</s>OFFICIAL Notice No. 10 301-104 01-01-04, NO. 1-17 Tolson UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT Memorandum Collaboration Make-up Collaborate Collaborat Collaborations Collaborator Collaborative Collaborant Collaborati To : Mr. RoseB/l DATE: June 12, 1968 Collabor 1 - Mr. Rosen C.L. McCogely 1 -Mr. Malley Collabor Collaborators Collaborates Collaborats Collaboratory Collaboratives Collaboratories Collaborating Collaboraton 1- Mr. McGowan Collaborated 1 - MR. Long SURJECT MURKIN 1-Mr. M.M. Stephen J. Pollak, Civil Rights Division, Assistant Attorney General At 10:35 p.m ., 6-12-66, Assistant attorney General Extra-Duty Supervisor of H.E. Helgerson. He advised that he contacted with preparation of affidavits in Memphis. He has been contacted needed copies of the New Rebel Motor Hotel registration card signed by Eric Galt. Pollack asked if we could have these copies flown to Memphis to be available to Department Attorney C. Harold flown by Memphis to the morning of 6-13-68. SA James Mortimer of the Laboratory was contacted and he made available six copies of this registration card. ACTION: Washington Field Office was instructed to make arrangements to have these copies delivered to Memphis on the next available flight. SAC Jensen, Memphis, was alerted to the arrival of these documents and was instructed that they should be delivered to Departmental Attorney Flannery. JK REC-28 44-38861 441414 HEH-hw (5) 2 JUN 14 1968 S4 Dufe E. Meehle 6/13, tAfter Nellie 6/19, 79 JUN 19 1968 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The document contains fragmented FBI records from the late 1960s detailing investigations into the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) and the subsequent tracking of James Earl Ray, the accused perpetrator. Key elements include Ray’s arrest in London on June 8, 1968, his imprisonment at Wandsworth Prison under protected security provisions, and the FBI’s efforts to link him to MLK’s assassination through a 38-caliber revolver (serial number 715) sold by Robert Tatum to Walter E. Spain in October 1966. The gun’s ownership chain remains incomplete, with no direct evidence connecting Ray to the crime. The text also references coded numerical sequences, encrypted messages, and fragmented records, suggesting potential cipher systems or data logs from Cold War-era investigations. Collaboration between U.S. (FBI) and British authorities is noted, including involvement of Metropolitan Police officials like Sir John Waldron and Detective Chief Superintendent T.M.J. Butler. The case remains unresolved due to insufficient evidence and Ray’s absence from U.S. courts.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray**: Accused assassin of MLK; arrested in London on June 8, 1968.  
- **Robert Tatum**: Gun dealer in Mableton, GA, who sold the revolver to Walter E. Spain.  
- **Walter E. Spain**: Birmingham, AL, buyer of the revolver from Tatum.  
- **J. Edgar Hoover**: FBI Director at the time; central figure in tracking Ray.  
- **Sir John Waldron**: Commissioner of Metropolitan Police (UK), involved in Ray’s apprehension.  
- **Detective Chief Superintendent T.M.J. Butler**: British police official collaborating with U.S. authorities.  

Key Locations  
- **Wandsworth Prison** (London, England): Where Ray was held under protected security provisions.  
- **Lisbon, Portugal**: Ray stayed here from May 8–17, 1968, before returning to London.  
- **New Earle Court Hotel** (London): Ray’s lodging prior to his arrest.  
- **Mableton, GA** and **Birmingham, AL**: Locations of Tatum’s gun dealership and Spain’s residence.  

Key Events  
- **June 8, 1968**: James Earl Ray arrested in London after fleeing the U.S. following MLK’s assassination.  
- **October 1966**: Robert Tatum sold a 38-caliber revolver to Walter E. Spain for $50.  
- **Spring 1967**: Spain sold the revolver to an unknown buyer described as a white male with a Southern accent.  
- **FBI Gun Tracking**: Investigation into the revolver’s ownership chain, including signature comparisons and forgery analysis.  
- **Collaboration with British Authorities**: FBI and Metropolitan Police cooperation in locating and apprehending Ray.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Led investigations into MLK’s assassination and Ray’s movements.  
- **Metropolitan Police** (UK): Assisted U.S. authorities in tracking Ray’s whereabouts and securing his arrest.

MLK Declassified Files

44-hq-38861_hs1-233652821_16-04-part_6_of_7.pdf

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