◆ SpookStack

FBI Director Louis Freeh plans to order a review of the agency's ac- tions in the failed prosecution of Ku Klux Klan members who in 1957 forced a black man to jump to his death from a bridge in Montgomery. The statement, which Montgom- ery civil rights lawyer Morris Dees characterizes as “carefully worded,” originally was made to NBC News in a segment on Wednes- day night’s Now newsmagazine pro- gram. That show united Diane Alexan- der of Montgomery. whose dying Klansman husband confessed his role in the 1957 death of Willie Ed- wards, and Sarah Salter of Buffalo, N.Y., who was Edwards’ pregnant wife when he died. The women, sit- ting together in a studio with host Katie Couric, were in tears after watching a segment on their hus- bands Mrs. Salter said she was relieved to know, after 36 years of wondering, what happened to her husband Mrs Alexander said she was nervous about meeting Mrs. Salter, “but it felt good.” The women’s lives were linked af- fer Mrs. Ales ss Mrs. Salter w describe what her husband, Henry Alexander, said happened to Edwards. He confessed that he and others picked Edwards at random, accused him of talking to a white woman, took him to a bridge over the Alabama River and told him to “hit the water.” Edwards jumped. His body was found three months later In 1975, Alexander and three oth- ers were indicted on murder charges in the case, but charges were dropped. Officially, the case was dropped because the indictment didn't mention a specific cause of death. On behalf of Mrs. Salter and her three children, Dees has asked Freeh to release all documents per- taining to Alexander. “Director Freeh has ordered an inquiry into whether or not anyone in the FBI attempted to intervene” in the Alexander case, FBI spokesman Mike Kortan told The Birmingham News Wednesday night. “The FBI will respond as promptly as possible to Willie Ed- wards’ family for information on the case,” Kortan said. Mrs. Salter said she believed at first that her husband may have simply taken off for California, “be- cause he always wanted to go there.” After his body was found, she realized he'd been killed, she said “But I learned the truth, and I just dent know what to say, or what to do, but I'm so glad that it’s ove: and it’s off my mind now and I kno that he's resting, but it is hard,” Mrs. Saiter told Ms. Couric. She said she felt sorry for Henry Alexander “Lreally think that living with so much guilt on your mind is the hard- est thing in this world to do, but in the end, he had to tell somebody so they could tell me.” Mrs. Salter said Mrs. Alexander said she admired Mrs. Satter. “She picked up the pieces and went on,” Mrs. Alexan- der said. Mrs. Alexander said she sigpt better now that she Gas shared ner husband’ 's secret, Mrs. Alexander toid