The Profumo Affair and the JFK Assassination

[John Simkin]

Michael Eddowes was a lawyer but in 1956 he sold his law firm and invested in a chain of restaurants. In 1955 he published The Man on Your Conscience, an investigation into the murder trial and execution of Timothy Evans. The book caused renewed interest in the case and eventually Evans received a posthumous pardon by the Queen. This case played an important role in the subsequent abolition of capital punishment in Britain.

In his book, Khrushchev Killed Kennedy (1975), Eddowes argued that JFK was killed by a Soviet agent impersonating Lee Harvey Oswald. Eddowes also claimed that Lyndon B. Johnson was aware of this and had covered-up the role of the KGB in the killing of Kennedy in order to prevent a nuclear war with the Soviet Union. It was later revealed that the book had been financed by the Texas oil billionaire, Haroldson L. Hunt.

Another interesting fact is that Eddowes was involved in the Profumo Affair. On 29 March, 1963, Michael Eddowes called Scotland Yard to say he had important information. He gave information to the police that Christine Keeler had given him, alleging that it was Yevgeny Ivanov – not Stephen Ward – who had asked Keeler to pump John Profumo for information about the delivery of nuclear warheads to Germany.

His efforts to protect Ward ended in failure as he committed suicide on 3rd August, 1963, while on trial for "living off immoral earnings".

What has this to do with the JFK assassination? Well, JFK took a very close interest in the Profumo Affair. David Bruce, gave him daily updates concerning the scandal. When you consider the fact that Ward used some of the same girls as Bobby Baker to spy on politicians. JFK had slept with several of the girls who worked for Ward and Baker.

In her 2001 autobiography, Christine Keeler claimed that the MI5 chief Roger Hollis was a Soviet spy and that Ward ran a spy ring which included Hollis and Sir Anthony Blunt. Was Eddowes also working for British intelligence? Was both the British and American governments being set up by MI5/MI6 and the CIA via prostitutes in 1963?

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/JFKeddowes.htm

[Charles Drago]

It has been alleged that one or more of Ward's stablemates -- Maria Novotny, for example -- charted a course to JFK's boudoir.

(Another eventually married legendary American songwriter Jule Styne. I met and socialized with the couple twice at Songwriters' Hall of Fame celebrations.)

That Ward's was a honeypot operation is, I submit, beyond doubt. But for whom did he work? The East/West division was then and is now meaningless. The key is recognizing subsets.

Example: It is just as likely that Profumo was targeted by domestic forces as by foreign antagonists -- speaking in terms of geography and superficial politics, of course.

One of the great unsolved mysteries: How did JFK maintain his immunity from sexual blackmail?

Or did he?

[Jack White]

Michael Eddowes was a lawyer but in 1956 he sold his law firm and invested in a chain of restaurants. In 1955 he published The Man on Your Conscience, an investigation into the murder trial and execution of Timothy Evans. The book caused renewed interest in the case and eventually Evans received a posthumous pardon by the Queen. This case played an important role in the subsequent abolition of capital punishment in Britain.

In his book, Khrushchev Killed Kennedy (1975), Eddowes argued that JFK was killed by a Soviet agent impersonating Lee Harvey Oswald. Eddowes also claimed that Lyndon B. Johnson was aware of this and had covered-up the role of the KGB in the killing of Kennedy in order to prevent a nuclear war with the Soviet Union. It was later revealed that the book had been financed by the Texas oil billionaire, Haroldson L. Hunt.

Another interesting fact is that Eddowes was involved in the Profumo Affair. On 29 March, 1963, Michael Eddowes called Scotland Yard to say he had important information. He gave information to the police that Christine Keeler had given him, alleging that it was Yevgeny Ivanov – not Stephen Ward – who had asked Keeler to pump John Profumo for information about the delivery of nuclear warheads to Germany.

His efforts to protect Ward ended in failure as he committed suicide on 3rd August, 1963, while on trial for "living off immoral earnings".

What has this to do with the JFK assassination? Well, JFK took a very close interest in the Profumo Affair. David Bruce, gave him daily updates concerning the scandal. When you consider the fact that Ward used some of the same girls as Bobby Baker to spy on politicians. JFK had slept with several of the girls who worked for Ward and Baker.

In her 2001 autobiography, Christine Keeler claimed that the MI5 chief Roger Hollis was a Soviet spy and that Ward ran a spy ring which included Hollis and Sir Anthony Blunt. Was Eddowes also working for British intelligence? Was both the British and American governments being set up by MI5/MI6 and the CIA via prostitutes in 1963?

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/JFKeddowes.htm

I met with Michael Eddowes on several occasions when he was seeking the exhumation

of LHO in Fort Worth. He told me that he was RETIRED FROM BRITISH INTELLIGENCE.

Jack

[John Simkin]

I met with Michael Eddowes on several occasions when he was seeking the exhumation

of LHO in Fort Worth. He told me that he was RETIRED FROM BRITISH INTELLIGENCE.

Jack

That is interesting. I will add this information to my page on him.

[Jack White]

Eddowes gave me a copy of a small 75-page paperback book he privately published

in December 1978, titled ...

LEE HARVEY OSWALD -- Report on the Activities of an Impostor who Assassinated

President John F. Kennedy.

This little book is not known by most researchers and is possibly one of

the rarest of assassination books. One of its features which is hard to find is

the autopsy report of LHO. This little book was a precursor to his later books,

which advocated "the Russians did it" theory. All of his books have much

useful information, but a bad conclusion therefrom. Eddowes worked with Marina

to get the LHO corpse exhumed and autopsied.

Jack

Edited February 7, 2008 by Jack White

[William Kelly]

Eddowes gave me a copy of a small 75-page paperback book he privately published

in December 1978, titled ...

LEE HARVEY OSWALD -- Report on the Activities of an Impostor who Assassinated

President John F. Kennedy.

This little book is not known by most researchers and is possibly one of

the rarest of assassination books. One of its features which is hard to find is

the autopsy report of LHO. This little book was a precursor to his later books,

which advocated "the Russians did it" theory. All of his books have much

useful information, but a bad conclusion therefrom. Eddowes worked with Marina

to get the LHO corpse exhumed and autopsied.

Jack

Jack, Thanks for the background on Eddowes. But I must take exception to your description of the event being an autopsy. The accused assassin, like his other alleged victims - JDT, JC and JFK, should have and may someday be subjected to a real forensic autopsy, the purpose of which is develop evidence that can be admitted in a court of law.

The autopsy JFK and others received were only meant to determine the cause of death.

Whatever they did to LHO in Texas at Eddowes direction, was a butcher job, and their purpose was only to determine identity, which they did to their own satisfaction.

It will take someone with the determination of Eddowes to get proper forensic autopsies for the vicims of Dallas.

BK

[Jack White]

Eddowes gave me a copy of a small 75-page paperback book he privately published

in December 1978, titled ...

LEE HARVEY OSWALD -- Report on the Activities of an Impostor who Assassinated

President John F. Kennedy.

This little book is not known by most researchers and is possibly one of

the rarest of assassination books. One of its features which is hard to find is

the autopsy report of LHO. This little book was a precursor to his later books,

which advocated "the Russians did it" theory. All of his books have much

useful information, but a bad conclusion therefrom. Eddowes worked with Marina

to get the LHO corpse exhumed and autopsied.

Jack

Jack, Thanks for the background on Eddowes. But I must take exception to your description of the event being an autopsy. The accused assassin, like his other alleged victims - JDT, JC and JFK, should have and may someday be subjected to a real forensic autopsy, the purpose of which is develop evidence that can be admitted in a court of law.

The autopsy JFK and others received were only meant to determine the cause of death.

Whatever they did to LHO in Texas at Eddowes direction, was a butcher job, and their purpose was only to determine identity, which they did to their own satisfaction.

It will take someone with the determination of Eddowes to get proper forensic autopsies for the vicims of Dallas.

BK

Bill...the "exhumation autopsy" was performed by Dr. Linda Norton, Dallas County Medical Examiner.

The press referred to it as an autopsy.

Jack

[Charles Drago]

Wouldn't the correct term be necropsy? Or are they synonymous?

[Jack White]

Wouldn't the correct term be necropsy? Or are they synonymous?

From medicine.net

Necropsy: A postmortem examination or autopsy.

(medical examination of a dead person)

Jack

[Charles Drago]

Thanks, Jack.

The common usage for "necropsy" I've heard relates to examinations of other than recently deceased bodies.

"Recently" being a realtive term, I guess.

[Kathleen Collins]

Eddowes gave me a copy of a small 75-page paperback book he privately published

in December 1978, titled ...

LEE HARVEY OSWALD -- Report on the Activities of an Impostor who Assassinated

President John F. Kennedy.

This little book is not known by most researchers and is possibly one of

the rarest of assassination books. One of its features which is hard to find is

the autopsy report of LHO. This little book was a precursor to his later books,

which advocated "the Russians did it" theory. All of his books have much

useful information, but a bad conclusion therefrom. Eddowes worked with Marina

to get the LHO corpse exhumed and autopsied.

Jack

Jack, Thanks for the background on Eddowes. But I must take exception to your description of the event being an autopsy. The accused assassin, like his other alleged victims - JDT, JC and JFK, should have and may someday be subjected to a real forensic autopsy, the purpose of which is develop evidence that can be admitted in a court of law.

The autopsy JFK and others received were only meant to determine the cause of death.

Whatever they did to LHO in Texas at Eddowes direction, was a butcher job, and their purpose was only to determine identity, which they did to their own satisfaction.

It will take someone with the determination of Eddowes to get proper forensic autopsies for the vicims of Dallas.

BK

Bill...the "exhumation autopsy" was performed by Dr. Linda Norton, Dallas County Medical Examiner.

The press referred to it as an autopsy.

Jack

Where can we get LHO's first autopsy? And J.D. Tippit's? They buried Tippit so fast, didn't they? It took a Professor (and member here) $150 to get Karyn Kupcinet's autopsy.

If you would indulge me -- I found out where you could request autopsies in LA. Over a span of a year, I requested it 3 times. No answer. I asked for it again and my email returned immediately -- they blocked me. The guy who runs findadeath.com emailed me and asked me if I was the woman who requested the autopsy 3 times. Yes. He said, "Is there a hurry on this?" No, she's been dead only 44 years. "I looked at it," he said. "There's nothing unusual." No, there's nothing unusual about a homicide victim who died either from having her carotid artery shut off or via a karate chop; and with a copious amount of whitish fluid in her birth canal.

Apparently, he gets leads from someone there about celebs' deaths that he can use for his gay website. For some reason I don't think he wanted to do anything on KK on his site. All of a sudden he has scruples?

About LHO: I believe he was a Russian agent. But he did not kill JFK. It was a conspiracy. "Harvey" was pretty stupid if he didn't know how he was being set up as the patsy.

Kathy

[John Simkin]

Michael Eddowes died in 1982. Twelve years later his son, David Eddowes, published Two Killers of Rillington Place (1994) in which he disputed his father's claims that Timothy Evans was innocent. He also argued that his father suffered from schizophrenia and died in an insane asylum.

[John Simkin]

A story emerged during the Profumo Affair that has never been fully explained. At the end of the Stephen Ward trial, newspapers began reporting on the sex parties attended by Christine Keeler and Mandy Rice-Davies. The Washington Star quoted Rice-Davies as saying "there was a dinner party where a naked man wearing a mask waited on table like a slave." Dorothy Kilgallen wrote an article where she stated: "The authorities searching the apartment of one of the principals in the case came upon a photograph showing a key figure disporting with a bevy of ladies. All were nude except for the gentleman in the picture who was wearing an apron. And this is a man who has been on extremely friendly terms with the very proper Queen and members of her immediate family!"

The News of the World immediately identified the hostess at the dinner party as being Mariella Novotny. Various rumours began to circulate about the name of the man who wore the mask and apron. This included John Profumo and another member of the government, Ernest Marples. Whereas another minister, Lord Hailsham, the leader of the House of Lords at the time, issued a statement saying it was not him.

The party had taken place in December 1961. Mariella Novotny was the host of what became known as the "Feast of Peacocks". According to Christine Keeler, there was "a lavish dinner in which this man wearing only... a black mask with slits for eyes and laces up the back... and a tiny apron - one like the waitresses wore in 1950s tearooms - asked to be whipped if people were not happy with his services."

In her autobiography, Mandy (1980) Mandy Rice-Davies described what happened when she arrived at Novotny's party in Bayswater: "The door was opened by Stephen (Ward) - naked except for his socks... All the men were naked, the women naked except for wisps of clothing like suspender belts and stockings. I recognised our host and hostess, Mariella Novotny and her husband Horace Dibbins, and unfortunately I recognised too a fair number of other faces as belonging to people so famous you could not fail to recognise them: a Harley Street gynaecologist, several politicians, including a Cabinet minister of the day, now dead, who, Stephen told us with great glee, had served dinner of roast peacock wearing nothing but a mask and a bow tie instead of a fig leaf."

In this account Mandy Rice-Davies suggests than man in the mask was a Cabinet minister. Keeler claims that Ward told her that the man was a senior figure in the House of Lords. Does this mean it was Lord Hailsham?

In 1978 Novotny announced that she had started work on her autobiography which would include details of her work for MI5. She also promised to name the man in the black mask. In November 1980 she claimed that her book would include details of a "plot to discredit Jack Kennedy". She added, "I kept a diary of all my appointments in the UN building. Believe me, it's dynamite. It's now in the hands of the CIA."

The book never appeared. Mariella Novotny was found dead in her bed in February 1983. It was claimed by the police that she had died of a drug overdose. Christine Keeler later wrote: "The Westminster Coroner, Dr Paul Knapman, called it misadventure. Along with People in Moscow, I still think it was murder. A central figure in the strangest days of my life always believed Mariella would be killed by American or British agents, most probably by the CIA."

Who was the man in the black mask? The CIA house journal, Time Magazine, speculated that it was film director, Anthony Asquith, the son of former prime minister, Herbert Asquith. This of course is what Wikipedia claims to be the case. However, it contradicts the testimony of Stephen Ward, Christine Keeler and Mandy Rice-Davies.

[John Simkin]

I have had an email from Mandy Rice-Davies today. She wants me to correct a few things I have written about her. Hopefully she will engage in a debate about her activities in Washington.

[Paul Rigby]

Stephen Ward Was Innocent, OK by Geoffrey Robertson – review

This coruscating account of the miscarriage of justice at the heart of the Profumo affair is written with gusto and gallows humour

By Richard Davenport-Hines

The Guardian, Wednesday 4 December 2013 09.30 GMT

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/dec/04/stephen-ward-innocent-geoffrey-robertson-review

Stephen Ward was the fashionable osteopath who, as punishment for introducing the minister for war, Jack Profumo, to his young nemesis Christine Keeler, was framed by the police on "vice" charges and hounded to death in 1963. Ward was an avid attention seeker, an incorrigibly indiscreet chatterbox with a mischievous streak, who would revel in the attention that he is receiving 50 years after his Old Bailey trial. Andrew Lloyd Webber is bringing out a musical honouring him. Written by no less than Christopher Hampton and Don Black, and directed by Richard Eyre, the play is an apotheosis for a scapegoat who was denounced in court as "a thoroughly filthy fellow" and was ostracised by his friends.

Geoffrey Robertson, the human rights barrister, has written a coruscating account of the miscarriage of justice centred on Ward. He shows how the Conservative home secretary Henry Brooke summoned the head of MI5 and the police commissioner of Scotland Yard to the Home Office and instructed them to "get Ward", as Robertson says, "for any offence that he could possibly have committed". Ward's crimes, so far as the devoutly Christian home secretary was concerned, were fornication, Godlessness and blabbing information to Labour politicians about Profumo. Ward's telephone was bugged, his patients were placed under surveillance and 140 witnesses were interviewed so that the police could frame Ward as a pimp.

Only recently, after the deaths of the last policemen involved, has it been possible to give the full story of police threats to witnesses, their concoction of evidence and barefaced lies. Little has changed in the Metropolitan police's handling of some high profile cases, it may be thought, and it is timely to be reminded of police misconduct in cases with political ramifications.

The prosecution of Ward was launched for political expediency. Laws and legal procedures were manipulated to produce an unjust verdict. After a string of witnesses had traipsed into the witness box to lie about Ward, he was convicted on two counts of living on the earnings of prostitutes, namely Keeler and Mandy Rice-Davies. This is a continuing injustice to these two women who, as the law stood in 1963, and by any reasonable judgment now, were never prostitutes. They were perfectly capable of making their own choices about men, and far from indiscriminate in their boyfriends. It is hateful misogyny to call them "tarts" or "whores", as people did, and journalists still do.

Ward's prosecutor and judge could not imagine women enjoying sex, or understand why women might "perform sexual acts", in the prim phrase of 1963, unless they were grateful wives or paid sex-workers. In comparable class discrimination, the prosecution did not seek testimony from the government minister, the film star, the aristocrats and tycoons who had been boyfriends of Keeler and Rice-Davies. They did dredge up and humiliate a witness who resembled Harry Enfield's character Mr Cholmondley-Warner and was deemed too suburban to need crown protection.

There is rollicking humour as well as cold rage in Robertson's account of the injustice. He shows that the judge in the case made repeated improper interventions in the trial, and misdirected the jury on both the evidence and the law – most grievously in the definition of prostitution. The judge's summing up was so cruelly biased that it drove Ward to take a fatal overdose.

Robertson's chief villain is the then lord chief justice, Lord Parker of Waddington. He initiated the policy, which continues to this day, of refusing to allow transcripts of the trial to be made available. It is, Robertson says, "the only public trial in British history which is subject to this enforced secrecy, and there can only be one reason, namely to stop researchers from appreciating its unfairness". The splendidly redoubtable Rice-Davies used the Freedom of Information Act to obtain the transcript of her own testimony. It arrived with all the names that she mentioned in open court – even Keeler's – redacted in thick black ink by some time-wasting jobsworth. Such is the obsessive commitment to suppressing the truth about Ward's trial.

Parker's other machinations against Ward are crucial to Robertson's book. In devious manoeuvres – which Robertson summarises with glorious lucidity – Parker acted to prevent the Ward jury from knowing that Keeler had perjured herself in another criminal trial and that her testimony against Ward was worthless. Parker wanted to protect the policeman in charge of the case from the revelation that they had coerced her into perjury in both cases. More than that, on grounds of supposed public morality, he wanted to oblige the government by ensuring Ward's conviction. Parker's ruthless deceptions at this time almost beggar belief.

The cases of the Birmingham Six and the Guildford Four, and reforms instituted by recent lord chief justices, mean that the judiciary could not behave now as it did 50 years ago. Police misconduct, by contrast, is as untrammelled as ever. And the political influences and newspaper brouhaha that can contaminate trial by jury have not been eliminated.

This polemic comes with endorsements from two former directors of public prosecutions. "A must-read for all those concerned to understand how miscarriages of justice can arise," says Keir Starmer. "A wonderfully clear discussion of a very grim period in British criminal justice – a thriller with a dark ending," adds Starmer's predecessor Ken Macdonald. It is to be hoped that the Criminal Case Review Commission refers Ward's conviction to the court of appeal.

For those who have a prior interest in the framing and show trial of Stephen Ward this is a tremendous and thrilling book. I could not sleep for excitement after reading it at one sitting. Stephen Ward Was Innocent, OK is written with punchiness, gusto, incisive forensic analysis, and deadly gallows humour befitting its subject. Anyone who wants a thumping, indignant read as an antidote to Yuletide complacence should be given this polemic in their Christmas stocking

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• Richard Davenport-Hines's An English Affair: Sex, Class and Power in the Age of Profumo is published by HarperPress