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Mortician Thomas Robinson


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I`ve always wondered who was in the black Cadillac that delivered the shipping casket in the rear of the Bethesda morgue?Reports were that there were men in suits that were probably federal agents and the driver & passenger were wearing white smocks.Now a mortician might be one that would arrive ready to go wearing a white smock.

We do know that he was there early along with Ed Reed possibly witnessing a pre autopsy autopsy.

Maybe the black Cadillac belonged to Gawler`s funeral home that Robinson worked for?

So I wonder.... could he have been one of the men wearing a white smock?

 

Edited by Michael Crane
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1 hour ago, Michael Crane said:

I`ve always wondered who was in the black Cadillac that delivered the shipping casket in the rear of the Bethesda morgue?Reports were that there were men in suits that were probably federal agents and the driver & passenger were wearing white smocks.Now a mortician might be one that would arrive ready to go wearing a white smock.

We do know that he was there early along with Ed Reed possibly witnessing a pre autopsy autopsy.

Maybe the black Cadillac belonged to Gawler`s funeral home that Robinson worked for?

So I wonder.... could he have been one of the men wearing a white smock?

 

We have many statements from the Gawler's people indicating that the only casket they handled was the Mahogany casket. https://old.reddit.com/r/JFKsubmissions/comments/drvjkm/discussing_jfks_torso_wounds_part_251_timeline_of/

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Well,it looks like Robinson & Hagan did drive a casket to Bethesda,but it contained the Marcellus mahogany casket.No specific time was mentioned by Robinson only that "they got there early before the chest incision." 

That`s if Robinson is telling the truth about everything ^^^

I wonder where the SS got the black Cadillac from? It had to of come from a funeral home in the area.

It would be interesting to me if Gawler`s did in fact,own a black hearse.

Edited by Michael Crane
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Going over the Meeting Report of Tom Robinson & Joe Hagen that`s on History Matters parts of their report don`t match up.It was a summary of the report by someone on the ARRB.

Back to the drawing board.

Edited by Michael Crane
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  Based on testimony and the two books that chronicled the events (Manchester and Bishop),  the coffin was never unattended on the flight back to DC. Lady Bird’s baggage was delivered after the coffin was placed on the plane. They waited some time for Judge Hughes to arrive. From the time the coffin was placed on the plane until the swearing in, either Jackie or Ken O’Donnell were always present with the coffin. When Jackie went forward to the State room for the swearing in, Godfrey McHugh (who was very loyal to JFK) stood next to the coffin. Powers and O’Donnell stayed in the walkway by the presidential bedroom and O’Brien was in the corridor as well b/c they couldn’t stand to watch the swearing in. I just don’t see any realistic opportunity to steal the body while it was on AF1.  They would have seen or heard something while in the corridor. Plus the coffin was strapped down when it was placed on the plane.

When the plane arrived in DC, the Kennedy entourage did not leave the coffin unaccompanied until it was taken from the lift and placed into the ambulance.  

Thus, there simply was no opportunity to do move the body to a second coffin for a "pre-autopsy".  I believe the accounts of different types of coffins are flawed memories. One has to believe that the focus on the minds of all those present would have been the condition of the president's body and that the type or color of the coffin was a secondary observation.

Rather than a pre-autopsy, I think the more plausible answer is that the photos and x-rays were altered after the body left the morgue. Those in attendance were sworn to secrecy at the risk of prosecution and loss of their pensions. By the time they testified decades later, their recollections were either inaccurate or poisoned by what they read or heard about that evening. 

 

  

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The Gawlers people were also interviewed by William Manchester for his 1967 book. Some of Manchester's files, the ones that aren't sealed until 2067, are about interviews with Gawlers employees. Hopefully when the university library opens up again somebody can make scans of these files. Im surprised researchers haven't pounced on them already. Too bad Connecticuit is too far away for me.

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Lawrence,

We will have to agree to disagree.I don`t claim to know where the coffin switch happened,but it had to of had taken place.Remember that X-ray technician Jerrol Custer said that he was in the process of taking some x-rays of JFK to be developed when he seen Jackie & company arrive at the hospital.

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8 hours ago, Lawrence Schnapf said:

what college is holding Manchester's papers ?

Lawrence, The original manuscript, according to Wiki,  is held at Wesleyan University...but has extremely restricted access.

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I have since backed off of the possibility that Robinson was one of the men in a white smock.According to Doug Horne,Robinson drove to Bethesda at a high rate of speed with the mahogany casket and Hagan.While Hagan states that he went to Bethesda with Gawler and got there around midnight.

Maybe they drove the shipping casket there first & maybe Hagan returned to Gawler`s only to leave again later that night only this time with the actual mahogany casket & Gawler?

Read both of their statements & tell me what you think.

Tom Robinson`s https://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/arrb/master_med_set/pdf/md180.pdf

Joe Hagan`s  https://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/arrb/master_med_set/pdf/md182.pdf

* I know that driving the shipping casket there first is wild speculation & one of these guys are probably not telling the truth.

Edited by Michael Crane
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Thanks for the contribution Vince.

I`m not the one in the comments section on your Youtube video asking the question about being there early in the black Cadillac.

Edited by Michael Crane
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