</s>FD 302 (Rev. 4:15:64) FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION Date: February 25, 1969 Sergeant RAYMOND H. CURRY, Base Photo Laboratory, Columbus Air Force Base, Columbus, Mississippi, advised that he had in his possession a one dollar bill which had inscribed on it: JAMES EARL RAY 322-3561 Sergant CURRAY said he could not immediately recall how or when he came in possession of this one dollar bill. He said he felt he should report this to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. INCEED INDEXED SCHALIZED, ELLS, FILLED LEE. SCHALLIZED. ELLD LEE, FLLED LEEE. 2/25/69 .- Columbus, Mississippi File #: Jackson 157-9586 SA LAWRENCE W. GORMAN LWC/bb 2/26/69 by: Date dictated. This document contains neither recommendations nor conditions of the FBI. It is the property of the Fbi and is licensed to your agency: and its contents are not to be distributed outside your agency. 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI records from February 1969 involving reports of a $1 bill inscribed with "JAMES EARL RAY 322-3561" found by Sergeant Raymond H. Curry at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi. Curry reported the bill to the FBI on February 25, 1969, noting he could not recall how he obtained it. The FBI sought verification of the telephone number 322-3561, which was confirmed not to be a Mississippi number by George C. McCully, State Security Officer for South Central Bell Telephone Company. Additional records reference FBI actions to trace the subscriber of the number and note James Earl Ray's familiarity with cities like Atlanta, Birmingham, Memphis, and Los Angeles. A separate document mentions an informant report involving James Bevel, an official of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), and his alleged connections to Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination investigation, though details are fragmented and contain typographical errors.  

Key People  
- Raymond H. Curry: Sergeant at Columbus Air Force Base who reported possession of the inscribed $1 bill.  
- George C. McCully: State Security Officer for South Central Bell Telephone Company, confirmed 322-3561 was not a Mississippi number.  
- James Earl Ray: Name inscribed on the $1 bill; linked to the telephone number and investigated by FBI.  
- Lawrence W. Gorman: Special Agent with FBI Jackson office.  
- John L. Puddister: Special Agent with FBI Jackson office.  
- James Bevel: SCLC official mentioned in informant report, alleged connections to MLK assassination investigation.  

Key Locations  
- Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi  
- Jackson, Mississippi  
- Memphis, Tennessee  
- Atlanta, Georgia  
- Birmingham, Alabama  
- Los Angeles, California  
- Chicago, Illinois  

Key Events  
- February 25, 1969: Sergeant Raymond H. Curry reported possession of a $1 bill with "JAMES EARL RAY 322-3561" to FBI.  
- February 26, 1969: FBI requested verification of telephone number 322-3561; confirmed not registered in Mississippi.  
- FBI actions to trace subscriber of telephone number 322-3561 and investigate James Earl Ray's movements.  
- Informant report referencing James Bevel's alleged involvement with SCLC and potential ties to MLK assassination investigation (fragmented, contains typographical errors).  

Key Organizations  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)  
- South Central Bell Telephone Company  
- U.S. Department of Justice (via Executive Order 14176 for declassification)

MLK Declassified Files

44-me-1987_hs1-852611265_86-06-part_3_of_3.pdf

Document Summary

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