</s>0-9 (Rev. 5-22-84) FBI Date: May 10, 1968 Transmit the following in (Type in plaintext or code) Via Airtel (Priority) To: All SACS LEGATS, Mexico City Ottawa Kfpm: Director, FBI MURKIN For your information and investigative assistance, Subject James Earl Ray took a bartending course in Los Angeles, California, during the early part of 1968, and prior his departing Los Angeles, in March of 1968. he made several calls to country clubs in an effort to obtain employment. This should be borne in mind in covering leads in connection with this and other cases. Armed and Dangerous. 4/1-1368-69.3 SEARCHED INDEXED SCRANITY-01-1/1/2/3 MAY 15 1968 Sent Via M Per 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents include FBI records detailing investigations into potential racial violence and the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK). A Philadelphia informant warned of possible riots following MLK’s death, citing tensions with Police Commissioner Frank Rizzo and accumulated weapons in Black communities. Separate reports focus on James Earl Ray, a suspect in MLK’s assassination, including his movements between Birmingham and Philadelphia, an investigation into a car linked to him, and a license plate (690GD) associated with Don Pitts of Alabama, who was connected to Robert L. Moore. A teletype report mentions a Modern Transfer Company truck (#2013/15S) observed by a minister resembling Ray, along with Carl Reitz (terminal manager at Modern Transfer Company) and Clarence Bear (driver). Another document lists impounded automobiles in Syracuse, New York, including descriptions, owners, and locations, with FBI directives to regional offices to check stolen reports. Dental records and X-rays related to James Earl Ray were submitted via Kansas City but are noted as unrelated to the automobile investigation.  

Key People  
- James Earl Ray (suspect in MLK’s assassination)  
- Frank Rizzo (Philadelphia Police Commissioner)  
- Carl Reitz (Modern Transfer Company terminal manager)  
- Clarence Bear (driver for Modern Transfer Company)  
- Don Pitts (linked to license plate investigation)  
- Robert L. Moore (connected to Don Pitts)  
- Sgt. John O'Malley (Syracuse Police Department)  
- Officer Robert Busch (Syracuse Police Department)  
- Nicholas H. Alex (registered owner of a 1956 Chevrolet Sedan)  
- Henry R. Allen (registered owner of a 1959 Rambler Station Wagon)  
- William L. (registered owner of a 1968 Pontiac)  
- Robert B. Morton (registered owner of a 1959 Dodge Sedan)  

Key Locations  
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania  
- Birmingham, Alabama  
- Syracuse, New York (impoundment location for vehicles)  
- Allentown, Pennsylvania (implied in fragmented text)  
- Atlanta, Georgia (implied in fragmented text)  
- Columbia, South Carolina  
- Memphis, Tennessee  
- Albany, New York  
- Kansas City (dental records submission)  

Key Events  
- Informant’s warning of potential riots in Philadelphia post-MLK assassination  
- FBI investigation into James Earl Ray’s movements and associations  
- License plate tracking linked to Don Pitts and Robert L. Moore  
- Observation of a Modern Transfer Company truck potentially associated with Ray  
- Investigation into impounded automobiles in Syracuse, New York, for stolen or abandoned status  
- FBI directives to regional offices (Atlanta, Columbia, Philadelphia, Memphis, Albany) to check stolen reports and contact registered owners  
- Submission of dental records and X-rays related to James Earl Ray via Kansas City  

Key Organizations  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- Philadelphia Police Department  
- Modern Transfer Company (truck logistics firm)  
- Syracuse Police Department  
- Local law enforcement agencies in Atlanta, Columbia, Philadelphia, Memphis, and Albany

MLK Declassified Files

44-ph-1368_sec_006_ser_391-455-part_2_of_4.pdf

Document Summary

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