Steve Thomas

46 minutes ago, Jim Hargrove said:

No one seems able to explain why the two witnesses closest to the Tippit shooting (Tatum and Benevides) thought the killer, wearing a light jacket over a white t-shirt, looked like the Oswald in the Texas Theatre, who was wearing a brown shirt.

Jim,

I had some questions about Benevides.

http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/russ/testimony/benavide.htm

Mr. BELIN - Then what happened? Did the officers ever get in touch with you?
Mr. BENAVIDES - Later on that evening, about 4 o'clock, there was two officers came by and asked for me, Mr. Callaway asked me---I had told them that I had seen the officer, and the reporters were there and I was trying to hide from the reporters because they will just bother you all the time.

I was just trying to hide from the reporters and everything, and these two officers came around and asked me if I'd seen him, and I told him yes, and told them what I had seen,...
Mr. BELIN - Did he ever take you to the police station and ask you if you could identify him?
Mr. BENAVIDES - No; they didn't.

Callaway makes no mention of this 4:00 PM visit.

Another FBI file from SA Joseph J. Loeffler to SAC (89-43) dated December 4, 1963.
https://books.google.com/books?id=IdnhAQAAQBAJ&pg=PT757&lpg=PT757&dq=%22Domingo+Benavides%22+CBS&source=bl&ots=eODtmXcfZ5&sig=FqLkfGuuiw6qUA5NRAnj1nJeifk&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj0trfvxfPYAhVD7IMKHX2PCoA4ChDoAQgpMAE#v=onepage&q=%22Domingo%20Benavides%22%20CBS&f=false

“4 empty hulls – 2 found by unidentified witness at the scene of the shooting of Tippit – 400 E. 10th St. and given to Officer, J.M. Poe. He has no recollection of who gave them to him.” The memo goes on to talk about the shells found by the Davis sisters.

Poe's after-action report dated 11/22/63
DPD Archives, Box 1, Folder# 4, Item# 5
http://jfk.ci.dallas.tx.us/box1.htm
Poe wrote, "Unidentified witness handed Officer Poe two empty hulls in an empty cigarette package and stated, "These were the bullets that killed the officer.". The bottom of the Report is marked “Pending”.

The only mention of Benavides in the DPD Archives Index is a Report by James Leavelle.
DPD Archives Box 16, Folder# 12, Item# 6.
http://jfk.ci.dallas.tx.us/box1617.htm

It's dated the 22nd, and it had to have been written up after 6:30PM, because he mentions the 6:30 lineup.
Leavelle wrote, "Another witness who saw the officer laying in the street, but did not see the suspect was a Domingo Benavides..."
Leavelle wrote that Benavides found two shells and turned them over to Poe, who in turn, turned them over to Pete Barnes, who "dusted the car for prints".

At the time Poe wrote his Report, Benavides was still unidentified.

By 6:30, he is identified by name in Leavelle's Report.

Benavides said that 2 officers came by (at Dootch Motors, I believe), at 4:00 PM and he told them what he had seen.

If James Levealle wrote up a Report on November 22nd identifying Benevides by name,, why does the FBI Report filed by James Loeffler on December 4, 1963 says that it was an “unidentified witness” who gave Poe the shells, and that Poe “has no recollection of who gave them to him”?

Who were the two officers? Where is their report?

Why did the police and the WC give so much more attention to Helen Markham than they did to Domingo Benavides? He was actually closer to the shooter than Markham was, wasn't he?

Is it because Benavides describes a shooter who looked different than Oswald?

http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/russ/testimony/benavide.htm

Mr. BELIN - I am between 5' 10" and 5' 11". Closer to 5' 11", I believe.

Mr. BENAVIDES - I would say he was about your size,

Mr. BELIN - Was he average weight, slender, or heavy?
Mr. BENAVIDES - I would say he was average weight.
Mr. BELIN - What color hair did he have?
Mr. BENAVIDES - Oh, dark. I mean not dark.
Mr. BELIN - Black hair?
Mr. BENAVIDES - No. Not black or brown, just kind of a----
Mr. BELIN - You say he is my size, my weight, and my color hair?
Mr. BENAVIDES - He kind of looks like---well, his hair was a little bit curlier.
Mr. BELIN - Anything else about him that looked like me.
Mr. BENAVIDES - No. that is all.
Mr. BELIN - What about his skin? Was he fair complexioned or dark complexioned?
Mr. BENAVIDES - He wasn't dark.
Mr. BELIN - Average complexion?
Mr. BENAVIDES - No; a little bit darker than average.
Of course he looked, his skin looked a little bit ruddier than mine.
Mr. BENAVIDES - I remember the back of his head seemed like his hairline was sort of--looked like his hairline sort of went square instead of tapered off. and he looked like he needed a haircut for about 2 weeks, but his hair didn't taper off, it kind of went down and squared off and made his head look fiat in back.

http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/russ/testimony/hill_gl.htm

WC testimony of Gerald Hill

The first man that came up to me, he said, "The man that shot him was a white male about 5'10", weighing 160 to 170 pounds, and brown bushy hair."

Mr. BELIN. Now, let me interrupt you here, sergeant. Do you remember the name of the person that gave you the description?
Mr. HILL. No. I turned him over to Poe, and I didn't even get his name.

Mr. BELIN - When you put these two shells that you found in this cigarette package, what did you do with them?
Mr. BENAVIDES - I gave them to an officer.
Mr. BELIN - That came out to the scene shortly after?
Mr. BENAVIDES - Yes, sir.
Mr. BELIN - Do you remember the name of the officer?
Mr. BENAVIDES - No, sir; I didn't even ask him. I just told him that this was the shells that he had fired, and I handed them to him. Seemed like he was a young guy, maybe 24.

Mr. BELIN - When the officers came out there, did you tell them what you had seen?

Mr. BENAVIDES - No, sir.
Mr. BELIN - What did you do?
Mr. BENAVIDES - I left right after. I give the shells to the officer. I turned around and went back and we returned to work.

Who is we?

Who were these two officers, how did they get Benavides' name if Poe didn't know who he was, and where is their Report?

Steve Thomas

"This Troika of Tyranny, this triangle of terror stretching from Havana to Caracas to Managua, is the cause of immense human suffering, the impetus of enormous regional instability and the genesis of a sordid cradle of communism in the Western Hemisphere,” Bolton said. “The United States looks forward to watching each corner of the triangle fall.”

National Security Advisor, John Bolton Thursday, November 2, 2018.

Steve Thomas

One of life's oddest coincidences.

Martin Melcher biography:

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0577455/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm

“Was the third husband of Doris Day. After marrying her, he adopted Terry, Day's son from her first marriage to trombonist Al Jorden. Terry Melcher grew up to become a very successful record producer.”

Terry Melcher biography:

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0577457/bio?ref_=nm_dyk_trv_sm#trivia

“Son of Doris Day and her first husband, musician Al Jorden. He was adopted by her third husband, Martin Melcher, when he was 10 years old in 1952.

Was a producer for Columbia Records who once auditioned and turned down Charles Manson for a recording contract. Initially, Melcher was believed to have been the original intended victim of the grisly Manson murders on Aug 9, 1969 at a house at 10050 Cielo Drive, Beverly Hills, where Melcher had previously lived with then-girlfriend Candice Bergen. Manson had previously visited Melcher there, and on a subsequent visit had learned that Melcher had moved. Nevertheless, Manson told his followers to kill anyone they found in the house on the night Sharon Tate and her house guests died, to send Melcher a "message". The house has since been demolished, and the location's address changed.”

Steve Thomas

On 11/4/2018 at 1:11 AM, Steve Thomas said:

This is a side of the Cabana that I had not seen before.

 

I don't know why, but I always had a picture of the Cabana in my mind as being a seedy little place, but it wasn't.

I always got a kick out of this little exchange:

HSCA Interview of Lawrence Meyers

HSCA Report Vol. IX p. 885

https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=955&search=Ruby_Cabana#relPageId=893&tab=page

Talking about why he went to the Carousel to meet Jack Ruby at the Carousel Thursday evening the 21^st.   prior to inviting him back to the Cabana to socialize with him and Jean West:

Jim Braden aka Eugene Hale Brading was also staying at the Cabana.

Steve Thomas

Deleted.

1 hour ago, Joe Bauer said:

She is/was one of the most down-to-Earth, unpretentious "non" celebrity acting celebrities you could ever know.

Joe,

I worked for a guy once who told me he used to fly Doris down to Mexico to get her marijuana.

I didn't know whether to believe him or not.

Steve Thomas

3 hours ago, Joe Bauer said:

Where was the Cabana located. Who were the principal owners?

Joe,

As I understand it, the Cabana is located to the west/northwest of downtown Dallas along the Stemmons Freeway.

I don't know about the owners, but I've read that the money came from the Teamsters pension funds, including Jimmy Hoffa.

From the Dallas Morning News January 27, 1963.

Steve Thomas

This is a side of the Cabana that I had not seen before.

Doris Day was one of the original investors.

" Waitresses in the club and lounge were referred to as “goddesses” and were required to wear short, lacy togas with gold accents. The most famous goddess was a young Raquel Welch..."

https://www.aiadallas.org/v/columns-detail/Lost-Found-Cabana-Motor-Hotel/qe/

Steve Thomas

1 hour ago, Steve Thomas said:

One thing I don't quite understand is what C.T. Walker did with his car.

 

I guess I have to amend this.
At 1:53, Gerald Hill radios in to Dispatch:
http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/dpdtapes/tapes3.htm

550/2 (Sgt. G.L. Hill)     223 is in the car with us. See if someone can pick up his car at the rear of the Texas Theater and take it to the station. It's got the keys in it.           
      Dispatcher     10-4.           
      Dispatcher     91.           
      91 (Ptm. W.D. Mentzel and Ptm. J.W. Courson)     91.           
      Dispatcher     Report back to the Texas Theater. Get 223's car and lock it up.           
      91     10-4.

I'm not sure how Mentzel got Walker's keys back to him, but at least his car his accounted for.

Steve Thomas

On 10/23/2018 at 9:50 PM, Ron Bulman said:

That's a good question Steve.  Why did detective Bentley go to Westbrook's office, in Personnel to make out his murder arrest report?  Didn't the detectives have their own offices/desks/area?  Or there was homicide, where the investigation was actually taking place.  Maybe he needed Westbrook's help in getting his story straight?

One thing I don't quite understand is what C.T. Walker did with his car.

http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/russ/testimony/walker_c.htm

“Mr. WALKER. I went in the alley up to the back door... And there were several officers around the back of the theatre, and myself, and McDonald, and Officer Hutson went in the back door. ”

And then after Oswald was arrested...

“Mr. WALKER. There was a plain car, police car out in front. The right door was open, and Bentley went in first, and Oswald come and then I. We sat in the back seat with him.

Mr. BELIN. Let me ask you, did you have anything to do on November 22, or anything more to do on November 22, with either the Tippit shooting or investigation or apprehension of Oswald or the assassination of the President's investigation?
Mr. WALKER. No. I stayed down in Captain Westbrook's office for a while until I got off.”

Walker was not asked, and didn't volunteer what happened to his car.

So;  Bentley, Hill, Carroll and Walker are all hanging around Westbrook's office after they got back.

Steve Thomas

5 hours ago, Joe Bauer said:

Oh good.

Your input here is always interesting and invaluable.

Joe,

Ya. It was Halloween and the idea of hundreds of people dressed up like witches floating down the river struck me as pretty funny.

How would you like to be a hiker and rounding a bend and coming up on that scene?

Ha ha

Steve

On 10/21/2018 at 10:24 PM, Paul Brancato said:

Did either of you read the Skorzeny Papers?

Does he cover "Operation Werewolf"?

I ran across this and thought you might be interested.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/nazi-werewolves-who-terrorized-allied-soldiers-end-wwii-180970522/

Steve Thomas

11 hours ago, David Josephs said:

https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/docid-32977054.pdf  

a. Discredit
b. Harass
c. Collect Intel
d. split regime leadership
e. Assist Cuban exiles
f. be prepared to exploit a revolt

David,

It kind of makes you wonder what was withheld on pages 10 and 18.

Steve Thomas

11 hours ago, Ron Bulman said:

Boing boing link won't work.

And now it does within the quote, but my screen locked up after I clicked on it.  I guess the witches casted a spell.

Ron,

*sigh*

No, I'm not leaving. That was a joke.

I thought it was funny, and hoped others might too.

You can look at the Oregonian site:

https://www.oregonlive.com/expo/life-and-culture/erry-2018/10/a6e688dc885752/hundreds-of-witches-pick-paddl.html

Steve Thomas

I'm tired of wasting my time here.

I'm moving to Portland, Oregon where my life can have some meaning and purpose.

https://boingboing.net/2018/10/30/hundreds-of-witches-seen-paddl.html

Steve Thomas

8 hours ago, Jeff Carter said:

Oswald never attempted to either point the pistol or shoot at McDonald. In my opinion, the alleged “punch” was rather a reflexive action after McDonald reached towards his waist, based on the observation that Oswald otherwise remained “cool and calm”.

Jeff,

When McDonald saw that pistol, he should have taken a step back, ordered Oswald to "Freeze!", and loudly inform his fellow officers that Oswald had a gun.

Instead, he made a grab for it. Oswald instinctively tried to defend himself, and they got into a wrestling match. The gun was waving around all over the place putting a whole lot of lives in danger.

McDonald walked off his post at the TSBD without orders, and abandoned his trainee, T.R. Gregory at the Temple Life Church while he went racing up and down the alleys by himself.

(See the thread called "What happened to T.R. Gregory?")

http://educationforum.ipbhost.com/topic/7488-whatever-happened-to-tr-gregory/?tab=comments#comment-69643

Reading his W.C. testimony about frisking two men while looking over his shoulder at Oswald, who was behind him, made me scoff. What policeman frisks somebody while looking over your shoulder behind you?

If I was McDonald's supervisor, I would have fired him on the spot.

Steve Thomas

On 10/29/2018 at 2:58 PM, Tom Neal said:

But why did he punch the cop and allegedly pull the gun in the theater when he didn't expect to be tagged for JFK's shooting?

Tom,

Oswald didn't pull his gun. McDonald did.

From McDonald's after-action repot

DPD Archives Box 2, Folder# 7, Item# 32

http://jfk.ci.dallas.tx.us/box2.htm

Steve Thomas

9 hours ago, Steve Thomas said:

Mr. BALL. Did you search him?
Mr. ROSE. He had already been searched and someone had his billfold. I don't know whether it was the patrolman who brought him in that had it or not.
Mr. BALL. And the contents of the billfold supposedly were before you?
Mr. ROSE. Yes.

 

This raises an interesting question. Who brought Oswald to Fritz's office on the third floor?

From the WC testimony of Bob Carroll:

http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/russ/testimony/carroll.htm

I requested permission to go to Oak Cliff and permission was granted and I took K. E. Lyons, and he and I left for Oak Cliff.
Mr. BALL. Is K. E. Lyons a detective?
Mr. CARROLL. He is a patrolman assigned to the special service bureau. He doesn't work in uniform.
Mr. BALL. He works in plain clothes?
Mr. CARROLL. He works in plain clothes, but his rank is patrolman,

K.E. Lyon was also one of the policemen who rode in that car back downtown.

In his after-action report, K.E Lyon wrote, “Lee Harvey Oswald was released to Captain Fritz at the Homicide and Robbery Bureau by the transporting officers.”

DPD Archives Box 2, Folder# 7, Item# 29

http://jfk.ci.dallas.tx.us/box2.htm

Was K.E. Lyon the patrolman who had Oswald's wallet, and does this put a lie to Bentley's claim of turning Oswald's wallet over to Lieutenant Baker?

Steve Thomas

2 hours ago, Tom Neal said:

When LHO was arrested in the theater, he shouted "I am NOT resisting arrest!" Obviously, he knew his life was in danger -- -- but *exactly what* did he think he was being blamed for doing?

Tom,

Bob Carroll was one of the Detectives who brought Oswald back to DPD Headquarters from the Texas Theater.

http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/russ/testimony/carroll.htm

"Mr. BALL. After Oswald had been handcuffed, did he say anything?
Mr. CARROLL. Yes, sir; as we were bringing him out of the theatre, he hollered that he was going to protest this police brutality. I believe those were his words - the latter part - "Protest the police brutality" were his exact words. The rest of it was what he had done and that he hadn't done nothing and stuff like that.
Mr. BALL. Did he say he hadn't done anything?
Mr. CARROLL. The best I remember that was it - after we had him in the car. We were coming down to the station and he said that he hadn't done anything and he said, "I did have a pistol and I know that that's wrong, but I haven't done anything." That's the best I recall of what he said."

K.E. Lyon was also one of the policemen who rode in that car back downtown. In his after-action report, Lyon wrote,

“Enroute to the City Hall, Oswald refused to answer any questions, and he kept repeating, “Why am I being arrested? I know I was carrying a gun, but why else am I being arrested?””

DPD Archives Box 2, Folder# 7, Item# 29

http://jfk.ci.dallas.tx.us/box2.htm

In his testimony before the Warren Commission, Will Fritz said pretty much the same thing.

I'm guessing Oswald didn't know what he had been arrested for until his arraignment at 7:10 that Friday night.

Steve Thomas

4 hours ago, Ron Bulman said:

Where the Jedburgs part of the 10th mountain division that trained at Ski Cooper and Monarch mountain based out of Leadville Colorado?

Ron,

No, I don't think so.

Steve Thomas

On 10/25/2018 at 9:52 AM, Steve Thomas said:

If Bentley gave Oswald's wallet to Lt. Baker and it was inventoried and did not contain the Hidell Selective Service card in it, then how come Clements "found in lying on a desk" later Friday evening, and it did have the Hidell SS card in it?

Two different wallets? Or did somebody add things to the wallet and then left it lying around on a desk for somebody to conveniently find?

 

Steve Thomas

So, did Oswald have his wallet on him or not?

http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/russ/testimony/rose_g.htm

Mr. ROSE. There were some people in the office from the Book Depository and we talked to a few of them and then in just a few minutes they brought in Lee Oswald and I talked to him for a few minutes?
Mr. BALL. What did you say to him or did he say to you?
Mr. ROSE. Well, the first thing I asked him was what his name was and he told me it was Hidell.
Mr. BALL. Did he tell you it was Hidell?
Mr. ROSE. Yes; he did.
Mr. BALL. He didn't tell you it was Oswald?
Mr. ROSE. No; he didn't, not right then--he did later. In a minute--I found two cards--I found a card that said "A. Hidell." And I found another card that said "Lee Oswald" on it, and I asked him which of the two was his correct name. He wouldn't tell me at the time, he just said, "You find out." And then in just a few minutes Captain Fritz came in and he told me to get two men and go to Irving and search his house.
Mr. BALL. Now, when he first came in there--you said that he said his name was "Hidell"?
Mr. ROSE. Yes.
Mr. BALL. Was that before you saw the two cards?
Mr. ROSE. Yes; it was.
Mr. BALL. Did he give you his first name?
Mr. ROSE. He just said "Hidell"; I remember he just gave me the last name of "Hidell".
Mr. BALL. And then you found two or three cards on him?
Mr. ROSE. Yes; we did.
Mr. BALL. Did you search him?
Mr. ROSE. He had already been searched and someone had his billfold. I don't know whether it was the patrolman who brought him in that had it or not.
Mr. BALL. And the contents of the billfold supposedly were before you?
Mr. ROSE. Yes.

http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/russ/testimony/stovall.htm

Mr. STOVALL. Well, I was scheduled to go to work at 4 that day, I believe, but as soon as I heard that I got cleaned up and got ready for work and went on in.
Mr. BALL. Were you given an assignment as soon as you got down there?
Mr. STOVALL. No, sir; I wasn't--as soon as I got there. I got there and one of my partners, G. F. Rose, got there about the same time. We were talking to a witness that had seen all the people standing out there--he didn't actually see anything, so we didn't even take an affidavit from him because he didn't see anything. While talking to him, the officers brought Lee Harvey Oswald into the Homicide Bureau and put him into an interrogation room we have there at the bureau. After we finished talking to this witness, we went back there and talked to him briefly.
Mr. BALL. Do you remember what was said to him and what he said to you?
Mr. STOVALL. I don't recall exactly--I went in and asked him for his identification, asked him who he was and he said his name was Lee Oswald, as well as I remember. Rose and I were both in there at the time. He had his billfold and in it he had the identification of "A. Hidell," which was on a selective service card, as well as I remember.

Steve Thomas

2 hours ago, Joe Bauer said:

 

That special assignment of De Brueys to Dallas in October, 1963 was never once mentioned in this interview.

If true, this would be a mind blowing revelation.

Joe,

If you're referring to the memo cited above, it's dated 12/31/63 and refers back to a Report deBrueys wrote on October 25th.

The Report by deBrueys shown below indicates that deBrueys was still in New Orleans as of October 28th.

https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=135643&relPageId=11&search=%22WARREN_C.%20DEBRUEYS%22

Steve Thomas

Fall 1988: 10-119-1: If Donovan Were Here Today (Address to Jedburghs and Families), by William M. Henhoeffer

https://catalog.archives.gov/id/7283268?q=Jedburgh

Page 4 is kind of interesting:

3. Joseph P. Kennedy

Steve Thomas

William Colby on an OSS mission.

https://www.cia.gov/news-information/featured-story-archive/2015-featured-story-archive/legend-of-the-jedburghs.html

Steve Thomas

13 hours ago, Paz Marverde said:

There are effectively very important revelations about him in Metta's book 

 

Paz,

Can you provide a general summary of what Metta says about Vosjoli in his book?

Steve Thomas