Atlanta police and the FBI continued today their round the clock hunt for the bombers of the synagogue here. A major break in the case appeared imminent. Reliable sources said the FBI expected to solve the case within the next 24 hours. FBI agents here refused to comment on the report.
Police said they were looking for a sixth man for questioning. They indicated that many of their findings had involved persons in cities other than Atlanta. The police were especially interested in investigating a man, described as once prominent in public affairs, as the possible “angel” financing the anti-Semitic terrorists.
Meanwhile, the police here were today ordered to show cause by 10 A. M. tomorrow why four of five men held in the bombing of The Temple should not be released. The court order was signed by County Superior Court Judge V.B. Moore. The four are George Bright, Luther Corley, Kenneth Griffin, and Robert Bowling. A fifth man, Wallace H. Allen, is held on a charge of dynamiting a building.
Morton L. Weiss, president of the Atlanta Jewish Community Council, today issued a statement–the first by Atlanta Jewry since the synagogue bombing–declaring that “the spontaneous response from all segments of our community in an outpouring of generosity of spirit and heart, is a magnificent demonstration of sympathetic understanding and goodwill.”
“It is on encouraging manifestation of our faith in the reality of good community relationships in Atlanta,” the statement continued. “We have complete confidence in the efforts of our city and state officials and the law enforcement agencies of our community with the helpful participation of the FBI of tracking down those guilty of the heinous crime and bringing them to justice.”
The statement, which was issued following a meeting of the assembly of the Jewish Community Council, added: “We desire to point out that our job is not done with mere expressions of shock and sympathy. We must rededicate ourselves to do all we can to root out from our midst intolerance bigotry and hatred. The task will not be completed until we realize that goal.”
Teams of Atlanta police and FBI agents armed with search warrants today raided a number of homes and seized quantities of anti_Jewish literature, swastikas, and correspondence. A police official said a network was closing in on the group responsible for the temple bombing. Confiscated anti-Semitic material was removed to police headquarters.
(In New York police today arrested a suspected member of the “Confederate Underground” in a 42nd Street moving picture theater after he had made a threatening call to the national headquarters of the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith. Robert D. McNamara, 19, had said in a telephone threat to the ADL that “New York is next.” He apparently referred to cities where anti-Jewish bombings are planned. McNamara has a record of anti-Semitic activity, according to files in Washington.
(In Minneapolis, police reported today that a large rock smashed the window of Sh’arit Israel Synagogue here. It was presumed that anti-Semitism was the reason for the vandalism. Police are investigating and maintaining surveillance.)
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
