MOBILE, ALABAMA M E M O R A N D U M May 8, 1967 TO: JIM GARRISON, District Attorney FROM: ANDREW J. SCIAMBRA, Assistant D. A. RE: TRIP TO MOBILE, ALABAMA ON May 5, 1967 THRU May 7, 1967 -------------------------------------------------------------------- I travelled to Mobile, Alabama to talk to Mr. Art Keeney who is the News Director of Radio Station WKRG, Mobile, Alabama, 162 St. Louis Street. Mr. Keeney had several conversations with me over the telephone and was trying to run down some leads for me in the Mobile area. Mr. Keeney had arranged an interview for me with Sgt. McKeough of the Mobile Police Department. On August 11, 1963 (NOTE: actually Friday 7/26/63), Sgt. McKeough had arrested one James Arville Hawkins of Baltimore, Maryland, while HAWKINS was in the Mobile area after spending 3 weeks in New Orleans. It seems that HAWKINS had been boasting around the Baltimore area that he was on his way to New Orleans to attend a meeting which would lead to the assassination of John F. Kennedy. The FBI and Secret Service were well aware of Mr. HAWKINS' statements and it was as a result of their information that HAWKINS was finally arrested in the Mobile area. McKeough informed me that after HAWKINS was arrested he was escorted back to Baltimore, Maryland and turned over to the Federal Authorities. The person who actually arrested Hawkins was a Secret Service Agent by the name of Guthrie. Mr. Keeney informed me that the Federal Authorities have a complete file on this arrest and this person's activities in the Mobile and New Orleans areas and that the person who mentioned this file to him was a Mr. Stanley Fountain the U. S. Marshall in Mobile. There seems to be some discrepancy between GUTHRIE and FOUNTAIN as to whether or not the file is still in existence, or whether or not it has already been destroyed. HAWKINS told McKeough while they were riding in the car back to Baltimore that he had made the trip to Louisiana to assassinate the President. He said that he had spent 3 weeks in New Orleans working in a bar and was on his way back to Baltimore when he was arrested. He did not elaborate on who he worked for or on any of the people he met or associated with. HAWKINS told McKeough that he had been hospitalized before for some psychiatric disorder. HAWKINS continually boasted on the way back to Baltimore that he would still help carry out the assassination of the President. McKeough suggested that we try and get the file from the FBI concerning this man. After talking to McKeough, I then went to the Salvation Army and talked to Mr. LACKIE who is the Clerk for the Salvation Army. I was interested in checking the veracity of a tape which said that OSWALD spent some time in the Salvation Army in Mobile. Mr. LACKIE informed me that his records only went back to the beginning of 1967, but that Major WALKER of the Salvation Army may have the records of the people who registered at the Salvation Army in 1963. LACKIE also told me that if any money were loaned to any person staying at the Salvation Army it would have come through the Travelers Aid Bureau which is a member of the United Fund. Mr. Keeney advised me that he would contact Major WALKER the following Monday and also contact the Travelers Aid Bureau and try to ascertain from their records whether or not OSWALD actually stayed at the Salvation Army or borrowed some money from the Travelers Aid Bureau. I then inquired about the possibility of CLAY SHAW having made a speech at Spring Hill College. Mr. Keeney advised me that he had read in the Birmingham News that CLAY SHAW had made a speech at Spring Hill College approximately 30 to 60 days after OSWALD spoke there. Mr. Keeney said that he would contact the Birmingham newspaper and send us copies of that particular article and would also inquire as to who arranged for SHAW to speak there. Keeney said that so far he has not been able to find one person who attended OSWALD's speech at Spring Hill College. Mr. Keeney also told me that a Mr. WALTER C. CLEWIS, who was a friend of JACK RUBY in Dallas, was now the Manager of the Municipal Auditorium in Mobile, Alabama, and that he (Keeney) would try and arrange an interview for me with CLEWIS. As of 7:00 P.M. Saturday evening, Mr. CLEWIS had not returned from out-of-town. Mr. Keeney said that he would personally conduct a taped interview with CLEWIS and send the tape to us. His primary questions would be in the area of whether or not RUBY had spent any time at all in the Mobile area. Mr. Keeney then informed me that he would also check into the associates of HASKELL JOHNSON, C. J. Holman and PETER J. CORLICH. Mr. Keeney said that if RUBY spent any time in the Mobile area he would have had to contact one of these three individuals as they are known as the "Vice Kings" of Mobile, Alabama, and trade quite heavily in the field of prostitution and other vices. Mr. Keeney also informed me that he has checked through the records for possible photographs of individuals who were arrested for distributing leaflets in front of Walgreen's Drug Store in Mobile, Alabama around March, April or May of 1963. He said that he did not notice anyone in the pictures who might be LEE HARVEY OSWALD. Mr. Keeney contacted the Mobile Police and asked them to send me their files on the individuals who were arrested in this connection. It has been approximately 2 weeks since my request but I have not received the files to date. I understand that Major BOTTA, Captain LAMIE or Captain McLAIN would have to give their approval before the files are released to us. ***************** MOBILE PRESS REGISTER SUNDAY 7/28/63 Man Arrested Here, Charged With Threatening President A white man identified as James A. Hawkins, 22, of Richmond, Va., was held in the Mobile County jail Saturday night on charges of threatening bodily harm to the President of the United States. Forrest Guthrie, resident agent for the U.S. Secret Service, said he arrested Hawkins Friday night at a service station on the Mobile Bay Causeway after receiving a pickup order from the Washington, D.C., office of the Secret Service. Guthrie quoted Hawkins as stating the he was unemployed and moving around the country. The Secret Service agent did not reveal how he located the man at the service station. Hawkins was arraigned before U.S. Commissioner Alex T. Howard Saturday afternoon who fixed bond at $5,000 which was not furnished. Commissioner Howard said Hawkins made no plea but stated at the arraignment that he had no intention of making a serious threat to harm the President but was only "joking". According to Guthrie, Hawkins made the alleged threat verbally at Laurel, Md. An unidentified person who claimed to have heard it reported the occurrence to federal authorities and a warrant was issued at Baltimore, Md. Guthrie said the case is now in the hands of the Department of Justice. U.S. Attorney Vernol R. Jansen Jr. could not be contacted Saturday to determine if he has been requested to proceed in the matter. In Richmond it was reported a George James Hawkins lived at the address James A. Hawkins listed, as a foster child until 1954 when he was sent to the Lynchburg Training School and hospital at Lynchburg, Va. A spokesman at the Lynchburg hospital said a George James Hawkins was admitted from Chesterfield County in 1954 as an epileptic. He was born in 1941. The spokesman said the youth escaped from the hospital April 28 of this year when he was given a pass to attend a carnival. ******************* MOBILE PRESS Monday 7/29/63 Man Held Here in JFK Threat At Laurel, Md. James A. Hawkins, 22, of Richmond, Va., arrested here Friday on a charge of threatening bodily harm to the President of the United States, remained in Mobile County Jail today in lieu of a $5,000 bond. U.S. Atty Vernol R. Jensen Jr. said as soon as a certified copy of the warrant and complaint or indictment is received here on the prisoner, a removal hearing will be scheduled and Hawkins will be sent to the district in which the alleged violation occurred for prosecution. Forrest Guthrie, resident Secret Service agent in Mobile, arrested Hawkins Friday night at a Mobile Bay Causeway service station. The agent said he received a pickup order from the Secret Service office in Washington, D.C. Guthrie said Hawkins allegedly made the threat verbally at Laurel, Md. An unidentified person who claimed to have heard it, reported the occurrence to federal authorities and a warrant was issued at Baltimore, Md. In view of this, Jansen said the man will be returned to Baltimore. However, Hawkins could elect to have the case transferred to Mobile and it could be disposed of in this district, providing authorities in Baltimore agreed, the U.S. Attorney said. At his arraignment before U.S. Com. Alex Howard, Hawkins made no plea. The commissioner said the prisoner related he had no intention of making a serious threat to harm the President and claimed he was only "joking". ******************* MOBILE REGISTER Tuesday 7/30/63 Baltimore Hearing Set In JFK Threat Case BALTIMORE (AP) - Asst. U.S. Atty. Benjamin R. Civilletti said Monday an unemployed Virginian charged with threatening to kill President Kennedy would probably be brought to Baltimore for a court hearing. The man, James A. Hawkins, 22, of Richmond, Va., was arrested in Mobile Friday, after he allegedly made the threatening statement Wednesday in Laurel, Md. No date has been set for the hearing. Civilletti said Hawkins was walking with a bag and stopped at a Laurel service station to ask directions to Washington. During the conversation with the operator, Civilletti said, Hawkins criticized Kennedy's civil rights program. Hawkins then said he was going to Washington "to blow up the White House and kill the President," Civilletti said. The operator called state police who questioned Hawkins and searched his bag. It was found to contain only clothing. Police released Hawkins then notified secret service agents. Civilletti said Hawkins apparently did not go to Washington but instead went to Mobile where he said he had friends or relatives. Hawkins appeared before a U.S. commissioner in Mobile and was held under $5,000 bond which the defendant could not post. Civilletti said the maximum penalty for 'knowingly or willingly" threatening the president was $1,000 fine and 5 years in prison. **************