The Oswald Transfer: Fritz Looks at Ruby Before Bringing Oswald Out

[David Josephs]

On 2/19/2023 at 5:51 AM, Gil Jesus said:

The evidence is no exaggeration. Ruby was in bed with the Dallas Cops. Multiple witnesses corroborate what Tom said.

http://jfk.hood.edu/Collection/Weisberg Subject Index Files/K Disk/Kantor Seth/Item 04.pdf. Seth Kantor article claiming that Ruby knew at least 1 of every 3 Dallas policemen in the basement that day...

On November 25, 1963, the Houston FBI Office received information from Al Bright, an ex-felon of Corpus Christi, Texas, to the effect that RUBY was the payoff man for the Dallas Police Department, and whenever liquor and gambling raids were to be made on the Dallas underworld, RUBY was always contacted first by some unknown person from the Dallas Police Department. Al Bright obtained this information from Roy William Pike, who had once served a bookkeeper for RUBY, and was one of 12 persons known to have been in telephone contact with RUBY just before the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Roy William Pike was arrested for rape in 1943. Roy William Pike told Al Bright: "I think I spoke with RUBY about his relationship with HOFFA." The FBI interviewed Roy William Pike, who denied having said any of this. J. Edgar Hoover confused the report of Al Bright with that of Roy William Pike, and noted: "Pike was interviewed in connection with the case on November 25, 1963, at which time he alleged that RUBY was friendly with James HOFFA and the syndicate and was a pay- off man of the Dallas Police Department." [FBI 44-24016-1196; FBI report filed 11.25.63 Corpus Christi; FBI #110-44-939 pgs.329, 530, 531, 532]

In 1956 RUBY traveled to Hot Springs, Arkansas, a center of gambling and vice in the South. RUBY was accompanied by Jesse Curry, the Chief of Police of Dallas, Texas. After the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, a friend of RUBY'S, Eli Schulman, told the FBI that "RUBY had many Dallas cops for friends - in fact he took the Chief of Police to Hot Springs Arkansas, when I don't know." [FBI 44-24016-275; C.Ray Hall WCE 3; FBI DL 44-1639; LL R: BC D-cover page]

At 1:30 p.m. RUBY drove to Dealey Plaza where he continued to mingle with the media. RUBY pointed out to a reporter that Captain Will Fritz and Chief Jesse Curry were in the vicinity. RUBY knew both these men. Jesse Curry had put Will Fritz in charge of OSWALD while he was in police custody. Travis Kirk, Officer TIPPIT's attorney, remarked: "Fritz and JACK RUBY were very close friends. JACK RUBY, in spite of his reputation of being a 'hood' was allowed complete run of the Homicide Bureau."

And a few items from my files re: Ruby given very lenient treatment by the public officials in Dallas... going back to Westbrook in 1953.. interesting they would write that memo in Dec 1964...  Also have the note from Nixon's Congressional in 1947 office requesting Ruby not be asked to testify in the House Committee on un-American Activity in 1947...  along with some case dismissals in Dallas for no real good reason...

 

 

 

 

 

[Joe Bauer]

On 2/15/2023 at 7:26 AM, Gil Jesus said:

Before they emerge from the jail office with Oswald, Lt. Richard E Swain and Capt. J.Will Fritz of the Dallas Police step out into the basement to see if it's "all set" to proceed. Fritz looks in only one direction, the direction of Jack Ruby, then turns to his left and nods for Jim Leavelle and L.C. Graves to bring out the prisoner. Det. L.D. Montgomery is behind Oswald to make sure the handcuffed Oswald "does not escape" the fate that awaits him.

 

 

Looking at the above video again and again one notices interesting details that are worth mentioning.

The distance from the glass door opening into the basement entryway to the exit ramp and waiting press crowd was very short! I counted the steps of Oswald and his two side guards and it looked to be not much more than 10 !

So the time frame of Oswald first appearing through the door until he was shot by Ruby was a mere 20 to 30 seconds?

You can see the lights of the press directed at the Ruby guard detail being quite bright. Of course this could make it hard for them to clearly see the faces of those in the press line.

Most impressionable to me however was how anybody responsible for Oswald's physical security could not see what a cramped, tight space all that was and not immediately see how illogical it was to allow a frantic, pushing press crowd to squeeze into that sardine can packed space.

This was beyond ridiculous from a security point of view!

No physical body police line between Oswald and his two side guards and the press line? Not even a theater event rope or tape barrier to keep the press line at least a safe distance away?

Press reporters were allowed such close access they could have touched Oswald with their microphone holding outstretched arms, like Ike Pappas almost did!

You call that security?

In my 12 year old mind as I watched this event live on TV, I instantly noticed the illogicalness of that overly packed tight little space scene.

It was just too tightly packed for the limited space it was. And Oswald was so open from the front even I felt a nervous twinge in my gut that he looked just too open.

Like another poster here stated.

Of all three killings, JFK, Tippit, Oswald...the Oswald one was the most easily suspect. 

One can see with their own eyes how illogically poorly thought out the Oswald transfer DPD basement security really was.

And again as another poster mentioned ( Roger DeLaria ) that overly crowded cramped little space in the DPD basement does remind one of the Los Angeles Ambassador Hotel pantry when Robert F. Kennedy was led into it on June 6th, 1968.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 24, 2023 by Joe Bauer

[Charles Blackmon]

Not illogical at all Joe. The DPD got their man!

[Evan Marshall]

Just in case no one has figured it out, the Dallas PD was wildly incompetent and could catch a cold in a rainstorm.

[Roger DeLaria]

2 hours ago, Joe Bauer said:

Most impressionable to me however was how anybody responsible for Oswald's physical security could not see what a cramped, tight space all that was and not immediately see how illogical it was to allow a frantic, pushing press crowd to squeeze into that sardine can packed space.

Kind of like the pantry at the Ambassador Hotel.....🤨

[David Josephs]

2 hours ago, Evan Marshall said:

Just in case no one has figured it out, the Dallas PD was wildly incompetent and could catch a cold in a rainstorm.

Yet somehow Fritz has a 98% conviction rate?

[Gil Jesus]

6 hours ago, Bill Simpich said:

Gil, looking forward to your follow-up piece on this story.   The killing of Oswald is the simplest of the three killings of that weekend to analyze.  I hope many good minds will finally bear down on this, provide serious scrutiny, and work together.

Thank You. It's taking me a little longer than expected to finish the research on this. I was hoping to get it posted this last weekend, but I've had to dig a little deeper and I may not have it done until Friday. I promise you, it will be worth worth waiting for.

[Pat Speer]

2 hours ago, David Josephs said:

Yet somehow Fritz has a 98% conviction rate?

As I recall, a number of DPD officers would later relate that Fritz was not the best detective, but that he was an unparalleled interrogator, in that he would routinely convince suspects to confess. 

I know I read somewhere--it's been bugging me for awhile now--that the Hank Quinlan character in Touch of Evil was based on Fritz. This movie came out years before the assassination. And yet here was this detective, who trusted his instincts about suspects, and then routinely conjured up evidence to convince them to confess, who was supposedly based on Fritz. 

If someone can figure out where I got this, and if this character's supposedly being based upon Fritz was something discussed before 11-22-63, it would be appreciated. 

[Evan Marshall]

6 hours ago, David Josephs said:

Yet somehow Fritz has a 98% conviction rate?

corruption can be and often is everywhere. A Dallas copper I knew and trusted told me Fitz success almost always involved African American Defendents

[Ron Bulman]

6 hours ago, Roger DeLaria said:

Kind of like the pantry at the Ambassador Hotel.....🤨

Yep.  But with cop's all over the place.

[David Josephs]

5 minutes ago, Evan Marshall said:

corruption can be and often is everywhere. A Dallas copper I knew and trusted told me Fitz success almost always involved African American Defendents

noted...

 

[Ron Bulman]

9 hours ago, David Josephs said:

On November 25, 1963, the Houston FBI Office received information from Al Bright, an ex-felon of Corpus Christi, Texas, to the effect that RUBY was the payoff man for the Dallas Police Department,

Hi David.  I would have sworn I read about this in Jack Ruby, The Man Who Killed The Man Who Killed Kennedy a 1967 book by Gary Willis and Ovid Demaris.  Obviously, an Oswald did it but also a Ruby did O out of patriotism to spare Jackie a trial book.

What I remember is one of Ruby's strippers talking about DPD officers, primarily vice, not street cops coming to Ruby's office at the Carousel on a weekly or monthly basis for short, closed-door meetings.  I think she was aware of cash changing hands.

But the book has 3 chapters for 266 pages.  No subject or name index, end notes (from a Yalie PhD!).  I couldn't find what I mentioned in a quick look tonight.  I think Pete Mellor has the book, maybe he remembers if he sees this.

[Joe Bauer]

7 hours ago, Roger DeLaria said:

Kind of like the pantry at the Ambassador Hotel.....🤨

Exactly RL.

[Ron Bulman]

8 hours ago, David Josephs said:

Yet somehow Fritz has a 98% conviction rate?

25 of them overturned by DNA.

When Henry Wade Executed an Innocent Man - D Magazine

[David Josephs]

Another statement about an officer knowing RUBY by sight..

There is what appears to be a faked crime report from BLEDSOE on the night of 10/11/63 where PRICE/HARGIS go out to her near midnight and records that JACK RUBY and LEE OSWALD KNOWN AS ALEK HIDEL (sic) were in a fight and destroyed some property...  yet at the top are numbers that spell out "U R A FINK" when you replace the numbers with corresponding letters in the alphabet...  and there are usually never numbers like that..

Real questions to me are: when was it written, by whom and how do they know about "ALEK HIDEL" ?

Warren Commission volume 19 between pages 132 and 134 (Batchelor exhibit 5002) describes both Hargis and White's assignments while on DPD duty. B. Hargis worked the traffic division assigned to solo motorcycle and special enforcement. Hargis worked the 7AM to 3PM shift and his superior was Sgt. R. Smart. White worked 4PM until midnight in the accident prevention division. He reported to Sgt. B.F. Rodgers. When I spoke to Bobby Hargis on the evening of March 20, 1994 he was confused. He told me he knew Jack Ruby before the assassination and could recognize him on sight. "If I was ever called to anything involving Jack, I would certainly be able to identify him." Hargis stated he never worked with J.C. White and didn't remember him. Additionally, he was never, ever assigned to anything but a motorcycle division. "No, I wouldn't respond to anything in a squad car." was his answer.