</s>Volume Number CLARK'S PROPERATION NO. Serials 333-29f BARRY H. HARRISON, F. 7.2.68 BARNY HARRIS, F .- 7.7.68 BARNEY HARRISH, F .. 7.8.68 BARMY HARRISM, F ... 7.4.68.68 BARBNY H.HARRIS. F ., 7.6.68 BUREAU of FBI - CENTRAL RECORDS CENTER FRI - RICHMOND RH-00444-0017B: RH RH-RICHMOND Sub Vol. Serial # Class / Case # Sub Vol Serial # 00444 657 4 233 294 INVESTIGATION BARney H.T. 3861 Bureau File Number: F.E. Number: 4-7.2-68.1 9/10/90/9701 RRP002HBUM See also No. 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigative activities in May 1968 focusing on tracking individuals resembling James Earl Ray, a suspect linked to Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination. The Bureau sought information on a white male with a resemblance to Ray observed in Washington, D.C., and investigated vehicle registrations tied to Tennessee license plate DP-5295 (registered to Robert E. Kempfer). Correspondence includes teletypes between FBI offices in Richmond, Memphis, and other locations requesting leads on potential look-alikes, surveillance reports, and coordination with local law enforcement. References to Charles W. Clark’s KKK ties and inquiries into a motor court guest described as resembling Eric Gail are noted. The documents emphasize urgency in locating suspects and maintaining records under FBI case numbers 44-657 and others. A separate document references an inquiry into Shelby Jean Baldridge, her husband Elbert Baldrige, and their separation, including allegations of a potential trip to Tampa, Florida, and contact with an individual named Earl Ray (possibly James Earl Ray). Discrepancies in Baldridge’s claims about his wife’s interactions with Ray are noted. Another document contains records of FBI investigations related to MLK’s assassination, detailing travel arrangements for James C. Galt, a Dupont Company employee, including reservations made by William D. Tugwell for Galt’s trip from Chattanooga, Tennessee, to Atlanta and Richmond, Virginia, on April 5–10, 1968. The FBI also investigated Paul Mennick, who made anti-Negro remarks and threatened MLK during a phone call, Curtis Harris (SCLC official) reporting calls about MLK’s assassination, William Wallace of Petersburg, Virginia, linked to Reservoir Avenue, and Bubble-Eye Mason, an inmate at Lorton Reformatory, alleged to have connections with James Earl Ray and knowledge of a "contract" on MLK prior to Ray’s escape from prison. Financial records and alias considerations (e.g., characters from Ian Fleming’s novels) were reviewed as part of the investigation.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray** (suspect in MLK’s assassination, referenced in multiple documents)  
- **Robert E. Kempfer** (Tennessee license plate owner, vehicle registration subject)  
- **Charles W. Clark** (individual with KKK ties, investigated for potential connections)  
- **Dale Goff** (complainant at Clarendon Hotel Court, Arlington, VA)  
- **Thomas R. Ovens** (Washington, D.C., police officer who observed a suspect)  
- **James C. Galt** (Dupont Company employee whose travel arrangements were documented)  
- **William D. Tugwell** (traffic manager at Dupont Company who made reservations for Galt)  
- **Paul Mennick** (individual who made anti-Negro remarks and threatened MLK during a phone call)  
- **Curtis Harris** (SCLC official who reported receiving calls about MLK’s assassination)  
- **William Wallace** (resident of Petersburg, Virginia, interviewed by FBI agents; described as a white male with no criminal record)  
- **Bubble-Eye Mason** (inmate at Lorton Reformatory alleged to have connections with James Earl Ray and knowledge of a "contract" on MLK)  
- **Shelby Jean Baldridge** (wife of Elbert Baldridge, investigated for potential contact with Earl Ray)  
- **Elbert Baldrige** (husband of Shelby Jean Baldridge, subject of separation inquiry)  

Key Locations  
- **Richmond, Virginia** (FBI field office, case origin)  
- **Memphis, Tennessee** (FBI field office)  
- **Washington, D.C.** (location of suspicious vehicle observation)  
- **Annandale, Virginia** (Kempfer’s residence)  
- **Clarendon Hotel Court, Arlington, VA** (hotel where a suspect was reportedly observed)  
- **Chattanooga, Tennessee**  
- **Atlanta, Georgia**  
- **Petersburg, Virginia** (Reservoir Avenue)  
- **Tampa, Florida** (alleged trip location for Shelby Jean Baldridge)  
- **Lorton Reformatory**, Virginia (inmate Bubble-Eye Mason’s residence)  

Key Events  
- FBI investigation into a white male resembling James Earl Ray seen in Washington, D.C., on April 22, 1968.  
- Vehicle registration inquiry for Tennessee license plate DP-5295 linked to Robert E. Kempfer.  
- Surveillance and lead tracking at Clarendon Hotel Court regarding a guest described as resembling Eric Gail.  
- Coordination between FBI offices in Richmond, Memphis, and other locations to locate suspects and verify leads.  
- Investigation into Charles W. Clark’s ties to the KKK and his residence in Hopewell, Virginia.  
- Travel reservations for James C. Galt by Dupont Company (April 5–10, 1968).  
- Paul Mennick’s anti-Negro remarks and threats to MLK during a phone call.  
- Curtis Harris reporting calls about MLK’s assassination.  
- FBI interviews with William Wallace of Petersburg, Virginia.  
- Investigation into Bubble-Eye Mason’s alleged connection to James Earl Ray and knowledge of a "contract" on MLK.  
- Review of financial records and alias considerations (e.g., characters from Ian Fleming’s novels) as part of the investigation.  
- Inquiry into Shelby Jean Baldridge’s alleged trip to Tampa, Florida, and contact with an individual named Earl Ray.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**  
- **Ku Klux Klan (KKK)**  
- **Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)**  
- **Dupont Company** (handled travel reservations for Galt)  
- **Ian Fleming’s novels** (characters like John Galt and Eric Stavro Blofield considered as potential aliases for suspects)

MLK Declassified Files

44-rh-657_sec_004_ser_233-294-part_1_of_6.pdf

Document Summary

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