Pete Mellor

Not just on the assassination. I believe Sahl also contributed to some of JFK's speeches!

Paul, I believe John Howard Bowen was involved in a car accident and died from his injuries in January 1962. The passenger on the Flecha Roja bus, using the alias of John Bowen, was in fact Albert Osborne, a British national. Osborne was using the Bowen alias (not for the first time) perhaps because Osborne had been ordered to leave Mexico as an undesirable alien back in 1958. The two men had known each other as far back as the 1920's in N. Carolina. Osborne was portraying himself as a missionary or itinerant preacher and met Bowen when he was involved in the Methodist church and YMCA in Hamlet, N.Carolina. Osborne's sister Ada, who lived in Gary, Indiana told the FBI that she had sent her brother money back in the 1920's under the name of John Howard Bowen. I would be interested to know just when the 'Soviet spy' tag was attached to Osborne. That tag is still used in British newspapers. He travelled around U.S. & Mexico for decades without known means of finance, adding various epithets and titles to his name. Osborne's name is linked in many books. Some state as part of a 'hit team' in Dallas as per Torbitt's 'Nomenclature of an Assassination Cabal.' Or McDonald/Moore's 'Appointment in Dallas' which purports a Soviet assassination plot involving LBJ and Osborne. Then there is 'Oswald & the Doppelgangers' by Dov Ivry that states that "Albert Osborne was an ersatz clergyman, domiciled in Mexico, whom the FBI knew when he lived in the U.S. during WWII as a poopoo collaborator."

More of Phil Nelson's rebuttals of 'Faustian Bargains. REFRAMING HISTORY with More Myths: Mellen’s “Faustian Bargains” — Wrong on Many Levels – LBJ: Master of Deceit (lbjthemasterofdeceit.com)

🤣 Yes Karl, pity the administration didn't use more time to review the information involved fifty eight years ago.

Great post! I have had that opinion with Bart Kamp's work too Gil. Which seems to do away with the need for two Oswalds in the TSBD. Consequently that leaves us with Roger Craig's i.d. of the man entering the Nash Rambler. Interested to know if these are your thoughts also.

Two nephews of John F. Kennedy are calling on the Biden administration to release the final trove of secret documents on the 1963 assassination of the former president. The records were scheduled to be made public Tuesday, but the White House announced late Friday night that it would delay their publication until at least Dec. 15 — and perhaps longer if President Joe Biden determines it’s in the nation’s best interest to keep them confidential. “It’s an outrage. It’s an outrage against American democracy. We’re not supposed to have secret governments within the government,” Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told POLITICO. “How the hell is it 58 years later, and what in the world could justify not releasing these documents?” His cousin, former Rhode Island Rep. Patrick Kennedy, said the records should be released not because of his family, but because American citizens have a right to know about “something that left such a scar in this nation’s soul that lost not only a president but a promise of a brighter future.” “I think for the good of the country, everything has to be put out there so there’s greater understanding of our history,” Patrick Kennedy said.

I'm interested in the image at 0.14 of the Newman family on the ground. Trask shows this image only in b/w in 'Pictures of the Pain' taken by photographer Atkins. Other photographs show two reporters near the Newman family, Atkins & another guy who may have used a colour movie camera. I would like a copy of this colour image, but not sure how to lift the frame from the trailer. Any help on this?

😀Jim, just imagine Mark Lane sitting in with the Commission! He was the very last person they would allow, even two years before 'Rush to Judgment' was published. Commission Exhibit 2033 comprises of three letters, the first from Lane to Earl Warren where he writes on 17th December '63, "May I respectfully request that your Commission give consideration to the appointment of defense council in order that in your inquiry an advocate zealously protecting his client's rights may be present; an advocate who may examine documents and cross examine witnesses." A reply from Rankin on 30th December '63 states, "The views contained in your letter will be given appropriate consideration by the Commission prior to the preparation of any final report." After Rankin's letter, Lane sent a telegram informing the Commission that he had been retained by Mrs. Marguerite C. Oswald to represent her deceased son. The final communication from Rankin on 23rd January '64 "The Commission does not believe that it would be useful or desirable to permit an attorney representing Lee Harvey Oswald to have access to the investigative materials within the possession of the Commission or to participate in any hearings to be conducted by the Commission. I can assure you that every effort will be made to ascertain the facts regarding Lee Harvey Oswald's implication in the assassination of President Kennedy as accurately and fairly as possible." In other words 'keep off the grass'. Strange that the Commission later reversed their decision by appointing Walter E. Craig, the president of the American Bar Association.

Malcolm Blunt and Bart Kamp discuss the possible Biden file releases.

but, they were Jefferson Airplane when I saw them in U.K. @ Bath Festival of Blues and Progressive Music June 1970. As is often the case, it was damp and when Grace took hold of her mike she got a belt. Her language was shocking too!

You astound me Holmes! 🔍

Greg, Again Scheim's book has two notes on the missing front teeth. CE2403 & Karen Karlin Exhibit 5318. (sic) Also, although Ruby denied to FBI & Warren that he attended the Lucas B.& B. on the morning of 22nd November, Mrs Mary Lawrence stated that Ruby, who she knew well, was there with Oswald. Crafard stated that he & Ruby had breakfast there that morning. Mrs Lawrence described the man with Ruby had 'a small but deep scar on his left cheek'. However, nothing about missing teeth.

Have read this thread as well as the innocence of Oswald in Tippit case with interest. It has bugged me that someplace I read about Crafard, but couldn't remember in what book. After days of brain freeze I found it. Scheim's 'Contract on America' (p247) states that Larry 'had no front teeth', was 'creepy' and 'looked like a bum'. Maybe Jarnagin wouldn't notice the teeth in a dark club, but certainly Laura Kittrell would notice, unless he had false teeth. Another witness is quoted 'Crafard had sandy hair'.

Very best wishes Robert, you'll be missed, hopefully just for the time being. My cynicism compels me to think we'll all be denied any truth of JFK's assassination. What would all the Forum members do if the truth emerged? As for the future of your country, and mine, and the rest of the planet...political and environmental, my thoughts are just as dark. It's the same old rock!

Correct, soon after Joe Kennedy arrived in Britain he promulgated an initiative, through Helmut Wohlthat, the architect of Goering's five-year economic plan, to distribute Germany's Jews around the British Empire and the U.S. Hitler imposed a billion mark ransom. However, the shooting of a Paris Embassy staff member by a Polish Jew spiked Kennedy's proposals, and then followed Kristallnacht! Kennedy also worked on Count Ciano to ease back on anti-Semitic measures coming into force in Italy. Perhaps the anti-Semitic charges in the U.S. may originate from statements that Joe made in '39 that "Roosevelt is run by the Jews and all the anti-fascist sentiment in the United States is largely created by the Jews who run the press."

Yes, Matt, Lane states that Prouty obtained two ships for Operation Zapata for the Bay of Pigs invasion that were re-named Barbara & Houston. Later Russ Baker added info in his 'Family of Secrets'.

Paul, There is a short bio of Joe Kennedy in Burton Hersh's 'Bobby and J. Edgar'. "By 1920 not only was Patrick Joseph Kennedy connected to the trade, two of Honey Fitz's younger brothers were running booze. Early evidence that the stockbroker was branching out appeared during the Harvard Tenth Reunion of the class of '12. "Joe was our chief bootlegger," one classmate laughed afterward. "Of course, he didn't touch a drop himself, but he arranged with his agents to have the stuff sent in right on the beach at Plymouth. It came ashore the way the Pilgrims did." Days before he died, the sleek, faux-genteel paymaster for the New York Families, Frank Costello, told Peter Maas that his decades of partnership with Kennedy began when the financier sought him out to make sure Scotch got to the Cape Cod reunion. Kennedy kept the liquor business at arms length. A 1926 Canadian government Royal Commission on Customs and Excise investigation revealed that Kennedy had all along been purchasing whiskey from the Hiram Walker distillery in shipload lots. Kennedy was also a major customer for the Seagram product from the Bronfmans. While Joe Kennedy personally was very rarely in evidence, the rum fleets he underwrote offloaded the contraband Scotch and Gin onto secluded inlets up and down the lower Massachusetts coast, where, along with Kennedy's employees, Costello's minions would see after distribution throughout the major Eastern markets. Throughout the twenties, boats chartered by the enterprising banker came across the water. California took on booze via Catalina Island. Kennedy serviced the Caribbean from the Bahamas to Palm Beach County, unloading the high grade stuff from international waters just beyond the reach of the U.S. Treasury Department and its hard-bitten Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms operatives. A lot came in over the Great Lakes." Burton Hersh covers the decade of the 1920's in this book over pages 23-34 stating links between Joe Kennedy and such characters as Capone, Costello, Murray Llewellyn (The Camel) Humphreys, Diamond Jim Esposito, Johnny Roselli, Jack Dragna, Abner Zwillman etc. Also documented is how Kennedy got the stock price of Greek Alex Pantage's chain of West Coast movie houses to fall, allowing RKO to acquire the Pantages holdings at less than half the price. "On her deathbed, Eunice Pringle confessed that it had been Kennedy who masterminded the frameup." Having read Jim's piece on K's & K I would be interested on his take on Hersh's book, or the author, or both....as this is one of the more detailed coverages of Joe Kennedy's early years that I have read.

Nice one Anthony. Lesley Sharp contacted me last year asking about John Howard Bowen. So I am looking forward to this book too. Cheers!

A first test screening of the film Dr. Strangelove was scheduled for November 22, 1963. The film was just weeks from its scheduled premiere, but because of the assassination, the release was delayed until late January 1964, as it was felt that the public was in no mood for such a film any sooner.

Ben, no cognitive bias with me BUT I did like Greg's piece on that wallet at the Tippit scene. The wallet at the Tippit scene: a simpler solution? - JFK Assassination Debate - The Education Forum (ipbhost.com) I also consider the amount of setting up/sheep dipping of LHO in NOLA & Dallas as a patsy, with rifle & sniper's nest accoutrements etc necessitated preventing his day in court, hence Ruby. If Ossie knew or suspected anything prior to 22nd Nov is anyone's guess.

Joe, according to Mellon, Wallace was hired by Ling Electronics in Anaheim, California in February '61 & he was living in Orange County, having left son Michael and daughter Meredithe with his ex wife Andre in Texas. "On that June weekend when Marshall was murdered, Mac entertained his brother Harold David Wallace and his family. It was the weekend after the Dallas public schools had recessed for summer vacation. David, as he was known, brought along not only his own children, but Mac's son, Michael, who had not seen his father since he had moved to California. Michael was to celebrate his thirteenth birthday at the end of the month, and welcomed this oppertunity to celebrate with his father. The weekend was memorable for another reason. He was being taken to Disneyland by his father and uncle. Harold David Wallace, his family, and Michael arrived in Anaheim on June 2, the day before Henry Marshall was murdered. Later Harold recounted that they had spent June 3 at the beach. "We were there all day long, along with Mac, until evening," he said." I believe that Billie Sol Estes stated at one time that there were two killers of Henry Marshall. Perhaps Mr Caddy knows more of this.

I reckon you can take that to the bank Greg!

I recently obtained a copy of Joan Mellon's 'Faustian Bargains' (2016) from Malcolm Blunt's collection. In that publication she covers LBJ & Mac Wallace's biographies and associations. The book also covers the so called Wallace fingerprint discovered on a box on the 6th floor of the TSBD. Originally investigated by DPD Officer J. Harrison with Walt Brown. It was these two that had Nathan Darby examine a photocopy of the TSBD print with a copy of Wallace's prints from Austin taken at the time of the Kinser case. Darby declared matching points. Harrison & Brown also employed E. Hoffmeister to confirm Darby's findings. After agreeing with Darby's verdict, Hoffmeister retracted. Mellon re-investigated the so called Wallace print & discovered that Darby's fingerprint examiner accreditation had expired at the time of working for Harrison & Brown. She employed a Robert Garrett a certified latent print examiner from Denver. After seeing the copies of the prints that Darby had worked with, he declared them too poor quality to obtain certain results, so Mellon got high quality copy of the Wallace print from NARA and better quality Wallace prints from U.S. Marine Corp that Wallace had submitted during WWII. According to Garrett there was no match from Wallace's prints to the TSBD print. Mellon also obtained a statement from Wallace's son who was just a schoolboy in Nov. '63. He recalls JFK's assassination & states that he was living with his father in California at that time. Mac Wallace was employed at Ling Electronics and son Michael remembers his father returning home from work that day. The above calls into serious question statements of Madeleine Brown of Wallace on a shooting range in Dallas days prior to events in Dealey Plaza. Also, many link LBJ to the plot with the Wallace fingerprint link. Then there is the man seen with horn-rim glasses on the 6th floor & walking along Houston St., that many suspect to be Mac Wallace. 'The Men on the Sixth Floor' by Sample & Collom also include Wallace as a shooter. It appears, if Joan Mellon's work is kosher, that the fingerprint remains unidentified.

Steve, that's Robert Webster, working on plastics for Rand. Gary Hill reports that Marina had Hill's address in Leningrad prior to her meet up with Oswald in Minsk!

Thanks so much Jim! I wrote to the parole board last March from the U.K. for clemency in this case. Your K's&K piece has allowed me to follow up with e-mail to Gov. Newsom. Wouldn't surprise me if parole is turned down, but I feel better after the communication.