</s>BH 44-1740 April 8, 1968 American Leasing 2166 5th Avenue, North Birmingham, Alabama Records made available by R. E. JONES, Manager, who advised that automobiles rented through this company are to be returned to Birmingham and are usually rented on a long-term basis. April 10, 1968 Liberty Leasing, 2428 6th Avenue , South Birmingham. Alabama Records Made available by BILL GARRIGAN, Manager. GAIL JONES Bookkeeper Liberty Loasing. 131 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail two FBI investigations conducted in Birmingham, Alabama, during April 1968. The first investigation (April 6–11, 1968) focused on individuals such as HARVEY LOWERY and W. H. LEIMEYER, with efforts to trace potential connections to a criminal investigation. Agents reviewed car rental records from Hertz Rent-A-Car, American Leasing, and Liberty Leasing; checked used car lots including Courtesy Used Cars and Downtown Motors; and interviewed witnesses at drug stores like Liggett Rexall and Lane-Rexall. No direct links to the subject or relevant events were found. The investigation expanded to areas outside Birmingham, including Huntsville, Chattanooga, U.S. Highway 78 West, I-65 North, and the Tennessee River.  

The second investigation (April 1968) centered on threats against Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK). FBI agents interviewed Frances Brown, a waitress at Andy’s Lounge in Birmingham, who described a man observed on March 29, 1968, wearing dark clothing and drinking Schlitz beer. Photographic comparisons were conducted with seven individuals, including Eric S. Galt, whose rifle purchase was noted. Legal actions included filing a complaint against EHC Starvo Galt for alleged threats to MLK’s constitutional rights, resulting in an arrest warrant and a $50,000 bond recommendation.  

Key People  
- HARVEY LOWERY (suspect)  
- W. H. LEIMEYER (individual of interest)  
- JOHN WILLARD, ERIC S. GALT, JAY WILLIS VERNON (names checked in records)  
- SA JOHN H. KREESK, SA CLAUDE TIMOTHY ADAMS, SA ALVIN LEE KING, SA HARRY J. POSEY (agents involved)  
- R. E. JONES, BILL GARRIGAN, TOM D. TOMS, JH DENNIS, BERTHA TYLER, FRANCIS COOK, HOWARD BRASSKALE, STINS BUSBY, HAROLD HENDERSON, ARNOLD PEEK, JOHN D. LINDSEY (business contacts and witnesses)  
- FRANCES BROWN (waitress at Andy’s Lounge, Birmingham)  
- DOUGLAS EUGENE CROWSON (employed by Transworld Leasing Corporation)  
- BARNEY OLDFIELD TRAMMELL JR. (sales representative for Sandox Pharmaceutical Company)  
- ERIC S. GALT (suspected rifle purchaser)  
- EHC STARVO GALT (subject of arrest warrant related to threats against MLK)  

Key Locations  
- Birmingham, Alabama (specific addresses: 5th Avenue North, 6th Avenue South, 20th Street, 1907–11th Street South, Five Points South, Highland Avenue, Graymont Avenue)  
- Cities and highways outside Birmingham: Huntsville, Chattanooga, U.S. Highway 78 West, I-65 North, Tennessee River  
- Andy’s Lounge, Birmingham, Alabama  
- Sandox Pharmaceutical Company (Hanover, New Jersey)  
- Transworld Leasing Corporation (Birmingham, Alabama)  

Key Events  
- Review of car rental records (March 20–April 6, 1968) for specific names and destinations  
- Display of artist’s conception of suspect to business employees and residents for identification  
- Investigation into potential purchases of vehicles from used car lots  
- Checks at drug stores for cash register receipts and prescriptions  
- Interviews with taxi drivers, hotel/motel staff, banks, laundries, and other businesses  
- Extension of investigation to areas outside Birmingham, including highways and river systems  
- Interview with Frances Brown describing a man observed at Andy’s Lounge on March 29, 1968  
- FBI photographic identification process involving seven individuals, including Eric S. Galt  
- Investigation into Douglas Eugene Crowson’s employment and movements in Birmingham  
- Legal action against EHC Starvo Galt for alleged threats to MLK’s constitutional rights  
- Filing of a complaint and arrest warrant for EHC Starvo Galt, with $50,000 bond set  

Key Organizations  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- Hertz Rent-A-Car Company  
- Liberty Leasing, American Leasing  
- Used car dealerships (Courtesy Used Cars, Downtown Motors, etc.)  
- Liggett Rexall Drug Stores, Lane-Rexall Drug Stores  
- Sandox Pharmaceutical Company  
- Transworld Leasing Corporation  
- Birmingham City Jail (Dr. John J. Hillehouse as physician)

MLK Declassified Files

157-mo-2627_625067_26-04-part_4_of_4.pdf

Document Summary

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