The Edge, 'Lookout: D.B. Cooper Was Here' by Ken Lizotte

Lookout

D.B. Cooper Was Here

by Ken Lizotte

I have been passed more evidence that D.B. Cooper, the 1971 hijacker who escaped with $200,000 somewhere over the Southern California countryside, actually surfaced—at least briefly—in Cambridge... Cooper has been eluding the F.B.I. rather successfully all through the seventies, but my source (let's call him The Lark) claims that a D.B. Cooper lived in the Boston area from 1977 to at least late 1978. He also maintains that prominent U.S. officials knew this but did not report it to the Bureau. The Lark also says that former New Hampshire Governor Mel Thomson gave information to Cooper concerning the possibility of transmigration to South Africa. The question, then, is what did the D.B. Cooper, and whoever it was, who did Governor Thomson think it was?

Also, who did Arthur F. Burns, former chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, think he was communicating with when he received a letter from a D.B. Cooper dated December 30, 1977? This letter is noteworthy, since Cooper indicates that if Burns is interested, Cooper might actually send him some Money. Why? Surely, Burns has enough of his own, and yet, here was a D.B. Cooper (!) offering money to the outgoing chairman of the F.R.B.! One can only surmise how much and for what reason, and in any case, why, like Thomson, did Burns say nothing about the matter to law enforcement officials?

The Lark has altered this portion of the letter as evidence: "I've been watching you work very closely all the years you've been head of the Fed, and I think you've done a great job. Better than I could do, that's for sure. I mean, it ain't easy keeping money from getting out to the people the way you [guess: have] ... somebody's got to keep money

from falling into the wrong hands. ... I will most regret your having your job because I will not be able to hear of you anymore. Maybe they'll write a story about you in People? I hope so, because I would miss not being able to read about what you've been doing with yourself. Whatever happens, be at ease. Don't let the economy get you down, it's not your worry anymore."

Huh? This is an outlaw speaking? Is this on the level or what? The Lark says it is, but offers no explanation. Why then would D.B. Cooper, the outlaw, commend Arthur F. Burns for his work with the FR? Could this be code? Does Cooper know what he's talking about when he writes, "it ain't easy keeping money from falling into the wrong hands?" The F.B.I. has certainly been wringing its own hands as it's soared high and low for the two hundred [guess: thou] from Cooper's hijacking ransom.

The kicker here is that later in the letter, Cooper offers Burns a loan! "I could lend you a few bucks," he says. "Nothing's too good for a pal like you. AND FOR ALL YOU'VE DONE." (Emphasis mine!) The letter ends: "I wouldn't charge as much interest as the banks do, so don't worry about that part! Please contact me if I can help. I'M ALWAYS AROUND." (Emphasis, once again, my own!)

Most importantly, however, there is a reply from Burns, dated January 6, 1978, on FRB stationery and addressed to D.B. Cooper, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Unless The Lark has somehow stolen FRB letterheads, Arthur Burns must have a copy of this reply somewhere in his own files! Does the Bureau know this? Again, why didn't Burns report these communiqués in the first place?

The reply is terse, even perplexing: "It was good of you to write me so graciously. I deeply appreciate your kind thoughts." That's it! Maybe Burns is merely simple, maybe it never crossed his mind that this might be the same D.B. Cooper.

But how, really, do any of us know for certain that it was not?

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[partial, degraded text] ...on [illegible] thing to [illegible] public. [illegible] [illegible] think Ted [guess: Kennedy] is [illegible] different than Richard Nixon, a [illegible] cheat?

Ronald Reagan is calling for tax cut, across the board for all taxpayers. Peace a beer on wages, prices, rents, interest rates and profits. He does not mention freeze on TAXES, the one thing that is killing all American wallets a [illegible] pocketbook. Kennedy is calling for [illegible] passage, by Congress, of the Humphrey- Hawkins Full Employment Bill, and the National Health Insurance Bill, these two pieces of legislation are highly inflationary and totally unnecessary. This legislation will hurt the very people that Kennedy is [illegible] concerned about: the poor, elderly, do not want the big government that Kennedy stands for. Kennedy is calling for minorities and women. This proposed legislation would tax these people even more, because the hidden tax, inflation, hurts these groups the hardest. Miss Riley's Ronald Reagan and his "performance" in New Hampshire may not be to your liking, but I'll take him any day over [illegible] buffoon from Massachusetts.

Lawrence A. Cunningham Quincy, MA.

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Ohl Revisited

Doooooooooon Oooooooooooooooh!!!!!!!

Lathered forward, sweat poured, demons churned, [guess: heard] screeching:

Doooooooooooooooon Oooooooooooo- ooooh!!!!!!!!!!

Thundering throughout psyche, reverberating, echoing against inner walls of stainless steel...

Doooooooooooooooooooooooo Oooo- ooooooooooooh!!!!!!!!!!!

God himself delivering the word born on high .... the parados of human achievement had been presented—the invisible star—infinite geometry demanded an existence remembered only by those so twisted....so [guess: possessed].... Rocky Ryan....A Jim Schipper. For this garden had seen and forgotten a team of Ohls...sing along—

Tiny Dishing— Dooooon Ooooooo-

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Page 4 THE EDGE - March 24, 1980

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Page 12 - THE EDGE - March 24, [illegible]

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DB Cooper-19007