FBI Vault, D.B. Cooper Part 3 (23 pages)
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==== Part 3 · PDF page 1 ====
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ckets. riod is © Tats Mave s f le ler, | thes fast, wWeek'and says. that, urpty had: n

"One 'of, the' nagg ing Dp "8. rat ; : been employed: vat Boe 69nd chad q
: ay record; of, as. vs myer. eith

, °: peer neeeriee ullit:
"purposes, the mice must live off Ziegler i; be smart 'enough te ¢o boct anyelabe

: ._ briefings, and they only'! h half endu

ste rye and? i dreamy, Democratic pro
- 'before « fail to carry them ape

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Tyree

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'* someone else there. might talk as 'seenied... the Watergate, Scandal or, the Milk Sean
"likely, then I would have to do something,' dal' or the: Wheat Scandal' or the You: *
quick. I telephoned Morgan in Atlanta,"" F ill-in-the-Blank Scandal." Nor does" ta
and he rapidly devised a plan:.«@is54¢.2,-,the,..country,, over, which this , capital: House;, briefin, m;):b
vig. He left instantly for. Washington, went, 'presides . know. about 'another 'seandal:; squelched. the weakened | thin, $,,tellin
fh "to the' Justice Department, 'and_re-: me the almost nightly escape from Washing- ay 'them that, "We! re not going to have this: Long ago I played ina poker ame wi
ported that he had'a client, unnamed, °° ton's "jails. Siriee January they have- - type of chaos in future briefings...(and)' a bristly-browed, old curmudgeon wh
who had knowledge of a serious federal " averaged. one escapé every four days: ; A. ,aS far as this briefing is concerned. I'm' had run whiskey. forCapone in Phil

that it appeared to hgax: ax}? ;
& Butin the end, or'to thi Point,

* not Cooper, which mean mis
ve Tfell hard. f5+¢ ghee a rare

7 crime, that the client planned to pub," They, make..good their get-aways | hot' 'ending it, it's ended. "83 He igh anes "3 ~ delphia. He was,one tuk hold | man. I
_lish a story about it, and that the client ." only singularly, but in groups. he ct' The questions pile up. 'Instead of an- ' would try to goad me in es
would turn over the information he Fat City, Rat City, who's to blame? "* swers: there "are diversions.. such . as. 'bets, when my. cards".

"would print-— 10 days before. publica-}- One test of an administration is how it. Marina Whitman, the most- presentable ~ should. "Go on. Take ac
* tion providing the client could get a--. runs Washington. Do we blame the low: member' of the Council of Economic " ed. "Columbus took a cha Y
promise of immunity. Here was the caliber of' Nixon's appointees or are - Advisors, who makes those monthly ad- ;- Yes, Columbus took 'a
_Jegal danger: were I to publish the ~ the crooks bribing their way out? That ~ missions that prices have gone up again. " covered' America. Now: 'I hae
"1 story and Cooper take flight, then I might ° ?' accusation has' been made but not an-, "Dahlings," the ZsaZsa Gabor 'of' eco-~ chance, everything' on, the line, and
wl Ae _be liable for aiding and abetting a erie? swered. No questions get answered in. - nomics says in effect, "we have our good had discovered, what? A' more than lik
. minal to take flight to avoid prosecution, - the rat kingdom where the rodents come months and we: have our bad months, ly impostor, an' Soh pretender

y,, and other things. But if the FBI got the ~ out of their holes, and a faceless Presi-_ and this was a bad one.again, but notso _herculean deeds:..s1 AWE HL
"information 10 days ahead of publication, « dent slips down and out of sight broad- bad if you know how to read the numbers". Still there lingers 'a smali gut feelin
"they'd have a. fair shot at doing their. " casting modest radio messages in the like us experts. Sure, bread's up, rent's maybe self-serving, maybe. not, that
* jobs, and for that matter, possibly estab- Television Age from impenetrable - up, milk's up, but we've got GM to hold had the right man all! 'along, And if

_ lishing whether Cooper's story was true. ; places": ~ ; . the line on Cadillac, and diamond Prices"~didn', well, so be it.' Tt was a breat
. The promise of immunity was made. Many, — many questions. : There are are stable." "1 0 tah. '~ "taking story that didn't check out. Ar
Meantime, Morgan urged me to hurry." questions to be asked about John Ales- ~ Fat city, Rat city, who' sto blame? * that is what a reporter i is or. a a i
., . 1 copyright, 1972, The Washington Post-King

Features Syndicate

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==== Part 3 · PDF page 2 ====
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==== Part 3 · PDF page 3 ====
Dope ee rnmitne eh fi Lact,

4

'bblanned *the: hijackivig
i ae thar

rovevhome. noid

ot ment, the' "man | claiming toe
*: be! D. B. 'Cooper, told how, he-*

i 'a ayear, "how he. did...
oe decided |

"A x£0° Bs
exaalieds to ,b

. there. that he would surface ad expose " : ground' revolutionary
% himself to capture? 1 i Cooper was smart * tell his story: advertising. :

"enough to essay such a slickly pulled-off oad 'Accordingly, T "placed a eee MM 'in?
crime, 'he. doubtless would be smart ~vertisement in several Pacific' "North: 422" Moreover "SUP]
te

"enough to, know ; with' _ What | appetite we west newspapers, addressed to Cooper, 56° ame, forward.rel

"forse agents' of the law. 'were seeking his cap:" ' Inviting: him 'to 'contact me,'and, abgursg SOOPR "How,could , 1 "know, ee
; ture, His getting away | with, 'it, after all, ~ ing him' we "could 'talk without exposing grin man ate, ails the cu mora Jr '

Me :|, would only encourage 'others. to mimic' him to: "capture, An" "imprudent!sand ibe: Se ee ene wou pres gate i
. See nd ne Re

his. deed, at God knows; what gost to the': 1

te veal iinegtin: shard 4. dollars il suwasted ettort. "probab ¥-, mol: shad* 'not beens
roe Whine CEA =i ps : .
= 'human life: iS ' Ree 'tiny*chance "Co per" WOU

8
isa ea avertiool ee eres ee sn 'a minefield of hooby-traps ta
Advertise! < tbh a, pitfatis Fe rt se tilda" b ral EAE PT OR ee eae EY

as tb

0 prove. Wig

queseeme

ait

De

adhe nt te an Heme ARE SAE a led Aton Ee

phar eet!

ihn Mie bee engthe Te I tae tion Whe aA Dada y SHER eet 5 ema fe aM: PEMA Toe erat RMR eI TE tata, te ts SD nada sy

se tn fe himself 'as

soa 'responded ; "to, "my..ad,, J could "demand *

==== Part 3 · PDF page 4 ====
athe wes 3
{az himself to capture? If ;
13 enough to.ess 5d
crime, he : doubtlee ge. several 'Pacinos
enough to know.; ' inicapais est DewsPapers, addressed to Codperit!
: 2 WORE sees ae inviting 'him to contact me,' and' agsi
. His getting away withiitafter all, ng him 'we.could talk without exposing
44 | -Would: only -encqurage .othare:te-mimiee to capture.'. An: imprudentvands
| bls deed, at God. knows:what-gpst to the swasted effort, probably. had:not bée
- A bly, 2a, ahy aw
; there but a t

ifs

; Discovered he couse y ones at: . d fact ot.
the money. This' week! he e i rletter: After several days 'of pondering, a.
lains why he did it, | + E.decided to try a scheme-I had success. ©
Pe Si wat BY ; lly used once before'-t ilure: from... have constitutional privilege as a ye-

GNU Te te ee # . iding-'a member. of a secret ' * us, Porter to keep my source of information *:
"1g A oO ye a . : i vo et te

he''man who gays-he is: DSB Cooper, wai

"Midnight Phone Cali": 4d
2, Then :an 'entire "month. passed."The *
<7,few respondents'to the ad were gran

.
3 , a

slabs . er " Do, aid 'Don't say 'a f ribonp. *Callme iit
nly} ¢ months fo nal rare ines beens are: a a tomorow night at preiet ae 'will
Ore' hate.-This seemed like'the.fastes rr' sn gene safetelephen nis fogs to tall
Ww E ane rer nace way to a a fe 4 oe a " Be 'As is many a reporter who h 'been
own. Neither am I a psychopathic kil-# "ve ab.
'As-a matter of fact, I've-never even':
eived a speeding tieket. fof: tet 4
ere;:the long-trained.. reporter's '
jatinct suggested, was a man who wanted *! PY ar sm ran MP :
£0 'talk, to Justify, to rationalize 'and to" (i 2 Bei. sy mah FF 43: by long-distance call:when a voice,
Ao verbal penance for his deed.!\-;:..? EA ae 2g 4 _ . i.vlously white, probably cop, broke in
:+What he had done was to execute the). coe Ba ts 28 leaid: a

\ » Watts, and four assassinat
.was careful almost to the point of para-.-k.
nola 'about . telephone tapping: Onc
4 down 'South, a reporter friend .
tating his integration: story to his'

i
.
f

5
*

up in history--doing.it-all alone :and:
diving. out ofthe. plane -with $200,
booty—and 'to 'all "appearances, getti
away with it:Half the FBI agents in the;

country were, looking for him. Hundreds:
of military "troops. ¢

==== Part 3 · PDF page 5 ====
/ Ng.and ingenious airline hold:

i up history doing: it: all, along': d;,

'' diving 'out' of 'the plane with $200,000

4 booty—and to"all appearances getting

'_ away with it. Half the FBI agents in the,

. country were looking' for him. Hundreds'

_ Of military:troops fanned out on foot®
to search the countryside around Lake~

Merwin, Wash., where it was believed.
he landed after parachuting. Northwest?
posted a $25,000 reward. So no' matter *
how urgently Cooper might have wanted?

to talk, he would be laying extremely "

© Tow, To ee ee as Mod Tue
sj Nevertheless, I brooded, if a r porter,

s could somehow get to Cooper; what a':
Story there was to be had. Not only was:

the crime daringly unique, but Cooper's -

m letter suggested an extremely uncommon:
as thus potentially fascinating mo-:

tive. If a reporter was 'good at his craft,..

he looked for this extra dimension in a:

» Story ~ a situation or' an oceurence of *
'an* extraordinary nature that instantly
crystalized some aspect of the human

. me whe ;

spectacle... . ..
Given the int

nsity of the search for ~

'Cooper, however, what. real hope was . RES

Copyright© 1972 Platypus Publications |."

tivolved"
7 had:

" nola..
down South, a reporter friend |
5. tating his integration story, to h{s'of

by long-distance call when a voice, ob: «-

% viously white, probably cop, brok-in and .

Said'. "You: goddamned nigge
on-of-a-biteh." 6 sta, ,

One learned to be * careful

® Phones. By next morning, I had at
San elaborate. system' involvin

aT es

-. KARL FLEMING: was associat.

Newsweek magazine as correspOndend,

'= Los Angeles bureau chief gud contributing ©

Rock

te

, and Watts. He covered thé, assassif/ations

S of President John F. Kennedy and %¥s'bro}- |

~ ther Robert and those of Martin *Cuthex

". King and Medgar Evers. He was assi ned"

to Richard Nixon during the last, Presi

: Ra '
: dential campaign and has covered Lyndon ''

1, Johnson, George Wallace, Hubert. Hum-'-'

Phrey, Barry Goldwater and Ronald Rea. |
* gan. He also reported on the Charle$ Man:.
- Son and Jack Ruby trials for Newsweek. .
4 'and the trial of Pueblo spy ship captain * .
"Lloyd BMtxQucher,» > "3 i .

aan]

an De ee oe

==== Part 3 · PDF page 6 ====
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==== Part 3 · PDF page 7 ====
.

f

Th

* parachuted from; a vaca

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'coper Story:

.

7

#!
40
1

\ an artist's concep

ia eel yee

tion of what he
tioner enjoying his spoils; or @

vane tit,

et

sa

'convict, caught an

he was, is, and might b

d dispatched to jail.

a.
ritpeesde ye er'
i Cay os.

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Hon eagle: .

'

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ing the plane h

==== Part 3 · PDF page 8 ====
cted to take the call. and "refer it to.

her number, where a friend was.
ding by with instructions to take |
'éall, refer the caller to yet 'another |

'nu ber—where I was waiting—and then"
- Bet out of the house. In case'the call
2 was 'traced to that number, the friend
; oe be absent if anyone came knock.
in 7 a . St af "8

hit self as "Mr. Thomas" and said he ::

A ge x acting as an intermediary for Cooper. °
if "tH said Cooper was interested in ex:
oe hi ining to the 'American people the ~

: json, for, the skyjacking, but Cooper"

ne -wasn't able to spend the $200,000, for the |

'of the, bills, therefore; -he wanted to sell
i 'story for $45,000, to be paid in three"

fi med a Nnterv Ws ,
000 'upon public ation" "of.
Seth "Thomas Shows Up bes
jext week, the. intermediary:¢: 'came to
\irport

a

rene

sment sounse
hagelsand he

eraphs of his client. pictures that looked

* arya gs

te ythe

'with: po sand he
( h

Ae ae tea itt ee

"felt 'guilty even when stealing "cookies
_from a jar when he was a child. .

By He had been married to the same
_.woman for 25 years, had never cheated
Jon her once, 'belonged to the country_
"club, the PTA' and had been so faithful |
"an upward-aspiring engineer at Boeing -
Se hi he carried two cheese sandwiches

= "Feathers His Neck

"Item: "You 'don't laugh at motherhood.
"You don't laugh at tradition, at religion,
2 sat everything possible that a man could
"hold dear," } he said. L
~ Item: "When you Te at "the football .
'game and somebody gets up and sings
_the 'Star-Spangled Banner, it still makes
'the feathers come up on my. neck when
_ Thear it." . dows mee
<Item: "When I had' my. "first: 'sexual ex-"
perience. 'with a 'girl, I was 17 _yearg old. :
*This was 'an older woman. I was 50. dumb. ° Se
Ay was 'drinking beer with her. I was away .
from" home and it was Christmas Eve."
We went, to her. 'apartment. "She asked °
me if I wanted to play cards.So said *
a '$0 we' "re: "playing, strip poker. F

the: A 'athroom 'and when 'I came, back,
he, 'was in bed. 'So'l said "Well, 1 yuess**
Til be going, Irene.-And she, said "Oh, -
scold i in, here. Af. you'd just come over, gd

"cand warm me up a bit' Weil, Pr ma pretty";

eUaper Pabbacde Poised PS errr ee |

hatiie

we vient te viel fe tiR Ne dE Rad tet

ah gE ed

ite ie a
"phase out everybody i in thelr 40s because 7

"it would be cheaper, : and better, econo-

_mics to keep the young blood coming in
If you can 'suck the last drop" of gray, a
matter from the ones you're going" to a
dump and put it into the brains of the
'younger ones, 'then see how much more

money you're ahead!" "ts na ree

2.The 'first "shock passed, "and. 'Cooper: wi
~ realized that his situation— 'though . whe a

had a $300 a month mortgage on a 'subur- %

ban home, two cars, a boat, a camper and
-two children to support— wasn't too bad.

"After all, this executive at "Northwest,

upon 'whom 'oceasionally Cooper 'paid o

; "offer that any time Y wanted Py change

_companies...it would be great to have
.me on the Northwest team." The 'North:
"west man had been batters im. up,

e courting him even.'

., 80 Cooper telephoned him. the secr
ary 'said he was on another. line. and
would call back. When he: 'didn't, Cooper
; phoned again. He was not in the, office

ithe secretary said, but she - hay

"him call. He didn't. Cooper.

again. 'He was in conference, th
tary' "said. Finally, anothe' bi
his' old, pal; at t Northwest, his 'oc asional ie

egan % BpInE ~ nto -}
thinking 'of 'what he Rrould'
rest c 'of his life, 'His pride, had cong
"Any main who Frets iin 'and goes to wor

oan) ee Pee

tH ate ee ae

==== Part 3 · PDF page 9 ====
Wd Bb bbdig tay wee tse
ned, Y. a

oo per; Wass is a
" plaining: to ; the: American' people? 'ou don'tilaugh-al
"reason: for the's thing

for the'skyjacking, but Cooper "vat everything

was haying: a. hard time financially. He :% hold dear,' hes

: wasn't able to spend the $200,000, for the 4 Item:. 'er

' money.was hot. The FBI had the numbers:

oe of the bills, therefore, he wanted to sell:
es his. stary-for $45,000, to be paid in three «the feathers come.up: hen? me

¢ $15,000 when I wes sure Thad I hearit!.\30% ivi aon. et: So Cooper telepho ped him)

in; $15,000-when my inter: Item::¢When Thad'my firsts tary' said he was on, angthet,

2 perience with a girl,/I.was-17 years old. 'would call back: When'he

: b.3: phoned again. He was no

Sie views, were: completed (he suggested 8 «|

¢ riimed interview, ..with masks); and': This was an older woman. I was so dum a
was drinking beer with her: I was away. the secretary 'said, but, she

from home 'and :it, was Christmas Eve. him call. He didn't. Cooper; talephaned 9

We went to her:apartment, She asked' again..He was in conference; the secre:37,

"sNextiweek, the intermediary-came to: me i¢ I wanted to play:cards. So Vesaid':
LosAngeles, and we;met at the Airport | gure.' So we're playing 'stip poker, For!

Marina 'Hotel,' where :1:had taken.'%'reg), So, the next.thing, I had to go to, .

golf partner, was avo'

room.: "Seth "Thomas" was a 'plodding, 'the bathroom and-when I came back, «would be no job. oo Fue
As the out-of-work days passed,

 plack-haired," spade-bearded* real ©8-*' sne was in bed. So'I said "Well, I.guess" " "inte ; eh
spe tes wioh:, began dipping 'into bis; savings, \aud

*

>; tate broker and inveatment counselor - =: 3) be going, Irene.':And-she said 'Oh, '
of. x0 he. described: himeelf—and be i Oe Eo re eva'd just come over.» thinking of what he would do: with the
brought with him several Polaroi Photo. and warm me up'a bit,' Well, Tm a pretty + peat of his life. His pride had been burt.
is graphs of his client, pictures that looked "sharp fellow. I-just: got"in, clothes and "Any man who gets up and goes to.wor
'n> remarkably-like the composite drawing.' aut, 1 took: my shoes off. That's all. Til. in the morning is a proud man," he sal¢
i.) of D.B. Cooper whic the FBI circulated ~; tell you what: she gave. me an education" .He had been fired, s0. he' suffered co}
to newspapers. 'He Fr also 'produced a m before I was much older." .. a : 7 atant embarrassment:. . JS Be Lad ee
-paper containing three serial numbers, ": Item: "A. woman is different froma." "People look at you with a sympathetic ('
f y eye, and this is the thing thet kills you.: a.

Pe u
~ which; coincided. with three' numbers * man. A woman comes from some other '
Th on the! steep ir So " place. ' - Sympathy is the one thing I gould never,
2 That, J told bim,was-hapdly real proof, °. or someth oie a: man. dosn't take: pind all my fife" oo) ong ennai
for' nearly anyone,could obtain the lst' the dominant 'rolein the. bedroom, : ::, / 3 ook, KEE A
and' copy, numbers out of it How about | there's something wrong with him, A "Abortive Business Attems
. thereal billets: : sy". "oq. > 4 man ean go out {nto an alley or the back™ ; He tried to get a construction )
"Ag we dickeréd over the interview fee, of car or something. But a woman has "#0ing, but couldn't raise "the. pital.
. he, promised the 'real bills 'would be ™.'¢, have some feeling of security in her" He made an abortive attempt to 9. inte:
produced. We .egreed on a price, $30,000, iovemaking." *. pty ~", the bouse trailer business, 'but he:had2a a
nd.on Feb, 15,1 nervously boarded @: tem: ." 'A man's feeling of manhood, pqmoney.. sO a aN.
Western flight to Seattle, carrying Cam" his masculinity, ig 'directly associated |" Finally, he gritted' his teeth and did
mical 'to 'everything. he',

= eras, two tape recorders, and $30,000 «with his ability to provide for himself . something ini
; When all of - stood for: he went to the unemployment !:

7 im $20 and $50 bills, concealed in several * sna to earn a good living
tA envelopes and buried in my tennis © sudden he is unable ta do this, if he has office. A typically crisp, impersonal,'
.' equipmentcase: © been a red-blooded man who stood on 'juiceless woman bureaucrat, he. sald,

- "Shortly after checking into The Swept _ his feet and worked all his life and asked coolly interrogated him about his quall<)" i

"iy. Wing Motel near the Seattle airport "no quarter from anyone, asked for noth: fications, then suggested he takes job. By
as an "aide." He left in a boiling rage.'

Thomas arrived, and minutes later, - ing, then you in effect have emasculated - x
..5 Cooper himself appeared, entering MY | this man. It means cut the balls offhim." The humiliation of that -experience," 7
oa, room furtively from the parking lot. He." jiem: "I guess you would have to say __. the anger at being fired and tossed on.
"> was a nervous, slightly-built, balding | that sex is better on payday.". "the junkheap, the betrayal of his friend, ~
ct middle-aged man.who wore ablackrain:: Item: "You work hard for Dear Old they all came together at once and wash-;,
. 2+ 4" coat, black shoes and black cen He. Ironworks and do a good job and putin ed. over him in. tear-esealding anger.)
o-oo» kept the gioves on while he chain-smok-~- your years there and do the best you 'e : so 7 a as
tl. atte: ed filter cigarettes. He spoke in a raspy': can and make money:for.them and get -° He. couldn't get work. 'His pride. bie
' x4 voice that reminded me instantly of the., giong well with everyone and you will «. deter evilte a4 peeiny de oe wo meh (A
: P te Bucher. : , 2c. a Ss , | ia t a ann
Pueblo spy ship comma nave. | be rewarded. Because-besides your PaY " be the 'way. He tried, but be couldn ar' i a,

ae vo Cooper was anxious to have the money | check and your annual leave and your |.
: ee n , te Cecteon * go it The Catholic Church had instilled me ; De es
, sor ee 4 Karl Fleming and D.'B: Cooper

a tantatnd an soning mand a 12664n Hlahne we eo! tata Were"
wittiniAa a

a

==== Part 3 · PDF page 10 ====
ey

bapanidt $30, 000

~ Cooper was anxious to have the pre Lae "check and your anual leave and your ™,

"handed over, But-I" insisted on 'séeing

4 the real money, whereupon: Thomas;*

oT extracted a wallet and produced . threes:

"-f erisp $20 bills. I: checked_ their" serial
"+ numbers ° 'against _ the: . FBI. list,
"-} matehed. is. He AOR GT ht a

'warded, Because besides' your pay3 bs

'vacation, if you get a little higher up,'.
you can look forward to a bonus and the..,

'pension and be well-fed and, of course,

a: you'll get the fold watch or whatever."
Ni; That | was DB. Cooper, and that was *

"the way he had lived his life, patiently -

.P
deteriorating. He began. to contemplate:;
"suicide. Pills, he finally decided, would.
- be the way. He tried, but he' 'couldn't'. [Fg
'do it. The Catholic Church had instilled nee
' too strongly in him that suicide, like Kan F leming and D. B. Coopers
marital infidelity, is a sin. "abs $ naa et

At home 'every "day, 'he read a lot of: -
newspapers. They were full of hijacking'

They're loaning money. The re
Stories, which he read after vainly y 5 y Y:

aie the insurance: companies, ey | i
., to hide the money, They're 'buyi g land! .
build! -

"hoeing out the row, obeying the rules, °
the three $20 bills. "And I have $199, 90:7 :

, More of them buried in the ground that'*
I will be happy to give you in exchange +
'for other bills," he said, I told him I" Bitter Payoff '

im 'and waiting to cash-in on the American ey
; Dream, as advertised setts "

' didn't think I wanted to have any stolen. y
one day when he went to his Boeing desk

. * bills in my possession * 2. ahs "

"*" Teontinued to hesitate, prodding Coop-.;
'er to yield up details of the hijacking"
few of which had appeared In the press.

- He began hesitantly, but soon éon:* '

Avinced me I had the right man. Subse-
quently I handed over the money, with |

er's legal defense were he caught. What
- helped convinced me was what Cooper
_ Said was his motive... - wth
' He. was raised in an authoritarian
. Catholic household, Cooper said, and

: His payoff, he related 'bitieris, « came

'and found a pink slip of dismissal. He
"was crushed. a

. "It made me feel just like the first
'time I jumped out of an airplane..
just bereft of' everything that's inside ,

. you, that's all," he said. .
the stipulation that it be held for. * Coop-.,

He was being replaced, he discovered:
by a man 15 years his junior, a junior
man he had carefully trained. He had
been a believer, an unquestioning cog,
but now a jolt of hard truth hit him:
"You're dead wood. If they could, they'd

Tae voted alle eine taly

"he said. "The more I thought about it, 7
the more I. thought how easy it would be. —

Because the security is very weak, very.
lax, almost non-existent. So I started'

to organize, mentally, to do this. I would :
go on with everyday living. But I would *
_ begin to think about this in earnest." :

- Then followed a period of moral
wrestling. "There's the code: you can't
take what's not yours. But wait a minute.
Who says it's not mine? Where would
this money come from? Either the stock-
holders or the company that insures |
them. Now, wait a minute. Insurance. :

Who has a strangle hold onthe American |

economy? Insurance: companies, And

eR BEES, ay teh MELE UE gate 02!

_ Searching the. classified Job, Section:;:
"So then, I started thinking about ity

. ing skyscrapers. They're into ever, hing.
i: many millionaires made $1 last year and
didn't pay taxes. And look at the 'oil
companies. I could put the' money I

would steal down as a depletion a,

_ lowance," Cooper said. ' "% 4

c

So he planned. "I didn't 'want:
anything I had up, and in order

thing. And then I was, if you'll ardod

the expression, very much pissed off:
" right then. So more and more, I planned,
for over a year, and still I was not sure .- -

I would go through with it. But my bit-
'terness was changing to hard eynie

If he did it, how much money would he'
'ask? Had he worked at Boeing to > retire-

ment, his annual income, with company rok

> how |

maintain what I had, I had to dosome-

cism." .

==== Part 3 · PDF page 11 ====
t

==== Part 3 · PDF page 12 ====
4

PORT
Pee

oming than : the rat race again? Or would
'his fantasy andtravel? . ie xs
: "If anything, I've done the
favor," he said. "I've shown them that
it can be done. You don't have to be the:
ntneantunad § individuals that hijacks

penefits and his few investmen'
~ be sbout $12,000. He went: to.
Thomas," investment counselor, wh
"had approached him several times. pre-
--etana about putting his money into land..::

even' all-of it 1 had-more
) that, 1 didn't do anything wrong." he

AY

'and their:

people a:

'L showed, them. I'm not over the -hi
'Ljean. make another jump tomorrow.
cau make one 10 years from now, God.

willing. Youbet." «—

Tey

~And:."I proved to the Establishment i

==== Part 3 · PDF page 13 ====
. ! z te tse . . ai: %
- benefits and his few investments, ""Feven all of it. I Had more coming than | "fulfill and their "escape, through |
be "about "$12,900. He' went-to "Seth "that, I didn't' do anything wrong." he ® his fantasy and travel? .72.. > a ie 'showed them. I'm not .over the. hill
- Thomas," :investment eounselor, !wha "said. os: Pe Gen Sif 'anything, T've. done the 'peop! "gan 'make another sjump tomorrow. '
had affproached him several times: pre- "Wax in Ears, eM ue favor," he said. "ve shown them that 7,.1 can make oné 10 years from iow, God
'vious gbout putting his money into land. °< when we 'finished some eight hours it can be done. You don't have to be the Ww ARB ES:
[How fnuch of a capital sum, Cooper got taped interviews, he put on make-up "stereotyped individual *. that "hijacks yitAnd: "J proved to the Establish
allowed himself to "planes. You don't have to even raise--that I'm not just a faceless number. I'm -
"your voice. You don't have to use any {a person. I'm a human being. I proved

violence. You, don't have 'to "Use" any :¥'that Old Dad can still do it." 3:
Jubilantly, I packed my film, my

j asked would a man have to invest to "and a wool cap and

.| yield $n annual income of about $12,000? "he filmed by a freelance cameraman and
' Thom s took his penci) and worked it "soundman I had brought up after in- |
'out: $250,000, Cooper thought about it, * structing them to hear nothing, see threats, and you can still tell that plane.
: put then decided his needs were modest, " nothing, ask no questions. 1 made them - where to go and not jeopardize all those ':
: "go he|sealed down the figure to $200,000. | stick wads of wax into their ears while People. I showed them their screening' :7>*.
And that was how he decided to hijack "1 interviewed Cooper, and 'made them. system doesn't work." bbe TPR we reached 'Los Angeles.' I 'felt that if

'the plane for $200,000. >.3* turn their backs from the camera when 7" He "never dreamed 1 would be saying ymever wrote another story, I had justi: .
it ; a fied 'my existence, by creating some.

After relating how "he hijacked the "i he raised the photostats of the stolen anything against -the : Establishment" 400°. : by.) 3
: plang, and drove home in his cur with iF bills to be filmed. + Se 'h0.0 hs put here he had hijacked this plane in as thing worthwhile, something that would .
"! lthe honey, he insisted he didn't feel "That afternoon, we rode—along with cold vengeful rage. Now he had a mes-s 'stand "41, presumed 9, imagine~ a8 2.5
{guilty over the crime, or over the' pos- Seth Thomas, whose name I naw knew 'sage' "to the younger generation' that commentary , on American |S

"f sibil ty that he might encourage others .:to be Jack Lewis—down Interstate 5, wants 'to shoot, everybody, over ,30 Ys DS epee
} to stage hijackings, until someone got and he showed me all the key spots'in " They've botched every single one they've". NEXT WEEK: 50,90),
od Daned. ERS OSs %s : he hijacking. As we drove, he talked ever done, with, all their bombings. and. itrayal of trust, so

5
i

any ae sae ' a 5 . . > . . ete te g
hat I figured was m ne, about his future. Would he get back in - all their riots and cold-blooded murders sgrowing suspicion

og

4

"o ney}

==== Part 3 · PDF page 14 ====
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==== Part 3 · PDF page 15 ====
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==== Part 3 · PDF page 16 ====
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==== Part 3 · PDF page 17 ====
(Mount Clipping in Spoce Below)

————

BY ALEXANDER AUERBACH
simes siatt Welter

3.

£5n first-person =
. hey had "gitnessert.
—zhat happens 47 the repartee
> pie sleuth wh sad one of
_ xt publi-ized exime nit
ggg OF (By the victim of
- hoax since Cliffere Irving 3
mh autobiogsaPhy of Howard
or ie) path? -
newspaper
rea, WIFE

oriented, UP=

: engineer')

x Seattle yome

fied with two

rand compass, 2

ores and three red

ook like a dynamite
; . .

a

vr

and contributing editor with News:
week for 11 years) went on to de
serive every detail

facking, in an 2

4.000 words @ dt

tne egblod,

proto and

next installment.
One iustration showed Nerox co-
¢ three $20 pilis given to Fiem-
of Cooper's identity;
ers matched qnose
"that made
up the 'yansom paid by the airline.
The seco descrived pow
Flemin 'ot thi _ While stom
Newsweek puta classitied

- g
ee sane ¥ . <
K sinter eatocat i gt ae

mee

ats .
ve a Se Na yo he
. ett: ae eee tates ca
ie 25* ea
ed - - cas

(Indicate page: name of
newspaper, city and state.)

_I-10 Los Angeles
Los Angeless Cali

Date:

Edition: Weanesart
Author? Alexander
Editor: William Be.
Title: Nor jak ,

Character:
or
Classification?

Submitting oftces aed

{ | Beins Invesgered

==== Part 3 · PDF page 18 ====
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Continued from 10th Page
ad in newspapers around
Oregon and Washington,
asking Cooper to contact
him.

Later, while Fleming and

millionaire Max Palevsky -

were organizing LA, an in-
termediary offered to put
thé newsman in contact
with Cooper—for $30,000.
Palevsky put up the money
and Fleming flew up to
meet Cooper, dragging
along two tape recorders, a
motion picture camera,
two cameramen and $30,
006 in cash.

The haadline on the
third and final instaliment

read: "Is D. B. Cooper the

real D. B. Cooper?" There
is considerable reason for"
doubt, since the men who
police say talked to Flem-
ing — and who allegedly
took his $30,0C0 — have
been arrested by the FBI
on charges of defrauding
Fleming of his money.
Arrested Before Story
The arrest took place on
May 2, long before Flem-
ing wrote his story for LA.
Why did Fleming pub-
lish the story in a manner
that led some readers, un-
' aware of the fraud arrest,
to: betieve that the early
installments were the real
thing? {
Fleming doesn't feel that
. the initial installment was
deceptive, not ing that
"there were disclaimers in
it," referring to two Jines
near the end: "The fore-
oing narrative was reiat-
ed to me by the man I be-
Yeved to be Cooper .. -
and, "Doubts about wheth-
er 1 had the right man

vould arise later..."
"T wanted the reader to

experience it just, exactly

as I did," Fleming says.
"I's an adventire story, -
as much about me as
about D. B. Cooper, and I
wanted to put the reader
in my shoes. If the reader
was reasonably alert, he
would have seen in the
press that these guys had
been busted by the FBI."
if the man Fleming in-
terviewed was not D. B.
Cooper —~ and Fleming.
isn't totally sure he was
not the hijacker—then he
was a masterful con man,
to hear Fleming tell it.
Paid at First Meeting
"I gave him the whole
$30,000 at our first meet-
ing, after I was convinced
iat this wes DB
er,' Flering says. "At that
point a com men would
have taken the money and
run like hell, but this guy,
Cooper, came' back and
submitted himself to eight
hours of taped interviews,
30 minutes of filmed inter-
views and stil photo
graphs. His intermediary
sicned a contract (saying
the $30,600 would be used
'for Cooper's legal defense)
with his real name and leit
his fingerprints all over
the contract."
The story was to have
been in the opening issue
of LA. To avoid charges of
'aiding a fugitive from jus-
dice, Fleming turned his
material over to the FBI
19 days before publication
(he had told Cooper not to
tell him anything he
didn't wart the police to
know.) Included were Xe-
rox copies of the $20 bills
Fleming had been shown
as proof of Cooper's identi-
ty. The seria! numbers
ynatehed those on the list
of ransorm bills but FBI
documents experts said
that the phetecopies indi-
cated that the bills were
counterfeit.
Vith ali the information
Fieming's subjects had
supplied, the FBI had no

og? *
da. To. Le

aed * ta where
Laer ay

Leet 63-3

==== Part 3 · PDF page 19 ====
wm
MOU ge We tue

as sophisticated as the one
this guy toid me, would be
ulead to bes stupid enough to turn
Fleming says he still finds around and expose himself
jt "difficult to accept" the to capture this way.
possibility that he was "Ty don't exclude the pos
quped. "I asked that guy sibility that he w h
n smart enoug

trouble rounding them up.
Syith their trial sched-
in Nov. 27,

.
PAs Pe pw Oe tm peg

OYO oo INnwmUNe
eaten - 2

yestions 70 con me
» the nijacking,
sprea
in the story s0
look right and
ay he isnt
t he does
fraud,
n

ty

repared for.

him story an

Jike a vacuum cleaner." false clues

Fleming 10 tes that it would not

"Cooper" went into detail the FBI would s8)

on matters of air navige- ij i

nd parachute proce-
dure—wna sare that Fienk mek

ing isa licensed private pi- when 3

Jot with seme 769 hours in $200,000 is stil.
In that case,

5 would be

the air.

Because of the magni- Fleming's servic

tude of the story a true account of the hi-

cause of its intended role jacki as : Part

-as tne yiokoff piece for his One mi a nt,
new newspaper, Fleming #9 che nt of how 4
says, he was extremely $6 g duped, 38
carefl in his questionins.
rat the risk of sounding -
immodest," is, "

could have P
he says. "L went over

fas hiiacki

.

é

eM ey agree Ryne ove oot
wanes

4tane

Gian ane
at, the

e comes ee

shere." .

of coutss,

he

wouldn't want
thing to dame
very good reputati
reporter."

te has an ingenious,
mirror - within - 2- mirror
theory of his own

*J'm not § vi
FBI was wrong,
would never
they would

distort

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= eee

==== Part 3 · PDF page 20 ====
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* THIS MOTE 15 LEGAL woe
FOR ALL DLDTS. PUBLIC AND PRIVATE

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==== Part 3 · PDF page 21 ====
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==== Part 3 · PDF page 22 ====
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23

24

STAN PITKYS3 (iin, oO Lo tytn a HEL
United Staves Attorney ; ' oo ae

1012 United States Courthouse
Seattle, Washington 98104

(206) 442-7970

UNITED "STATES DISTRICT COURT
. WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON

AT SEATTLE
~4 ras wr ot
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ) 6 Keo
7) ™
Plaintiff, -) *~ NO.
) -
Vv. dy .
_)
WILLIAM SOHN LEWIS, a/k/a, —- .) *
JACK LEWIS, and DONALD SYLVESTER ) INFORMATION
MURPHY , ),
)
. . Defendants. ;

The United States Attorney Charges that:
COUNT I

1. Beginning on or about February 1, 1972 ane

1972, withi

continuing thereafter through or about May 2,

WILLTAN oon

the Western District of Washington, defendants

LEWIS (also known as Jack Lewis) and DONALD SYLVESTER

MURPHY devised and intended to devise a scheme and artified

to defraud Karl. Payne Fleming, Newsweek Nagazine, Platypus)

_Pubications, and other persons, businesses and corporation.

by means of the following false anc fradulent pretenses,

4

'representations and promises, well knowing the Same WoulG

mares

be and were false when made, for the purpose of cdtaining.

_money in excess of $53 000 by means thereof.

==== Part 3 · PDF page 23 ====
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24

25

26

; de fraud. the' on about. February 1, re72 XS PrLLTAM 'To iN: Pa
< a,
lhe

ee @ was a part of said schen

LEWIS phoned Karl Fleming in Los Angeles, California; that

defendant LEWIS identified himself as ane

"Seth Thomas"

told Fleming that he could ar. ange an intervie between

Fleming and "D. B. Cooper." oe .

3. ' It was further a part of said scheme-and artifice.
to defraud that on or about February 13, 1972, defendant
WILLIAM JOHN LEWIS made a reservation for Karl Fleming at
the Swept Wing Inn, Seattle, Washington.

4, It was further a part of said' Scheme and ertifice
to defraud that on or about February 16, 1972, defeniant "
WILLIAM JOHN LEWIS met with Fleming at the Svept Vins ant;
Seattle, Washington, and 'informed Ploming thet an interview
with "D,. B. Cooper" would be arranged by WILLIAM JOHN LEWIS

Pa ' .
for the sum of $45,000, payable in three instéllments; ana

3

that defendant WILLIAM JOHN LEWES knew said representation
and promise would be and was false when made,

5. It was further a part of said scheme and ercifice
to defraud that on or about February 23, 1972, deferdar
WILLIAM JOHN LEWIS and DONALD SYLVESTER MURPHY met with
Fleming at the Edgewater Inn, Seattle, Washington, and
represented that defendant MURPHY was "D. B. Cooper," well
knowing saia representation would be and was false when
made.

6. It was further a part of said schcine and artifice
to; defraud that on or about February 23, 1972, defendants

WILLIAM J CHN LEWIS and DONALD SYLVESTER MURPHY took the sun"

of $30, 000 from Karl Fleming as payment for an interview

"2h yY aed rade Sot otis Ee ats
with page Biegoopaws
