Charles Manson Is Hospitalized

   The 82 year old former cult leader and convicted killer was taken from his California jail cell to a hospital last night for an undetermined illness. Corrections officials in that state say the man who orchestrated the brutal slayings of actress Sharon Tate, who was 8 months pregnant at the time, and 6 others in 1969 is alive. And that's all they're saying, citing privacy laws that prohibit them from discussing an inmate's medical situation.
   Manson, for those who don't know, was the leader of a hippie kill-cult dubbed the "Family" who butchered their victims at his behest. The sheer brutality of the slayings shocked the U.S, since the victims were, at first, thought to have been chosen at random.
   Manson had apparently been rejected by a record producer who at one time lived in the house Sharon Tate was slain in, and may have been out for revenge. But during his trial, a more sinister motive was brought forward. Manson had apparently wanted to start a race-war between African Americans and whites, called Helter Skelter, and believed the murders would start it.
   When he and several followers were finally convicted, they were handed the death penalty. But that was later commuted to life in prison when California abolished the death penalty in the '70's.
   That means Manson has been in prison, in a secure cell, for over 45 years. He was placed in a secure cell after rumours started that Tate's husband, film director Roman Polanski, had taken out a 1 million dollar contract on him.
   Officials have not said what Manson had been hospitalized for.
   I'll update this when needed.

TTFN