Steve Thomas

Royal Hobart Kelley: Blog post by a David Lively June 25, 2010 http://windycity-texpatriate.blogspot.com/2010/06/ Cowboys and Bandits in the Family Tree "Anna May Pfaefflin married Royal Hobart Kelley. Kelley, as Nanny always called him, was just about the strongest yet gentlest human being I have ever known. To understand Papaw Kelley, one must first understand his background. Papaw was the great nephew of Otho Offutt, a member of the notorious Confederate rangers known as Quantrill’s Raiders. William Clarke Quantrill and his Quantrill’s Raiders, whose ranks included Frank and Jesse James as well as Cole and Jim Younger, were infamous for robbing and killing northerners. Their most notorious operation was the Lawrence Massacre—in Lawrence, Kansas, in August 1863—when Quantrill and his gang looted the banks and stores, burned nearly all the town’s building, and killed approximately 200 men and boys. I think Papaw explained it best in one of the many stories he told over and over: “They burned the houses, spared the women and furniture, and killed all the men.” Following the raid Quantrill led his men to Texas, behind Confederate lines. (The James and Younger gangs kept on looting and killing long after the Civil War using tactics learned while riding with Quantrill.) Needless to say, Papaw Kelley’s great uncle Otho was a tough son of a bitch. Papaw’s father Otho Kelley wasn’t much nicer. As a young man, the younger Otho—who was named after his tough as nails uncle, Otho Offutt—worked as a cowboy at the famed XIT Ranch, which at one time comprised more than 3 million acres across the Texas panhandle. The XIT was the biggest private ranch in the world. After breaking both of his legs in a hay bale crane accident, where he fell more than 30 feet to the ground, he quit cowboying and became a tent preacher. From my 21stcentury perspective, this was a dubious profession for such a mean son of a bitch but times were different and Texas at the turn of the 20thcentury was still the edge of the frontier—and fire-and-brimstone preachers had to be a tough bunch to save any souls. Eventually, Otho Kelley settled in a rough section of Wichita Falls where he ran a rundown general store. Mostly, however, he was just a mean SOB who liked to drink whiskey and beat his son. As a young teen of thirteen of fourteen—at the heart of the Great Depression—Royal Kelley had endured enough violence from his abusive father and, following his mother’s untimely death, decided to leave Wichita Falls for something better. As a teenaged hobo he hid underneath train cars and road the railroads alone all the way to California, where he stayed with distant cousins whose dispositions were kinder than his father’s. Ultimately, this skinny kid from Wichita Falls with Gary Cooper-looks joined the Marines followed by the FBI Academy, and he eventually served as a policeman and a highway patrolman across Texas in Uvalde (where he lived next door to then Vice President John Nance Garner, who served under FDR), Austin, Amarillo and Abilene. For the last 27 years of his career he served as chief of security for LTV. In retirement he played golf nearly every day, it not twice a day. (Once he told me he played from sunrise to sunset, and he never used a golf cart.) As a kid, Papaw Kelley was always my favorite grandparent. I know kids aren’t supposed to choose a favorite, but Papaw was like a huge teddy bear who would pick me up and give me a hug and a kiss every time I saw him. The countless stories he told about his life—such as growing up beside a Hooverville (i.e. a depression-era shantytown) during the Great Depression, running away from home in his teens and traveling on freight trains to California, lying about his age and joining the Marines at 17, attending the FBI Academy under J. Edgar Hoover, winning awards as an expert marksman, and riding motorcycles as a Texas State Highway Patrolman—were the stuff of legend, and they excited me to no end. These were adventures about which a young grandson dreams. Now, as an adult, his stories and experiences have taken on new meaning for me—a poignancy that I did not fully appreciate as a child. Despite losing his mother as a young boy, enduring an abusive father, and having few role models in the callous depression-era Wichita Falls in which he matured, Papaw was among the kindest, gentlest and most caring individuals I’ve ever known. Indeed, it was his kind, gentle spirit in the face of hardship and cruelty that made me appreciate him so much more—and which still makes me appreciate what is important in my own life today. Papaw Kelley was without a doubt the strongest man I’ve ever known. His intensity and strength were palpable to all who knew him. In his 70s and 80s, Papaw played 18 holes of golf almost every day, without a cart, and could still hit the ball farther than most 30-year-olds. Even in his last years, with cancer eating away at his body, Papaw would walk laps around Presbyterian Village, where he lived in South Oak Cliff, to maintain his endurance and strength. Simply put, he was a survivor. It was these dual qualities—kindness and strength—that made Papaw Kelley unique. This duality formed the core of his amazing character, for which he was known and loved by family and friends. And I am thankful to him for passing along even just a small part of himself to me." Steve Thomas

David, There was some discussion about this in a July 5, 2018 posting on George Lumpkin here: http://educationforum.ipbhost.com/topic/25039-george-lumpkin/ It took several years for Dallas to get back into Hoover's good graces, and contributed heavily, I think, to Curry's downfall. Steve Thomas

Andrew, I thought this was an interesting photo. It looks a little on the coolish side with grey skies. Steve Thomas

David, Just for my own curiosity, did the police have their sirens on during the motorcade, even intermittently ? Steve Thomas

Robin, Did you catch the guy up on top of the pergola? That part of the film must have been taken the next day. I wonder how he got up there. Steve Thomas

Michael, For more William Weston commentary, see this Facebook post about Joe Bergin, regional manager for the Scott Foresman Company in Dallas. "The Spider’s Web: The Texas School Book Depository and the Dallas Conspiracy" By William Weston https://www.facebook.com/322459544515376/posts/this-is-fascinating-article-by-william-weston-about-the-history-of-the-dallas-sc/550127641748564/ Steve Thomas

David, I don't know if this will help you, but... Here's a map of the DPD radio patrol districts in the SW section of Dallas (Oak Cliff). I'm sorry, but I don't remember where I got this - it's been a long time ago. If you copy and paste the jpg into a image editing program, you should be able to enlarge it. Here's a list of officers in Batchelor's Exhibit 5002 for the second platoon, Patrol Division, SW Area Substation. This is page 10 of that pdf file: https://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh19/pdf/WH19_Batchelor_Ex_5002.pdf Finally, here's a list of DPD Officers with call signs running from 21 through 113 (the districts that show up on the district map shown above). This list was drawn up bu a man named Russ Shearer back in around 1990: 21 Patrolman D. P. Tucker (and) C. R. Graham 22 Patrolman L. L. Hill 23 Patrolman B. E. Barnes 24 Patrolman D. L. Pate 25 “ ” “ 26 Patrolman G. W. Hammond 27 unknown 29 Patrolman J. M. Williams 30 Sergeant Roy C. Childers NW Substation 2nd Platoon) 31 Patrolman J. E. Chism 32 Patrolman N. L. Hackney (and) J. T. Smith 35 Patrolman J. M. Lewis 38 Patrolman F. Woodrow 39 Patrolman J. F. Butcher and C.W. Comer 39, Car 2 Patrolman C. W. Conn 40 Sergeant D. F. Flusche 40, Car 2 unknown 41 Patrolman T. R. Burton 43 Patrolman P. R. Wilkins (See 55) 44 unknown 45 Patrolman N. L. Stranglin 47 Patrolman W. F. Morris 48 Patrolman A. D. Duncan 49 Patrolman C. R. Galbreath 51 Patrolman E. A. Kelly 52 unknown 53 unknown 55 Patrolman G. L. Tolbert (and) P. R. Wilkins (See 43) 56 Patrolman W. P. Parker 57 unknown 58 unknown 60 Sergeant J. A. Putnam 61 Patrolman C. W. Temple (and) R. E. Vaughn 63 unknown 65 Patrolman W. A. Everett (See 67) 66 Patrolman F. S. Williams 67 Patrolman W. A. Everett (See 65) 68 Detective G. Woods 69 Patrolman A. R. Brock 70 Sergeant S. E. Varner 71 Patrolman M. L. Wise 72 Patrolman T. L. Cox 74 unknown 75 Patrolman E. G. Sabastian 76 Patrolman H. H. Horn 77 Patrolman W. E. Smith 78 Patrolman J. D. Tippit 79 Patrolman B. N. Anglin 80 Sergeant H. F. Davis 81 Patrolman J. L. Angell 83 Patrolman P. L. Gross 85 Patrolman R. W. Walker 87 Patrolman R. C. Nelson 91 Patrolman W. D. Mentzel (and) J. W. Courson (See 153) 93 Patrolman H. M. Ashcraft 95 Patrolman M. N. McDonald (and) T. R. Gregory 97 unknown 99 Patrolman S. E. Norman 100 Sergeant W. G. Jennings 101 Patrolman B. L. Bass 102 Patrolman B. L. Jones (and) M. D. Noll 103 Patrolman C. F. Goodson 104 Patrolman J. M. Valentine 105 Patrolman J. M. Poe (and) L. E. Jez (car unit#) 107 Patrolman C. F. Carlson 108 unknown 111 Patrolman J. G. Pollard 111, Car 2 unknown 112 unknown 113 Patrolman C. L. Osburn Hope this helps you a little bit. Steve Thomas

Jim, I think you are right on the money. I have always felt the murders were connected, but that's just my opinion. Steve Thomas

Bart, Thanks. As you say on page 236 of your tome, the two statements by Fritz three months apart directly contradict each other. On that same page, you also asked about the DPD Archives. A copy of the telegram can be found in Box 2, Folder# 11, Item# 4 http://jfk.ci.dallas.tx.us/box2.htm and Box 7, Folder# 5, Item# 35 http://jfk.ci.dallas.tx.us/box7.htm I don't know where the name McDervid comes from. The lawyer's name was McDermid. It wasn't McDervid (or McDavid) as the FBI reports indicate. Also, the telegram was sent at 12:29 CST. Since Chicago and Dallas are on the same time zone, this would have been right at the time of that mysterious 12:35 interrogation the DPD so desperately tried to conceal. Steve Thomas

I ran across this little coincidence and thought it was interesting. The Dallas Police Department motorcycle officer who responded to the Tippit shooting, and whose personally-owned handcuffs were used to handcuff Lee Harvey Oswald in the Texas Theater was named Ray Hawkins. According to John Grossi, aka, Jack Bowen of the library card fame; Ray Hawkins was also the name of the man who was the Foreman of the Photography Department at Jaggars-Chiles Stovall. FBI interview of John Grossi: I don't imagine it was the same man, unless he was moonlighting; although that seems unlikely, as Ray Hawkins, the motorcycle policeman, told the WC that he had been with the DPD for 11 years. http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/russ/testimony/hawkins.htm I just thought it was interesting. Steve Thomas

Did Oswald get a telegram from a lawyer in Chicago named McDervid offering to represent him? What a difference a couple of months make. See http://jfk.hood.edu/Collection/FBI%20Records%20Files/105-82555/105-82555%20Section%20102/102c.pdf Steve Thomas

Mark, I don't have the document, but perhaps this will help you a little in your search maybe? The document seems to be referenced in Lamar Waldron's book, Legacy of Secrecy; but maybe you knew this already. https://nara.gov/scripts/starfinder.exe/904076/jfksnew.txt AGENCY INFORMATION AGENCY : FBI RECORD NUMBER : 124-10193-10468 RECORDS SERIES : DL AGENCY FILE NUMBER : 137A-5467-70, 72 DOCUMENT INFORMATION ORIGINATOR : FBI FROM : SF TO : HQ TITLE : [No Title] DATE : 07/15/1988 PAGES : 12 DOCUMENT TYPE : PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT SUBJECTS : SF 11434 CLASSIFICATION : UNCLASSIFIED RESTRICTIONS : OPEN IN FULL CURRENT STATUS : OPEN DATE OF LAST REVIEW : 08/14/1998 COMMENTS : INC LTR This is a 12 page FBI memo from San Francisco to Headquarters referencing a man named Van Laningham involving the Marcello trial? https://www.maryferrell.org/php/jfkdb.php?field=agencyfileno&value=137A-5467- 4. [No Title] Record Number: 124-10193-10468 Record Series: DL Agency: FBI Agency File No.: 137A-5467-70, 72 Originator: FBI From: SF To: HQ Date: 07/15/1988 Pages: 12 Subjects: SF 11434; Document Type: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT Classification: UNCLASSIFIED Restrictions: OPEN IN FULL Current Status: OPEN Date of Last Review: 08/14/1998 Opening Criteria: [empty value] Comments: INC LTR https://full-english-books.net/english-books/full-book-not-in-your-lifetime-the-defining-book-on-the-jfk-assassination-167930-read-online-chapter-66 There are other discrepancies between the version of events as told by Van Laningham and by the FBI agents involved. Kimmel’s memory was the bug in the Texarkana operation against Marcello functioned for three thirty-day periods (the periods covered by three separate court authorizations for electronic surveillance). Van Laningham said the operation lasted for more than a year. Agent Kimmel said the operation was terminated once agents concluded that Marcello was not running his criminal empire from jail and, moreover, that his mental state was such that a court would have deemed anything he said unreliable. Van Laningham claimed Marcello did indeed run his crime network from inside the prison. Attempts by the author to reach a third FBI agent involved, who went by the name “Tom Kirk” during contacts with Van Laningham, established that name was a pseudonym, The agent in question, who is retired, declined to be interviewed. (“That Kennedy”: Kaiser, op. cit. , p. 411, Waldron and Hartmann, Legacy of Secrecy op. cit. , pp. 761, 899, citing Van Laningham letter to FBI agent Carl Podsiadly, 6-88 (more accurately identified as NARA 124-10193-10468); discrepancies: ints. Thomas Kimmel, Jr., Raymond Hult, Ronald Sievert, Jack Van Laningham. Steve Thomas

Michael, More than anything else, this reminded me of Firesign Theater. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCzgdF_WjOg " I know, let's stand him on his head." "Aww, he's no fun. He fell right over." Steve Thomas

https://newspaperarchive.com/san-antonio-light-nov-13-1963-p-1/ "The blast shattered 48 windows at Roosevelt Elementary School, 3823 Fortuna, officials at Edgewood School District re- ported. Fortunately, the 500 youngsters attending the school were on the grounds at the time the windows shattered inward into the building." Steve Thomas

David, I'm not sure. Here are pictures of Annie and Sarita Steve Thomas

https://plus.google.com/photos/114244006603230955786/album/6299549866941041169/6299549869332536786?authkey=CJfJ2fL1qNuyZg https://plus.google.com/collection/09KgU Texas Author Speaking to Genealogical Society. Steve Knight. The Lufkin News June 23, 2016 Tippit was laying on his back with his arms crossed? Steve Thomas

David, I was going to ask Mr. Griffin what he was doing in that driveway. From: Harvey and Lee. by By John Armstrong http://harveyandlee.net/November/November_22.htm (as you know, there's a larger sized map of that location in Armstrong's web page) 400 E. 10th St.… 404 E. 10th St…. 410 E. 10th St. “Tippit's familiarity to local residents could be understood by the WC testimony of Virginia Davis, who lived in the house next door (400 E. 10th) to where Tippit was shot and killed (404 E. 10th). Davis was asked by Commission attorney David Belin "Where was the police car parked?" Davis answered, "It was parked between the hedge that marks the apartment house where he (Tippit) lives in (410 E. 10th) and the house next door (404 E. 10th)." According to Virginia Davis' testimony, Officer Tippit was living in the house at 410 E. 10th. If Tippit lived in this house (actually a duplex apartment--410 E. 10th in the front, 408 E. 10th in the rear), or was having an affair with a woman living in this house (Johnny Maxie Thompson),...” I guess there was no 406 E. 10th? Steve Thomas

Mr. Griffin, I guess you're the author of Touched By Fire. http://www.franklingriffin.com/ Touched by fire : one man's road from Phenix City to Dallas, 1954-1963 / by Griffin, Frank ; Patterson, John ; Heyrman, Peter Latrobe . https://www.amazon.com/Touched-Fire-Frank-Griffin/dp/0615254500 Paperback: 189 pages Publisher: Bear Press (September 22, 2008) “Summary: "In 1954 Johnnie Frank Griffin witnessed the violent death of Attorney General-elect Albert Patterson, of Alabama. Six months later he told a grand jury what he knew. The next day he was stabbed. Though his wounds seemed slight, that night he died in a hospital built from the profits of crime. Nine years later, just minutes after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Johnnie Frank's son, Frank Griffin, saw Lee Harvey Oswald fleeing the scene of the murder of a Dallas police officer. Between these two events Frank Griffin had come of age in one of the strangest decades in American history. His story touches that of one of the era's best known governors, John Patterson of Alabama. It intersects with mob bosses and CIA operations. There's even room for country music and barroom brawls. This story shows how Frank Griffin's life was truly Touched By Fire."--Back Cover. Steve Thomas

http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/dpdtapes/tapes2.htm 1:16 PM 603 (ambulance) 603, Code 5, Baylor. 602 (ambulance) Code 6(?). 1:19 PM 602 What was that address on Jefferson? Dispatcher 501 East Tenth. 602 Code 6. 605 Code 5. 1:22 PM 602 602 in service 603 603 out, Baylor (Siren) 1:24 PM 605 605, Code 6 1:26 PM Dispatcher Do you knnow what ambulance took him? We had three going. 550/2 Sgt. G.L. Hill No. Dudley Hughes passed in front of me going to Beckley. He looked like he might have had him. Dispatcher 602 Dalla Police Codes: http://www.bearcat1.com/radiotx.htm Code 5: En route Code 6: Arrived https://oakcliff.advocatemag.com/2015/09/vintage-color-photos-of-oak-cliff-and-dallas/ “Here is a picture of the Dudley M. Hughes Funeral Home, also dated 1956. But if it is the Hughes funeral home on East Jefferson, right across the street from the aforementioned auto shop, it likely is dated wrong as well. The funeral home is named in the Warren Commission Report because in the 1960s, it was the ambulance dispatch center for southern Dallas. Being so close to the site of the Tippit murder, a Hughes ambulance was one of the first on the scene.” Steve Thomas

"The F.B.I. Is Quietly Contacting Cubans in Florida, Raising Old Alarm Bells” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/12/us/fbi-florida-cuba.html Steve Thomas

Michael, The first thing that popped in my mind was the question, why was Mankel being sent to Dakar? Do you think it had anything to do with the Mali Federation? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mali_Federation Steve Thomas

The King Alfred Plan and the 112th Military Intelligence Group' March 28, 2011 http://coldcaseupdate.blogspot.com/2011/03/king-alfred-plan-and-112th-military.html SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS Friday, February 26, 1971 By ALICE MURPHY "If Military Intelligence is maintaining a card file on all members of the First Unitarian Church of San Antonio, Church President Glenn Grimes said members have nothing to hide. He said Unitarians are individually controversial and some have taken part in "peaceful demonstrations." The possibility of such a card file came up when Houston State Rep. Curtis Graves told a Congressional committee Thursday he learned from Walter Birdwell, a former agent of the 112th Military Intelligence Group in San Antonio, that he had not only been a snooping target himself for the past 10 years, but the 112th MI Group had a "card file on every member of the Unitarian Church in San Antonio." Major Stephen Weiss, public information officer for the 112th, said he had been advised, politely, to have all calls on the matter referred to the Information Office of the Department of the Army in Washington, and gave two telephone numbers there. Neither answered Thursday evening." Steve Thomas

Oh, now this is interesting: http://brinvest.ch/2017/11/a-look-at-new-jfk-documents-and-new-thoughts-on-fletcher-prouty-on-the-ochelli-effect-mike-swanson-10312017/ Subject: Interview with William McKinney (Colonel) Body: CALL REPORT: PUBLIC Document’s Author: Christopher Barger/ARRB Date Created: 05/02/97 "However, he (McKinney) said that when he reported to the 316th in January 1964, he found that “there were still people who were upset…angry…or just unhappy, that the 112th… had been told that perimeter security wasn’t needed by them.” (Col. McKinney wasn't in Dallas, or even in Texas in November, 1963.) https://www.army.mil/article/118745/112th_mi_brigade_inactivated_29_january_1993 The 112th changed names a few times after that, becoming the 112th Counter Intelligence Corps Group in 1957, the 112th Intelligence Corps Group in 1961, and the 112th Military Intelligence Group in 1966. 112th Military Intelligence Group https://army.togetherweserved.com/army/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=PublicUnitProfile&type=Unit&ID=66135 Members who served in this unit: Albrecht, Kenneth, CW3,(1969-1989) Magnanelli, Frank, SP 5,(1967-1970) Mason, Edward, SPC,(1986-1996) McKinney, Henry, MSG,(1964-1992) Niedenfuehr, Richard, SSG,(1967-1971) Norton, Larry, CPT,(1970-1971) Ogan, Dexter, SGT,(1967-1970) Rosario, Ruben, CW3,(1966-1991) Slifer, Stanley Leon, SFC,(1944-1966) Teetz, Robert, MSG,(1960-1980) Woodings, Michael (Mike), LTC,(1966-1996) McKinney, Henry, MSG Service Details: Current Service Status USA Retired Current/Last Rank Master Sergeant Current/Last Service Branch Military Intelligence Current/Last Primary MOS 97B-Counterintelligence Agent Current/Last MOS Group Military Intelligence (Enlisted) Primary Unit 1990-1992, 97B, 650th Military Intelligence Group Previously Held MOS 97B-Counter Intelligence Agent Service Years 1964 - 1992 (father and son? uncle and nephew?) Steve Thomas

In looking for something else, I ran across an interesting site: History of Dallas-Fort Worth AM Radio Stations http://www.dfwretroplex.com/amlist.html KLIF, Dallas. Station named for its original location in the Oak Cliff section of Dallas. McLendon sold KLIF and his other Texas AM stations to keep them away from his wife during divorce proceedings. WFAA – Acronym for “Working For All Alike” Started as a 9X9 foot tent on the roof of the Dallas Morning News building. KCNC, Fort Worth Willie Nelson (later a C&W singer, of course! Willie's opening line on his first day was, "This is your ol' cotton pickin', snuff dippin', tobacco chewin', coffee pot dodgin', dumplin' eatin', frog giggin' hillbilly from Hill Country!" Steve Thomas

I am just posting this for idle curiosity's sake. The Military Intelligence Story: A Photographic History. Second Edition by John P. Finnegan http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/virtual_disk_library/index.cgi/1383026/FID3217/IACS_MH/MISTORY.PDF page 10 of the book. Page 25 of the pdf file. The man seated is Col. Ralph M. Van Deman Standing above him is a very young Allen Dulles. Steve Thomas