Part 53, page 56

Transcript

The scan is the source; the transcript is machine-generated from it.

560 4th St., was taken into [guess: custody] at a Gorst cafe, Both arrests were made abou[guess: t noon] without incident. Murphy maintains a business office at 6603 [guess: Kitsap Way]. Lewis has an office for Seven Beaver Lakes Country Club at the same address.

Charges filed by Pitkin contend that Lewis and Murphy used photo copies of three $20 bills with serial numbers from money given to the hijacker superimposed over the original numbers as part of their scheme to get Fleming to accept their story that Murphy was "Cooper."

The Associated Press said the two are charged with dressing Murphy in a wig and glasses to make him look like an artist's drawing of "Cooper."

A news release this afternoon from the FBI said Flem- ing allegedly paid the men $30,000 for an exclusive story, pointing out to them that Newsweek couldn't support the undertaking but that a partner of Fleming's in Platyapus Publications, Inc., would put up the money."

Federal authorities claimed Fleming met with Lewis and a disguised Murphy on Feb. 16 at a Seattle motel.

The affidavit from FBI Agent Charles E. Farrell said Fleming came to Seattle again Feb. 20 with $30,000 in cash and turned the money over to Lewis after both signed a statement that the money was to be held in trust as a legal defense fund should "Cooper" ever be captured or should surrender. The agent said Fleming also gave Lewis $300 for expenses.

An interview with Murphy posing as "Cooper" was carried out on a Puget Sound beach near Seattle on Feb. 23, the charges said. A motion picture camera and a tape recorder were placed so that their operators could not see or hear the interview by Fleming of "Cooper" and Lewis. Both operators were told to wear earplugs, the charge said.

The film, tape and copy of the three alleged ransom bills are in custody of the FBI, Farrell said.

An advertisement in at least one Seattle newspaper late last December is believe to have started a chain of events that eventually led the FBI to the charges. The Sun has learned.

The advertisement, in the personal columns of the Seattle Times the week of Dec. 23, said in part: "D. B. Cooper" "If you are interested in telling your poignant story to an absolutely discreet and trustworthy writer for a re- sponsible national magazine without jeopardizing your safety in any way, phone area code 213-826-5457

That was the home phone number of Fleming, who at that time was a contributing editor of Newsweek magazine, in West Los Angeles.

That advertisement was noticed by William "Jack" Lewis, 32-year-old Seabeck man who—among other occupa- tions—is a land developer. Lewis later told The Sun that ad gave him an idea for an advertisement he placed in The Sun on Dec. 30. Lewis' ad read: "D. B. Cooper "Have 2½ acre investment tracts. Will defer down payment. Call MY 2-6864-MY 2-2815."

What happened after that ad appeared has not yet been determined, but FBI agents apparently have been trying to find out if the parachuting hijacker who extorted $200,000 from Northwest Airlines last Nov. 24 answered Lewis' ad.

Several times since the first of this year, Lewis has told The Sun he thought he had been contacted by the skyjacker, whose voice he recognized on the telephone. However, Lewis also has said at various times before the FBI began questioning him that: —He has been acting as a go-between to sell the sky- jacker's story. —He has made contact with Fleming and given him the facts for a story. —He has been seeking a guarantee of amnesty for the skyjacker, who would like to surrender himself and all the money at a time that would coincide with publication of the story.

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He has [guess: received] some money from Fleming for ex- penses incurred in arranging details of the story's sale. He has been waiting for verification that the story will be purchased. He assumes that perhaps the deal is off.

He has no proof that the man with whom he has been in contact actually is the skyjacker . . . he's mere- ly operating on a "supposition."

Fleming was contacted Saturday by The Sun and de- clined to confirm or deny anything about the case. Flem- ing, who recently resigned from the Newsweek staff to edit a weekly tabloid to be published in Los Angeles start- ing next month, said Fleming himself would keep his "big, fat, vulnerable mouth shut."

He declined comment on whether or not the FBI has been questioning him about his knowledge of the skyjacker or Lewis, and he declined to say if any money has been paid by him to Lewis.

In March, when The Sun had first contacted Fleming in an attempt to verify Lewis' story, the writer said at first that he knew nothing about a hijacker or about a forthcoming story concerning a hijacker.

But he telephoned the newspaper later the same day to say he remembered a call about midnight [guess: from] someone purporting to have a yarn about D. B. Cooper." "He had a supposition that he wanted to report to me. He continued to bend my ear with such incredible non- sense that I turned around and went back to sleep," Flem- ing said in that conversation.

A portion of the ad Fleming placed in the Seattle Times urged the skyjacker to "call the phone number after mid- night and I'll direct you to a safe phone."

Fleming was asked Saturday if he would stand by the comments he had made to The Sun in March. He gave no direct answer, saying he would leave that up to The Sun.

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DB Cooper-22394