In my piece on the Oxnard phone call, I made mention of the electrical device of unknown origin listed among the evidence taken from LHO's boarding house room. At the time, I tried to locate a photo of that evidence, and again since, without any luck.

A photo surely exists, but for whatever reason, I can't seem to locate it. Any help appreciated as I would really love to see what this device looked like.

A small (appears to be battery operated) radio was removed.
The photo can be found within the Dallas Archives files.

Tom

Thanks Tom, but I'm not talking about a radio. I've looked through Dallas archives a couple of times, as well as the 26 volumes, and whilst I've found some pics of some items, the one that includes what is referred to on the lists as "electronic device (unknown nature) brown plastic case - broken." does not appear in any of them. See Dallas Police Department JFK assassination records Box 9 Folder 5 File 20 Page 5 for the list which includes this - as well as the radio you refer to - entirely separate items.

OK!

Relying on memory (which is of course dangerous) there was also a broken photographic "light meter" that was also found, if recalled correctly.

Tom,

there was a Minox camera and/or light meter found (depending on who you believe). But that was at the Paine residence, not the boarding house. see: http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/russ/minox.htm

What I'm looking for is a photo of what is listed here http://jfk.ci.dallas.tx.us/box9.htm - scroll down to Folder 5, Item 20. The item I refer to is at the bottom of the 5th page. It is not a radio. It is not a light meter. To save you the trouble, it is not an electric tooth brush, an ipod, or a television remote control, either.

My guess is that this is what is listed:

Mr. HUBERT. Do you know anything about a sort of an instrument called an Alpawna Box, the word being spelled A-l-p-a-w-n-a?
Mr. DUNCAN. No; I have never heard of it.

Mr. Hubert.
Do you know what a thing called an Alpawna [spelling] A-l-p-a-w-n-a box
Mr. Mccurdy.
A what?
Mr. Hubert.
All Alpawna box?
Mr. Mccurdy.
Alpawna box--no; I don't. I have no idea.
Mr. Hubert.
I don't either.

Both Duncan and McCurdy worked in radio which leads me to believe this device somewhat resembled a transmitter or receiver, but could not be positively identified as such by the authorities.

Greg, I don't think this is what is being referred to here, since McCurdy is being interviewed by Leon Hubert about Ruby.

Roy

Thanks Roy. I did consider exactly what you suggest. But in the end, the facts are, no "instrument" called an "Alpawna Box" was among Ruby's possessions. On the other hand, an "electrical device of unknown nature" was among Oswald's.

I think perhaps Hubert was tapped to ask these two - not because the box was associated with Ruby, but because they were experienced radio men. See above, for instance where Hubert frankly admits he doesn't know anything about it. He also doesn't spend much time on it. Both of these points are suggestive of asking only as a favor to someone else, whilst having no real personal interest.

A member sent me this link last night:

http://personal.stevens.edu/~gliberat/carc...es/evidence.gif

It sent me searching once again for an answer to the "alpawna box" puzzle.

The object shown in the top left has a brown strap. The only item found among Oswald's possessions which is described as having such a strap was a pair of binoculars.

It does not, however, resemble binoculars to me.

The Russian portable radio Oswald owned was described by Albert Newman who viewed it at the archives as "about the size of a small mantelpiece clock, the case in maroon plastic, with a massive and crudely executed speaker grille of brass. Most prominent in the center of the front edge are three white buttons, an obvious tipoff to the most casual examiner possessing any radio background that the instrument is multiband.)"

Newman also claimed a highly placed contact in the Executive Branch "with access to the innermost recesses of the FBI", confirmed it was short-wave."
http://www.jfk-online.com/newmanmotive.html

We will return to that porkie* regarding short wave capability (for it was indeed a whopper) anon.

For now... the description given by Newman of the radio also does not match what we see in the evidence photo.

Upon further searching however, I found these documents:

This lists the radio - described as "brown plastic portable radio with gold trim" and a "brown plastic power supply electronic device with blue cord (for use with radio)"
http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/...bsPageId=735044

These items were examined by the NSA and a report sent to WC dated June 19, 1964 states only that the examination revealed it was a "normal receiver" and that no evidence was found that it was used for any other purpose (CE 2768).

Now we can go back to Newman and his porkie, for his source in the Executive Branch and other details about these two items are in a report dated June 24, 1964.

Although Newman is not mentioned, his source is clearly named here as Douglas Cater. Cater made inquiries about the radio
through Robert Lenihan of the Domestic Intelligence Division. The questions asked were if the radio was a standard broadcast receiver or short wave and also whether it was in working condition. Lenihan in turn contacted Robert Frazier and was advised that:

-It had two dials (not three as Newman claimed). One for long wave and one for medium wave

-it will not receive short wave broadcasts

-there was no reason to believe - if in working order - that it would not pick up stations from Cuba at night from the southern states

-The dry cell battery compartment did not contain any batteries; one battery terminal was missing and one of the battery contacts along with a mounting bracket was severely rusted.

http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/...bsPageId=772007

The report does note the power supply box, but does not mention whether it worked. However, if, as now seems possible, this box was the "electronic device (unknown nature) [with] brown plastic case" noted by the DPD, according to their report - it was broken.

One remaining concern is that Hubert was trying to find out what an alpawna box was from McCurdy and Duncan after the Commission received the NSA report saying there was no issue with the radio (and presumably its power supply box).
The examination by the FBI establishing it was medium and long wave, and noting the rust etc was also surely conducted before June 1964 with the results also made available to the WC before then.

My other concern is what Newman actually viewed in the archives. His description of it as being "maroon plastic" is close enough to the DPD descripion of "brown plastic", but his description of three white buttons as opposed to two noted the FBI remains an issue. He also neglected to mention any gold trim on the radio, despite an otherwise detailed description. Was he in fact viewing the radio at all? Might it not have been the "alpawna box" he was looking at - whether or not it was a power supply box for the radio - or a radionics device (some of which do have 3 dials and are the size and color described by Newman. See radionics device )


* Rhyming slang for a lie is "pork pie". This is however, usually abbreviated to "porkie". To tell a porkie is to tell a lie.

Greg,

What the hell is that grey box in the upper left hand corner of this photo? It looks like a Polorid camera to me, and it appears to have a lens opening, but what is it?

http://personal.stevens.edu/~gliberat/carc...es/evidence.gif

Somebody must be able to ID this thing.

Thanks,

BK

looks like one of the original stereo cameras (dual lens)

Greg

Don't know if this helps?


Source

Camera used to take Commission Exhibits No. 133-A and 183-B.



Duncan MacRae

Well spotted Duncan. It closely resembles the camera used to take those 2 Warren Commission Exhibits.

Which doesn't get Greg any closer to IDing his object unfortunately, but we can probably rule out the object seen in that photo.

It's an Imperial Reflex 620


Duncan MacRae

Here's a photo of stuff taken from Beckley that's on the same page as a cropped version of the one Dave Greer posted (post #153476, #12 in this thread) in Curry's book.

Don't know if it's got what you're looking for in it or not ....

Bill, Dave H, Dave G, Duncan & Duke

thank you all kindly. Very much appreciated.

Duke's photo is the one which should contain what I'm after since it purports to be the evidence gathered at Beckley.

Indeed, comparing the photo to the list of evidence collected, it all seems to pretty well match up.

The Tourist radio can be seen on the left side just above the bottom corner. I'm going to assume that the flat electronic-looking item laying next to it is its power supply pack - and that since such a pack was not listed by the DPD - it must be the "electronic device (unknown nature) brown plastic case - broken." that they did actually list.

Were such devices so rare that the DPD can be forgiven for not knowing what it was?

Bill, Dave H, Dave G, Duncan & Duke

thank you all kindly. Very much appreciated.

Duke's photo is the one which should contain what I'm after since it purports to be the evidence gathered at Beckley.

Indeed, comparing the photo to the list of evidence collected, it all seems to pretty well match up.

The Tourist radio can be seen on the left side just above the bottom corner. I'm going to assume that the flat electronic-looking item laying next to it is its power supply pack - and that since such a pack was not listed by the DPD - it must be the "electronic device (unknown nature) brown plastic case - broken." that they did actually list.

Were such devices so rare that the DPD can be forgiven for not knowing what it was?

And was this also the alpawna box which Hubert asked the two radio guys about? By the time those two were giving their evidence, the FBI had [or should have] already passed the information to the WC identifying the device as the power supply unit for the radio.

Here is a pic of the Tourist radio.
http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/...mp;relPageId=55

Here is a pic of what is described on the FBI evidence list as "brown plastic power supply electronic device with blue cord (for use with radio)"
http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/...mp;relPageId=57
http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/...bsPageId=735044

The description of the 2nd item seems to strongly suggest that this was the item described on the DPD list as ""electronic device (unknown nature) brown plastic case - broken" and I am satisfied that it is indeed, one and and the same.

What puzzles me a little is the DPD inability to identify the item.

Were such power packs unusual/rare items?

Terrible as the copy in the records is, can anyone confirm it is in fact what the FBI claimed it was?

With thanks to Jerry Shinley for locating the photos.