RAINBOW FARM STANDOFF CONTINUES

Crosslin Demeanor Different In June

VANDALIA -- In early June, Tom Crosslin was hard at work restoring his
1830s home in Vandalia when a tour bus pulled up. Sightseers eagerly
descended, anxious to take a look at a home that helped slaves find their
freedom as part of the Underground Railroad.

Crosslin, 47, seemed happy to share his three-story home with the 35
strangers who roamed its halls, peered in every bedroom and then grew
silent when they gathered in the basement to look at an underground tunnel
that slaves had squeezed through to get to the next farm on their way to
freedom.

"I bought this house because I liked it and wanted to preserve it," he had
said about the former Bonine residence at the corner of Michigan 60 and
Calvin Center Road. So intent on preserving the home and its history,
Crosslin planned at least $350,000 to totally refurbish almost every square
inch to turn it into a bed and breakfast. With his own hands and the help
of some friends, he tore down walls and stripped floors, replacing what was
ugly and neglected with elegant, beautiful chandeliers, porcelain light
switch plates and expensive window shades that let natural light stream
into the historic home.

On Saturday, a sign outside Crosslin's home gave a clue to his situation
and apparent departure from his contented demeanor in June. "Those who deny
a peaceful revolution demand violent one," it read.

Since Friday afternoon, Crosslin has been holed up at his nearby Rainbow
Farm property, keeping dozens of police at bay with alleged firearms and
refusing to talk with authorities. Gunshots from the property on Friday hit
a news helicopter and two buildings on the farm were burned to the ground.

On Saturday, more shots were fired at a state police airplane and what
observers described as a muffled explosion followed by thick, black cloud
of smoke came from the property at 59896 Pemberton Road.

State police Detective Lt. John Slenk said police from his department, Cass
County Sheriff's Department, state police Emergency Support Team and FBI
were involved in the case, which was led by Cass County Sheriff's
Department. Cass Sheriff Joseph Underwood said there were around 20
officers at the scene.

Though police had almost no information to give to the television and
newspaper reporters camped outside a temporary police headquarters on Black
Street, Crosslin's lawyer read a short communication from her client at
8:30 EDT.

"The right-wing prosecutor (Scott Teter) and his rubber stamp (Cass County)
Judge (Michael E.) Dodge have stolen our child and they are who we hold
responsible," Dori K. Leo read. "They no longer serve the people, they only
serve themselves. They must resign. Admit publicly what they have done to
our family."

Although Crosslin faces criminal drug and firearms charges from May,
friends said Saturday that the standoff was not about those things, but
about the state taking a child Crosslin has helped raise for years.

"They came in and tore his family," his sister Shirley DeWeese, an Elkhart
resident, said outside police headquarters. "... That boy had everything a
child could want."

The 13-year-old boy is the biological son of Rolland Rohm. Rohm and his son
have lived with Crosslin since the boy was a baby, DeWeese said.

The boy was taken out of the home and placed in foster care about a month
or two ago after Crosslin and Rohm were charged with the drug counts, Leo said.

Crosslin had a court date in Cass County District Court on Friday. He was
facing a $150,000 bond revocation hearing because police believed he had
violated terms of his bond and was involved in illegal drug activities. He
had been charged with manufacturing marijuana, maintaining a drug house and
felony firearms.

Leo said because Crosslin had not appeared in court Friday, a bench warrant
had been issued for his arrest.

Rainbow Farm had been shut down twice this year by authorities, including
for Labor Day weekend through a civil suit claiming that alleged drug use
at the campground's gatherings constituted violation of Michigan's public
nuisance abatement act.

The farm had been shut down in May just before Hemp Aid 2001, a Memorial
Day weekend event drawing hundreds to the campground and extolling the
virtues of legalizing marijuana.

Crosslin has said that he does not participate in or allow buying or
selling of marijuana or any illegal substance on the farm.

Police had not made direct contact with Crosslin by 8:30 p.m. Saturday..
All negotiations were taking place through his friend, who was identified
only as "Buggy." Although Leo had talked briefly with Crosslin on Friday,
they had only corresponded through two letters on Saturday before he
apparently stopped correspondence.

After reading his statement, Leo made a plea on television for Crosslin to
contact her.

During the standoff, a group of Crosslin's friends lit a bonfire and held
signs in support of him and Rainbow Farm.

Despite the impasse, police and Crosslin apparently want the same thing: A
peaceful resolution. Leo said her client told her he wanted the standoff to
end peacefully.

Underwood said police hoped the standoff would come "to a successful
conclusion."