</s>FBI WASH DC 233PM) URGENT R-2R-6R DJM TO: DIRECTOR, FBI (44-38R61) FROM: SAC. SPRINGFIELD (44~54) IP MURKIN RF SPRINGFIELD TELETYPE TO BUREAU EIGHT TWENTY SEVEN LAST- SI ONE FIVE TWO-C CONTACTED TODAY RE INFO ON ROBERT LOUIS STANTON FURNISHED BY EAST ALTON P.D .- INFORMANT SUBSTAN- TIATED PREVIOUS INTELLIGENCE INDICATING STANTION PREFERS FORTY FIVE CALIBER AUTOMATIC. STATED STANTTON HAS WIDE ACCUANTANCE AMONG CRIMINAL ELEMENT IN GREATER ALTON AREA AND COULD WELL HAVE ACCESS TO ENOUGH INFO ABOUT THE BANK OF ALTON TO PULL BR: EXPRESSED DOUBT. HOWEVER. THAT STANTONY WOULD PULL BR. STATING HE PREFERRED BURGLARIES. PCI LARRY R: MANNS CONTACTED AND GIVEN ASSIGNMENT TO DEVELOP INFO ON HAROLD RICHARD COVINGTON AND DELMAR GRINDSTAFF. COPIES MAILED CHICAGO, MEMPHIS AND ST. LOUIS. P. END- GJM FBI WISH DC SEARCHED. SERIALIZED. INDEXED. FILED.d.g.m. 44-361-265 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary:  
The documents detail FBI investigations into the Bank of Alton robbery on July 13, 1967, focusing on suspects such as James Earl Ray, Harold Richard Covington, and others linked to criminal activities. Informants in Springfield, Chicago, Memphis, St. Louis, and Alton were monitored for information, though results were inconsistent or negative. The FBI tracked connections between suspects and stolen funds, including efforts to locate individuals like Chuck Baze (imprisoned in Madison County Jail) and Harold Richard Covington. Administrative details about case tracking, document handling, and cost data for Springfield Division operations are also included. A separate communication involves Robert H. Strader’s claims of being approached by an individual near Indianapolis on October 13, 1968, who allegedly referenced conversations overheard at a Tennessee truck stop in late March 1968. Strader reported receiving notes demanding money for testimony about the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., and contacted Arthur Haynes (attorney for James Earl Ray) on October 18, 1969. The Indianapolis FBI office retained the notes and concluded no further action was needed after confirming information had been shared with Memphis.  

Key People:  
- James Earl Ray (suspected in Bank of Alton robbery and linked to MLK Jr.’s assassination)  
- Harold Richard Covington (implicated in robbery investigation)  
- Chuck Baze (imprisoned in Madison County Jail, wife PAT Basham Baze)  
- Robert Louis Stanton (Madison County Jail inmate under investigation)  
- William H. Petersen (Alton PD chief)  
- Arthur Haynes (attorney for James Earl Ray)  
- Robert H. Strader (subject of investigation, reported interactions with James Earl Ray)  

Key Locations:  
- Springfield, Illinois (FBI SAC office)  
- Alton, Illinois (Bank of Alton robbery site, police department)  
- Memphis, Tennessee (FBI SAC office)  
- Indianapolis, Indiana (Strader’s encounter location)  
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (mentioned in notes and instructions)  
- Cottage Hills, Illinois (LEON KOHLER’s alleged residence)  
- Quincy, Illinois (George Parsons’ location)  

Key Events:  
- Bank of Alton robbery on July 13, 1967 (investigated as part of broader inquiry)  
- FBI cost data tracking for Springfield Division operations (September–October 1968)  
- Informant activities to locate suspects and track stolen funds  
- Strader’s encounter with an individual near Indiana State Highway 136 on October 13, 1968  
- Receipt of notes demanding money for testimony about MLK Jr.’s assassination  
- Strader’s phone call to Arthur Haynes on October 18, 1969  
- FBI decision to retain notes and cease further investigation after confirming information was shared with Memphis  

Key Organizations:  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- Alton Police Department (Illinois)  
- Madison County Sheriff’s Office (Illinois)  
- Civil Liberties Union (mentioned as an organization associated with informants)  
- National Institute of Dry Cleaners (administrative context)

MLK Declassified Files

44-si-561_sec_018_ser_698-859-part_04_of_10.pdf

Document Summary

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