CABLE RE DEATH BENEFITS FOR MRS. CURTIS.
Originator: CIA
To: DIRECTOR
Document date: 04/29/1971
Document type: PAPER - TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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SECRET 500115Z APR TI CITE MEXICO CITY 16456)

PRIORITY DIRECTOR

SECTION ONEL OF. TWO

29 APR IN 3 23 1 22

RYBAT JMSPUR

FOR LUSSY AND FOR ASHMEAD

1. 10 SUMMARIZE, ASHMEAD CALLED ON MRS CURTIS CHERE-

AFTER "SHE") AFTERNOON OF 28 APRIL IO TALK TO HER OF

PREPPE DE STARCTOR DON FRISONS TO MAGGNTRATTON DE CURTIS.

DEATH AND DISCUSSED BRIEFLY AND GENERALLY THE BENEFITS

IG WHICH SHE IS ENTITLED, NOTING THAT OUR CURRENT INFORMATION

TENTATIVE. ASHMEAD SPOKE OF SEEING THAT COMPETENT STAFF

MENBER LEGAL COUNSEL'S OFFICE MADE AVAILABLE TO ADVISE HER

ON THESE MATTERS AND TO SEE THAT SHE

GETS EVERY ADVANTAGE

FOR

HERSELF AND CHILDREN FROM THESE BENEFITS. SHE THEN

NOT SURE OF EXISTENCE OR VALIDITY OR STATUS OF WILL NOR

SURE WHO LAWYER OR EXECUTOR MIGHT BE AND AGREED TO TALX TO

COS IN MEANTIME OF THESE QUESTIONS.

2. ASHREAD TURNED TO PLANNED CURIIS TRIP TO SEE

DIRECTOR OF WHICH SHE AWARE AND COVERED CHIEF PARTS OF

AAHUSCRIFT OF WHICH SHE AWARE BUT WHICH SHE SAID SHE HAD NOT

SEES.

SHE ILD KINGMAN ON 29 APRIL THAT SHE AND OTHER HAVE

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PAGE 2 MEXICO CIIY IG466 SECREI

HEARD MUCH TALK OF MANUSCRIPI FROM CURTIS. FOR EXAMPLE,

BURNELL GOODRICH CLAIMS TO HAVE READ ONE CHAPTER. SHE THINKS

DEMPSTER MAY HAVE HELPED WITH ISMORANGE PARIS. THIS

DISCUSSION OF MANUSCRIPT BY CURTIS, ALTHOUGH NOT CLEAR WHO ALL

MAY HAVE READ IT, MEANS IT IS WELL KNOWN AND, ACCORDING TO

HER, LOOKED FOR WITH SOME ANTICIPATION BY FRIENDS IN HIS U.S.

CIRCLE HERE.) ASHMEAD. ADVISED HER AGAINSI READING MANUSCRIPT,

AS IT DISCUSSES IN OPEN WAY INTIMATE MATTERS OF PREVIOUS

MARRIAGE. IMPORTANILY, ASHMEAD POINTED OUT, INFORMATION

THEREIN WOULD VIOLATE IWO DIFFERENT SECRECY AGREEMENIS (U.K.J

AND U.S.) AS WELL AS DOING GREAT DAMAGE TO OUR RELATIONSHIP :

WITH OTHER GOVERNMENIS. THE INFORMATION IS, AS IT WERE,

U.S. GOVERNMENT PROPERTY AND ASHMEAD SAID THAT THE PUBLICATION

WOULD DISMAY CURTIS FRIENDS AND HARM HIS REPUTATION AND .

MEMORY. SHE SEEMED APPALLED AT IDEA OF PUBLISHING MANUSCRIPT,

SAYING THAT SHE REALIZED WHEN CURTIS TOLD HER OF VISIT IO

DIRECTOR THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG. SHE ALSO ASKED ASHMEAD

ASOUT CURTIS MOTIVATION IN THIS. IN DISCUSSION OF THESE AND

CTHER PAPERS SHE AGREED (ALTHOUGH IT THEN SEEMED TO KINGMAN

SOMEVHAT HESITANT) IO COOPERATE WITH KINGMAN ON GETTING AGENCY

3/90

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PAGE 3 MEXICO CITY/ 16466 SECRET

PAPERS FROM CURTIS' BELONGINGS. CASHMEAD WILL REMEMBER

BARRON STATEMENT LATE NIGHT OF 28 APRIL THAT HE WOULD FORGET

THE MANUSCRIPI, TAKING NO STEPS TO GO FORWARD WITH PUBLICATION.?

3. ASHMEAD AND KINGMAN AGREED THAI KINGMAN WOULD GET

IN TOUCH WITH HER THE NEXT DAY AND. ALSO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH

6

JEREMY K. BENADUM WHO NOW WORKING AS BARRON'S MAN WITH GOM

6

AUTHORITIES ON THE KGB/MAR MATTER. (BENADUM MISSED. BARRON AT

HULEL NIGH UI CO AMBIL SU UNADLE iO GES HIM iUGETHER MLiN

GOM MAR AUTHORITY AND PRESUMABLY THIS WILL CONTINUE WHEN

BARRON RETURNS MEXICO PROBABLY Y MAY.) MORE IMPORTANI

REASON KEEP IN TOUCH WITH BENADUM IS TO HAVE HIS HELP OR,

BETTER YEI, NEUTRALIZE HIM AS INIMICAL FACTOR IN MRS CURTIS

AFFAIRS AS THEY INVOLVE US:

4. YOU WILL BE ENCOURAGED TO LEARN THAT WHEN KINGMAN

CALLED HER FOR APPOINTMENT ON MORNING 29 APRIL SHE TOLD HIM

IO COME OUT AS SOON AS CONVENIENT AS SHE WANTED TO SEE HIM

"BEFORE ANYONE ELSE." KINGMAN ARRIVED TO LEARN FOLLOWING:

A. BURNELL GOODRICH APPEARS TO BE EXECUTOR OF

ESTATE IN HANDWRITIEN WILL WHICH SHE AND HER BROTHER AND

EROTHER-IN-LAW FOUND IN GOING THROUGH CURTIS PAPERS NIGHI

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MEXICO CITY 16466 SECRET

BEFORE.

B. SHE WANTED TO HAVE XINGMAN IMMEDIATELY REMOVE.

ALL PAPERS BELONGING TO GOVERNMENT, AS ASHMEAD HAD SUGGESTED,

BEFORE THE PAPERS IN CURTIS STUDY ARE SEALED UP.

S. WITH HER EFFICIENT COOPERATION KINGMAN SPENT SEVERAL

HOURS GOING THROUGH SAFES AND CABINETS AND VALISES IN STUDY

AND LOADED THREE LARGE CARTONS AND FOUR VALISES WITH FILE

FOLDERS, NOTES, AND MEMORANDA OF CLASSIFIED STATION FILES. X

ALSO, WHEN SHE AND BROTHERS AI CURTIS OFFICE PREVIOUS DAY,

THEY HAD PULLED OUT, UNDER LAWYER'S EYES, NUMBER OF DOCUMENTS

3

WHICH OBVIQUSLY CLASSIFIED OR AGENCY ORIENTED (CURTIS NAME

IN PSEUDONYM, SECRET STAMPS AND SO ON. ASHMEAD WILL RECALL

BARRON MENTION OF MEMO FROM CURTIS TO KINGMAN ON FLUTEO

WHICH IN OFFICE. THIS CARBON WAS AMONG THIS BAICH GIVE

XINGMAN WHICH INDICATES WE GOT MOST OF

StUFF FROM OFFICE.)

6. WHILE WE SHALL INVENTORY LATER, TO AT LEAST CURSORY

EXTENT, IMPORTANTLY WE GOI IWO ORIGINAL DRAFIS CAPPARENILY

THE SECOND A REWRITE AND TWO CARBONS OF MANUSCRIPT. PLUS

THIS WERE NUMBER OF DRAFIS, SOME REPETITIVE OF WHAT APPEARS

IO HAVE BEEN FINAL MANUSCRIPT. SHE KNOWS OF NO OTHER COPIES

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EXIANI SAVE WHAT BARRON MAY HAVE. SHE SAYS MANUSCRIPT TYPED

IN FINAL IN ENGLISH BY WOMAN IN MEXIC UNKNOWN TO HER AND

WE WILL TRACE THIS.

7. NOT SURE. THAT WE HAVE ALL CLASSIFIED PAPERS AND THINK

SHE AND LAWYER (SEE BELOW WILL COOPERATE IN TURNING OVER

OTHER FINDS. THERE IS ONE LOCKED BOX IN SAFE WHICH, WHEN

SHE HAS KEY, SHE PROMISED TO OPEN WITH KINGMAN. WE SUSPECT

THIS MAY CONTAIN MISSING TAPES ON RETTIE CASE AND "LESBIANS"

WHICH BARRON SPOKE OF TO ASHMEÁD. WE HAVE FOUND HUEY NEWION

AND CLEAVER TAPES BUT THESE ONLY TAPES SO FAR.)

8. SHE TOOK SOME PAINS IO CONCEAL KNOWLEDGE OF KINGMAN

PRESENCE FROM LAWYERS AND FROM BENÁDUM WHO CAME BY HOUSE WHILE

KINGMAN SEARCHING STUDY. AS SHE CONCERNED HOW TO HANDLE MISSING

DOCUMENIS (ABSENCE OF WHICH SHE FEARED LAWYER WOULD DETECI AND

WHICH KINGMAN TOLD HER MIGHT WELL HAVE TO BE REVEALED IO

LAWYERS LATER) WE DECIDED ON FOLLOWING.

9. KINGMAN TO CALL GOODRICH ON RETURN OFFICE AND TELL •

HIM THAT ON BEHALF OF U.S. GOVERNMENI KINGMAN HAD GONE TO

CURTIS HOME TO RETRIEVE PAPERS WHICH PROPERTY OF U.S. GOVERNMENI

AND OF WHICH KINGMAN HAD LISTING. THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN

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EXPECTED BY CURTIS AS THIS "ROUTINE" MATTER. IO PROTECT

HER, AS SHE WANTS IO KEEP ON GOODRICH GOOD SIDE DESPITE

DOUBIS ABOUT HIS INTLLIGENCE OR COMPETENCE, KINGMAN WOULD

TELL GOODRICH HE FOUND HER SOMEWHAI DISPLEASED AT KINGMAN'S

TAKING PAPERS AND KINGMAN HAD AGREED TO EXPLAIN THIS TO

GOODRICH, AS SHE FEARED GOODRICH'S DISAPPROVAL. THIS SCRIPT

FOLLOWED OVER PHONE WITH GOODRICH WHO COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MORE

RELAXED AND UNDERSTANDING (TO POINT THAT SHE NOW CONVINCED

THAT HE NOT COMPETENT) OF KINGMAN'S PROCEDURE. GOODRICH

SEEMED HAPPY TO HEAR AGENCY LAWYER COMING AND WILL PRESUMABLY

SE OPEN AND COOPERATIVE...

1D. WE DISCUSSED AGAIN THE WASHINGION LAWYER AND SHE

WILL BE VERY GRATEFUL FOR THIS HELP AS SHE DISCLAIMS ANY

MONEY SENSE OR LEGAL JUDGMENT.

(DESPITE HER CLEAR INTELLIGENCE,

KINGMAN BELIEVES THIS.) ASHNEAD WILL BE INTERESTED TO LEARN

THAT SHE SAID HER WORRY ABOUT CURTIS HAVING WRITTEN MANUSCRIPT

HAD "STOPPED HER CRYING" AND SHE WAS CLEARHEADED, IN CONTROL

AND OBJECIIVE, EVEN WRYLY CHEERFUL, DURING INE EXAMINATION OF

DOCUMENTS. DISCUSSED POSSIBILITY OF HANDLING HER U.S.

GOVERNKENI ENTITLEMENIS SEPARATE FROM REST OF ESTATE BUI,

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SHE MENTIONED, CURTIS REFERRED IO INSURANCE AND SURVIVOR

ANNUITIES IN HIS WILL AS PART OF ESTATE. SHE OBVIOUSLY NOT

SATISFIED TO HAVE GOODRICH REPRESENTING HER, ALTHOUGH FEARFUL

or OFFENDING HIM OR OTHER OF CURTIS INPLUENTIAL FRIENDS.

KINGMAN POINTED OUT THAI ASHEAD WANIED AGENCY LAWYER TO BE

FELPFUL IN PROTECTING HER INTERESIS AS POSSIBLE BUT MIGHI BE

TUTTER AS MIGHT AE NEXPERT IN MEXTCAN LAW. HAUF YON

CONSIDERED OUR GETTING A CORRESPONDENT HERE IO ADVISE OUR

LAWYER ON MEXICAN LAW OR DO YOU CONSIDER THAT ADVISABLE?

11: LOOSE ENDS:

A. FURTHER DOCUMENT FINDS WHICH KINGMAN WILL

PURSUE WITH HER HELP.

S. HANDLING HEP ENTITLEMENIS, IN CONSULIATION AS

APPROPRIATE WITH GOODRICH, IF IT CERTAIN HE EXECUTOR, AND

POSSIBLY WITH OTHER MEXICAN LAWYERS, BY AGENCY COUNSEL

SELECTED BY ASHREAD AND BRIEFED THOROUGHLY ON HER

ENTITLEMENIS AND OPTIONAL FORMS OF RECEIVING THEM.

C. MANUSCRIPT. IT APPEARS TO KINGMAN THAI SHE

NOT EVEN WISTFUL ABOUT IT AT THIS POINT, AND WHEN SHE

COMENTED THAT CURTIS MUST HAVE HAD MONEY IN MINNIT

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PAGE 8 MEXICO CITY 16466 SECREI

APPARENT THAT SHE DID NOT WANT MONEY THAT BADLY (ALTHOUGH

CLEAR SHE QUITE UNCERTAIN ABOUT HER FINANCIAL STATUS OR

FUTURE.) KINGMAN WARNED HER THAT CURTIS FRIENDS MAY FEEL

AGENCY HAS PULLED FAST ONE WITH MANUSCRIPT BUT THAT KINGMAN

PREPARED TO WEATHER THAT ONE. SHE MORE CONCERNED WITH •

BARRON'S UNTRUSTWORTHINESS AND THAT HE MAY HAVE KEPI A COPY

WHICH HE COULD PERSONALLY EXPLOIT.

D. SECURITY, OTHERWISE. IF WE HAVE RETRIEVED ALL

PAPERS OR WILL SOON HAVE DONE SO, THINK WORST HAS BEEN

AVOIDED, THROUGH ASHHEAD'S PERSUASIVENESS AND MRS CURTIS

GOOD SPIRII.

12. WHILE TRYING TO AVOID GOING FURTHER THAN WE SHOULD

C CAN POSSIBLY DO IN HELPING HER WITH SETTLEMENT, WOULD

SUGGEST THAT WE SHOULD BE READY TO GET LAWYER DOWN HERE

IN COMING WEEK. KINGMAN FEELS THAT SHE WILL TURN

TO US FOR ADVICE AND, AT LEASI, WILL USE US (NOI BENADUM)

AS CHAWNEL FOR THINGS CONCERNING AGENCY AND FOR WHAT HELP

SHE MAY NEED FROM MEXICAN GOVERNMENT. KINGMAN INTENDS CONTINUE

XEE? IN CLOSE TOUCH WITH HER TO BE HELPFUL AND TO BE NEAR

IN CASE SHE DOUBIS OR IS ADVISED AGAINST WISDOM OF HER ACTIONS

TODAY.

•SEARFT

GP-1

VIM

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