</s>FRI KAN CITY RAGM IMMEDIATE 6-6-6R ENT TO DIRECTOR, CHICAGO, CLEVELAND, DALLAS, MEMPHIS, MINNAPOLIS, OKLAHOMA CITY, SACRAMENTO, ST. LOUIS AND SPRINGFIELD, FROM KANSAS CITY (CA4-760) AP MURKIN . DAILY SUMMARY. RF DALLS TRL JUNE SIX SIX LAST, BUREAU RAD JUNE 6IX LAST. SPRINGFIELD TRL June FOUR AND FIVE LAST, WFO AIRTEL MAY THRFF ONE. LAST, NE PEN PAL CLURS. PAUL PEN PAL CLURRS. PAUL BRIDGEMAN MAY RF IDENTICAL TO FORMER FELLOW INVATE OF SURJECT RAY: PAUL OSBORN BRIDGERMAN, AKA ., PAUL JAMES BRIDGEMAN, MSP NO. ONE. ZRO ONE THREE FOUR. BORN APRIL THIRTEEN, FORTY, WINCHESTER, MPS NO. IND. WHO WAS RECEIVED AT MSP FROM JACKSON COUNTY, KANSANS CITY, MO. APRIL TWO THREE. SIXTY-FIVR. AND WAS DISCHARRED JAN. SIZTFEN. Sixty-FIGHT, AND WAS NOT ON PAROLLE. BEFORE BEING TRANSFERRED TO PRISON LIMITED SECURITY SECTION AT MORRLEY. MO ., ON MARCH SEVEN, SIXTH-SIXTH. PRIDGRMAN WORKED IN THE MSP KITCHEN AND COULD HAVE HAD CONTACT WITH SURJECT RAY. WARDEN. SURPECTS BRIDGREMAN IS HOMOSFEXUAL. EXTENSIVE INVESTIGATION IS LOCATE BRIDGESMAN IN KANSASCITY CITY AREA HAS IDENTIFECT HIS GIRLFRIEND DURING APRIL AND POSSIBLY PART OF MAY SIXTY.FIGHT IN KANAS CITY AREAS AS JACQUELINE "JACKIFIE" KLINF. AKA .. END PAGE ONE SE-CHED INDEXED SERIQUELING FILED by JUNY-1968 FBI-SPRINCFIELD advised 8 P 8 P La Drea S.L.C. 4/4-561.6943 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigations into James Earl Ray, a suspect in Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, through interviews with Paul Bridgeman, a former inmate at Missouri State Penitentiary (MSP). Bridgeman claimed to have met Ray in 1964 while incarcerated at MSP and described Ray as a drug dealer involved in illicit activities, including producing intoxicants from raisins, sugar, and yeast. Ray was said to frequent bars such as Old Fortress and High Hat in Kansas City, Missouri, and nightclubs like the Pussy Cat A Go-Go in St. Louis, Missouri. Bridgeman also mentioned Ray’s alleged associations with Joyce Martin (a.k.a. Joyce William) in Santa Ana, California; George Gill in Santa Ana; and Jimmy Poe in Granite City, Illinois, a man sought by local police on burglary charges. The FBI planned to investigate Ray’s movements, including locating a "joint" on South Selden or Belvar in Denver, Colorado, and verifying information about Beverly Hill, a woman Ray allegedly met in Kansas City. Bridgeman denied knowing Ray’s whereabouts post-escape but provided details about his alleged criminal behavior and travel plans to Brazil, Cuba, or Australia due to racial tensions.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray**: Suspect in MLK’s assassination; described as a drug dealer with ties to Los Angeles Chinatown and St. Louis nightclubs.  
- **Paul Bridgeman**: Former MSP inmate who met Ray in 1964; provided details about Ray’s activities, associates, and alleged criminal behavior.  
- **Joyce Martin** (a.k.a. Joyce William): Identified as a contact of Ray in Santa Ana, California; described as "good people" for a fugitive.  
- **George Gill**: Mentioned as a friend of Ray in Santa Ana, California.  
- **Jimmy Poe**: Alleged associate of Ray in Granite City, Illinois; subject of an arrest warrant for burglary.  
- **Bill Russell**: Identified as a contact of Ray in St. Louis.  
- **John Geil**: Manager of Princeton Hotel in Kansas City, reported Bridgeman’s prior employment there and his call to the hotel after release from prison.  
- **Earl V. Kelly**: Operator of the Lolita Club in Kansas City, linked to Bridgeman’s associates.  

Key Locations  
- **Missouri State Penitentiary (MSP)**: Site of Bridgeman’s alleged meeting with Ray.  
- **Kansas City, Missouri**: Bars Old Fortress and High Hat frequented by Ray; location where Beverly Hill was allegedly met.  
- **St. Louis, Missouri**: Nightclub Pussy Cat A Go-Go, where Ray was described as well-known.  
- **Los Angeles, California**: Chinatown area (Di Rango’s or Rangos’) associated with Ray’s drug activities.  
- **Denver, Colorado**: Target of FBI efforts to locate a "joint" linked to Ray.  
- **Granite City, Illinois**: Home of Jimmy Poe, a suspect in Ray’s associates.  
- **Bloomington, Illinois; Richardson, Texas; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Akron, Ohio**: Locations associated with phone calls from Jacqueline Kline’s number.  

Key Events  
- **April–May 1968**: FBI tracked Bridgeman and his girlfriend, Jacqueline Kline, through phone records, identifying their movements and potential connections to Ray.  
- **February 1968**: Bridgeman allegedly met Ray in Kansas City at the Old Fortress Bar; Bridgeman claimed he was approached by a woman who directed him to Ray.  
- **Bridgeman’s interview** (1968): Provided details about Ray’s post-prison activities, including drug dealings and alleged travel plans.  
- **FBI investigation**: Planned to locate Ray through interviews with contacts like Joyce Martin, George Gill, and Bill Russell; efforts to verify Beverly Hill’s identity and track Ray’s movements.  
- **May–June 1968**: FBI intensified efforts to locate Bridgeman, noting his potential involvement in the assassination or related activities.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted surveillance, phone record analysis, and coordination across multiple field offices (e.g., Springfield, Kansas City, Memphis).  
- **Southwestern Bell Telephone Company**: Provided toll call records for Kline’s number.  
- **Kansas City Police Department**: Reported on Earl V. Kelly’s relocation and the closure of the Swinging Set Club.  
- **Missouri State Penitentiary (MSP)**: Bridgeman’s incarceration site, where he was suspected of contact with Ray.

MLK Declassified Files

44-si-561_sec_015_ser_577-649-part_6_of_6.pdf

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