◆ SpookStack

Im wrisrwatehwith.a.clunky lcather band, as I remumu. Hell, you've'seen one'stew, you've seen cm,all.s?y. AnOn? What did you do while you were waiting for? Ithe money and chutes.-).-... :, COopeR: I watched, waited, and smoked. Oh, and I prayed to high heaven they didn't call my bluff. All ! could have done was give them.a shave. Seems like,I TheSearch:"The FBI waswrong Ssmoked,a.couple packs of Ralcighs too.; . . If the: FBI was going,to make'a move'it would have been'at Sea-Tac. Everybody but the stew with me and I began to'realize that if I didn't hurry up playing bcro?Ub the.threeman crew was clcar of the aircraft. I buzzed and do it, I was going to go dingy.. the'cockpit 'and-asked the captain what the hell was the. He.did try to humor mew :ANON:.It sounds like a Jerry Lewis mmovic. Have yoy? Wholdup, He said they were having trouble with the vapor ion the passenger P.A.And he.was'a's heard that song about you?'. Hlock, and that another truck was coming. I said, "OK, COOpER: Yes. And I still hear'it in my slcep, I think? AnOn. What did he say?. but remember, one truck at a time. Eventually five it should bc number one on the shit parade. It stinks... COOPER: He kept saying that.a anart h trucks came out, but only three of them were able to ANON: D.B. Cooper...Is that your real name?. land in San Franciscothings like thatJesu deliver, At this juncture; I came awfully close to blowing COOPER: Of course notl 'muc my cool. I went forward'to the cockpit. 'to piss me. I told him'to knock it off, that his'monolog. AnON: You were in the cockpit?. named Cooper. Was that your inspiration or whar? was beginning to bug me and that if cdmy .. Pin srt : CoOpER; Affirmative. In point of fact, I was there . - COOPER: I stuck a pin a in a Scattlc phone book. Wntwice while -the ship was on the ground, both times You can look it up if you likc. There is a D.B. Cooper flashing my "bomb", of course. listed. ANOn: Do you recall what you told the captain? ANON: We'd like to know'something about the? COOPER: The last time, I do. I said, "It's takcoff parachutes that were delivered .to you aboard the jet. time. Take me to Mexico.". Were they to your liking?'. ANON: What was the Captain's reaction? . COopeR: Negatve. Somcbody was piaying games? 'I'll. be back in five . COOPER: About the same as if I had said, *Take mc there. The backpack harness did not have thc necessary. to Katmandu". He looked at me as if I were totally D-rings for attaching the chestpacks. They were some insanc. He said-he could try, Medford, Red Bluff or sort of emergency rigs for acrobatic flying, I guess. So 1:: years Reno, all on Vector 23. My response was negative. He just said to hell with it, I'd have to jump without a y then suggested San Francisco; I told him no, very .reserve.: . cmphatically. I said, "I want thc-flaps at I5 per cent and ANON: Everyone assumed you askcd for two parachutes so they wouldn't give you onc with a note . when you take'off." He gave me a negative on the stairs. that said crime doesn't pay in it, not knowing whether .. He said, not too gently as I recall, "God damnit, I can't you were going to force somebody, like the stewardess.,. "Now hear me, this is your skyjacker speaking. Nobouy rotate for departure-lift the nose and rotate--with those maybe, to bail our with you. What did you do with the.. under any circumstances, is to attempt ta. make.an stairs down." He also told me that he couldn't make cxtra parachute?e further contact with me. Is that understood?" The Mexico with the flaps and gear down, but that he would COOpeR: I made a special point of hot leaving it' understood. compute the fucl consumption and shoot for Reno. ! bchind in the cabin. I cut it up into strips and used the ANON: It was at that time that you.leaped clear wit w!y Phos I ylnsuny Aq He eop! Au no3 ay peg8 sem strips to tie the moncy bag to my waist, very sccurely. the $200,000? affirmative, to head south. Then I slammed the cockpit Next question. COOPER: Well, sometime after that. door and went back to the tourist compartment with the ANON: You've told us something about the jump, stew. According to my watch, we got airborne at 7:40 about working the cscape door and plunging out into the ANON: One final' thing, Mr. Cooper. You've g p.m., four hours and 42 minutes since Ieaving Portland. darkness. How did you bail out without tipping off the $200,ooo, a national reputation, you've becn first Like I said, I have.a very good watch. crew? something you've wanted to do. That's awkward.b ANON: Speaking of Portland.Shortly aftcr takcoff COOPER: you know what I mean...what now?. you handed your' skyjack note to one of the COOPER: I'm going to retire. Tonight, I am leavi stewardesses.. (tape garbled bricfly here.) for parts unknown.. COUrrR: Yes. The brunette, and she thought I was AnOn: You aren't going to fly, are you? trying to proposition her...In a way. she was right. ".took' thc stcwardess' forward, and ordered the. COOPER: What do you think?. ANON: You were.very careful about retricving that captain to lock the door from the inside. I chccked it. ANON: Don't know, to tell the truth. note, about not Icaving ir-or anything cise-- behind as. out, It was locked. I returned aft, closing the first-class COOPER: Good. Loose lips sink ships. I've let m cvidence. Could you tell us what the note said?. CoopeR: Word for word. It said,I am *hijacking /. .-and. tourist compartment curtains securely behind' me." flap far too frecly. It's very hard to keep.'a story I