illers and tranquilizers into the pinkish-purple brew. Finally Jones ordered Schact and Joyce Touchette, one of the leaders of the commune, to bring forth ‘the potion’. Half-gallon jugs of cyanide was then poured into it”(Mathews 53). “ ‘Everyone has to die.’ Said Jones. ‘ If you love me as I love you, we must all die or be destroyed from the outside.’ “(Oblsson 38). Jones’s words over the loud speaker echoed through the camp. “It is time to die with dignity” (Oblsson 40). Babies were summonsed first. Mothers cried out in anguish as their children were taken from their arms by nurses. Second later nurses sprayed the potion down their throats with a hypodermic needle. Those who resisted were told by guards, “ you better do it or we’re going to shoot your ass off”(Oblsson 40). When then members were finished drinking their death they were told to lie in rows face down. Families laid down next to one another holding hands. Within minutes of ingesting the liquid they began to gasp and retch. Blood began to stream from their mouths and noses. Soon pain stopped and death took over. “On a raised chair on the pavilion stage, Jones kept saying .’I tried. I tried. I tried.’ Then he cried ‘ Mother! Mother!’ Finally, there was a shot. Jones toppled over backwards”(Oblsson 40). Jones had shot himself in the head as he watched his decibels die by his wishes.November 24, 1978, the death toll count was 779. All the dead, with the exception of a Congressman, and a handful of reporters/pilots were residents of the former Peoples Temple, 200 were children as well as their leader Jim Jones. Why did Jones feel he had to resort to mass suicide? To this day that question is still unknown. One theory that has been accepted was a strong possibility is the visit of Congressman Ryan. On November 1, 1978, Ryan telegramed Jones “...
