Although the Smith-Wesson handgun Oswald allegedly used in the Tippit murder is thought to originate with a mail order filled out by Oswald in January, this New York Times article states that the gun was purchased "two months ago."(Nov. 29, 1963 article in New York Times) That would place the purchase some time in the latter part of September, 1963. The article goes on to say that the police traced the gun "to its point of origin" Was this another mail order placed by Oswald as part of his work for either the Dodd Committee or for the ATTU(Alcohol, Tobacco, and Tax union)? Or was this an order placed by someone else trying to tie Oswald to it?

http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/...bsPageId=141591
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Roy Bierma

Roy,

I was told by one of the Kloepfer daughters who visited Oswald in Sept that he told them he was heading east "on important business" and to buy a gun.

That seems to support what the article says as far as time of the purchase. However, what I really think was going on here was something entirely different.

The information seems to be coming from the DPD. You'll note that the article also points out that the Dallas trip was announced on Sept 28 -- about 2 months prior to the story. In other words, someone was trying to tie the purchase of the handgun to the announcement of the Dallas trip.

Greg, greetings. Yes, that may very well be. Also, according to the hand-written Fritz notes, Oswald told him that he had bought the S-W a few months before in Fort Worth. In the end, though the announcement of the trip would tie him to this purchase, someone higher up than the Dallas police determined that the "evidence" used for the purchase of the handgun would be the mail-order placed with Seaport Traders, and the serial number, and tying Oswald to the Hidell alias. Interestingly, Richard Case Nagell also used the Alex Hidell alias.

Cheers,

Roy

Roy,

the handgun is an area worth pursuing, and to me it looks like you're pretty much on top of it.

I am suspicious of the fact that the officers in the car with LHO immediately following the theater arrest claimed all he would admit to during that ride was having the gun.

Of course, that's all they needed to have him admit. All that then had to be done was to make that gun as the Tippit murder weapon and they had a slam dunk case.

Whoever did order that gun from Seaports was having an inside joke in the process by claiming the name of the person who could vouch for the buyer was DF Drittal. I maintain this stands for the German phrase Dienst Fur Drittel-- "on behalf of a third party."

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I always had the impression that Gerry P. Hemming could speak German. He had a very interesting sense of humor, as well..... Hmm.