104 10110 10568

104-10110-10568- 2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992

SECRET

Chief, Contact Division Support Branch Chief, Chicago Field Office

Hargrave Secret Service

23 Dec 1963 CHI-63-1314

  1. Al Thompson recently asked me for my opinion of Hargrave Secret Service, 6 West Randolph Street, Chicago, insofar as Cover potential is concerned.

  2. Chicago Field Office files contain no infor- mation on the company. The Chicago telephone directory reflects the company was formed in 1888 and has offices and/or representatives in the principal cities of the world. (See attached Redbook ad).

  3. Local FBI contacts had no information concern- ing the company. Albert Johnson, an ex-FBI man who has operated a private detective agency in Chicago for years told me that George R. Hargrave is sole owner and is the son of the founder. Mr. Johnson described Hargrave as a big, 250 pound man who has been married five times. In business, he is the type to put on a big show and is not averse to putting more men than necessary on a job in order to charge his client a higher price and profit accordingly. Mr. Johnson said that, although Hargrave advertises offices throughout the world he doubts that these are any more than investigative correspondents.

  4. A casual inquiry put to Richard Cain, Chief Investigator, Cook County Sheriff's Office, brought forth the comment that Cain distrusts Hargrave. He said he knows him personally and does not regard him as a discreet person.

  5. In view of the above, Cover may want to reconsider using Hargrave.

R.F.B. Lohmann

KPEL/jak Attachment

SECRET

GROUP 1 Excluded from automatic declassification