The “Frenchy” Tramp

[David Butler]

While looking up info about Jean Souetre and some of the assassination attempts on De Gaulle brought me to this French site.

Clicking around the various pages out of interest I came across this one on a man who was involved in the Operation Chamois planned attempt on De Gaulle.  What caught my eye is the first photo is one of the tramp photo’s from Dealey Plaza just after the assassination of JFK. I think it is reversed from the original picture but it’s definitely from Dealey Plaza on 22/11/1963.

It could well be someone trolling but I thought it was kind of interesting in the context and thought I would share if anyone else is interested.

His name seems to be spelled differently around places - Légionnaire Henri SLEBODJA - Henri or Hick SLEBODJA - Henri SLEBIODA

http://deltas-collines.org/galerie/HENRISLEBODJA

The same photo also appears on the page for Operation Chamois itself

http://deltas-collines.org/galerie/CHAMOIS

[Paul Brancato]

That is indeed interesting. The website seems to be identifying the well known tramp photo as a French assassin, someone other than Souetre. Is that your take? 

[Denny Zartman]

Googling this name under both spellings seems to just lead back to the same website. The only other reference I can find is this one from a book called DE GAULLE AND LATIN AMERICA

https://books.openedition.org/pur/42542?lang=en

Translated from French:

Quote

The Catholic City "acts as a unifier of wills and" beacon "for the anti-Communist moral training of officers of the Army and the National Police21. Gardes is homesick: he didn't want to leave Europe, he doesn't like Argentina and he's only thinking of going back to France. He refuses the protection of the Argentine military and tries to create a business in the restaurant business, which is rapidly declining. First welcomed by a former Vichy resident in Mendoza (near the Andes cordillera and Chile), he then changes his domicile several times, without really leaving any traces. He will stay in Pigué - a city created by Aveyronnais (Occitans de Rodez) in 1884 -, then in Patagonia (city of Neuquén, capital of the homonymous province) until his final return to France, after the 1968 amnesty. According to the sources consulted, he does not maintain relations with Argentina. Finally, there is also the case of Henri "Slim" Slebiodja, a member of the group that killed Commander Post, but on which very little is known.

Not much to go on, but still interesting. I can only say that I believe the second picture does resemble the "tramp" in question.

[John Butler]

IMO, the men pictured here do not look alike.

[Guest]

4 hours ago, John Butler said:

IMO, the men pictured here do not look alike.

Any other pics? You would never match those two but, one has a face of confident innocence and the other looks stoic and resolute. Expressions that make a face behave differently. Also the tramp looks 35-40 and the pic on the right looks like a 20 year old. Nostrils look different. 

[Ron Ecker]

I recall that a guy named Montoya was a very close photographic match for "Frenchy." Unfortunately the details on Montoya are lost in the fog of my memory.

 

 

Edited February 5, 2021 by Ron Ecker
typo

[John Butler]

19 hours ago, Chris Barnard said:

Any other pics? You would never match those two but, one has a face of confident innocence and the other looks stoic and resolute. Expressions that make a face behave differently. Also the tramp looks 35-40 and the pic on the right looks like a 20 year old. Nostrils look different. 

Chris,

I haven't found any photos that I think look like the tramp identified as Tramp A.  Here is two more which I think is unlikely.

I don't know Carswell is, but they don't look alike.

And, the idea that Doyle was one of the Tramps is also unlikely in my opinion.

[Guest]

2 hours ago, John Butler said:

Chris,

I haven't found any photos that I think look like the tramp identified as Tramp A.  Here is two more which I think is unlikely.

I don't know Carswell is, but they don't look alike.

And, the idea that Doyle was one of the Tramps is also unlikely in my opinion.

The one observation I feel sure on is; he's not a tramp 🙂 

That particular tramp has quite an unusual facial structure, almost a bit Frankenstein-eseque. I think a younger or older image would still be recognisable. 

[John Butler]

Chris,

Right.  I don't see any of the proposed people in the literature as Tramp A as he is sometimes referred to.  He seems to be a unique fellow.

Also, I do not see Frank Sturgis as Tramp B.

[Guest]

8 hours ago, John Butler said:

Chris,

Right.  I don't see any of the proposed people in the literature as Tramp A as he is sometimes referred to.  He seems to be a unique fellow.

Also, I do not see Frank Sturgis as Tramp B.

I don't buy the Sturgis thing either. I am leaning toward Chuck Harrelson being in the line up. One thing we don't seem to entertain is disguises (other than apparel and some messy hair). If E Howard Hunt was happy to go to Chappaquiddick a few years later in disguise, wouldn't this be an event where one may be a good idea. How much could be done to change a face back then? Perhaps I am clutching at straws. 

[John Butler]

4 hours ago, Chris Barnard said:

I don't buy the Sturgis thing either. I am leaning toward Chuck Harrelson being in the line up. One thing we don't seem to entertain is disguises (other than apparel and some messy hair). If E Howard Hunt was happy to go to Chappaquiddick a few years later in disguise, wouldn't this be an event where one may be a good idea. How much could be done to change a face back then? Perhaps I am clutching at straws. 

Disguises are an interesting idea.  One can't really do much with the photos of various people said to be one of the tramps.  Like almost everything else in Dealey Plaza photos of the tramps are not the best for identification.  At least from what you can pick up from the internet.  

I had forgotten Harrelson.  Sorry, but here is something from the internets as a way means of comparison.

There is a general resemblance between Harrelson and Tramp B.  But, not enough to say conclusively yeah that's him.

Tramp C has been said to be E. Howard Hunt:

As with Harrelson/Tramp B, there is a general resemblance of E. Howard Hunt to Tramp C.  Photo montage from the internet.  The photos of Tramp C are not clear enough to tell whether he has make up of any kind.  The main problem with this montage is the hairline of Tramp C's as versus Hunt's hairline.  They are not the same.  The forehead is not the same.  Tramp C's chin appears to be narrower than Hunt's.  The ears are different.  I would say a general resemblance, but not the same.

Chauncey Holt was another candidate for Tramp C.  He doesn't work out either even though he said he was one of the Dealey Plaza Tramps.

Here is something I put together to compare Holt, Tramp C, and E. Howard Hunt.  Holt has a longer nose, both Holt and Hunt have a broader chin, and higher forehead.  The eyebrows are close for all 3 of them.  Hunt has a different ear formation then the others.  The hairline is comparable in this montage, but in other photos Tramp C seems to have more hair then the other two.   Mouth shape for all 3 differ.  These may differ simply due to perspective since all are not in the same pose.   However, I don't think so. 

Even though there are resemblance, some would say close, I don't see enough character traits to match the 3 Tramps to any person that is being claimed by others.

The idea of make up or disguise facial features could throw this analysis off.  Thanks Chris.     

 

 

Edited February 6, 2021 by John Butler

[Norman T. Field]

Hunt had surgery to reduce how far out his ears spread. This picture appears to be post surgery. 

[Guest]

25 minutes ago, John Butler said:

Disguises are an interesting idea.  One can't really do much with the photos of various people said to be one of the tramps.  Like almost everything else in Dealey Plaza photos of the tramps are not the best for identification.  At least from what you can pick up from the internet.  

I had forgotten Harrelson.  Sorry, but here is something from the internets as a way means of comparison.

There is a general resemblance between Harrelson and Tramp B.  But, not enough to say conclusively yeah that's him.

Tramp C has been said to be E. Howard Hunt:

As with Harrelson/Tramp B, there is a general resemblance of E. Howard Hunt to Tramp C.  Photo montage from the internet.  The photos of Tramp C are not clear enough to tell whether he has make up of any kind.  The main problem with this montage is the hairline of Tramp C's as versus Hunt's hairline.  They are not the same.  The forehead is not the same.  Tramp C's chin appears to be narrower than Hunt's.  The ears are different.  I would say a general resemblance, but not the same.

Chauncey Holt was another candidate for Tramp C.  He doesn't work out either even though he said he was one of the Dealey Plaza Tramps.

Here is something I put together to compare Holt, Tramp C, and E. Howard Hunt.  Holt has a longer nose, both Holt and Hunt have a broader chin, and higher forehead.  The eyebrows are close for all 3 of them.  Hunt has a different ear formation then the others.  The hairline is comparable in this montage, but in other photos Tramp C seems to have more hair then the other two.   Mouth shape for all 3 differ.  These may differ simply due to perspective since all are not in the same pose.   However, I don't think so. 

Even though there are resemblance, some would say close, I don't see enough character traits to match the 3 Tramps to any person that is being claimed by others.

The idea of make up or disguise facial features could throw this analysis off.  Thanks Chris.     

 

 

It's tricky as they are so degraded and often the comparison images are from a different age and facial expression and lighting. I personally fluctuate between 80lk and 105kg, due to physical activity and diet. I am convinced I could compare 3 pics of any person in a 10 year period that we might struggle to say 100% they are the same. One thing that works quite well is playing with contrasts or using the negative art / invert function in photoshop, I felt pretty convinced it was GHWB in Dealey, based on features and hairline. Holt & E.Howard Hunt could be brothers. Even in an era when photography was much less common than today, there must be more images of Hunt, Holt, Harrelson etc from the era in question. It sure does make a lot of sense to disguise yourself during the event of the century. 
Who was it that had the op on their ears and gets mocked in Scorcese's "The Irishman" ? 

There is a lot of smoke around Harrelson, his son conceding on TV that his dad was trained by the CIA and implying his father was innocent of crime but, not of others. 

There is also the story of his arrest, he feared he would be killed whilst resisting arrest and calls out that he was involved in the JFK assassination. It's interesting.