David Boylan

Hey Harry, What can you tell us about Dr. John Lechner? I've included some old notes I have. Burt Mold and John Lechner go to Chicago from LA to visit Paulino Sierra end of February. Mold and Lechner were members of various conservative organizations based in California – Americanism Educational League, board member of the American Committee to Free Cuba, California American Legion and the Americans for Cuban Freedom that Mold and Lechner co-founded in 1961. Richard Nagel had an entry in his notebook “Dr. John Lechner Americanism Educational League.” Members of note of the AEL: Hon. Robert Morris, Vice Admiral TD Ruddock, Rear Adm Julian Wheeler, Brig Gen Walter Shoaff, Adm Chester Ward, Spruille Braden, Walter Knott, Herbert Philbrick, and Harry von Zell. 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 Burt 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. Dave

From the Human Right Violations - Cubans Assassinated by Fidel Castro web site: Mayo 28, 1964 en la Cabaña Felipe Vidal Santiago Dave

Hey Harry, Long time! Welcome aboard. Dave

<{POST_SNAPBACK}> Tosh, Thanks for the reply. I'll have to reread Deadly Secrets. Question: have you ever met Loran Hall? He told the HSCA that he was in Martino's with Rip Robertson. From what I understand, Gerry Hemming and Hall did not get along. DAve

Tosh, First of all, thanks for being here. There is so much history that is still unknown from the early '60s. One of the things that I am interested in is the "Bayo-Pawley" raid aka Operation Tilt. From what little I know, this was an assassination attempt against Castro that was disguised as a retrieval of Russian Colonel(s) that had knowledge of missiles that were still in Cuba. You mentioned that you were going to exfiltrate Eddie Perez. My question: was anyone succesful in getting him out of Cuba? As of Sept 1963, Luis Angel Castillo (Pezez's brother or son-in-law) was still attempting to bring him out. Dave

John, I believe he was interviewed about the ad in the Dallas Morning News. If memory serves, he was one of four that donated funds for the ad. I'd add Nelson Bunker Hunt as another possible "rich oil man." He was one of the four that donated. Dave

If anyone has a picture of Clint Wheat, maybe James could do a comparison of the spectators in Dealy Plaza. Wheat came to the attention of Jim Garrison after he received a letter from a former FBI informant Chester Warman dated May 10, 1968. Wheat, a former Louisiana Klansman who hosted far-right paramilitary meetings at his house, was reported to have spoken on more than one occasion about assassinating President Kennedy. This was not uncommon at these type meetings or this time period. What is of interest is that Wheat helped secure the trailer and weapons that Loran Hall, Celio Castro-Alba and Lawrence Howard brought to Dallas in the Fall of 1963. Additionally, according to FBI 124-10178-10206, Agency File Number 89-75-907, Wheat borrowed $400 from his neighbor to get to Dallas for 11/22. When Wheat heard that Garrison was interested in him, he disappeared. Word is that he later called his wife from a military base. Dave

I thought I'd start a new thread.... Can someone list the names from Nagell's notebook? I've never seen a complete list. Dave

Declaration of Purpose “The Citizens Committee for a Free Cuba has been formed in a response to a statement issued by Freedom House, on March 25, 1963, calling upon Americans to unite in a movement for a Free Cuba.” Here are some of the members listed: Hal Hendrix. Latin America Editor, Miami News Jay Lovestone, Director of International Publications, AFL-CIO Clare Boothe Luce Eugene Lyons, Senior Editor, Readers’ Digest Bishop James Pike Virginia Prewett, Latin America Columnist, North American Newspaper Alliance Edward Teller, Physicist Adm Arleigh Burke (Ret) Ernest Cuneo John Fisher Daniel James was the Executive Secretary and Editor in 1963. I’m not sure when in 1964 Paul Bethel became editor but he is on the masthead as early as Feb 1964. Mr. Weyl’s name does not appear anywhere. Dave

I've been interested in the assassination as history since the mid 1970's. My original field of research was the far-right and the Kennedy assassination. See:

Jack, I was under the assumption that Delbert Ray firebombed Penn's paper. Ray was an associate of Gen. Edwin Walker, ranch owner, and suspected member of the Minutemen. Dave

Steve, It was Cuban currency. (Pesos) From the November 1, 1965 issue of On Target, published monthly by the Minutemen (Robert DePugh): "...Now the United States government has sentenced president Kohly to one year in the federal penitentiary for trying to liberate his own country. [some stuff about the Kennedy administration having Kohly arrested because further invasions by exiles were prohibited] For the above reasons he consulted with an Annapolis Attorney named Walter Schultz as to the legality of printing Cuban Pesos to be used by his underground in Cuba to purchase arms and also to be used in wrecking Fidel Castro's shaky economy. The Attorney was most enthusiastic about the plan. Two days later he brought a federal agent to President Kohly's home in Arlington, Virginia and introduced the federal agnet as "my printer, who will make the Cuban pesos for you." Sr. Kohly was encouraged by both his lawyer and the plates from which the "printer" would make the bills. At their instigation President Kohly had one Robert Morrow of Baltimore make the plates from which Cuban pesos could have been printed." The Free Cuba News (May 11, 1963. Published by the Citizens Committee to Free Cuba) has a sample Cuban peso with the words in Spanish: "VALUELESS FOR FOOD VALUELESS FOR CLOTHING BECAUSE COMMUNISM IS HUNGER MISERY AND DESTRUCTION THIS IS THE WORK OF THE GREAT TRAITOR" Circulating in Cuba, in unknown quantieis, the "anti-Castro peso presents holders with a dilemma. If they try to cash it at the bank, they risk being accused of collaborating with the resistance. If they attempt to pass it on, the *do* collaborate. If they hide it or destroy it, they take the loss. Dave

John/Antti, Some of that is covered here: http://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk...mming_0001a.htm For a take on Martia Lorenz's caravan tale, see Gaeton Fonzi's The Last Investgation. I noticed in later variations of the caravan participants, she dropped Gerry Hemming as a member. Dave

James, Also Reinaldo Pico. He was working for Bernard Barker in the summer of 1963. I believe that Pico travelled with Paulino Sierra to visit Artime's Latin America bases. I wonder in what capacity Pico was acting? Dave

I'd also recommend Secret Agenda by Jim Hougan. He pioneered much of the work that Silent Coup was based. Dave

greg, I'm sure you remeber this Washington Post article. Oswald Picketed Adlai Rally in Dallas, Witnesses Say By Ronnie Dugger DALLAS, Dec.8 -- Curious ironies continue to multiply in the wake of the President's assassination here Nov. 22. It now appears that Lee Harvey Oswald, the accused assassin, attended not only a rally addressed by Gen. Edwin Walker Oct. 23, but also one addressed by United Nations Ambassador Adlai Stevenson Oct. 24. A Dallas woman who sat near Oswald at an Oct. 25 meeting of the Dallas Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union says that when the Stevenson meeting of the night before was being discussed, Oswald nodded his head and said, "I was there." Oswald said this in an aside to Michael Paine, who had brought him to the meeting, the woman clearly recalled. Oswald's wife and children lived with Paine's estranged wife in Irving, a Dallas suburb. Larrie Schmidt, Dallas insurance salesman was also at the Stevenson meeting, leading a group of pickets against Stevenson. Yesterday Bernard Weissman, who placed an anti-Kennedy advertisement in the Dallas News on the morning of the assassination, told a newsman in Mt. Vernon, N.Y., that Schmidt telephoned him after the meeting at which Stevenson was spat upon, and asked Weissman to come to Dallas to help out in the aftermath. Schmidt acknowledges that, in advance of the Stevenson speech, he telephoned "a friend of mine in a local university" and asked if he could help find people to demonstrate against the United Nations. The friend arrived with 14 young pickets, and a "peaceful picketing" was organized, Schmidt said. The persons who spat on Stevenson and struck him with a picket sign had nothing to do with his well-dressed and orderly group, Schmidt said today. "We deplore and certainly do not condone the actions of those people," Schmidt says. At the A.C.L.U. meeting on Oct. 25, Oswald rose during the open discussion and remarked that he had attended the Walker speech two nights before and had observed anti-Semitic and anti-Catholic symptoms there. A man who attended the A.C.L.U. meeting and who sat beside Oswald, has been located and corroborates other recollections about Oswald's remarks there. This source confirms that Oswald said in the aside that he had attended the Stevenson rally. A Dallas businesswoman, who refused to be identified, said she believes she saw Oswald picketing at the scene of the Stevenson speech. "He was the only one who did a military type turn. This called my attention to him," she said. She believed Oswald's group picketed and left before the disturbance broke out against Stevenson. A second Dallas woman, a housewife, said: "I believe he was there, and he was carrying a picket sign in the lobby." Neither the businesswoman nor the housewife remembered what kinds of signs were carried by the group led by the man they now believe was Oswald. The "local university" was most likely the University of Dallas. Robert Morris was president. Morris was a noted Bircher, lawyer to Walker, and source to Loran Hall. Dave

greg, I'm sure you remeber this Washington Post article. Oswald Picketed Adlai Rally in Dallas, Witnesses Say By Ronnie Dugger DALLAS, Dec.8 -- Curious ironies continue to multiply in the wake of the President's assassination here Nov. 22. It now appears that Lee Harvey Oswald, the accused assassin, attended not only a rally addressed by Gen. Edwin Walker Oct. 23, but also one addressed by United Nations Ambassador Adlai Stevenson Oct. 24. A Dallas woman who sat near Oswald at an Oct. 25 meeting of the Dallas Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union says that when the Stevenson meeting of the night before was being discussed, Oswald nodded his head and said, "I was there." Oswald said this in an aside to Michael Paine, who had brought him to the meeting, the woman clearly recalled. Oswald's wife and children lived with Paine's estranged wife in Irving, a Dallas suburb. Larrie Schmidt, Dallas insurance salesman was also at the Stevenson meeting, leading a group of pickets against Stevenson. Yesterday Bernard Weissman, who placed an anti-Kennedy advertisement in the Dallas News on the morning of the assassination, told a newsman in Mt. Vernon, N.Y., that Schmidt telephoned him after the meeting at which Stevenson was spat upon, and asked Weissman to come to Dallas to help out in the aftermath. Schmidt acknowledges that, in advance of the Stevenson speech, he telephoned "a friend of mine in a local university" and asked if he could help find people to demonstrate against the United Nations. The friend arrived with 14 young pickets, and a "peaceful picketing" was organized, Schmidt said. The persons who spat on Stevenson and struck him with a picket sign had nothing to do with his well-dressed and orderly group, Schmidt said today. "We deplore and certainly do not condone the actions of those people," Schmidt says. At the A.C.L.U. meeting on Oct. 25, Oswald rose during the open discussion and remarked that he had attended the Walker speech two nights before and had observed anti-Semitic and anti-Catholic symptoms there. A man who attended the A.C.L.U. meeting and who sat beside Oswald, has been located and corroborates other recollections about Oswald's remarks there. This source confirms that Oswald said in the aside that he had attended the Stevenson rally. A Dallas businesswoman, who refused to be identified, said she believes she saw Oswald picketing at the scene of the Stevenson speech. "He was the only one who did a military type turn. This called my attention to him," she said. She believed Oswald's group picketed and left before the disturbance broke out against Stevenson. A second Dallas woman, a housewife, said: "I believe he was there, and he was carrying a picket sign in the lobby." Neither the businesswoman nor the housewife remembered what kinds of signs were carried by the group led by the man they now believe was Oswald. The "local university" was most likely the University of Dallas. Robert Morris was president. Morris was a noted Bircher, lawyer to Walker, and source to Loran Hall. Dave

Here's what Dick Billings had to say about Nagell: Nagell (correct spelling) is being handled by a special assistant DA named Bill Martin . . . Martin is a New Orleans attorney with Latin connections and background . . . He was born in Domrep [Dominican Republic] and brought up there, and Spanish is his first language . . . He went to see Richard Case Nagell under guise of his attorney of record . . . Nagell had written a letter to his sister in New York (?) and asked her to see Garrison . . . She came with message that Garrison on right track . . . And that Fair Play for Cuba was a cover . . . Nagell said he had a tape . . . Nagell is 35 to 37, a Korean War vet, officer who was wounded three times . . . and decorated . . . After Korea he became a Marxist and went to work for the Soviet government . . . He was a reporter for Soviets, reporting to their embassy in Mexico City . . . Message sent via sister to effect he had tape that could break the case . . . But Garrison would have to agree to certain conditions . . . The conditions: the tape is in Spanish, so man to contact him must speak Spanish . . . He would then go to man who has tape with letter from Nagell authorizing man to turn it over . . . But no effort to be made to obtain any other material Nagell keeps in a foot locker . . . This material could convict him for treason . . . Martin went to visit Nagell April 10 . . . At first Nagell declined to talk, then changed his mind again . . . They talked that day and the next . . . Nagell gave Martin name and address of the contact man, but he not to be contacted until Nagell can get letter out . . . This impossible unless he requests private meeting with Martin or is transferred back to Leavenworth . . . Nagell was assigned to Springfield for 45 days' observation, but that has long since passed . . . his Soviet assignment was to keep an eye on the Dallas assassination plot the Russians knew was brewing . . . There had been two previous ones, says Nagell: one in Miami when Kennedy went to the Orange Bowl, the second in California, but Nagell vague on details . . . Plan was to kill Kennedy and blame Castro and prompt an invasion . . . Nagell realized plot was for real . . . He was in Dallas and San Antonio in summer of '63 . . . He was in a tight spot . . . If Kennedy were assassinated and he had known about it, he would be implicated . . . He would have to skip country, but then he was fearful of his Soviet superiors (for an unclear reason) . . . At any rate, he wanted it stopped, but was powerless to even save his own neck without taking drastic measures . . . Which he did . . . First, he reported precise plan to Soviet embassy in Mexico City . . . This was a couple of days before Nov. 22 . . . Then he drove to San Antonio, where he staged a phony bank holdup by shooting a couple of pistol shots into the ceiling of a federal bank . . . He was arrested, got 10 years . . . Says he told FBI about assassination plan before it happened, but this is also unclear . . . Claims he was only questioned about Soviet espionage . . . Later he wrote Hoover and claimed he had warned of assassination . . . And he corresponded with Senator Russell . . . Tape is in both Spanish and English . . . Four voices . . . Two of them are Arcacha and man identified only as "Q" . . . Martin planning to go see Nagell again and to pursue tape . . . Garrison considers this a possible big break . . . Dave

Mr. Hancock, We've seen this letter before but do ytou have any new interpetations based upon what you know now? Who's the Bravo (Alpha 66) affiliate? Tony Cuesta's Commandos-L? Dear Arturo: I've received both of your letters, dated 9/26 and 10/4, respectively. Still haven't seen hide nor hair of the Equipment Times, though. Does it really advertise the likes of machines that nibble steel at the rate of three feet per minute? Now I know why E.T. wasn't delivered. Should have thought of the reason sooner, last week, when a recent issue of a popular magazine was withdrawn from circulation because it featured a bar-stretching device. Looks like the meticulous inspection-for-microdots-and-sophisticated-cable-arrangement theory will have to be shelved in favor of a more logical premise. Can you imagine the possibilities that E.T.'s next issue might provide to some innate-genius with a penchant for slapping together a facsimile of the Steel Eater, merely by studying the specifications set forth in E.T.? Wow! I can see it now. Built on the Q.T. in the prison library, cranked up and let loose after its christening, like some weird science-fiction monster, easily smashing past 20,000 volumes of Zane Grey, bursting out through the side of the library building, rumbling slowly across the west yard toward the nearest gun tower, bullets bouncing off its impenetrable armor, tear-gas bombs exploding all around it, sirens wailing, bedlam -- National Guard called out, still rumbling onward, onward, not to be stopped, finally reaching THE WALL, angry now -- completely out of control -- spitting gooey blobs of black molten tar at the N.G. Commander running along the top of the wall, now rearing a gigantic head , flashing a single mamouth [sic], keenly-polished incisor, hesitating, momentarily, then suddenly lunging forward, chomping at the wall, bricks and chunks of concrete flying every which way ... once ... twice ... and ... through! Daylight on the other side! A gaping hole, 20' x 20', appears out of nowhere ... two thousand cons stampeding through, on their way to Sacramento. After perusing your comments about the First Day's reporting of the Great Bank Robbery -- random shots, 27 centavos, gambling activities, etc. -- I am more convinced than ever that you should see the transcripts of the first and second trial record. As for myself, I've never read either transcript, though I would bet that I could give a fair account of both without much error. I wrote sis again, this time asking her to send everything. Here's a more up-to-date lead on Abe Greenbaum: "Informant F-HC reports subject handed suspected courier forty pieces of silver on 10/21/62 at Laredo, Mexico, for delivery to nuclear physicist residing in house on 92nd Street, New York City. S/A B. O. Schernnn [sic], Washington, D.C. Field Office, reports subject seen 11/28/62 walking east on Beacon Street, constantly checking for tail, suddenly dashing into parked limousine sporting U.S.S.R. Embassy license plates, which speeds away, runs red light, terminating surveillance as Agent Schernnn forced to brake bicycle to avoid breaking the law. Informant F-111-B reports subject and suspected courier observed at King's Tavern, Wilmington, Del. on 12/6/62, paying for drinks with strange-looking silver dollars taken from bulging briefcase carried by subject. Subject now suspected of being Mr. Big in Communist plot to disrupt U.S. economy by flooding country with hard cash. /s/ I.M. NEVERWRONG, SAIC, D.C. LAIR." Or, we could furnish Mr. Xerox an even more up-to-date lead, of somewhat different vintage: Abe Greenbaum, long suspected leftist is actually confirmed rightist, in deep cover, working plausible denial bit with one of nation's leading and best-financed foreign policy-making firms. He is driving along highway not far from Langley, Va., peering intently out of jagged hole in windshield of his Volkswagen, searching for sign bearing acronym "BPR". Date is November 21, 1963. BPR--Bureau of Public Roads--is innocuous designation used by Abe's firm. "Gee, the Chief must be upset about something," Abe mutters to self, "he used a rock this time instead of the ol' soap-the-windshield trick." Purposefully cruising past BPR sign, Abe makes U-turn in center of highway, barely missed by Fruehauf semi-trailer, then turns right onto road leading to firm's Main Office Building. "Must not be seen making left turn this close to headquarters," Abe mutters. Arriving at destination, Abe circles Main Office Building five times, finally enters parking lot abutting wooded area to right rear of building, drives to extreme right end of lot, parks Volkswagen on right side of firm's undercover utility truck, disguised with Bell Telephone Company markings. Sliding across right-hand seat, he exits from right door of auto, walking long distance to right rear entrance of Main Office Building which is draped with high Quonset-hut type roof. "Hello there," Abe mutters as he slips by uniformed guard he recognizes as Soviet defector, former KGB light colonel. Abe proceeds down mile-long, musty-smelling corridor, pauses under tiny, inconspicuous replica of firm's seal which is painted upside-down on right wall, notices that Bald Eagle's beak on seal is pointing to far left. "Must tell Chief Bald Eagle looking wrong way," mutters Abe. He then takes elevator to fourth floor, goes directly to Chief's office, raps out coded knock on unmarked door, enters. Chief is reclining in swivel-chair with feet on desk, arms folded, sleeping. On desk Abe sees torn-up typewritten letter addressed to CHIEF, DIVISION OF DIRTY TRICKS, signed by B. KNOW NOTHING. Chief is balding, slender man, oft referred to by underlings as "Dirty Dick", albeit behind back. "What's up, Chief?" asks Abe. Chief blinks eyes, opens them, snaps, "I see you got my message!" Chief smiles. "What's with this guy Osborne recruited for Fair Play Caper? XYZ man claims he's being used for wet affair by team we sold out at Cochina Bay." Abe shifts weight to left foot, uncomfortably. "Don't know, Chief," he mutters, "Ozzie seems like good man for penetration of target." Chief stands and yawns, grins slyly. "Well, just the same you'd better contact Tidbit and have him execute alternate ... plan." Abe stares at Chief with knowing-look. "Right, Chief, I'll get on it ... first thing Monday morning." Abe picks up cloak and dagger conveniently lying on desk, turns to leave, stops dead in tracks. "Incidentally, Chief, Bald Eagle on firm's seal is pointing left." Chief grins, sits down in swivel chair, leans back, puts feet on desk, clasps hands behind head, closes eyes. "Really?" He says. Soon Chief is snoring. Abe departs, returns to Volkswagen, worried about jagged hole in windshield. Mutters to self, "Gee, I hope it doesn't rain tomorrow." Of course, this lead is utter fiction too, a figment of the imagination ... still, it may make interesting reading for somebody. Are you aware that a Duesseldorf record company has come out with just the thing for any German who wants to relive the heady days of Nazi victory? It is two long-playing phonograph records called, "From the Fuehrer's Headquarters (Aus dem Fuehrerhauptquartier)." Billed as documentary records, they are comprised of victory announcements and special bulletins from the Nazi high command, military music and soldier's songs, Nazi songs and speeches. A booming voice discloses the Nazis are fighting for the German nation and the security of Europe "against the ... plot of the Jewish-Anglo Saxon warmongers ... and against the ... Jewish rulers of the Bolshevik central in Moscow." (Now where did he get that? What does all this gobbledygook mean, anyway? Could this be an important lead? ... I mean there is this thing about doing business with the Military-Industrial Complex, you know.) Seriously, Arturo, I had better give with a plausible lead on this Abe Greenbaum fella, in spite of this business about plausible denial, or "they" are liable to drop his name from my approved correspondents list. That would be catastrophic, considering that he is the only other person besides sis who is so approved. And the lead had best not sound too cryptic either, or "they" might ship #83286 [Nagell's prisoner number] back to the Funny Farm ... you know, for more "treatment." So let's try again: Young Regent of Yanquis Land is visiting "Little D" to plug for assistant who is fast losing popularity amongst ultra-conservative proletariat of Friendship Province. Date is well-remembered date in fall of '63. Young Regent is hated by proponents of Secret War (and by director of large pharmaceutical combine specializing in manufacture of cyanide capsules) because word is out he intends to decree curtailment of clandestine operations of various Yanquis Land spook outfits, citing as reasons that regime's continued reliance on covert methods of achieving political goals widens faith-in-government gap, is corrosive to principles of democracy, etc., especially when spooks get caught in the act. Young Regent feels one spook outfit in particular is exceeding bounds of propriety, has expanded narrow function delegated it by International Security Act of '47 ... is becoming TOO POWERFUL ... is unduly influencing both foreign and DOMESTIC policy by its shenanigans ... thus, must have nefarious activities at home and abroad throttled, or at least have them restricted to endeavors which cannot be accomplished by other, more acceptable means. BANG! BANG! BANG! Young Regent no longer Regent of Yanquis land. Clandestine operations of spook outfits not curtailed. Cyanide capsule market flourishing. Too Powerful One getting MORE POWERFUL ... What has all this got to do with Abe Greenbaum? ANSWER: Nothing. Is it a plausible lead? ANSWER: Not very. Wait! Before visit to Little D, Young Regent also thinking of effecting rapprochement with Isle of Cuber, establishing nicer rapport with Isle of Cuber's Big Mother Busher. Strange! ... Young Regent of Isle of Cuber also thinking of effecting rapprochement with Yanquis Land, establishing nicer rapport with Yanquis Land's Big Doctrine, Monroe. How nice! Feelers put out by both Young Regents through "private" channels in July '63, then quasi-official channels in August '63, through "official" channels in September '63. Meanwhile, anti-Castor Oilers known as Bravo Club gets wind of feelers ... doesn't like smell ... nohow! There is huddle. There is chant: "Remember Cochina Bay! -- Remember Cochina Bay! Soon there is talk (louder than '62 talk) of giving Young Regent of Yanquis Land Xmas present ... yo! ... gonna brow that out to keep situation status quo (at worst) ... to change status quo for worse (at best). Patsy is needed! She is pro-Castor Oiler well-known to Bravo Club. Two Bravo members speak to Patsy, convince her they are boyfriends, buy her Cuber Liber Cocktail (minus rum), get her drunk on glory, tell her they are special emissaries to Yanquis Land personally by Young Regent of Isle of Cuber to give Xmas present to Young Regent of Yanquis Land ... have "chosen" Patsy to help deliver Xmas present. Will be furnished Safe Conduct Pass to Isle of Cuber by Embassy in Mexico City. Will be given proper treatment on arrival. Oh, joy! Will live happily ever after. Can Patsy join Xmas Present Committee now? Uh-uh! Not yet. First must prove self deserving of great honor. Must set up Chapter of Foul Ploy for Isle of Cuber, must stand on street corner ... pass out pro-Castor Oil tracts, must appear on TV ... root for Castor Oil products, must rumble with anti-Castor Oil salesman. Above all, must not mention Xmas Present Caper to anybody, not even husband, Ivan. Meanwhile, Single-Man named "Snerd" gets wind of Xmas Present Caper and going-on at Bravo Club. Snerd is Isle of Cuber's Big Mother Busher's illegitimate son. Snerd gets in touch with Double-Man Abe Greenbaum, working in deep cover at BPR, Division of Dirty Tricks, as Rightist. Actually, Abe is Leftist-turned Middlist. Middlist Abe contacts Triple-Man Zero, sitting on ice because has burned butt. Triple-Man Zero instructed to join Delta Club, which is affiliate of Bravo Club, find out if things real. Zero does just that, craftily, in guise of crossbow expert. Discovers Patsy undergoing hypnotherapy by ex-ferry pilot named Hairy De Fairy. Reports to Abe things are for real, yes siree! Abe passes info on to Dirty Dick (and Snerd). Snerd passes info on to Big Mother Busher. Somebody flashes word back for Zero to let go with well-aimed arrow in Patsy's rump ... leave Yanquis Land, hubba hubba! Zero chickens out day he is to arrow Patsy, six days before Xmas present to be delivered. Pens Abe nasty note. Pens Snerd nastier note. Pens Dirty Dick even nastier note. Also pens note to Boss of Yanquis Land's Main Secret Police Bureau, tattles on Xmas Present Caper, tattles on Patsy, etc. Burns butt again. Searches in vain for cake of ice to sit on. Winds up in Friendship Province Halfway House. End of lead? Not hardly. Apparently something amiss. Xmas Present Caper does not come off per schedule. Delta Club disintegrates. Bravo Club Xmas Present Committee disintegrates. Abe drops out of sight. Dirty Dick is mum. Snerd crawls back inside Big Mother Busher's womb, dies. De Fairy puts on falseface, hides at 3330 Clubhouse, gets whipped. Director of large pharmaceutical combine gives order for increased production of cyanide capsules. Boss of Main Secret Police Bureau sits in office, drums fingers on desk, waits. Zero is still in Friendship Province Halfway House, getting older ... if not wiser. End of lead? ... Not hardly. Day of Infamy arrives! Patsy crouched at open window, armed with second-hand crossbow, quiver filled with curare-tipped arrows slung across shoulder. ZIP! ZIP! ZIP! BANG! ZIP! BANG! ZIP! BANG! End of lead? ... Not hardly. Patsy awakens from hypnotic trance. Says, "What am I doing here?" Wonders what cyanide capsule is doing clenched between teeth? Wonders what cloak and dagger is doing on window sill? Wonders why floor of room is lettered with pro-Castor Oil pamphlets? Wonders how chicken bones got in lunch pail? Memory returns. Patsy flees. Refuses ride by former Bravo boyfriend driving by in utility truck bearing Bell Telephone Company markings. Catches bus instead. End of lead? ... Not hardly. Patsy has gone her way. De Fairy has gone his way. One former Bravo boyfriend now living vicinity M. Cyanide capsule market still flourishing. Dirty Dick promoted within superstructure of BPR ... is still mum. Snerd reborn as "Terd". Abe Greenbaum has changed name, retired, resides in mansion protected by pack of snarling German Shepherds, disappears for one hour each night in vault to count huge pile of American silver dollars. Boss of Yanquis Land Main Secret Police Bureau has four-year old secret ... but is relaxed. Zero out of Friendship Province Halfway House ... is now in Old Triple-Man's Home for Aged. More Powerful One now MOST POWERFUL (evidently). End of lead? ... Not hardly. End of letter? ... yes. Most sincerely yours, Richard C. Nagell 83286

John and Nathaniel, According to Loran Hall's and Gerry Hemming's testimony before the HSCA, the "Bayo-Pawley" raid a disguised attempt to assassinate Fidel Castro. Dave

Wim, You said "It is THAT and the detail of Chauncey's testimony and the new unknown names and roles that he adds, like George and Bob Reynolds, Lloyd Cobb, Leroy Young, Paulino Sierra, Frank and Bud Belcher that convinces me of his credibility. " What did Holt have to say about Paulino Sierra? Dave

Larry, Hall mentioned in his 1968 interview with Harold Weisberg that he manged to get 250 BARS to Isla Majelis in Mexico. It's a small island just off the coast. Looks like a nice staging area for a raid on Cuba. He also hinted at raids of National Guard amories for weapons. Maybe he was just bragging as he was known to do. He did manage to get the trailor of weapons and Manual Aguliar's boat, the Pitusa, confiscated. Aguliar was pissed at Hall and later told Garrison's investigator that he liked Howard and Seymour much better. Dave

Larry, Sorry to be Hall-centric lately <G> but I was just looking over a few docs and there is an interesting letter from Wiley Yates to Jim Garrison (June 28, 1967). Yates goes on to say: "He (Loran Hall) suggested to me in subsequent conversations that I help him to raid a National Guard armory to obtain the sorely needed weapons and ammunition. This I declined to do, so that he dropped the subject and never referred to it again." And "Accoring to Hall some man had given the Cubans permission to use his farm for a training site in the Dallas arear, and he (Hall) wanted me to help instruct the men in the first aid practices with with I was familiar." And "Hall spoke fluent Spanish and was supposed to be a personal friend of the Cuban leader Manolo Rey. During the time at our home, Hal made a great show of writing Rey about activities then under way in Dallas..." "Hall left after mentioning that he was traveling regularly between Florida and California, through both New Orelans and Dallas areas, and would contact me again." Dave

Hi Don, Good to have you with us. I'm sure you've contacted Gerry Hemming. If not, I'd suggest doing so. They were long time friends. Dave

Tony, Can you tell me more about this testimony? "Colonel Pierre Finck, who performed the autopsy on President Kennedy, testified at closed-door Congressional hearings in 1984 that both shots that struck Kennedy came from the front." Where can it be viewed? Dave