Malcolm X (46 page)

COMMUNICATIONS SECTION

FEBRUARY 23, 1965
TELETYPE

SENT BY CODED TELETYPE

FBI NEW YORK

5-58 AM URGENT 2-22-65 RDB

TO DIRECTOR /100-399321/ -01- AND SACS, CHICAGO

AND PHILADELPHIA

FROM NEW YORK /105-8999/ 12 PAGES

MALCOLM K. LITTLE, AKA IS-MMI.

RE NEW YORK TELEPHONE CALLS TO AND FROM THE BUREAU AND TO CHICAGO, FEBRUARY TWENTY ONE AND TWENTY TWO, NINETEEN SIXTY FIVE.

[BUREAU DELETION] MALCOLM X WAS JUST SHOT AT THE AUDUBON BALLROOM, NEW YORK CITY, WHILE ADDRESSING AN ORGANIZATION OF AFRO DASH AMERICAN UNITY RALLY. AT THE TIME MALCOLM WAS SHOT AN EXCHANGE OF GUNFIRE FROM THE SPEAKING PLATFORM WAS OBSERVED. REUBEN X FIRED SEVERAL SHOTS AT THE ASSASSINS. NYCPD
CAPTURED ONE PERSON OUTSIDE OF AUDUBON BALLROOM WHO WAS LATER IDENTIFIED AS THOMAS HAGAN NEGRO MALE AGE TWENTY TWO. HAGAN HAD IN HIS POSSESSION AT THIS TIME A FORTY FIVE AUTOMATIC CLIP CONTAINING FOUR ROUNDS OF AMMUNITION. HAGAN WAS SHOT IN THE LEFT THIGH AND WAS ADMITTED TO JEWISH MEMORIAL HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT, AND AT FIVE THIRTY PM, FEBRUARY TWENTY ONE, NINETEEN SIXTY FIVE, WAS TRANSFERRED TO BELLEVUE HOSPITAL, NYC [BUREAU DELETION] WAS ADVISED THAT A SAWED OFF, DOUBLE BARREL SHOTGUN WAS FOUND ON THE STAGE OF THE BALLROOM WRAPPED IN A GREEN SUIT COAT, CONTAINING A KEY FOR YALE LOCK, PACK OF CAMEL CIGARETTES, EMPTY GLASS CASE BEARING OPTOMETRIST-S NAME, M.M. PINE, MAIN STREET, FLUSHING NY. SHOTGUN CONTAINED TWO DISCHARGED REMINGTON EXPRESS SHELLS, SINGLE O BUCKSHOT SHELLS AND INDICATIONS THAT GUN WAS RECENTLY USED. ALSO LOCATED IN THE HALL WERE THREE FORTY FIVE CALIBER SHELLS AND SLUGS, SIX NINE MILLIMETER SHELLS AND TWO SLUGS AND THREE THIRTY TWO CALIBER SLUGS AND TEN PIECES OF LEAD, PRESUMABLY FIRED FROM A SHOTGUN.

[BUREAU DELETION] MALCOLM WAS PRESENTED TO THE AUDIENCE AT APPROXIMATELY THREE TWO PM AND HAD MOVED TO A POSITION BEHIND THE PODIUM. AS HE ROSE FROM BEHIND THE PODIUM AND WALKED TO THE SPEAKER-S POSITION TO GREET THE AUDIENCE SOMEONE FROM THE LEFT SIDE OF THE HALL, APPROXIMATELY FOUR ROWS FROM THE FRONT, DESCRIBED AS A NEGRO MALE, YELLED QUOTE GET YOUR HANDS OUT OF MY POCKET UNQUOTE. AS THIS WAS DONE, MALCOLM-S BODY GUARDS MOVED IN THE DIRECTION OF THIS INDIVIDUAL AND ATTEMPTED TO SUBDUE HIM, WHEREUPON MALCOLM X SAID QUOTE HOLD IT UNQUOTE.
[BUREAU DELETION] WALKING TOWARD THIS MAN IN FRONT OF THE AUDIENCE [BUREAU DELETION] AS A RESULT OF MALCOLM-S COMMAND TO QUOTE HOLD IT UNQUOTE. WITHOUT HESITATION, TWO MEN, OCCUPYING FRONT SEATS, LEFT SIDE OF MIDDLE AISLE, APPROXIMATELY EIGHTEEN FEET FROM MALCOLM X GOT INTO A CROUCHED POSITION AND FIRED SEVERAL SHOTS IN THE DIRECTION OF MALCOLM X. THESE MEN WERE DRESSED IN DARK CLOTHES. STILL IN A CROUCHED POSITION THE GUNMEN HASTILY MOVED TOWARD THE EXIT AND SEEMED TO BE STILL FIRING. [BUREAU DELETION] REUBEN FRANCIS, MEMBER OF MALCOLM-S GROUP, HAD SHOT ONE OF THE QUOTE DECOYS UNQUOTE AND THAT ONE OF THE GUNMEN WAS CAUGHT BY SEVERAL OF THE MMI MEMBERS.

[BUREAU DELETION]

[BUREAU DELETION] IN ADDITION TO MALCOLM AND HAGAN, THE SUSPECT, BEING SHOT, TWO PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE WERE STRUCK BY FLYING BULLETS. ONE [BUREAU DELETION] A MEMBER OF MALCOLM-S ORGANIZATION, WAS SHOT IN THE RIGHT SIDE AND [BUREAU DELETION] WAS WOUNDED IN THE LEFT FOOT. BOTH WERE TAKEN TO COLUMBIA PRESBYTERIAN HOSPITAL AND THEIR CONDITIONS ARE CONSIDERED GOOD. POLICE CONSIDER BOTH [BUREAU DELETION] AND [BUREAU DELETION] TO BE MERELY ONLOOKERS AND NOT TO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE SHOOTING. AUTOPSY ON MALCOLM X REFLECTED THAT HE HAD TEN BULLET WOUNDS IN HIS CHEST, THIGH AND ANKLE, PLUS FOUR BULLET CREASES IN THE CHEST AND THIGH. THIS AUTOPSY LOCATED ONE NINE MILLIMETER SLUG, ONE FORTY FIVE CALIBER SLUG AND SEVERAL SHOTGUN PELLETS IN HIS BODY. THE POLICE HAVE CHARGED HAGAN WITH HOMICIDE ON MALCOLM X AND HAVE CHARGED REUBEN X FRANCIS WITH FELONIOUS ASSAULT AND POSSESSION OF
A DEADLY WEAPON. THE POLICE SAY THAT IN VIEW OF THE NATURE OF HAGAN-S INJURY HE BE HOSPITALIZED FOR UP TO SIX WEEKS. [BUREAU DELETION] HAVE A WITNESS WHO HAS IDENTIFIED FRANCIS AS FIRING BACK AT ASSAILANTS OF MALCOLM X. FRANCIS IS PRESUMED TO HAVE FIRED SHOT WHICH STRUCK HAGAN. POLICE ALSO SUSPECT FRANCIS SHOT THE THIRTY TWO CALIBER REVOLVER USED IN THESE SHOOTINGS, THOUGH THE GUN HAS NOT BEEN LOCATED. [BUREAU DELETION] NOW ESTIMATE THAT THE NUMBER OF MALCOLM-S ASSAILANTS NUMBER FROM TWO TO FOUR INCLUDING THE CAPTURED HAGAN. FBI IDENTIFICATION DIVISION IDENTIFIED FINGERPRINTS OF HAGAN AS IDENTICAL TO TALMADGE HAYER, ALSO KNOWN AS THOMAS HAYER, FBI NUMBER ONE FOUR TWO FOUR NINE SIX F, NEGRO MALE, BORN MARCH SIXTEEN, NINETEEN FORTY TWO AT HACKENSACK, NEW JERSEY, RESIDES THREE FOUR SEVEN MARSHALL STREET, PATTERSON, NEW JERSEY, [BUREAU DELETION].

[BUREAU DELETION] NYO AND NEWARK INDICIES NEGATIVE ON HAYER. DESCRIPTION OF ONLY ONE OTHER ASSAILANT HAS BEEN DETERMINED. HE IS A NEGRO MALE, AGE TWENTY EIGHT, SIX FEET TWO INCHES, TWO HUNDRED POUNDS, HEAVY BUILD, DARK COMPLEXION, WEARING GRAY COAT AND BELIEVED TO BE ASSAILANT WHO USED SHOTGUN. HAGAN HAS REFUSED TO FURNISH ANY INFORMATION OTHER THAN HIS NAME AND AGE, WHICH IS TWENTY TWO YEARS. NYO INDICIES ON HAGAN NEGATIVE.

[BUREAU DELETION] SELF-ADMITTED OAAU MEMBER, [BUREAU DELETION]TELEPHONICALLY CONTACTED NYO AND ADVISED HE HAS ONE OF THE GUNS USED TO KILL MALCOLM X. CONTACTED BY BUREAU AGENTS, [BUREAU DELETION] TURNED OVER TO THEM A UNITED STATES ARMY COLT
FORTY FIVE, MODEL ONE NINE ONE ONE, SERIAL NUMBER THREE THREE FIVE ZERO FIVE FIVE, WITH CLIP CONTAINING THREE ROUNDS OF AMMUNITION. DURING INTERVIEW, [BUREAU DELETION] HE WITNESSED THE SHOOTING FROM THE REAR OF THE AUDUBON BALLROOM AND BELIEVED FOUR TO FIVE NEGRO MALES PARTICIPATED IN THE SHOOTING. [BUREAU DELETION] STATED THAT TWO MEN PASSED HIM WHEN LEAVING THE BALLROOM. TWO OTHERS WERE RUNNING OUT OF THE BALLROOM, ONE TURNED TO RETURN THE FIRE AT MALCOLM-S MEN. AS THIS MAN TURNED TO RUN OUT THE DOOR, HE [BUREAU DELETION] THREW A BODY BLOCK AT HIM, AND THIS PERSON FELL ON THE STEPS DROPPING THE GUN. THE LAST MAN RUNNING OUT OF THE BUILDING JUMPED OVER THE PERSON HE STRUCK AND WAS APPARENTLY ARRESTED WHEN HE LEFT THE BUILDING. THE PERSON WHO WAS STRUCK DOWN FELL DOWN THE STAIRS, SCRAMBLED TO HIS FEET, AND BEGAN RUNNING OUT OF THE BUILDING. [BUREAU DELETION] STATED HE PICKED UP THE GUN AND TRIED TO SHOOT HIM BUT THE GUN JAMMED. ABOUT THIS TIME, SOME OF MALCOLM-S MEN PUSHED HIM BACK INSIDE THE BUILDING WHERE HE THEN PUT THE GUN IN HIS POCKET AND WAITED UNTIL MALCOLM WAS TAKEN AWAY, AND LEFT THE BALLROOM. [BUREAU DELETION] THE MAN WITH THE GUN AS BEING MALE NEGRO, AGE TWENTY, FIVE FEET SEVEN INCHES, MEDIUM BUILD, SHORT BLACK HAIR, BROWN SKIN, WEARING A DARK BROWN, DIRTY SUEDE JACKET. THE LAST MAN LEAVING THE BUILDING WAS DESCRIBED AS MALE, NEGRO, THIRTY YEARS OF AGE, SIX FEET TALL, ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY POUNDS, SHORT BLACK HAIR, MAY HAVE HAD A SMALL MUSTACHE, WORE DARK TROUSERS, MEDIUM GRAY TOP COAT AND NO HAT.

[BUREAU DELETION] CAME TO THE NYO AND
PICKED UP THE FORTY FIVE CALIBER GUN MADE AVAILABLE BY [BUREAU DELETION] AND WERE ADVISED THAT THE INDIVIDUAL WHO GAVE AGENTS THIS GUN DESIRED HIS IDENTITY BE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL AT THIS TIME, AND THAT THE FBI WOULD ATTEMPT TO PREVAIL UPON THIS SOURCE TO COOPERATE AND IDENTIFY HIMSELF TO THE POLICE. [BUREAU DELETION] ADVISED THAT HE DID NOT DESIRE THAT WE ATTEMPT TO APPROACH [BUREAU DELETION] AT THIS TIME AND PREFERRED THAT WE WAIT UNTIL THE FBI IS CONTACTED BY HIM AT A LATER DATE AS AN APPROACH AT THIS TIME MAY FRIGHTEN THIS POTENTIAL WITNESS, CAUSING HIM TO LEAVE THE NY AREA. NY WILL NOT RECONTACT [BUREAU DELETION] AT THIS TIME PURSUANT TO [BUREAU DELETION] REQUEST.

POLICE INDICATE THEY HAVE THE FOLLOWING WITNESSES TO THIS SHOOTING. [BUREAU DELETION] MALE, AGE SIXTY NINE.

[BUREAU DELETION] CITY DESK, ASSOCIATED PRESS, FIFTY ROCKEFELLER PLAZA, NYC, ADVISED FEBRUARY TWENTY ONE, SIXTY FIVE, THAT ONE OF THEIR SOURCES WHOSE RELIABILITY IS UNKNOWN BY THIS OFFICE, HAD STATED THAT SOME MEN, INCLUDING [BUREAU DELETION] /KNOWN OAAU MEMBERS IN NYC/, WERE GOING TO CHICAGO EITHER BY PLANE OR CAR FOR THE PURPOSE OF KILLING ELIJAH MUHAMMAD, NOI NATIONAL LEADER. AP SOURCE ALSO ADVISED THAT PLANS HAVE BEEN MADE TO KILL [BUREAU DELETION] AND MARTIN LUTHER KING. AP SOURCE INDICATED THAT KING WAS TO HAVE BEEN KILLED WHEN THE STATUE OF LIBERTY WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN DESTROYED. HE ALSO STATED THAT MALCOLM X WAS NOT DUE TO BE ASSASSINATED UNTIL TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY /FEBRUARY TWENTY ONE SIXTY FIVE/ BUT THAT THE SCHEDULE HAD BEEN MOVED AHEAD.

IT IS TO BE NOTED IN REFERENCE TO [BUREAU DELETION]
THAT [BUREAU DELETION] IS DESCRIBED AS NEGRO, MALE, AMERICAN, LATE TWENTIES, FIVE FOOT NINE INCHES, ONE SEVENTY FIVE POUNDS, MEDIUM BUILD, BROWN EYES, BLACK HAIR, SMALL MUSTACHE, SMALL BEARD, VERY PRONOUNCED HOOK NOSE, COFFEE BEAN COMPLEXION, VERY NERVOUS, EXCITABLE MANNER. WEARS PAKISTANIAN TYPE GINNAHA CAP. [BUREAU DELETION] WAS DESCRIBED BY [BUREAU DELETION] AS FOLLOWS . . . NEGRO, MALE, AMERICAN, THIRTY ONE YEARS OF AGE, SIX FEET TWO OR THREE INCHES TALL ONE SEVENTY FIVE TO ONE EIGHTY POUNDS, WELL KNIT BUILD, SHAVED HEAD, THIN MUSTACHE, VERY DARK COMPLEXION, DARK EYES, FALSE TEETH IN FRONT OF MOUTH, WEARS GINNAHA TYPE CAP AND A BLACK COAT.

[BUREAU DELETION] OVERHEARD [BUREAU DELETION] REPORTER “LIFE” MAGAZINE, IN CONVERSATION WITH A [BUREAU DELETION] WASHINGTON, D.C., APPROXIMATELY ELEVEN THIRTY PM FEBRUARY TWENTY ONE SIXTY FIVE DURING WHICH CONVERSATION [BUREAU DELETION] STATED THAT THE KILLERS OF MALCOLM X WERE POSSIBLY IMPORTED TO NYC. [BUREAU DELETION] BELIEVED THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS BY [BUREAU DELETION] TO BE ACCURATE, THAT [BUREAU DELETION] ADVISED [BUREAU DELETION] TO CHECK OUT WASHINGTON AND CIA BECAUSE THEY WANTED MALCOLM OUT OF THE WAY BECAUSE HE “SNAFUED” AFRICAN RELATIONS FOR THE U.S. [BUREAU DELETION] ALSO OVERHEARD [BUREAU DELETION] CALL [BUREAU DELETION] IN CHICAGO AT TELEPHONE AB FOUR EIGHT SIX TWO THREE DURING WHICH CONVERSATION [BUREAU DELETION] ADVISED [BUREAU DELETION] THAT TWO OF MALCOLM-S MEN WERE THEN IN CHICAGO HAVING FLOWN THERE TO HIT EITHER ELIJAH OR THE UNIVERSITY /PRESUMABLY UNIVERSITY OF
ISLAM./ [BUREAU DELETION] TO STAY OUT OF THE WAY WHEN BULLETS START FLYING.

[BUREAU DELETION] FEBRUARY TWENTY ONE SIXTY FIVE AT ELEVEN PM THAT THE [BUREAU DELETION] HAD CONTACTED THEM TO ADVISE THAT THEY HAD PICKED UP ONE [BUREAU DELETION] / BELIEVED TO BE A MMI MEMBER IN PHILADELPHIA/ WHO CAME TO ST. LUKE-S HOSPITAL IN PHILADELPHIA WITH A BROKEN ARM AND ADMITTED BEING AT THE AUDUBON BALLROOM WHEN THE SHOOTING TOOK PLACE INVOLVING MALCOLM LITTLE. NO FURTHER DETAILS WERE FURNISHED AT THIS TIME IN THIS REGARD [BUREAU DELETION] THIS BEING SUBMITTED FOR PHILADELPHIA-S INFORMATION.

BUREAU WILL BE KEPT ADVISED.

AM COPIES BEING FORWARDED TO BOSTON, CLEVELAND, LOS ANGELES, SAN FRANCISCO, NEWARK AND WASHINGTON FIELD OFFICE.

ALL INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN PERTAINING TO CHICAGO HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY FURNISHED TO THEM BY TELEPHONE.

END

OMS FBI WASH DC

COMMUNICATIONS SECTION

FEBRUARY 23, 1965
TELETYPE

FBI WASH DC 0724

2-40 AM DEFERRED 2-23-65 RM

TO DIRECTOR 7100-399321/ AND NEW YORK /105-8999/

FROM PHILADELPHIA /100-39918/

MALCOLM K. LITTLE, IS-MMI.

REPHTEL 2-22-65.

[BUREAU DELETION] AT RALLY NYC WHEN MALCOLM
X WAS KILLED. [BUREAU DELETION] ARRIVED AT BALLROOM ABOUT TWO FORTY FIVE PM, 2-21-65 WITH [BUREAU DELETION]. BENJAMIN X WAS SPEAKING AND WAS ALONE ON STAGE. ABOUT THREE PM, MALCOLM APPEARED ON STAGE RIGHT AND WALKED TO PODIUM. BENJAMIN X LEFT STAGE TO RIGHT WING THROUGH DOOR MALCOLM HAD JUST ENTERED.

MALCOLM AT PODIUM SAID SOMETHING LIKE QUOTE GOOD AFTERNOON BROTHERS AND SISTERS UNQUOTE. AT THIS TIME A NEGRO MALE, WEARING SUIT COAT LENGTH BLACK LEATHER COAT STOOD UP AND LOUDLY TOLD NEGRO MALE ON HIS LEFT QUOTE GET YOUR HAND OUT OF MY POCKET UNQUOTE, MAN STANDING UP WORE KHAKI PANTS, WHITE SHIRT OPEN AT COLLAR. HE WAS ABOUT FIVE FEET ELEVEN INCHES TALL, WEIGHT ONE SIX FIVE LBS., SLENDER BUILD, AGE ABOUT TWENTY NINE, SLIGHT BEARD AND MUSTACHE TRIMMED IN CIRCLE AROUND MOUTH, LOOKED LIKE AFRICAN WITH SHORT CUT WOOLLY HAIR, MEDIUM DARK COMPLEXION.

MALCOLM THEN STEPPED TO RIGHT OF PODIUM PAREN MALCOLM/S LEFT END PAREN AND SAID QUOTE WE WILL HAVE NONE OF THAT UNQUOTE. THE MAN STANDING PUT HIS LEFT HAND IN LEFT POCKET OF JACKET AND REMOVED SOMETHING. HE EXTENDED HIS ARM TOWARD MALCOLM. MALCOLM SAID EXCITEDLY DON/T DO IT UNQUOTE AND STEPPED FARTHER TO HIS LEFT. [BUREAU DELETION] HEARD FOUR OR FIVE RAPID SHOTS AND SAW WHAT APPEARED TO BE GUN FLASHES FROM STANDING MAN/S EXTENDED LEFT ARM. RED STAINS APPEARED ON MALCOLM/S SHIRT FRONT. MALCOLM SLUMPED AND FELL TO FLOOR.

[BUREAU DELETION]

STANDING MAN THEN RAN TO LEFT AISLE AND WAS LAST SEEN TURNING INTO MIDDLE EXIT. [BUREAU
DELETION] WAS THEN PULLED TO FLOOR [BUREAU DELETION] AND SAW NO MORE.

[BUREAU DELETION] WHEN SHOOTING STARTED PEOPLE IN AUDIENCE BEGAN FALLING TO FLOOR YELLING AND SCREAMING.

SECONDS AFTER [BUREAU DELETION] PULLED TO FLOOR A QUOTE LOT MORE UNQUOTE SHOTS WERE HEARD. THEY SOUNDED LIKE PEOPLE WERE SHOOTING AT EACH OTHER FROM OPPOSITE SIDES OF ROOM.

[BUREAU DELETION] DID NOT GET GOOD LOOK AT MAN ON LEFT WHO WAS ACCUSED OF PUTTING HAND IN STANDING MAN/S POCKET BUT BELIEVES HE MAY BE IDENTICAL WITH THOMAS HAGAN WHOSE PICTURE [BUREAU DELETION] IN AP WIRE-PHOTO 2-22-65. [BUREAU DELETION] BELIEVED HE WORE A DARK SUIT AND WHITE SHIRT.

[BUREAU DELETION] BEFORE MALCOLM CAME ON STAGE A MAN WHO [BUREAU DELETION] SHOT MALCOLM APPEARED TO BE ACQUAINTED WITH MAN ON HIS LEFT AND MAN ON HIS RIGHT AS THE THREE WERE ENGAGED IN CONVERSATION. THE MAN ON RIGHT WAS A LIGHT COLORED NEGRO, HAD CLOSE CUT HAIR, AND WORE BEIGE OR LIGHT BROWN SILK LOOKING SUIT. [BUREAU DELETION] NO FURTHER DESCRIPTION OF THESE MEN, AND NO ADDITIONAL INFO CONCERNING THEM.