UF00083446_00010.pdf

UF00083446_00010.txt

UF00083446_00010_pdf.txt

Files November 20, 196
Lt. 3. 3 Saunders

Re: Recent Letters and Telegrams from Claude h. (Red) Pranks

Due to the threatening tone of Mr. Frank's letter of November 1a,
1964, to Governor Bryant, I contacted Lt. s. O. Roberts of the
Florida Highway Patrol and Lucius Kindrey, Administrative
Assistant to Sheriff Joe H. Crevaese, 3r. in Gainesville, and
inquired of them the present state of mind of Mr. Pranks and

any statements or actions he has eade recently relative to his
removal from office.

Lt. Roberts stated that he had been seeing Hr. franks several
times a week in the Gaineeville area and he has always appeared
busy in his work each time. The last observation was on
Thursday. November 12, at hie office in Gaineeville at which
tiee he spoke to him and Mr. Pranks was very cordial and in no
way did he detect anything out of the ordinary in his
disposition. Iron Lt. Roberts, hr. Franks enJoys a very
successful real estate business in Gainesville and cited several
lucrative transactions by hie firm in recent weeke.

Lt. Roberts stated that having been acquainted with Mr. iranks
for a number of years, he was of the opinion there was no real
danger in him and the letters and telegrams received by the
Governor is a result of Mr. Franks being a very poor loser and
of not receiving the sympathy of the people in Gainesville to
which he thinks he is entitled.

Ir. Hindrey concurred with Lt. Roberts on the demeanor of Mr.
Pranks, stating that he saw him almost daily in the Alachua County
Courthouse attending to what he thought was normal business for a
real estate man. At the time of Mr. Pranks suspension from office
he was present at a heated meeting of Mr. Franks with the County
Conissicnere of Alachua County, wherein hr. Franks threatened to
kill all of them and that they should be prepared from then on as
he would be armed with a gun and on first meeting with anyone

of them he would kill them. Mr. Kindrey stated that for quite

a period after this incident he kept hr. Pranks under constant
surveillance and attended all meetings of the Commissioners, but
Mr. Franks made no attempt whatsoever to carry out this threat.
From his acquaintance with Mr. Pranks, he is of the opinion
although he becomes very emotional at times he does not believe
there is any danger from him.

At this writing Hr. Pranks eel-axe: owns an old blue Chrysler

Imperial, 196A Ploride Tag llWH-EBS, and a green 1959 Buick
Sedan, 196% Florida Tag 11w-6017.




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