The Men In Black Return:

     Cover-Up By Aliens For Aliens?

Fayette: Marjorie Wilhelm of Putnam contacted Third Eye Over Iowa recently to inform us as to recent activities of the Men in Black. For the uninitiated in UFOlogy, the Men in Black have made appearances where UFO activity is strongest over the past century. They are always described as dressing very conservatively in expensive suits, and traveling by a way of a jet-black automobile. The appear singly or in groups of up to three. The Men seek out information regarding close encounters of any variety, and have very peculiar demeanors. It is not clear what agency, governmental or otherwise, they serve.

     Mrs. Wilhelm, 41, reports that on January 10th, 1997, her doorbell rang at approximately 2:30 PM. Says Marjorie, "I was in the study reading National Geographic when I heard the doorbell. Of course I thought it must be a salesman or some other nuisance, so at first I was just going to ignore it. But then the ringing came again, about every twenty seconds or so. After a couple of minutes I got so irritated that I decided to answer the door just to have it over with. Actually, that's when I noticed that our dog, Milton, wasn't barking the way he usually does when someone's at the door. He's usually a real yapper. But this time he was slinking around under the coffee table.

     "So I answered the door, and there were these two tall men in black suits, wearing sunglasses. Now I don't even think it was particularly sunny that day. Anyway, I ask them what they want and they hold out wallets with identification badges, the kind my husband uses at his laboratory at Tesla Research. I didn't get a real good look at their ID's, but they looked like FBI to me. Then the darker-haired one said, 'Ma'am, is your husband home today?' I said no, that he had left a few hours ago to do some research, and that he was flying to Boston later that afternoon for a three-week conference on some project he was working on. The men asked if they could come in and speak for a while, so I invited them in.

     "Now these men struck me as weird right off the bat. I remember particularly their smell, sort of like a salmon steak that's been sitting out all night. And they were so pale! I know it's winter and everything, and everybody's lost a little colour, but these men were just so white. Not very pinky, either. Just more... white."

     Marjorie says that the Men asked when Gregory, her husband, would be returning, when he left for work, and when he planned to leave Tesla Research Labs, none of which she could answer very well. Gregory had been especially vague as to the nature of his trip to Boston. They asked if he had been dressed unusually, or had been carrying anything strange. She responded that no, he wore his green checkered shirt and was carrying his largest briefcase, and that everything seemed normal.

     The shorter of the men produced a photograph of a mechanical device, a cylinder two feet long and about five inches in diameter. The cylinder had a ringlike structure on top, from which ran several metallic wires. These wires were connected to three squat legs projecting from the opposite end of the cylinder. The entire object seemed to be made out of some dark metal, like glossy iron. Marjorie said that she had seen such an object, and that it was sitting on the coffee table next to Gregory's notes the night before. They asked her if she knew what it was, but she said no, that Gregory almost never discussed his work, due to its top-secret nature. She did tell them that he worked in the Aeronautics Division, but that if they wanted any more information, they'd have to ask Gregory himself.

     "They were very curt with me," Marjorie elaborates. "I offered them coffee and they didn't even respond. It was just one question after another. At first I was just irritated, then when they got into more specifics, like how long Gregory had been working on his current project, and who were his direct superiors at the lab, well, I got a little scared. I mean, Gregory couldn't have been doing anything wrong, could he? No, these men were just trying to intimidate me, that's all. I wasn't going to give them any more information. That's when Milton attacked."

     The dog, a schnauzer, had been quietly hiding under the coffee table since the Men in Black had arrived. Now he leaped out from under the table, growling, and clamped his teeth around one of the men's hands. "He didn't make a sound," explains Marjorie. "The man, that is. He just gave his wrist a quick snap and Milton let go, and ran away into the kitchen. I was mortified! I apologized over and over and was about to go fetch some bandages, when I saw that the man's hand wasn't bleeding. There were two puncture holes and a long tear that I could see, but no blood. Underneath the torn skin was just more whiteness. I went to get some bandages, and must have apologized a thousand times. But the man never complained and just stuck his hand in his jacket pocket like the whole thing never happened. He wouldn't even show me his hand to bandage it."

     The pair then took their leave of Marjorie and explained that they would return to speak with Gregory later. Since then, the Men in Black have not visited the house again. Marjorie Wilhelm has indicated to this publication that upon Gregory's return, she will tell him about the Men and inquire as to whether he would be willing to give any further comments to Third Eye Over Iowa. Until then, further investigation into the activities of the Men in Black must be conducted in Putnam. What do they want? What sort of projects are underway in Tesla Research Laboratories? And is there any connection between these Men and the now infamous "Black 11"? Only more research will tell.