Elected through Terror

Untitled Part 51

The flight, from the ranch, occurred on October 28, 1985; Rajneesh did not arrive back in Oregon until November 7 or 8th, 1985; ten - eleven days later.

I am speculating, not because I really know anything, but, because it makes sense, that the reason for the long delay was the authorities wanted to make sure he understood what incarceration would be like.

At the ranch, Rajneesh was treated like a god. He was the center of attention, and everyone worshipped him. He could do no wrong.

His every desire was met, he had Rolls Royces to drive, he had expensive clothes and jewelry to wear, anything he wanted was given to him. Not only was he living a life of luxury, but the whole commune centered on him; he was the reason for its existence.

Now, he was in the custody of the Federal Government and his life was about to take a 180 degree turn.

There are three ways of transporting prisoners; smaller vehicles like cars or vans, a bus or by plane. If they use the vans or busses, most prisoner transporting goes from point A to point B with several stops along the way, so that point B becomes point Z.

In the process they drive during the day, stopping at a jail or prison where the prisoners stay locked up overnight.

Along the way they stop at facilities, release some prisoners as they are picked up by local agencies, and they take others onto the vehicle to transport them down the line to the location, and the authorities, where they committed their crimes. It is a less expensive way to move prisoners since each agency doesn't have to take time to go long distances to get prisoners.

It isn't done for all prisoners. Sometimes it is critical that a person be transported as quickly as possible and/or the agency that is investigating the crime wants their officers to take custody of the prisoner at the place of arrest, for interrogation purposes.

But, for the rest, the prisoner transport system works just fine even though it takes time; it isn't just a leisurely jaunt across the continent.

The prisoner is cuffed and often wearing leg irons to make it more difficult for them to escape. They aren't stopping at rest stops and they aren't taking a scenic route. The prisoners have no say in who their companions are in the vehicle.

They may be a non-violent felon sitting next to a murder – the only thing they have in common is they committed a crime, have been caught and now are going back.

They may make several stops, each day, along the way. Instead of a few hours, or a couple of days to go cross-country, it can take several days, even a week or more.

I understand that Rajneesh was transported on such a bus, if so that would explain the time between the arrest and the arrival in Portland.

Now, if the transport was up to me, I would have wanted to give him a good taste of prison life, but make sure he wouldn't be injured – they didn't need a martyr for the followers – and safety for any prisoner is always a concern. I would surround him with agents acting as prisoners.

He would be treated like a prisoner, not a god. He would have to deal with criminal elements, he would have to stay in a cramped cell, he would have to eat bland food. He would have to take his showers and other personal hygiene activity in the company of several men.

He would have no privacy. His every movement would be monitored and he could not control his activities. He would even have to ask permission to visit the toilet – with no privacy.

He would have no control over anything. He would be without the support and adoration of his followers.

He would be just one prisoner, among many, one face in a crowd.

It would be an education like he had never experienced and was not prepared to endure.

They could give him a good feel for what it would be like, but he would be in no danger.

Not saying that is what they did, but it is what I would have done.

However, in my mind, it was a good possibility as within a few days of his arrival in Portland he pled guilty; he was fined and was allowed to immediately leave the country.

The investigation and interviews continued for several weeks.

People made deals and gave up information that was helpful to the agencies. Other people, not involved in any of the crimes, came forward with their statements as to what they had observed over the years.

No automatic weapons had been found, but there was a report, from one of the followers, that the Rajneesh had obtained some illegally. They had been dumped in a pond on the property. The pond was small, but deep enough to require scuba gear.

One of our deputies was a diver and he, along with another deputy – from Jefferson County as I remember – were assigned to search the pond.

The pond was stagnant, full of green scum. The two men searched for a couple of hours but were never able to find anything.

Both deputies became very sick from the contaminated water and had to be off work for a few days. Danger wasn't only to come from a loaded gun in the hands of an angry security officer.

The results of the investigation would be felt and more interviews would be conducted for several years; as would the impact on the county and the Sheriff's Office.

Many of the followers left the area and moved on to other communities. Some remained loyal to the Rajneesh commune and even today, 30 years later, they are reading and sharing his works.

Some remained in the area. They moved into The Dalles and other communities around us. They have integrated into the communities and most of us have no idea of their background with Rajneesh – it isn't important to know.

They are productive citizens and contribute to the general welfare of the communities, some still follow his teachings, others have moved on.

They should be able to live in peace – these people had no idea of what their leaders did until they found out later; they were not part of Sheela's grand scheme.