Jack S. Martin Sr. Options

[Stephen Roy]

On February 10, 1961 Jack S. Martin contacted the New Orleans FBI office and "advised that two of his clients in South America, who were in the oil business, had requested him to check on a Charles F. Riker, 2610 S. MacGregor Drive, Houston, Texas, who reportedly was in Venezuela and on various occasions had represented himself as an FBI agent or Central Intelligence agent. Martin advised that he was a private detective and wished to obtain any data the Bureau could give him regarding Riker on behalf of his client. Martin was unsuccessful in obtaining any information." The FBI seems to have been unaware of the sort of background information on Riker that the CIA would receive a few weeks later. "[Informant number] MM T-1 advised that C.F. Riker, 2610 MacGregor #2, Houston, Texas...was in Miami and claimed to represent a group of assassins that operate exclusively against Communists. Riker is described as being well educated, and claims to have attended a number of Government schools having to do with arms, demolitions and languages. Riker claims he lived in Mexico during his youth, and speaks Spanish." It is intriguing to find Jack Martin seeking information about a man representing assassins at this point.

[Robert Howard]

On February 10, 1961 Jack S. Martin contacted the New Orleans FBI office and "advised that two of his clients in South America, who were in the oil business, had requested him to check on a Charles F. Riker, 2610 S. MacGregor Drive, Houston, Texas, who reportedly was in Venezuela and on various occasions had represented himself as an FBI agent or Central Intelligence agent. Martin advised that he was a private detective and wished to obtain any data the Bureau could give him regarding Riker on behalf of his client. Martin was unsuccessful in obtaining any information." The FBI seems to have been unaware of the sort of background information on Riker that the CIA would receive a few weeks later. "[Informant number] MM T-1 advised that C.F. Riker, 2610 MacGregor #2, Houston, Texas...was in Miami and claimed to represent a group of assassins that operate exclusively against Communists. Riker is described as being well educated, and claims to have attended a number of Government schools having to do with arms, demolitions and languages. Riker claims he lived in Mexico during his youth, and speaks Spanish." It is intriguing to find Jack Martin seeking information about a man representing assassins at this point.

This becomes more compelling in light of recently de-classified documents (which I haven't seen) that Joan Mellen apparently uses in her forthcoming book on the Garrison investigation. In a few pages on the internet (Amazon.com) and some others she references Jack Martin as having CIA connections (if not actually working for the CIA, if I am not mistaken). I think her book is going to be a bombshell. It appears to be one of the most meticulously researched books that deals with the JFK assassination ever written.

[John Dolva]

"[Informant number] MM T-1 advised that C.F. Riker, 2610 MacGregor #2, Houston, Texas...was in Miami and claimed to represent a group of assassins that operate exclusively against Communists.


Stephen, I wonder if you can clarify for me the reference to informant MM T-1. I had assumed from my reading that the T clasification was one used by the FBI to denote confidential informants, the MM (for Miami?) prefix denoting locality. This appears to be for internal use only, the informants themselves were unaware of their code. However from reading this it seems the CIA used the same classification? If so it's of interest to me. It would either indicate that the FBI used the same classification system. Wheteher that means a FBI T-1 is the same as a CIA one I don't know, or it may suggest that the FBI informants are CIA informants first or second. Or just CIA?

[John Simkin]

How reliable is Jack Martin as a witness?

He was interviewed by FBI agents Regis Kennedy and Claude Schlager on 25th November, 1963.

Martin advised that in his occupation as a private investigator he has had occasion to develop considerable information about Ferrie and reported it to Richard E. Roby, Special Agent, Investigative Division, Office of Compliance and Security, Federal Aviation Agency, Washington, D.C., who must have a big file on Ferrie as they conducted a complete investigation of his activities in New Orleans several years ago. Martin advised that he called WWL-TV Station and furnished the station with background information about Ferrie, particularly his homosexual tendencies and the fact that he formerly operated the Civil Air Patrol. He also told them that Ferrie was an amateur hypnotist and that it was his idea that Ferrie may have hypnotized Lee Oswald and planted a posthypnotic suggestion that he kill the President.

Martin stated that has visited in the home of David Ferrie and he saw a group of photographs of various Civil Air Patrol cadet groups and in this group he is sure he saw several years ago a photograph of Lee Oswald as a member of one of the classes. He stated he did not recall the group that Oswald was in or any other details. In addition he stated that Ferrie conducted military type drills with rifles, fatigue clothes and helmet liners of the Civil Air Patrol Cadets and he recalled that Ferrie claimed to have taught these cadets how to shoot. Martin stated that he observed in Ferrie's home a number of foreign made firearms and it is his opinion that Ferrie could have taught Oswald how to purchase a foreign made firearm or possibly have purchased the gun that was shown on television. He advised that he saw similar type weapons at Ferrie's home when he visited there two years ago.

Martin advised that Ferrie discussed with him the charges of crime against nature which resulted in the his arrest by Jefferson Parish authorities and he recalled that Ferrie had told him that one of the "kids that was a witness against him" had moved to Mississippi from New Orleans and subsequently joined the United States Marine Corps. He heard on television that Oswald had been in the Marine Corps therefore he surmised that Oswald was that "kid," that he was a witness against Ferrie in the crime against nature charge that had joined the Marine Corps. Martin explained that it might have been the same individual or a very close coincidence.

This is what Jim Garrison had to say about him in On the Trail of the Assassins (1988):

Martin was seated across my desk, his anxious gaze fixed on my every move. An on-again, off-again alcoholic, he was a thin man with deeply circled, worried eyes. Although he had been written off as a nonentity by many, I had long regarded him as a quick-witted and highly observant, if slightly disorganized, private detective. I had known him casually as far back as my days as an assistant D.A. and always had gotten along well with him.

"Jack," I said, "why don't you relax a little? You should know by now that you're among friends here."

He nodded nervously. He was seated in the roomy, upholstered chair across from my desk, but he looked most uncomfortable. I offered him some coffee. "You're not under cross-examination. Jack," I said "I just want a little help. Understand?"

"The police report says the reason Banister beat you was you had an argument over telephone bills." I pulled a copy of the police report from my desk drawer and shoved it across to him. "Here, take a look at it." He bent his head over and examined it as if he had never seen it before. I was sure that he had seen it many times, probably even had a copy at home.

After a moment he looked up without saying a word. His eyes told me he was deeply concerned about something.

"Now, does a simple argument over phone bills sound like a believable explanation to you?" I asked.

I waited. Then, dreamily, he shook his head slowly. "No," he admitted. "It involved more than that."

"How much more?"

Again I waited. He breathed deeply, sucking in the air.

"It started like it was going to be nothing at all," he began. "We'd both been drinking at Katzenjammer's - maybe more than usual, because of the assassination and all. Banister especially."

Pausing to chug down another cup of coffee, he made a real effort to collect his thoughts.

"Well, when we came back to the office. Banister started hitching about one thing and then another. He was in a mean mood. Then all of a sudden, he accused me of going through his private files. Now I never went through his private stuff ever - absolutely never. And that really ticked me off."

He hesitated for a long moment.

"Go on. Jack," I said gently.

"I guess I blew up," he continued, his face flushed with memories of injustice. "That's when I told him he'd better not talk to me like that. I told him I remembered the people I had seen around the office that summer. And that's when he hit me. Fast as a flash - pulled out that big Magnum and slammed me on the side of the head with it."

"Just because you remembered the people you'd seen at his office the past summer?" I asked.

"Yeah, that's all it took. He went bananas on that one."

"And just who were the people you'd seen in the office that summer?" I prodded softly.

"There was a bunch of them. It was like a circus. There were all those Cubans - coming in and going out, coming in and going out. They all looked alike to me."

Someone once commenced that whenever you really want to do something unseen, whenever you go to great pains to make sure that you are unobserved, there always turns out to be someone who was sitting under the oak tree. At the strange place that was Banister's office. Jack Martin, unnoticed in the middle of it all, was the one sitting under the oak tree.

He drew a long breath and then went on. "Then there were all these other characters. There was Dave Ferrie - you know about him by now."

"Was he there very often?" I asked.

"Often? He practically lived there."

Then Martin fell silent. I saw by the look in his eyes that he had come to a full stop.

I was not about to let my weekend visit to 544 Camp Street go down the drain that easily, so I gave him a hand. 'And Lee Harvey Oswald'" I added.

Jack swallowed, then nodded. It was almost as if he felt relief in finally having a burden lifted from him. "Yeah, he was there too. Sometimes he'd be meeting with Guy Banister with the door shut. Other times he'd be shooting the bull with Dave Ferrie. But he was there all right."

"What was Guy Banister doing while all this was going on?"

"Hell, he was the one running the circus."

"What about his private detective work?"

"Not much of that came in, but when it did, I handled it. That's why I was there."

"So, Jack," I said. "Just what was going on at Banister's office?"

He held up his hand. "I can't answer that," he said firmly. "I can't go into that stuff at all." Unexpectedly, he stood up. "I think I'd better go," he said.

"Hold on. Jack. What's the problem with our going into what was happening at Banister's office?"

"What's the problem?" he said. "What's the problem?" he repeated, as if in disbelief. "The problem is that we're going to bring the goddamned federal government down on our backs. Do I need to spell it out? I could get killed - and so could you."

He turned around. "I'd better go," he mumbled. He wobbled as he headed for the door.

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/JFKmartinJ.htm

[Stephen Roy]

"[Informant number] MM T-1 advised that C.F. Riker, 2610 MacGregor #2, Houston, Texas...was in Miami and claimed to represent a group of assassins that operate exclusively against Communists.


Stephen, I wonder if you can clarify for me the reference to informant MM T-1. I had assumed from my reading that the T clasification was one used by the FBI to denote confidential informants, the MM (for Miami?) prefix denoting locality. This appears to be for internal use only, the informants themselves were unaware of their code.  However from reading this it seems the CIA used the same classification? If so it's of interest to me. It would either indicate that the FBI used the same classification system. Wheteher that means a FBI T-1 is the same as a CIA one I don't know, or it may suggest that the FBI informants are CIA informants first or second. Or just CIA?

I don't have enough raw CIA reports to give an informed opinion, just speculation. The quote I gave was from John Newman's Oswald and the CIA, which I currently can't find! (I wrote this in my manuscript some months ago.)

I don't recall CIA using such an informant numbering system. Maybe they were quoting info from an FBI source. To further complicate matters, I think the FBI numbers were somewhat arbitrary, used simply to conceal info contained on the administrative page. The source could be either a person or a technical source (such as microphone, phone tap or mail cover.) And since most of the numbers were low, they probably do not represent a specific assigned number for their many informants. T-1 probably just means, "see item T-1 on admin sheet".

[Stephen Roy]

[quote=John Simkin,Aug 20 2005, 12:33 PM]
How reliable is Jack Martin as a witness?

There is no doubt that Martin was a poor source. He was described that way in pre-assassination reports by several persons, including Southern Research Co. (1962). He fled Texas on a murder charge relating to a botched abortion in the early 50s, had a drinking problem and was hospitalized for it. His seemingly crucial accounts were never used by Garrison in hearings or trials because he was such a bad source.

In my Ferrie research I have studied about 30 of Martin's rambling statements and letters. He is long on speculation and short on hard grist. He made many provable mistakes in his statements to Garrison. He was soleley responsible for an enduring myth, that Oswald posessed Ferrie's library card.

That having been said, Martin was involved with some interesting persons. He had a private detective agency with Wiilliam Wayne Dalzell and Joseph Samuel Newbrough. He sometimes did work for William Guy Banister. He was involved with Sergio Arcacha Smith in the Frente Revolucionario Democratico and Friends of Democratic Cuba. He was friends with David William Ferrie until the two had a bitter falling out. He was on good terms with Garrison, Mayor Morrison, FBI agents Warren C. DeBrueys and Regis L. Kennedy. He was a principal source of information in the 1963 investigation of Ferrie, and in Garrison's later investigation. One needs to consider his info with a fine filter.

I find this Riker matter interesting as it is all contemporaneous: In 1961, Martin was involved with the FRD and FDC. He apparently contaced the FBI for info about Riker, who claimed to be a US agent. A few weeks later, the CIA was noting that Riker claimed to respresent assassins.

[William Kelly]

Jack S. Martin & Kim Philby


The Oswald Case Jack S Martin AKA John J Martin

http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/...amp;relPageId=9

Garrison and the Kennedy Assassination – Guy Persac Johnson

http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/...sPageId=1206349

Refers to the Houstonian Feb 20, 1968
http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/...mp;relPageId=76

Which shows that Jack S. Martin was the co-author of the article with David Lewis.

The White Wash is over!
Not the Who, but the Why
Of the JFK Assassination

Not Who, Why

By Jack Martin
And Dave Lewis
Correspondents
The Houstonian
1968

“It was not any particular Gangland Syndicate or Cuban element…But it was Philby’s little groups who struck from within before Bobby could move from without.”


Is this the same Houstonian that Dan Rather wrote for as a student?

BK

[Robert Howard]

Jack S. Martin & Kim Philby


The Oswald Case Jack S Martin AKA John J Martin

http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/...amp;relPageId=9

Garrison and the Kennedy Assassination – Guy Persac Johnson

http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/...sPageId=1206349

Refers to the Houstonian Feb 20, 1968
http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/...mp;relPageId=76

Which shows that Jack S. Martin was the co-author of the article with David Lewis.

The White Wash is over!
Not the Who, but the Why
Of the JFK Assassination

Not Who, Why

By Jack Martin
And Dave Lewis
Correspondents
The Houstonian
1968

“It was not any particular Gangland Syndicate or Cuban element…But it was Philby’s little groups who struck from within before Bobby could move from without.”


Is this the same Houstonian that Dan Rather wrote for as a student?

BK

Happy Reading
Home/Archive/Documents/JFK Assassination Documents/JFK Documents - Central Intelligence Agency/Oswald 201 File (201-289248)/Oswald 201 File, Box 17, Vol 4/
NARA Record Number: 1993.06.29.09:46:07:090410
ENCLOSURE 16: DAVID F. LEWIS
http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/...sPageId=1031639
LEWIS, DAVID F.
Sources: CIA 1229-514, p. 7; CIA 1425-492-T; CIA 1450-492-AS; Oswald in New Orleans, Weisberg, 328, 349, 353, 373; Plot or Politics, James, 37, 154
Mary's Comments: "No record" in CIA. Shipping clerk for a bus line. Former Banister employee. Lived with George Clark Johnston. Widow: Anna. Judyth Baker alleged that she and Oswald "double-dated" with the Lewises.

Robert: The Houstonian Article is at the link below; notice the document is 204 pages long, I am sure there are some other goodies in there as well
Home/Archive/Documents/JFK Assassination Documents/JFK Documents - Federal Bureau of Investigation/FBI - HSCA Administrative Folders/
NARA Record Number: 124-10369-10060
ADMIN FOLDER-U9: HSCA ADMINISTRATIVE FOLDER, LHO INCOMING COMMUNICATIONS VOLUME XII
http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/...mp;relPageId=76

From the Stab In The Dark Department:
A search at NARA under Kim Philby turns up 1 document, this 2 page document does not "appear" to be listed at maryferrell.org under the same RIF #.......
This is all important in the sense that the Jack Martin David Lewis article specifically references RFK/PHILBY/HOMME.
An advanced search at mary ferrell under “Kim Philby” in government documents turns up results that are all related to Judiciary Committee type files w/ Philby mentioned some do not list Homme when searching inside those docs, this is my best stab in the dark.
http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/...bsPageId=302406

This post has been edited by Robert Howard: Oct 11 2009, 06:01 PM

[William Kelly]

Jack S. Martin & Kim Philby


The Oswald Case Jack S Martin AKA John J Martin

http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/...amp;relPageId=9

Garrison and the Kennedy Assassination – Guy Persac Johnson

http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/...sPageId=1206349

Refers to the Houstonian Feb 20, 1968
http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/...mp;relPageId=76

Which shows that Jack S. Martin was the co-author of the article with David Lewis.

The White Wash is over!
Not the Who, but the Why
Of the JFK Assassination

Not Who, Why

By Jack Martin
And Dave Lewis
Correspondents
The Houstonian
1968

“It was not any particular Gangland Syndicate or Cuban element…But it was Philby’s little groups who struck from within before Bobby could move from without.”


Is this the same Houstonian that Dan Rather wrote for as a student?

BK

Happy Reading
Home/Archive/Documents/JFK Assassination Documents/JFK Documents - Central Intelligence Agency/Oswald 201 File (201-289248)/Oswald 201 File, Box 17, Vol 4/
NARA Record Number: 1993.06.29.09:46:07:090410
ENCLOSURE 16: DAVID F. LEWIS
http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/...sPageId=1031639
LEWIS, DAVID F.
Sources: CIA 1229-514, p. 7; CIA 1425-492-T; CIA 1450-492-AS; Oswald in New Orleans, Weisberg, 328, 349, 353, 373; Plot or Politics, James, 37, 154
Mary's Comments: "No record" in CIA. Shipping clerk for a bus line. Former Banister employee. Lived with George Clark Johnston. Widow: Anna. Judyth Baker alleged that she and Oswald "double-dated" with the Lewises.

Robert: The Houstonian Article is at the link below; notice the document is 204 pages long, I am sure there are some other goodies in there as well
Home/Archive/Documents/JFK Assassination Documents/JFK Documents - Federal Bureau of Investigation/FBI - HSCA Administrative Folders/
NARA Record Number: 124-10369-10060
ADMIN FOLDER-U9: HSCA ADMINISTRATIVE FOLDER, LHO INCOMING COMMUNICATIONS VOLUME XII
http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/...mp;relPageId=76

Thanks Robert,

Now we can read it, it's clear that this is where the guy wrote that on-line article who IDd H.G. Homme got his information - this article.

The problem with Jack Martin and Kim Philby is that he published this theory in 1968, not in 1963, when Philby was still in action, and hadn't yet made the news.

But I really think, regardless of what these guys are saying, more important is where they are getting their information from?

Jack Martin and David Lewis say the evidence that "RFK took out a contract on Castro" is in the "Homme Report," but how come all the guys who claim this as part of their framing of history - Blakey, Danny Boy, Waldman, Hartman, et al...how come they haven't jumped on this like flys?

Just like Charles D. Ford and RFK and the mob, when you get down to what they say, and it isn't there, they move on to more hearsay.

But here's the evidence - the Homme Report - H.G. Homme, asst. counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee (Eastland) and former DA of Guam with Guy P. Johnson of ONI, and back together again in New Orleans with Jack Martin and David Lewis saying that GPJ showed them the report.

This report must exist somewhere. While Congress exempted itself from the FOIA, and the document can't be requested that way, I'll bet there's a copy around somewhere, as the HSCA must have requested it since it is referred to in government reports and was mentioned in the Houstonian.

I'd still like to know if this is the same Houstonian weekly newspaper that Dan Rather worked for when he was in Houston?

BK

[Robert Howard]

This report must exist somewhere. While Congress exempted itself from the FOIA, and the document can't be requested that way, I'll bet there's a copy around somewhere, as the HSCA must have requested it since it is referred to in government reports and was mentioned in the Houstonian.

Robert: My conclusion is that it either exists in Senate Judiciary Committee records between the beginning of the JFK Era Assassination plots against Castro, and the last year of the Johnson Administration [circa 1961-1968]. But that is contingent on relying on the fact that Martin and Lewis are telling the truth.......And that is something of a huge assumption.

I'd still like to know if this is the same Houstonian weekly newspaper that Dan Rather worked for when he was in Houston?
Robert: It is.....it says so in the link I provided. Additionally, if you read the entire document, there are passages where Martin is alleged to have said he himself was "one of the seven conspirators" who assassinated JFK, and afterwards Lewis urges the person who was told this to report this to the local Sheriff........
I believe that when Martin did this, there is a strong possibility he was dissembling......
Which fits in with a pattern of people providing Garrison with a myriad of different versions of who killed JFK.....
I do agree that all ONI connections especially via Cuba and Guantanamo need to be gone over with a fine tooth comb.....

If you search the ARRB section of NARA and look at the remaining documents in the name of the ARRB board members, some undoubtedly remain to be declassified, there are a multitude of ONI and Garrison related documents....If that does not make red lights go off for researchers, then I don't know what would....
There is one file entitled ONI/Garrison file, which I believe has something to do with the maryferrell.org references in the chronologies section.......