irt t Man Meets the Mystery Tramp by Ass, au Some and il- luminating rned about assassinations have e from the state- ments of former intelligence agents. In some instances, the repercussions from their disclosures have provoked actions either to silence or discredit them. Abraham Bolden was the first black man to be a Special Agent of the U.S. Secret Service assigned to the White House detail. In the fall of 1963, Bolden was stationed in Chicago. where prepara- tions were being made for a scheduled visit by the President on Nov. I, to at- tend an Army-Air Force football game and to patch up political ties with Mayor Daley. However, in October, the Secret Service received word of • an assassination plot to be carried out dur- Fred Lee Crisman of Tacoma. Wash., was a key figure in Jim Garrison's New ing JFK's forthcoming visit. Orleans JFK investigation, and his bizarre record suggests the murky waters any The agents in Chicago conducted an new investigation will have to wade through. This will not be another Watergate. 'investigation: They were shown photo- It will not he so polite. Assa.ssination literature is strewn with a cast of characters graphs and were provided with the names .so gnarled and twisted that even Maurice Stans would think twice before laying and descriptions of the four men who were a few grand on them. In 1968, Crisman was subpoenaed to appear before the New allegedly involved. But the agents were Orleans Grand Jury investigating the assassination. Several researchers noticed also given some peculiar instructions: I) an astonishing resemblance between Crisman and the mysterious short tramp There were to be no written reports; 2) arrested in Dealey Plaza (the one erroneously labeled as E. Howard Hunt by Nothing was to be sent to Washington assassination buffs whose hearts are in the right place even if their facts are not). by TWX: 3)The agent-in-charge in Chi- According to Tacoma News Tribune reporter Edd Affords, who has interviewed cago was to report to the SS Chief by Crisman on several occasions, "he is identical with the tramp." Crisman's name phone; and 4) No file number was to be appeared in Clay Shaw's address hook, and he was a "business" partner of given to this case. Their search showed Thomas Edward Beckham. who was subpoenaed to New Orleans because of in- that the plot was indeed authentic. Ken- volvements with anti-Castro Cuban exiles. In 1966, he and Crisman nedy's trip was subsequently cancelled. incorporated seven businesses in Olympia, Wash. According to police, these com- I In the wake of the Dallas shooting, panies, which included Professional Research Bureau and the National Institute Bolden, noting the unusual proceedings of Criminology, conducted no business. As a bishop in the shady Universal Life in Chicago and the lack of protection Church, Crisman was connected to a right wing, quasi-religious scene that en- afforded Kennedy in Dealey Plaza, compassed David Ferrie and an aide to the reactionary Rev. Carl McIntyre, Edgar sought to testify before the Warren Eugene Bradley, who was indicted for conspiracy by Garrison. Crisman was an Commission. His request for permission industrial spy for Boeing. He ran a talk show on station KAY E, espousing right to testify was turned down by his super- wing opinions on local and national issues under the name Dr. John Gold. And the iors and he was told that no one from Olympia police suspected hint of narcotics activities in connection with an organi- the Secret Service was to testify about zation called the Servants of Awareness. the Chicago plot. In Washington, on May 17, 1964, Bolden tried to contact Perry. The two main witnesses were paper, in the handwriting of Sikes, was J. Lee Rankin, the chief counsel for the ackdowledged counterfeiters. Despite submitted as evidence to verify Spag- Warren Commission, but got no re- prejudicial remarks made by the judge noli's allegations. sponse. Bolden began to feel more uneasy before the jury (he said he thought the Despite this disclosure, the Seventh as he observed that all his actions were defendant was guilty), the proceedings Circuit Court of Appeals turned down being monitored by a fellow agent. ended in a mistrial. Judge Perry, re- Bolden's plea for a new trial and or- The next day, Bolden was whisked to fusing to remove himself from the case, derell him to serve his term in the Federal Chicago under the pretext that he was ordered a new trial which resulted in the Penitentiary in Springfield. Missouri. needed there. Upon arrival, he was taken conviction of Abraham Bolden. Bolden On June 20, 1%6, Earl Warren's Su- to the office of U.S. Attorney Edward was sentenced to six years in prison. preme Court declined to review the case. Hanrahan (later of Chicago 8 and Fred Later, one of the witnesses, Joseph Desptie continued efforts, Bolden never Hampton fame) where he was charged Spagnoli, was brought to trial for coun- received a new trial. He served 39 months with solicitation of a bribe and was terfeiting"- In the course of the trial, in prison and was released. His family held incommunicado from early after- again before Judge Perry, Spagnoli ad- has been the target of several acts of noon until midnight. mitted under oath that he had perjured violence. Bolden has been quoted as Bolden was charged with having sold himself when he testified against Bolden.. saying. "I have evidence that a mem- the secret government file on an indicted In fact, Spagnoli stated that he had ber of the Secret Service had a part in counterfeiter for $50,000. He was brought done so at the request of the prosecutor, the planning of the assassination. Some- to trial before Federal Judge Joseph Sam Richard Sikes. A sheet of yellow legal one, an agent, could be indicted for it." 58 crawdaddy NOV, .