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ad Enea 7 Signs ee Ae " By MIRIAM OTTENBERG _ Pol. Star Staff Writer FBI agents moved in on the Negro church bombing in Bir- Mingheam Sunday because there was an immediate indi- teation a Federal law had been [violated, an FBI spokesman Bald today. . . The FBI declined to disclose What information prompted t agents to take over active in- | vestigation, but under the 1960[" law giving the FBI jurisdiction |’ in bombing cases under thet Civil Rights Act, it would have| to be an indication’ that the}: dynamlie+had been taken across State lines or that sus-~ cts were crossing State lIlnes avoid capture or prosecu- et PET in J Atthough there have been more than a score of bomb- ings in Birmingham, the FBI has played a major investiga- tive role only in four cases. The FBI emphasized that it in- vestigates only where there evidence of a Federal viols tion. . FBI at All Bomb Scenes The FBI has gone ta the, scene of all the recent bomb- ings but picked up the tnvyestl- gation in these three cases he- {fore the church bombing: The May 11 bombing of the home of the Rev. A. D. King. ‘The bombing of the A. G. Gas- ton Motel on the same night. The September 14 bombing of the home of Arthur Shores, a| elvil rights attorney. Mr. Shores’ home had been bombed & month earlier, but the FBI did not enter the investigation inthatcase. — Although Hmited in tts own! investigative role to the cases/ indicating direct violation of Federal laws, the FBI has of- fered its laboratory end iden- |, tification facilities to local) police and has pursued out-of-/ State leads. ' The FBI can and does in- vestigate bombings and similar violence under other Federal laws. Thus, FBI agents inves- tigated the bombing of a Free- dom Riders’ bus at Anniston, Ale,, as a violation of inter- state commerce laws and in- vestigated church burnings in Georgia as a violation of laws See Puts FBI in Bomb 5 | woeeeerr emEsie date None of the four cases the}. FEI has under active investi- gation has been solved. The are legion. Most of the usual investigative techniques oan- not be used. Nrenmt There is no gun to trace, and in Birmingham particul- arly, dynamite is readily avail- able because of its widespread use in industry. The search of the crime scene is usually non- productive because the bombs have destroyed such promising evidence as fingernrints. The scene itself is usually trampled use of the need to re- ve the injured. Informers are practically the Iy gource of clues. That's y FBI agents and local police have taken on the jgb of interviewing literally tholy}- sands of potential witnessds. (9) — eRcLOSUH or aid another to transport e&-_ \plosives interstate with - the - | knowledge or intent to use ox-- plosives to destroy propenty i“for the purpose of interfqr- ing with its use for educa-_ ‘tional, religious, charitable, ‘residential, business or civ2c ‘objectives or of intimidat ‘any person pursing such 0 (ectives.” 0. Fh Possible Death Penalty z f The penalties provide im- prisonment for not aren ; one year or up to $1, e je both. If personal injuty results, the prison sentence oan ‘go up to 10 years and a fihe up to $10,000. If death : ts from the bombing, as it didn ‘Ithe Birmingham church, im- prisomment can go up to life, or the court may impose the death penalty on recommen- dation of a jury. The 1960, law also provides that possession of use of an explosive to‘ damage propeity covered by the Civil Rights Act creates an assumption that ‘explosive was transported in- ‘terstate. But a person cannbt ‘be convicted under this ltw unless there is evidence : from the presumption - that Btate lines were crossed.” _———— ee ee ee i jor Sc? / The Evening Star Washington, D. C. September 17, 1963