1
00:00:00,275 --> 00:00:16,207
The Reverend Jim Jones was one of the most bizarre religious leaders America has ever known.

2
00:00:16,207 --> 00:00:23,653
On November 18, 1978, he ordered his followers to commit suicide.

3
00:00:23,653 --> 00:00:29,777
Why did over 900 people follow one man to their doom?

4
00:00:29,777 --> 00:00:33,780
How did Jim Jones control so many lives?

5
00:00:33,780 --> 00:01:01,802
I want you to be like I am. I want you to become what I am. I want you to enjoy the fearlessness that I have, the courage that I have, the compassion that I have, the love that I have, the all-encompassing mercy that I am. I want you to be what I am and something greater. And if you don't want to go this route, then go to hell where you want to, but don't bother me.

6
00:01:02,802 --> 00:01:19,815
The Reverend Jim Jones, born 1931, died November 18, 1978, with 913 of his followers in the jungle settlement of Jonestown, Guyana. How did it happen?

7
00:01:20,816 --> 00:01:30,823
What was the basis of Jim Jones' frightening power over his followers? If his story is told again, will it serve as a lesson for now?

8
00:01:31,824 --> 00:01:43,833
James Warren Jones came from a poor southern Indiana family. Jimmy was a serious-minded but rebellious boy who became captivated by fundamentalist Christianity.

9
00:01:43,833 --> 00:01:57,844
In what was then a stronghold of the Ku Klux Klan, the young Jones preached racial integration and utopian socialism. To finance his first interracial church, he sold live monkeys door to door.

10
00:01:57,844 --> 00:02:13,856
In 1965, Jones moved his congregation to Redwood Valley, California. Haunted by visions of nuclear apocalypse, he declared that here at last was a safe place to build his utopian community, the People's Temple.

11
00:02:13,856 --> 00:02:33,871
The level of society, all socioeconomic income straight up, professional down to ordinary field worker, field labor, mill worker, really it's beautiful to see that all these divisions have been broken down, not only raised, but any differences of economic position, just a warm fellowship and acceptance of all people.

12
00:02:33,871 --> 00:02:40,876
He started with about 141 people, and from that we've grown to a very thriving congregation of few thousand.

13
00:02:41,877 --> 00:02:43,879
Chris, excited? I think you'd be tired.

14
00:02:43,879 --> 00:02:44,880
Not around you.

15
00:02:44,880 --> 00:02:51,885
Jones achieved extraordinary rapport with people, especially with the aged and with blacks.

16
00:02:54,887 --> 00:02:59,891
To those who felt useless and unwanted, he offered respect and love.

17
00:03:02,893 --> 00:03:08,898
Jim Jones was a fiery minister who ridiculed the Christian deity as an impotent sky god.

18
00:03:10,899 --> 00:03:13,901
He was a god of high and sky and sea by and by.

19
00:03:13,901 --> 00:03:18,905
And he received what you see and what you get, you don't get out of it.

20
00:03:21,908 --> 00:03:24,910
Grace Stone was a top aide to Jim Jones.

21
00:03:24,910 --> 00:03:34,917
Jim Jones wasn't a Christian. He was an atheist, and Jim used to have people bring the Bibles into the church, and he would throw them down.

22
00:03:34,917 --> 00:03:40,922
He would stomp on them, he would spit on them, and he would talk about using the pages for toilet paper.

23
00:03:40,922 --> 00:03:44,925
Debbie Layton was a member of the Temple Planning Commission.

24
00:03:44,925 --> 00:03:49,929
Jim Jones was a brilliant man, clever, deceitful, and evil, but he was very, very clever.

25
00:03:49,929 --> 00:03:59,936
And he read all the books on sociology and psychology and other cults and brainwashing, and he knew exactly what to say and what to do to impress and influence other people.

26
00:04:04,940 --> 00:04:07,942
All right, all right.

27
00:04:10,945 --> 00:04:14,948
Jones was a gifted showman, an expert practitioner of faith healing.

28
00:04:14,948 --> 00:04:26,957
According to numerous reports, most of the healings were phony, but they appealed especially to fundamentalist worshipers who had a long tradition of theaptics and high emotion in their religion.

29
00:04:27,957 --> 00:04:43,970
I think that Jones was able to attract a lot of people into the church because he got to these people at a point in their life where they were vulnerable, be it with they were in the middle of a divorce or they were depressed or they were lonely.

30
00:04:43,970 --> 00:04:50,975
I was a very, very rebellious kid, and Jim used guilt to bring me into the church and keep me there.

31
00:04:50,975 --> 00:04:59,982
He said people from affluent backgrounds that are spoiled cannot stay in a group like this, cannot stay in a structured life and give of themselves to other people.

32
00:04:59,982 --> 00:05:04,985
And I was determined that I cared about other people, and I was going to stay in people's temple.

33
00:05:08,989 --> 00:05:13,992
You had an instant family, you had instant friends, you never had to be alone.

34
00:05:14,993 --> 00:05:21,998
If you had any problems, you always had someone to go to. You were just never alone. You always had support, and that's very powerful.

35
00:05:25,001 --> 00:05:29,004
Charles Gary was people's temple attorney for two years.

36
00:05:29,004 --> 00:05:35,008
Jim Jones had tremendous charisma. As a matter of fact, I don't think I've ever met anybody with more charisma.

37
00:05:35,008 --> 00:05:41,013
He was very fascinating, very enthusiastic in what he had to say, very convincing.

38
00:05:41,013 --> 00:05:56,024
It's only when you began to read between the lines as you knew him over a period of time that you began to get the feeling that he had a tremendous ego, and that ego was almost destructive.

39
00:05:57,025 --> 00:06:01,028
As temple membership soared, Jones became increasingly political.

40
00:06:02,029 --> 00:06:13,037
He mobilized thousands to help elect the late San Francisco mayor, George Moscone, who rewarded him with the prestigious directorship of the housing authority.

41
00:06:14,038 --> 00:06:22,044
Jim Jones was highly respected in San Francisco. He supported Ronald Reagan as governor and Richard Nixon.

42
00:06:22,044 --> 00:06:31,051
He was a tremendous champion of free speech, civil rights, civil liberties, anything that was progressive and good.

43
00:06:36,054 --> 00:06:40,057
Along with Jones' increasing power came fear of media persecution.

44
00:06:41,058 --> 00:06:48,063
On one occasion, he gave permission to film services in Los Angeles, but suddenly reneged on his promise.

45
00:06:48,063 --> 00:06:56,070
I really don't feel comfortable with my worship being a photograph. I really don't. I must go against the entire council. I don't feel good about it.

46
00:06:56,070 --> 00:07:04,076
They can photograph me all they choose because I do not care. I'm fearless, but I don't want the cameras focusing on others. I don't want them.

47
00:07:04,076 --> 00:07:11,081
They ask me your questions and I'll tear you right straight from the shoulder for I stay. You want to get out there? I'll take you out.

48
00:07:12,082 --> 00:07:26,092
What was passing between this man and his congregation? It was perhaps a form of romance, but as time went on, Jones seemed to change. The dark side of his personality came to the fore.

49
00:07:27,093 --> 00:07:46,107
Every single member of your family had to get on the floor and say something negative about you, and that was to break down any ties and unity within a family so that when you did come to the realization that something was wrong and you wanted to leave, you could not feel the bond to go to a family member and say, listen, something's wrong here. Let's get out.

50
00:07:47,108 --> 00:07:51,111
Tommy Bogue was seven years old when his parents brought him to people's temple.

51
00:07:51,111 --> 00:08:03,120
They had these little kids, maybe six, seven years old, going to this room and they make them grab all these electrode things and they start turning up the electricity on them and they put a microphone next to the door and you start hearing them screaming.

52
00:08:03,120 --> 00:08:08,124
It sounds bloody chilling. It's the only way I can really put it.

53
00:08:10,126 --> 00:08:16,130
After critical articles appeared in the San Francisco Examiner, Jones staged a demonstration.

54
00:08:16,130 --> 00:08:26,138
All of these allegations are totally untrue. I'm principled and dedicated to my people and they are also committed to the Christian ethic, the Judeo-Christian ethic of service.

55
00:08:26,138 --> 00:08:34,144
Certainly anyone who wants to investigate our organization will be more than open to it by any honestly inquiring group or otherwise.

56
00:08:34,144 --> 00:08:41,149
So intimidating was Jones' demonstration that the newspaper canceled its series of articles on people's temple.

57
00:08:41,149 --> 00:08:55,160
I think that Jones probably was an unhappy person. Deep down inside, he didn't believe in himself and so he was constantly having to attain more money to be more secure, more political friends.

58
00:08:55,160 --> 00:09:01,164
Jones would freak out when anybody would speak against the church or him.

59
00:09:01,164 --> 00:09:10,171
Jim hated men. He was very insecure and only women became the top aides to him.

60
00:09:10,171 --> 00:09:18,177
According to Debbie Layton in the book In My Father's House, Jones appropriated her brother Larry's first wife, Carolyn.

61
00:09:18,177 --> 00:09:23,181
When Larry remarried, Jones also seduced his second wife, Karen.

62
00:09:23,181 --> 00:09:24,182
Because of this...

63
00:09:24,182 --> 00:09:26,183
Ex-temple member Richard Clark.

64
00:09:26,183 --> 00:09:36,191
I think that Jones was burning up with lust. Matter of fact, he finally told it one night. He finally said that he would like to have sex with everybody in the temple, you know.

65
00:09:36,191 --> 00:09:47,199
Every single woman that was on the planning commission was approached by Jim Jones and forced into a sexual relationship and I consider it rape. I was raped by Jim Jones.

66
00:09:47,199 --> 00:09:54,204
In late 1977, New West Magazine printed a blistering expose of people's temple.

67
00:09:55,205 --> 00:10:01,210
Grace Stone sued for custody of her six-year-old son, who Jones claimed was his child.

68
00:10:01,210 --> 00:10:12,218
Jones reacted to his difficulties by moving temple members 6,000 miles to Jonestown, a settlement he had started earlier in Guyana.

69
00:10:12,218 --> 00:10:23,226
Here, Jones would have to answer to no man. Jonestown would be a world unto itself.

70
00:10:23,226 --> 00:10:32,233
Flower, rice, black-eyed peas, more peas.

71
00:10:32,233 --> 00:10:38,238
They have different containers around the place. Couldn't go through all the tremendous inventory. They built up Kool-Aid.

72
00:10:38,238 --> 00:10:41,240
What a swing! What liberation brings!

73
00:10:41,240 --> 00:10:48,245
The first time I went there in October of 1977, I came back and I said, I saw a paradise.

74
00:10:48,245 --> 00:11:00,254
They had their own electricity. They had their own generators. They had the most perfect medical setup I have ever seen. Everything was immaculate. Everything was good and everything was decent.

75
00:11:00,254 --> 00:11:08,260
When fascist terror brings concentration camps or brings massive food riots, you have a home.

76
00:11:08,260 --> 00:11:17,267
You just can't imagine that all the hundreds of us here are so extremely happy. I wish I could describe the whole thing to you, but it's hard.

77
00:11:17,267 --> 00:11:25,273
But I just must say this. I can't help but say that none of this would have been possible had it not been for Jim Jones.

78
00:11:25,273 --> 00:11:34,280
I thank you, Jim. You have certainly made a way for us and everybody seemed to be so happy. I am pleased. Thank you, Jim.

79
00:11:34,280 --> 00:11:40,284
I don't want to go back to the States because this place is better.

80
00:11:40,284 --> 00:11:48,291
That was pretty much an ideal situation because you could see progress happening. You had a sense of you were creating a town.

81
00:11:48,291 --> 00:11:55,296
But then when Jones came down there, that all changed. They started having the long meetings until 3 or 4 o'clock in the morning.

82
00:11:55,296 --> 00:12:05,303
You start having 12-hour work days and the discipline started getting into the extremes. And it just became the hellhole.

83
00:12:05,303 --> 00:12:14,310
When I got to Jones, the first thing Jones asked me was, how did I want to die? And he asked me, did I want to die fighting?

84
00:12:14,310 --> 00:12:22,316
Did I want to take the portion? Then I know what I was up against then. It was death that Jones had chosen for us.

85
00:12:26,319 --> 00:12:38,328
As more people packed into Jonestown, food supplies ran low. Jones controlled millions in temple funds but refused to spend it on food or adequate housing.

86
00:12:38,328 --> 00:12:46,334
Isolated in the jungle, news from outside came to him in radioed fragments. His fears and suspicions multiplied.

87
00:12:46,334 --> 00:12:49,337
Quite likely I'll be there for both.

88
00:12:50,337 --> 00:13:01,346
For 900 people, life became an answer to one man's whim. Jonestown was their entire reality. Jim Jones was their god.

89
00:13:02,347 --> 00:13:12,354
I woke up and I had a constriction, I guess, in my chest or in my stomach and I couldn't breathe.

90
00:13:15,356 --> 00:13:26,365
I couldn't breathe at all. I didn't even call a father. I thought of him and it all worked quite well.

91
00:13:27,365 --> 00:13:28,366
Thanks.

92
00:13:31,369 --> 00:13:32,369
Thanks, father.

93
00:13:32,369 --> 00:13:33,370
Thank you, father.

94
00:13:34,371 --> 00:13:35,372
Thank you, father.

95
00:13:36,372 --> 00:13:37,373
Thank you, father.

96
00:13:37,373 --> 00:13:47,381
Ron Jones was just like a force field of evil. It would even take your mind. Just like you can even thank me, is Ron Jones, because it's the force that he had built up.

97
00:13:47,381 --> 00:13:56,387
The most frightening things about Jonestown were that there were armed guards surrounding the camp at all times and while you worked in the field, they watched you.

98
00:13:56,387 --> 00:14:08,397
And you weren't allowed to speak to your neighbor and you had to work double time. And Jim Jones's voice went over the loudspeakers 24 hours a day while you ate, while you worked in the field and while you slept.

99
00:14:08,397 --> 00:14:16,403
When Grace Stone carried her custody battle for her son, John John, into Guyanese courts, Jones was beside himself.

100
00:14:17,403 --> 00:14:28,412
He said, you would make a mistake to try to come in and take any one of us. We will not let you. You will die. You will have to take anybody over all of our dead bodies.

101
00:14:28,412 --> 00:14:53,431
Jim Jones was not sane. He had not been sane since I saw him in August of 1978. His paranoia was destructive. I warned him about his paranoia, but he treated that as though I was an enemy.

102
00:14:53,431 --> 00:15:04,439
I got a hell of a lot of weapons to fight. I got my tools. I got guns. I got dynamite. I got a hell of a lot to fight. I'll fight. I'll fight. I'll fight.

103
00:15:04,439 --> 00:15:25,455
By mid-November 1978, concerned relatives of Temple members persuaded Congressman Leo Ryan to visit Jonestown. Ryan brought reporters and a network news team. Nothing could have triggered more dread in Jim Jones.

104
00:15:25,455 --> 00:15:48,472
At first, the visit was a success for Jones. Ryan and reporters saw only the superficial, positive side of Jonestown. The next morning, however, ten people, including Richard Clark, fled into the jungle. Several other families told the Ryan party they wanted to leave. Jones could not change their minds.

105
00:15:48,472 --> 00:16:03,484
Congressman Ryan came over to him and he said, Jim, don't be upset about this. He said if half of the people here were to leave, I would still say you have the most beautiful place. It's a dream.

106
00:16:03,484 --> 00:16:19,496
Jones would not be soothed. Is it conceivable that he was mentally unstable from an early age, a borderline psychotic who attempted to realize his paranoid delusions of grandeur? Now his dreams seem to crumble around him.

107
00:16:20,496 --> 00:16:43,514
People play games, friend. They lie. They lie. What can I do about lies? Are you people going, leave us? I just beg you, please leave us. Bill, we will bother nobody. Anybody wants to get out of here, can get out of here. We have no problem about getting out of here. They come and go all the time. I don't know what kind of game. People like publicity. Some people do. I don't.

108
00:16:44,515 --> 00:16:51,520
Emotions ran high as the defectors left with the Ryan party. Tommy Bogue was among them.

109
00:16:51,520 --> 00:16:59,526
So we're going down the road and then they stop to take some pictures, further along. When they stop, we tell them, don't stop. Keep going, because something's going to happen.

110
00:17:02,528 --> 00:17:15,538
So we come into the airport and that's where we all get off and we wait for the airplanes. And I load it onto the big airplane and I sit right across from the door in the back. That's when we saw the tractor and trailer coming around.

111
00:17:22,543 --> 00:17:41,558
When the shootings stopped, Congressman Ryan, three newsmen and young Patty Parks lay dead. Ten others, including Tommy Bogue, were wounded. Odell Rhodes is one of the few surviving eyewitnesses to what happened next in Jonestown.

112
00:17:41,558 --> 00:17:46,562
Jim Jones came over the speaker system itself and he called everyone to a general meeting.

113
00:17:55,568 --> 00:18:06,577
He told us that the guy in his army would parachute in on us and they would torture older people and babies and that, you know, when they come, you know, we should all be dead.

114
00:18:11,580 --> 00:18:20,587
And then the further trade, the more terrible the trade.

115
00:18:23,590 --> 00:18:37,600
And I was just looking, I mean, here are people my age, older people, younger people, and they were, for the most part, they were voluntarily taking at the time. They were voluntarily drinking poison.

116
00:18:37,600 --> 00:18:53,612
This is a revolutionary suicide. This is not a self-destructive suicide. Please, for God's sake, let's get on with it. We've lived, we've lived as no other people have lived and loved. We've had as much of this world as you're going to get. Let's just be done with it. Let's be done with the agony of it.

117
00:18:53,612 --> 00:18:56,615
Eyewitness Stanley Clayton.

118
00:19:23,635 --> 00:19:42,649
We do not want them to come in and shoot us down like dogs. You know, let's die with dignity and so forth. In fact, people listened to that, but then there were some that didn't listen. And those who did not listen to that were forcibly pulled up out of their seats. If they didn't go over there, they were injected right there.

119
00:19:54,658 --> 00:20:21,679
Odell Roads and Stanley Clayton escaped into the jungle. When Odell returned with Guyanese officials, they found Jim Jones shot in the head. Of 914 dead, only he and his nurse had not taken poison. Jim Jones and most of his followers are gone, but disturbing questions remain.

120
00:20:22,680 --> 00:20:31,686
Is our present society especially vulnerable to men like Jones? Are there other cults in America with tragic potential?

121
00:20:32,687 --> 00:20:42,695
Reportedly, there are still people who venerate Jim Jones, who sleep with his picture and who feel he is the only person who ever loved them.

122
00:20:42,695 --> 00:20:59,708
Organizations that offer solutions to all of life's problems can be seductive, but also perilous. Might the lesson of Jonestown help people avoid the danger?

123
00:21:00,708 --> 00:21:14,719
The church was bizarre at the end, but it didn't start out that way. What a person saw the church in the beginning and what they saw afterwards were two different things. People were tricked, and I believe that most people can be tricked.

124
00:21:14,719 --> 00:21:39,738
Coming up next in Search of continues with the profile of the world's most wanted man, the Playboy turned terrorist they call Carlos. Then 20th century with Mike Wallace reports on the history of kidnapping in America from the Lindbergh baby to the case of Polly Class.

125
00:21:39,738 --> 00:21:48,745
And later tonight, bounty hunters stalk their prey on history's mysteries at 8 here on the History Channel where the past comes alive.