Ferrie's Plane Found

[Stephen Roy]

Local man's airplane figures in JFK Assassination

By Rebecca L. Sandlin/ \n rsandlin@noblesvilledailytimes.com

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Great to get these posts, including that of Mr. Roy, of course.

Thanks,

JG

Thank's Stephen, I really appreciate your comments......

There is something about Ferrie that invites suspicion. This is what interested me in him in the first place: Here was a guy who seems to have been involved, but nobody had ever (by about 1974) really nailed it down. I wanted to learn everything about Ferrie and be the person to nail him (with proof) for the assassination.

First, there is the undeniable stuff: Ferrie and Oswald did cross paths in 1955, but the depth of the relationship is hard to pin down. Then there is the coincidence(?) that Oswald chose to stamp some of his pamphlets and leaflets with the address of a building where Ferrie didn't work, but was often seen. Those are the hard facts.

Then there are some more inferential facts: His former friend, Jack S. Martin, ratted him out to the authorities and press immediately after the assassination. Martin's charges were amorphous and easily dispensed with by the cops, but it is intriguing that Martin seemed to focus-in so quickly on a man who DID have at least two slender connections with Oswald.

Then there was the trip to Houston, Galveston and Alexandria. There is a case to be made that it just involved legal business, checking out a business opportunity, visiting relatives, relaxing and carousing, but it seemed suspicious because it was a trip to Texas on the evening of the assassination in Texas.

Then there was Ferrie's statements to authorities. There are no PROVABLE lies in them, but there are several arguable statements. And if the dozen or so people who claim to have seen Ferrie in 1963 with Oswald were truthful (alas, it is hard to tell because none of them were strong, unimpeachable witnesses), then Ferrie was less-than-candid about "knowing" Oswald. (What Ferrie actually said: he intially denied knowing Oswald at all, but his picture bore a vague familiarity; over the next few days, he said that he had been told that Oswald had once briefly been in a CAP unit with him and may even have attended a party at his home; he ultimately said this might be true, but he didn't remember him.)

Then there was who Ferrie WAS: He had a brief but significant stint as a leader of a local anti-Castro group, and he was publicly critical of JFK regarding the Bay of Pigs. The local group's parent organization had ties to the CIA. After Ferrie was forced out of this group, he fell in the the Marcello organization, another group not well-disposed to (at least) RFK.

Then there were the circumstances of his death: In Dec66, he became one of Garrison's suspects. This investigation leaked to the press on Feb 16, and Ferrie called the press and said that he was the chief suspect. Six days later, he was found dead. The official verdict was essentially a stroke with no sign of murder or suicide, but the autopsist failed to consider some other possibilities. And two "farewell notes" were found in his apartment.

So it is easy to see why some suspicion attaches to Ferrie, but the evidence could point either way. Why are people inclined to always think the worst of Ferrie? Partly because of the mystique of an odd-looking guy whose death came at a very suspicious time. Partly due to the publicity he received in death. Partly due to his "unlikeableness": weird to look at, fierce anti-Communist, a sexual predator on boys 14-18.

Paradoxically, those who knew him remember a likeable side: He was smart, funny, generous, adventurous and fun to be around. Some liken him to a god or saint. Despite any ulterior motives, he helped many boys by counseling them, interesting them in the service or the priesthood, spurring them on to higher education and sometimes paying for it. He was talented pianist and mimic. His political philosophy was more diverse than people think.

An interesting case, an interesting guy. What do others think of him? I've been studying him in detail for more than 30 years: Sometimes, I think I've found the real Ferrie, but sometimes I'm not sure.

Edited April 5, 2007 by Stephen Roy