Abraham Bolden's Latest Version of the Chicago Plot
- Fred Litwin
- 6 minutes ago
- 5 min read
Abraham Bolden testified before the Luna sub-committee on the declassification of documents this past Tuesday. Unfortunately, the streaming service did not capture the audio of his presentation. But here is a link to his written opening statement.
Here is what Bolden said about the supposed plot against JFK in Chicago in early November, 1963:
As a matter of fact, the first assassination attempt was supposed to take place here in Chicago, Illinois. Information that I had revealed was that some Cuban exiles we were trying to assassinate the President when he came to Chicago on November the 2nd to view an Army-Air Force football game. I was the person who raised so many complaints about his protection and brought out the fact in a meeting with the Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago office that it was our duty and obligation as government employees, responsible for the safety of the President — to notify Washington DC of a plan to assassinate President when he came into Chicago. As I knew then and as we know now, that plot was real. The White House found out about it – and the White House cancelled the President’s trip to Chicago before that November 2nd football game.
This is yet another version of the Chicago plot story, and this time the story is shorn of any details. Compare the story above to the many previous versions of the story:
1967 Mark Lane Press Conference
Mark Lane held a press conference in December 1967 along with Richard Burnes from Jim Garrison’s office. They had spent several hours with Bolden, and he told them that he was given the names of the people involved in the Chicago plot. At least one of the men was followed through the streets of Chicago. Lane told the press that “The identities of those who planned the assassination (in Chicago) of President Kennedy are known to the United States Secret Service. One of these men has been sought by District Attorney Jim Garrison for some time.”
1968 Interview by Bud Fensterwald
Bolden said that the Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago office, Maurice Martineau, received a personal phone call from James Rowley, head of the Secret Service. He supposedly told Agent Martineau that the Secret Service “had word of an assassination plot” which was supposed to take place during JFK’s visit to Chicago. The agents were told to keep it all hush-hush and were shown pictures of the four men who were allegedly in the plot. The agents investigated and found that the four men were staying with a landlady.
1975 Article by Edwin Black
A phone call came in from the FBI in Washington which was taken by agent Jay Stocks. He was warned about a “serious and dangerous four-man conspiracy to assassinate Kennedy at the Army-Air Force game.” The assassination would take place at an expressway overpass. A telex then came in from Rowley about the plot. A tip came in from a landlady who said four men were renting rooms and she had seen four rifles with telescopic scopes. She told the police that “perhaps there was some threat there.” Two of the men were followed and then brought in for questioning.
1978 Interview by the HSCA
Bolden claimed a telex came in from the FBI, and then a phone call came in from the FBI. Bolden was not sure if the call was from the local office or Washington. Two of the four suspects were put under surveillance and were apprehended and brought into the Chicago office. Bolden saw one of the men and he picked out the picture of ex-mobster Jim Braden as being similar. He did not recognize a picture of Vallee.
2008 Bolden Book, The Echo from Dealey Plaza
This time the phone call came in for Martineau from the Chicago office of the FBI who had information about JFK’s upcoming trip: “A woman who owned a rooming house on the city’s North Side had gone into one of the rooms to do some housekeeping and had discovered two rifles equipped with telescopic sights. She had rented the room to two men she believed to be Hispanic, and had also seen two white men going in and out of the room. Knowing that the president was due to visit Chicago, she grew concerned and called the authorities.”
Now Bolden says it was information that he revealed, as opposed to a phone call or a telex from the FBI. Gone are the rifles, the suspects, the apprehension of two of the suspects, etc.
I have continually written that there is no corroborating evidence for a plot in Chicago. I feel for Bolden, and I understand that he is 90 years old. But no one forced him to testify, and if you want to prove there was a plot against JFK in Chicago, then I expect just a little bit more than one paragraph.
I don't know if Bolden was asked about the Chicago plot in the Q&A session. That is not yet online with adequate audio. If that becomes available I will update this post.
This page reads:
Larry Fanning, Executive Editor, "Chicago Daily News", had previously advised that on November 2, 1963, four men were reportedly arrested in Chicago, Illinois, and charged with carrying a concealed weapon. One of these individuals, according to Fanning's source, was believed to be the subject Oswald.
SAC Marlin W. Johnson has periodically maintained contact with Mr. Fanning in an effort to determine Fanning's sources for this story. On January 21, 1964, Mr. Fanning advised SAC Johnson that he had looked into the matter thoroughly and there was absolutely no truth whatsoever in the story. He stated he could not tell Mr. Johnson exactly how the story originated.
Was this the genesis of the story about the Chicago plot? I also find it interesting that the story of Thomas Vallee and the four-man assassination team both feature landladies. In both cases, it was a landlady who called the police or Secret Service. Might Bolden have been conflating the Vallee story with the rumor above?
Previous Blog Posts on Vince Palamara's book on the supposed plot in Chicago
Palamara tries to respond to my five-part series on his book.
An examination of Palamara's second eight pieces of corroborating evidence for the plot.
An examination of Palamara's first eight pieces of corroborating evidence for the plot.
A look at the origin of the supposed plot.
A look at Homer Echeverria.
A look at Lloyd John Wilson.
Previous Blog Posts on the supposed plot in Chicago
Was Vallee really a threat?
This document was supposedly destroyed by the Secret Service.
Chad Nagle tries to argue that there was a plot.
The HSCA did speak to Edwin Black. It was a memorable interview.
There is no evidence of a plot in Chicago against JFK.
Bolden's story about the supposed Chicago plot has changed over the years.
An examination of supposed other plots against JFK.
Bolden didn't say one word about a supposed plot against JFK in Chicago.