David Boylan
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Gerry,
Fascinating stuff. I've often felt like a "mushroom" myself. (Ya get left in the dark and xxxx on.)
On a side note, just a military history question, I wonder if you ever heard of a Cpt. E.A. Kearns (I think it was Edward). Kearns was mostly in Burma during WWII. I don't think he was with Merrill. After WWII, Kearns went on to head the MP/CID school at the Carlisle Barracks until the advent of the Korean War.
Dave
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Gerry,
How much truth is in this article by Martino?
Is he referring to 2nd Naval G?
Is there anything to the claim that Castro was to be booted?
Cuba and the Kennedy Assassination – by John Martino (Human Events. Jan, 1964)
During the three years that I was incarcerated in Cuban prisons, former intimates told me of the Red dictator’s irrational hatred of President Kennedy. One Red publication, I remember, displayed a fake photograph showing the President and the First Lady careening drunk through the streets of Mexico City during their official visit in 1962. Another-the magazine Mella, featured a cartoon in which John F. Kennedy was depicted as a dope pusher injecting narcotics into the arm of a child.
This almost insane hatred was not due to any belief that President Kennedy was strongly anti-communist. It was partly jealously [sic] on Castro’s part of the way that JFK’s personality had captured the imagination of the Cuban people. For almost six month’s, it has been assumed in Cuban circles in Miami and in Havana that the Kennedy Administration planned to eliminate Fidel Castro, his brother Raul; Che Guevara and various others through a putsch.
Cuban exiles here understand that plans for this operation were cleared with a Soviet representative in Europe shortly after the missile crisis of last October (1962). The old-line communists inside the Castro regime were to take part in the operation together with Castro henchmen that were paid to switch sides. The plan involved a more or less token invasion from Central America to be synced with the coup. A left-wing coalition government was to be set up, including leaders of the Cuban Communist party. The most talked about candidate to head this “democratic” regime was Huber Matos, a former Castro commander, who is at the present the most privileged prisoner on the Isle of Pines. Matos enjoys a private room and a television set. He is allowed to strut around in his uniform as one of Castro’s commandants while decent and patriotic Cubans in the same prison suffer unspeakable tortures.
The plan allegedly involved complete withdrawal of Soviet troops, release of all political prisoners, U.S. occupation of Cuba and a new government of the Tito or Ben Bella type. It was to be staged for February 1964. According to reports from usually reliable exile sources, Khrushchev had agreed to the plan because of the importance to the Soviet Union of re-electing the Democratic Administration. The plan provided that Castro and his fellow experts in murder and genocide were to be given safe conduct out of Cuba. From the Soviet standpoint, all that was involved was a slight tactical retreat in Cuba to be offset by advances on other Latin American fronts, such as Brazil and Chile. From Castro’s standpoint, however, it meant the end of his career as a world figure and refused to go along with it.
Assassination of President Kennedy was a bold way of checkmating the plan. At a reception in the Brazilian Embassy in Havana in early September, Castro told newsmen that CIA agents had been sent to the island to kill him and Raul. If Kennedy was behind this, he added, the American President should realize that he was not the only politician that could engineer the assassinations of chiefs of state. This story was published in the Miami News on November 24. Meanwhile Emilio Nunez Portuondo, the distinguished former Cuban ambassador to the United Nations and one-time president of its Security Council, informed his friend and associate in Mexico, Dr. Jose Antonio Cabarga, of Castro’s threat. El Universal, one of Mexico’s leading newspapers, published the story as a front page exclusive. Immediately thereafter, the Mexican police arrested Cargaga for delivering the report to El Universal and beat him up so badly that he is now hospitalized.
This is typical of the conduct of the Mexican police President Adolfo Lopez Mateos, whose pro-communist background and associations are myriad. For example, when Tito visited Mexico a few months ago, newspaper publishers were ordered to print only laudatory articles on the Yugoslav dictator. To prove to the world that Mexico has a free press, however, two or three critical articles were approved and ordered published. Immediately before the Tito visit, a few anti-communists students attempted to destroy posters praising the Balkan butcher. They were caught by the police, held incommunicado for a few days and subjected to tortures which leave no permanent scars. For example, one was hanged by the feet and repeatedly dropped on his head, but so lightly that his skull was not broken.
The Cubans in the South Florida area have had dealings with Oswald in the past and they are not willing to join the press in dismissing him as a fanatic, a psychopath or a pathetic, maladjusted youth. When he was in Miami, Oswald attempted to join an organization of Americans engaged in training Cubans in guerrilla warfare, headed by Jerry Patrick. As a former Marine, Oswald would have been useful, but he failed to pass a security check and was turned down. Oswald made similar approaches to the Cuban Revolutionary Student Directorate (DRE) and to JURE, another organization of Cuban freedom fighters, but was rejected.
Many Americans will never have used a psychologically unstable person of this sort and that they would have shunned Oswald because of his record of long and notorious Red associations. This is true as far as Soviet-oriented Reds are concerned. However, the Kremlin Communists were certainly innocent of complicity in the assassination for the simple reason that Khrushchev had no reason to desire Kennedy’s death. Fidel Castro probably had very few potential assassins in this country who were loyal to him rather than to Moscow. Those Reds who follow Castro tend t be more zealous and destructive elements in the movement, people consumed by hatred, not only of Western civilization, but of mankind in general.
If Castro needed an assassin, he would have had to search among the Maoists, the Stalinists and the neo-Trotskyites-in another words, among people as disturbed, warped, hate-saturated and wicked as Oswald. The fact that the crime was committed in Dallas, a center of American conservative and nationalist movements, was probably not accidental. Had Oswald managed to escape to Cuba, the liberal press and the Establishment could have placed the entire blame for the murder of the President, not on America’s Communist enemies, but on those who love this country and wish to preserve its institutions and its heritage.
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AMAURY MURGADO ANSWERED A SERIOUS OF QUESTIONS POSED TO HIM BY MR. SIMIKIN (His words are below:)
Please remember the information and the statements I have provided you thus far. I will answer you, as best I can, in that framework. These answers reflect a conversation with my father on 11-6-5. No updated picture is forthcoming from my father.
(1) When and where was your father born?
Havana, Cuba 10-2-39
(2) When did he arrive in the United States?
December 1956
(3) When did he join the Bay of Pigs operation.
February 1961, Brigade 2506 Serial Number 3266
Paratrooper Battalion, Company A, HQ's Radio Operator
(4) Was he captured?
21-22 April (one of the last ones) captured in full paratrooper uniform, never got out of it like others did. He maintained his soldier status throughout.
(5) If so, what happened to him?
He became POW at Pricenpe Castle. On the day the Brigade was getting ready to leave after the negotiations for their release succeeded, my father and eight others were taken to the airport to say goodbye to the Brigade as a form of punishment as they were slotted for execution and would never see them again. While at the airport, the Cuban government changed there execution to 30 years hard labor. Eventually that day, they were the last nine to leave.
(6) When did your father first meet Robert Kennedy?
No answer
(7) What instructions did he give your father concerning his investigations in New Orleans.
RFK never gave any instruction to my father on the subject. Since my father and Artime were working with RFK, my father pitched the idea to RFK and he allowed it. My father was concerned that some brigade hotheads or other upset Cubans with the Bay of Pigs fiasco might do something stupid, so he was given authority to conduct an independent investigation and keep RFK informed. These meetings were generally at RFK's West Palm Beach home, with no other people around except Artime who dad says would be on the phone most of the time.
(8) Was he investigating anti or pro Castro Cubans?
My father's idea revolved around keeping tabs on anti-Castro hot heads that were blaming JFK for the bay of Pigs fiasco. This was not a massive intelligence operation, just a low key attempt by my father. His job was just anti-Castro hotheads with Brigade 2506 ties. What other people were doing and why were of no concern to him. (Under compartmentalization, only those in the need to know do...).
(9) Did the rumors of assassination plots involve both of these groups.
My father had no specific information on anything inparticular. He just wanted to keeps tabs on possible renegade activity.
(10) At what stage did your father realize that Oswald was a FBI agent?
My father's only comment was he developed sources that advised him that Oswald was with the FBI as an informant. This information was passed on to RFK as with all information garnished from my father's activities. RFK was always briefed by my father personally. Artime was always with them but would not always attend the briefings. He will not discuss these sources or anything further on the topic.
(11) Why did your father visit Silvia Odio?
My father new Silvia socially in Miami. It always seems that everyone knows everyone from Cuba. His investigation led to some questions that Sylvia might help him with. My father says all the things written about the Sylvia incident are bogus. Oswald was inside the apartment when he and Benny arrived. The why's and who's for the perpetuation of Sylvia's disinformation are not part of my father's involvement and are for someone else to answer.
(12) Did your father go to Silvia's apartment with Bernardo de Torres?
Yes. At the time Benny was an associate of my father but not a key player with RFK/Artime. My father used to take him on minor assignments to help out. On this particular day, my father took Benny along. He just accompanied my father to see Sylvia. As to the rest of the story, my father says it didn't happen. Again, what and why the Odio Incident keeps perpetuating itself in the form it does is for someone else to answer.
If I remember correctly, there is a body of information out there that says Sylvia was seen with Oswald several times. I mentioned this to Professor Mellen and she had trouble accepting this. She had trouble with many of the things I brought up to her about her Key West article. Some of the items in her book will differ with my father's comments because as I have said before, she did not take notes nor tape record any of her conversations with my father. I am sure her writing is not malicious, but not everything she writes can be attributed to my father).
(13) You say in your email " The only reason Oswald was known to my father
was the same way most of New Orleans new him...through the newspaper and
other media outlets. Oswald if you remember was working very hard at getting
himself noticed.
Did your father begin to investigate Oswald when his activities began to appear in the newspapers?
Oswald was not part of my father's task. My father was concentrating on the Cuban renegades. He only brought the
information back to RFK as background and advised RFK that Oswald was an FBI informant. It was never more than just
that at the time. Obviously after the assassination, it was quite a shock to learn about Oswald.
(14) If Oswald was an undercover FBI agent, why was he attempting to draw so much attention towards himself?
That question has to be answered by someone else. Oswald was not part of my father's assignment.
(15) You also said: "But lets agree that its a safe bet that if Oswald did
kill JFK, would you admit to having him in your apartment."
However, why would she also add the two mysterious Cubans to the story? Why not simply
tell the FBI you were mistaken when you had the chance and it was Hall and
Howard etc. Or why try and take it all to the HSCA a few years later. Why
keep associating the two Cubans with your visitor. Which perhaps takes us
back to the why of the "call back". Clearly Sylvia had the chance to recant
and back out of this many times and she did not.
That is not a question for my father but for Sylvia.
(16) You say in your email: "My father's mission for RFK was fact finding
and keeping tabs on any renegades from the Cuban side that might be planning
to do harm to the president. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to note that
when a group of Cubans who are upset at the president leave Florida and head
to New Orleans they might bear watching.
" Why did your father not come
forward after the assassination of JFK? This information might have helped
track down the killers of JFK.
Come forward with what and to whom? My father was already working with RFK at the time...RFK was always briefed and had all the information. Remember prior to the assassination Oswald was considered working with the FBI in some type of capacity. After the assassination, RFK and others choose to squash the investigation and made sure it concluded Oswald acted alone. RFK was his brother's keeper (my father says that all the time). This is all historical record now with the subsequent release of classified documents.
Why would my father come forward to anyone else? RFK was the Attorney General of the United States, technically with regards to law enforcement, RFK was the highest authority in the land at the time. Why call the FBI when Oswald was already known to them? So who else is left to report to? Regardless of what is floating out there now, my father did his job the way it needed to be done at the time. He didn't need to come forward because he already had.
I read this to my father, which was part of an answer to Mr. Gratz. My father said it would suffice as his answer to your question.
(17) How did Robert Kennedy react to the news that your father had been in
contact with Oswald before the assassination. Did he want your father to
give this information to the FBI?
My dad tells me that after the assassination, RFK was in deep shock. RFK did not make contact with my father and Artime until about 2 or 2.5 months later. It was clear at this meeting that no one had any answers. It was at this final meeting in West Palm Beach that my father and RFK last spoke. RFK told my father that it was over and done (meaning what they had been working on). That ended my father's involvement directly with RFK. As said before, there was no reason to tell anyone anything, they already knew.
(17) Is it possible to provide some biographical information on your father
since 1963?
My father thank you for your interest but declines to answer. I can tell you as his son, he went on to do many things for and on behalf of the Brigade such as form an AMVETS post and secure that the Brigade members are considered as veterans of the US Armed Forces. He also participated in trying to get back the bodies of slain Brigade members brought back from Cuba.
I hope this fulfills your request for information. I am glad my father choose to answer more in depth. I do have one change in that in an prior email I mentioned that my father went to Virginia to meet with RFK. I was mistaken. He either met in Washington (2-3 times) or in RFK's West Palm Beach home. I apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.
Amaury,
Just a thanks to your father for all that he's done over the years. I'm sure that it hasn't been an easy life and I'm sure he sacrificed plenty.
Dave
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One of the names in Nagell's address book was Dr. John Lechner, followed by "Americanism Educational League."
Do you know why Nagell was investigating him? Was it his activities regarding Paulino Sierra?
I'm not aware of any connection between Dr. John Lechner and Paulino Sierra, but that sounds intriguing.
Dick,
Here's what little I have on Lechner:
Lechner, Executive Director of the Americanism Educational League, a political arm of the California American Legion.
Lechner and Burt Mold met with Cuban exiles Cesar Blanco and Paulino Sierra in Chicago during the month of February 1963 to discuss writing a document on uniting the different Cuban exile factions. Mold and Lechner were the founders of a subcommittee of the Americanism Educational League called Americans for Cuban Freedom formed in 1961 after the failed Bay of Pigs invasion. Noted members were Guy Gabaldon, , Dr. Tirse Del Junco and W. Cleon Skousen.
Dave
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Statements are made in Torbitt’s book that are known to be incorrect; others are suspect but should be subject to being proven right or wrong.
[...]
Torbitt also says that an associate of Osborne since the 1920s was a Syrian named (oddly) Fred Lee Crismon. Crismon, born in 1919, was not Syrian and was a child in the 1920s. Torbitt says also that Osborne was a minister of the American Council of Christian Churches (ACCC), which is not true based on everything we know about Osborne’s ministerial activity.
Crisman came to attention of Garrison with this letter:
Mr. G;
Out on the coast is a man you should talk with. Trace this
information out. His name is Fred Lee Crisman, of Tacaoma, Wash.
He flys to New Orleans steadily. 1964 eleven times. 1965, 17
times. 1966 32 times, 1967 24 times. He is the first man Clay
called after being told he was in trouble and he is the first
man that Beckham called also. He was questioned by both the CIA
and FBI in 1966 but he is able to call Wash. and they laid off of
him in a hurry. He is very good friends with Cubans and specially
SA [sergio Arcacha] in Dallas (he goes there too) and J.R. [Jorge
Rodriguez] in N.O.
Mr. Crisman is a very odd man. He supplied money for certain
political campaigns and in return is very much protected by both
Lou. politicos and Wash. state people. He has a diplomatic
passport issued on the word of a senate chairman of a committee.
He seems to have no income and certainly spends a large sum of
money on air travel. He is friends with F. Gremillion of your
state. His private office has an unlisted number (206 Ma 7-4790)
and is the meeting place for many odd characters from Cubans
to political figures. Ask him to take a lie detector test and
then ask him where he put the $200,000 dollars delivered to him
by Beckham in August of '67. (Cuban Money) Money that is used to
recruit killers to be sent to Cuba to try for Castro ask him if
it is not true that he has sent 5 different men to S.A. in Dallas
for final briefing. Make Crisman talk and you will have the
answer to why there has been fighting among certain Cuban factions
over the money in certain buried places. You know this is true
because some special Cubans have dropped out of sight. (Dropped
in Torpedo Junction) Crisman is also a pilot. He is the man that
through Beckham and S.A. (Arcacha] paid off certain people is
it not odd that he was a friend of Clay's as well as Beckham.
Is it not strange that he knew Tippet! Just ask Crisman certain
questions under a lie detector and see what the answers are. He
is the one that advised Mark Evans [beckham's alias] to hide
out in Iowa and NOT to go to N.O. to make any statement about
money or anything. Have an investigator check out the amount of
long distance calls that Beckham (Evans) has made to Crisman in
the past year and the wild places Crisman calls. He is leaving
for Europe in Jan. Keep digging Jim, you have some odd fish
on the run.
And Thomas Beckham told the HSCA investiagtors this about Crisman:
Delsa: Okay. Now, to bring this down and put it on record. In our preliminary discussions before, later in your contact with the Organization, with Crisman, Crisman you found to be at these various Churches.
Beckham: Uhum, uhum.
Delsa: Now, you don't know this for a fact, but you spoke to us prior to this in a discussion, and told us who you believed set this system up in New Orleans. Will you tell us now, who do you think set this system up with the Church?
Beckham: Well, I think Fred Crisman, because the Organization is all over the country. I'd rather not go into it now because there are different connections of people and other things, but I think Fred Crisman is the whole, front of the whole thing because he's not just a, he has too many contacts, too many, you know, he tells me who to contact. As a matter of fact, one time I was, had received a telephone call from a priest, and which you very well know his name, and I pronounce, starts with a "B", y'know. You had a thing in your file. [Ray Broshears]
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Dick,
One of the names in Nagell's address book was Dr. John Lechner, followed by "Americanism Educational League."
Do you know why Nagell was investigating him? Was it his activities regarding Paulino Sierra?
Dave
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George Butler is indeed an interesting character and has already been discussed here:
http://educationforum.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=1615
George Butler was born in Texas in 1907. He joined the Dallas Police Force and in October, 1946, Paul Rowland Jones, an underworld crime boss, contacted Lieutenant Butler and offered him money to help him establish his gambling operation in Dallas. Butler arranged a meeting between Jones and Sheriff Steve Guthrie. Jones offered Guthrie an annual sum of $150,000. This conversation was recorded and Jones was eventually convicted of attempted bribery. Jones appealed his three-year sentence on grounds that he had been entrapped by a well-established corrupt law-enforcement system in Dallas.
According to Seth Kantor: "Butler's... knowledge of organized crime was so intimate that he had been the key man in the department contacted by the Chicago mob when the chose to move into Dallas in 1946 and make police payoffs" and later he was "loaned by the Dallas police department to aid three different U.S. Senate investgatory groups as an expert on gangster operations".
In his dealings with organized crime Butler got to know Jack Ruby. Ruby's sister, Eva Grant had been involved with Paul Rowland Jones and Waldron Duncan in an attempt to transport opium between Chicago and Dallas. Later Butler was to claim that Ruby had been a sleeper (a member of organized crime who maintained the image of a law-abiding citizen. Steve Guthrie told the FBI that Ruby was a front-man in Dallas for the Chicago syndicate.
On 24th November, 1963, Jesse Curry decided to transfer Lee Harvey Oswald to the county jail. Will Fritz placed Butler in immediate charge of the transfer. Despite his role in the transfer of Oswald to the county jail and his long term relationship with Ruby, Butler was not interviewed by the Warren Commission. In his testimony to the commission, Thayer Waldo of the Fort Worth Star Telegram, claimed that during the transfer Butler "was an extremely nervous man, so nervous that when I was standing asking him a question after I had entered the ramp and gotten down to the basement area, just moments before Oswald was brought down, he was standing profile to me and I noticed his lips trembling as he listened and waited for my answer. It was simply a physical characteristic. I had by then spent enough time talking to this man so that it struck me as something totally out of character."
On 9th December, 1963, Jack Revill wrote to Jesse Curry claiming that Butler: "related that he had information that Lee Harvey Oswald was the illegitimate son of Jack Ruby. Lieutenant Butler further stated that he had information that Jack Ruby had applied for a visa to Mexico about the same time that Lee Harvey Oswald visited that country. He suggested that we contact the Mexican Consul to confirm this information."
Thayer Waldo told the Warren Commission that Butler had for many years provided him with important information about the Dallas police department. Waldo also contacted Mark Lane and informed him that he had discovered that Jack Ruby, J. D. Tippet and Bernard Weismann had a meeting at the Carousel Club eight days before the assassination. Waldo added that he was too scared to publish the story and other information that he had about the assassination. Lane introduced Waldo to Dorothy Kilgallen. Her article on the Tippit, Ruby and Weissman meeting appeared on the front page of the Journal American.
I believe that this information about the meeting at the Carousel Club originally came from Butler. It is possible that it was Butler who provided Dorothy Kilgallen with the information about the Jesse Curry's tapes. Butler also provided information to W. Penn Jones Jr. According to Jones, Butler told him that 50% of the Dallas Police Department were also members of the Ku Klux Klan.
Sylvia Meagher later claimed that Butler gave contradictory information to the FBI and to the press about Ruby’s past criminal associations and activities.
The Dallas Police website had some information on George Butler (for many years he was President of the Dallas Police Association. In fact, the Dallas Police Association headquarters building has been officially named the “George E. Butler Building” in his honour. However, this page is currently unavailable:
I believe the head of the Dallas area KKK was the Reverend Roy E. Davis. Davis was the editor of The Fiery Cross.
From http://www.cuban-exile.com/doc_051-075/doc0062e.html
Q: Was Dixon's name mentioned at anytime, the one in Dallas of the K.K.K.
A: The only man in Dallas that he mentioned that was a good patriot down in Texas, and engineering a lot of activity there was a Mr. Davis a reverend Dr. Davis, a preacher, head of the Klu Klux Klan. He was a man who didn't worry about human life, that he worried about his nation now. I know of Davis for several years. This Milteer now says that he doesn't want too much talk about Kennedy anymore, now he is alledgeling his war against the Jews, and their associates. But the Klu Klux Klan and the Officials which were Mims and Bolings didn't seem too please with the assassination of the President. Their main purpose was to eliminate Martin Luther King and some of the negro leaders. But I don't know, they didn't give him any assurance of anything, except that they would go along with him with his political party, and that they would put out the pamphlets, when they were properly written and given to them. But they didn't indicate in anyway that they had known or assisted in the assassination of the President. But Milteer didn't give them too much chance to talk and discuss, he just issued orders, he carried on the conversation on what had been done, and what had to be done. And of course, these men from Denmark and Orangeburg seemed more enthused to go along with him on the assassination and that they appreciated the assassination of the President than Mims and Boling.
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The Dallas PD first suspected that Davis was the publisher of the Wanted For Treason posters but an unnamed Dallas PD officer said it wasn't Davis because "he knew Davis and he didn't do it."
Dave
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Thanks, Gerry, for joining in in this discussion. Would appreciate your input to the main question addressed. Did Seymour know Ferrie? Is it conceivable that Russo met Seymour with Ferrie, and confused himself over time into thinking Seymour was Oswald. I don't think that his being with Ferrie necessarily reflects badly on Seymour, if that's a concern, as I imagine a lot of the get-Castro crowd knew Ferrie. Conversely, do you think Russo just made it all up? Did you meet Russo through Garrison? Was he just an attention-seeker?
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[...]
There is no way that Seymour could have met up with LHO or Ferrie, as in his travels with Hall, he, like Howard, were never allowed to ever meet [or attend meetings] with Lester Logue, et al. in Dallas, or the VIP folks in Los Angeles.
Seymour spent the maximum of his "off-duty" time working at shops, as did Bobby Willis -- and this was due to the fact that they didn't enjoy running around without beer money.
[...]
Later,
Gerry Hemming
___________________________--
Gerry,
How helpful were the Dallas VIPs (or LA for that matter) in funding anti-Castro operations? Were they all talk but short on funds?
What (very) little I know, Lester Logue was somewhat helpful in setting up some meetings. (With NB Hunt, Jeb Rose?)
Dave
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Milteer's Response
Valdesta, Ga.
Feb. 9, 1969
Mr. Ned Touchstone
1827 Texas Avenue
Shreveport, La.
Dear Mr. Touchstone:
Quite some time since I have seen you or been out your way. However, I "visit" with you every once in a while through your paper, The Councilor.
From your paper, The Councilor, I see in the January 17th, 1969 Volume 6, No. 7, an article out of Baton Rouge that Big Jim Garrison is about to open his now famous or ill-famous case against Clay Shaw. Such a case has has been started and that is why I am writing to you at this time.
I have enclosed some photo stat copy sent to me by Dr. Edward R. Fields, editor of The Thunderbolt, Savannah, Ga. His letter is self explanatory as you can easily see.
Mr. Touchstone, I am the man that visited in your printing place and told you about forming an organization to be known as, "The States Eagles, and asked your cooperation in helping to put this new RIGHT WING organization before the people. I also talked with Mr. Smith, your associate, about this same matter. We never did arrive at any conclusion. I was a little disappointed to say the least.
Now as you can readily see, it appears that I am "Top Gun" suspect from a leak that has come about and Dr. Fields has so informed me. I ask you to faithfully and diligently and most carefully look into this matter fully and consider all angles before naming a RIGHT WING PATRIOT to such a diabolical plot as this. I am a RIGHT WING man, have been a RIGHT WING man for years and intend to remain a RIGHT WING man the rest of my live long days.
As a man on the RIGHT I fail to see how you can possibly name a man that sees matters as you do, works as you do and does about as you do, to such a fiendish, low, contemptible scheme and plot as is now perpetrated upon the American Public. Especially coming from a so called PIMP as outlined by Dr. Fields.
As Americans we stand together or we fall seperately. I shall appreciate your full cooperation in this matter.
Most sincerely,
J.A. Milteer,
P.O. Box 873,
Valesta, Ga.
31061
Ned Touchstones reply:
February 17, 1969
Dr. Edwards R. Fields
National States Rights Party
P. O. Box 6263
Savannah, Georgia 31405
Dr. Fields and Mr. Milteer:
I am writing you jointly as a result of exchange of correspondence between the two of you and of Mr. Milteer's letter to me of February 9, 1969.
The name of the top gun suspect as given to me is not Milteer. This name begins with an "S".
As Councilor editor I stand on accuracy of stories which have appeared in The Councilor itself. I have made it clear time and again that I do not endorse all of the statements made by Mr. Garrison. In fact, I would think that after Mr. Garrison got deeper into the case that he probably would not endorse some of the remarks that he made during the early period of his investigation. If an innocent man is named in New Orleans as a co-conspirator, then I will be just as dedicated in helping clear his name as I have been in helping to bring the attention of the world to David Ferrie.
Sincerely yours,
Ned Touchstone
P.S. on both letters
I tried to telephone both of you today, but was told that Dr. Fields was out of the offcie and could get no number for Mr. Milteer
Gary,
Thanks for these. If I remember correctly, the "S" shooter hinted at by The Councilor was Emilio Santana.
Dave
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David,
Do you know if the Ed Coyle mentioned from MI is the same guy who is now running the Defense Logistics Automatic Identification Technology division within the Department of Defense?
James
James,
That I don't know but the answer might prove interesting. I believe Coyle was quite young in 1963.
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In September 1963 Loran Hall was en route from LA to No Name Key with a trailer load of weapons when he was stopped and detained for questioning by the Dallas PD. FBI agent W. Harlan Brown was called in and he set Hall free. Brown was a senior Dallas agent working Neutrality Act matters. His partner was James Hosty. Some six weeks after the assassination a source close to the Dallas FBI office divulged that Hosty and Brown were running LHO as a potential criminal informaner. This ties in with the urgent attempts on 11/22 by a Dallas SO deputy, Buddy Walthers, to inform the Secret Service that Oswald was seen at the Harlandale safe house occupied by exile militants who split just before the assassination.
In September 1963 Loran Hall was en route from LA to No Name Key with a trailer load of weapons when he was stopped and detained for questioning by the Dallas PD. FBI agent W. Harlan Brown was called in and he set Hall free. Brown was a senior Dallas agent working Neutrality Act matters. His partner was James Hosty. Some six weeks after the assassination a source close to the Dallas FBI office divulged that Hosty and Brown were running LHO as a potential criminal informaner. This ties in with the urgent attempts on 11/22 by a Dallas SO deputy, Buddy Walthers, to inform the Secret Service that Oswald was seen at the Harlandale safe house occupied by exile militants who split just before the assassination.
Hall, Howard, and Celio Castro Alba managed to get some weapons from various sources. According to Howard the weapons consisted of a “. 30 caliber, there was a scope weapon, and there was M-1s, standard M-1 Girands and M-14, modified, strictly semi...” Some of these weapons were supplied by Ergiaga Arms Company owned by Juan Ergiaga, the former top arms ordinance man for Fidel Castro. The trailor also contained medical supplies. According to Harry Dean, Hall and Howard were given the medical supplies by Harry from Guy Gabaldon’s supply.
The trailor was left in Dallas at Lester Logue's house. Now I'm going to talk out my arse and suggest that Hall left the semis to be converted to fully automatic by a local gun dealer. This would be John Masen. Hall and Bill Seymour came back a week later to pick up the trailor. It was on this return trip that Hall and Seymour were arrested for drug possession — a bottle of Dexedrine. While in custody, Hall was questioned by an FBI agent whom he identified as “Hostel or something”, a Military Intelligence agent, and a “CIA guy.” The “CIA guy” was probably ATF Agent Frank Ellsworth who was working closely with FBI agent James Hosty and Military Intelligence agent Ed Coyle on a gun smuggling case. He claimed that the MI Agent attempted to recruit him. Hall remained in jail for two days before being released. Hall had called Dr. Robert Morris who in turn called Lester Logue. Logue secured an attorney for Hall.
As Gerry mentioned, Hall was probably an FBI informant and this is where he informed on Masen. Heck, he probably informed Hosty when he and Seymour were coming back to Dallas and the PD arrested him and Seymour on a trumped up "Dexedrine" possession charge that they found in the glove compartment.
Dave
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I sold my Schmeisser MP-40 machine-pistol ["Burp-Gun"] to Bobby Willis during November 1961, and purchased the Johnson at Nat'l Gun for $45. This was the same rifle left with Dick Hathcock, as I was cognizant of the fact that Loran Hall was an FBI snitch [L.A. to Miami trip 1963], and the fact that I remained under a "legal disability [federal charges of Neutrality Act violations] -- I knew that I was prohibited from even vicarious possession of a firearm until the charges were disposed of, and also avoiding the risk of bail-bond release revocation. [i forbade his carrying a weapon on the trip, as if found by police in the same car I was riding in, I could be held liable.]
In September 1963 Loran Hall was en route from LA to No Name Key with a trailer load of weapons when he was stopped and detained for questioning by the Dallas PD. FBI agent W. Harlan Brown was called in and he set Hall free. Brown was a senior Dallas agent working Neutrality Act matters. His partner was James Hosty. Some six weeks after the assassination a source close to the Dallas FBI office divulged that Hosty and Brown were running LHO as a potential criminal informaner. This ties in with the urgent attempts on 11/22 by a Dallas SO deputy, Buddy Walthers, to inform the Secret Service that Oswald was seen at the Harlandale safe house occupied by exile militants who split just before the assassination.
Hall, Howard, and Celio Castro Alba managed to get some weapons from various sources. According to Howard the weapons consisted of a “. 30 caliber, there was a scope weapon, and there was M-1s, standard M-1 Girands and M-14, modified, strictly semi...” Some of these weapons were supplied by Ergiaga Arms Company owned by Juan Ergiaga, the former top arms ordinance man for Fidel Castro. The trailor also contained medical supplies. According to Harry Dean, Hall and Howard were given the medical supplies by Harry from Guy Gabaldon’s supply.
The trailor was left in Dallas at Lester Logue's house. Now I'm going to talk out my arse and suggest that Hall left the semis to be converted to fully automatic by a local gun dealer. This would be John Masen. Hall and Bill Seymour came back a week later to pick up the trailor. It was on this return trip that Hall and Seymour were arrested for drug possession — a bottle of Dexedrine. While in custody, Hall was questioned by an FBI agent whom he identified as “Hostel or something”, a Military Intelligence agent, and a “CIA guy.” The “CIA guy” was probably ATF Agent Frank Ellsworth who was working closely with FBI agent James Hosty and Military Intelligence agent Ed Coyle on a gun smuggling case. He claimed that the MI Agent attempted to recruit him. Hall remained in jail for two days before being released. Hall had called Dr. Robert Morris who in turn called Lester Logue. Logue secured an attorney for Hall.
As Gerry mentioned, Hall was probably an FBI informant and this is where he informed on Masen. Heck, he probably informed Hosty when he and Seymour were coming back to Dallas and the PD arrested him and Seymour on a trumped up "Dexedrine" possession charge that they found in the glove compartment.
Dave
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Thanks, Gerry.
That is amazing. Your rifle certainly has an interesting history. Can I ask at what point you got the weapon back from Loran Hall?
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Lee,
I agree that an overall view of weapon types used during the anti-Castro campaigns would be an interesting exercise. In particular how widespread the FAL's were.
James
James.
Not to answer for Gerry, but Loran Hall claimed that he left it at Dr. Crockette's house in Miami. Crockette was a dentist.
Dave
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Hon. W.M. Rainach
Summerfield, Louisiana
Dear Senator Rainach:
Reference is made to our recent telephone conversation regarding the tentative plans for the formation of a State Sovereignty Commission. At that time, I told you of my interest in the position of Chief Investigator.
I have for many years, supervised investigators in conducting investigations of matter which reason dictates will be similar to those the Commission will handle. I am qualified by practical experience, covering a period of more than 20 years, to train the Commissions investigators. I have served as a member of the teaching staff of (4) of the nations leading educational institutions.
I have one of the largest libraries of its kind which is available to the Commission for research.
I also have ample office space, which is available for Commission use, assuming that the Commission will need an office in New Orleans and that you will have your own stenographers, clerks, telephone service, etc.
When you are in New Orleans or Baton Rouge, an appointment with you to discuss this matter further, would be appreciated.
Sincerely yours, Guy Banister,
President
Banister also had contacts with the larger Mississippi Sovereignty Commission.
By the way, Dave if I'm not mistaken Jeff Caufield told me that you had sent him a document from Milteer to Ned Touchstone. Could you post this?
Hi Gary,
I'm not sure were that one is buried but if I can find it, I'll post it.
In my opinion, this was what Banister was doing with Oswald. LHO was performing info gathering for Banister on local leftist groups. Banister already had good connections with members of the far right: Lincoln Rockwell, Rainache, etc. His secretary Delphine Roberts was a vocal supporter of the National States Rights Party.
Dave
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Hon. W.M. Rainach
Summerfield, Louisiana
Dear Senator Rainach:
Reference is made to our recent telephone conversation regarding the tentative plans for the formation of a State Sovereignty Commission. At that time, I told you of my interest in the position of Chief Investigator.
I have for many years, supervised investigators in conducting investigations of matter which reason dictates will be similar to those the Commission will handle. I am qualified by practical experience, covering a period of more than 20 years, to train the Commissions investigators. I have served as a member of the teaching staff of (4) of the nations leading educational institutions.
I have one of the largest libraries of its kind which is available to the Commission for research.
I also have ample office space, which is available for Commission use, assuming that the Commission will need an office in New Orleans and that you will have your own stenographers, clerks, telephone service, etc.
When you are in New Orleans or Baton Rouge, an appointment with you to discuss this matter further, would be appreciated.
Sincerely yours, Guy Banister,
President
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What do members make of Robert D. Morrow? I have just read his book, First Hand Knowledge. He explained in a speech at the State University of New York (28th June, 1991) what the motive for killing JFK:
The assassination of President Kennedy was, to put it simply, an anti-Castro 'provocation', an act designed to be blamed on Castro to justify a punitive American invasion of the island. Such action would most clearly benefit the Mafia chieftains who had lost their gambling holdings in Havana because of Castro, and CIA agents who had lost their credibility with the Cuban exile freedom fighters from the ill-fated Bay of Pigs invasion.
I also believe that this was the primary motive behind the assassination.
Here's my old outdated "theory" on the motive -
Disclaimer: This is just a half-formed kinda fuzzy “maybe” based upon what I read. I reserve the right to change my mind when I get more “data.”
The only way to get Cuba back from Castro was to do two things: remove him by any means, and somehow invade and get a “government in exile” to get a toehold in Cuba and hold it for at least 24 hours. Doesn’t have to be a big force just well armed. But who should be the “government in exile?” Trying to understand Cuban exile politics can get very confusing. Who’s Left who’s Right who was a Castro supporter…If Cuba was freed, who would make up the government? Who would the exile community get behind? Artime? Carlos Prio? Mateo? Kohly? Forget anybody closely tied to Batista. How about Manolo Ray? Too far left. The US government may have gotten behind Artime. Hence the Second Naval Guerrilla. The problem with Artime is that if he became the new Presidente of Cuba, certain people’s interests would not be represented. This includes organized crime and big business. They needed to put their own person in there that they could control. The problem is most of the well known leaders were too independent and had too much political baggage. So, the person selected had to be bright, Cuban, no excess political baggage but controllable. Enter Paulino Sierra Martinez. To bring him on board, Burt Mold and John Lechner were sent to Chicago to make their pitch.
Sierra accepted the conditions and the JGCE was formed. The money had to be tightly controlled by a subsidiary – Union Tank Car. The money controlled by someone high up the company chain – William Browder. Who were Mold and Lechner representing? (Lechner’s name and affiliation were found in Nagell’s notebook) The FBI and CIA were certainly curious. One theory was that he was being backed by “gamblers from out West.” (Jake Lansky) Another CIA/FBI theory was “oil men.” Most of these theories came from Sierra himself. A clue may be William Trull. Trull was Sierra’s temporary babysitter who disappeared after introducing Sierra around the Miami exile community. (Felipe Vidal among others) Trull was from Dallas, Texas and mentioned the King Ranch. Also, while Burt Mold may have had organized crime connections - he later worked in a Vegas Casino - I don’t see John Lechner in that role. Lechner was an old time anti-communist. He was Executive Director of the Americanism Educational League, which was an arm of the California American Legion. He was also very active in the American Committee to Free Cuba. He and Mold formed their own organization called Americans for Cuban Freedom. The American Committee to Free Cuba is a very interesting org that has a very interesting membership. The ACFC had many right wing extremists – California Rangers, Christian Defense League, etc. Some names of note: Robert A. Surrey, Gen. Walker’s right hand man, Kent Courtney, Hon. John Rousselot, Steve Foote, Harry Von Zell, and Jose Norman. Norman gave Loran Hall the money to get Hemming’s rifle out of hock. The check was from the ACFC. Hall knew many of these people and would give inspirational fund raising talks before many of these people. The HSCA was very interested in this group. (I’m getting too long winded here.) It was John Rousselot that gave Gerry Hemming, and because he tagged along, Loran Hall a lot of good contacts and sources of funds in Dallas. (Harry Dean mentions John Rousselot as one of the planners/money men behind the actual assassination plot.)
Hall dogged Hemming and eventually started meeting with most of Hemming’s contacts behind his back. Hall made his pitch for what eventually evolved into the Bayo-Pawley raid. He claimed that it was his and John Martino’s idea. Hall, Martino and Rip Robertson met in Robertson’s room and formulated a plan. This was an assassination attempt on the Castro brothers (scheduled for July 26) disguised as a planned raid to capture Russians that would come back and tell the world that the missiles were still in Cuba. Some of the funds came from Hall’s friend Santo Trafficante. The mission left without Hall. Eddie “Bayo” Perez was allegedly captured in Cuba but as late as Sept 1963, Perez’s brother-in-law Luis Angel Castillo AKA ANTONIO ELORIAGA-REYES was trying to get into Cuba to get him out.. So Part One was a no go.
Later, Hall went back to visit Robert Morris, Dan Smoot, Lester Logue, H.L. Hunt, Nelson Hunt, Gen Walker and later hooked up with Wiley Yates, Wally Welsh and Nico Crespi. It was in Lester Logue’s office that Hall met most of the moneymen. Hall mentioned that a “Jack” who owned a trucking firm (possibly J.E. Rose from Rose Truck Line) offered him $50,000 to shoot Castro’s boss, the guy in Washington. Hall “declined” at the time. Hall continued his fund raising by flashing his letter from Manolo Ray around and writing letters back to Ray but never mailing them.
Back to Sierra. Sierra was throwing money around and starting to make some headway in meeting with all the various anti-Castro factions and came to the notice of people in Washington. (Possibly through his fellow Chicagoan, Morris Leibman?) Sierra and Reinaldo Pico (Later involved in Watergate) visit Artime’s Latin American camps. Pico reporting to Bernard Barker at his time in August 1963. Aug 17, 1963 he goes to Washington to visit a member of the State Dept. John Crimmins(?). Not sure of the content of the meeting though. By September 1963 things start to fall apart for Sierra. People are complaining that he is spending too much money on himself. He is called back to Chicago and warned by William Browder. He is still left in charge of the Junta but his “coalition” failed to materialize. Part Two failed. All these weapons and people are in Guatemala and Nicaragua just waiting to invade. Hmm…. maybe if a communist killed JFK, the invasion would still go on. Around this same time, Homer Echevarria was heard to say that they’d get plenty of money after they took care of JFK. This was the Chicago plot. This was foiled so then it was on to Dallas.
Dave
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John, do I read your original post that Schmidt simply "dropped off radar" never to be seen again? Or was I reading too much into what you wrote?
Tim, John,
Dick Russell had some interesting information on Weisman, Schmidt and Walker in his original verson of The Man Who Knew Too Much. He managed to track down and interview Weisman and also interviewed Walker. He also had some interesting information on what happened to Schmidt just after the assassination. It's been a while since I read Russell's book but I believe Schmidt was beat up and told to keep his mouth shut.
Dave
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BARRY HOFFMAN
An FBI cable identified Hoffman a "source" within the Permanent Student ommittee for Travel to Cuba. The same cable stated that Hoffman made the trip under the sponsorship of Gordon Hall of Boston. Hall is mentioned in Revilo P Oliver's, "Marxism in Dallas" and Hargis', "The Far Left". The Boston connection here may indicate the two Hoffman's were related.
Gordon Hall was a long time "observer" of the extremist movement. I believe he is mentioned in Frank Donner's "The Age of Surveillence." He collected vast amounts of extremist literature and worked with the local FBI and until he mentioned J.E. Hoover by name....
Hall was also close to certain far rightists. When George Lincoln Rockwell (head of the American Nazi Party) was arrested, he called Hall to bail him out of jail.
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Gary,
Great stuff. I have somewhere, a 27 page transcript of a taped (bugged) conversation in car with "Scotty" and two guys from, if I remember correctly, Oklahoma. They were sent by Gen. Clyde Watts to try and get Duff to admit to shooting at Walker and were trying to hire him again to finish the job. Duff was helping them to scout out Walker's place. Nothing incriminating on the the tape though. I believe this was circa June 1963 and came from the Dallas PD.
Dave
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[
Jefferson
The source is Gabaldon, so stated by him and known to we his fellow
anti-Castro anti-Kennedy associates, re; Kennedy's June 1962 visit.
Guy Gabaldon, former U.S. Marine WW2, movie Hell to Eternity re; his
heroic deeds, now about age 80, ran for U.S. Congress 1964 {lost}.
1962/63 with finacial assists from others organized DAC, Drive against
Communism, leagued with John Birch Society leader{s} to become
DACA, Drive Against Communist Aggression, Southern California and
Mexico City..........
H. Dean
Hey Harry,
I hope all is well with you.
As you have mentioned before, Loran Hall was Gabaldon's campaign manager in 1964. And didn't Gabaldon help gather all the medical supplies for Hall, Howard and Celio Castro Alba (aka Juarito) to bring to Miami by way of Dallas? (Along with some weapons they picked up at Clint Wheat's house)
Dave
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And here is some info on Lisa Howard:
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John wrote:
As I have pointed out, Castro was unhappy that he was not involved in the original negotiations. However, it was wrong that he was angry about the outcome. He got what he wanted – a promise that the U.S. would not remove him from power.
John you keep ignoring AMTRUNK and Second Naval Guerilla.
I do not suspect Castro wanted meaningless promises.
In AMTRUNK (first suggested, as I am sure you know, by JFK's friend Tad Szulc) the objective was to "remove him from power" by an internal coup. AMTRUNK was an ongoing operation on November 22, 1963.
Second Naval Guerilla was an operation to "remove him from power" through a second invasion.
And then, of course, there was AMLASH. The objective of AMLASH was to "remove him from power" by murder most foul.
So on November 22, 1963 there were three separate and independent U.S. operations to remove Castro from power, in clear violation of the agreement that ended the Cuban missile crisus. You cannot deny that these operations were ongoing. And Castro was aware of them.
While historians can debate whether JFK and/or RFK were aware of the AMLASH caper, there is no question that RFK, at least, was aware of, and was actively supporting, both AMTRUNK and Second Naval Guerilla.
But it really matters not the extent of JFK's knowledge. The point is that Castro was aware of the three separate operations to "remove him".
This clearly--clearly--gave Castro incentive to effectuate regime change in Washington (through the only means available to him) and no reason not to. His back was to the wall. What did he have to lose? He had reason to believe that the Kennedys were behind the latest effort to kill him. And the US had been trying to kill him for years. Unless he acted, he had every reason to suspect thaty one day his intelligence forces would fail him and he would feel "the bullet hit the bone" [sorry, I know you do not like quotes from popular songs] or feel the naseau and start to understand that he had been posoned and would die a slow painful death.
What in the world good would direct negotiations with JFK or his representative do? Did he want a second promise from JFK not to "remove him from office" but with the added provision "this time I really mean it"?
Lisa Howard, who started the peace negotiations, found out they were insincere when she found out about AMTRUNK and AMLASH. Castro knew it all along.
Castro had motive to kill JFK as sure as Joseph Ratzinger is a devout Catholic.
Hi Tim,
Can you give me some sources for Second Naval Guerilla? This area has always confused me. How many people were there? I had a figure of around 250. Not really enough for an invasion. And what role was Charles DeGaul playing? And Somoza...why was he in Miami trying to recruit members of Batista-Falla's group? Was he acting on behalf of the US gov't? And Paulino Sierra. Did he really try and join forces with Artime? Very confusing area...
Dave
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Harry,
Why would Earl Ruby, Jack's brother, call Thomas Hill at the JBS headquarters in Belmont, Ma? Hill was VP(?) of the JBS and reportedly, HL Hunt's son-in-law.
Dave
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Doesn't Wayne Smith believe there was a conspiracy?
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/JFKsmithW.htm
And http://www.cuban-exile.com/doc_026-050/doc0027-1.html
Nice job of transcribing I must say...
Dave
William Turner: Rearview Mirror
in History and Political Books: Debates with Authors
Posted
I don't believe that Bill T or Garrison confused E.E. Bradley with Jim Braden. There were more than a few people that pointed the finger at Bradley. Some or all may have had ulterior motives. Specifically Carol Aydlotte. Here's a footnote from a seminar on the CDL. ( I hate to re-type)
" Memo from Boxley to Garrison, March 19, 1968. Aydlotte had a falling out with Bradley after he allegedly got her kicked out of the John Birch Society. This may have been her way of getting back at him. For a full description of this incident, see Peter Noyes’ Legacy of Doubt. The memo covers quite a few interesting subjects. Aydlotte claims that her mother heard Bradley propose the use of the storm drain system as a location for the prospective assassination of JFK. A Reverend Brice, acquaintance of Bradley, told Garrison investigators that Bradley was supposed to meet with Ned Touchstone in Louisiana before proceeding to Dallas. Touchstone was the editor of The Councilor, a White Citizen’s Council newsletter based in Louisiana. "
Bradley's next door neighbor also implicated him. Her long and rambling interview mentions strange comings and goings, Minutemen activity, traveling to Dallas, etc. All inuendo with no real substance though.
Dave