</s>FD-36 (Rev. 5-22-64) F.B.I Date: 4/15/68 Transmit the following in (Type in plannext or code) Via AIRTEL AIRMALL (Priority) Via AIRTREL AIRMAIL TO: DIXECTOR, FBI (4H-38861) TO: FROM SAC, ALBANY (44-493) (P) FROMSAC,ALBANY(44-393) (F) RE: MURKIN CR (00: Memphis) Rebutel 4/10/68, to all continental offices. Regulating conducted within the Albany Division regarding ERIC STARVO GALT with reference to indices, state Selective Service Headquarters, City Directories, Telephone Directories, drivers license bureau, motor vehicle divisions, financial institutions, credit and criminal checks and other logical sources, negative. investigation regarding important contacts continuing. 3-Bureau 2-Memphis (44)-1987) 2-Albany JSLI-ad (7) REC.ZA 11-3861 1200 1 APR 18 1968 App79. APR 23 1968 Special Agent in Charge Sent M Per 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The document contains FBI records detailing investigations into potential threats against Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) and associated individuals, including Eric Starvo Galt (Ernest Sumpter Gault), a suspect linked to segregationist groups and violent acts against civil rights activists. The FBI reviewed Galt’s military service records, employment history, and associations with figures like William Potter Gale, Sidney Barnes, and Noah Jefferson Carden, who were connected to the White Citizens Council and other segregationist organizations. Galt had a history of alcoholism, was discharged from the Army for misconduct in 1964–1968, and was tied to bombings in Birmingham, Alabama. The FBI instructed field offices to monitor leads on these individuals due to their potential involvement in plots against MLK. Additional records reference John A. Burns, arrested in Nassau County, New York, on April 15, 1968, for attempted theft and resisting arrest, who claimed during interrogation to have killed MLK before retracting the statement. The FBI also investigated Galt’s employment at Ingels Shipbuilding Corporation in Pascagoula, Mississippi, and reviewed laundry, dry cleaning, taxi cab, bus terminal, and locksmithing institute records linked to his movements. Subscribers using the name "Gault" were identified across multiple locations, including Chicago, Georgia, Indiana, Ohio, and Canada. Redacted social security numbers (SSNs) are noted in some records but not included in this summary.  

Key People  
- Eric Starvo Galt (Ernest Sumpter Gault)  
- William Potter Gale  
- Sidney Barnes  
- Noah Jefferson Carden  
- John A. Burns  
- Homer E. Hughes (father of Harold V. Hughes, electrical supervisor at Ingels Shipbuilding Corporation)  
- Admiral John G. Crommelin  
- Governor George Wallace  
- President John F. Kennedy  

Key Locations  
- Memphis, Tennessee  
- Birmingham, Alabama  
- Nassau County, New York  
- Pascagoula, Mississippi (Ingels Shipbuilding Corporation)  
- Atlanta, Georgia  
- Los Angeles, California  
- Montreal, Canada  
- Chicago, Illinois  
- New Orleans, Louisiana  
- Washington D.C.  

Key Events  
- FBI investigation into potential threats against MLK, including associations with segregationist groups and individuals linked to violence against civil rights activists.  
- Galt’s military discharge for misconduct (1964–1968) and ties to bombings in Birmingham, Alabama.  
- April 15, 1968: Arrest of John A. Burns in Nassau County, New York, for attempted theft and resisting arrest; he claimed during interrogation to have killed MLK before retracting the statement.  
- FBI inquiries into Galt’s employment history, movements, and connections to Ingels Shipbuilding Corporation.  
- Review of laundry, dry cleaning, taxi cab, bus terminal, and locksmithing institute records linked to Galt’s activities in Atlanta and Los Angeles.  
- Subscriber name searches for individuals using the name "Gault" across multiple locations.  

Key Organizations  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- White Citizens Council (Alabama)  
- U.S. Department of Justice  
- Army (U.S.)  
- Veterans Administration (VA)  
- Ingels Shipbuilding Corporation  
- Locksmithing Institute  
- Nassau County Police Department

MLK Declassified Files

44-hq-38861_hs1-233652821_03-04-part_3_of_5.pdf

Document Summary

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