</s>ME 44-1937 TOR:1:32 JOSEPH ABASS currently incarcerated at the Illinois State Penitentiary was acquired with JAMES EARL RAY at the Missouri State Penitentialty. ADAMS left the pennitentiary in October. 1967. RAY brought food to the hospital where ADAMS was working and assumed that he was the prison kitchen. He described him as a quick tokd to the prison where ADANS was directly to him as he did not ever observe but he never talked imitates. LEO BARNETT currently incarceratedat at the Florida State Prison, Raiford, Florida, knew that he ever talked RAY in the Missouri state Prison from about 1962 until August 1, 1966. He was arrested in connection with the president at the new superintendent, Kebley, as seen in 1962. RAY never said much, did not bother anybody, was a lower and had a bad and nervous condition and a definite mental problem. He has taking powered aphenethetic while in prison and would suffer weight losses and gainus of 10 to 15 pounds over short periods of time. BARNETT stated that apheneticine takes in quantities would produce a substantial aid weight loss. The amphetastic supply, prior to 1961, was $5 a shot or less and after 1961, although the supply was limited, it still sold for the same price. 46 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14178

The documents detail inmate statements regarding **James Earl Ray** and his alleged activities during incarceration, as well as interactions involving **Eric S. Galt**, **Rita Stein**, and others between 1967-1968. Inmate accounts describe Ray’s prison behavior, escape attempts, drug smuggling, and potential ties to violent acts or racial animus. Separate records outline Galt’s movements in Los Angeles and New Orleans, his associations with individuals like Rita Stein and Charles Stein, and connections to James Earl Ray through criminal activities.  

**Key People**  
- **James Earl Ray**: Central figure; described as a loner, drug user, and potential assassin of MLK. Inmates noted his racist views, escape planning, and alleged involvement in violent acts. Later convicted of MLK’s assassination.  
- **Eric S. Galt**: Interacted with Rita Stein, Charles Stein, Marie Martin, and Jerome Wallis Vernon; mentioned ties to Mexico and bar disputes.  
- **Rita Stein**: Met Galt in Los Angeles, traveled with him to New Orleans to retrieve children.  
- **Charles Stein**: Traveled with Galt to New Orleans; registered for George Wallace’s political party.  
- **Marie Martin**: Cousin of Stein; associated with Galt and his activities.  
- **Jerome Wallis Vernon**: Provided laundry service details for Galt, noting his habit of leaving specific items.  
- **Donald Johnson**: Inmate at Missouri State Penitentiary during Ray’s 1967 escape; denied knowledge of escape plans.  
- **Neal Abby**: Allegedly facilitated Ray’s escape via a bread box; claimed Ray never mentioned MLK’s bounty.  
- **Kenneth Wade**: Inmate who sold amphetamines to others; stated Ray disliked Black individuals and could have killed MLK.  
- **Charles Calvin Bookman**: Claimed to receive a 1969 phone call from Ray, which was deemed unreliable by investigators.  

**Key Locations**  
- **Missouri State Penitentiary (Jefferson City)**: Primary location for Ray’s incarceration; site of inmate interactions and escape planning.  
- **Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary (Kansas)**: Ray was housed here in the late 1950s, where he met inmates like Walter Terry Rife and Charles Calvin Bookman.  
- **Los Angeles, California**: Site of Rita Stein’s meeting with Galt at the Sultan Room; St. Francis Hotel referenced for Galt’s stay.  
- **New Orleans, Louisiana**: Where Rita Stein and family traveled to retrieve children; Provincetown Motel linked to Galt’s stay.  
- **Quincy, Illinois**: Mentioned in context of prior criminal activity involving Galt.  
- **St. Louis, Missouri**: Associated with Ray’s parole records and prison history.  

**Key Events**  
- **Ray’s 1967 Escape**: Multiple inmates described his escape attempts, including alleged use of a bread box to smuggle items. Donald Johnson and Neal Abby were linked to this plan.  
- **Drug Sales in Prisons**: Ray and others sold amphetamines and narcotics within prison systems, using couriers and guards for transactions.  
- **Alleged 1969 Phone Call**: Charles Calvin Bookman claimed to receive a call from Ray, who allegedly warned him he was “hotter than a cow marshal’s pistol.” This claim was dismissed as unreliable.  
- **Rita Stein’s Travel to New Orleans**: Galt accompanied her and her family to retrieve children; they stayed at the Provincetown Motel.  
- **Galt’s Laundry Services**: Jerome Wallis Vernon noted Galt’s habit of leaving specific laundry items for processing.  
- **Political Party Registration**: Charles Stein and associates registered for George Wallace’s political party.  

**Key Organizations**  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Involved in tracking Ray post-escape; some individuals, like Bookman, were FBI agents or had ties to the bureau.  
- **Prison Systems**: Missouri State Penitentiary and Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary were central to Ray’s incarceration and inmate interactions.  
- **George Wallace’s Political Party**: Registered by Stein and associates during their activities in New Orleans.  
- **Home Service Landry and Dry Cleaning Company**: Linked to Galt’s laundry services; referenced in records of his interactions with Vernon.  
- **International School of Bartending**: Source of a photograph of Galt, mentioned in context of his prior residences.  

**Notes**: The documents contain inconsistencies (e.g., misspelled names, unclear chronology) and rely on inmate accounts or speculative claims. While Ray was later convicted of MLK’s assassination, the records reflect contemporaneous prison records and unverified allegations. Galt’s activities are tied to criminal records and potential connections to Ray but lack direct evidence linking him to MLK’s case.

MLK Declassified Files

44-nf-268_749669_02-03-part_2_of_5.pdf

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