Negotiators, ‘Freemen’ Meet Again

JORDAN, Mont. — The “freemen” met with negotiators for a second time on Friday, and officials said they hoped the symbolism of Easter would encourage the militants to peacefully end their long standoff with the FBI.

The freemen met for about two hours with third-party negotiators in a 35-foot mobile home parked on a dirt road near their farmhouse headquarters in eastern Montana.

There was no announcement on the talks and state Atty. Gen. Joe Mazurek refused to identify the negotiators. A source close to the negotiations, who spoke on condition of anonymity, identified the four as Montana state legislators.

Mazurek said the negotiators were hoping the religious beliefs of the freemen would encourage them to end the 12-day standoff.

“Nobody’s suggesting that there’s some big breakthrough,” Mazurek said. “We’re just hopeful, given the time of the year and the importance of Easter to those people, that maybe it would provide an opportunity.”