Peoples Temple Settlement In Guyana Close to one thousand people died at Jonestown. The members of the Peoples Temple settlement in Guyana, under the direction of the Reverend Jim Jones, fed a poison-laced drink to their children, administered the potion to their infants, and drank it themselves. Their bodies were found lying together, arm in arm; more than 900 perished. How could such a tragedy occur? How and why did the People's Temple emerge? Perhaps one of the greatest sociologists in history could help explain the rise and fall of this cultural landmark. Perhaps Emile Durkheim could shed light on