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70 FBI Asks Me about RobWilliams In the last issue I promised to go into more detail about my visit from the FBI on September 1. With their crew cuts the two young men looked like insurance agents or timestudy men as they entered. But they flashed badges and said briskly, “FBI.” I asked them to sit down. One of them, the talkative one, asked me if I knew Robert Williams. When I said that I did, he said, “I guess you know what he has done and why we’re looking for him. Do you know where he is?” I replied that I didn’t know where Williams was, that I would not harbor him or even one of my own children if he had committed a crime, but that I wouldn’t tell them if I did know. “All I know about the riot,” I said, “is what I read in the papers. But I know a lot about the background in Monroe and I want you to know I’m an admirer of Williams.” Then he began explaining about the “harboring law,” so I said I wanted to ask some questions. “How is it,” I began, “that the FBI is so interested in Williams and yet in all the other cases . . .” Before I could finish, the other young man, who had said nothing up to now, interrupted, “You mean Till?” Obviously it had occurred even to him that there was a big difference between the FBI rushing into this matter and its refusal to get involved where whites were accused. I replied, “Not only Till, but Parker and all the other cases where whites have been known to lynch Negroes and the FBI said it couldn’t intervene.” The talkative one began holding forth about the kidnaping law, the crossing of state lines, etc. “All we are interested in is turning Williams over to the local authorities,” he said. Whereupon I asked, “How do you know Williams has crossed the state lines? I have a feeling he may still be in North Carolina.” At about this point it was obvious that the conversation wasn’t getting them anywhere . The talkative one changed the subject, asking, “Are you working?” When I replied that I was, he asked if we were going on strike and whether we wouldn’t lose a lot of money by doing so. I replied that I wouldn’t mind striking and losing money if it meant something but that Reuther’s strikes don’t mean anything for working conditions , which is all we are interested in. “Talk about behind the iron curtain,” I said. “In the shop we work worse than any Russians. There’s a real reign of terror and not just for us poor slobs. Young guys like you who would be time-study men in the shops are also running around like crazy.” They got up to leave and the talkative one asked if I would call them if I got any information about Williams or if I minded if they called me. I said that they could call me if they wanted to, but I wasn’t going to tell them anything even if I knew. “I am not Ward.indb 70 12/21/10 9:27 AM FBI Asks Me about Rob Williams 71 going to fool you,” I said as they went out the door. “I am proud of Williams and I don’t care who knows it. As for you and me, let’s not fool each other. I have nothing for you and you have nothing for me.” [ October 1961 ] Ward.indb 71 12/21/10 9:27 AM ...

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