</s>SAC, JACKSON (157-9586) 4/5/68 SA BRENT W. WARBERG ASSASSINATION OF MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. M M The following investigation was conducted on 4//5 /68 at Columbus, Mississippi, by SA'S BRENT V. WARBERG and LAWRENCE W. GOBMAN. TOMMY HARRISON, manager and owner, G and H Liggett Razzi Drugstore, gave the following information: HARROLSON stated that cash-register receipts for cash purchases made in his drugstore are automatically dated by the cash register. He stated that each cash- register receipt carries the title G & H Remall Drug Columbus, Miss. Following this heading is the date of the purchase and below the date the purchase is the amount of the pur- chase. He stated that cach cash-registrar receipt has a number: however, there numbers are imaterial to the business of this store. He started when the numbers reach a level which he thinks he is high he flips over. Switch on the cash register and the numbers start over. Therefore, the numbers mean nothing and no information concerning the accounting procedures of the store is filed by these numbers. 2- Jackson 187.941.25 Bw/nif (2) m/s K ck 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations into potential threats against civil rights leaders, including Martin Luther King Jr., and related inquiries into assassination plots. Key elements include interviews at drugstores in Columbus, Mississippi, regarding cash register records and customer transactions. A memorandum from SAC Jackson (April 5, 1968) outlines efforts to track individuals associated with L.E. Mattins Jr., including his absence from home and interactions with associates like Billy C.R. and James M. Howard. Separate FBI reports reference a plot against Charles Evers, a civil rights candidate in Mississippi, involving a confession from an unidentified white male offering $2,500 to assassinate Evers. The documents also mention Father Louis Toomey and Aaron Henry as individuals aware of the plot. Additional records include details about Franklin Wayne Burford’s alleged involvement in a shooting incident at James Charles Evers’ home and investigations into Hazel, accused of fabricating a threat against Evers. Separate FBI records from April 5, 1968, identify John Hubert Willard as a suspect due to his proximity to the assassination site in Memphis, Tennessee, and prior arrests for arson. The FBI monitored Willard’s movements on April 4–5, 1968, including interactions with parole officers and neighbors. A sledgehammer incident in Holmes County, Mississippi, involving two unidentified white men trading the tool for gasoline is noted as suspicious but not directly tied to MLK’s assassination. Investigations also tracked a license plate (H-2222) linked to a 1958 Plymouth owned by ELMER TOTEN. The FBI sought connections between these individuals and potential involvement in the assassination plot, including photographs of Byron De La Beckwith, a suspect in Medgar Evers’ 1963 murder, sent for further inquiry.  

Key People  
- Tommy Harrison (manager of G & H Liggett Rexall Drugstore, Columbus, Mississippi)  
- L.E. Mattins Jr. (individual whose whereabouts were investigated)  
- Billy C.R. (residence in Clinton, Mississippi)  
- James M. Howard (address in Jackson, Mississippi)  
- Charles Greene (contacted at MCPHALL’s Gulf Service Station, West Capitol and Ellis Avenue, Jackson, Mississippi)  
- Emmett Peter (source of information about the plot against Charles Evers)  
- Father Louis Toomey (president of Loyola University of the South, New Orleans)  
- Aaron Henry (Negro druggist in Clarks, Mississippi; leader of NAACP in Clarksdale)  
- Hazel (individual with a history of arrests, accused of fabricating a threat against Evers)  
- John Hubert Willard (suspect, arrested for arson, probation recipient)  
- Barbara Willard (wife of John Hubert Willard)  
- Joseph C. Mitchell (Memphis parole officer supervising Willard’s probation)  
- Billy Glenn Dowdy (neighbor who verified Willard’s activities)  
- ELMER TOTEN (owner of 1958 Plymouth linked to a license plate reported by a witness)  
- Robert E. Worthen (postal inspector involved in tracking license plate information)  
- Willie James Burns (Mississippi resident reporting suspicious men)  
- Sam Bowers (individual observed at John’s Cafe in Laurel, Mississippi)  
- Deavours Nix (owner of John’s Cafe, absent during specific timeframe)  
- Byron De La Beckwith (suspect in Medgar Evers’ murder, linked to Klan activities)  

Key Locations  
- Columbus, Mississippi (drugstore and residences mentioned)  
- Jackson, Mississippi (residences of L.E. Mattins Jr., James M. Howard, and MCPHALL’s Gulf Service Station)  
- Clarksdale, Mississippi (Aaron Henry’s residence and NAACP activities)  
- Natchez, Mississippi (Father William Morrissey’s location and Hazel’s arrest)  
- West Monroe, Louisiana (Hazel’s address)  
- New Orleans, Louisiana (contact points for Father Louis Toomey)  
- Memphis, Tennessee (Willard’s residence and arrest location)  
- Pontotoc County, Mississippi (Willard’s county of residence)  
- Tupelo, Mississippi (employment history of John Willard)  
- Holmes County, Mississippi (sledgehammer incident reported by Willie James Burns)  
- Milestone, Mississippi (location of sledgehammer trade incident)  
- Laurel, Mississippi (John’s Cafe where Sam Bowers was observed)  
- Birmingham, Alabama (recipient of Beckwith photographs for employee review)  

Key Events  
- Investigation into cash register records at G & H Liggett Rexall Drugstore in Columbus, Mississippi.  
- Tracking of L.E. Mattins Jr.’s movements and associates on April 4–5, 1968.  
- Inquiry into Charles Greene’s whereabouts during the relevant period.  
- Report of a plot against Charles Evers, involving a confession from an unidentified individual offering $2,500 for assassination.  
- Investigation into Hazel’s alleged fabrication of a threat against Evers, including his arrest and release by Natchez police.  
- Mention of Franklin Wayne Burford’s involvement in a shooting incident at James Charles Evers’ home.  
- Arrest and probation records of John Hubert Willard for arson in 1958.  
- FBI monitoring of Willard’s movements on April 4–5, 1968, including his residence and interactions with neighbors.  
- Sledgehammer incident in Holmes County, Mississippi, involving two unidentified white men trading the tool for gasoline.  
- Investigation into license plate H-2222 linked to a 1958 Plymouth owned by ELMER TOTEN.  
- Coordination between FBI offices in Memphis, Jackson, and New Orleans regarding potential suspects.  
- FBI efforts to connect Byron De La Beckwith to MLK’s assassination through photographic evidence and witness accounts.  

Key Organizations  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- National Civil Rights Advisory Committee (mentioned as a group involving Emmett Peter)  
- NAACP (associated with Aaron Henry in Clarksdale, Mississippi)  
- Loyola University of the South (linked to Father Louis Toomey)  
- Memphis Police Department (MPD)  
- Pontotoc County, Mississippi (probation and arrest records)  
- United States Postal Service (via Robert E. Worthen’s involvement in tracking license plates)  
- Southern Poverty Law Center (SAC Jackson, Mississippi)

MLK Declassified Files

157-jn-9586_624938_427-01-part_2_of_4.pdf

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