</s>Carpenter wrote price on box and wrote tax of $1.60, then added the two figures for total of $41.55. Paced sales slip and box containing binoculars in gray paper bag which bears name of York Arms. Binoculars were in leather or simulated leather case. Description of customer: white male, 26-32 yrs, 5' 11", 160-175 lbs; black or dark brown hair, neat, combed straight back with no part; no glasses; ruddy complexion; medium build; dark suit, white shirt with noticeably wide space at collar, dark tie with light stripe tied in long slender knot not filling space between collars. 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary:  
The documents detail various investigative records related to a person identified as "Galt" or "Ray," with connections to purchases, hotel stays, and criminal history. A transaction at York Arms Co. on April 4, 1968, involved binoculars sold to a man described as white, 26-32 years old, 5'11", 160-175 lbs, with dark hair and a dark suit. The buyer paid $41.55 in cash. A Mustang car is noted in multiple entries, including a white mustang linked to Galt's movements. Hotel records from the Provincial Motel in New Orleans mention room 126, with no direct connection to MLK. Ray, identified as Eric S. Galt, was sentenced to 20 years in Pennsylvania for armed robbery in 1959, though a motion to set aside the conviction remained pending. Other entries include witness accounts of sightings, vehicle tire details, and background checks on individuals with no direct ties to MLK or the assassination investigation.  

Key People:  
- Galt (Eric S.) – Identified as Ray, linked to criminal history and hotel stays.  
- Ralph Carpenter – Retail clerk at York Arms Co., provided purchase details.  
- Cherpes, Peter – Hotel manager in Birmingham, documented Galt's room rental and car details.  
- Casey, Judge John C. – Handled Ray’s 1959 armed robbery conviction.  
- Cleveland, Lynn Ray – Marked as an assassin suspect with items seized during arrest.  

Key Locations:  
- York Arms Co. (Birmingham, AL) – Binoculars purchase location.  
- Provincial Motel (New Orleans, LA) – Room 126 associated with Galt/Ray.  
- Economy Rooms (Birmingham, AL) – Galt’s registered stay.  
- Capitol Homes Parking Lot (Atlanta, GA) – Mustang photographed on April 11, 1968.  

Key Events:  
- Purchase of binoculars by a man matching Ray/Galt’s description on April 4, 1968.  
- Galt’s rental at Economy Rooms (August–October 1967) and subsequent stay under another name.  
- Ray’s 1959 armed robbery conviction in Pennsylvania, pending appeal.  
- Witness accounts of a man seen near Mrs. Cayton’s apartment on April 5, 1968, matching Galt’s description.  

Key Organizations:  
- FBI – Conducted investigations and gathered witness statements.  
- State Authorities (e.g., Tennessee, Pennsylvania) – Provided legal records for extradition or conviction verification.  
- York Arms Co. – Retail establishment linked to the binoculars transaction.

MLK Declassified Files

190-hq-43418_bulky_1_sec_001_ser_1_only-part_07_of_48.pdf

Document Summary

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