New Book!

[David Andrews]

(9) Further, Jack Ruby suggested that "Unfortunately for me, for me giving the people the opportunity to get in power, because of the act I committed, has put a lot of people in jeopardy with their lives." I interpret this to mean that by killing Lee Harvey Oswald, this allowed the John Birch Society and Edwin Walker to gain a foothold in Dallas, and therefore in US politics.

Paul,

It strikes me from your own remarks in this post that Walker and the JBS already had a "foothold" in Dallas. Elsewhere, Ruby on news cameras alluded to LBJ as having come into power nationally due to the assassination and, by implication, through Ruby's silencing of Oswald. So is there an LBJ-Walker axis, if only in Ruby's mind?

[Jim Root]

Paul

From another site;

The evidence indicates that Ruby led a normal social life during these years. Virginia Belasco stated that while Ruby was selling punchboards in New York during November 1941, he entertained her each weekend. Other reports indicate that Ruby fancied himself a "ladies' man," enjoyed dancing, almost always had female accompaniment and was "very gentlemanly" with women.

Ruby, with several friends, frequently attempted to disrupt rallies of the German-American Bund. One acquaintance reported that Ruby was responsible for "cracking a few heads" of Bund members. Apparently he joined in this activity for ethnic rather than political reasons. The young men in the group were not organized adherents of any particular political creed, but were poolhall and tavern companions from Ruby's Jewish neighborhood who gathered on the spur of the moment to present opposition when they learned that the pro-Nazi and anti-Semitic Bund movement was planning a meeting. Hyman Rubenstein testified that Ruby would fight with any person making derogatory comments about, his ethnic origins, and others have stated that Ruby would fight with anyone he suspected of pro-Nazi or anti-Semitic tendencies.

Jim Root

Edited September 11, 2015 by Jim Root

[Roger DeLaria]

I remember seeing in some film footage where jack Ruby said that if Adlai Stevenson had been VP the assassination never would have happened. When asked by a reporter to explain that remark, Ruby said, "The answer is the man in office now." To me, he is pointing the finger at LBJ.

[Paul Trejo]

(9) Further, Jack Ruby suggested that "Unfortunately for me, for me giving the people the opportunity to get in power, because of the act I committed, has put a lot of people in jeopardy with their lives." I interpret this to mean that by killing Lee Harvey Oswald, this allowed the John Birch Society and Edwin Walker to gain a foothold in Dallas, and therefore in US politics.

Paul,

It strikes me from your own remarks in this post that Walker and the JBS already had a "foothold" in Dallas. Elsewhere, Ruby on news cameras alluded to LBJ as having come into power nationally due to the assassination and, by implication, through Ruby's silencing of Oswald. So is there an LBJ-Walker axis, if only in Ruby's mind?

Yes, David, I believe that in the paranoid mind of Jack Ruby, there was a Walker-LBJ connection, since both men were Texas Gentiles.

Jim Root also emphasized the Jewish background of Jack Ruby's paranoid fantasies. Well, to be fair to Ruby, the 1960's were not very far removed from 1945 and the discovery of Auschwitz and other Nazi concentration camps and genocide sites. Jewish Americans in the 1950's and 1960's were understandably paranoid after those unspeakable revelations.

So, Jack Ruby was stunned when he noticed that the "Black-bordered Ad" in the Dallas Morning News (WELCOME, MR. KENNEDY, TO DALLAS) was signed with a Jewish name -- Bernard Weissman. In his Warren Commission testimony, Bernard Weissman did express his belief that Jack Ruby was stalking him at his post office box on the day after the JFK murder (as the PO box number was printed in the Black-bordered Ad). Bernie was petrified by this stalker.

Jack Ruby feared above all that somebody would blame the Jews for killing JFK, and then that would start more concentration camps. He expressed this fear.

OK, since I've admitted that I believe Jack Ruby was to some degree paranoid (as Edwin Walker was to some degree paranoid) -- that must be turned back against my own theory that Jack Ruby named General Walker and the JBS as his prime suspects in the JFK murder. Was this only a paranoid fantasy?

I also admit that I agree 100% with the account of Jack Ruby as given by Seth Kantor in his book, Who Was Jack Ruby? (1978). In that book, Kantor uses his polite personal relationship with Jack Ruby to assert that: (1) Ruby had absolutely nothing to do with the JFK murder; and (2) Ruby assassinated Lee Harvey Oswald at the request of specific DPD officers -- in vengeance for the murder of J.D. Tippit, his good pal, who died at the hands of Oswald-the-cop-killer.

That means that if (and only if) Jack Ruby knew who killed JFK, he could only have received that data from those DPD officers who were inside the plot. In the forefront of this theory I name Roscoe White, whose wife once worked for Jack Ruby (and who admitted to his son Ricky White that he was a JFK shooter).

Finally, I believe that the only reason Jack Ruby would drop the name of LBJ in the context of JFK murder would be to take the heat off of the DPD policemen who were the truly guilty ones (by their own admission, e.g. Roscoe White) and who were also watching Jack Ruby hour after hour in his Dallas jail cell.

Regards,

--Paul Trejo

Edited September 18, 2015 by Paul Trejo

[William O'Neil]

Roger;

Was that out of fear or his true belief? He also begged Warren to take him to Washington to warn the President who was...LBJ!

Why, if he thought LBJ was a plotter?

“If you don't take me back to Washington tonight to give me a chance to prove to the President that I am not guilty, then you will see the most tragic thing that will ever happen. …

“Now maybe something can be saved. It may not be too late, whatever happens, if our President, Lyndon Johnson, knew the truth from me. But if I am eliminated, there won't be any way of knowing. Right now, when I leave your presence now, I am the only one that can bring out the truth to our President, who believes in righteousness and justice. But he has been told, I am certain, that I was part of a plot to assassinate the President. . . .⁽¹³⁾”

I seem to recall that Walker and Hargis also pointed the finger at LBJ on occasion. Walker’s protege, J. Evetts Haley was in fact one of the originators of the LBJ did it theory. He was a constant antagonist of LBJ’s, wrote a book about him… “A Texan Looks at Lyndon”

Which is a book that RUBY READ and recommended! Hmm.

It certainly seems like Jack had a greater knowledge of the Right Wing forces around him, than he dared let on. His "paranoia" may have been well founded!

Bill

Edited September 11, 2015 by William O'Neil

[Roger DeLaria]

I happen to think it was his true belief, but that's just my opinion.

Nixon apparently recognized Ruby as an LBJ man.

From the Daily Caller:

Richard Nixon thought Lyndon Johnson killed John F. Kennedy, according to legendary political operative Roger Stone.

“Richard Nixon told me in 1982 that he immediately knew who Jack Ruby was when he saw him shoot Oswald,” Stone told The Daily Caller in an extensive interview.

Among other revelations, Stone told TheDC that Nixon hired Jack Ruby as a House committee informant at Johnson’s request years prior to the Kennedy assassination, which occurred 50 years ago today.

“Nixon said, ‘The damn thing is, I knew this Jack Ruby. Murray [Chotiner] brought him to me in 1947, said he was one of “Johnson’s boys” and that LBJ wanted us to hire him as an informant to the Committee. We did,'” according to Stone.

“I think Nixon immediately recognized that LBJ was using one his operatives to do ‘clean up’ work on the murder of John Kennedy. Nixon would also say to me ‘Both Johnson and I wanted to be president, but the only difference was I wouldn’t kill for it.’ At other times when I pressed the old man hard on who really killed JFK, Nixon would just shiver and say ‘Texas!’,” Stone said.

http://jfkfacts.org/assassination/fact-check/fact-check-did-richard-nixon-know-jack-ruby/

Edited September 11, 2015 by Roger DeLaria

[Paul Trejo]

Roger;

Was that out of fear or his true belief? He also begged Warren to take him to Washington to warn the President who was...LBJ!

Why, if he thought LBJ was a plotter?

“If you don't take me back to Washington tonight to give me a chance to prove to the President that I am not guilty, then you will see the most tragic thing that will ever happen. …

“Now maybe something can be saved. It may not be too late, whatever happens, if our President, Lyndon Johnson, knew the truth from me. But if I am eliminated, there won't be any way of knowing. Right now, when I leave your presence now, I am the only one that can bring out the truth to our President, who believes in righteousness and justice. But he has been told, I am certain, that I was part of a plot to assassinate the President. . . .⁽¹³⁾”

I seem to recall that Walker and Hargis also pointed the finger at LBJ on occasion. Walker’s protege, J. Evetts Haley was in fact one of the originators of the LBJ did it theory. He was a constant antagonist of LBJ’s, wrote a book about him… “A Texan Looks at Lyndon”

Which is a book that RUBY READ and recommended! Hmm.

It certainly seems like Jack had a greater knowledge of the Right Wing forces around him, than he dared let on. His "paranoia" may have been well founded!

Bill

Excellent -- this is the correct response to Roger DeLaria. Ruby was all over the map on politics -- a truly confused personality.

On the one hand he holds up J.E. Haley's 1964 book, A Texan Looks at Lyndon, in order to shift suspicion to LBJ, and on the other hand he says openly, "I am the only one that can bring out the truth to our President, who believes in righteousness and justice."

I realize that this compromises my emphasis on Ruby's claim about Walker and the JBS to Earl Warren in July 1964 -- firstly because the statement was not explicit, and secondly because Jack Ruby was so confused politically (as we might expect from a professional pimp and drug pusher).

Yet Ruby's behavior is the factor that tips the balance, IMHO, that is, Ruby refused to talk openly in Dallas -- specifically in a Dallas jail cell, surrounded by DPD policemen -- while he promised that he would talk openly in Washington DC -- in the very presence of LBJ.

Regards,

--Paul Trejo

Edited September 12, 2015 by Paul Trejo

[Ernie Lazar]

Roger;

Was that out of fear or his true belief? He also begged Warren to take him to Washington to warn the President who was...LBJ!

Why, if he thought LBJ was a plotter?

“If you don't take me back to Washington tonight to give me a chance to prove to the President that I am not guilty, then you will see the most tragic thing that will ever happen. …

“Now maybe something can be saved. It may not be too late, whatever happens, if our President, Lyndon Johnson, knew the truth from me. But if I am eliminated, there won't be any way of knowing. Right now, when I leave your presence now, I am the only one that can bring out the truth to our President, who believes in righteousness and justice. But he has been told, I am certain, that I was part of a plot to assassinate the President. . . .⁽¹³⁾”

I seem to recall that Walker and Hargis also pointed the finger at LBJ on occasion. Walker’s protege, J. Evetts Haley was in fact one of the originators of the LBJ did it theory. He was a constant antagonist of LBJ’s, wrote a book about him… “A Texan Looks at Lyndon”

Which is a book that RUBY READ and recommended! Hmm.

It certainly seems like Jack had a greater knowledge of the Right Wing forces around him, than he dared let on. His "paranoia" may have been well founded!

Bill

This is why some of us get very confused regarding the cast of characters being proposed as significant actors within the "JBS plot" conspiracy.

1. Paul Trejo wants us to believe (based upon his general reading and the recollections of Harry Dean) that Edwin Walker was a major (if not THE major) conspiracy plotter.

2. As Bill points out, J. Evetts Haley was a close associate of Walker. He also was a financial contributor to Walker. And, of course, both Medford Evans and Haley were JBS members. And Bill tells us that Haley attributed the murder of JFK to LBJ. [For purposes of this message, I am assuming that Bill thinks Haley was sincerely proposing LBJ as a conspirator? And that Bill believes that Haley genuinely was an LBJ antagonist?]

3. Does it seem logical that Walker could be the linchpin of a conspiratorial plot to murder JFK but a close associate like J. Evetts Haley did not have a clue about it? Nor about the involvement of other JBS members in Texas?

4. Furthermore, in a 10/8/62 memo to all Birch Society National Council members, Robert Welch criticized Edwin Walker because he was taking advice from J. Evetts Haley and from Medford Evans. Welch observed:

"Not only does that advice seem to many of us to leave much to be desired in the matter of soundness; but much more recently Walker has also been listening to advice from another source and refusing to pay attention to those who have tried to caution him about this source, and it is one which we do not trust at all, even as to good intentions."

Welch then described the potential for "very serious embarrassment to conservatives and the conservative cause in general if Walker continues to listen to that advice."

4. Consequently, if (as Paul Trejo and Harry Dean and others maintain), Welch and Walker and John Rousselot were major actors in the conspiratorial plot to murder JFK and this alleged plot was based in Texas --- then how do we explain why Welch was criticizing Walker for his reliance upon J. Evetts Haley and Medford Evans -- and why did Haley think LBJ was involved?

5. Surely, nobody is proposing that LBJ was associated with the Birch Society??

6. Both Evans and Haley were involved in numerous right-wing organizations -- and both had ties to H.L. Hunt (whom is also implicated in the "JBS plot" theory).

In the early 1950's, Evans was News Director of Hunt's "Facts Forum" as well as Academic Dean of McMurray College in Abilene TX. Evans was fired (for financial irregularities) in 1955 from his position at Facts Forum by none other than Birch supporter and former FBI Special Agent Dan Smoot. He was fired from other positions because of his chronic alcoholism. As one FBI summary memo points out:

Evans was investigated in 1947 as an Atomic Energy Act applicant when it was alleged that he drank considerably and was unreliable and irresponsible." The FBI memo also reports that Evans had been fired by radio station WDOD "due to his heavy drinking and being unreliable" plus Evans had been arrested and fined for public drunkenness in May 1944 in Tennessee.

In the 1950's and early 1960's Evans was a member of Citizens Council chapters in MS, LA, TX and TN; he also was a Field Director for the Citizens Councils of America and Editor of the Citizens Council magazine; he also was a contributing editor to the JBS magazine, American Opinion and the JBS Coordinator in Louisiana and Mississippi. In 1959, he was Secretary and Chairman of the Organization & Strategy Committee for the States Rights Party of Louisiana and in 1962 he was campaign manager for Walker's campaign for Governor of Texas. Evans wrote that Guy Banister (another major figure in the JBS plot theory) was a good friend of his.

Haley was Co-Chairman of Friends of Rhodesian Independence which defended the racist regime in Rhodesia and in 1956 he ran for Governor of Texas on a pro-segregation platform. He also created his own organization, Texans For America and was involved with Federation For Constitutional Government (another pro-segregation outfit).

7. We get back to basic principles of logic and evidence.

Does it seem reasonable that individuals who lived in the same state (or a neighboring state) and whom were so totally immersed in the same right-wing politics and causes -- including many of the same organizations -- and whom often worked together, attended the same meetings or had the same employment, would somehow not have any clue regarding whom was responsible for a plot to murder JFK -- whom they all equally detested? In other words -- Walker, Banister, Rousselot and Welch had some kind of involvement but Medford Evans, J. Evetts Haley, Dan Smoot, and other Texans had no clue about any of the JBS members involved?

Edited September 12, 2015 by Ernie Lazar

[Paul Trejo]

Allow me to clarify my position about the John Birch Society's role in the JFK murder.

IMHO Robert Welch was unaware of the Dallas plot, just as he was unaware that Edwin Walker would oppose JFK at Ole Miss with a race riot. IMHO, the doctrines of Robert Welch led people to think like Radical Rightists, but only a few, like Edwin Walker, were bold enough to act on these beliefs.

I compare Robert Welch to George De Mohrenschildt on the left. George told Lee Harvey Oswald that General Walker was an evil person (c.f. I'm A Patsy, 1977). Volkmar Schmidt told Oswald that Walker was "like Hitler." But neither George nor Volkmar ever envisioned an assassination attempt on General Walker -- that was the decision of Lee Harvey Oswald who was bold and honest enough to act on his newfound beliefs.

The same goes for Robert Welch. Welch told the JBS (and Edwin Walker) that JFK was a Communist who was guilty of "Treason" against the USA. But Welch never envisioned a real assassination attempt on JFK -- that was the decision of Edwin Walker who was bold and honest enough to act on his beliefs.

Harry Dean says much the same thing in his 1990 Crosstrails manuscript, i.e. that he was aware of the radical nature of the writings of Robert Welch in the American Opinion magazine, however, he originally regarded it as merely a "ploy" to push the USA further toward the Republican Party and further from the Democratic Party.

Yet perhaps many others didn't read it that way. The resigned General Edwin Walker and the 10,000 protestors (some of them armed) who joined him at Ole Miss University on 30 September 1962 were dead serious about the Communist threat allegedly represented by one Black American, James Meredith, enrolling in an all-white college.

As for one financial contributor to General Walker, namely J. Evetts Haley, we cannot be surprised that Haley blamed LBJ for the murder of JFK, because General Walker himself loudly complained about the "Lone Nut" theory that LBJ supported, which prevented the USA from believing in the FPCC Communist Conspiracy to kill JFK, with its obligatory next step -- the invasion of Cuba. So, LBJ was on Walker's bad-list.

Now -- was every member of the Friends-of-Walker aware that Walker was the lead conspirator in the plot to kill JFK? Of course not. Walker was no intellectual, but he was as shrewd as a jungle tiger. He wasn't so stupid to tell just anybody what his secret plans were. Besides, J. Evetts Haley was a public speaker and a journalist -- the very last person anybody would tell.

Further, when Robert Welch complained that General Walker was being influenced by "others," he was probably referring to Robert Allen Surrey, a member of the American Nazi Party. Surrey was at Walker's side at Ole Miss -- until Walker was arrested. Robert Welch expressed his disappointment in the Ole Miss riot -- partly because he wasn't advised prior to the riot.

Finally, Harry Dean says that John Rousselot was at the September 1963 meeting with General Walker and Gabby Gabaldon and two other JBS members in Southern California, where they discussed killing JFK and using Lee Harvey Oswald as their patsy. But Harry Dean never said that Robert Welch was there. On the contrary, it was only the IDEAS of Robert Welch that were ever-present, especially his claim that JFK was a Communist. For a hot-headed JBS activist like General Walker, that was a death-sentence.

Regards,
--Paul Trejo

Edited September 12, 2015 by Paul Trejo

[Ernie Lazar]

Allow me to clarify my position about the John Birch Society's role in the JFK murder.

IMHO Robert Welch was unaware of the Dallas plot, just as he was unaware that Edwin Walker would oppose JFK at Ole Miss with a race riot. IMHO, the doctrines of Robert Welch led people to think like Radical Rightists, but only a few, like Edwin Walker, were bold enough to act on these beliefs.

I compare Robert Welch to George De Mohrenschildt on the left. George told Lee Harvey Oswald that General Walker was an evil person (c.f. I'm A Patsy, 1977). Volkmar Schmidt told Oswald that Walker was "like Hitler." But neither George nor Volkmar ever envisioned an assassination attempt on General Walker -- that was the decision of Lee Harvey Oswald who was bold and honest enough to act on his newfound beliefs.

The same goes for Robert Welch. Welch told the JBS (and Edwin Walker) that JFK was a Communist who was guilty of "Treason" against the USA. But Welch never envisioned a real assassination attempt on JFK -- that was the decision of Edwin Walker who was bold and honest enough to act on his beliefs.

Harry Dean says much the same thing in his 1990 Crosstrails manuscript, i.e. that he was aware of the radical nature of the writings of Robert Welch in the American Opinion magazine, however, he originally regarded it as merely a "ploy" to push the USA further toward the Republican Party and further from the Democratic Party.

Yet perhaps many others didn't read it that way. The resigned General Edwin Walker and the 10,000 protestors (some of them armed) who joined him at Ole Miss University on 30 September 1962 were dead serious about the Communist threat allegedly represented by one Black American, James Meredith, enrolling in an all-white college.

As for one financial contributor to General Walker, namely J. Evetts Haley, we cannot be surprised that Haley blamed LBJ for the murder of JFK, because General Walker himself loudly complained about the "Lone Nut" theory that LBJ supported, which prevented the USA from believing in the FPCC Communist Conspiracy to kill JFK, with its obligatory next step -- the invasion of Cuba. So, LBJ was on Walker's bad-list.

Now -- was every member of the Friends-of-Walker aware that Walker was the lead conspirator in the plot to kill JFK? Of course not. Walker was no intellectual, but he was as shrewd as a jungle tiger. He wasn't so stupid to tell just anybody what his secret plans were. Besides, J. Evetts Haley was a public speaker and a journalist -- the very last person anybody would tell.

Further, when Robert Welch complained that General Walker was being influenced by "others," he was probably referring to Robert Allen Surrey, a member of the American Nazi Party. Surrey was at Walker's side at Ole Miss -- until Walker was arrested. Robert Welch expressed his disappointment in the Ole Miss riot -- partly because he wasn't advised prior to the riot.

Finally, Harry Dean says that John Rousselot was at the September 1963 meeting with General Walker and Gabby Gabaldon and two other JBS members in Southern California, where they discussed killing JFK and using Lee Harvey Oswald as their patsy. But Harry Dean never said that Robert Welch was there. On the contrary, it was only the IDEAS of Robert Welch that were ever-present, especially his claim that JFK was a Communist. For a hot-headed JBS activist like General Walker, that was a death-sentence.

Regards,

--Paul Trejo

There are several problems with your explanation.

1. First of all, there is the dichotomy between believing that there were numerous individuals and organizations who wanted JFK dead and who spoke openly about accomplishing that objective -- versus simultaneously believing that prominent individuals who were singularly active within the radical right movement (particularly in Texas) suddenly were deaf, dumb, and blind to what was going on within the circles they traveled in.

2. Then there is the way in which Paul has previously described the general environment in Texas and Harry Dean's perceptions.

For example, in June 2013 Paul wrote:

"Walker was not the ultimate leader of the plot to kill JFK -- he was only the leader of the ground-crew, as far as Harry Dean could see. From Harry Dean's perspective, the John Birch Society was the ultimate leader of the plot to kill JFK. By the way, that is exactly what Jack Ruby told Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren, personally, on 7 June 1964. The order came directly from Robert Welch and his top advisors through a secret branch of the John Birch Society named, "RID," which stood for Research Information Development, as I recall. Walker, Rousselot and Gabaldon were among the many recipients of the "RID" bulletins. One of the those RID bulletins in late August, 1963, included a special focus on Lee Harvey Oswald, a bold officer of the FPCC making noises in New Orleans. Walker seems to have had the idea before anybody else -- let's make Lee Harvey Oswald the patsy of our plot, because he's just tailor made to be a patsy, and he's just begging for it. Walker told his plan to various John Birch Society members, and John Rousselot said he could come up with some secret money for such a plot tomorrow. Guy Gabaldon said he would support such a plot with all his strength."

3. So we have the declaration that the John Birch Society (as an organization) "was the ultimate leader of the plot" -- and "the order came directly from Robert Welch and his top advisers".

4. Now-- how did Harry Dean allegedly come into this information? According to Paul -- it was primarily a result of Harry's friendship with Guy Galbadon. So--we are expected to believe that a new (and untested) acquaintance of Galbadon's is almost immediately told about the JBS plot but very well-known JBS members in Texas with extensive personal ties and associations (with Walker) never heard a word about the plot?

5. With respect to Walker:

We are expected to believe that Walker felt perfectly comfortable "indoctrinating" his troops in Germany with JBS material (according to Paul) AND that Walker also felt perfectly comfortable as a serving Major General in the US Army making public speeches which raised doubts about the loyalty of prominent Americans, AND subsequently in 1962 Walker felt perfectly comfortable publicly advocating that individuals cross state lines to prevent integration of the University of Mississippi AND Walker felt perfectly comfortable making public speeches before numerous white supremacy organizations AND Walker felt perfectly comfortable referring to a "5th column conspiracy" operating at senior levels of our government AND Walker was perfectly comfortable with organizing a protest demonstration against Adlai Stevenson in Dallas ---- BUT --- somehow, Walker was NOT comfortable sharing his purported "JBS plot" with well-known extreme rightists in Texas whom, in most cases, were also JBS members who despised JFK in particular and liberals in general.

According to Paul (and Harry Dean), talk about killing JFK was routine in certain extreme right circles -- including within the Minutemen. But, for some reason, we are expected to believe that Walker never discussed his "plot" (before or after the fact) with the very people in Texas who most wanted JFK eliminated --- but he was totally ok with revealing the details of his plot with JBS members who then informed Harry Dean -- as if they were discussing nothing of any consequence so it could be shared with anybody -- even relatively new JBS acquaintances like Harry (whom, by the way, Harry has also stated that they did not trust him!!) I guess this is more evidence (to Paul) of how "shrewd" Walker was?

Edited September 13, 2015 by Ernie Lazar

[Ernie Lazar]

Allow me to clarify my position about the John Birch Society's role in the JFK murder.

IMHO Robert Welch was unaware of the Dallas plot, just as he was unaware that Edwin Walker would oppose JFK at Ole Miss with a race riot. IMHO, the doctrines of Robert Welch led people to think like Radical Rightists, but only a few, like Edwin Walker, were bold enough to act on these beliefs.

I compare Robert Welch to George De Mohrenschildt on the left. George told Lee Harvey Oswald that General Walker was an evil person (c.f. I'm A Patsy, 1977). Volkmar Schmidt told Oswald that Walker was "like Hitler." But neither George nor Volkmar ever envisioned an assassination attempt on General Walker -- that was the decision of Lee Harvey Oswald who was bold and honest enough to act on his newfound beliefs.

The same goes for Robert Welch. Welch told the JBS (and Edwin Walker) that JFK was a Communist who was guilty of "Treason" against the USA. But Welch never envisioned a real assassination attempt on JFK -- that was the decision of Edwin Walker who was bold and honest enough to act on his beliefs.

Harry Dean says much the same thing in his 1990 Crosstrails manuscript, i.e. that he was aware of the radical nature of the writings of Robert Welch in the American Opinion magazine, however, he originally regarded it as merely a "ploy" to push the USA further toward the Republican Party and further from the Democratic Party.

Yet perhaps many others didn't read it that way. The resigned General Edwin Walker and the 10,000 protestors (some of them armed) who joined him at Ole Miss University on 30 September 1962 were dead serious about the Communist threat allegedly represented by one Black American, James Meredith, enrolling in an all-white college.

As for one financial contributor to General Walker, namely J. Evetts Haley, we cannot be surprised that Haley blamed LBJ for the murder of JFK, because General Walker himself loudly complained about the "Lone Nut" theory that LBJ supported, which prevented the USA from believing in the FPCC Communist Conspiracy to kill JFK, with its obligatory next step -- the invasion of Cuba. So, LBJ was on Walker's bad-list.

Now -- was every member of the Friends-of-Walker aware that Walker was the lead conspirator in the plot to kill JFK? Of course not. Walker was no intellectual, but he was as shrewd as a jungle tiger. He wasn't so stupid to tell just anybody what his secret plans were. Besides, J. Evetts Haley was a public speaker and a journalist -- the very last person anybody would tell.

Further, when Robert Welch complained that General Walker was being influenced by "others," he was probably referring to Robert Allen Surrey, a member of the American Nazi Party. Surrey was at Walker's side at Ole Miss -- until Walker was arrested. Robert Welch expressed his disappointment in the Ole Miss riot -- partly because he wasn't advised prior to the riot.

Finally, Harry Dean says that John Rousselot was at the September 1963 meeting with General Walker and Gabby Gabaldon and two other JBS members in Southern California, where they discussed killing JFK and using Lee Harvey Oswald as their patsy. But Harry Dean never said that Robert Welch was there. On the contrary, it was only the IDEAS of Robert Welch that were ever-present, especially his claim that JFK was a Communist. For a hot-headed JBS activist like General Walker, that was a death-sentence.

Regards,

--Paul Trejo

With respect to this comment by Paul:

"Further, when Robert Welch complained that General Walker was being influenced by "others," he was probably referring to Robert Allen Surrey, a member of the American Nazi Party"

Incorrect assumption.

Welch was referring to Walker's connection with various lunatic fringe elements. For example: Walker's associations with various Klan organizations or KKK-affiliated individuals or other white supremacists as well as paramilitary racist groups like American Royal Rangers, plus neo-nazis and the individuals who bought and ran American Mercury magazine.

With respect to American Mercury, Welch believed that there was a clear history of anti-semites and anti-Catholic individuals running that publication for two decades. Walker bought stock in the Mercury and became Military Editor of the magazine. Keep in mind that two-thirds of the JBS HQ staff was Catholic and so was a major portion of the JBS membership. Two Catholic priests served on the JBS National Council.

Because very little of this history is well-known, I am going to provide some details about the unpleasant history of American Mercury . This will give proper context to explain what informed Welch's views.

In 1952, millionaire Russell Maguire purchased the Mercury - and he went about converting it into a major vehicle for conservative opinion. Maguire financially supported the distribution of John O. Beaty's 1951 anti-semitic book, Iron Curtain Over America. The oldest Methodist Church periodical in North America (Zion's Herald) described Beaty's book as "the most extensive piece of racist propaganda in the history of the anti-semitic movement in America."

Maguire was also a financial supporter of Merwin K. Hart's New York City organization, the National Economic Council. [Hart later founded and headed the first Birch Society chapter in New York City.] Maguire published AM until 1961 when he sold it (more about that a bit later).

During this period, Maguire hired Allen A. Zoll. Zoll became an account executive for AM advertising, and he solicited subscriptions. Zoll's previous claim to fame was his formation of American Patriots, Inc. – an organization that was listed on the U.S. Attorney General's list of subversive (fascist) organizations.

Maguire made some dramatic staff changes and hired some well known New York conservative anti-communists. John A. Clements became editor. Columnists and regular contributors included: J.B. Matthews (formerly with the Dies Committee and Sen. Joe McCarthy and later a close friend and confidant of Birch Society founder Robert Welch), Ralph deToledano (pro-McCarthy author of "Seeds of Treason") George Fielding Eliot (who became military editor) and columnists Howard Rushmore and Eugene Lyons.

In September 1955, the entire top staff of the Mercury (listed above) resigned en masse. They issued a statement which declared that...

"It has been our understanding that the magazine would strive to represent dynamic and sophisticated conservatism…and that was the direction in which we sought to guide it. But in view of {Maguire's] lack of sympathy, we feel it impossible to continue."

A January 1956 FBI memo (based upon input from J.B. Matthews and other persons acquainted with Maguire) discussed Maguire's changes at AM and his "anti-Semitic focus".

The memo continued: "Maguire attempted to get John A. Clements, editor, to emphasize in special articles the fact that there are 'too many Jews'. Clements refused to permit anti-semitic material to creep into the magazine despite Maguire's constant agitation on this subject. Following this, Clements and others connected with the magazine reportedly resigned in mass."

Another FBI memo observed that: "Maguire is very close to being fanatical on the subject of Communist infiltration and how far they've gone."

Frederick Woltman, the investigative reporter who was awarded the 1946 Pulitzer prize for his articles in the New York World Telegram and Sun on Communist infiltration of labor unions, was personally acquainted with the entire AM staff. He wrote: "The editors resigned feeling that attempts were being made to introduce anti-Semitic material into the Mercury."

On April 18, 1957 Maguire was named as head of the Constitution Party. Maguire was the keynote speaker at the Party's 1957 convention in San Francisco. He discussed the evils of Jewish "international bankers" and their efforts to subvert America. Several of the original founders of this Party resigned because of what they described as the predominance of anti-semitic individuals within the Party such as Kenneth Goff, Eustace Mullins, William H. MacFarland Jr., Upton Close, Myron Fagan, and Allen Zoll.

In October 1957, Maguire personally contacted the then-Secretary of Defense, Neil McElroy, to report what he considered "subversion" within our CIA and other agencies. The Defense Department referred the matter to the FBI and the Bureau instructed its New York City office to interview Maguire. Here is the summary which the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's New York City office sent to J. Edgar Hoover regarding their interview of Maguire:

"He said that the powerful subversive organization that has the U.S. Government under its influence is made up of Zionists. He said it's the aim of the Zionists to take over the entire world, and their influence reaches into the higher echelons in the U.S. Government. According to Maguire, Zionists started World War I in order to set up the Communist Government of Russia. He added that Communism is just an offshoot of Zionism. He said that the Zionists planned and initiated World War II in order to set up the country of Israel and they are planning World War III in order to take over the entire world. Maguire stated that the headquarters of the Zionist movement is not in Russia nor in Israel but is located in New York City." [FBI HQ file 62-105023, #883, 11/2/58, SAC NYC to J. Edgar Hoover, page 3]

In 1958 and 1959, as the Mercury's articles became more virulently and explicitly anti-semitic, prominent conservatives lamented what had happened to the magazine and they dissociated themselves from Maguire's handiwork.

Senator Styles Bridges of New Hampshire demanded that his name be removed from the masthead as a "contributor". Fulton Lewis Jr, the conservative radio commentator, refused to give AM the right to reprint one of his broadcasts. Lewis stated that he turned down the request because of the "anti-semitic tendencies" of AM. William Buckley Jr., announced to his staff at National Review, that he would not publish any articles in NR which were written by an author whose article was also published in AM.

In January 1961, Russell Maguire announced the sale of AM:

"We are happy to tell you that the Defenders of the Christian Faith, Inc., Wichita Kansas, now owns the American Mercury magazine…"

The Defenders was organized in 1925 by the Rev. Gerald B. Winrod. In a January 23, 1961 letter to Tom Anderson, Robert Welch commented:

"The people to whom Maguire sold the Mercury are, according to reports I have received which seem reliable, one of the worst racist and hate groups in the United States. I am told that they are even more viciously anti-Catholic than they are anti-Jewish."

In September 1962, Gwynne W. Davidson of Gerald B. Winrod’s Defenders of the Christian Faith, Inc. announced sale of American Mercury magazine to the McAllen, Texas group, Legion For The Survival of Freedom.

The Legion was incorporated in 1952. In 1966 Willis Carto became involved with the Legion and he clandestinely operated it through a dummy directorate consisting of Lewis and Lavonne Furr. The Legion published books and the revisionist holocaust denial Journal of Historical Review.

In 1963. a group headed by Walker purchased AM and listed Walker as publisher and editor. He also was Military Editor, but at some point, Marcia Mathews became Editor. In 4/65, Walker was listed as Editor in Chief

In 1966, Willis Carto's Noontide Press acquired AM and he merged it with his Western Destiny magazine, to become a quarterly journal devoting itself to circulating racist and neo-nazi propaganda.

Robert Welch's close friend (J.B. Matthews) had intimate details regarding the various owners of American Mercury which he shared with Welch over the years.

A little context regarding Carto is appropriate. Carto, at one time, was employed by the JBS but he left after a falling out with Welch. Birch Society President John McManus has stated that Welch considered Carto to be the most dishonest person he ever knew.

In 1957, Willis Carto founded the "Liberty Lobby". Later, in 1977, Liberty Lobby filed a libel lawsuit against JBS member John Rees and his wife because they had described Carto as a neo-nazi.

The following excerpt from the Court decision on that lawsuit gives useful background information concerning why Robert Welch was concerned, in earlier years, about Willis Carto. This excerpt refers to comments made by Welch's successor as leader of the Birch Society (Cong. Larry McDonald):

“1. On May 24, 1977 Congressman Larry McDonald wrote a letter to Colonel Dall of Liberty Lobby stating: "Liberty Lobby and Spotlight (Liberty Lobby Newspaper) have collaborated with a Marxist-Leninist organization called the National Caucus of Labor Committees, also known as the U.S. Labor Party" (LaRouche's organization)."

“On the issue of actual malice in alleging Liberty Lobby's racism, anti-semitism and neo-nazism the record discloses that:

1. In January, 1981, in the Congressional Record Congressman McDonald described Liberty Lobby as "an organization founded by Willis Carto who seeks to use American populist causes as the method to bring about a National Socialist (Nazi) regime." (Defendant's Exhibit 7).

2. An article in the September 10, 1971 issue of National Review contains an excerpt from a letter written by Willis Carto which states in part: "Hitler's defeat was the defeat of Europe. And America. How could we have been so blind? The blame it seems must be laid at the door of the International Jews. It was their propaganda, lies and demands which blinded the West as to what Germany was doing." (Defendant's Exhibit 8)

THIS is the overall context for why Welch was concerned about the people influencing Walker. First -- Medford Evans and J. Evetts Haley -- both of whom were unapologetic racists and segregationists. In addition, Walker's associations with and speeches before virulent racist organizations -- and Walker's defense of the KKK. And, also, Walker's involvement (as a contributor to, stock owner in, and eventually Editor of American Mercury magazine -- during the time when it was widely shunned by conservatives for its bigotry.)

Edited September 13, 2015 by Ernie Lazar

[Paul Trejo]

Just because General Walker was an outspoken rightist to his troops, and a public speaker for Citizens Council groups in the South, and led a massive racist riot at Ole Miss in 1962, using radio and TV to invite "ten thousand strong from every State in the Union" to join him there to physically challenge the thousands of Federal troops that JFK sent there, and openly organized the public humiliation against UN Ambassador Adlai Stevenson in Dallas 30 days before the JFK murder -- NEVERTHELESS -- all of that put together is still a far, far cry away from a plot to assassinate the President of the United States!

So, yes, I continue to maintain that Walker minimized the number of people to whom he would tell about his plot to kill JFK. It was extremely secret. It was on a strictly need-to-know basis. Walker was trained as a General, not a TV celebrity.

Who would need to know? The people who were directly involved. According to Harry Dean that included former military men like Gabby Gabaldon and his two sidekicks, Loran Hall and Larry Howard.

To understand the selection of Gabby Gabaldon, one should read Gabaldon's rightist manifesto, America Betrayed (1990) which slammed the late JFK and RFK as Communists. The same old JBS line.

Regards,

--Paul Trejo

Edited September 13, 2015 by Paul Trejo

[Ernie Lazar]

Just because General Walker was an outspoken rightist to his troops, and a public speaker for Citizens Council groups in the South, and led a massive racist riot at Ole Miss in 1962, using radio and TV to invite "ten thousand strong from every State in the Union" to join him there to physically challenge the thousands of Federal troops that JFK sent there, and openly organized the public humiliation against UN Ambassador Adlai Stevenson in Dallas 30 days before the JFK murder -- NEVERTHELESS -- all of that put together is still a far, far cry away from a plot to assassinate the President of the United States!

So, yes, I continue to maintain that Walker minimized the number of people to whom he would tell about his plot to kill JFK. It was extremely secret. It was on a strictly need-to-know basis. Walker was trained as a General, not a TV celebrity.

Who would need to know? The people who were directly involved. According to Harry Dean that included former military men like Gabby Gabaldon and his two sidekicks, Loran Hall and Larry Howard.

To understand the selection of Gabby Gabaldon, one should read Gabaldon's rightist manifesto, America Betrayed (1990) which slammed the late JFK and RFK as Communists. The same old JBS line.

Regards,

--Paul Trejo

You missed my point Paul. Walker's pattern for many previous years was to publicly proclaim his beliefs even when such public declarations might result in him being subject to obvious military discipline (while he served), even when his activities might result in him being arrested (when in private life) and even when his activities might well produce adverse public reaction (such as by associating himself with white supremacists).

I am not saying that he would widely broadcast his interest in murdering JFK but what I am saying is that he would seek out his natural constituency (as he had always previously done) to ask for their advice and counsel and support. And his natural constituency in Texas just happened to share his desire to eliminate JFK. That might have involved only a very few people who he knew could be trusted (and who had resources he could use) but it would have included other JBS members like J. Evetts Haley and perhaps some Minutemen members and/or members of the Indignant White Citizens Council or perhaps even members of National Indignation Council.

It just seems strange to propose that someone with Walker's well-documented character would suddenly change his normal modus operandi and nobody within the circles he operated in had any clue about his plans. In addition, it strains credulity to propose that something as complex as a criminal plot to murder the most public and senior government official in our country could be accomplished by relying upon just 3 (?) people -- Galabdon, Hall, Howard but at the same time claim that a non-entity (like Harry Dean) would be brought into the confidence of the plotters -- even though Harry has also said they did not trust him!! There are just way-too-many holes in your hypothesis -- not to mention all the contradictions in Harry's story which we have previously discussed.

[William O'Neil]

“Loose lips sink ships” as they say. However, I can think of more than a few who were likely to have knowledge, due to their closeness to Ted. For example; Robert Morris, Billy James Hargis, and J. Evetts Haley for starters…all of them trusted friends, confidants and advisors to Walker. Of course there had to be others that were ‘plugged in’ in order to pull off a plot, but that’s a larger story.

Walker was a trained military officer who knew the value of surprise and secrecy. Although he liked to brag about his political life, and seek attention, I don’t think he would or could be, as candid about something such as this. Walker met and knew many important and pertinent people in this case, who were never mentioned by him in public. That showed me he had an awareness of confidentiality, and a defined criteria as to what he would broach in public.

Bill

Edited September 13, 2015 by William O'Neil

[Ernie Lazar]

“Loose lips sink ships” as they say. However, I can think of more than a few who were likely to have knowledge, due to their closeness to Ted. For example; Robert Morris, Billy James Hargis, and J. Evetts Haley for starters…all of them trusted friends, confidants and advisors to Walker. Of course there had to be others that were ‘plugged in’ in order to pull off a plot, but that’s a larger story.

Walker was a trained military officer who knew the value of surprise and secrecy. Although he liked to brag about his political life, and seek attention, I don’t think he would or could be, as candid about something such as this. Walker met and knew many important and pertinent people in this case, who were never mentioned by him in public. That showed me he had an awareness of confidentiality, and defined criteria as to what he would broach in public.

Bill

I was going to include Robert Morris in my list because Paul thinks (wrongly) that Morris was a JBS member. However, there is absolutely nothing in Morris's background to indicate that he would ever condone or approve or participate in ANY illegal activity. He spent his entire life (in the Office of Naval Intelligence, and as Municipal Court Judge in New York City, and as Chief Counsel to the Senate Internal Security Subcommittee and subsequently in private practice) upholding the laws of our country. Furthermore, Morris was a very close friend of Harry and Bonaro Overstreet and he asked Harry to testify as a friendly witness before the SISS -- which Harry did. Morris praised the Overstreets in public and in private and he distanced himself from extreme right ideology (including JBS). It is inconceivable that he had any knowledge about, or any role in, any criminal conspiracy.

Billy James Hargis was certainly acquainted with Walker but Hargis had a reputation within extreme right circles for being an opportunist and "professional anti-communist". He is NOT the type of individual one would share any confidences with.

With respect to confidentiality --- I still maintain that nobody could possibly plan, finance, execute and then cover-up a complex multi-faceted criminal conspiracy with so few people proposed as being knowledgeable about it.

In my online article about the nature of conspiracy theories, I point out something which I will repeat here:

Belief (in political conspiracies) requires acceptance of the idea that much more rigorous criminal conspiracies --- i.e. ones that are held together by physical threats and intimidation and which often operate in closed environments --- nevertheless routinely disintegrate and become known relatively shortly after inception…whereas less robust political conspiracies can somehow maintain superhuman iron discipline and never be revealed or compromised by insiders even after decades of existence.

By "more rigorous criminal conspiracies" I refer to the fact that certain conspiracies involve intimately-connected persons who operate in an environment where they directly control rewards and punishments and they can inflict immediate and substantial harm upon uncooperative individuals plus the conspirators are often trained in, and have little compunction about using, violence to achieve their objectives---which in this case is silence.

In recent weeks and months, for example, we have seen media reports about conspiracy indictments or trial verdicts involving police officers, military personnel, prison officials, and organized crime figures. These folks work in an environment which routinely involves threats, intimidation, and violence to keep people in line.

Police (*see footnote below) and prison officers can plant evidence, falsely testify regarding criminal intent/behavior, or they may inflict extreme psychic pressure and harassment upon non-cooperative individuals. The "code of silence" which prevails among their peers often shields them from exposure. Furthermore, the scope of their type of conspiracy often involves a very small number of people who are under the direct control, supervision, or purview of the conspirators. In addition, there is the societal pre-disposition to believe whatever a policeman or prison employee or senior military officer might say as compared to testimony from convicted criminals or persons perceived as sociopaths and predators.

Similarly, military personnel can engage in torture, extreme forms of harassment, or even kill persons they claim were "combatants" OR they can allege "collateral damage" has occurred which covers-up their own illegal acts (including murder) and thus they can feel confident that their criminal acts and their conspiracy will remain un-exposed.

By contrast, the tools available to less robust conspiracies to discourage and prevent exposure of their conspiracy by co-conspirators or witnesses are much more subtle and much less compelling. Nevertheless, the police, military, organized crime, and prison conspiracies are routinely penetrated, exposed, and prosecuted despite their more self-sealing or invisible quality.

[* Footnote: My online article about conspiracy theories was originally written almost 10 years ago. In recent weeks and months, the articles listed below (only a partial list) have appeared in the Los Angeles Times.

The first article is particularly significant because of the extent of the conspiracy involving senior Los Angeles Sheriff's Department management and the strict code-of-silence that prevailed about this conspiracy for a significant period of time.

As LA Times articles reported:

"The former second-highest ranking official in the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and a retired captain are facing a federal grand jury indictment alleging that they orchestrated a scheme to thwart a federal probe of inmate abuse and deputy corruption inside L.A. County jails. What began more than four years ago as a federal investigation into brutality and corruption by deputies in L.A. County jails reached the highest echelons of the Sheriff's Department on Thursday, with two top officials indicted on charges of orchestrating an elaborate scheme to thwart the FBI."

"18 Los Angeles sheriff's officials indicted, accused of abuse, obstruction"

"Two San Francisco police officers convicted of theft and conspiracy"

"Fresno's deputy police chief arrested on drug charges"

"Police chiefs and officers arrested in King City amid probe by DA"

So my point continues to be that is does NOT seem reasonable to propose that Edwin Walker had the skills to plan, execute and cover-up a massive criminal conspiracy and totally thwart every city, county, state, and federal law enforcement and military intelligence agency as well as voracious investigative journalists who were dealing with, arguably, the biggest story of the postwar period -- AND -- furthermore -- Walker was able to execute his superhuman plot with NOBODY contemporaneously being aware of it within the circles he operated AND NOBODY within his circle of extreme right soul-mates became aware of it after-the-fact.

The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department scandal began in 2009 but it has been fully exposed within 6 years despite massive cover-up by everyone involved.