◆ SpookStack

Memorandum for Mr. Belmont RE: UNSUBS; BOMBING OF SIXTEENTH STREET BAPTIST CHURCH time of the bombing are also being located and interviewed as rapidly as possible. This phase of the investigation is being pressed and efforts are being made to identify and locate a Negro man and woman who were seen running from the vicinity of the church by two Civil Defense workers immediately after the explosion. The Civil Defense workers advised the man and woman told them they were running because they were frightened and had nothing to do with the bombing. An additional 122 interviews of known Klan and hate group members and bombing suspects conducted by the Birmingham and auxiliary offices on 9/18/63 disclosed no information of value, These interviews are continuing. The funeral services for three of the four children killed in the explosion took place on 9/18/63 and no suspicious persons were observed in the large crowd which attended the services. The only incident which occurred involved an anonymous report received by the Birmingham Police Department (PD) that a man in a cafe at Sixth Avenue and Twelfth Street, South, had a gun and had declared his intention to shoot at the funeral procession when it passed the cafe. Police located one a: k 5 white male at the cafe in question, found him in possession of a pistol, and ¢ placed him under arrest for violation of the State Firearms Act and for being drunk. This occurred prior to the funeral and the police were unable to find any witnesses as to any statements made bo a= he intended to shoot at the funeral procession. The Birmingham Office has submitted to the FBI Laboratory material obtained during the crime scene search for spectrographic examination in an effort to locate possible explosive residues. This material is presently being examined by the Laboratory. The crime scene search including the examination of two automobiles damaged in the explosion has been completed but no physical evidence of the type of explosive device used in the bombing was found, An examination of the 1958 Chevrolet found burned about ten miles outside of Birmingham on 9/16/63 disclosed the car was completely burned with all combustible material reduced to ashes and nothing was found which could be associated with an explosive substance or bomb accessory. Inquiry into the theft and burning of this car is continuing in order to determine if it is possibly involved in the bombing. “3-6