech Jonestown resident Vernon Gosney approached the NBC reporter Don Harris
00:58:06
who was walking by the edge of the pavilion Ghazni slid a small folded piece of paper under the fold of
00:58:12
Harris's arm the note fell to the floor and Ghazni picked it up and handed it back to the confused - reporter he
00:58:19
dropped something he said a child who saw the exchange started yelling he passed a note Ghazni
00:58:27
quickly merged into the crowds of people and disappeared Don Harris took the note to congressman
00:58:33
Ryan who carefully unfolded the paper away from Jim Jones's gaze in that moment congressman Ryan knew something
00:58:42
was very wrong on the paper was a hastily scrawled message that read dear congressman
00:58:50
please help us get out of Jonestown to be continued in part three [Music]