LI LJ LI ln Men Black LI LI A Preliminary Report tl by Robert Bull LJ t'l LI L, .,l I J - British UFO Research Association - I t J First Edition: August 1997 Published by B tish UFO Research Association (BUFORA) Ltd BM BI,'FORA l,ondon wClN 3Xx All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted without the written permission of BUFORA Ltd. r r Contents t_ t_ t_ t_ l_ t_ L, lj t_ t_ t_ l-- l_ t_- t_ t_ t_ l_ t- l -l *] -l .-.] l l l i t_ lntroducing Men ln Black The Albert K. Bender Case Men In Black. also known as MIBs, are In April1952 Alben K. Bender, a factory L. mysterious characters who sometimes supervisor, aged 31, formed the lj question, threaten and harass UFO Intemational Flying Saucer Bureau (IFSB), B witnesses and researchels. based in dgeport, Connecticut. The r IFSB grew rapidly, soon having branches They dress in black suits (hence their appellation) and arc usually described as in 48 American states as well as in other countries. having 'oriental' features. They tend to pose as military or secret service personnel, often prcducing (albeir b efly) The IFSB suddenly closed down in LI, September 1953. Bender claimed that he identity cards. They appear and bchave in a had the 'secret' of flying saucers, which he way which leaves the witness thinking that wrote down as a thesis which he then they are not human, although this impression usually only foms after the posted to a friend he felt he could trust. MIBS have left. The following day, Bender claims, he was l_ MIBs are popularly described as: visited by three men dressed in black suits, . appea ng in threes one of whom had with him the thesis . "lvro . ofthe men told Bender that his theory was L] travelling in large, black, old-model essentially correct, and they filled him in cars (usually Cadillacs in the USA), on the missing details. What the MIBS had I which appear to be brand new and have to say so appalled Bender that he readily untraceable registrations agreed to disband the IFSB and do no . having 'dark' complexions more work on flying saucers; he also I . agreed to tell no-one of his findings. appea ng only rarely outside the USA . possessing knowledge known only to 'They were pretty rough with me', Bender the witness. said. 'Two men did all the talking, while another one kept watching all the time. He We shall see later that whilst some MIB didn't take his eyes off me. I might add I cases certainly do possess some or all of that I was tedbly sick for three days after I these characteristics, it is certainly not true saw those three men and also frightened that the majority of such cases do. beyond reason.' Bender's wall of silence I The most celebrated MIB case was that following lhe visit convinced his friends reponed by UFO investigator and author that he was telling the truth. Alben K. Bender. In 1953 he was allegedly I 'silenced' by three MIBs. Later, Bender claimed, he telephoned a ftiend and mentioned his theory and the visit of the three men. Immediately after This report is part of an ongoing project hanging up, the telephone rang. A male started in 1995 bJ the BUFOM Research voice said that he knew of Bender's L Committee. conversation and that he had made a 'bad I slip' and wamed him to be more careful in future- One ofBender's feliow researchen, a man ll who grew to be one ofhis closest friends, was Gray Barker. Barkerjoined the IFSB LI IJ as its West Virginia representative soon do not know if I advised you or not, but do after its formation in April 1952, becoming not accept any more memberships until its Chief Investigator in January 1953. afler the October issue ol Space Review ts in ; our hands.' The New Haven Fireball The next day Barker received a tape from Two other IFSB representatives, who were Lucchesi, a verbal account of a recent to play key roles in the saga that was about telephone conversation that had taken to unfold, \rere Dominick ('Dom') place between Robefis and Bender. He told Lucchesi and August ('Augie') Roberts. Robens what Barker aheady knew, that the Roberts it was who investigated a peculiar next issue of Spac? R?viel, would incident which took place on August 19d, somehow be significant. 1953, the day when, according to certain pymmidologists who had been poking Bender seemed reticent during the around inside the Great Pyramid of Egypt, telephone conversation, but Roberts kept the world was due to end. pushing him until he finally blurted out: 'I know the secret of the disks!' He added The residents ofNew Haven, Connecticut, that 'three men' had visited him and had probably thought that the prediction had pledged him to silence. Cu ously, Bender come true when a loud 'swoosh' was heard claimed, the three men had confiscated all at about 9 pm. Buildings trembled, lights back issues of Space Revierr, even though dimmed and one woman had a miscar age hundreds of copies of the magazine had as a result the disturbance. already been distributed to IFSB membels world-wide. There was only one witness to the cause of the disturbance, which was a red ball of Bende. said that the th.ee men had largely fire, six to eight inches in diameter, which dictated the contents of the next issue of crashed through a signboard before Space Review. He tinished the call by continuing on its way, leaving a hole more telling Roberts that 'The ttuth ts fantusticl' lhan a fool wide in the 2o-gauge s(eel of the sign. Bender Interviewed Roberts, on arriving at the scene, pried On 4 October 1953, Bender agreed to meet loose from the edge of the hole a sample of Roberts and Lucchesi. He insisted that the metal, obviously not pa.t of the sign itself, conversation not be recorded in any way which he sent to Bender for analysis. but, unbeknown to him, Roberts, making Bender never announced the results ofthe the excuse of an upset stomach analysis, perhaps, Barker speculated, necessitating frequent visits to the toilet, because of subsequent events at the IFSB made notes. headquarters in Bridgeport. The account is long and monotonous, and The Closedown is not reproduced in full here, Some of Lucchesi's questions, and Bender's September 16, 1953. Bender wrote a answers, are: routine letter to Barker, praising Barker's article for the next (October) issue of Q: Wlen did the three men visit you? Space Review.The whole tone of the letter A: I can't answer that. seemed shange to Barker, seeming somewhat stilted and formal, not like his friend's usual style at all. The third paragraph was the strangest part of all: 'I [r L] Q: Who were the men? A: They had all of your addresses and A: I can't answer that. details about you with them with the papers they had in their hands. LI Q: Were they from the govemment? A: I can't answer that. Q: W1ry do you delay answering each of my questions for a few seconds? LI Q: Do saucers come ftom space? A: I'm afraid of slipping; if I do I can get A: I can't answer that. into a lot of touble. L] Q: Are the saucers real? Are they made of An obviously nervous Bender was giving something solid? nothing away. A: I can't answer that. LJ Ihe Last rssue ofspace Q: Can you tell me your source of Review information? LJ Barker eagerly opened the October 1953 A: I was turning a theory over and over in issue of Sp4ce R€vrcr when it ardved in my mind. When I got some actual the mail. It contained two cryptic items: names and places to back it up 1 L.i submitted it to someore. Utalics mine, .LATE BULLETIN. J ,Aalfi.] Then the men came. A source, which the IFSB considers very Q: Who was that 'someone' you mention? reliable, had informed us that the A: I can't answer that. investigation of the flying saucer mystery LJ and the solution is approaching its final Q: Does the govemment know about stages.' saucers? L] A: They have known what they are fo. two 'This same source to whom we had yea$. preferred data which had come into our Ll possession, suggested that it was not the I Q: Will they tell the people what they are? A; It has got to a point where they will proper method and time to publish this dala in Space Reviete.' have to, if not within five months from now, not for about four years. The other item: q Q: Why can't you talk freely about this . STATEMENT OF MPORTANCE. thing? I A: Just before the men left one of them The mystery offlying saucers is no longer said, 'I suppose you know you're on a mystery. The source is already known, your honor as an American. JfT hear but any information about this is being another word out of your office you're withheld by orders from a higher source. L' in trouble.' We would like to print the full story in i Q: Did you notice what the men wore? Space Refie',e,butbecause of the nature of the infomation we are very sorry that we L. A: They wore the same type of clothes and have been advised in the negative.' l hats. Dark clothes and black hats. 'We advise those engaged in saucer work Q: Do they know about Gray, Dom and to please be very cautious.' me? t- f, Barker was confused by the last sentence. Did it mean that he himself might receive a Barker vowed that the next time he was in 'visit' if he continued his own research New York he would go, with Roberts and into the saucer mystery? Barker decided to Lucchesi, to talk to Bender personally. ignore Bender's waming. He must solve the flying saucer mystery, and he must find An Australian Connection? out what had happened to Bende.. Bender remained tightlipped about his 'visitors' and about what he knew. The Maury lsland three friends formed the impression that he Barker had a nagging feeling that he had branted to tell them what he knew, but was heard of 'men in dark clothes' before. too afraid. Suddenly it came to him - Maury Island! He found his Maury Island file, which told He did, however, tell them about a letter he ofan incident which took place at sea near had received from Edgar Janold, head of Maury Island, Tacoma, Washington State. the Australian Flying Saucer Bureau (the AFSB, formed at about the same time as The principal witness, Coast Cuard the IFSB). In the letter, Bender said, Commander Harold Dahl, claimed he saw Jarrold told ofhow l?e had received a visit, a formation of six flying saucers. one oi although in his case there was only oze which appeared to be in trouble. This visitor, who told him information about saucer spewed out molten metal fragments saucers which amazed him 'beyond into the water and onto the shore, samples description'. The stranger emphasised that ofwhich Dahl was later able to gather. Jarrold was to tell no-one of what had been revealed to him - not even his wife. What struck Barker was that the morning after the incident Dahl said he had received Barker wrote to Jaftold, who replied a visit at his home frolJ:, aman who wore a confirming that he had contacted Bender, black suit, whg invited him out to and revealing that he had received four ^nd breakfast at a restaurant. As they sat down visits from the 'strange.'. The strangest to breakfast, the man told Dahl everything part of his visitation came when he was that had happened to him at Maury Island asked what he thought would happen to the day before, down to the most minute extraterestrial visitors if their saucer detail. The visitor finished by saying to 'landed close to Sydney or any other large Dahl that 'Ifhe loved his family and didn't city'. He replied that he thought that the want anything bad to happen he would not visitors would be 'murdered out of hand' discuss the experience with anyone.' but that he thought that 'great care would be taken to capture their space vehicle Could the same man. in rhe company of undamaged'. others, have visited Bender? Unlikely, thought Barker, lots ofpeople wore black Jarrold's visitor announced that this suits. Or could he have 'picked up' on the 'dangerous ignorance and hostility' was man in black in the Maury Islandr account, the 'main reason stopping extratenestrial and decided to pretend, for some reason, beings landing openly at prcsent', He also that he had had a similar 'visit' himself? gave his opinion that 'honifying destructive forces' could be used against mankind, but that the visitors 'sought only I The Maury Island case was eventually shown to friendly contact'. be ahoax. The'molten melal' was plutonium slag from the Atomjc Energy Comrnission's (AEC't Janold said thal on rhe srranger's first visit nearby plant. The 'man in black' was an AEC he had produced evidence arresting to his security agent. I 'position and qualifications', alftough ofthe three men in black' and 'where the Jarrold did not give any more detail on flying saucers come from. this. Janold also reported receiving 'mysterious' telephone calls and Early Signs experiencing poltergeist activity. It seemed Bender's strange expedences began on the to Barker that whilst Jarold's visitor acted evening of 30 July, 1952, when the differently to Bender's three men, there telephone rang. There was no one on the was enough similarity to make him think line but Bender felt that he was being told, that the two events were similar, perhaps telepathically, not to delve into the flying even connected. saucer mystery any further. A strange th.obbing sound then gave way to the Barker scanned a copy of the AFSB's sound of the nomal dialling tone, without I Austrolian Flying Saucer Magazine lhathe any sound of the receiver being replaced. had received several weeks ago, but hadn't read, The edito al in the November issue About three months after his strange of the magazine told of'sensational telephone call, Bender was on his way happenings' at the headquarters of the home from the cinema one evening when IFSB in Bridgeport, and referred to a 'joint he suddenly developed a throbbing investigation' being proposed by the IFSB, headache. He saw a bluish flash in the sky, the AFSB and Civilian Saucer he felt as ifhe was being lifted from the Investigation (CSI (New Z€aland)) to look I ground, and once again a voice, in his into 'a theory re saucers supplied by Mr head, seemed to be telling him to forget Bender'. Could it be that the IFSB and the about the IFSB. AFSB were being 'leaned on toslopthis --l loint investigation'? The local cinema again played a part in Bender's strange experiences. In Barker continued his investigations into November 1952, Bender was in the cinema Bender until mid-1955, but was unable to when he became aware of someone in the ) unearth any fresh clues. although he did seat next to him, although he hadn't discover some interesting data, witb noticed anyone walk up and sit down. A possible MIB implications, relating to l man was sitting there, a man with eyes Edgar Ja[old, Harry Fulton, and James 'like flashlight bulbs' which seemed to Moseley in the USA. He also began bum dght into him. Bender, beginning to thinking more and more about a 'South : feel the by now familiar throbbing in his Pole' saucer theory which Bender had once head, closed his eyes. When he opened mentioned. (When Lucchesi interyiewed them again, the man was gone, but on Bender, he had 'visibly stafted' when looking around he was stanled to find the Lucchesi had asked him 'Does this have man seated on the opposite side of him anything to do with the South Pole?'). now, still with those buming eyes! Bender finally broke his silence in 1962. At no point had Bender noticed the man Bender Tells All? arrive or move. but one thing he did notice was that the man's clothin9was'too neat', Almost l0 yea$ after closing the IFSB, Utalics ine - Auth-l Thoroughly shaken Bender finally appeared to have decided to by now, he moved to a different part of the tell his story. His book" Flying Saucers cinema and sat down - only to find, after a and the Three Men,was published by Gray few minutes, lhat the man was lhere again, Barker's Saucerian Books.In it, thejacket sitting behind himl text claimed, Bender tells of'the identity Bender left the auditorium at this point and couldjust make out a man-shaped shadow, complained to the manager who, with the which disappeared as he raised himself aid ofhis torch, looked for the man, but he from his bed. He felt sick in his stomach was nowhere to be seen. On his way home, and honibly confused. Was this real or he had yet another encounter with the man was he losing his mind? while window shopping. He complained to the police, but the policeman who came Around this time, Bender confided in two could hnd nothing. leading members of the IFSB, telling them what had happened and that he proposed to In February 1953, Bender had another publish an account of his experiences in warning of what was to come. He was in next July's Space R?riew. They were his kitchen when he heard the sound of unsympathetic, and threatened to resign footsteps coming from above, although he from the IFSB if he went ahead with his knew he was the only person in the house. plan. He wrote the account anyway and He went upstairs to his bedroom where he locked it away in a box. When he went to saw a bluish glow in a comer, in which he the box a few days later the account had saw a face with glowing eyes beginning to disappeared - and the box contained the by. form. Afraid, he shouted 'Cut the kidding now familiar sulphuruos odour. and come out of there!', at which point the glow disappeared, Ieaving behind a Bender's most frightening experience so sulphurous odour, far happened when he returned from a two- week vacation in July 1953. Unlocking the On l5 March 1953, Bender was lying door of his 'den', he smelled the dozing on his bed at home when a cold sulphurous odour again, and he noticed his chill hit his body, his head began to ache radio was on, even though he knew he had tenibly, and the sulphurous odour switched it off before he had left. retumed. He opened his eyes and to his amazement he seemed to be looking at his Later, Bender was about to retire when he own body from a point thlee feet above it! started to feel that he was about to have another visit, and sure enough three The Nightmare Begins shadowy figures slowly began to crystallise out of a bluish glow in his Suddenly a voice filled his head: 'We have room; three men dressed all in black, with been watching you and your activities. black Homburg-style hats that panially Please be advised to discontinue delving obscured their faces. The eyes of all three into the mysteries ofthe universe. We will figures suddenly lit up, the pain above make an appearance if you disobey.' Bender's eyes became almost unbearable, Bender replied (although his lips did not and he began to .eceive a message. move), asking why the voice seemed so unfriendly. 'We have a special assignment The message said that the men recognised and must not be disturbed by your people', Bender as someone who was dedicated to came the reply. 'We arc among you and answe ng the flying saucer question, know your every move, so please be adding, sinisterly, that his rcsearches may advised we are here on your earth.' lead him to some harm and that no one would believe anything lhat lhey told him. With this the voice faded away, but Bender The men had nothing to fear from him, the felt a! though he was being watched. His My message continued, that he would not felt as though it was dropping, and he deflect them from carrying out their plans found himself back on his bed. His room on Earth, and that they had already killed was full ofa yellowish mist, in which he people who had become too inquisitive.