A. Memorandum dated 2/5/69, reflecting conversation between WILLIAM BRADFORD HUIE and members of District Attorney ' General PHIL M. CANALE's staff on 2/4/69.:

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FBI

. . • ; • - ' Date: 2/25/69 1,• •

umemit the fallowing In ,1404c;:',.Ar

• . ."?...ef.,4.4. • "- • A IRTEL • 4

(Priority)

TO: ' DIRECTOR, FBI (44-38861)

FROM: SAC, N, PHIS (44-1987) (P)

SUBJECT: MURKIN

(Type in pfaintezi or code)

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n osed for thn Bureau is one copy each of the following documents:

. -Letter dated 2/27/69, from JOACHIM JOESTEN to Judge W. PRESTON BATTLE. This was made available to the Memphis Office by General PHIL M. CANALE. Bureau has previously been advised of JOESTEN's interest in this c • •

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IP- Bureau (Enos. 1:- Meephis

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I FEB 26 1969

97714.401F4/00VOA0014,0111,00r ' 4 •

• '0 imnaciata releaso JAnnary 27, 19C7*

OPEN LETTER ASe•. To Judgo Proston Battle, Criminal '-aurt, Noaphia, Tonn. concerning tho JAPES AL 'AY p0AN P by JOACHIM JOES=1,///

YOns Honor: . ' • - .. • Jame Earl Ray did nrt'kill pr. Partin Iathor . No wam n paid 'decoy :Ind an rich noporvwn to to

Me part in tho conopiracy. Eut Ina did not fire the shot .43r. -ii1n5 end, for all hlo criminal ptat, ho,too, is ontitlr' no Roy hoo boon chargad wit; aurdor by the state, o: an tno basic!, of a dollborptoly falso and fraudulent PZ/ RD:ac7-O.

so dooa the State, that fly did .C.Gt oomrJA tho san4tr :1:43 Loan oedipal. Tno :olony of Clio foloc acounatioa in

-•*o :1idden intent tdohiold, through tho oncrifico of nanpe.T:.at. --

th. roal acsapPin of Dr. ring, whoa* inontity irvoli knovn FRI. I an making thcao charscr on an banjo of a carc.:11m:; tallad study of tho arm°. Fy f-Lndinaa onl 'concluciona are r 45,00(..-vord documentation, of y'aich r copy s bricr: airnaiLoL ;.7. undor 0,31:canto covor today. Collir:c ciloo hcIng cat to th. nbar:.aty, Dead, Southorn Chriation Le:norship Confertzza; to tat. .....c- car. Libartioo Ulet.on; - and te a aoloot.group.uf nctr?apora. Thla docunontation in not just a layannin briof fur ..o do.

• f...ma of a man won-fully accused. It in aloo a public indio'..mont.a. • ------ nls :.conaorn, iA particular J. Eagar 7doover, trap poroonatly framo-up. — •-• .. • •

• 1 horeby doclaro nad *farm that J. Edgar Eaovoir and with malice aforothouaht aonnpirad with o..aor folet.:_ene rcomont off-lc:Lola" to larr_ng anout tho murdcr-of-JaMoe"-• '

Znr1 day through trunood-un a argon rnd doctorod Ovidonco. Bocauno Ikr.vor known thnt hin fal.ao'ann :ranch:ion: aaao will stand up in court, o::troAo pronouro lo now buing hr,ught.o-n Ray, a man virtually doionaolcam nocaupn of his long criminal racurd ona ii involvomont in tho conopiracy kW. King, folmoly tc• yloo: . &T:lty ia:roturn for a pruraino of loninncy. Ray ham boon inform's:: ooam-. biauaLoly that,if ho dofonft himaulf r„;ainat tile murder ahnrso, ho iU to carivloted, nontonced to death and dracutod. On th/ oho- hand , - ho hap been prouiaod arrcommondation of morcy, a nemparatIvoly !icht SCA-:61CA and an oarly pardon if ho accopto tha ruin of a lone aar.ancia. That would obviate) tho inconvenionca, for J. 'Edgar KICl/JZ and Stateoulthrition, o: hVtL to pruvo thoir talon and vutzaLblo ch•-gca in court, but it could hardly (larva tho cmumn of patio* in Inarica. •

I trust that you, tho judco, will not tolorato this crova.ty of juatico. Tho dociimontatIno chic h an nalcl.na available. t. Your L'onar, will help you oatahliDh- the truth Ronpectfally yours,

'TIM" - • .77:.7s74 -:!*:;;;;;.,. •

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mown- or 'truth On ono in Kerr Orl,onn... A:t long lost, tho historic protons of oatabli,h.L j the irsth

.; . '• the ^gonna:nation of Prosidens John F. Aoanedy ia undor way. Oho trial tf

. Cloy :Bras in Mew OrIoane io only a first atop is that direction; ctLert

fellow. Goon. In the end, the procoao ini:morohly vill lend to the unmaz,!:.

. of Lyndon B. Johnnen ug the power behind nhat wao in offict tau fIrst coy

d'at:.: In American history (tnv. 22, .963). Sae tire ha$ coml., for thnu,...htful Americana to start th'...nkinE •UNTRINKABLE -+ bacaOce it to true. As the truth gradually coarges'in the courts, in the preen nr'

in public 'deboto or private discuasioas, a careful compilation of al". ,e,

available literatore'on the aosmscination and the Barron Report boc000.t

an orgent tank for blotoriena, political ecientiato and librarians,

:... least two reasons: . • -. Ono, each and every book that ham been published on the ao.bo,o:

netts a contribution to the search for the truth - some large, none email,

bt: Lone is ueglioiblo. And Too, none day student• of history, pondering tho or.t of t're:tch-

tskint disclooursa that is now ahead otIl ask in AJCAZIAODC: Row etisi ell this

. got started? • The Crime of Dollar was almoot the perfect trim*. Ovory ooscautOoz

had been takon by its oroanizere to mako ours thnt the truth would flavor

come oat. And then the Warren Report, this uotgaatIc fraud" (Ganrison),41.11

but eeetled off the lest avenues of truth-seoking. Officialdom and the born to/di^ not only did nothing to hrl?

out the true facto, but they actively, and fo concert, exorted every possible

effort to obfuocato the truth and obatruct independent inveotlgatioo. BOOKS, and books alono, were the weapons of troth. District Attor-

ney Jim Garrison himoAf has publicly acknowledged that It wan thrt.000 his

.nadir,,; of the publichot critiquoo of the Warren Report that ha felt Lopolled

Lc open as official investigation into the assassination of Praeidar.: Memzedy. Nowolt is a ma:tor of record, easily to.be vorified, thoL the first

back pobliahed in the Uni..d States which attacked the official version of

oho assaanination ae an unmitigatod fraud wan JOACHIM JOESTEDIa Csorld:

knoono.n or moll Guy? (Now York, June 1964). Tao eases book, in Ito second

wo_tioo (Jonuary 1965) contained the fir/74 critioue of the Warren Rapert to CCAO out Du:claim book covers.

Siaco then, JOACHIM J6EOTEN had published soven mono hooka about

1:,o assoesination of Proeidont Kennedy which aro not, Lowovor, generally 'available in the united'Stotos. Thoy arc "books-in-exilo," published in Log-

load Switzerland and France, because their outapokenneas credo then zoo "hct"

for American pobliohera to handle. However. 'none bop - Osoald:TOe Truth; Marltr. Onw$1c.: Gtrrl-

EAT. 'onnuiry; Hoy Kennedy Wan Killed; Din Wahrh.sit bb^r den Ocnnodv-roro

TZertch); L. varit6 cur lo con de Jncic Uobv;(Pario); and now The Dark oido cf-Lro7., B. Johnonn aro avoilAble at a fans increaslog numbor of public and colloga libraries in America. They con be obtained by writing directly to the outhor: Joachim Jooaten, 87-70 173rd Street, Jamaica 1102. how York City; or to his present oddrona in Europe: JoachAm J000ton, Munich 13. tlrieeLtrasoe 13, c/o Rabin, Germany. . 1. I.

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rt ol Jo. /..try, it " " l's• :14 ”.! :t Met:. est Lyndon H. .1otit•tp.totl 7t tt. :#2e *A AVOW ;la r: rnlc in V'lo rwrv.: i•r .t." ' ■

r; - :pier Downe4y Ltd. T.arre.t.it, r :• ti .; •

kirr ;111ed, 192 017 — 'vr-fierni,-;;;, Lt11.„ Louden, Apr ).A. 19(3 rap 0-*rrInen Yotebirz. 158 pp., Vatterhook Pot.t,r Derraar, 1.141.„ London, ctubtir 191.7

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trtr.:1 tLetrald of the CIA). 165 Pk• ■ • -cl'ill rm,rty, Ltd.. 'London gientlit 1967. ca.coad. Ma Iruth, 372 pp., cloth, -

-

Pr•or Darrin-a77114• • Londoz, Jnly 1967 nr F01.1 Okir (raro• book - out. of Irwin') 1

rem.. Oven:Joni:Iry 4r,c tine . Variant 'r . ,

June 1964 .and ta 1re.;,;...L4ridoilelortit.111•Y 496"- 1'4* Xanr.hoit fiber don Kennedy-nor4 (1.11.41orrtan, 7-.1+

Septet:lb-2r 19G( '

'Or; veer le eau dr, Jack Ih.by (in, French) •

176 pp . . ;mine rbuch (large format), Pnrie. Hay 391:7 Vilr4a- re1W.AMa4i434m=auc=...Zm==MVS.ftr.,M,WrearazrW43au,s....,-. ■■ g ■■■•• ■

Price3 for the above trade bootie rotor to Armen rtaf..iir. zar.

*,,,....14.P.4P1Dgmg4ALC.4.251.11PriDiLRI*Ses.mmarano-Ar..,1.7.mm000*.. i;;„,..,:.,:r.-q.ttqci _publications, fonts..; Iv t t zuthor hiprtelf , 'ME :AU Ar)4111.ST J.VJOAA 11001/Vie .liicemainationa 4t • :11-..4...ttcnt %Paha

Ro:•••.ri. F trenno”4 and Dr.Ilart-ir.

Zit e..) • about 3. 5. [KV rac,:i January. 2969 719.4..1 L. .7^h:..-.on :Ain the ataxemr-inata•ao gennotiy)

. 1907 .

rabc r‘i.rsat the • Itennod ?Thy': 1968 w g /.5.40t. Pt... Lie Ever Told !The Kennely ;Parrot rt3:10 •••• /Ind liar:

"1"Thr..trotrsiltnotte It), four-part auriez. 1068-69-$ 5.14) .9oir vol. I 2:..00

btriveltli, 1± 45 • War; r 25 six lititsVAA Aaic

thrrm-a6Athft trial Z 15,00 - for free adoply copy . All nice in U.S dollar* Ar.!: for the N-intod 16 -pm* ca....7.1nsu.0 "A 1.4ot of books"1-y Jt.oatell'About the InS:783.14nt4.Ion et Prooldonr. Kennegyto tg,

art, ritv zeuetro hool:a and pamphlata ore dueerteod in dett.11. JooetU.n Joeeton, 87..74-, 173rd StroCt, JeLoaleo 11432.

Y*.rt: City, USA; or Joachim Joantan, riunich 13, Griosntr. 13; CJs kr.)11.41, 0.2rstody. . .

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MEMORANDUM

February S, 1969 ' RE: CONV:RSATION HELD WITH WILLIAM BRADFORD HUIE ON FEBRUARY 4, 1969, t REGAIOING STATE OF TENNESSEE VS. JANES EARL RAY.

Yesterday General Canale, James Beasley, John Carlisle &Ad ay-sclf met with Mr. Bradford Huie. This meeting took place in Mr. Huie's room. No. 11011, Rivermont Hotel. When we entered the room, Mr. Nuie as alone and started telling us that his interest in the James Earl Ray

case was only as a businessman. He related that he had no concern for Ja;:.es Earl Ray one way or the other, other than it was strictly • busi- ness situation existing between him and Arthur Hanes, former counsel for ' Ray and now his attorney Percy Foreman. He further stated that his only other interest other than business in that matter was a earnest desire to get and expose other co-conspirators of Ray. He further related that 1 f., he W..r.ted to know.whether there existed a possibility of there not being 1 a vial in this matter. He felt that a trial should be averted in the....,' . I°. 0.Y ctr.mon interest of the country and the state of Tennessee and that h - ti

r. th:...kin2 was that Ray would ultimately end up and be a witriafiior the ) State of Tennessee. He stated that he would like to-see RAy, and confer , .. . _ with h:n and that was the reason he was now in the city other than see:-

ing m.th us. He wanted to explore the possibility with us of him being permitted by the Court to go up and confer personally with Ray and that his main objective would be to convince Ray that he should plead guilty. He also enquired of us as to how much time he would have to serve on a ninety-nine year sentence and also on a life sentence. He interrupted his relating Of this statement to enquire as to the possibility of the icate no wanting to try this case. He was informed by the General and n:self that was our business and we like to try law suits. He felt that if he coLld confer with Ray that he would have Ray amenable to pleading

de also related that he thought gr. Foreman whom he had known 1 q..ite a few years had made a bad mistake by getting into this case. He 1 r dk:-C_Itec that he told Mr. Foreman that this was not a Candis Moessler

:real ;5'4 thilt he was going to get knocked off in this case. He further relator that he told Mr. Foreman Jamos Earl Ray killed Martin Luther

-1.1717' irntt-thrt--vrerrkrotty--knew-and wa-w -ewer. of that"-fats.-..lia -fur ther

''''''410111.ifoorftaw#101"iwovv.

Page 2 Memorandum Conversation with Huie

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related that Mr. Foreman had done some soul searching since he had enter

into the defense of James Earl Ray and that Mr. Foreman wanted out of

this case. He then began to related that he had traveled extensively

checking out information given to him from Ray through Hanes. Ray's

story about his complicity in the murder of 'King. He related that Ray

had spent some time in Puerto Vallarto, Mexico, and that Ray had re-

g:Itered ut a hotel in Acapulco on October 8 and had made a long distance

phone call from that hotel to Corpus Christi, Texas. He related that

the Mexican police had checked his registration and found out this fact'•

four days after Ray had left the hotel. He stated that Ray, after killing

Dr. Ring went to Birmingham and he is convinced that he met with someone

iz ..lirmingham that night and then on to Atlanta. From Atlanta he is con-

vinced from what he knows about the case that Ray went to Gary, Indiana,

and met Jerry his brother. He further stated that Ray went to Toronto

held himself to be Bridgman and Sneyd and that he spent nine days in

Montrer.1 and that this can be verified by the fact that in Montreal he

robbec. a food store. He stated further that Ray came in acre on the

third and stayed in a motel here and that on the fourth he got.m hair

cut on Union Avenue, that he had a fixation about getting hair cuts every-

unere he went. Stated that Ray bought the binoculars; Ray took the rifle

up into his room in the rooming house and that Ray told him that he was

sitting in the Mustang car when the fatal shot was fired and an unnamed

party came down the steps, jumped in the back of the Mustang, pulled a

sheet over him and they fled the scene. An earlier version was he stated

Ray told him he was to be in the room and to get the room so that they

might meet an unnamed, unknown party and discuss,the sale of weapons.

;nlie related that Ray would tell Hanes and himself a story and they would

check this story out and would find that Ray had lied. They would then

confront Ray with the fact that they had found out that Ray had told

AO ::them lies and then Ray would relate another story. Mr. Huie was conveite

ing to as that Ray was apt to lie on many occasions. Mr. Huie says that

from his knowledge of cons and from being a police reporter shows• that

Ray's behavior was par for the course for that typo of person. 1 asked

Mr. Huie if prior to our mooting if ho had not turned over to Percy

L

EE k.

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nikeememereamrimessegemmaaPeteeMelealeamMeMeMalem-. . - . tosottioeswifor

Page 1 A Memorandum

Conversation with Hui°

us that on the advise - of his attorneys he had given every scrap of paper in Ray's handwriting to Percy Foreman shortly after Foreman came into the case. I asked Mr. Huie if as ho had stated earlier that his only interest in this matter was helping to effect the epprcl,cns.,4p and exposure of co-conspirators, how he felt that his turning notes of Ray's over to Foreman was fair and consistent with that statement. 1 also asked Mr. Muir if General Canale hadn't on many occasions asked to confer with him and he had put General Canale off until this date. I reiterated that I couldn't are how his acts in delivering Ray's notes to Foreman was compatible with his statement that his only interest in the case was the exposure and apprehension of co-conspirators. Mr. Huie stated he would have to reflect on that for a while in view of what I had said. ▪ related after reflection that if any time during the trial that we needed to verify something Ray is supposed to have said that that ve thought would be beneficial, he would be available and would co-operate • us to that extent. I asked Mr. Huie if he had not made a jtatemea----- that tie had c.)pies of all of these notes and would deliver them upcn re-quest to the State of Tennessee. Ho stated he might have made such a statement but he didn't have any material in his possession that he - could copy. Mr., Huie related examples of Ray's lying to him as follows:

1

The version of the escape from the Missouri Penitentiary as published in . LOOK magazine was found to be a lie upon subsequent checking by Mr. Huie. :he information as published in reference to the hold up of the house of prostitution in Montreal was later admitted to be a lie by Ray and in truth and in fact he held up a food center in Montreal along in early . August of 1967 but when questioned about this by Mr. Huie, Ray said it was a half truth because in 1959 he did rob a house of prostitution in the same manner that he described to Mr. Huie. Mr. Huie related that he tried to verify Ray's hold up in Alton, Illinois, a bank and obtaining, in the neighborhood of $20,000 and Mr. Huie stated that he never tould! "-''verify that he held up the bank in Alton, Illinois. Mr. Huie further L. related that he had working with him on verifying Ray's story a investi-gator by the name of Groovich (phoonetic). Ho then relate. 'hot :/suald had lived in Exchange Alley in back of the Monte Loon Hotel and that

Page 4 1117 Memorandum

Conversation with Huie

11r 'tatmt that time the Monte Leon family had as their guests, pilots who had,. . been ransomed from Cuba who had participated in the invasion of the

Bay of Pigs. Huie related that Ray on his trip to New Orleans withSze

had met unknown, unnamed parties in • bar from which diagr_aml—iade by Ray, hLie concluded was across the street from the Monte aeon. Buie

started relating about John F. Kennedy not supporting the invasion of

CLba ano that because of that there was much resentment for the Kennedy family among the rescued participants of the invasion of Cuba. He further related that Garrison didn't have anything in his opinion other than a conspiracy that began and ended in the atmosphere of New Orleans, We asked Mr. Huie pointed questions about prior statements made by him in different localities as to him making the ion that there are other co-conspirators. He stated he sighted have made statements of that kind. 6e asked Mr. Huie that if he had any facts or evidence or proof in his pc;session from any source that would indicate to him from his knowledge of this matter if there were and if there are any co-conspirators. He said taLt he did not have any proof and that his statements were based

on suppositions Ind inferences that he had drawn from checking Ray's

story. We informed Mr. Huie that in view of the fact that he had mad.

these statements about the country and in particular Shelby County that

we were handing him a subpoena for his Appearance before.the Shelby County

Grand Jury on Friday, February 7. Mr. Huie accepted his subpoena and said he was not and would not try to avoid it and would be here and would testify. Mr. Huie also added that from his interviewing witnesses he haa found that the FBI in showing mug shots to different witnesses for identification purposes that there had been in a group of pictures shown , two or three pictures of the same individuals. Mr. Huie stated that the

green spread that was used by James Earl Ray to wrap the bundle with the rifle that he dropped on Main Street had come from California. Mr. Hu a state that he had purchased an identical rifle 'that Ray used frou'Dona d Wcod at Aeronarine Supply and that he had gone to the rooming house an

re-enacted the assassination and that he was convinced that anyone could havo made a shot of that kind. It did not take a marksman. Mr. Huie

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Page S Memorandum Conversation with Huie

-lir. Hubei furthor related that it struck him as peculiar that Ray did make trips to Aeromarino Supply which is in the vicinity of the airport in Birmingham and that also in that location was the headquarters of General Doster. He stated that Doster assembled the pilots that partici-pated in the Bay of Pigs Invasion. He also. stated that it was a known fact that people could come and go there in General Doster's headquarters who were of like character as Ray. Mr. Huie further related that Ray and his brothers were 100 per cent convinced that Wallace was going to be elected president of the United States and that we knew that Ray was' politically motivated toward Wallace - because of his activities in Los alljeles. lie further related that Ray is very disappointed at this time in that Wallace was not elected and that he didn't receive the support from the people that he thought he was going to receive by killing ring. 41

gr. Huie felt that Jerry Ray knew prior to the killing what James Earl . :0L4 was going to do and that he knew after the killing inZ'that—he,assisted James F.-. Ray.

R.I.D. 14EF