Steve Thomas

John, This is Chapter 5 from The Taking of America, 1-2-3 by Richard Sprague. Here's the Table of Contents: http://www.ratical.org/ratville/JFK/ToA/ Steve Thomas

James, One person's name I didn't see was Fernando Fernandez. From Richard Billings' New Orleans Journal http://www.jfk-online.com/billings2.html "A spy was found in camp in August, driven to Miami and questioned by Laureano Batista . . . CDP tried to turn spy over to FBI, but Bureau had no jurisdiction . . Fowler points out there were two camps -- one CDP where the spy, Fernando Fernandez, was caught; another run by ultra conservatives . . . Turns out CDP camp didn't break up when spy was caught (claim they knew he was there all the time and kept him for protection against other infiltrators) . . . " Also, Rolando Cubela's name isn't on that list either Steve Thomas

Eugene, If you read through Fritz's and Hosty's interrogation notes, I don't think anyone in an official capacity spoke to Oswald about the assassination of JFK until he was arraigned for the crime around 11:30 PM. Coming out of that midnight "press conference", he was stunned. Steve Thomas

I came across another reference in a usenet discussion group. This camp amy have involved Sam Benton: "In early July 1963, a FBI informant in the DRE advised that Sam Benton had 2,500 pounds of dynamite hidden in Mississippi, and wanted to obtain B-24 aircraft for a new strategy against the oil refineries that involved the DRE. " Steve Thomas

I was eading through LHO in New Orleans, Part I by Dave Reitzes and came across this passage: http://www.acorn.net/jfkplace/03/JA/DR/.dr09.html "Rudolph Davis told (FBI Agent Warren) DeBrueys that Laureano Batista, of the Christian Democratic Movement in Miami, had sent the men to New Orleans. In a follow-up report dated September 18, 1963, the SAC of the New Orleans FBI Office informed the Director, that in view of the interview with Rudolph Richard Davis, "New Orleans will limit its inquiries to the possible existence in Mississippi of a training camp where 12 men were allegedly being trained on a ranch." (FBI NO 97-4110-65; Weberman) SA Warren DeBrueys prepared a report on October 3, 1963, which concerned Rudolph Richard Davis, most of which was withheld. [FBI 97-4110; Weberman)." Does anyone know about a training camp in Mississippi? Steve Thomas

Larry, Thanks. The whole Mexico City thing is way too complex for me to get into too deeply. I think it would take a lifetime of study just on that one aspect of the JFK case. The whole address exchange is almost like they are talking in code. Have you ever seen transcripts of Duran's interrogation by the Mexican police? I shudder to think about how brutal that must have been. Steve Thomas

On Saturday, September 28, 1963, Sylvia Duran phone the Soviet Consulate in Mexico City and told them that she had an American in her office who had previously been to the Soviet Consulte. The first Russian she spoke to put a second Russian on the line and she put this American on the phone. Lopez Report pp. 89-91 http://history-matters.com/archive/jfk/hsc...ezRpt_0089a.htm The Russian said, "What else do you want?" In broken Russian, the American said, "I was just now at your Embassy, and they took my address." The Russian said, "I know that." The American said, "I did not know it then. I went to the Cuban Embassy to ask them for my address, because they have it." The Russian said, "Why don't you come again and leave your address with us; it is not far from the Cuban Embassy." The American said, "I'll be there right away." Now what's up with this? Are we to take the verbs, TOOK, ASK THEM FOR IT, and LEAVE literally? This is after Marina has left with Ruth Paine to go and live with her in Irving. LHO knew where Ruth Paine lived. And why wouldn't he have known his address after having been "just now at your Embassy and they "took" it? On November 8, 1963 lHO allegedly wrote a letter to the Soviet Embassy in Washington in which he not only mentioned having met a Comrade Kostin, but also said that he couldn't afford to stay in Mexico any longer because he would have had to "give them my real name." Anybody know what in the world is going on here? Steve Thomas

James, I read the other day according to the Warren Report, after the assassination, two Cubans were arrested in Dealey Plaza, but were released because they couldn''t speak English. (Can't find that in the Report at this moment). Any clues on who they might have been? Steve Thomas

Mark, Yes, that's Captain Fritz. The white Stetson's worn by members of the Homicide and Robbery Bureau were a bone of contention in the Department. Steve Thomas

Wade, Yes, if you go to the index for the archives and look under Frazier's name, you should find a report from the officers about picking Buell Wesley Frazier up for questioning. He was actually arrested by the Irving police and held until the Dallas Police could get there. An intersting sidenote...If you read the WC testimony of Nancy Perrin Rich, it was Enfields that Ruby et.al. were talking about smuggling into Cuba. Steve Thomas

Ron, I have tried to reconcile what Carr said he saw about the car and what Howard Brennan said in his 1988 book, "Eyewitness to History." "While surveying the area, I glanced away to the side of the Depository Building and found something I could not understand. At that time there was a side entrance towards the rear of the building on Houston Street. At some point during the morning hours, the police had sealed off parking in that block and forced all cars to move. Saw horses were placed at Elm and Houston to block traffic. As I looked around I saw a lone car parked beside the Book Depository with a while male seated behind the wheel. The car was an Oldsmobile, a 1955–57 model. It is difficult to tell the exact year unless one is an expert because all those years looked nearly alike. I remember wondering why all the other cars had been made to move and this one had not. I didn’t have the chance to study the driver carefully but he was wearing civilian clothes and appeared to be middle aged. One thing that interested me about the car was the way it was parked. The left front wheel was pulled sharply away from the curb and the driver had the door partially open. Later I wondered if the reason for this was so the car could make a quick U-turn in a speedy departure. As I was watching the man in the car I saw a policeman who was on foot walk over towards the car and begin talking to the man in a friendly, laughing manner. So far as I could see, there was no attempt made to get the man to move his car and after chatting for a minute or so, the policeman walked back to his post. It was this fact that made me think the police should have made some report about the presence of the car, but I have never seen any other account of this “mystery car.” I glanced back towards the street to the side of the building. The car I had seen PARKED there before the motorcade passed WAS GONE. Although only a few moments had elapsed and all exits were blocked except one, the car had disappeared. The policeman who had been talking to the driver was gone, but I assumed he was looking for the gunman. Many times since, especially in recent years, I have thought about the car parked alongside the Texas Book Depository and wondered where it came from and where it went. I have always wondered why the policeman allowed the car to be parked illegally beside the building with its wheels turned outward when other cars had been made to vacate the area. Of course, the paramount question in my mind was, “Who was the man sitting behind the wheel that day?” As I watched the car, it never occurred to me that an assassination was about to take place and this might be the “get-away” car. Even though I could not have positively identified the man behind the wheel, I can say this for certain. The man was white, middle-aged and dressed in civilian clothes." I have tried to look at pictures of the Houston St. side of the TSBD prior to the assassination to see if either of the two cars mentioned by Carr and Brennan could be identified, but so far, no luck. Steve Thomas

Ah.... Duh..... Leo Poldo is Leopoldo of the Sylvia Odio fame Steve Thomas

This is the first time I've encountered this name. I was reading an online site on Kennedy's assassination by William Gambrill and Nathaniel Amory http://www.trincoll.edu/classes/hist300/group4/cubans.htm and they had this to say, "Many police records report that associates of Oswald claimed that he was a member of the Cuban Revolutionary Council, a political wing of the Cuban insurgents. Oswald was identified in Dallas in early October while working in conjunction with to prominent members of an anti-Castro group. According to Leo Poldo, an associate of Oswald, Oswald said, “I’ll bet you Cubans could kill Kennedy for what he did to you at the Bay of Pigs.” Does anyone know what police reports they are referring to, and have you ever heard of Leo Poldo? Steve Thomas

Ron, In his Clay Shaw trial testimony, Carr said he could be sure if the men he saw came out from the side door on Houston, or the back door on the north side of the building. Victoria Adams said she left the TSBD by the Houston St. door. There was another door on the northside of the building and anyone leaving be that door might have been facilitated by people standing guard at that door. Officer Welcome Barnett said: Welcome Barnett (7H542-543) "…so I decided I was the only one watching the building. So since this was the only fire escape and THERE WERE OFFICERS DOWN HERE WATCHING THIS BACK DOOR , I returned back around to the front to watch the front of the building and the fire escape." As near as I can figure it, W.B. Barnett was the first policeman to arrive at the TSBD and did so within 90 seconds or so. (He was on the Elm and Houston corner.) So who were these officers in the back of the building? Maybe the same ones David Harkness saw: David Harkness (6H312) Mr. BELIN - Then you went around to the back of the building? Mr. HARKNESS - Yes, sir. Mr. BELIN - Was anyone around in the back when you got there? Mr. HARKNESS - There were some Secret Service agents there. I didn't get them identified. They told me they were Secret Service. And, they could have been the same ones James Romack saw: James Romack (6H281) Mr. BELIN. Did you see any employees walk up the back way? Mr. ROMACK. There was two other gentlemen which I never said anything about, that taken over. They were FBI or something standing right here at the very entrance, and just stood there. Mr. BELIN. You are pointing again to the back stairway that leads up from the street to the dock on the north side of the building? Mr. ROMACK. Right. Steve Thomas

Roger and john, Thank you. I read the 1967 statement of Teodosio Bahadue on the web site above. He and Del Valle were involved in a truck buying business. What do you think the chances are that Del Valle was the other man at the Bolton Ford dealership with Oswald trying to buy trucks in 1961? Steve Thomas

Does anyone have a picture of Eladio del Valle they could post? Thanks, Steve Thomas

James, That is very interesting indeed. It looks like it extends beyond the vertical surface of the exterior of the building. Another curious not. Look at the two windows on the extreme west side of the sixth floor. Both of them are open. Now compare them with the beginning of the Alyea film here: http://www.jfk-online.com/1alyea.html The easternmost of the two windows is closed. Which came first, the Hughes film or the Alyea film? If Alyea came after Highes, why would someone close that window? Steve Thomas

Robin, I once tried to identify this motorcycle officer and through a process of elimination, came up with Bobby Joe Dale. Report of an FBI interview with Jack Hardee December 26, 1963 at the Mobile Co. jail, Mobile AL. Hardee was incarcerated there in "federal custody" Hardee's wife also worked for Jack Ruby. (23H373) HARDEE also stated that the police officer whom LEE HARVEY OSWALD allegedly killed after he allegedly assassinated the President was a frequent visitor to Ruby's night club, along with another officer who was a motorcycle patrol in the Oaklawn section of Dallas. HARDEE stated from his observation there appeared to be a very close relationship between these three individuals. I was curious if the motorcycle officer Harry Olsen and Jack Hardee mention could be the same person. Ian Griggs in the Lancer Forum 1/30/03: "DPD motorcycle officer Bobby Joe Dale (who rode in the motorcade) lived at 3615 Theatre Lane at this time. This was located in the Oak Lawn district of Dallas, close to the Lemmon Avenue/Turtle Creek Boulevard intersection. This is about three miles north of Dealey Plaza. Now it gets interesting. During the period leading up to 22nd November, Harry Olsen was also living there, I believe as Dale's lodger (when he wasn't spending his nights at Kathy Kay's apartment!)." From Harry Olsen's testimony: Mr SPECTER. Then what time did you go to Kay's house? Mr OLSEN. When I got--when the motorcycle officer came and relieved me. Mr SPECTER. About what time was that? Mr OLSEN. Oh, 8; about 8. I was curious to see if I could find what time Dale got off duty, so I started checking around. In Purdue Lawrence's personnel assignments, it shows B.J. Dale being assigned to the rear of the motorcade and given call number 161 ( I think). http://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk...Vol20_0255a.htm I went through the DPD radio transcripts and didn't see any broadcasts from 161 on either channel 1 or channel 2. His name doesn't appear in the DPD Archives Index, so it doesn't look like he filed an after-action report either. In Batchelor's Exhibit of Personnel assignments, B.J. Dale's normal monthly routine for November was the 4:00PM to Midnight shift, but then it looks like all those motorcycle patrolmen had their assignments rearranged for the President's visit. http://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk...Vol19_0076b.htm Steve Thomas

Hi Larry, And isn't it interesting that in spite of taking some rather public pro-Castro positions - leafletting, radio debates, street fights, etc. that as far as we know, Oswald was not approached by anyone from the pro-Castro camp. It was only anti-Castro people who sought him out, or that he sought out - visiting Bringuer and Bannister, etc. Steve Thomas

Lee, I did a google search on General Clay Odum and came up totally blank. There apparently is nothing on the web, not even a biography put out by the military. That makes me highly suspicious. Steve Thomas

Tim, Thank you. I believe the same thing was happening in the Parrot Jungle Pet place in Florida. Steve

Lee, Supposedly, the driveway between these two houses connected to the alley in the back. I'm sorry, I can't remember where I read this, but one or more witnesses at the Tippit shooting, who were not among the official witnesses listed or interviewed by the Warren Commission said that another Dallas Police car was coming down that driveway, and when Tippit drove by, the other police car backed up and left by the alley. Steve Thomas

Lee, I have always contended that the evidence of conspiracy can be found even more than the number of shots that hit, in the number of shots that missed. Steve Thomas

Tim, What if LHO was serving as an agent provocateur? The COINTELPRO papers are full of agent provocateurs urging others to commit acts of violence. Steve Thomas

Jack, How would you interpret this comment from Marina Oswald? Mr. RANKIN. Did you like the photographic work? Mrs. OSWALD. Yes. It was interesting for him. When he would see his work in the newspaper he would always point it out. Steve Thomas