</s>FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE Mr. T.T.J. T-J.P. M. H.H. M. C. Cawley- FRI WASH DC COMMUNICATION SECTION APR 2 1968 Mr. Cajun- Mr. Colle Mr. Calle Mr. Fole Mr. G. Gole TELETYPE Mr. Galle Mr. Saliva FRI DALLAS Mr. Golle 42PM URGENT 4-26-68 LMB Mr. Trotter Mr. Trower Mr. Holmes Mr. D. Holmens M. DIFECTOR AND EL PASO Mr. M. Holmen FROM DALLA'S 444-2649) 2P Miss Candy MURKIN, CIVIL RIGHTS. The Hayou RE PHONE CALLS BY RAY ENROUTE FROM LOS ANGELES TO NEW ORLEANS, AND EL PASTO TEL TO THE BUREAU AND DALLES, AND DILLAS, TODAY. ROBERT METTS, SECURITY SUPERVISOR, SOUTHWESTERN BELL TELEPHONE COMPANY, LUBBOCK, TEXAS, ADVISED IT WILL BE POSSIBLE FOR HIS OFFICE TO DETERMINE LONG DISTANCE PHONE CALS MADE FROM PAY PHONES AT MARFA, ALPINE, AND MARATHON, TENAS, BUT THIS PROJECT WILL REQUIRE EXTENSIVE WORK, HE STATED PAY PHONE PHONES ARE BILLED AT VARYING PERIODS OF TIME, FROM SEVEN TO ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY DAYS, DIPPING ON VARYNG PERIOS CALLS PLACED AT INDIVIDUAL PAY PHONES, HE STATED HIS OFFICIOUS IMMEDIATELY BEGIN CHECKING PAY PHONS. HE STATEO HIS OFFICES WOULD IMMEDICIALLY BEGIN THE REQUIRED INFORMATION, BUT THAT IT WOULD NOT BE POSIBLE TO HAVE THIS INFORMATION AVAILABLE UNTIL LATE APRIL TWENTYNINE NEXT, OR EARLEX-118. THIRTY NEXT, HE SAID IN REC 10-40-3867-2299 ADDITION THAT SANDERSON, TXAS, WHICH IS ON THE ROUTE TAKEN BY SUBJECT, IS ALSO HANDLED IN THE LUBBOOCK DIVISION OF SOUTHESTERN BELL, AND THAT HE WOULD ALSO HAVE PAY PHones FOR JES 10083887ATION REVIEWED AND HAVE ALL LONG DESTANCE INFORMATION FOR THE PERIOD AND HAVE AT THE SAME TIME. <loc_474> <loc_880>END PAGE ONE

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations into potential threats against Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) and related individuals. On April 26, 1968, a review of pay phone calls from Yuma, Arizona, revealed one paid call to Shreveport, Louisiana, on December 15, 1967. A nationwide telephone strike delayed verification of collect calls to Louisiana. Separate inquiries focused on George Russell, a man with ties to James Earl Ray (suspected in MLK's assassination), who had served time in Missouri prison and allegedly knew Ray. The FBI also investigated Frank H. Niles, who reportedly asked a deputy sheriff about obtaining a sniper rifle and claimed he would kill MLK to prevent integration. Despite Ray being identified as the assassin, the Bureau directed Richmond to check if Niles might be involved as a conspirator. Merrill Williams, in 1961, reported a plot to kill MLK but could not identify the individual involved. The FBI examined a Canadian Postal Money Order (C31,600,868) purchased in Montreal on July 28, 1967, signed by Eric Galt, and investigated threats against MLK, including a statement attributed to Noel Gray suggesting King needed a "new monument" as Christ had been dead for two millennia. Lab reports, fingerprint examinations, and internal FBI communications tracked suspects like Harry P. Stewart and his nephew Steward Lindh, who allegedly planned to kill MLK.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray**: Suspected assassin of MLK; mentioned in phone call tracking, threats, and money order investigations.  
- **Robert Metts**: Security supervisor at Southwestern Bell Telephone Company, Lubbock, TX, involved in payphone call analysis.  
- **Jo Ann Crowe**: Pennsylvania resident who reported observing men at Harriburg Bus Terminal on April 6, 1968.  
- **Eric Galt**: Name associated with the Canadian Postal Money Order (C31,600,868) linked to the investigation.  
- **Noel Gray**: Alleged individual who made a threatening remark about MLK in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  
- **Harry P. Stewart**: Former Secret Service agent whose nephew, Steward Lindh, allegedly planned to kill MLK.  
- **Frank H. Niles**: Allegedly asked for a sniper rifle and claimed he would kill MLK to prevent integration.  
- **George Russell**: Served time in Missouri prison; reportedly knew James Earl Ray.  
- **Merrill Williams**: Reported a plot to kill MLK in 1961 but could not identify the individual involved.  

Key Locations  
- **Lubbock, Texas**: Site of Southwestern Bell Telephone Company's payphone tracking efforts.  
- **Harriburg Bus Terminal (possibly Harrisburg)**: Location where Jo Ann Crowe observed men on April 6, 1968.  
- **Montreal, Canada**: Origin of the Canadian Postal Money Order (C31,600,868) purchased in July 1967.  
- **Baton Rouge, Louisiana**: Location where Noel Gray allegedly made a threatening remark about MLK.  
- **Yuma, Arizona** (pay phone calls reviewed).  
- **Shreveport, Louisiana** (call destination).  
- **Missouri State Prison** (Russell's incarceration).  
- **Canton, Ohio** (deputy sheriff Charles Ross, who reported Niles' inquiry).  

Key Events  
- **Phone Call Tracking**: FBI efforts to trace long-distance calls made by James Earl Ray through payphones in Texas and Arizona.  
- **Canadian Money Order Investigation**: Examination of the C31,600,868 money order linked to Eric Galt and potential ties to the assassination plot.  
- **Threats Against MLK**: Internal FBI reports on threats, including Noel Gray's alleged statement about King needing a "new monument."  
- **Suspect Tracking**: Investigations into Harry P. Stewart and his nephew Steward Lindh, who allegedly planned to kill MLK.  
- **George Russell Connection**: FBI inquiry into George Russell's ties to James Earl Ray.  
- **Frank H. Niles Inquiry**: Examination of Frank H. Niles' potential involvement in MLK's assassination as a conspirator.  
- **Merrill Williams' 1961 Report**: Report of a plot to kill MLK, with no identification of the individual involved.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Central agency conducting the investigation, including lab reports and fingerprint examinations.  
- **Southwestern Bell Telephone Company**: Provided payphone call data for tracking James Earl Ray's movements.  
- **U.S. Secret Service**: Mentioned in context of Harry P. Stewart's background as a former agent.  
- **U.S. Department of Justice**: Administered the FBI's operations.

MLK Declassified Files

44-hq-38861_hs1-233652821_06-02-part_7_of_7.pdf

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