Harold Feldman and Vincent J. Salandria: Visit to Dallas in June 1964

[John Simkin]

In June 1964, Harold Feldman and Vincent J. Salandria went to Dallas to visit Marguerite Oswald. They then went together to interview Helen Markham, the only witness who saw the actual shooting of J. D. Tippit. She refused to talk to them and she reported the visit to the FBI. According to their report on 24th July: "She (Markham) stated she was frightened and did not desire to talk with Mrs. Oswald and the two alleged reporters since she regarded Mrs. Oswald as a mean appearing person."

They also visited the home of Ruth Paine. Her husband, Michael Paine made comments that suggested he had been informed about the background of Salandria: "Why are you working on the assassination? Why don't you stick to your work in civil liberties and civil rights?" Vincent J. Salandria later told Sylvia Meagher: "Michael Paine advised us under questioning of a cross-examination nature, that Oswald was serving as a spy in right-wing organizations." Based on their discussions, Salandria concluded that Paine knew Lee Harvey Oswald much better than his Warren Commission testimony suggested.

Feldman and Salandria also interviewed Acquilla Clemons who had also seen the events around the killing of Tippit . Salandria later recalled: "I thought she was entirely credible." According to Clemons the gunman was a "short guy and kind of heavy". The other man was tall and thin in khaki trousers and a white shirt. The Dallas Police warned her not to repeat this story to others or "she might get hurt".

While they were visiting Dealey Plaza they were approached by a man who made it clear that he knew who they were. Salandria commented that this was probably connected to the comments made by Michael Paine: "The only plausible explanation was that the killers were advertising to me that my efforts to maintain a low profile in the case were unsuccessful. They were also telling me that I could no longer trust my most loving friends. They were instructing me that I could no longer trust my most loving friends. They were instructing me that I was being watched by the agents of the killers. They were advising me that I had a safe haven, if I gave up the assassination work and continued in my American Civil Liberties Union work... they were transparently advertising to me that they had great power, and that I had none."

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

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

[Guest Robert Morrow]

"Feldman and Salandria also interviewed Acquilla Clemons who had also seen the events around the killing of Tippit . Salandria later recalled: "I thought she was entirely credible." According to Clemons the gunman was a "short guy and kind of heavy". The other man was tall and thin in khaki trousers and a white shirt. The Dallas Police warned her not to repeat this story to others or "she might get hurt"."

In 2010 I and a friend drove up the exact same spot where Tippit was murdered. I parked my car there. And elderly Hispanic man, I think in his 70's, was walking by. We motioned him over and found out that he actually was living in this neighborhood in the time period of 11/22/63. He would have been in his 20's then.

I asked him an open ended question about the Tippit killing; asking if he knew anything about it.

The first words out of his mouth were that there were 2 shooters or 2 men that killed Tippit.

I do not think this man witnessed the actual killing, but what he was telling me was the scuttlebutt of the neighborhood in which he lived in - the very neighborhood of the Tippit murder. First words out of his mouth: there were 2 shooters of Tippit!