Tippit witness 1967 letter to Playboy

[Charles Blackmon]

“I read Playboy's Garrison interview with perhaps more interest than most readers. I was an eyewitness to the shooting of policeman Tippit in Dallas on the afternoon President Kennedy was murdered. I saw two men, neither of them resembling the pictures I later saw of Lee Harvey Oswald, shoot Tippit and run off in opposite directions. There were at least half a dozen other people who witnessed this. My wife convinced me that I should say nothing, since there were other eyewitnesses. Her advice and my cowardice undoubtedly have prolonged my life—or at least allowed me now to tell the true story…”

One of many witnesses to the JFK/Tippit killings who did not testify before the Warren Commission. Either because the WC would not let them speak, or they were too afraid for their lives to speak.

[Gerry Down]

This is possibly Ted Callaway and Oswald running in opposite directions after their brief interaction on Patton street.

[Charles Blackmon]

Oswald huh? And pray whom is the other gunman this witness observed?

[Gerry Down]

7 minutes ago, Charles Blackmon said:

Oswald huh? And pray whom is the other gunman this witness observed?

Ted Callaway. Remember he was running about that intersection with a gun too - Tippits gun.

And "he was kinda chunky".

[George Govus]

6 hours ago, Charles Blackmon said:

I saw two men, neither of them resembling the pictures I later saw of Lee Harvey Oswald, shoot Tippit

 

6 hours ago, Gerry Down said:

This is possibly Ted Callaway and Oswald

Square peg, round hole, don't you think, Gerry?

[Gerry Down]

1 hour ago, George Govus said:

 

Square peg, round hole, don't you think, Gerry?

Read the opening post. This supposed witness didn't come forward supposedly on the orders of his wife. Apparently the wife thought it would be better for him to go to playboy instead to tell his story lol.

[Gil Jesus]

11 hours ago, Charles Blackmon said:

“I read Playboy's Garrison interview with perhaps more interest than most readers. I was an eyewitness to the shooting of policeman Tippit in Dallas on the afternoon President Kennedy was murdered. I saw two men, neither of them resembling the pictures I later saw of Lee Harvey Oswald, shoot Tippit and run off in opposite directions. There were at least half a dozen other people who witnessed this. My wife convinced me that I should say nothing, since there were other eyewitnesses. Her advice and my cowardice undoubtedly have prolonged my life—or at least allowed me now to tell the true story…”

One of many witnesses to the JFK/Tippit killings who did not testify before the Warren Commission. Either because the WC would not let them speak, or they were too afraid for their lives to speak.

Sounds like Frank Wright to me. Whoever it is, this witness corroborates what Acquila Clemmons said she saw: two men who ran off in different directions.

Edited January 29, 2023 by Gil Jesus

[Joe Bauer]

I think everyone can agree with the following assertion:

That there were for sure a good amount of persons who saw and heard things about the JFK assassination and/or many of the various characters connected to it, including the most well known main ones, who never came forward to publicly share what they saw, heard and knew.

And the reasons for their reticence were so obvious.

Every now and then some direct descendent or friend of the family or who knows what connection type person will make a claim that they overheard or were even told things by someone who did see, hear or otherwise knew something about someone or something related to the event.

However, even bombshell revelations that had been kept hidden for perhaps a lifetime, lose their credibility and press interest due simply to the difficulty in verifying the source due to deaths of the direct eyewitnesses.

Lot of fear surrounding the JFK assassination. Main characters and witnesses getting whacked or dying suspiciously. Their deaths widely reported.

It would be fascinating to hear some of the most intriguing "never shared" stories of JFK event engagements.  One can be sure they exist.

 

 

 

 

 

[Greg Doudna]

Just brainstorming here. Could this be Jack Tatum, earlier version of his story? The author of the letter (a) says he was a witness; (b) has a wife; (c) says he is not coming forward with what he saw; (d) gives the same two reasons for not coming forward Jack Tatum later gave in explanation (thought there were enough other witnesses; fear for life). Those points agree with Tatum.

Tatum did not come forward later but was found, via HSCA door-to-door checking in Oak Cliff for leads as I recall, i.e. not Tatum's idea to be outed as a witness. When he was outed and found, he now says he saw Oswald. One possibility is that could be a strategic alteration of his story intentionally, if he believed the real killing was mob- or underworld-related, and that they might still be at large if he told a non-Oswald story.

There is no doubt to me that what Acquilla Clemons saw, and what Doris Holan from her second-story window on Patton saw, was the known shouting/waving-arms interaction between the killer and Ted Callaway on Patton, running in opposite directions on Patton. Neither of those two women claimed that both of the men they saw were gunmen; both claimed they saw one gunman waving or interacting with another man across the street going the opposite direction, one of the two men of that interaction testifying to the Warren Commission directly of that interaction which Clemons and Holan saw (Callaway). 

That would not agree with the author of the letter if his claim is real that he witnessed the shooting and claimed to see two involved in the shooting (if the letter is not bogus). This is just shot-in-the-dark speculation, but imagine Tatum is the author of the Playboy letter, was a witness, and the letter represents an original version of what Tatum saw or thought he saw, prior to when HSCA found him and he was then up and down with the Oswald smirk and etc., if he changed or developed the story to that.

Is there a possible reconstruction from Tatum's HSCA and post-HSCA version, and the known facts of the Tippit crime scene, to interpret the Playboy letter claim if Tatum wrote it? Imagine Tatum driving his red car, the one Benavides sees in front of him. Tatum goes west, passes the Tippit cruiser, sees the man standing by the right front fender of the cruiser, Tippit getting out of the car. Tatum hears shots as he goes through Patton and Tenth, looks into his rear view mirror and sees not much distinct but does not turn around bodily to look yet because is focused on clearing the intersection. Tatum pulls his car over to the right and stops, and only then turns around bodily to look and see clearly. There he sees (so he said) the killer running around the back of the cruiser and firing a coup de grace shot into Tippit on the pavement. However Tatum has got the shot numbers garbled and there were three final shots in quick succession into Tippit on the ground, not just one final coup de grace. The shot sequence is as Callaway heard, bam...bam...bam-bam-bam, two with a delay and then three final quick. Therefore: shot #1 over the hood, a hit into Tippit's side. As Tippit stumbles and topples from that hit shot #2 misses for that reason. With Tippit down and out of a line of fire over the hood the gunman cannot shoot further from that position and runs around the car (around the rear is what Tatum said he saw), fires the final three in rapid succession into Tippit on the ground, one the button hit, one in the chest, and last one in the temple. Then the killer, with Tatum watching, starts loping, slow run, in what looks like his direction west on Tenth and Tatum thinks he's headed for him and guns his car forward and loses further sight temporarily, but sees in the rear view mirror the killer turn south on Patton and out of sight. Once Tatum sees the killer has gone south on Patton Tatum stops his car a second time and turns around and looks again and now he sees Callaway who has arrived, unseen by Tatum up to that point, almost to the position of the cruiser. Tatum sees Callaway in the vicinity of the cruiser and the fallen Tippit, and Tatum sees Callaway running beyond the cruiser (east) to Benavides' truck appealing to Benavides to drive so they can try to catch the killer. From Tatum's vantage point Callaway looks like a second man involved in the shooting and running in the opposite direction. Tatum knows there are a few other witnesses. This is reflected in the letter to Playboy. Or something like that?

Edited January 29, 2023 by Greg Doudna

[Gerry Down]

10 hours ago, Charles Blackmon said:

“I read Playboy's Garrison interview with perhaps more interest than most readers. I was an eyewitness to the shooting of policeman Tippit in Dallas on the afternoon President Kennedy was murdered. I saw two men, neither of them resembling the pictures I later saw of Lee Harvey Oswald, shoot Tippit and run off in opposite directions. There were at least half a dozen other people who witnessed this. My wife convinced me that I should say nothing, since there were other eyewitnesses. Her advice and my cowardice undoubtedly have prolonged my life—or at least allowed me now to tell the true story…”

One of many witnesses to the JFK/Tippit killings who did not testify before the Warren Commission. Either because the WC would not let them speak, or they were too afraid for their lives to speak.

Probs someone looking for a free years subscription to playboy willing to tell them anything they wanted to hear.

[Charles Blackmon]

13 minutes ago, Gerry Down said:

Probs someone looking for a free years subscription to playboy willing to tell them anything they wanted to hear.

What makes you think thats what "they" wanted to hear?

I suppose Acquilla Clemmons, who was threatened by a man with a gun IN HER HOME was also full of it?

[Gil Jesus]

25 minutes ago, Gerry Down said:

Probs someone looking for a free years subscription to playboy willing to tell them anything they wanted to hear.

Tell us, Mr. Down: why would the Director of the FBI order his agents NOT to interview certain witnesses to the Tippit murder ? Seems to me, in a criminal inevstigation, you interview ALL of the witnesses, regardless of what they have to say. But in this case, as late as mid-October, 1964, the Dallas Agents were ordered NOT to interview Acquilla Clemons and the Wrights.

Why is that ?

Edited January 29, 2023 by Gil Jesus

[Gil Jesus]

8 minutes ago, Charles Blackmon said:

What makes you think thats what "they" wanted to hear?

I suppose Acquilla Clemmons, who was threatened by a man with a gun IN HER HOME was also full of it?

Charles, Warren Commission supporters, when faced with evidence they can't debate, will always respond with sarcasm, insults or smart-alecky remarks. Whether they realize it or not, those types of responses only serve to further damage their credibility.

Just be thankful he didn't say anything about your mother.

Edited January 29, 2023 by Gil Jesus

[Gerry Down]

1 hour ago, Charles Blackmon said:

What makes you think thats what "they" wanted to hear?

I suppose Acquilla Clemmons, who was threatened by a man with a gun IN HER HOME was also full of it?

You mean the guy who showed up at her door with TV cameras?

Check out the relevant sections from Dale Myers book as posted on page 1 of this thread:

 

[Gerry Down]

1 hour ago, Gil Jesus said:

Charles, Warren Commission supporters, when faced with evidence they can't debate, will always respond with sarcasm, insults or smart-alecky remarks. Whether they realize it or not, those types of responses only serve to further damage their credibility.

Just be thankful he didn't say anything about your mother.

I don't know what you're talking about, i didn't talk about any posters mothers.

Anyway one reason we have a little joke sometimes is because we've posted facts on here numerous times that don't fit your narrative and so you choose to ignore. Check out the sections from Dale Myers book in relation to Aquila as I have posted on page 1 of this thread: