Gritz Fails With Freemen

JORDAN, Montana: James "Bo" Gritz, a leader of the right-wing "Patriot" movement, ended his negotiations this morning with a group of some 20 Freemen who have barricaded themselves on their Montana ranch. After hinting yesterday that a possibly peaceful solution was near, Gritz now says that the Freemen have retrenched, and that a solution no longer seems near. Leaders of the group, wanted on several state and federal fraud and harassment charges, reportedly had been receptive to a deal under which the state of Montana would drop its charges if the group surrendered within 24 hours. But apparently they misunderstood the terms, and realizing today that they would still face federal charges, they refused to surrender. Gritz says the group vows that it will only emerge on its own terms, which include a demand to be tried before a tribunal of their Justus township peers. "They say Yahweh created an invisible barrier around their sanctuary that cannot be penetrated by foreign enemies," Gritz said. He added that he was leaving Jordan, and did not intend to pursue further negotiations. The standoff with FBI officers is now in its fifth week.