'- in the King case. Within 24 hours of the Memphis slaying, he network, Clark claimed there was no evidence ‘to support theories that Galt had been hired by. conspirators to kill ' King, and that ‘there was ‘“‘no. evidence to believe that: he [Galt] i is not still alive.” : The reference to the possibility that Galt was dead evidently “stems froma photograph of him on the FBI’s wanted bulletin (Figure 1). When I first saw it, it struck me as that of a dead ', man. The eyes-were closed:(an FBI artist dubbed in open eyes . ona published. reproduction), ‘the face seemed puffy and in aoe “repose ¢ and the coat collar rode high, as if the man had been ina ‘the photograph, although there, was s speculation it it was taken 3 I Rd eae a ae . was announcing that it appeared ‘to. be the work of one man.and that an arrest was imminent. On May 12, on the: ABC thing, it’s not the man I saw,” commented -hotel resident | ‘an artist's sketch of the suspect, reportedly prepared i in Mexico ‘under FBI supervision (Figure. 2). It bore hardly-any resem- blance ' ‘to the Galt photograph, but did have a startling prone position. The Bureau’ did not reveal where it obtained. Seriés: of. photographs taken: by “Black Star photographer William Allen. in Dealey ‘Plaza shortly after Kennedy was on the occasion of Galt’s graduation from a - Los Angeles bartending ‘school on. March 2 of this year. But chance acquaintances in Los Angeles do not believe it is the Galt they knew, and witnesses at the Memphis hotel tend ta agree. “Unless he was wearing.a wig or had had a face-lift or some- Charles Q. Stevens, who saw the fleeing s sniper. “The hair is too full and the face is too young: ” A few days after the King slaying, Memphis police released ~ resemblance to a face I'had seen before. The face appears in a Figue3A4 Figure 3 RAMPARTS 35
killed.(Figure 3). It belongs to one of three men being marched by Dallas police from the area of the Grassy Knoll to the Dallas sheriff's department cater-corner across the plaza. The . sketch. and the photograph both portray a man with a sharp, pronounced nose (Memphis hotel witnesses were uniformly impressed by this feature), a wide mouth with thin lips, and a firm set to the jaw. There is no record in the Warren Report: or its volumes, or - in the files of the Dallas police and sheriff's departinents, as to the identity of the man in. the Allen photograph, or his two companions. If their detention was ever recorded—several others taken into custody and released are accounted for in the annals of the Warren Commission—the files have been stripped. The investigation of District Attorney Jim Garrison in New Orleans has devéloped-a suspect—a man who was active in anti-Castro activities, had Mexican connections and checked into a Dallas hotel three days before the assassination —but the DA has been unable to mount a widespread search for him due to the lack of cooperation of federal authorities. New Orleans, the city that Garrison ‘contends figured prominently in the Kennedy assassination planning, also looms large in the King case. While residing in Birmingham Jast. fall, Galt claimed he had formerly worked at a New: ’ Orleans shipyard (the FBI was unable'to find any record of his employment), Last December, Galt told several acquaintances .-in.Los Angeles.that-he:had.to.make.d trip to-New Orleansto -. see. an “important industrialist.” ”..He made the trip.in the . white Mustang. The FBI has learned that Galt had jengthy meetings. with .a prominent. ‘industrialist at. the Prdvincial: Motor Lodge on December 17 and 19. The industrialist i is'also missing and a search is on for him.. Obviously the FBI, despite the disclaimers of its boss Ram- sey Clark that there was no. conspiracy, is operating on the theory that there was. In California recently, G-men ques- tioned a man who had occupied a room next to Galt in a hotel inthe Mexican resort town of Puerto Vallarta last November ; a the man relates that the FBI considered him a possible courier or “bag man” in the conspiracy. Moreover, Galt has compiled a lengthy arrest record under his true name Ray for such, crimes as burglary, armed: robbery and forgery, and hardly seems the type who would cross’ the street for a political killing —unless there was money in it. Interestingly, - the FBI has: ‘determined that since August 1967, when the Galt identity first materialized, he has spent some $10,000 without having a known source of income. qHUS WE ARE (CONFRONTED. with the dilemma of an _ attorney, general who insists that there was: no con- spiracy in either the King or the Kennedy assassination while the evidence - reads otherwise. But - Clark’s “credibility has already been opened to question. On the day after Garrison arrested New Orleans trade Official Clay, Shaw on a charge of conspiring’ to assassinate Kennedy, Clark “informed newsmen, that. Shaw had been. itivestigated by. the FBI in 1963 after the assassination and “found clear”; three ‘months later, in a retraction that received little notice, ‘he conceded that the FBI had not investigated Shaw at all. Then last October, Clark tipped his hand ‘by telling a ‘University of Virginia law forum, “Much as I may hate to do it, I just might havé to prosecute Jim. Garrison . . he took « a perfectly fine man, Clay Shaw, and ruined him “just for personal ag- blaqleg .36 RAMPARTS the King case is the pattern of cover-up: that characterized the _and told him, “Forget what you heard. It’s too big.” One of ” the men, says Giesbrecht, was the late David Ferrie, an ex-CIA -testimony- has:been altered. Julia-Ann Mercer; whosawaman §f with.a rifle get.out. of. a. truck. parked. near.the Grassy Knoll oe ‘an hour and a half before the assassination, alleges: that her - affidavit as :published-in ‘the Warren Report volumes is-a ‘(and presumably its master in the White House) i is determined: - committee would be composed. -of the. foremost critics of the - - its.own investigative. staff unbeholden to ‘the FBI, the Secret _ Service and the CIA. But Congress has shown little inclination William Turiier; for te ten years. an n FBI agent and: now a y RAMPARTS so, Senior Editor, is the author of three books : Thé Police Establish- _ ment (Putnam); Invisible Witnéss—The New Technology of Crime. Investigation (Bobbs-Merrill) ; and a forthcoming account of New Orleans DA Jim. Garrison’ Ss investigation oft the Kennedy assassination a ward Books). grandizement.” Although the Depaitrnent: of Justice has denied that Clark made the threat, Rey Barry, a reporter for the Charlottesville, Virginia, Daily. Express who covered the event, has publicly declared that the attorney general spoke precisely those words. _ So Clark is determined to squelch any and all conspiracy talk—about either assassination. And J. Edgar Hoover re-_- affirmed his faith in the Warren Report i in 1966 when the wave — of criticism broke. But the weight of evidence in each case = points to conspiracy. - One parallel that must not be allowed to develop further i in Kennedy ‘investigation. For instance, Richard Giesbrecht,, a. a ; # FBI that on February 13, 1954, he overheard two men in the airport restaurant talking about inside’ details of the assassina- tion. A few weeks later, he contends, the FBI called him. back pilot and central figure in the Garrison’ probe. ‘Significantly, Giesbrecht i is not tobe found in the National Archives, nor is his name mentioned in the Warren Report or its volumes. He | is one of a number of key witnesses who as far as the official oo version is concefned. never ‘existed. , Some of those. who did officially. exist claim: that’ their - forgery. She says that she identified Jack Ruby as the driver : : of the truck the day before he killed Oswald, and this has not. ' been included in the forged: affidavit. ‘Former Deputy Sheriff. ‘Roger Craig, who was on duty in Dealey. Plaza atthetime of _; the shooting,’ ‘contends. that his ‘statement has undergone: 4 ao material alterations.* ~ | ‘Thus it has become manifest that the Departinent of Justice to keep the lid on the case and hide the. truth. Therefore I would propose. the formation of.a citizens’ committee to bring ‘pressure to- bear on the powers-that-be in Washington. The * Warren. Report, civil: -rights. Jeaders, forensic sciénce experts: ”.- and others. Ideally, - the Kennedy-King investigation ‘should be undertaken by a joint | Senate-House select committee, with. to take on such a controversial and politically loaded task, and the citizens’ committee might serve as-an: interim force: until public opinion compels Congress toact. : It-is said that those who do not profit from history are doomed to relive it~and the: history of governments con- temptuous of. the truth | is not pleasant to contemplate.
IM. GARRISON I 18 AN ANGRY MAN: For: . six years now he has been the tough,: uncompromising’ ‘district attorney. of New Orleans, a rackets-buster without. parallel in a political freebooting: state: He was elected on a reform platform « and. |. |. of the: United Meant: it. Turning down i a Mob: propos “tion that’ would’ have netted: him $3000 “week as his share: of slot miachine: pro-_ ceeds, he proceeded to. raid ‘Bourbon ° Street clip joints, crack down.on prosti-» tution and eliminate bail bond rackets. ko His track record: as the proverbial: ‘fight-- ? ing DA Gs impressive: his office has never . lost-a major .casé, and no convictions have been toppled on appeal because of improper. methods. Garrison is angry right now—as angry . as if some bribed cops had tried to steer. . by William W. Turner bocTd: 322745514 Page 42 him away. from a vice ring ‘or as 3 if the" ° Mob. had attempted to use political clout - to .get-him. off their backs. Only this, |: : time,’ ‘the: file reads “Conspiracy to As- . sassinate President Kennedy,”” and. it. isn’t Cosa Nostra, but the majestic might” that there i is anybody in this room who _ will be alive when. ft is released? This i is | - really your-property and the property of | NS e) | les government which | iS trying to ‘keey him from his duty. “Who ‘appointed Ramsey’ ‘Clark, who. , _has done his. best to torpedo:the inivesti-' gation of the case?” he fumed in a recent speech before a gathering of southern California newscasters. ‘Who controls. “the CIA? Who controls the FBI? Who’ | “controls the Archives where this evidence 7 ‘is locked up for so long that it is unlikely “the « people of this country. Who has the ‘ arrogance and the brass to prevent the people from ‘seeing that evidence? Who indeed? “The one man who’ has profited most from: the. assassination—your friendly «President, Lyndon, Johnson!” Soe - Garrison made it clear. that he was not accusing, Johnson of complicity in the crime, but left no doubt that as far as he was. concerned, the burden had shifted >. - “to the government to prove that it was_. not an accessory before or after the fact. “T assume that. the - President of Cthe United States is not involved, * he said. . “But wouldn’t it be nice to know it?” ‘ The- simple probity of Garrison’ s challenge i is underscored by the fact that . the government and government-oriented ‘ Photography by Matt Herron RaneFAers HOP
forces have’ concealed and destroyed. | intimidated witnesses and -}- - evidence,,. _ Maligned, ridiculed and impeded Garri- _ son and his investigation. In. short, the conduct of thé government has not been. |. that of an innocent party, but of one de- |. termined to.cover its tracks. For the past, nine months, I have worked closely with . the DA and his staff, hoping to con- tribute to their: investigation. In my: |. opinion there is no question that’ they: have uncovered a ‘conspiracy. Nor is, there any doubt that Jim Garrison is one: | | of.a vanishing: breed: a Southein popu ist anchored in. very traditional _ican ideals about justice and: ~-can neither. rationalize nor temporize in |. pursuit of them. PHOTOGRAPHER’ S Nott: Garrison Gnd I played-a a game ofe chess. We. thought the board looked too ‘staid for pictures. with all. the pieces in starting‘order, so 1 led off with my king's pawn and then (foolishly) played my king’s bishop to bishop four. Garrison could have clobbered me, but instead he chose to play the game. muchas he has pla ved the in vestigation. Fi irst, he solidly occupied - th, who . By design -or ignorance;, he. mass. .média—from NBC to Life—have created. . “an image of Garrison as.a ruthless. op-. :, portunist with’. vaulting political. ambi- * ‘tion’; which naturally leads - ‘to the ° ‘conclusion that ‘he- ist he death of a’ ‘President nto a political :|- our. de force. He is, in fact,: neither ing -to ‘parlay No politician. on the make would be. reckless enough: to‘at- | tempt to usurp the findings of the seven : distinguished men of the Warren Com- ‘Mission. “It’s not a matter of wanting to gain: ‘headlines,’ bad Says. Garrison indig- nantly. “It’s.a matter of not ‘being able - to sleep at night. Tam in an official position i in a.city where: the greater part. - _of the planning of the assassination of President. Kennedy took place, and this _by the Warren Commission. “What: would. these People who have at- At first glance he didn’ t seem to be making much: .to be taking full advantage of'my obvious weak- nesses, But: ) ‘there he finally launched his attack, he was so solidly