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Memorandum to Mr, Belmont RE: UNKNOWN SUBJECTS; BOMBING OF ° SIXTEENTH STREET BAPTIST CHURCH Extensive interviews of all logical persons who might have had knowledge of the bombing were completed by the Birmingham Office. These interviews running into the thousands included all persons in the church; all- residents of the area for blocks around the church; all tadesmen and business people in the area; police, fire and civil defense personnel; all persons who came through the area on subsequent days and the suppliers of explosives, As a result of the intensive investigation and our informants, information was developed on a small group of men within the Eastview Klavern of the United Klans, Knights of the Ku Klux Kian, as probably being responsible for the bombing, We intensified our investigation of this group. Included in this group were Robert Chambliss Charles Arnie Cagle and John Wesley Hall. PREMATURE ACTION BY THE ALABAMA HIGHWAY PATROL: Patrol arrested the above three suspects and held them for 48 hours before placing a charge against them of illegal possession of dynamite, The three men were convicted and each received a maximum sentence of a $100 fine and 180 idays in jail, The three men have appealed and are presently { free on bond, . | On 9/29/63 and 10/1/63, the Alabama Highway We have been reliably informed that the Alabama { Highway Patrol had no evidence against these men and the arrests were made on the direct orders of Colonel Al Lingo, Director of Public Safety of Alabama, since he was informed that we were considering these men as prime suspects and H wanted to "jump the gun.“ An official of the Patrol has | confidentially advised us that responsible police officers were infuriated by the action of Lingo, EFFECT ON KLAN AND HATE GROUPS: Due to the intensive investigation of Klan and hate groups during this period throughout the South, we know that these groups have been seriously hindered in their operations and have lost members and support, These groups know that the Bureau is aware of their activities and is also