The cold six thousand

FATHER,

Here's Bob's memo. His facts observations are based on his personal relationship with the PROSPECT on files he stole from the Missouri State Prison System. I cleaned up his grammar spelling included some perceptions. READ, BURN pouch me your response.

The PROSPECT:

Ray, James Earl/white male/5' 10"! 1 60/DOB 3-1 6-28/Alton, Illinois/ 1 of 10 children.

PROSPECT grew up in rural Illinois Missouri. Father was career petty larcemst. PROSPECT first arrested (1942) at age 14 (theft). Became frequenter of traveling carnivals houses of prostitution. Became friendly with older man (German immigrant) who was pro-Hitler member of German-American Bund. PROSPECT began to develop anti-Negro attitude at this time.

PROSPECT enlisted in U.S. Army (2/19/46) requested Germany as duty station. Attended basic training at Camp Crowder, Missouri assigned (as truck driver) to Q.M. Corps in occupied Germany (7/46). Later assigned as driver to MP battalion in Bremerhaven. Trafficked in black market cigarettes, frequented prostitutes was treated for syphilis gonorrhea. Began drinking heavily taking Benzedrine. Transferred to Infantry Battalion, Frankfurt (4/48) requested immediate discharge.

Request was denied. PROSPECT charged with being drunk in quarters (10/48) held in post stockade. PROSPECT escaped, was recaptured sentenced to 3 months hard labor. Returned to the U.S. (12/48) given "general discharge." Spent time at family's home in Alton, Illinois. Hitchhiked to Los Angeles (9/49), arrested for burglary (12/9/49), sentenced to 8 months county jail time, released early for good behavior (3/50).

PROSPECT traveled east. Arrested for vagrancy (Marion, Iowa, 4/18/50), released 5/8/50. Arrested for vagrancy (Alton, Ill., 7/26/5 1), released 9/51. Arrested for armed robbery (taxicab hijack, Chicago, 5/6/52, shot while attempting escape).

PROSPECT received two-year sentence. Served time at Joliet Pontiac facilities. Established reputation as prison "Loner" habitual user of home-brew alcohol amphetamines. Paroled 3/12/54.

PROSPECT arrested for burglary (Alton, Ill., 8/28/54). Bailed out absconded before trial date. Traveled east with criminal companion shared political views (e.g., all Negroes were inferior should be killed). Arrested (robbery of post office, Kellerville, Ill.) 3/55. Sentenced to 36 mos. Federal prison. Received at Leavenworth Penitentiary, 7/7/55. Paroled 5/58.

PROSPECT's parole jurisdiction transferred to St. Louis (family members lived there). In 7 8/59, PROSPECT 2 accomplices went on supermarket robbery spree (St. Louis Alton, Ill.). PROSPECT arrested 10/10/59. Attempted jail escape 12/15/59. Sentenced to 20 yrs. Missouri State Penitentiary. Received at Jefferson City Facility, 3/17/60.

Jeff City reputedly the toughest most harshly run prison in the U.S. White Negro inmates largely segregated. White inmates mostly of "Hillbilly" lineage vocal per their hatred of Negroes. Facility had informal chapters of KKK, National States Rights Party, National Renaissance Party Thunderbolt Legion.

PROSPECT worked in dry cleaning plant unsuccessfully attempted escape in 10/61. PROSPECT bootlegged prison bakery goods amphetamines, habitually injected amphetamines frequently indulged anti-Negro tirades when "high." PROSPECT also sold rented contraband pornographic magazines joined informal meetings of extreme right-wing groups (attended by both convicts guards) often discussed his desire to "kill niggers" "Martin Luther Coon."

PROSPECT also discussed desire to move to segregated African countries, become a "Merc" "kill niggers." BR contends that PROSPECT was especially vituperative, even by white convict standards.

PROSPECT openly fantasized that a "White Businessman's Association" had a $100,000 bounty out on King. This is enticing when considering recent "bounty-talk" picked up via bug at Grapevine Tavern in St. Louis. BR contends that "Bounty" concept strongly plays into PROSPECT's "get-rich-quick mentality."

PROSPECT denied parole in '64. Attempted escape 3/11/66. Escaped 4/23/67 (hiding in an outbound bread truck).

PROSPECT stated to BR:

That he walked hill roads to Kansas City, did "odd jobs built up a stake," bussed to Chicago got dishwasher's job at restaurant in Wmnnetka. PROSPECT visited family members childhood haunts in Alton, Quincy East St. Louis determined that no intensive manhunt was being conducted. PROSPECT robbed liquor store in East St. Louis (6/29/67) stole $4,100.

PROSPECT traveled south spent week at BR's compound (7/5-7/12/67). Grocery store near New Hebron robbed (7/8/67). BR believes PROSPECT was perpetrator. PROSPECT BR discussed "politics" PROSPECT apparently was not afraid that BR would report his fugitive status. PROSPECT "kept to himself," drank took amphetamines, ignored BR's Klansmen, talked to BR exclusively frequently stated his desire to "kill niggers," "collect nigger bounties," "hire on as a merc kill niggers in the Nigger Congo" "live in a white man's paradise like Rhodesia."

PROSPECT left compound (7/13/67), told BR he was driving to Canada would call reestablish contact. PROSPECT called 7/17/67 gave BR phone # in Montreal.

Summation:

BR characterizes the PROSPECT as moody, acquiescent, limitedly self-sufficient and cunning, socially clumsy, easily led by stronger personalities and easily manipulated on the level of his political beliefs. His frequently stated desire to "kill niggers" and his "bounty" fixation are encouraging and serve to underline the possibility that he may require minimal sheep-dipping. The PROSPECT may be willing to shoot himself and we may be able to manipulate him into and/or control the context he shoots in.

I think he's the one. Let me know if you agree.

To digress:

I had a long conversation with Mr. Hoover yesterday. I expressed concern about the degree to which his anti-King incursions had already become public knowledge. I mentioned his statements about King, the SCLC's bug and wiretap accusations and reports on the letter which was sent to King and urged him to commit suicide, which has been detailed in several left-wing periodicals. I told him that to further protect the WHITE-HATE and anti-King arms of OPERATION BLACK RABBIT and any escalations that might arise from them, a cosmeticized, largely downscaled anti-King file should be created and stored in the FBI Archives, where it would remain and stand ready for scrutiny in the event of congressional subpoena or subpoena for civil lawsuit.

Mr. Hoover understood that this mock-file would serve to obfuscate the rowdier aspects of OBR, protect Bureau prestige and buttress the validity of his earlier, less vindictive digs at King and the SCLC. He charged me to create file entries, combine them with file entries pertaining to events within public knowledge and whip them into an overall package.

I will undertake and accomplish this over the next several months. This mock-file will, of course, serve to obfuscate our independent escalations. I'm code-naming the file OPERATION ZORRO, a reference to the fictional do-gooder with the black mask.

I'm open to suggestions per the mock-file entries. Let me know if you have any. I would strongly advise you to burn all your OPERATION BLACK RABBIT memoranda at this time, along with this memo.

_DOCUMENT INSERT_: 8/14/67. Pouch communiquй. To: BLUE RABBIT. From: FATHER RABBIT. Marked: "Eyes Only"/"Read and Burn."