65 HS1-834228961 62-HQ-83894 Section 002

' Incident
4AF 1208 I
14 July 1947
MEllOR.AllDUlJ FOR THE OFFICER IN CHA."R.GEt
1. On 10 Ju l y 1947., a ohech we.s made at the follcwring l ocations
in Palm Springs ., California for the purpose of t r ying to l ocate Mr .
Richard Rankin; Palm Sprint;s Police Department ., Palm Springs Newspaper.,
•The Desert Sun"., Palm Springs Water Company ., Southern California Gas
Company., Palm. Springs Telephone Company , Palm Springs Employment Office .,
Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce ., Royal Palms Hotel ., 5 Palm. Springs real
estate offices , and the City Offices of Palm Springs inoluding waste
disposal , water r ights, tax records and etc . No reoord of lir . Rankin
existed in any of the above mentioned offices .
2. On 11 Jul y 1947, Mr . Ryland M. Gorham, Postmaster of Palm Springs ,
California for the past 14 years ,,,as inter viewed . Mr . Gor ham stated that
he had lived in Palm Spr ings f'or the past 24 years and that he was un.aware
if a person named Richard Rankin had ever lived in Palm. Springs . Mr .
Gorham stated that due to the fact that Palm Springs is a resort area and
due to the fact that in the summer months only 3 to 5 t housand peopl e resided
in Palm Springs , whereas in the winter months 10 to 12 thousand resided in
Palm Springs , it was very possible that Mr . Rankin could have lived in
Palm Springs more or less on a non- per manent status and he , Mr . Gorham, not
being aware o:f it •
A oheok o:f General Delivery records revealed a. letter a ddressed to
.Mr . Richard Rankin, Palm Springs , mai l ed :fr om Cicero, Indiana , postn1arked
at Cicero, Indiana, July 1 947 ., at 5 P. M. The return address on the
envelope was listed as the Gospel Tract Worker, Route 1 ., Cicero ., Indiana.
Mr . Gorham permitted the contents o:f the envel ope to be examined inasmuch
as the c ontents was 3rd Cl ass material and the envelope not sealed. The
records were of a religious nature concerning the sad pl ight of .American
non- church goers, the second coming of Christ and etc . Superintendent of
Mails was contacted by !Ir . Gorham and stated that there was a Mr . Richard
Rankin who had received mail through the general delivery office of the
Palm Springs Post Office, but that the last mail, other than the letter
mentioned above , came through the Post Office approximately two years ag o. "'-
The Superintendent of Mails seemed to have a very uncanny memory and recalled
where the mail ooming in for Ranki n had been addressed to . This mail was
addressed to Mr . Richard Rankin in care of a trailer camp located in Palm
Springs . On calling the trai l er camp office, it was found that Mr . Richard
R~n had lived in the camp but depar ted approximately t\vo years ago and
left no forwarding address . Investigation is cont i nuing in an effort to
locate Mr . Rankin and obtain a statement from him. /
FRANK M. BROWN,S/A, CIC 4th AF
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