Jump to content
The Education Forum

Louis Steven Witt : Umbrella Man


Recommended Posts

Article in today's Daily Mail:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-...ignificant.html

His son, the future President John F. Kennedy is said to have inherited his father's umbrellaphobia. This prompted a man called Louis Steven Witt to take an umbrella to Dealey Plaza on November 22, 1963, with the intention of opening it as the President's car passed and thereby poking fun at him.

We will never know whether President Kennedy noticed the umbrella. If he did, it would have been the last thing he ever noticed, because just as his car passed, he was shot dead.

Ever since, the so-called 'Umbrella Man' has been a bogeyman for Kennedy assassination conspiracy theorists; they have convinced themselves that he was part of the conspiracy, placed there to let the gunman know, by opening his umbrella, whether the target had been successfully hit.

For years, the Umbrella Man remained unidentified, but then he came forward.

In 1978, Louis Steven Witt explained to the House Select Committee investigation into the assassination of President Kennedy that: 'In a coffee break conversation, someone had mentioned that the umbrella was a sore spot with the Kennedy family.

Being a conservative-type fellow, I sort of placed him in the liberal camp and I was just going to kind of do a little heckling.'

'You were opening the umbrella to use it as a symbol to catch the President's eye?' asked his inquisitor.

'Yes, sir.' Needless to say, when Oliver Stone came to make his 1991 film about the assassination of JFK, he chose to ignore this testimony. Instead, his hero, studying the cinefilm of the assassination, concludes: 'The umbrella man is signalling, "He's not dead. Keep shooting." '

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 115
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Guest Stephen Turner

I'm sure Witt originally claimed it was an oblique reference to Chamberlain and appeasement, ie JFKs climb down over the Bay of pigs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When Johnson ran against JFK for the 1960 presidential nomination, he called Joe Kennedy "a Chamberlain umbrella man." So maybe having an umbrella man in Dealey Plaza was LBJ's idea.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Dennis,

Yes I'm one of those who still believes " UM " was part of the assassination .

Its not what he said he did but more what he did after the shots were fired.

While others were hitting the deck and running for cover " UM " calmly sat down on the curb and speaks with the "DC " man before walking out of history , exit stage right. Then coming forward 15 years later. If he had raised a cigar in the air as a signal there could be found an incidence in history to match his action.

He had no reason to fear the flying bullets-he knew where they were coming from!

And i am not convinced the real " UM " was the one that showed up at the hearings.

IMHO

jim

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Dennis,

Yes I'm one of those who still believes " UM " was part of the assassination .

Its not what he said he did but more what he did after the shots were fired.

While others were hitting the deck and running for cover " UM " calmly sat down on the curb and speaks with the "DC " man before walking out of history , exit stage right. Then coming forward 15 years later. If he had raised a cigar in the air as a signal there could be found an incidence in history to match his action.

He had no reason to fear the flying bullets-he knew where they were coming from!

And i am not convinced the real " UM " was the one that showed up at the hearings.

IMHO

jim

Hi Jim, UM "calmly sat down on the curb" or sat down in a state of shock? I guess we'll never really know will we? And IMO if UM was part of the plot he would never have sat down to have a chat, he would have got away from the scene as quickly and discreetly as possible. One question Jim, do you not think a signaler would have found a more discreet way to signal? Waving an umbrella around in the air has always seemed a little too flamboyant to me, for some one who wouldn't want to draw attention to themselves.

Denis.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think Umbrella Man and his "Latin" companion are the least shocked-appearing persons in DP. These guys do not look like a pair of bystanding strangers slumped together in mutual horror - that seems like a studied appearance that they're trying to present.

I'll note that, in the pre-desegregation South (or even in the North before the Civil Rights movement succeeded), it would be odd for two strangers of different skin tone to allow even the greatest upset to throw them into sympathetic physical proximity. That's just a politically semi-correct impression of the 1960s US that I grew up in.

Another studied aspect to these two is their walking off in opposite directions. I could go on about the "Latin," but other people have noted the same things that I see.

I recognize the "Chamberlain umbrella man" line in Ron's post from one of LBJ's campaign speeches. It's possible that the incongruous and suspicion-arousing umbrella is both a spotter's signal and a cruel signature to the assassination - what else is UM doing there, unmolested by police or other security? I don't believe, though, that the umbrella is any kind of projectile-firing weapon.

I also don't believe the HSCA's Louis Steven Witt was the UM. Physical resemblance between images in period photos makes UM look far more like that certain incorrigible government agency schemer and all-around provocateur that UM is frequently identified as. The resemblance is as convincing as the most arresting resemblances of persons on the Main-Houston corner to suspicious non-Dallasites.

Edited by David Andrews
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here is relevant testimony Witt gave to the HSCA:

"I think I went sort of maybe halfway up the grassy area (on the north side of Elm Street), somewhere in that vicinity. I am pretty sure I sat down....(When the motorcade approached) I think I got up and started fiddling with that umbrella trying to get it open, and at the same time I was walking forward, walking toward the street....Whereas other people I understand saw the President shot and his movements; I did not see this because of this thing (the umbrella) in front of me....My view of the car during that length of time was blocked by the umbrella's being open."

HSCA Vol. IV, p. 432f

That description doesn't tie in with the photograph here. The umbrella is clearly above his head, he is standing still. Whoever is holding that umbrella had a perfect view.

Edited by Mark Haley
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey,

I don't think it has to be a signal to the shooters that the target was hit or missed, the very idea that there really was a political, historic and coded meaning behind the umbrella man's moves, is pretty astonishing to me.

It wasn't just raining, or a coincidence, it did take place for a meaning, and has a message behind it.

Get it?

BK

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry using this thread to expound my theory, but this is my first post and I have to start somewhere!

For me, the Umbrella man is / might be signalling to someone inside the limo; either Kellermann or Greer, both of whom have the President fixed in their rear view mirrors and either of whom may be waiting for the signal to fire a weapon concealed within the car itself. (see photos of limo parked at Parkland and reflection from Greer’s rear view mirror showing Presidents seating position. Also, Kellerman`s fixation throughout the shooting with his side door, rear view mirror)

The depth of the throat wound (no exit wound), the discovery of a missile (not a bullet) during the autopsy described by the two FBI witnesses O`Neill and Siebert, lead me to the conclusion that a low velocity missile, low powered weapon was used to incapacitiate or freeze the President from close range, (maybe a device similar to that described by Douglas Bazata, which he says he used in a failed assassination attempt on Patton in `45)

I can’t believe that the UM could possibly fire a dart or anything else with any accuracy, considering his stance and posture and his distance from the limo. And, from the available photos of the shooting, taken from various perspectives, there appears to be no other person within range poised to shoot a weapon, at the time the first wounding occurs.

Looking at photos of the car taken in the Whitehouse garage later that night, there is a picture showing the side panelling drape or covering embossed with the Presidential creast ***, hanging open on the Presidents side door. This is where I believe the weapon could have been hidden.

From the pictures of the interior of the car and the configuration of the Connelly jump seats, it is possible to reconstruct the sequence in which the photos were taken. The sequence shows that at some stage before the car had been cleaned and evidence destroyed, the side panelling or drapes were opened, indicating to me that something was being sought and possibly removed from the interior of the door. Confirmation that someone had at least looked there is seen from the later photos in the sequence showing that the panelling/drape has been replaced in its original position.

Apologies if this has been addressed elsewhere, but I haven’t been able to find it.

*** Dark blue broadcloth lap robes with gray plush lining and hand-embroidered presidential seals in special door pockets

Edited by Brian O Connor
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry using this thread to expound my theory, but this is my first post and I have to start somewhere!

For me, the Umbrella man is / might be signalling to someone inside the limo; either Kellermann or Greer, both of whom have the President fixed in their rear view mirrors and either of whom may be waiting for the signal to fire a weapon concealed within the car itself. (see photos of limo parked at Parkland and reflection from Greer’s rear view mirror showing Presidents seating position. Also, Kellerman`s fixation throughout the shooting with his side door, rear view mirror)

The depth of the throat wound (no exit wound), the discovery of a missile (not a bullet) during the autopsy described by the two FBI witnesses O`Neill and Siebert, lead me to the conclusion that a low velocity missile, low powered weapon was used to incapacitiate or freeze the President from close range, (maybe a device similar to that described by Douglas Bazata, which he says he used in a failed assassination attempt on Patton in `46)

I can’t believe that the UM could possibly fire a dart or anything else with any accuracy, considering his stance and posture and his distance from the limo. And, from the available photos of the shooting, taken from various perspectives, there appears to be no other person within range poised to shoot a weapon, at the time the first wounding occurs.

Looking at photos of the car taken in the Whitehouse garage later that night, there is a picture showing the side panelling drape or covering embossed with the Presidential crest, hanging open on the Presidents side door. This is where I believe the weapon could have been hidden.

From the pictures of the interior of the car and the configuration of the Connelly jump seats, it is possible to reconstruct the sequence in which the photos were taken. The sequence shows that at some stage before the car had been cleaned and evidence destroyed, the side panelling or drapes where opened, indicating to me that something was being sought and possibly removed from the interior of the door. Confirmation that someone had at least looked there is seen from the later photos in the sequence showing that the panelling/drape has been replaced in its original position.

Apologies if this has been addressed elsewhere, but I haven’t been able to find it.

Welcome to the forum Brian, can I just get this straight, or you seriously suggesting Kellermann or Greer shot the President? If you are then may I remind you they were being filmed or photographed by several people and were within a couple of feet of Mrs Kennedy and the Connolly's. I'm kinda thinking someone may have noticed. Apologises if I misunderstood your post. Denis.

Edited by Denis Pointing
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looking at photos of the car taken in the Whitehouse garage later that night, there is a picture showing the side panelling drape or covering embossed with the Presidential crest, hanging open on the Presidents side door. This is where I believe the weapon could have been hidden.

Brian,

Can you post this photo, or provide a link to it?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Denis and and yes, I am suggesting that one or other of Greer or Kellerman might have secretly activated a weapon concealed in the side door to the Presidents right hand side. I believe that its possible to have done this using the mirrors as an aiming device.

Hi Ron,

The photos from the Whitehouse garage I took off the net and hope that I am allowed to post them here. But, if one examines these, one can see that before the jump seats have been moved, the door paneling is intact and tucked in correctly, with the chrome bordering at the bottom of the door visible. The disc shape of the presidential creast is fully visible.

Later in the sequence is a picture of the Presidents door opened (jump seats still in place) and with the drape unrapped, and hanging down to cover the chrome border. Later again, comes a photo of the drape replaced, however here, part of the presidential creast is hidden from view behind the horizontal band.

It is possible to order the sequence in which the photos were taken by following the jump seat positions and the position of white cloth or possibly remnants of Jackies bouquet, which begins in the left hand corner of the presidents seating and moves in later photos to the middle.

Here too, is a photo of the limousine from Parkland and another blown up shot of Greer`s rear view mirror, which I believe shows the Presidents seating position to the rear right hand side.

I am not sure why the Kellerman mirror shows the odd trapezoid shape in the reflection rather than a fully circular mirrored reflection.

Sorry, but I havent ordered the photos below and according to the correct sequence.

Edited by Brian O Connor
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Amazing how the researchers make little progress...and I begin to think there are those on these forums who's job it is to make sure this is so. The Umbrella Man was part of the assassination and was definitely not Witt. He was a patsy post facto for the real Umbrella Man. Yes, watch the actions of the UM and DCM after the shooting...it they weren't part and parcel, neither was anyone.

"and I begin to think there are those on these forums who's job it is to make sure this is so."

Yet more thinly veiled accusations Peter? Whose the dis-info agent meant to be this time, me? LOL I would have hoped you might of stopped all that nonsense by now, what with you being a highly respected moderator and all.

Edited by Denis Pointing
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Denis and and yes, I am suggesting that one or other of Greer or Kellerman might have secretly activated a weapon concealed in the side door to the Presidents right hand side. I believe that its possible to have done this using the mirrors as an aiming device.(quote)

Interesting hypothesis Brian, Ian Fleming would have been proud of that one. Good luck. Denis.

Edited by Denis Pointing
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now

×
×
  • Create New...