I guess my 'wake up call' here is to be more observant of what I'm reading...did not see at first this thread was started 20 years ago!
I have , in the past , heard householders say they "admire" what the witnesses were doing (the preaching) so it's not totally impossible that he made some complimentary remark. I just question it as it was stated in the quoted article.
Erroneous and mistaken things are often published. Years ago a sweet elderly sister in the congregation was approaching her 100th birthday. She was interviewed for the local paper. The reporter asked her for her memories regarding certain historical events. He asked if she remembered the sinking of the Titanic. She said something like 'Oh yes, that was a terrible tragedy. So many people couldn't be saved..". When printed, the article said she was a Titanic survivor. I said excitedly to an elder "I didn't know Jessie had been on the Titanic!!" He said "She wasn't. The reporter misunderstood what she said.."