MISS HARBERT WALKS TO CONFERENCE HALL. SITS AT A TABLE AND TALKS TO THE PRESS. DESCRIBES DAILY LIFE..ALLOWED NO CONTACT..SAID THAT TWO CHINESE GIRLS STAYED WITH HER. STAND UP TO CLOSE. RORD




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Background: MARY ANN HARBERT,RELEASED BY CHINA MONDAY AFTER HAVING BEEN HELD CAPTIVE FOR MORE THAN THREE YEARS, SAID THAT HER CAPTORS INSISTED SHE WAS NOT A PRISONER, BUT WAS ONLY BEING DETAINED FOR INVESTIGATION.+I WAS NEVER HELD IN A PRISON+.MISS HARBERT TOLD NEWSMEN AT A CONFERENCE IN THE VALLEY FORGE ARMY MEDICAL CENTRE OUTSIDE PHILADELPHIA.+WE WERE TOLD WE WERE NOT PRISONERS, BUT WERE ONLY BEING DETAINED BECAUSE THEY WISHED TO INVESTIGATE WHY WE WERE THERE+.MISS HARBERT,25,WAS CAPTURED BY THE CHINESE ALONG WITH ??? ROSS MCLAUGHLIN WHILE THE TWO WERE SAILING A YACHT
ALLEGEDLY IN CHINESE WATERS,NORTH OF HONG KONG IN 1968.THE NEW CHINA NEWS AGENCY SAID MCLARGHLIN COMMITTED SUICIDE IN MARCH OF 1969.