Steve Thomas

Mr. BALL - Who referred to it as a Mauser that day? Mr. BOONE - I believe Captain Fritz. He had knelt down there to look at it, and before he removed it, not knowing what it was, he said that is what it looks like. Steve Thomas

I believe that Howard Brennan was brought down to Police Headquarters on the evening of November 23rd to ID Oswald as the shooter and at that time he failed to identify Oswald as such, as is indicated on the lineup card in the DPD Archives, Box 6, Folder# 1, Item# 73, page 3 http://jfk.ci.dallas.tx.us/box6.htm I know the reasons for refusing to identify Oswald that he gave later, but as far as evidentiary value in a trial, I'll go with the lineup card. I am not saying that it was impossible for Oswald to have run down the stairs unseen. I am saying that you don't have any eyewitnesses seeing Oswald fleeing the scene. The palmprint shown in CE 637 was introduced in evidence in WC (4H23-24). https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=34#relPageId=32&tab=page Day told the WC that traces of the palmprint were still evident after lifting it off the rifle. Latona of the FBI said that when the FBI got the rifle, there were no traces of a palmprint, or even any evidence that someone had tried to process it. 637 was not sent to the FBI along with the other evidence on the 22nd. It was not sent until the 26th. He told the WC, "Mr. BELIN. Is there any particular reason why this was not released on the 22d? Mr. DAY. The gun was being sent in to them for process of prints. Actually I thought the print on the gun was their best bet, still remained on there..." http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/russ/testimony/day1.htm This kind of evidence is worthless. Steve Thomas

Mr. FRITZ. That first showup was for a lady who was an eye witness and we were trying to get that showup as soon as we could because she was beginning to faint and getting sick. In fact, I had to leave the office and carry some ammonia across the hall, they were about to send her to the hospital or something and we needed that identification real quickly, and she got to feeling all right after using this ammonia. What? He kept some in his desk drawer? He could find some ammonia right quick, but tape recorders? fuggeddaboutit. Steve Thomas

Oswald could easily have run down the stairs in 90 seconds. But, I'm sorry. I must have missed something. Could you please provide me the name of the eyewitness who saw him running down the stairs? Don't you think it's odd that you have the only eyewitness to the man committing the greatest crime of the 20th Century, and neither the Chief of Police, or the Captain of the Homicide Bureau could bother to be at the lineup where the perpetrator is identified? Again, I'm sorry, but were Lee Harvey Oswald's fingerprints found anywhere else on the sixth floor? Please show me the fingerprints taken off the rifle. I'd like to see the actual prints please. Steve Thomas

I mean that pretty well cinches it doesn't it? If you don't have any eyewitnesses, "We can't place Oswald at that window with a gun in his hand." (Jesse Curry) and you don't have Oswald's prints on the rifle that was found in the TSBD, even if you could prove it was his rifle, and he's got an alibi by being seen on the second floor within 90 seconds of the shooting, and nobody saw him coming down the stairs... there's no court in the land that would convict him beyond a reasonable doubt of being the shooter . Steve Thomas

FWIW, It wasn't unusual for the police officers (and probably representatives of other other government agencies like the FBI and Secret Service) to review and correct their statements multiple times before submitting them. As Kenneth Croy told the Warren Commission in his testimony regarding his Report to Curry on his duties on the 24th: http://jfkassassination.net/russ/testimony/croy.htm Mr. CROY. No; well, I will put it this way, that it took us 8 hours to get that up. That is how interested they were. Mr. GRIFFIN. You talked with them for 8 hours? Mr. CROY. On 2 different occasions. That day and the next day, for 4 hours each day. That is pretty interesting. Mr. CROY. No; we talked the entire thing over, and after we talked everything over and they brought the stenographer in and we went back over it again, then I left and she typed it up, and I came in the next day and we went back over it again and back over it and so on. Mr. GRIFFIN. Now, this statement which we have marked, a letter which we have marked Exhibit 5052, which is a copy of a letter that you prepared for Chief Curry, dated November 26, 1963, was that prepared down in the police department, or was that prepared at one of your business offices? Mr. CROY. That was prepared at the Dallas Police Academy. Mr. GRIFFIN. Where is that located? Mr. CROY. On Shorecrest back of the northwest substation. Mr. GRIFFIN. Was that prepared by hand? Mr. CROY. Yes, it was. Mr. GRIFFIN. Were you responsible for getting the typing done? Mr. CROY. No. Mr. GRIFFIN. Who did you turn that report over to? Mr. CROY. Captain Solomon. Mr. GRIFFIN. Then was it his responsibility to get the typing done? Mr. CROY. I don't know. I just turned it in. What he did with it, I don't know. Mr. GRIFFIN. Did it eventually come back to you? Mr. CROY. No. Mr. GRIFFIN. The typed copy never came back to you? Mr. CROY. No. Mr. GRIFFIN. Is there any question in your mind but that the statement that you signed is a complete and accurate copy of the statement that you prepared in your own hand in the police department? Mr. CROY. Yes. Mr. GRIFFIN. Do you recall what day it was, the day you prepared that statement? Mr. CROY. The following Tuesday night. I don't know what date it was. Mr. GRIFFIN. Well, Mr. Croy, why didn't you mention in this report, dated November 26, your seeing this man you believe to be Ruby? Mr. CROY. Why didn't I mention that in there? Mr. GRIFFIN. Yes. Mr. CROY. Because at that time Captain Solomon told me that there would be another report made and I would have to go downtown to the city hall before a stenographer, and he told me just to leave that out for the time being, and put this in this other affidavit that you have, that this right here was just basically to find out where we were in the city hall. Mr. GRIFFIN. Then when you prepared this other statement on December 1, who called you and how did you come to go before Notary Public A. L. Curtis? Mr. CROY. He is a lieutenant. After I signed it, I took it there to be notarized by him. Mr. CROY. What it was, the stenographer took it, and then she typed it up. Then the next day I went back down there and they re-read it to me and went over and over and over and over the same thing over and over again. And then I took it into Lieutenant Curtis and signed it and had it notarized. Mr. GRIFFIN. Did they take notes as you talked with them? Mr. CROY. No; we talked the entire thing over, and after we talked everything over and they brought the stenographer in and we went back over it again, then I left and she typed it up, and I came in the next day and we went back over it again and back over it and so on. Steve Thomas

I don't know why, but this picnic has always fascinated me. Part of it goes to the question of whether Veciana could have seen LHO in Dallas in September if he was supposed to be in New Orleans. Part of it goes to the Sylvia Odio story of meeting LHO in the hallway of her apartment house. Part of it goes to whether or not LHO addressed a group of Cubans. Part of it goes to SNFE/Alpha 66 and DRE recruiting efforts in Dallas in September. Part of it may address Hall and Seymour running guns through Dallas. Part of it may address the Whitter/Lawrence theft of guns from the Terrell National Guard Armory. Part of it may address Manuel Rodriguez Orcarberro/George Perrel attempts to buy guns from John Thomas Masen. Part of it may address Nancy Perrin Rich and her testimony. There just seemed to be a lot of Cuban exile activity in Dallas in the fall of 1963. These are excerpts of an interview of Harold Weisberg with Colonel and Mrs. Robert Castorr. Has anyone ever seen the film that these stills were taken from, or the pictures Weisberg showed to the Castorrs? Mr, C: And let's not forget that he was at the White Rock picnic amongst the Cubans and ostensibly wasn't Oswald suppose to have been there at the picnic? http://jfk.hood.edu/Collection/Weisberg%20Subject%20Index%20Files/C%20Disk/Castorr%20L%20Robert%20Colonel/Item%2023.pdf page 14. W: Do you remember when that picnic was? Mrs. C: Well, it was about mid-September of '63. http://jfk.hood.edu/Collection/Weisberg%20Subject%20Index%20Files/C%20Disk/Castorr%20L%20Robert%20Colonel/Item%2023.pdf page 5. Mr. C: Well I understand that Oswald was at the White Rock picnic with these Cubans. Wasn't there a picture that came out that somebody took that's somewhere in the files.. W: May I ask if that could have been a man who looked like Oswald? Mr. C: It could be... W: I think that's more likely. Mr. C: I'm getting back to my belief and thinking that Father McCann was also there... Mrs. C: He was invited to that picnic. That was mid-September of '63 and Bob was out of the country. So this would put these men -- Paul and presumably Howard -- in Dallas at approximately that time in Sept. with another man whom they introduced to her as Leon Oswald. So you see, when we're talking about a man at the picnic who was thought to have been Oswald, it was quite consistent with Sylvia Odio's story because when she was shown the pictures of Oswald, although if you read her testimony carefully, she points out certain dissimilarities between the man she saw and the man, Oswald, in the pictures. Nonetheless it's consistent with Oswald and on balance, she said it looked like him. W: You may not, but that's all right. What we have here are pictures collected of people we don't know too much about. These are some stills taken from the television films taken of the in White Rock Park. in the summer July 1963 I believe. ITS Mrs. C: September, I believe. Mr. W: Was that it._ http://jfk.hood.edu/Collection/Weisberg%20Subject%20Index%20Files/C%20Disk/Castorr%20L%20Robert%20Colonel/Item%2012.pdf page 1. Mrs. C: Now, I was not at that meeting. So far as this picnic was concerned, you see, I was going around to some of these people bringing food, bringing clothing and what have you, and I did not speak nor understand Spanish unfortunately, but I heard that there was going to be a picnic at White Rock Lake and the man by the name of Rodriquez was selling the tickets. And some reference was made to the fact that in some group of Cubans, someone said are you going to that picnic. "Well, no, the right people aren't going to be there"and I was never invited to that picnic so.. W: They were more or less the left wing group. Mrs. C: Yes, now after the picnic was over, I heard from some source and I couldn't tell you where that they raised $7,000 at that picnic and that there were people there from Puerto Rico and from Venezuela who attended that picnic. pp. 6-7 http://jfk.hood.edu/Collection/FBI%20Records%20Files/105-82555/105-82555%20Section%20215/215e.pdf p. 187 25H371, CE 2390 and CD 1546 p. 188. FBI interview of Felix Guillermo Othon Pacho by SA Wallace Heitman on September 8, 1964. Othon was the DRE delegate in Dallas after Sarah Castillo. Othon told Heitman that Manuel Salvat had come to Dallas from Miami in September or October, 1963 and that a meeting of about thirty or forty Cubans and Americans had been held at a bank near White Rock Lake. The meeting had been organized by Mr. Dean Perkins, who was sympathetic to the Cuban cause. Steve Thomas

Ray, Maybe the same way way the estate of Ray Hawkins got their money: Lee Harvey Oswald handcuffs valued at $250,000 http://www.paulfrasercollectibles.com/news/memorabilia/lee-harvey-oswald-handcuffs-valued-at-250-000/22042.page November 30, 2016 "The Dallas Police Department made its officers and detectives buy their own handcuffs, thus allowing Hawkins to retain his private property after the assassination." The lot is estimated to bring in $250,000 ahead of the December 3 close date. Steve Thomas

Sandy, I'm just curious. If the Baker/Truly/Oswald second-floor encounter didn't happen, why do you think was it inserted into the record? What are the advantages, or implications? Didn't it give Oswald an alibi? Steve Thomas

Lance, I once read a long time ago, (I don't remember who) who said, "If Oswald truly was a patsy, any time spent on him is a waste of time". I don't know what the answer is. *shrug* I think I can be confident in saying that the CIA waiting a year to open a 201 file on Oswald is a bunch of malarky. They may not have had a 201 file, but they had some kind of file. I wondered about the dating on Oswald's resignation letter (CE 1314) compared to the dating on the back of the back yard photo (DeMohrenschildt's copy?). Let me know what your wife says about "Locksmith" and your sister-in-law says about the shop. I'm interested. Steve Thomas

Lanz, *smile*, Thank you. I'm getting a little better with the cursive, but if the writing is a little sloppy, fugedda bout it. *smile*. Birth and death certificates from the 1800's huh? That's impressive. I agree with you that the Russian writing looks more "experienced", or "fluid". The application for employment on p. 427 was supposedly done in January. I don't think he met Marina until April was it? I was struck yesterday about the similarity of Oswald disappearing for two weeks in 1962 (between October 19th and November 2nd) and then going to work at Jaggars-Chiles-Stovall at the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis; and then him disappearing between November 15, 1959 and January 4, 1960, only to go to work at a sensitive radio factory. Didn't a U-2 plane get shot down on both occasions? Potato farm... *smile* Steve Thomas

Lance, PS: Thank you for tip on the web site you referenced above. Like Peter Wronski, I am very suspicious of the six weeks Oswald went "missing" between mid November, 1959 and early January, 1960. Steve Thomas

Lance, Thank you for your help. I am struggling with the Russian documents. I just don't know enough. Would you look at the Certificate on page 430 of CE 985 https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=1135#relPageId=444&tab=page are either p. 429 or 431 the Russian version of that Certificate? It's interesting that in earlier versions of the Russian documents, say in early 1960 when he is applying for his first identity cards (around pages 413 and 414), Oswald signs his name in English. By the time of his resignation, he signs his name in Russian: (22H) CE 1314 p. 486 https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=1317#relPageId=516&tab=page Would you also look at his application for employment autobiography on page 427? Would you say that the English version and the Russian version were written by the same hand? https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=1135#relPageId=441&tab=page You talked about the sensitive work done at the factory. I thought at the time when I was reading his "Collective", it was interesting that he said that the factory employed 5,000 people, of which 2,000 were soldiers. Again, thank you for your help. Steve Thomas

David, I just checked. The Russian word for Citizen is Гражданин The Russian word for Oswald is Освальд If you put them together, they are, Гражданин Освальд If, you go to CE 985 page 434, this is his unsatisfactory job reference. https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=1135#relPageId=448&tab=page Scroll midway down to the beginning of the first full paragraph and that's what you'll see. Гражданин Освальд "Citizen" is the correct translation. Steve Thomas

David, About the word, "Citizen" being loosely translated,... I don't think so. On page 430 of CE 985, there is a Certificate dated July 15, 1961 that “Comrade”, Lee Harvey Oswald was employed as an assembler at the Minsk Radio Plant. The date January 1, 1960 is typed on the Certificate. https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=1135&search=%22Harvey_Lee+Oswald%22#relPageId=444&tab=page About the documents being manufactured after the event,... I don't know, and I don't have any idea how you would go about finding that out. Steve Thomas

Jim, You have asked a very interesting question. http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/russ/testimony/fritz1.htm Mr. FRITZ. Let's see, I have it right here. Oswald was arrested at 1:40 and I think he was taken to the city hall about 2:15 and I started talking to him probably a little bit after that. Mr. BALL. You will notice that Sims and Boyd make it, state they brought him from the conference room to your office at about 2:20. Mr. FRITZ. That might be all right because I have 2:15 here but I think 2:15 may be 5 or 10 minutes too early. Mr. FRITZ. Yes; my desk is right here and I sit behind it right here and there are some chairs and telephone table right here and I had him sitting in a chair, right here. Just about the time I started talking to him, I had just started to question him, I got a phone call from Mr. Shanklin, Gordon Shanklin, agent in charge of the FBI calling for Mr. Bookhout, and I asked Mr. Bookhout to go to pick up the extension. So, I got up from my desk and walked over to the lieutenant's office and asked Mr. Bookhout to come in, the reason I asked both of them to come in and Mr. Bookhout is in my office most of every day and works with us in a lot of cases and asked him to come in with Mr. Hosty. Mr. BALL. So Bookhout and Hosty came into your office? Mr. FRITZ. Yes, sir. Hosty didn't get to police headquarters until about 3:15. DPD Archives Box 15, Folder# 1, Item# 111, page 2 http://jfk.ci.dallas.tx.us/box15.htm “I invited Mr. Bookhout and Mr. Hosty in to help with the interview. Mr. Truly had told me that one of the police officers had stopped this man immediately after the shooting somewhere near the back stairway, so I asked Oswald where he was when the police officer stopped him. He said he was on the second floor drinking a coca cola....” Frit's handwritten interrogation notes: http://www.jfklancer.com/Fritzdocs.html The notes begin at 3:15PM Hosty and Bookhout are present. “claims 2nd floor Coke when off came in” What did Fritz and Oswald talk about in the one hour between 2:20 and 3:15 PM? Did they talk at all? Steve Thomas

David, It gets weirder. CE 985 p. 433 https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=1135#relPageId=447&tab=page is a character reference for LHO. Two times they refer to "Citizen" Oswald. Once as Harvey Lee Oswald, and once as Lee Harvey Oswald. It says he was hired as a regulator in the experimental shop. His employee workbook doesn't reflect any promotions or transfers in the time he worked there. Steve Thomas

Jim, I also ran across an FBI interview of Roy Truly done on 11/23. During his interview, he said that Mrs. Reid had told him that LHO had had a coke in his hand. I can dig it out if you need. Steve Thomas

Larry, Taking your points in reverse order: The thing is we continue to discuss very old talking points like this as if they had been somehow corroborated...perhaps they have but if so I surely would like to see it. Amen. What he was doing was trying to convince the CIA and any other intel group that would listen that the French government was thoroughly penetrated by communists... Lately, I've been trying to view that through the lens of the nuclear arms race. Regardless of the hyperbole we were fed about "The Missile Gap", the U.S. was far ahead of the Russians in terms of the number, and technical sophistication of its nuclear payload. The Russians were desperate for any info they could get and even though the U.S. was expanding its arsenal throughout western Europe, I think we were reluctant to share too much info with the French for fear it would be leaked to the Russians. Tell me about New York City. Steve Thomas

Jim, Roy Truly testified to the WC on March 24, 1964. Marrion Baker and Mrs. Reid (who worked in the TSBD) testified on March 25, 1964. Baker testified first, and Reid followed him Reid in (3H 270) http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/russ/testimony/reid.htm "Mr. BELIN. All right. You went up through the stairs and then what did you do? Mrs. REID. I went into the office. Mr. BELIN. You went into your office? Mrs. REID. Yes. Mr. BELIN. And then what did you do? Mrs. REID. Well, I kept walking and I looked up and Oswald was coming in the back door of the office. I met him by the time I passed my desk several feet and I told him, I said, "Oh, the President has been shot, but maybe they didn't hit him." He mumbled something to me, I kept walking, he did, too. I didn't pay any attention to what he said because I had no thoughts of anything of him having any connection with it at all because he was very calm. He had gotten a coke and was holding it in his hands..." DPD Archives, Box 5, Folder# 2, Item# 51. http://jfk.ci.dallas.tx.us/box5.htm Affidavit by Mrs. Robert Reid on November 23, 1963 "Lee mumbled something and walked on out of the office. I did not understand what he said, he had a coke in his hand." Steve Thomas

Larry, So far, I haven't found corroboration for the bullet points listed. • In March-April 1963, Souetre met with Howard Hunt (of Watergate and Bay of Pigs infamy) in Madrid. I don't think it was Hunt that Souetre met with. I've never read anything from Souetre or Hunt that they met each other. I believe it was Guerin Serac who was with Souetre, but I don't know who it was on the CIA side. I suspect it was Irving Brown, but that's just a suspicion. Did Hunt ever write that he met with Souetre? • In April-May 1963, Souetre met with Gen. Edwin Walker (who Oswald allegedly shot at) in Dallas. I've never read anything from Souetre, or Walker that they met with each other. I've never read anything from Souetre that he was ever in Dallas, TX. • Souetre trains that summer with Alpha 66 and the 30th of November (both anti-Castro groups) in the New Orleans Mandeville region. I've read that rumor, but have never ready anything from someone who said, "Yeah, I saw him there.", or, "Yeah, I trained under him and he he taught me XYZ". My research may be lacking, but I've just never read any first person accounts. Souetre has claimed that even though he had a U.S. passport, he never actually traveled to to the U.S. There is a suspicion that he met with some people in the Fontainbleau Hotel in Miami in April of 1963, but I need to do more research on that. Steve Thomas

In his Letter of Resignation to the Director of the Minsk Radio Factory dated May 18, 1962, Lee Harvey Oswald signed his letter: Lee H. Oswald, Locksmith of the Experimental Shop. (22H) CE 1314 p. 486 https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=1317#relPageId=516&tab=page I never knew that about him. Steve Thomas

Sandy, I don't want to detract from this thread, but a while back I wrote a piece on what I thought was a possible lead for the rambler. You can read it here if you like: https://myjfksite.weebly.com/ Scroll down just a little ways. I make the case for the car belonging to the House on Harlandale guys, and the driver as Manuel Rodriguez Orcarberro. Steve Thomas

Joe, I don't think so. http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/russ/testimony/craig.htm Mr. BELIN - Why would you think it was a Nash? Mr. CRAIG - Because it had a built-in luggage rack on 'the top. And--uh--at the time, this was the only type car I could fit with that type luggage rack. Mr. BELIN - A Nash Rambler-is that what you're referring to? Mr. CRAIG - Yes; with a rack on the the back portion of the car, you know. Steve Thomas

Hi Jeff, It's been a long time since I read Graef's WC testimony. Wow! That's some job application process. No phone, no social security number, no signature on the application, a PO Box as your permanent address. Mr. GRAEF. Into this box here---at the time that I interviewed him, it was probably--then, I--after this card was written, he may have been employed here at our place, oh, perhaps a week or two before this card was brought in to him to sign. Mr. JENNER. I see. Mr. GRAEF. In other words, I think because of the busy way the department runs, sometimes days will elapse before we get around to getting one of these to him and getting his social security number and so forth. In other words, he came to work and some days may have elapsed from the time, for example, that we had the interviews, there may have been some days passed before he actually came to work. Now, at this time, when I took this information down on my notes, my personal notes of the interview, there was no phone number, as I recall. Steve Thomas