My JFK Site
JFK Assassination
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Crop Dusters
Question: How many other of these crop duster pilots defected to the U.S. ?
If anyone has any information on other crop dusters, I would appreciate hearing about it.
In the Senate Select Committee files, aka the Church Committee Boxed Files, there is a document numbered 157-10014-10120, dated 1/19/76 from Paul Wallach, entitled “Oswald in New Orleans. (This is on page 2 for those of you who go looking for it).
On page 93 of this document, there is a memo from Dan Dwyer to The Files dated 9/23/75. In this memo, Dwyer describes looking at the Department of Justice Anti-Castro files from the late 1950’s to the early 1970’s.
One of the files that Dwyer examined is dated 1/22/60, entitled Anti-Fidel Castro Activities. The summary of this file reads,
“January 12, 1960, Raul Cross, pilot for Arbana Airlines. The Cuban Government was having thirty pilots trained in Mexico, (using cover that they were being trained as crop dusters). They were using instructors from Chile at $700/month.”
http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/viewer/showDoc.do?docId=1462&relPageId=96
Warren CD# 1085 is a letter from the Director of the FBI to Jay Lee Rankin dated June 11, 1964 with attached memos and reports.
http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/viewer/showDoc.do?docId=11481&relPageId=3
One of the Reports included is a memo from Dallas SA Wallace Heitman dated April 29, 1964. This Report discusses the residents of an address in Garland, Texas and the sighting of a Rambler station wagon parked in front with a bumper sticker that says, “Kill the Kennedy Klan.”
While Heitman’s memo is heavily redacted, other research has revealed the two residents of 806 E. Monica in Garland, TX were Raul Castro and Juan Quintana.
Manuel Rodriguez Orcarberro had revealed that Raul Castro and Juan Quintana were members of Alpha-66 and the SNFE.
On page 6 of his memo, Heitman says this his source told him that the two unnamed subjects of the memo had been employed by him (the source) for approximately one year. He said they were Cuban citizens and who were trained as duster pilots in Mexico for the Cuban Government and later defected from the Fidel Castro Government and came to the United States.
http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/viewer/showDoc.do?docId=11481&relPageId=215
The two subjects were known to be violently anti-Castro and had attended the speech by Adlai Stevenson in Dallas when he got bonked on the head by a picket sign.
The wives of both subjects of Heitman’s memo were Mexican citizens.
One of the two subjects of this memo entered the U.S. illegally by swimming across the Rio Grande at Lightner’s Pump (sp?) about five miles east of Brownsville, TX. He crossed with his friend who was apprehended. Records of the INS revealed to Heitman that the subject had left Cuba in blank, 1960 and went to Mexico, which he left on December 26, 1960.
The INS files reveal that the subject stated that many of the students attending the two airline schools he attended were Communists and Fidel Castro supporters. He named several students (redacted) studying to be air traffic control operators were known Communists.
Just some food for thought: What if Raul Castro and Juan Quintana were double agents, sent to Mexico to ostensibly to train as crop dusters and then told to defect to the U.S. and infiltrate the anti-Castro Cuban exile community?
They talked the talk, and went to anti-Castro rallies. Bought a John Birch Society bumper sticker for their car that read, “Kan the Kennedy Klan” that they changed to “Kill the Kennedy Klan”.
They were discovered however, and the Rambler that one of them owned had a part to play in the JFK assassination, and they became patsies to blame the murder on Castro?
Just speculating.
Steve Thomas
posted by Steve at 9:04 AM
Thursday, January 18, 2007
I had been under the impression that Lee Harvey Oswald was arraigned for the murder of JFK around 1:30 in the morning of November 23rd.
However, I am reading Anthony Summer's book, "Conspiracy", and he says that LHO was NOT arraigned for this crime.
Sure enough, in CD 5, page 400 there is an undated FBI document that says, "No arraignment on the charges in connection with the death of President Kennedy was held inasmuch as such arraignment was not necessary in view of the previous charges filed against Oswald and for which he was arraigned."
http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/viewer/showDoc.do?docId=10406&relPageId=405
And in CD 1084, page 11 is a letter from Hoover dated June 10, 1964 with attachments that reads, "Assistant DA Alexander...authorized the filing of a complaint...however, arraignment on this latter charge was not deemed necessary in view of the previous charges against Oswald and the prior arraignment." (for Tippit's murder).
http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/viewer/showDoc.do?docId=11480&relPageId=15
So, was he arraigned or not, and if not, what the hell was taking place around 1:30 on the morning of November 23rd?
Fritz was asked about this in his WC testimony...
http://jfkassassination.net/russ/testimony/fritz1.htm
Mr. FRITZ. I believe we had another arraignment, did we not?
Mr. BALL. You had an arraignment charging him with the assassination of President Kennedy, murder of President Kennedy.
Mr. FRITZ. Yes, sir; I went to that arraignment.
Mr. BALL. That was at what time? I believe you showed it at 1:35 a.m. in your records.
Mr. FRITZ. That would be about right.
Mr. BALL. Who was present at that time?
Mr. FRITZ. Well, I show Bill Alexander of the district attorney's office, Henry Wade. That was before Judge Johnston also, and I was there, and I am sure of three or four other people that I can't name.
I think Chief Curry might have gone to this, I can't answer for him, but I believe he might have.
Mr. BALL. Now, your records show that he was checked in the jail at 1:10 a.m. and it doesn't show a checkout when he was taken to the arraignment.
Mr. FRITZ. To the arraignment. It probably wouldn't show that. Sometimes those cards, I don't usually make cards if the man is still in the custody of the jailers, and sometimes, of course, they might miss a card anyway because we use a lot of civilian employees up there.
Sooo............
It's interesting that even though both CD 5 and the synopsis that Hoover provided with his letter in CD 1084 are both undated; in the memo that comprises CD 5, it says that the "following information was obtained by Hosty from the office of Will Fritz on November 25th.
That's two days after the fact.
The locals are saying Oswald was arraigned. The federals are saying he was not.
Now this is interesting.
Oswald was arraigned by Justice of the Peace David Johnston. Here's what he told the WC: Pay attention to the Cause #'s
This was the arraignment of Lee Harvey Oswald for the murder with malice of John F. Kennedy, cause No. F-154, The State of Texas versus Lee Harvey Oswald. The complaint was filed at 11:25 p.m., was accepted by me at 11:26 p.m. It was filed at approximately 11:25 p.m. by Capt. J. W. Fritz, homicide bureau of the Dallas Police Department, and was accepted by Henry Wade, criminal district attorney, Dallas County, Tex., and was docketed as cause No. 154, F-154 at 11:26 p.m.
He was then arraigned after he was removed to the detail room where the press was allowed to have their first interview with the defendant, with Lee Harvey Oswald.
Subsequently in a conference between Captain Fritz, Mr. Wade, and two or three of his assistants and myself, and Chief Curry--it was decided to go ahead and arraign him and that arraignment was held at 1:35 a.m., November 23, 1963, in the identification bureau of the Dallas Police Department, and once again I appraised him of his constitutional rights, read the affidavit, and advised him again that I remanded him to the custody of the sheriff, Dallas County, denying bond as capital offense.
Mr. HUBERT. In any event, you made it clear to him that he had a right to contact a lawyer ?
Mr. JOHNSTON. That he had a right to be represented by counsel, that he had the right to make a telephone call to contact any person of his choice, and the assault to murder complaint, alleging the assault to murder of John B. Connally in cause No. F-155, The State of Texas versus Lee Harvey Oswald, this complaint was filed by Lt. Robert E. McKinney of the forgery bureau of the Dallas Police Department. This complaint was filed in my office at Richardson, Tex., at 6:15 p.m., on November 23, 1963, and the defendant was not arraigned in this case because he was already being held for two capital offenses. He would have been arraigned in this probably the following week had he lived.
Why was no Cause number assigned to Oswald's arraignment for the killing of JFK and why the lack of specificity...filed by so and so and accepted by so and so?
If Oswald wasn't arraigned, it would be sad to think that he was gunned down and murdered without ever being formally charged with killing JFK.
Steve Thomas
posted by Steve at 7:49 AM
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
[4/7/2003 12:26:40 PM | Steve Thomas]
Handwriting experts claimed that in all times, various documents that bore the signature of Lee Harvey Oswald were signed by the same person.
Below are examples of L.H.O's signatures.
1) Application to the Cosmos Shipping Co., New Orleans dated 8/6/63 WC Exhibit 774 (17H)
2) Affidavit of Support addressed to American Embassy dated 1/17/62 WC Exhibit 775(17H)
3) Application for a New Orleans Public Library Card WC Exhibit 777 (17H)
4) Application to the A.C.L.U. WC Exhibit 783 (17H)
5) Application for P.O. Box 2915 dated 10/9/62 WC Exhibit 792 (17H)
6) Change of Address card for P.O. Box 2915 dated 5/12/63 WC Exhibit 794 (17H)
What do you think?
Were they made by the same person?
Steve Thomas
posted by Steve at 8:33 AM
Friday, September 29, 2006
Possible Rambler lead?
In his Sheriff's Report filed on November 23, 1963, Deputy Sheriff, Roger Craig wrote about a man seen running down the hill in front of the TSBD and getting into a light colored Rambler. "The man driving this station wagon was a dark complected white male."
http://jfkassassination.net/russ/testimony/craig1.htm
On April 1, 1964 he testified before the WC, and told them, "Mr. BELIN - What about the man who was driving the car?
Mr. CRAIG - Now, he struck me, at first, as being a colored male. He was very dark complected, had real dark short hair, and was wearing a thin white-looking Jacket..."
http://jfkassassination.net/russ/testimony/craig.htm
Warrren Commission Document# 1085 is a June 11, 1964 letter from J. Edgar Hoover with attached memoranda and reports. Included in that letter is a heavily redacted April 29, 1964 report from Dallas SA Wallace Heitman. It speaks about an automobile parked in front of a residence in Garland, Texas that displayed a bumper sticker that read, "Kill the Kennedy Klan." The names of the families who resided at the house together have been whited out.
His report also says that after the assassination, efforts were made to remove this bumper sticker and that after the assassination, residents of this address began to receive a lot of mail from Miami, New York, and Mexico. His report redacts the names of people who have been receiving mail at that address.
On page 5 of this Report, it says, "On April 9, 1964, SA Wallace R. Heitman observed parked on the street in front of the residence at ..... Garland, Texas a late-model, four door Rambler automobile, bearing license PD-4976." A source told Heitman that this automobile was owned by ......
http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/...p;relPageId=214
(If anyone has an unredacted version of this Report, I'd sure like to see it)
Okay, here's the kicker.
CD 913 is a March 30, 1964 Report of Robert Gemberling. Included in this Report is information relative to the "Kill the Kennedy Klan" bumper sticker and persons receiving mail at an address in Garland.
http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/...p;relPageId=174
However, Gemberling's report INCLUDES the names of the people. The mail being reported on dates from late December and early January, 1964.
Heitman's Report of April 29th is a copy of Gemberling's March 30th.
Among the people receiving mail at 806 E. Monica Dr. were Raul Castro and Juan Quintana.
Among the Miscellaneous CIA Series, there is an unauthored FBI Report of the various anti-Castro groups in Dallas: JURE, 30th of November, Alpha 66-SNFE, etc.
http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/...amp;relPageId=4
On pages 4 and 5 of that Report, Manuel Rodriguez Orcarberro furnished the following list of the present officers of SNFE. Among that list of people were Raul Castro and Juan Quintana.
In a 5/28/64 memo from FBI, Dallas to the Director,
http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/viewer/showDoc.do?docId=10146&relPageId=28
Informant T-1 is identified as Enrique Varona. Informant T-2 is identified as Joaquin Insua (under consideration as a PSI). Informant T-3 is identified as CIA, Miami, Florida.
On May 25, 1964, Manuel Rodriguez voluntarily appeared at the Dallas FBI offices and spoke to Wallace Heitman. He told Heitman that the members of SNFE met at bi-weekly meetings at 3126 Harlandale. (Although in his Report, Heitman spelled it Hollandale.)
http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/...p;relPageId=222
In his 11/26/63 follow up Report, Deputy Sheriff, Buddy Walthers wrote that the Cubans who had been at the Harlandle house had moved out between seven days before the President was shot and one day after he was shot.
Did they move to Garland, and was this the Rambler Roger Craig saw?
I have been looking for some connection between the Miller/Whitter gunrunning case, the right wing activities of Larry Schmidt and the Joiner family, Lawrence Howard and Loren Hall running guns through Dallas, and the anti-Castro Cubans.
So far I have not found any, but I keep looking.
One interesting thing, Warren Commission Document #320 is a memo from SS Agent Rowley. On page 162 of that Report there is a newspaper article from October 27, 1963 - I can't make out which paper - concerning the Stevenson incident.
In the article, Bobbie Joiner said there was no preplanning for Stevenson incident, but that, “some of the signs used were stored at former Major General Edwin A. Walker’s headquarters on Turtle Creek Blvd.”
http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/...p;relPageId=162
This was the same incident that Larry Schmidt took credit for in one of his letters to Bernard Weissman.
On page 6 of Wallace Heitman’s April 29 Report, right in the middle of a discussion about the Cubans in Garland, he says that his source said that (blank) and (blank) had told him that they had attended the meeting at the Dallas Municipal Auditorium in October, 1963 where Adlai Stevenson had given a speech and that they had worn placards outside the Auditorium which were anti-Stevenson in context.
http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/...p;relPageId=215
I'm not sure what this proves, other than these people were at the same place at the same time. Did they know each other? I don't know.
posted by Steve at 7:00 AM
Monday, September 18, 2006
Curtis-Mathes Plant
FBI interview of Miranda by FBI SA Wallace Heitman on 3/26/63
http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/viewer/showDoc.do?docId=11481&relPageId=197
Jesus Miranda Llaveria, a Cuban refugee who presently resides at 5702 Victor St., Dallas and is employed at the Curtis-Mathes Plant in Dallas, stated he knew Antonio Arturo Hilario Navarro Aulet as they both were employed at the same factory.
Heitman interviewed Navarro on 2/26/63
http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/viewer/showDoc.do?docId=11481&relPageId=186
Navarro resided at 1721 Pratt St., Dallas
Curtis-Mathes was at 2220 Young St.
Navarro told Heitman that he was well acquainted with Father McChann.
Antonio Crespi Larralde 2931 Pleasant Dr., Dallas was interviewed on 2/20/63 by Wallace Heitman.
http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/viewer/showDoc.do?docId=11481&relPageId=184
While he is presently an employee of the Republic Transcom Co., “Crespi stated that he was formerly employed by the Curtis-Mathes Manufacturing Company in Dallas and had there become aquainted with Antonio Navarro, who was and still is an employee of Curtis-Mathes. Crespi said that he and other Cuban refugees who are employed at this Company had often discussed political matters, particularly the political situation in Cuba.
Report of Wallace Heitman March 7, 1963
http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/viewer/showDoc.do?docId=11481&relPageId=179
“On September 13, 1962, Delfin Leyva (Avila), who resides at 2212 Kirby St. with his brother Francisco, above and is an employee of Curtis-Mathes…”
Francisco was also employed at Curtis-Mathes.
Unsigned FBI memo dated Miami, FL May 29, 1964
http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/viewer/showDoc.do?docId=11481&relPageId=79 page 3
“On April 12, 1963, Francisco Leyva Avila, Dallas, Texas representative of the 30th of November Revolutionary Movement advised that the Dallas delegation had issued a declaration expressing disagreement with the official action of the United States Government in forbidding hit and run attacks on Cuba…”
FBI interview of Rodriguez by SA Wallace Heitman May 25, 1964
http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/viewer/showDoc.do?docId=11481&relPageId=222
Manuel Rodriguez Orcarberro voluntarily appeared and was interviewed at the office of the FBI in Dallas, Texas. He furnished his home address as 2311 Nicholson Street, Apartment D, home telephone WH 6-8429. He said he was employed at the Curtis Mathes Manufacturing Company, 2220 Young Street, Dallas, Texas.
Robert Harris in the alt.conspiracy.jfk newsgroup 9/24/96
Dick Russell, author "The Man Who Knew Too Much", established that the
house at 3126 Harlandale was rented for the refugees by a Manuel Orcaberro
Rodriguez. Rodriguez was cited in a Secret Service memo dated 11/24/63 by
an informant as,
"..known to be violently anti-President Kennedy.".
The report also established that Rodriguez was a serious enough threat to
the President to be placed on the Secret Service's "Protective Research"
list.
CE 2943 26H402
http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/viewer/showDoc.do?absPageId=146509
Fr. Walter McChann was the chaplain of the Catholic Cuban Relief Committee. “The Committee contacted employers in an attempt to find places for Cubans to work.”
CD 205 p. 640
http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/viewer/showDoc.do?docId=10672&relPageId=643
FBI interview of L.C. Connell 11/29/63
“Mrs. C.L. Connell, 6949 Lake Shore Dr. Dallas, Texas advised she has been a voluntary assistant to the Catholic Cuban Relief Committee of Dallas, Texas for approximately the last year. “
I haven't found yet where the CCRC contacted Curtis-Mathes in particular, but this could conceivably put Sylvia Odio, McChann and Connell in the same circles as Rodriguez of Alpha 66 and SNFE and Avila of the 30th of November group.
James Richards in the Education Forum 9/13/06
Steve,
In late 1962 and early 1963, three recruiting offices were set up in Dallas so that fit exiled Cubans could be trained for action against Castro.
The offices were at 3221 Hudnall and run by Bruno Martinez, 4619 Cole Manor and run by Antonio Crespi and at 2212 Kirby run by Francisco Leyva. Leyva was a qualified veterinarian.
There is no doubt that Orcarberrio knew Leyva as the more militant and motivated exiles who signed on were of much interest to him. Orcarberrio was also concerned about possible Castro agents trying to infiltrate the ranks.
Father McChann also knew Leyva as both men were part of a committee to assist in relocating refugees and to council those doing it tough. Along with McChann and Leyva, others on the committee were Francisco Guitierrez and Fernando Robaina.
Francisco Leyva below.
Steve Thomas in the Education Forum 9/14/06
Navarro was interviewed on 2/26/63. In his FBI interview, he said that his cousins, Jorge Rodriguez and Juan Albareda were also employees at Curtis-Mathes.
http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/...p;relPageId=187
The reason I got started on this is because Manuel Rodriguez told the FBI that b-weekly meetings were held at 3126 Harlandale and that they were attended by up to 20 persons.
http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/...p;relPageId=222
I got to wondering if some of those people might not have come from the roster of Curtis-Mathes employees.
Steve Thomas
[quote name='Steve Thomas' date='Sep 14 2006, 02:59 PM' post='74873']
Navarro was interviewed on 2/26/63. In his FBI interview, he said that his cousins, Jorge Rodriguez and Juan Albareda were also employees at Curtis-Mathes.
[url=http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/viewer/showDoc.do?docId=11481&relPageId=187]http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/...p;relPageId=187[/url]
[/quote]
On 2/15/63, Dr. Carlos Taboada Millas, an employee of the VA Hospital, was interviewed by the FBI vis a vis Antonio Navarra and Navarro's attempt to bring two of his nephews to the United States. Taboada said the father of these two nephews was known by the name "Nico". "Nico" was known to be violently anti-Castro.
"Nico" was supposed to have been a former policeman at the University of Havana.
Navarro told Taboada that he was "an acquaintance and personal friend" of "Nico."
http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/...p;relPageId=183
In one breath, Navarro says that "Nico" is the father of his two nephews.
In the next breath, he says that he is a "personal friend" of Nico.
Were Crespi and Navarro brother-in-laws?
Was Crespi a former policeman?
Jorge Rodriguez Alvareda, an employee of Curtis-Mathes advised on July 3, 1963, he had been authorized in a letter from Osorio Davila Santana, Secretary General of this organization at Miami, Florida to proceed with the organization of a Dallas unit."
The organization ?
JURE
FBI Memo 5/28/64
http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/viewer/showDoc.do?docId=28726&relPageId=2
So, we've got JURE people, 30th of November people, Alpha 66 and SNFE people all working at that Curtis Mathes plant.
Steve Thomas
posted by Steve at 6:47 AM
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
I have been trying to determine if the police who responded to the call to search the houses in the 400 block of East Jefferson, also responded to go to the Library and what happened to them.
Based on the Dispatch tapes, it appears that most of them did not go to the Library, but they do eventually show up at the Theater.
Sgt. Owens told the WC, “Quite a few of us left that area we were at and proceeded to the library,”
Sgt. Hill, who took an active part in searching at least two houses, told the WC, "At this time Sergeant Owens was there; I was there; Bill Alexander was there; it was probably about this time that C. T. Walker, an accident investigator got there; and with Sergeant Owens and Walker and a couple more officers standing outside..."
I think it would be worthwhile to try and get these men's stories. Most of them did not file a report with Chief Curry on their activities that day, and most of them did not testify before the Warren Commission. Roy Walker would be an interesting person. He was at all three locations.
1:23 Suspect is reported to be fleeing west on Jefferson from 400 East Jefferson
1:27 19 Reports that the suspect has been seen in the 400 block of East Jefferson and requests squads
1:27 79: enroute Billy W. Anglin
1:27 412: enroute CID (This may have been the car that Lt. Cunningham, Marvin Buhk, J.B. Toney and E.E. Taylor were in).
1:28 75: almost there E.G. Sebastian (2nd Platoon Headquarters Station)
1:28 76: enroute Henry H. Horn
1:28 16: I’ll be out on East Jefferson Sgt. Roy D. Shipley (2nd Platoon Northeast substation)
1:29 77: Going back over about 400 East Jefferson Walter E. Smith
1:29 93: enroute Holly M. Ashcraft (2nd Platoon Northwest Substation)
1:30 79: enroute Billy W. Anglin
1:30 95 enroute Maurice N. McDonald and Thomas R. Gregory
1:30 221’s: about there H.W. Summers
1:30 223: 223’s: there C.T. Walker
As far back as 1:22, Unit 85 had given a description of the suspect to Dispatch, so we know he is there. Roy W. Walker
1:33, 19 reports that they are shaking down these old houses in the 400 block of East Jefferson Sgt. Calvin “Bud” Owens
1:33, 95 asks Dispatch to send a squad to 10th and Crawford to check out this church basement Maurice N. McDonald
66: enroute Frank S. Williams (2nd Platoon Headquarters Station)
1:34, 223 reports that the suspect is in the Library C.T. Walker
Sgt Owens, “Quite a few of us left that area we were at and proceeded to the library,”
1:34 85: enroute Roy W. Walker
1:34 6(?): enroute
1:35 29: enroute J.M. Williams
1:35 22 they’ve got him hole up in this building Leonard L. Hill (2nd Platoon Northwest Substation)
1:35 211: out at that location Ray Hawkins
Hawkins told the W.C. that Elmer Baggett and Hutson were in the car with him
1:36 19: We’re all at this location Sgt. Owens
1:36 Dis: 223 is supposed to be there C.T. Walker
1:45 We have information that a suspect just went in the Texas Theater
1:45 85: Out that way Roy W. Walker
1:46 111: enroute Jerry G. Pollard (2nd Platoon Headquarters Station)
1:46 76 Code 5 Henry H. Horn
1:46 492: Out at Texas Theater CID (Carroll and Lyons)
1:46 85: At Texas Theater Roy W. Walker
1:47 Dis orders someone to go to the rear of the Theater
1:47 211 says there are about five squads back here with me now Ray Hawkins
1:48 15 says send 99 to the Texas Theater
1:48 29: about two blocks away J.M. Williams
1:49 99 re-directed to go to the TSBD
1:49 19: 15 and some squads are going to the Texas Theater Cap’t Talbert
(Paul Bentley rode with Captain Talbert)
1:52 550/2: suspect on the shooting the police officer is apprehended Sgt Gerald Hill
At 2:04, 77: reports Clear Walter E. Smith
75: I’m still in front of the theater E.G. Sebastian
At 2:06, 66 radios in and says, see if you can raise 79, we have his shotgun
66 is Frank S. Williams and 79 is Billy W. Anglin
posted by Steve at 7:03 AM
Friday, July 21, 2006
Whatever Happened to T.R. Gregory?
Over the last couple of days, I've been trying to find out what happened to the man riding with M.N. McDonald. His name was T.R. Gregory. McDonald was training him.
Mr. BALL - Did you ride alone or have a partner?
Mr. McDONALD - No, sir; I had a partner.
Mr. BALL - What is his name?
Mr. McDONALD - T. R. Gregory.
After the president was shot, they reported to the TSBD and helped with crowd control.
When the call came out about Tippit's shooting McDonald and Gregory went to the scene. McDonald dropped Gregory off to assist in searching the houses in the 400 block of East Jefferson while he (McDonald) cruised through the alleys.
Mr. BALL - How did you happen to go to the 400 block on Jefferson?
Mr. McDONALD - I was stopped by other officers there. They wanted to search a house. So I relieved my partner to go to help the supervisors search this house, in the 400 block of East Jefferson. Then I went around to the alleys, and started cruising the alley in my squad car.
Notice that McDonald says, “supervisors.”
Two of the supervisors who were there at the houses on Jefferson were Sgt. Gerald Hill and Sgt. Calvin “Bud” Owens.
19: “One of the men here at the service station that saw him seems to think he's in this block, the 400 block of East Jefferson behind this service station. Would you give me some more squads over here?”
19 is Calvin Owens.
Beginning at about 1:27 on the Dispatch tapes, officers were being instructed to report to the 400 block of East Jefferson. Units 79, 76, 77, 79, 93, 95, 221, 223 and 412 responded.
None of those units except for 95 (McDonald) and 223 (C.T. Walker) testified before the WC.
Mr. HILL. And met Owens in front of two large vacant houses on the north side of Jefferson that are used for the storage of secondhand furniture.
By then Owens had information also that some citizen had seen the man running towards these houses. At this time Sergeant Owens was there; I was there; Bill Alexander was there; it was probably about this time that C. T. Walker, an accident investigator got there; and with Sergeant Owens and Walker and a couple more officers standing outside, Bill Alexander and I entered the front door of the house that would have been to the west--it was the farthest to the west of the two--shook out the lower floor, made sure nobody was there, and made sure that all the entrances from either inside or outside of the building to the second floor were securely locked.
Then we went back over to the house next door, which would have been the first one east of this one, and made sure it was securely locked, both upstairs and downstairs. There was no particular sign of entry on this building at all.
Hill left the scene of the houses and went back to where Tippit had been shot and gave 105’s keys back to him. (Poe and Jez). He then walked to the Abundant Life Temple and was prepared to search it.
Owens remained outside the houses while other officers went in to do the actual search.
Mr. OWENS. Then we started searching the buildings and houses--there are some old two-story houses there used as businesses.
Mr. ELY. What was the nature of your search of these buildings? Did you just look through the halls?
Mr. OWENS. Well, I didn't go in. I was standing on the outside and the other officers were going in.
When the radio announced that the suspect was in the Library, McDonald sped off leaving his partner behind. When the radio announced that the suspect was in the Theater, McDonald sped there without picking up his partner (or the man he was training anyway).
McDonald told the WC that he never saw Gregory again that day.
Mr. BALL - Did you go down there with your partner?
Mr. McDONALD - No, sir; I had let my partner out on arrival; my first arrival in the 400 block.
Mr. BALL - He was on foot?
Mr. McDONALD - Yes, sir; I didn't see him any more that day.
I thought that was sort of odd behavior.
Gregory didn't testify to the WC and the only reports from him in the DPD Archives concerned his activities on the 24th.
All reports had the suspect running west on Jefferson and the houses and church that were being searched were all west of where Tippit got shot. But when the radio announced that the suspect was in the Library, which is east of where Tippit got shot, virtually every officer in the vicinity sped off to the Library. The search of the houses and church were abandoned.
Neither Hill or Owens spoke of taking Gregory with them and Bill Alexander did not testify to the WC. What happened to Gregory?
Steve Thomas
posted by Steve at 12:01 PM
Friday, November 18, 2005
Secret Service: On the Knoll and Beyond
ã by Steve Thomas, 2005
While there have been other accounts of laypersons encountering a person or persons whom they identified as Secret Service agents on November 22, 1963, this article will focus on the experiences of local law enforcement personnel. The idea that a “secret service agent” was allegedly encountered on the grassy knoll is well known, but the encounters local Dallas law enforcement personnel had on November 22, 1963 with persons whom they either identified or were identified to them as being agents of the United States Secret Service in the immediate hours after the assassination of President Kennedy is more extensive than is commonly known. This article will focus on their collective experiences.
On September 24, 1964 the President’s Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy issued its long-awaited report. Named after its chairman, Chief Justice Earl Warren, in Appendix XII of their Report the Commissioners addressed various Speculations and Rumors concerning the assassination. In this Appendix, they wrote,
“Many people who witnessed the assassination and the killing of Oswald or were present in the area were a major source of diverse and often contradictory information. As is easily understood under such circumstances, all of the witnesses did not see and hear the same thing or interpret what they saw and heard the same way and many changed their stories as they repeated them. …Moreover, those closest to the assassination were subjected to a physical and emotional strain that tended to affect their recollections of what they thought they saw or heard,”1.
Undoubtedly, this is how they would have characterized the testimony of Dallas Police Department Officer, Joe Marshall Smith. On November 22, 1963, Officer Smith
was stationed at the intersection of Elm and Houston Streets. His job was to hold back traffic heading west down Elm St. and prevent it from interfering with the motorcade as it progressed through the Elm and Houston intersection. He told the Warren Commission that at the time of the shots, he started up towards the Texas School Book Depository, when, “…this woman came up to me and she was just in hysterics. She told me, "They are shooting the President from the bushes." So I immediately proceeded up here.”2.
As Officer Smith ran down the Elm St. Extension that runs directly in front of the TSBD, he checked the bushes and the cars in the parking lot behind the grassy area back from Elm St. towards the railroad tracks. However, he was not alone. Smith told the Warren Commission that, “Of course, I wasn't alone. There was some deputy sheriff with me, and I believe one Secret Service man when I got there. I got to make this statement, too. I felt awfully silly, but after the shot and this woman, I pulled my pistol from my holster, and I thought, this is silly, I don't know who I am looking for, and I put it back. Just as I did, he showed me that he was a Secret Service agent”. Warren Commission Counsel, Wesley Liebeler asked Officer Smith if he had accosted this man. Joe Smith replied, “Well, he saw me coming with my pistol and right away he showed me who he was”. Liebeler asked if Smith remembered who it was and Smith replied, “No, sir; I don't--because then we started checking the cars. In fact, I was checking the bushes, and I went through the cars, and I started over here in this particular section.”3.
Perhaps Officer Smith’s recollection could have been tainted by his “physical and emotional strain”, except for two things. First, he said that the Secret Service agent “showed me that he was a Secret Service agent”. The question arises, had Officer Smith ever seen Secret Service credentials? As a matter of fact, Smith told author Anthony Summers that he had. As he said to Summers, “The man, this character produced credentials from his hip pocket which showed him to be Secret Service. I have seen those credentials before, and they satisfied me and the deputy sheriff.”4.
Secondly, Smith says a Deputy Sheriff was present. This Deputy may or may not have been Deputy Constable Seymour Weitzman, because he too reports an encounter with Secret Service agents in Dealey Plaza immediately following the assassination. Deputy Weitzman told Warren Commission Counsel Joseph Ball that at the time of the assassination, he was standing at the corner of Main And Houston Sts. At the sound of the shots, he immediately ran into Dealey Plaza and scaled the wall that runs between the railroad tracks and the Elm St. Extension. Counsel Ball asked him if he noticed anything in the railroad yards. Weitzman answered, “We noticed numerous kinds of footprints that did not make sense because they were going different directions”. Mr. Ball asked if there were other people there. Weitzman replied, “Yes, sir; other officers, Secret Service as well, and somebody started, there was something red in the street and I went back over the wall and somebody brought me a piece of what he thought to be a firecracker and it turned out to be, I believe, I wouldn't quote this, but I turned it over to one of the Secret Service men and I told them it should go to the lab because it looked to me like human bone. I later found out it was supposedly a portion of the President's skull.”5. Weitzman indicates that more than one agent was present and has enough of an encounter with one of them not only speak to him, but also to hand him something.
Were there other sightings of Secret Service agents by local law enforcement personnel? Surprisingly enough, there were. At least eight other members of the Dallas Police Department and/or Dallas Co. Sheriff’s office had an encounter with someone who they identified, or were identified to them as being members of the United States Secret Service.
Was there a Secret Service Agent in the motorcade’s pilot car? When Mr. McCloy asked White House Detail Advance man, Winston Lawson if there was a Secret Service agent in the pilot car, Lawson firmly said, “No sir; there was not.” He told McCloy that the first SS agent was in the lead car.6.
Two of the Dallas Police Detectives who rode in that car however, either reported or testified that there was a secret service agent in the car. In his undated after-action report filed with Police Chief Jesse Curry, Detective B.L. Senkel, who rode in the car, wrote, “Deputy Chief Lumpkin told us there would be a Secret Service Agent riding with us from Love Field. We left Love Field ahead of the motorcade. Deputy Chief Lumpkin driving, Detective Turner in front right seat. I was sitting in the left rear seat, the army officer in the center, and the Secret Service agent in right rear seat.”7. In his undated after-action report, his fellow Detective F. M. Turner would write, “A Secret Service man met us at Love Field. He rode in Chief Lumpkin’s car with us out in front of the motorcade.”8. On April 3, 1964, F.M. Turner was called to testify before the Warren Commission. He was asked about the occupants of the pilot car, and responded that in addition to his partner, Detective B.L. Senkel, and an Army major whose name I do not remember, there was also was, “…also a Secret Service man, whose name I do not remember.”9. Neither Deputy Chief Lumpkin, nor Lt. Colonel George Whitmeyer was called by the Commission to testify.
In the Dallas Police Archives, there is an undated and unsigned report listing the positions assigned to the Homicide and Robbery Bureau officers for the security of the President. For B.L. Senkel and F.M. Turner, the report says that they were in a “Reconnaissance car with Chief G.L. Lumpkin of the City Police Department, Major Weiddemeyer of the U.S. Army, and Secret Service.”10. Also in the Archives, there is a rough draft of an unsigned and undated report listing the activities of the five men from Homicide and Robbery assigned to the President’s security (Fritz, Senkel, Turner, Boyd, and Sims). On the first page of that report is this paragraph, “At 9:50 AM Dets B.L. Senkel and F.M. Turner met Dept Chief George Lumpkin and Maj Weiddemeyer in the basement of the city hall and all proceded to Love Field with Cheif Lumpkin driving, and arrived there at approx 10:30 AM. At approx 10:50 AM, they along with a Secret Service Agent left Love Field and proceded the presidential party by approx ½ mile and was in constant radio contact with Chief Curry.”11. (spelling and grammatical errors left intact).
In an undated after-action report submitted by Lt. T.L. Baker concerning his duties between November 22nd and the 24th, Baker wrote, “Dets. Senkel and Turner arrived at Love Field at 11:40 AM with Chief Lumpkin, and Major Weiddemeyer, U.S. Army. After the President’s party’s plane had landed, they drove to the gate of Love Field at Cedar Springs and Mockingbird Lane. A Secret Service man had joined them at Love Field, and there were five people in their car.”12
On November 30, 1963 Assistant Chief of Police Charles Batchelor and Deputy Chiefs George Lumpkin and M.W. Stevenson submitted a combined after-action report to Chief Curry. In his chapter of the report, Lumpkin wrote, “Upon arriving at Love Field, G.L. Lumpkin, B.L. Senkel, F.M. Turner, and George Whitmeyer, “…contacted Mr. Forrest Sorrels and Mr. Lawson and were introduced to Mr. Jack Puterbaugh, a member of the White House Staff, whom Mr. Lawson had requested to ride in the pilot car.13.
On April 22, 1964 Police Chief, Jesse Curry told the Warren Commission, “I had Deputy Chief Lumpkin, and he had two Secret Service men with him, I believe, out of Washington, and a Colonel Wiedemeyer who is the East Texas Section Commander of the Army Reserve in the area, he was with him. They were out about, they were supposed to stay about a quarter of a mile ahead of us and I was in the lead car.”14.
Given the fact that Winston Lawson told the Warren Commission that Jack Puterbaugh had flown into Dallas with him ten days previously on November 12th, and even after being “introduced” to Mr. Puterbaugh, why Detective Turner and Chief of Police Curry would testify to a blue ribbon commission almost five months later that it was a “secret service man” riding in the car remains a mystery.
Encounters with “secret service agents” also took place outside of Dealey Plaza. At 12:30 in the afternoon on November 22nd, Detective Marvin Buhk of the Dallas City Police Forgery Bureau was supplementing security at the Dallas Trade Mart where President Kennedy was due to give a speech that afternoon. He was on duty on the fourth floor of the Trade Mart when he received word of the President’s assassination. He said that Captain Jones then instructed him to proceed with Lt. Cunningham, E.E. Taylor, and J.B. Toney to the scene of the assassination to see what they could do. Enroute to the scene, they received word that a police officer had been shot in the Oak Cliff section of Dallas and Lt. Cunningham decided that they could do more good by going to that location immediately, rather than by way of the President’s shooting. While they were driving, they received word of the suspect being in the branch library at Jefferson and Marsalis. As Buhk wrote in his after-action report to Police Chief Jesse Curry on December 3, 1963, “We converged on that location and there were Secret Service men and other patrol and CID officers present when all the people were ordered out of the building. One of the Secret Service men stated the person who came out of the basement with the others was not the suspect and that he had already talked to him a few minutes previously.”15.
Notice that Marvin Buhk speaks of more than one Agent being present. The “Agent” Buhk spoke to was also a primary catalyst in shifting attention away from the branch library. At 1:32PM, Patrolman C.T. Walker broadcasts on Channel 2 that the suspect is in the Library. At approximately 1:40 Sergeant C.B. Owens tells Dispatch, and the Dispatcher broadcasts to all cars to “Disregard all information on the suspect arrested, it was the wrong man.”16. This is only about an eight-minute window of opportunity. When did these “secret service men” arrive at the Library, how did they know to go there, and when did one of them have time to “talk to the man previously”?
Persons identified as Secret Service Agents were also seen in and around the Texas School Book Depository. A Sergeant in the Dallas Police Department for a little over 17 years, D.V. Harkness was responsible for supervising the traffic officers from Main and Field along the parade route to Elm and Houston. Harkness was on a three-wheeled motorcycle and at the time of the shots, he drove to Main and Industrial to see if he could see anyone fleeing the area. Seeing none, he drove to the front of the TSBD and along the fence that runs alongside the Elm St. Extension. There he encountered Amos Euins. After hearing what Euins had to say about seeing a rifle in a window, Harkness put him on the back of his motorcycle and delivered him to Inspector Sawyer’s car. He then went around to the back of the TSBD. Warren Commission Belin asked him if there was anyone else in the back of the building. Harkness answered, “There were some Secret Service agents there. I didn't get them identified. They told me they were Secret Service.”17. Harkness remained at the back of the building until a squad relieved him. He was then assigned by Sawyer to go help search out the railroad cars.
The “Secret Service” agents D.V. Harkness encountered at the rear of the TSBD probably did not include the “agent” Roger Craig had an encounter with in the front of the Depository. On April 1, 1964 Roger Craig told the Warren Commission that he had been with the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department since October of 1959.18. Along with most of the deputies on duty that day, he had been standing in front of the Sheriff’s Office on the corner of Main and Houston Sts. watching the motorcade. When the shots rang out, he ran across Houston and Elm Sts, up the grassy knoll and into the railroad yards. While helping to keep people out of the railroad yards, he encountered witnesses Barbara and Arnold Rowland. After listening to their account, he turned this couple over to criminal investigator, Deputy Sheriff C.L. “Lummie” Lewis. After hearing that a bullet had ricocheted on the south side of Elm St., Craig and Buddy Walthers crossed Elm and began searching for evidence of a bullet. While searching on the south side of Elm, Craig heard a whistle and observed a person, whom he later identified as Lee Harvey Oswald run down the grassy park in front of the Elm St. extension and get into a Nash Rambler station wagon.19.
On November 23, 1963 he filed a Supplementary Investigation report with Dallas Sheriff, Bill Decker. In his report, he said that, “I tried to get across the street to stop the car and talk with subjects, but the traffic was so heavy, I could not make it. I reported this incident at once to a secret service officer whose name I do not know, then I left this area and went at once to the building and assisted in the search of the building.”20.
Years later, Roger Craig was to write,
I learned nothing of this "Secret Service Agent's" identity until December 22, 1967 while we were living in New Orleans. The television was on as I came home from work one night and there on the screen was a picture of this man. I did not know what it was all about until my wife told me that Jim Garrison had charged him with being a part of the assassination plot. I called Jim Garrison then and told him that this was the man I had seen in Dallas on November 22, 1963. Jim then sent one of his investigators to see me with a better picture which I identified. I then learned that this man's name was Edgar Eugene Bradley. It was a relief to me to know his name for I had been bothered by the fact that I had failed to get his name when he had told me he was a Secret Service Agent and I had given him my information. On the night of the assassination when I had come home and discussed the day with my wife I had, of course, told her of this encounter and my failure to get his name.21.
Mr. Ratcliffe writes that Roger Craig learned from Jim Garrison that this man's name was Edgar Eugene Bradley, a right wing preacher from North Hollywood, California and part-time assistant to Carl McIntire, the fundamentalist minister who had founded the American Counsel of Christian Churches. Then-governor Ronald Reagan refused to grant the extradition request from Garrison for the indictment of Bradley during the New Orleans Probe.22.
Roger Craig told the Warren Commission that he entered the School Book Depository to aid in its search about 20 minutes after the shots were fired. The “secret service agent” Craig encountered may or may not have been the secret service agent Sims and Boyd saw on the sixth floor of the School Book Depository at the time the rifle was found at approximately 1:22PM.
Following the assassination, Detectives Richard M. Sims and Elmer L. Boyd of the Homicide and Robbery Bureau filed a joint after-action report with Police Chief Jesse Curry. In their undated report, Sims and Boyd said that while originally they were assigned to the Dallas Trade Mart to help with security; when they learned of the President’s shooting, they drove to Parkland Hospital with Captain Will Fritz. Chief Curry met them in front of the hospital and ordered Captain Fritz to go to the scene of the shooting. Sims and Boyd returned to downtown Dallas along with Captain Fritz and Sheriff Bill Decker. They arrived at the Texas School Book Depository at approximately 12:58PM and participated in the search of the TSBD. They report that the rifle was found at about 1:25PM and identify persons who were present when it was photographed. They knew enough of the federal agencies involved to make the distinction between the FBI, the Secret Service and officers of the ATF. They wrote, “Detective Studebaker and Lieutenant Day took pictures of the rifle. Mr. Pinkston of the F.B.I. and a Secret Service Agent were there at the time the pictures were being made. We don’t know the Secret Service agent’s name. Mr. Ellsworth and another officer from Alcohol Tax Department were also there.”23.
Though the timing is right; for two reasons, I do not believe that this Secret Service Agent is Forrest Sorrels. Forrest Sorrels was head of the Secret Service, Dallas Field office and was the only known member of the Secret Service to return immediately to downtown Dallas following the shooting. In their Final Report, the House Select Committee on Assassinations was to conclude, “In every instance, therefore, the Committee was able to establish the movement and the activities of Secret Service agents. Except for Dallas Agent-in-Charge Sorrels, who helped police search the Texas School Book Depository, no agent was in the vicinity of the stockade fence or inside the School Book Depository on the day of the assassination.”24. A careful reading of Sorrrels’ Warren Commission testimony however, shows that the HSCA’s conclusion might have been in error.
Sorrels was in the lead car of the motorcade with Secret Service advance man, Winston Lawson, Police Chief Jesse Curry, and Sheriff Bill Decker. When the President was shot, they accompanied the motorcade to Parkland Hospital. Sorrels told the Warren Commission that after watching Governor Connally and President Kennedy taken into the Hospital, “I immediately went into a police car that was leaving and asked them to take me to the building as fast as they could, and when I said the building I meant the one on the corner there, which was the Book Depository.”25. He testified that they arrived back at the TSBD no more than 20 – 25 minutes after the shots were fired.26.
This policeman is identified as B.L. Senkel. In his undated after-action report filed with Chief Curry, Senkel said that he rode in the pilot car and followed the motorcade to Parkland Hospital. He watched the victims being unloaded, and then left the hospital at 12:45PM. He wrote that he, “Had additional passenger, Forrest Sorrels, U.S. Secret Service. We proceeded to scene of shooting. Arrived at the Texas School Book Depository, Houston and Elm Street at about 12:50PM November 22, 1963.”27.
Earlier I said that there were two reasons that I did not believe Forrest Sorrels was the Secret Service agent Sims and Boyd saw on the sixth floor. The first is that the two Dallas Police detectives said that the agent was unknown to them. Forrest Sorrels told the Warren Commission however, that “…the Dallas Police Department, in my opinion, has some very good leaders, career men who have been there for many years, and due to the fact I have been located in Dallas for many, many years I know these people personally.” (not speaking of Sims and Boyd in particular).28. He also said that over the course of the weekend, he had to identify himself numerous times. “Many times when I would be going into the third floor area there, they would start to stop me, and a lot of the guys that would know me would say, "That is Sorrels of the Secret Service." That happened more than once. And, of course, I would have to go ahead and identify myself. The officers that were on duty that had seen me before would recognize me and pass me through.”29.
Secondly, a careful reading of Forrest Sorrels testimony indicates that he did not go up to the sixth floor. He arrived at the TSBD, went in the back door and immediately asked for the building manager, who was standing right there. He identified himself and asked for a list of employees. While he was talking to Mr. Truly, he asked if anyone saw anything. Howard Brennan and Amos Euins were pointed out to him. He interviewed them and then took them to the Sheriff’s Department to get their statements. He also spent time talking to the Rowlands and also apparently talked to Julia Ann Mercer about a stalled truck in the area before the parade, because he told the Commission that in addition to the truck, “… this lady said she thought she saw somebody that looked like they had a guncase. But then I didn't pursue that any further-- because then I had gotten the information that the rifle had been found in the building and shells and so forth.”30. In other words, he was not present when the rifle was found on the sixth floor, where Sims and Boyd said that a ”secret service agent” was present. Sorrels then went on to accompany Abraham Zapruder to several locations attempting to get his film developed.
While the HSCA concluded that Sorrels was the only known Secret Service Agent to have returned to downtown Dallas in the immediate aftermath of the assassination, and he went there from Parkland Hospital; on the Log of the Radio Transcripts of Channel 2 that are in the Dallas Police Archives, there is this exchange:
At 12:38PM on channel 2, #39 breaks in and says, "39 clear me with a 202 assignment in -- station wagon with secret service man downtown".
A couple of entries later, it appears that someone says, "And 139 meet me at -- entrance to Love Field. I have additional cars to route out there".
(The Dispatcher, presumably) says, "You will have to take them on because he is coming downtown with some secret service men. 110".
Then again, someone says, "I'm in the sergeant's car. 39, on the other hand, is still in the Love Field car."31.
In an email dated November 21, 2002, from noted author and JFK researcher, Ian Griggs, Ian said that on November 22nd, radio call sign# 39 was assigned jointly to Patrolmen J.F. Butcher of the Northwest Area substation, second platoon and Charles W. Comer of the Southwest Area substation, second platoon. Referencing Warren Commission Exhibit 2645 (page 5 of exhibit at 25H 911) Ian said that this Exhibit is an FBI report dated 15 June 1964, concerning whereabouts of police cars subsequent to assassination.32. They were on what Captain Talbert described as 'special assignment at specified locations during this shift.' In the case of these two particular officers, that location was Love Field.
What is odd is that this exchange does not appear in the transcription of Channel 2 provided in volume XXI of the Warren Commission Hearings and Exhibits (Sawyer Exhibit A)33. or in volume 23 (CE 1974)34. It does appear in CE 705, but not until 12:54 PM.35. Forrest Sorrels was returning downtown from Parkland Hospital. Who was this agent that needed a ride from Love Field at 12:38PM?
There is strong evidence that there was a Secret Service Agent present during Oswald’s first interrogation at a time when no known Secret Service Agent was in the Police Headquarters. If that is the case, who could this person have been? In the same rough draft of an unsigned and undated report detailing the activities of the five detectives from Homicide and Robbery detailed to the security of the President referenced earlier in the Dallas Police Archives there is there is this entry on page four, “Capt Fritz interrogated Lee Oswald the first time at approx 2:20 PM. Present at this interrogation was FBI agenst Bookout and Hosty. Also a Secret Service Agent, Dets Sims and Boyd.”36. (spelling and grammatical errors left intact).
In his Warren Commission testimony of April 6, 1964, Detective Elmer L. Boyd testified that he took Lee Harvey Oswald to Captain Fritz’s office for questioning at 2:20PM. He was asked if there was a Secret Service agent present. He responded, “Let me see---I think there was a Secret Service man there, but I don't recall---I don't know what his name was.”37. Boyd described taking Oswald down for his first lineup at 4:05PM and returning to the office at 4:20PM. Joseph Ball asked him if there was a Secret Service man there. Boyd answered, “I think there was a Secret Service man there.” Mr. BALL. “More than one?” Mr. BOYD. “Just one.” Mr. BALL. “Do you know his name?” Mr. BOYD. “Let me see if I have it here.”38. Ball then diverted the conversation to a discussion of Secret Service Inspector Kelley’s presence (who told the House Subcommittee on Assassinations on September 19, 1978 that he was in Louisville, KY on November 22, 1963 and did not arrive in Dallas until that evening). Mr. Matthews. “I want to call your attention to November 22, 1963. At that time you were in Louisville, KY?” Mr. Kelley. “Yes sir.” 39. On arriving in Dallas, Kelley said that he met with Mr. Sorrels and they then went to the police department. For some reason, Kelly believed that he attended the second interrogation of Oswald. He was also under the impression that no one from the Secret Service had talked to Oswald prior to his arrival. Mr. EDGAR. “Did he indicate to you at that time that you were the first Secret Service agent to talk with him?” Inspector KELLEY. “No; I don't recall that conversation with him.” Mr. EDGAR. “Had he encountered any other Secret Service agents prior to your conversation with him?” Inspector KELLEY. “No; he hadn't.”40. However, as we will see later, Secret Service Agents had been talking with Oswald much earlier in the day.
Although it is probably a minor point, in an affidavit filed with the Warren Commission on June 1, 1964, Kelley said that he was in Lexington, where he had been engaged in a special assignment. He flew to Dallas directly from Lexington and arrived in Dallas at approximately 10:30PM.41. What is not in doubt is that Kelley was not the Secret Service Agent Boyd was about to identify.
Detective Richard M. Sims was also present during this first interrogation and when he was asked by Joseph Ball on April 6, 1964 who was present during this first interrogation, Sims responded, “Well, let's see, we first went in there at 2 and we stayed in there evidently--this says here that the Secret Service and the FBI took part in the interrogation of Oswald with Captain Fritz, and we took him down to the first showup at 4:05.”42. After the first lineup, they brought Oswald back to Fritz’s office at 4:20PM. Mr. Ball asked who was present then. Sims answered, “The FBI agents and Secret Service agents talked to Oswald some more.” Mr. BALL. “What were their names?” Mr. SIMS. “I don't know their names.” Mr. BALL. “You didn't record the names of the Secret Service officers?” Mr. SIMS. “No, sir.”43.
The other Dallas Policeman known to be present was Captain Will Fritz. When he testified to the Warren Commission on April 22, 1964, Fritz claimed not to remember who else was there besides FBI agents Bookhout and Hosty.44. However, in an undated summary of his interrogation of Lee Harvey Oswald, Captain Fritz wrote that as soon as found out that it was Lee Harvey Oswald who had been brought in for the killing of J.D. Tippit, “I instructed the officers to bring this man into the office after talking to the officers for a few minutes in the presence of Officers R.M. Sims and E.L Boyd of the Homicide Bureau and possibly some Secret Service men.”45.
Deputy Police Chief, M.W. Stevenson, commander of the criminal investigation division, testified before the Warren Commission on March 23, 1964. He had been stationed at the Trade Mart, later went to the hospital, and escorted President Kennedy’s hearse to Love Field. After Air Force 1 departed Dallas, he returned to Police Headquarters where he arrived about 4:00PM. He was asked if he saw Oswald at that time. Stevenson answered, “No, sir; I didn't; he was being interviewed, but I did not see him. Mr. HUBERT. “Who was interviewing him?” Mr. STEVENSON. “Captain Fritz and some FBI agent, I don't know who, and I believe a Secret Service agent.”46
Police Chief Jesse Curry too is a witness to the presence of a Secret Service Agent during Oswald’s first interrogation between 2:20PM and 4:05PM. Curry had returned to Love Field with Vice President Johnson’s party and witnessed his swearing in as the new President. After Johnson departed Dallas at 2:47PM, Curry spoke to Mayor Cabell and others and then returned to Police Headquarters accompanied by Secret Service Agents Winston Lawson and David Grant. He told the Warren Commission that he arrived at Headquarters at 4:00PM and added, “At that time I understood there was a representative from Secret Service already in the room and the representative from the FBI went in--one or two FBI representatives.”47.
FBI Agent James Bookhout was interviewed on April 8, 1964 and told the Warren Commission that he and Agent Hosty entered the room at 3:15PM. He was not asked if there were Secret Service Agents present. 48.
Forrest Sorrels tried to leave the impression with the Warren Commission that he was present in the Dallas Police Headquarters early in the afternoon of November 22nd; testifying that he arrived “fairly close to 2:00PM.”49. However, I do not believe this is true for six reasons:
1) From their testimony, it is apparent that Detectives Sims and Boyd did not know or did not record the name of the “secret service agent” who was present during Oswald’s first interrogation. Sorrels said that when he started to talk to Oswald, Oswald said, "I don't know who you fellows are, a bunch of cops." And I said, "Well, I will tell you who I am. My name is Sorrels and I am with the United States Secret Service, and here is my commission book."50. If Sorrels identified himself on November 22nd and showed his credentials, why were Sims and Boyd testifying in April of 1964 that they did not know who this person was?
2) After arriving at the TSBD at 1:00PM, I do not believe that Sorrels could have spoken with Mr. Truly and asked for a list of employees, spoken to Amos Euins and Howard Brennan, taken them to the Sheriff’s Office where he got their statements, talked to Arnold and Barbara Rowland and Julia Ann Mercer, learn of Abraham Zapruder and his film, go to his office and then accompany him to three different photography studios trying to get his film developed, and make it back to Dallas Police Headquarters by 2:00PM. If nothing else, traffic was almost at a standstill. SA Winston Lawson told the Warren Commission that, “I recall that it was very bad traffic in the downtown area. We were bumper to bumper and didn't move a few times because apparently the chief thought everybody was converging on the downtown area to see this, plus all the people who had been there when it happened and just stayed there.”51.
3) Phillip Willis was a retired Air Force Major and amateur photographer. He and his wife Marilyn had taken their children out of school that day to go down and see the President and get some pictures. Marilyn Willis told Harold Weisburg that they remained in Dealey Plaza for about an hour after the assassination and then drove out to the Eastman Kodak plant near Love Field to get their pictures developed. She said that they arrived at the plant while Air Force 1 was taking off for the return flight to Washington. From Secret Service accounts, we know that that occurred at 2:47PM. She said that while they were waiting for their pictures to get developed, Abraham Zapruder arrived at the plant with Forrest Sorrels. Both Phillip and Marilyn Willis confirmed to Harold Weisberg that before Sorrels left, all the films had been processed, “and all viewed them.”52. Sorrels could not have returned to downtown Dallas before 3:00PM and it was probably closer to 4:00PM.
4) While Sorrels told the Warren Commission that he arrived at Police Headquarters “fairly” close to 2:00PM, FBI Agent James Hosty told the Commissioners that it was much later. Hosty testified, “At approximately 6 p.m. on the 22d of November 1963, Special Agent in Charge Forrest V. Sorrels of the United States Secret Service entered Captain Fritz' office with about five or six Secret Service agents. He then proceeded to interview Lee Harvey Oswald, I was not present during this interview. I did see him take Lee Oswald to the rear of Captain Fritz' outer office and interview Lee Oswald. It appeared to me that Forrest Sorrels of the Secret Service had appeared for the purpose of representing the United States Secret Service in this investigation.”53.
5) By all accounts, Captain Fritz handled the first interrogation, but when Forrest Sorrels arrived to talk to Oswald, he took Oswald in a back room54. and handled the interrogation himself. Winston Lawson confirmed this and also appears to have confirmed James Hosty’s account of Sorrels, et.al. arriving at 6:00PM.
Mr. LAWSON. “Mr. Sorrels and a couple other agents and myself saw Lee Harvey Oswald when he was brought in for Mr. Sorrels to talk to at Mr. Sorrels' request.” Mr. STERN. “Did you interrogate him”? Mr. LAWSON. “No, sir; I did not.” Mr. STERN. “Did Mr. Sorrels handle the interrogation alone?” Mr. LAWSON. “Yes, sir; that particular one.” Mr. LAWSON. “Mr. Sorrels in asking the questions already had some background on Mr. Oswald before he started questioning Mr. Oswald. The detectives or other individuals had told them what they knew up to this point about Oswald, his name, that he had been out of the country previous to this time to Russia, and a few other things. It was known at the particular time, perhaps 6 or 7 o'clock.”55.
6) According to the transcripts of the police radio traffic prepared by the Dallas Police Department in March, 1964 (Warren Commission Exhibit 705), Patrolman C.L. Osburn (# 113) radioed into Headquarters at 2:21 PM on Channel 1, “I have 3rd Platoon Officer, Joe B. Jones with me. We are to remain out on special assignment from Elm and Houston to the Dallas Morning News with Mr. Sorrels of the Secret Service.”56. At 3:00 PM on Channel 2, the Deputy Chief N.T. Fisher asked the Dispatcher to have someone check out at Parkland Hospital for any local Secret Service personnel. Sgt. W.C. Campbell (# 280) asks over Channel 2, “Will you find out if Mr. Sorrels from the Secret Service is out there and advise 4?” (Deputy Chief Fisher).57. At 3:14 PM the Dispatcher advised Deputy Chief Fisher that Sorrels was not at Parkland. “The last information we had was he was going to the Dallas Morning News Building.”58. At 3:20 PM, the Dispatcher advised Deputy Chief Fisher, “Sorrels is now enroute to Captain Fritz’s office.”59.
In Chapter II of the Warren Report the Commissioners concluded “Other Secret Service agents assigned to the motorcade remained at their posts during the race to the hospital. None stayed at the scene of the shooting and none entered the Texas School Book Depository Building at or immediately after the shooting…. Forrest V. Sorrels, special agent in charge of the Dallas Office, was the first Secret Service agent to return to the scene of the assassination, approximately 20 or 25 minutes after the shots were fired.”60.
A careful reading and cross-referencing of the reports filed by the Secret Service Agents assigned to protective service on November 22nd that can be found in Chapters 18 and 25 of the Warren Commission Hearings and Exhibits appears to bear this out. However, in its conclusion, the Warren Commission only addressed the whereabouts of the agents assigned to the motorcade.
There is a listing in the Dallas Police Archives of the Secret Service personnel who assisted in the investigation of Lee Harvey Oswald. These names include:
Forrest Sorrels
Mr. Kelley
William H. Patterson
Roger Warner
Winston Lawson
Mike Howard – whose actual name is James H. Howard
Charles Kunkel
John Howlett
Dave Grant61.
William H. Patterson is one candidate for this Secret Service Agent who may have been present at Oswald’s first interrogation from 2:20PM to 4:05PM. In his Report dated 11/22/63, Patterson stated, “I stayed in the vicinity of Air Force I until it departed, at which time I returned to the Dallas Field Office.”62. Air Force One, with newly sworn-in President Lyndon Johnson left Dallas at 2:47PM. Patterson may have returned to the Dallas Field Office, but it is possible he didn’t stay there. Deputy Allan Sweatt would write in his Supplementary Investigation Report filed with Sheriff Bill Decker that he was in the Sheriff’s office taking various witness statements, and heard that a suspect had been arrested for the shooting of Officer Tippit. During this time, Deputy Bill Wiseman brought in two girls with some pictures, one of which showed the Sexton Building in the background. (These possibly are Mary Moorman and Jean Hill), Sweatt wrote, “This picture was turned over to Secret Service Agent Patterson, who gave this woman his card, advising her that the picture would be returned to her.”63. In his report, Sweatt does not give the time that these two girls with their pictures were brought in to see him. Patterson does not mention this incident in his Report.
Though not mentioned in the Dallas Police list of Agents who assisted in the investigation, another candidate for this mysterious agent would be Robert Steuart. Steuart had been stationed at the Trade Mart and gone to Parkland Hospital following the assassination. In his official Report, Steuart wrote, “After the President’s death was announced, I returned to the Dallas District Office and took over duties at the telephone, to correlate activities of other agents.”64. President Kennedy’s death was announced about 1:30PM and he could have returned to downtown Dallas in time to take part in Oswald’s interrogation. There is also a possibility that Steuart might not have remained at the Dallas District Office. In his case report on Lee Harvey Oswald, Captain Fritz has the following notation, “Detective C.N. Dhority #476 “Made copies of defendant’s identification for Mr. Stewart of Secret Service. Prepared case report.”65. I believe that Fritz meant Steuart. Dhority makes no mention of this in his after-action report.
Roger Warner and James H. “Mike” Howard were at Love Field assisting in security. After Jackie Kennedy boarded the plane for the return trip to Washington, word came from the Fort Worth Police that they had arrested a suspect driving at a high rate of speed from Dallas to Fort Worth and whom the Fort Worth Police thought might be involved in the assassination. Warner and Howard drove to Fort Worth where they interviewed Donald Wayne House and stated that, “At the time SA Howard and I left for Fort Worth to question the subject, Air Force I had not yet departed from Love Field.”66. In a two page interview with the House Subcommittee on Assassinations, Warner reported that while they were in the process of interviewing this suspect, word came to them that Oswald had been arrested.67.
In a February 15, 1999 article entitled “Conspiracy Beliefs (and Denials) In High Places”, author Vince Palamara quotes an article by reporter Earl Golz in the August 27, 1978 issue of the Dallas Morning News. In his article, Golz wrote that one Dallas Secret Service Agent named Elmer Moore did not submit a report, that he was in San Francisco and did not return to Dallas to join the investigation until a week later. Vince Palamara then went on to say that two other agents did not submit a written report: James H. “Mike” Howard and Charles Kunkel. Palamara wrote, “For his part, Howard claimed in a lecture in February 1999 that he was at the Hotel Texas cleaning up when the shooting occurred and that Kunkel was in Washington, D.C on an unspecified investigation at the time. Howard and Kunkel's whereabouts remain unverified.”68.
Even though Warner’s account of Howard participating in the interview of Donald Wayne House in Fort Worth is not corroborated by Howard, if Warner can be believed that he and Howard were in Fort Worth when news came to them that Oswald had been arrested by 2:00PM, I believe that a better candidate for the alleged Secret Service Agent who participated in Oswald’s first interrogation beginning at 2:20PM is Charles E. Kunkel.
On the afternoon of November 22nd, Detective James Leavelle was spearheading the investigation of Oswald for the murder of Officer J.D. Tippit. On April 7, 1964 he testified to the Warren Commission that he had gone to the Texas Theater, but because of the heavy traffic, had arrived too late to participate in Oswald’s arrest. He then went back to the police station and took affidavits from witnesses. “So, I proceeded back to the office to work on that end of it, checking with the captain, and they was tied up with the Presidential assassination, and not until we got there did I realize some few minutes later on, when talking to some of the people of the Texas Book Depository, did we realize Oswald could very well be the same one who assassinated the President.”69.
The minute that connection was made, the focus of the investigation changed. Will Fritz wanted Oswald in his office right then. FBI agents were called in and if six members of the Dallas Police Department can be believed, at least one Secret Service Agent whose identity has remained a secret ever since November 22, 1963. I believe that Agent is Charles Kunkel, the one Agent whose whereabouts on November 22nd can’t be confirmed. Policemen are proud of their collars and even after 35 years the idea of having one taken away from you still rankles. On the 35th anniversary of the assassination, the Texas Monthly magazine did an interview with several people who were witnesses to the events of November 22nd. One of the interviewees was Detective Jim Leavelle. During the conversation, he had this to say, ”I talked to him, yeah, about 10, maybe 15 minutes one-on-one before Captain Fritz and the other officers came back from the book depository, preparatory to going look for him, and found out he was already there. When the Captain came in and asked me what his name was, and I told him, he asked me where he worked, and he said the book depository, he said, 'You're the one I want to talk to.' So, in essence, they took my prisoner away. I lost my prisoner. He and Chief Charles of the Secret Service.”70. Why Leavelle would have referred to him as “Chief” Charles is a mystery, and we can’t ask Kunkel because he passed away on June 27, 1992. When I asked James Leavelle why he referred to this person as Chief Charles in the article, former Detective Leavelle answered, “I did not say Charles, I said ‘Sorrels, Chief of the S.S.’.”71. I asked the author of the article, Joe Patoski if he had recorded the interview. He wrote me and said that he had not recorded the interview. He used notes and was unsure where those notes were now.72. So, is this an error in transcription? We’ll probably never know.
If Charles Kunkel was indeed on an “unspecified assignment in Washington, D.C.”, there is the question of when he returned to Dallas. We know from the testimony of Mr. James Herbert Martin, who has acted as the business manager of Mrs. Marina Oswald and at the time was Resident Manager of the Six Flags Inn, that James Howard and Charles Kunkel were the Secret Service Agents who arranged for the Oswald family to stay at the motel.”73. Was Charles E. Kunkel the “Secret Service man” who needed a ride from Love Field to downtown Dallas at 12:38PM as recorded in the transcripts of the Dallas Police radio log? Was he also on the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository when the rifle was found at 1:22PM?
What does all this mean? For one thing, the incidents of Dallas Policemen and Deputy Sheriffs encountering someone whom they identified, or were identified to them as being members of the U.S. Secret Service is more extensive than is commonly known. There are at least twelve accounts (if you count the identification of Jack Puterbaugh as a Secret Service agent in the pilot car by Detectives Senkel and Turner), and eighteen if you count the six policemen who say there was a Secret Service Agent present during Oswald’s first interrogation beginning at 2:20PM. One of the most astounding elements in all these cases is that aside from the mention by James Leavelle of a Chief Charles thirty five years after the fact, there is no contemporaneous account of a single policeman recording the name of the “agent” or “agents” he encountered that day. In an article published in 2001, noted author, Debra Conway, with contributions from Michael Parks and Mark Colgan, examined the question of a secret service agent on the knoll in her article of the same name. After reviewing the testimony of various witnesses and member of the 112th Military Intelligence Group James Powell, Debra was able to determine who this “agent” was not.74. Since no Secret Service Agent aside from Forrest Sorrels is known to have returned to downtown Dallas in the immediate aftermath of John F. Kennedy’s assassination, were these agents imposters?
I believe that some were and some were not. I think that the agent on the sixth floor of the TSBD is genuine; the agent on the knoll is not. The agent needing a ride from the airport at 12:38 is probably genuine; the agents encountered at the library probably were not. The agents encountered at the back of the TSBD by David Harkness were probably imposters; the agent in the Dallas Police Headquarters was probably genuine. In either case, the implications are disturbing. It would be evidence of conspiracy if bogus agents were impersonating U.S. Secret Service officials that day; and if there were real Secret Service Agents in and around Dealey Plaza and this fact has been withheld from the American people for close to 40 years, then we have not been told the truth about what really happened one sunny November afternoon in Dallas, TX. in 1963.
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Stephen Thomas received his Master’s Degree in Library Science from Clarion University in 1985 and is currently serving as the Director of the Ohio Township Public Library System in Newburgh, IN.
1. President’s Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy, as cited in the History Matters Archive. The Warren Report, http://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wr/html/WCReport_0331a.htm pp. 637-638.
2. Testimony of Joe Marshall Smith. Warren Commission Hearings and Exhibits, volume VII, p. 535, as cited in the History Matters Archive, http://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh7/html/WC_Vol7_0272a.htm
3. Ibid.
4. Summers, Anthony. Conspiracy, as cited in North, Mark. Act of Treason. New York: Carroll and Graf, 1991. p. 386.
5. Testimony of Seymour Weitzman. Warren Commission Hearings and Exhibits, volume VII, p. 106, as cited in the History Matters Archive, http://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh7/html/WC_Vol7_0057a.htm
6. Testimony of Winston Lawson. Warren Commission Hearings and Exhibits, volume IV, p. 328, as cited in the History Matters Archive, http://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh4/html/WC_Vol4_0168b.htm
7. Statement of B.L. Senkel, Detective re: President’s Assassination. Dallas Police Archives Box 3 Folder# 12, Item#1: as cited in the City of Dallas Archives – JFK Collection, http://jfk.ci.dallas.tx.us/box3.htm
8. Report on Officer’s Duties in Regards to the President’s Murder. F. M. Turner - #809. Dallas Police Archives Box 3 Folder# 13, Item#1: as cited in the City of Dallas Archives – JFK Collection, http://jfk.ci.dallas.tx.us/box3.htm
9. Testimony of F. M. Turner. Warren Commission Hearings and Exhibits, volume VII, p. 218, as cited in the History Matters Archive, http://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh7/html/WC_Vol7_0113b.htm
10. Report-typed, by an unknown author. Lists positions assigned Homicide and Robbery Bureau officers for the security of the President, Dallas Police Archives Box 15, Folder # 2, Item# 58 date unknown: as cited in the City of Dallas Archives – JFK Collection, http://jfk.ci.dallas.tx.us/box15.htm
11. Note - typed, by an unknown author. Rough draft of a report of the events of November 22, 1963, (Photocopy), date unknown. Dallas Police Archives Box 7, Folder# 5, Item# 23, page 1 as cited in City of Dallas Archives – JFK Collection, http://jfk.ci.dallas.tx.us/box7.htm
12. Report On Officer's Duties, by T. L. Baker. Photocopy of report by T. L. Baker regarding various aspects of his duties from November 22 through 24, 1963. Dallas Police Archives Box 5, Folder# 5, Item# 4, page 1 as cited in the City of Dallas Archives – JFK Collection, http://jfk.ci.dallas.tx.us/box5.htm
13. Report to Chief J. E. Curry, by Charles Batchelor. Report by Assistant Chief and Deputy Chiefs summarizing the events between the assassination of Kennedy and the murder of Lee Harvey Oswald, (Photocopy), 11/30/63: Dallas Police Archives, Box 14, Folder# 4, Item# 10 as cited in the City of Dallas Archives – JFK Collection, http://jfk.ci.dallas.tx.us/box14.htm
14. Testimony of Jesse Curry. Warren Commission Hearings and Exhibits, volume IV, p. 170, as cited in the History Matters Archive, http://history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh4/html/WC_Vol4_0089b.htm
15. From Report to Chief J. E. Curry, by Marvin A. Buhk. Report concerning the arrest of Lee Harvey Oswald, (Original), 12/03/63. Dallas Police Archives, Box 2 Folder # 7: as cited in the City of Dallas Archives – JFK Collection http://jfk.ci.dallas.tx.us/box2.htm
16. Transcript of Radio Log, Channel 2. Warren Commission Hearings and Exhibits, Sawyer Exhibit A, volume XXI, pp. 396-397, as cited in the History Matters Archive, http://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh21/html/WH_Vol21_0211a.htm
17. Testimony of D.V. Harkness. Warren Commission Hearings and Exhibits, volume VI, p. 312, as cited in the History Matters Archive, http://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh6/html/WC_Vol6_0161b.htm
18. Testimony of Roger Craig. Warren Commission Hearings and Exhibits, volume VI, p. 261, as cited in the History Matters Archive, http://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh6/html/WC_Vol6_0136a.htm
19. Ibid. p. 266.
20. Officer Roger Craig. Supplementary Investigation Report November 23, 1963 as cited in the History Matters Archive, http://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh19/html/WH_Vol19_0271b.htm
21. When They Kill A President by Roger Craig. Unpublished manuscript.
From Dave Ratcliffe March 23, 1992 http://www.ratical.org/ratville/JFK/WTKaP.html
22. Ibid.
23. "Report on Officer's Duty in Regard to the President's Murder, R. M. Sims. No. 629, and E. L. Boyd, No, 840. Dallas Police archives Box 3 Folder # 4, as cited in the City of Dallas Archives – JFK Collection, http://jfk.ci.dallas.tx.us/box3.htm
24. HSCA Final Report. Summary of Findings and Recommendations p. 184 as cited in the History Matters Archives http://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/hsca/report/html/HSCA_Report_0107b.htm p.214
25. Testimony of Forrest Sorrels. Warren Commission Hearings and Exhibits, volume VII, p. 347, as cited in the History Matters Archive, http://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh7/html/WC_Vol7_0178a.htm
26. Ibid.
27. Statement of B.L. Senkel, Detective re: President’s Assassination. Dallas Police Archives Box 3 Folder # 12, Item# 1: as cited in the City of Dallas Archives – JFK Collection, http://jfk.ci.dallas.tx.us/09/0978-001.gif
28. Sorrels. Warren Commission testimony. Op.Cit. p. 341.
29. Ibid. p. 359.
30. Ibid. p. 352.
31. Transcription of Radio Log, Channel 2, Dallas Police Archives Box 14 Folder # 4, Item# 11, Page 22: as cited in the City of Dallas Archives – JFK Collection, http://jfk.ci.dallas.tx.us/box14.htm
32. Email from Ian Griggs, November 21, 2002.
33. Transcript of Radio Log, December 3, 1963. Shooting of President Kennedy, November 22, 1963. Warren Commission Hearings and Exhibits, volume XXI, pp. 391-392, as cited in the History Matters Archive, http://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh21/html/WH_Vol21_0208a.htm
34. FBI report dated August 11, 1964 at Dallas, TX, of transcripts of Dallas police radio transmissions covering the period from 10:00 AM, November 22, 1963 to 6:00 PM, November 24, 1963… Warren Commission Hearings and Exhibits, volume XXIII, pp. 914-915, Warren Commission Exhibit CE1974, as cited in History Matters Archive, http://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh23/html/WH_Vol23_0473b.htm
35. Radio Log of Channel 1of the Dallas Police Department for November 22, 1963. Warren Commission Hearings and Exhibits, volume XVII, p. 466, as cited in the History Matters Archive, http://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh17/html/WH_Vol17_0246b.htm
36. Note - typed, by an unknown author. Rough draft of a report of the events of November 22, 1963, (Photocopy), date unknown. Dallas Police Archives Box 7, Folder# 5, Item# 23, page 4 as cited in City of Dallas Archives – JFK Collection, http://jfk.ci.dallas.tx.us/box7.htm
37. Testimony of Elmer L. Boyd. Warren Commission Hearings and Exhibits, volume VII, p. 123, as cited in the History Matters Archive, http://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh7/html/WC_Vol7_0066a.htm
38. Ibid. p. 128.
39. Testimony of Inspector Thomas J. Kelley. House Subcommittee on Assassinations, Hearings and Appendix Volumes. Volume III, p. 325, as cited in the History Matters Archive, http://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/hsca/reportvols/vol13/html/HSCA_Vol3_0165a.htm
40. Ibid. p. 356.
41. Affidavit of Thomas J. Kelley. Warren Commission Hearings and Exhibits, volume VII, p. 403, as cited in the History Matters Archive, http://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh7/html/WC_Vol7_0206a.htm
42. Testimony of Richard M. Sims. Warren Commission Hearings and Exhibits, volume VII, p. 165, as cited in the History Matters Archive, http://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh7/html/WC_Vol7_0087a.htm
43. Ibid. p. 169
44. Testimony of J.W. Fritz. Warren Commission Hearings and Exhibits, volume IV, p. 209, as cited in the History Matters Archive, http://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh4/html/WC_Vol4_0109a.htm
45. Interrogation, by J. W. Fritz. Draft of the interrogation of Lee Harvey Oswald. Dallas Police Archives, Box 15, Folder# 1, Item# 111 http://jfk.ci.dallas.tx.us/box15.htm
46. Testimony of M.W. Stevenson. Warren Commission Hearings and Exhibits, volume XII, p. 94, as cited in the History Matters Archive, http://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh12/html/WC_Vol12_0051a.htm
47. Testimony of Chief Jesse E. Curry. Warren Commission Hearings and Exhibits, volume XII, p. 30, as cited in the History Matters Archive, http://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh12/html/WC_Vol12_0020b.htm
48. Testimony of James W. Bookhout. Warren Commission Hearings and Exhibits, volume VII, p. 309, as cited in the History Matters Archive, http://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh7/html/WC_Vol7_0159a.htm
49. Testimony of Forrest Sorrels. Warren Commission Hearings and Exhibits, volume VII, p. 352, as cited in the History Matters Archive, http://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh7/html/WC_Vol7_0180b.htm
50. Ibid. p. 353
51. Testimony of Winston G. Lawson. Warren Commission Hearings and Exhibits, volume IV, p. 354, as cited in the History Matters Archive, http://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh4/html/WC_Vol4_0181b.htm
52. Weisberg, Harold. Whitewash II: The FBI – Secret Service Coverup. Harold Weisberg, 1966. p. 203.
53. Testimony of James Patrick Hosty, Jr. Warren Commission Hearings and Exhibits, volume IV, p. 470, as cited in the History Matters Archive, http://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh4/html/WC_Vol4_0239b.htm
54. Testimony of Forrest Sorrels. Op. Cit. p. 353
55. Testimony of Winston G. Lawson. Warren Commission Hearings and Exhibits, 4H355-6, as cited in the History Matters Archive, http://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh4/html/WC_Vol14_0182a.htm
56. CE 705 - Radio log of channel 1 of the Dallas Police Department for November 22, 1963. 17H428 as cited in the History Matters Archive, http://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh17/html/WH_Vol17_0227b.htm
57. Ibid. p. 481.
58. Ibid. p. 482.
59. Ibid. p. 482.
60. President’s Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy, as cited in the History Matters Archive. The Warren Report, http://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wr/html/WCReport_0038b.htm p. 52.
61. Index Page, by an unknown author. Index page from notebook containing an inventory of information related to the investigation of the assassination and related cases - under index letter "s", (Original), date unknown. Dallas Police Archives Box 6 Folder # 1, Item# 72: as cited in the City of Dallas Archives – JFK Collection, http://jfk.ci.dallas.tx.us/box6.htm
62. Report from William H. Patterson. Secret Service Memorandum dated November 30, 1963 regarding activities of various Secret Service agents on November 22, 1963. Warren Commission Hearings and Exhibits, volume XXV, p. 788, Commission Exhibit 2554, as cited in the History Matters Archive,
http://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh25/html/WC_Vol25_0409b.htm
63. Dallas County Sheriff’s Office record of the events surrounding the assassination. Warren Commission Hearings and Exhibits, volume XIX, p. 533, as cited in the History Matters Archive, Decker Exhibit 5323, http://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh19/html/WH_Vol19_0276a.htm
64. Report from Robert A. Steuart. Letter from the Secret Service to the Commission, dated June 11, 1964, with attached statements of Secret Service personnel, named below. Warren Commission Hearings and Exhibits, volume XVIII, p. 797, Commission Exhibit 1024, as cited in the History Matters Archive, http://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh18/html/WH_Vol18_0406a.htm
65. Case Report, by J. W. Fritz. Case report on Lee Harvey Oswald includes officers as
witnesses. Dallas Police Archives Box 15, Folder# 1, Item# 92: as cited in the City of Dallas Archives – JFK Collection, http://jfk.ci.dallas.tx.us/box15.htm
66. Report from Roger C. Warner. Secret Service Memorandum dated November 30, 1963 regarding activities of various Secret Service agents on November 22, 1963. Warren Commission Hearings and Exhibits, volume XXV, p. 787, Commission Exhibit 2554, as cited in the History Matters Archive, http://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh25/html/WC_Vol25_0409a.htm
67. HSCA Document# 180-10093-10026. 2-page interview with Roger C. Warner dated 5/25/78, as cited in the review of the 12th Batch of ARRB Documents by Joseph Backes. Fair Play Magazine, volume 20, January-February, 1998.
68. Palamara, Vince. “Conspiracy Beliefs (and Denials) In High Places.” 2/15/99, As cited in the Kennedy Assassination Homepage, 1995-2002 by John McAdams, http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/beliefs.htm
69. Testimony of James R. Leavelle. Warren Commission Hearings and Exhibits, volume VII, p. 262, as cited in the History Matters Archive http://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh7/html/WC_Vol7_0135b.htm
70. Patoski, Joe Nick. “What They Saw Then: Unedited Transcripts”, Texas Monthly, November, 1998. as cited in:
http://web.archive.org/web/20010619191050/http://www.texasmonthly.com/mag/1998/nov/extra/transcripts.1.php
71. Email from Detective James Leavelle, retired. February 28, 2003.
72. Email from Joe Nick Patoski. March 3, 2003.
73. Testimony of James Herbert Martin. Warren Commission Hearings and Exhibits, volume I, p. 472, as cited in the History Matters Archive, http://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh1/html/WC_Vol1_0242b.htm
74. Conway, Debra with contributions from Michael Parks and Mark Colgan. “The Secret Service Agent on the Knoll.” Kennedy Assassination Chronicles, vol. 6, Issue# 4, Winter, 2000, http://www.jfklancer.com/Chronicles.html.
posted by Steve at 10:24 AM
Thursday, June 30, 2005
James,
Excusez-moi. Je ne parle pas Francais. Cette etait une bon article.
Below is a composit photograph. Le garcon on the right is supposed to be a photograph of Jean Souetre. The picture on the left is a picture in the Dallas Police Department of the alleged assassination rifle. Behind the rifle, leaning up against the wall is what appears to be a police artist's sketch of someone.
To me, the two pictures look remarkably similar.
Steve Thomas
posted by Steve at 10:51 AM
Friday, November 19, 2004
How did the police first learn of the 1026 N. Beckley address?
How did the police first learn that Oswald lived at 1026 N. Beckley?
His employment records at the TSBD listed him at 2515 W. 5th St. in Irving. So how did they know about Beckley?
This bothered the Warren Commission as well. At a March 2, 1964 staff meeting, Mr. Redlich was assigned the task of determining how the police happened to go to 1026 N. Beckley. (See page 9 of that staff meeting record.)
http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/viewer/showDoc.do?docId=10393&relPageI=9
Arthur C. Johnson, the owner of the rooming house on Beckley told the Warren Commission (10H303)
Mr. JOHNSON. Well, they just came down there looking for--uh--Oswald.
Mr. BELIN. Did they say what his full name was?
Mr. JOHNSON. Yes, I believe they did.
Mr. BELIN. Lee Harvey Oswald?
Mr. JOHNSON. I believe they did.
Mr. BELIN. Did they say how they happened to come there?
Mr. JOHNSON. "Well, uh--after he was--uh--apprehended out there, they searched him and found my address in his pocket.
Mr. BELIN. Your address of 1026 North Beckley?
Mr. JOHNSON. That's right.
I've never seen that piece of paper in any of the evidence sheets.
In addition, that's not how the police tell it.
Detective Bob Carroll was the officer who grabbed Oswald's pistol out of his hand and stuck in his belt at the Texas Theater. He drove the car that carried Oswald back to City Hall. (7H25)
Concerning the car ride back to City Hall:
Mr. BELIN. Did he give his name?
Mr. CARROLL. He gave, the best I recall, I wasn't able to look closely, but the best I recall, he gave two names, I think. I don't recall what the other one was.
Mr. BELIN. Did he give two names? Or did someone in the car read from the identification?
Mr. CARROLL. Someone in the car may have read from the identification. I know two names, the best I recall, were mentioned.
Mr. BELIN. Were any addresses mentioned?
Mr. CARROLL. Not that I recall; no, sir.
Mr. BELIN. Did you ever hear anyone say anything about his having an address on North Beckley or on Beckley Street?
Mr. CARROLL. I heard later, but I couldn't say who it was that said it.
Mr. BELIN. When you say later, you mean later than what?
Mr. CARROLL. Later that day.
Mr. BELIN. Was this after you relinquished custody of Oswald?
Mr. CARROLL. Yes.
Mr. BELIN. Up to that time had you heard it?
Mr. CARROLL. I don't recall hearing it prior to the time I was in the city hall.
Guy Rose was one of the first police officers to talk to Oswald when they arrived at the station. He told the WC: (7H229)
Mr. Ball: Did you ask him what his address was?
Mr. Rose: Yes, but from there, he wouldn’t tell me – He just said, “You just find out”.
Mr. Ball: Now, did anybody ever tell you that his address was 1026 N. Beckley?
Mr. Rose: Later they did – right then they didn’t: no sir.
Mr. Ball: You didn’t know it at that time?
Mr. Rose; No sir, I didn’t
Detective Richard Sims sat in on Oswald's first interrogation beginning at 2:20PM (7H158)
Mr. BALL There was one time there that you learned that he had a room at 1026 North Beckley--when did you learn that?
Mr. SIMS. I don't know when that was, now, that was found out that first day, I believe...
Mr. BALL. Can you tell me whether or not you are the one that found out he had a room at 1026 North Beckley?
Mr. SIMS. No, sir; I didn't.
Mr. BALL. He didn't tell you that?
Mr. SIMS. No, sir; I don't believe he did.
On Friday afternoon November 22nd, 3 Dallas Police Officers and 3 Dallas Co. Sheriff's Deputies were dispatched to 2515 W. Fifth St. in Irving Texas. Oswald had been arrested at about 1:50PM, arrived at City Hall after 2:00 PM and was taken into Captain Fritz's office at 2:20PM.
Police Officers Adamcik (7H202), Rose (7H227) and Stovall (7H186) are unanimous in saying that Captain Fritz dispatched them to Irving at 2:30 PM. They are also unanimous in saying that when they arrived at this address, they had to wait for 35-40 minutes for the Deputy Sheriffs to arrive since Irving was outside their jurisdiction.
In his after-action report filed with Chief Curry (City of Dallas archives - JFK Collection) Box 3, Folder# 1, Item# 3 http://jfk.ci.dallas.tx.us/box3.htm
Guy Rose wrote that after the Deputies showed up, they arrived at the front door at 3:30PM.
Harry Weatherford, Buddy Walthers, and J. L. Oxford were the deputies dispatched to Irving. You can find their accounts in the Supplementary Reports they filed with Sheriff Decker in volume 19 of the WC Hearings. Walthers, Weatherford and Sheriff Decker all said that Ruth Paine gave them a telephone number where Oswald could be reached and that they criss-crossed that number and came up with the Beckley St. address.
At 2:40 PM, W.E. Potts, B.L. Senkel and Lt. E.L. Cunningham were dispatched to 1026 N. Beckley. Potts wrote in his after-action report (Box 2, Folder# 9, Item# 32) http://jfk.ci.dallas.tx.us/box2.htm that after he finished taking some affidavits, Fritz dispatched them to the Beckely St address at 2:40 and they arrived at Beckley at 3:00PM.
Detective B.L. Senkel also said in his after action report (Dallas Police Archives Box 3, Folder# 12, Item#1) that they arrived at 1026 N. Beckley at 3:00PM.
They checked the register and found that Oswald had been living there since October 14th.
Because of that 40 minute wait at the Irving address, the police actually arrived at the Beckley St. address BEFORE they searched the Irving address. They did not search the room on Beckley until Detective Turner, David Johnston, and Deputy DA Bill Alexander arrived with a search warrant at 4:30 or 5:00PM (Potts, Dallas City Archives - JFK Collection)
So, if the police had already been at Beckley for 30 minutes before they began the search at Irving to find a telephone number that they criss-crossed, how did they know about Beckley?
According to Will Fritz, someone, whose name he could not remember gave him Oswald's Beckley address before he began interrogating Oswald:
(4H207)
Mr. FRITZ. When I started to talk to this prisoner or maybe just before I started to talk to him, some officer told me outside of my office that he had a room on Beckley, I don't know who that officer was, I think we can find out, I have since I have talked to you this morning I have talked to Lieutenant Baker and he says I know maybe who that officer was, but I am not sure yet.
(4H210)
Mr. Ball. Was there anything said about where he lived?
Mr. Fritz. Where he lived? Right at that time?
Mr. Ball. Yes
Mr. Fritz. I am sure I had no way of asking him where he lived, but I am not too sure about that – just how quick he told me because he corrected me, I thought he lived in Irving and he told me he didn’t live in Irving. He lived on Beckley as the officer had told me outside.
Oswald's interrogation began around 2:20. FBI agent James Hosty, who may have gotten Oswald's phone number from Ruth Paine during one of his two visits on November 1st and 5th and could have criss-crossed the number earlier, did not arrive at Police Headquarters until 3:15PM. By then, Will Fritz already had the Beckley adddress.
Find the answer to who that officer was who gave it to Fritz and you might begin to learn who set Oswald up.
Was this officer possibly Detective Leonard Don Stringfellow?
In the National Archives, there is a message dated November 26, 1963 from the Commanding General, U.S. Continental Army Command re-transmitting a message dated November 23, 1963 from someone at Fort Sam Houston, in San Antonio to CINC U.S. Strike Command at McDill Air Force Base in Florida. The November 23rd message summarizes a telephone conversation between a Captain Saxton in Strike Command and a Lieutenant Colonel Fons, Deputy Chief of Staff, Intelligence at 4th Army Headquarters at Fort Sam Houston that took place on November 23, 1963. In the middle of this summary, there is this passage:
“ASSISTANT CHIEF DON STRINGFELLOW, INTELLIGENCE SECTION, DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT, NOTIFIED 112TH INTC GP, THIS HQ, THAT INFORMATION OBRAINED FROM OSWALD REVEALED HE HAD DEFECTED TO CUBA IN 1959 AND IS CARD CARRYING MEMBER OF COMMUNIST PARTY EVALUATION B-3
(FOUO) DCSI COMMENT , FBI, DALLAS, TEXAS, AND SAN ANTONIO LIGHT NEWSPAPER STATED OSWALD TRAVELED TO MOSCOW, USSR, IN 1959. POSSIBILITY EXISTS THAT OSWALD MAY HAVE TRAVELED TO USSR VIA CUBA, IN VIEW OF ABOVE INFORMATION UNCOVERED BY DALLAS POLICE.”
In November, 1963 Leonard Don Stringfellow was a Detective in the Criminal Intelligence Section of the Dallas Police Department Special Services Bureau, headed by Captain W. P. Gannaway.
What is interesting about this document is that is says that Detective Stringfellow “notified 112th Intelligence Group, this Headquarters…”
I believe that this message was the one Col. Robert Jones, formerly of the 112 Military Intelligence Group in San Antonio was asked about during his testimony before the HSCA on April 20, 1978. (History Matters Archive – Unpublished testimony of Robert Jones, pp. 55-57.
http://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/hsca/unpub_testimony/Jones_4-20-78/html/jones_0055a.htm
Jones told the HSCA that while he did not know who prepared the cable, the cable was prepared by Mr. Arthur Nagle on the staff of the Chief of Staff, Intelligence, Fort Sam Houston. The From line on the original cable reads: FM CGASARFOUR FTSAMHOUSTON TEX. This could be Commanding General, Assistant Secretary, Fourth Army Headquarters Fort Sam Houston. He also definitely said that the original cable had not been prepared by the 112th.
The RIF for this document reads as follows:
AGENCY INFORMATION
AGENCY : USA
RECORD NUMBER : 197-10002-10369
RECORDS SERIES : HEADQUARTERS FILES, PENTAGON TELECOMMUNICATIONS CENTER
DOCUMENT INFORMATION
ORIGINATOR : COMMANDING GENERAL US CONTINENTAL ARMY COMMAND
FROM :
TO : CINC, US STRIKE COMMAND
TITLE : INFORMATION ON FAIR PLAY FOR CUBA COMMITTEE
DATE : 11/26/1963
PAGES : 3
DOCUMENT TYPE : PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT
SUBJECTS : MILITARY DOMESTIC SURVEILLANCE (SECURITY
RISKS/COUNTERINTELLIGENCE); MILITARY DOMESTIC
SURVEILLANCE (FAIR PLAY FOR CUBA COMMITTEE); LEE
HARVEY OSWALD; COLLINS, BARBARA; GIBSON, RICHARD; OSWALD, HARVEY LEE: BACKGROUND INFORMATION, CONNECTION WITH COMMITTEE; MEMBER OF COMMUNIST PARTY; TRAVEL TO USSR, CUBA; OSWALD, MARINA NIKOLAEVNA: SPOUSE; STRINGFELLOW, DON: ASST CHIEF, INTELLIGENCE SECTION, DALLAS POLICE DEPT; MILITARY INTELLIGENCE LIAISON WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT (DALLAS POLICE)
CLASSIFICATION : UNCLASSIFIED
RESTRICTIONS : OPEN IN FULL
CURRENT STATUS : OPEN
DATE OF LAST REVIEW : 07/30/1996
COMMENTS : COPY ATTACHED
Ironically, several of the individuals referenced in the original cable were with President Kennedy four days before his assassination when he visited MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa on November 18th. In an article published by Frank DeBenedictis entitled:
FOUR DAYS BEFORE DALLAS: JFK IN TAMPA
http://www.lib.usf.edu/ldsu/digitalcollections/T06/journal/v16n2_94/v16n2_94_57.pdf, DeBenedictis writes:
“While Suncoast residents moved into their stadium and motorcade viewing spots, the
Presidential party was landing at MacDill Air Force Base for a military welcome. On hand to greet Kennedy were General Paul D. Adams, Commander in Chief U.S. Strike Command; Lieutenant General Bruce K. Holloway, Adams’ deputy; General Walter Sweeney, Commander of TAC and headquartered at Langley A.F.B., Virginia; and General John K. Waters, Commander in Chief Continental Army Command, Ft. Monroe, Virginia.”
At first, I thought FBI SA James Hosty was the source of information to the police department about Oswald's 1026 N. Beckley address since he was in charge of Oswald’s file but if he can be believed, he didn't know Oswald's address.
Hosty (4H440 +) concerning his November 1st visit with Ruth Paine:
"I then told her the purpose of my visit, that I was interested in locating the whereabouts of Lee Oswald.
She readily admitted that Mrs. Marina Oswald and Lee Oswald's two children were staying with her. She said that Lee Oswald was living somewhere in Dallas. She didn't know where. She said it was in the Oak Cliff area but she didn't have his address".
Concerning his November 5th visit:
Mr. Hosty. Well, I was on my way to Fort Worth, and I did not have his residence. I thought I would stop by. Mrs. Paine told me she would attempt to locate where he was living. It was not too much out of my way, so I just drove over to Mrs. Paine's. I had another agent with me that day.
Mr. Stern. Who Was that?
Mr. Hosty. Agent Gary S. Wilson. We went to the front porch. I rang the bell, talked to Mrs. Paine, at which time she advised me that Lee Oswald had been out to visit her, visit his wife, at her house over the Weekend, but she had still not determined where he was living in Dallas...
Mr. Stern. Did you take any action on this case. between November 5 and November 22?
Mr. Hosty. No, sir.
However, Hosty was contradicted by SS Inspector Thomas Kelley.
Thomas Kelley was an Inspector with the Secret Service. He was dispatched from Louisville, KY to handle the Secret Service end of things and arrived in Dallas at 10:30PM.
Thomas Kelley's testimony before the HSCA (vol. III pp. 332-333):
Mr. MATTHEWS. Now, when you were in Dallas, you received information from an Agent Patterson that he had talked with an FBI agent regarding some top secret information in regard to Lee Harvey Oswald?
Inspector KELLEY. Yes.
Mr. MATTHEWS. And he indicated to that agent that he could not tell him what the information was, but that it would be exchanged at the Washington level?
Inspector KELLEY. Yes.
Mr. MATTHEWS. Specifically, he mentioned the fact that the agent had had contact with Marina Oswald some 10 days before the assassination?
Inspector KELLEY. Yes.
Mr. MATTHEWS. And you later learned that that agent was James P. Hosty?
Inspector KELLEY. Yes.
Mr. MATTHEWS. Did you ever find out what top secret information he was referring to?
Inspector KELLEY. No, I didn't find out any top secret information he was referring to, but, of course, the information came to us shortly thereafter, perhaps at the same time, that the FBI had contacts with Oswald and had contact with Marina to find Oswald and to talk to him.
In discussing what this information was later, I think that it referred to the fact that Oswald had been in Russia.
Mr. MATTHEWS. Well, you say you think; did you ever discuss that with Inspector Malley?
Inspector KELLEY. No, I didn't.
Mr. MATTHEWS. Did you ever find that the agent who, in fact, had contact with Marina had been special agent James Hosty?
Inspector KELLEY. Yes, I learned that as a general piece of information, that Hosty was the control agent for Lee Harvey Oswald and that in that connection he had contacted Marina.
Mr. MATTHEWS. Did you ever learn about what has become known as the Hosty note?
Inspector KELLEY. No; that never came to my attention.
Hosty contacted Marina 10 days before the assassination. Then on the 16th, Oswald goes to the FBI and delivers his infamous “note.”
Concerning his actions on the 22nd of November, Hosty testified:
Mr. Hosty. All right. After the conference that lasted until about 9 a.m, I then left the office and joined an Army Intelligence agent, and an agent of the Alcohol Tax Unit of the Treasury Department. We had a conference concerning a case not related to Lee Oswald. This conference lasted most of the morning until about 11:45. At 11:45 the Army Intelligence agent and myself left, and walked over towards Main Street.
Mr. Hosty.
Shortly after 2 o'clock, we received information that this man had been captured and taken to the Dallas Police Department. One of our agents called from the Dallas Police Department and identified this man as Lee Harvey Oswald. I immediately recognized the name.
Hosty (4H461)
Mr. HOSTY. Right. There are no regional offices. I then took the file to the agent in charge, told him that we had a case on Lee Harvey Oswald. While I sat there he immediately called headquarters and advised headquarters here in Washington, D.C., that Lee Harvey Oswald was under arrest down at Dallas and had been observed shooting a police officer. They had eyewitnesses to his killing of Officer Tippit.
Mr. STERN. How do you know that?
Mr. HOSTY. This had been given to us by one of our agents from the call from the Dallas Police Department who had given the information. I don't know who it was. I did not receive the call.
From the unpublished HSCA testimony of Robert Jones page 25:
Referring to JFK Exhibit 101 - an FBI communication to the Director of the FBI and Special Agent in Charge in Dallas from Special Agent in Charge, San Antonio dated 11/22/63:
Mr. Genzman. Would you read through the document and comment on its accuracy?
Mr. Jones. The second line after San Antonio, "advised the news broadcasts that he learned Lee Harvey Oswald had been arrested", that should be changed. I was advised through a source in the police department.
Page 29:
Mr. Genzman. Could you identify your source?
Mr. Jones. Without my records, I cannot, but I would like to state that he was a member if the 112th Military Intelligence, he was an agent.
Mr. Genzman. Are you saying that these sources, which were military intelligence personnel, actually worked as law enforcement officers for these local agencies, or that they worked alongside these law enforcement agencies?
Mr. Jones. Our special agents assigned to a military intelligence group were military personnel in most cases, and they would have sources within the police department that would be on the payroll of the police department report to them.
And the source that I received this information from came through a source in the police department through my agent that I considered a source to me.
Jones was asked if Captain Gannaway was this source. I believe that it was Detective Stringfellow. However, there is also the possibility that Deputy Chief George L. Lumpkin served as an Intelligence Agent in the Reserves. Ron Ecker posted the following in the JFK Lancer Forum on 11/13/04:
Significantly, Peter Dale Scott in Deep Politics (p. 273-274) says that he had been “reliably informed” (he obviously chooses not to identify the source) that Deputy Chief Lumpkin, who drove the pilot car Whitmeyer was riding in, was “a member of the Army Intelligence Reserve.” Yet Scott refers to Whitmeyer as simply “a local army-reserve commander.” Why would Scott ignore any Army Intelligence role for Whitmeyer while making a point of Lumpkin being in the Army Intelligence Reserve?
Lieutenant Jack Revill testified before the Warren Commission concerning a report he had filed with Chief Jesse Curry wherein he had wrongly listed Oswald’s address as 605 Elsbeth:
Revill (5H41)
Mr. RANKIN. And the words 605 Elsbeth Street, was that given by you?
Mr. REVILL. Yes, sir; this is the address we were given or I was given by some of the officers involved in the arrest.
Mr. RANKIN. Who gave that to you?
Mr. REVILL. I believe Detective Carroll, Carroll or Detective Taylor, they were both there.
Lieutenant Revill told the Warren Commission that he drafted his report within 30 minutes to an hour of when he and Hosty had their conversation in the basement (5H39), but as we saw above, Detective Carroll did not know Oswald’s address until much later in the evening.
Mr. RANKIN. And was that at the time you made this out that you were given that information?
Mr. REVILL. Shortly before I made this out.
Mr. RANKIN. You didn't even know where he lived then?
Mr. REVILL. No, sir; I did not. I had never heard of him.
Mr. RANKIN. You know that is wrong, don't you?
Mr. REVILL. The 605?
Mr. RANKIN. Yes.
Mr. REVILL. I don't know.
Mr. RANKIN. Is it wrong?
Mr. REVILL. Yes; it is.
Mr. DULLES. As of the time.
Mr. REVILL. That is what they gave me.
Mr. RANKIN. You found that out?
Mr. DULLES. This is an address he once lived at.
Mr. RANKIN. Do you know that?
Mr. DULLES. This is correct. I want to find out what he knows about it.
Mr. REVILL. Is this a-is this an incorrect address on Mr. Oswald where he was living at the time?
Mr. RANKIN. If you check it up I think you will find--it is an incorrect address at the time. I think you will also find that 602 Elsbeth Street is where he lived at one time.
Mr. REVILL. Now, where they got this address----
Mr. RANKIN. You never checked that?
Mr. REVILL. I personally have not checked it but I am sure it has been checked.
Mr. RANKIN. I see.
Mr. REVILL. But this is the address I was given.
(5H42)
Mr. DULLES. Could I ask a question? Where did you get this address that you put on of 605 Elsbeth Street, do you recall?
Mr. REVILL. Yes, sir; from Detective E. B. Carroll or Detective Taylor.
Mr. DULLES. Are they subordinates?
Mr. REVILL. No; they are detectives assigned to the special service bureau. One of them works the narcotics squad and one of them is assigned to the vice unit.
Mr. DULLES. You never ascertained where they got it?
Mr. REVILL. No, sir; this might be the address that they got from Oswald, I do not know. I never even thought about it until you brought up the point that this is not the address.
Mr. DULLES. Can you find out where they got this address?
Mr. REVILL. Yes, sir; I can.
Mr. DULLES. I think that would be useful. I would like to know that. I would like to know where they got this address also.
Mr. REVILL. It would have been the same day because this was made within an hour----
p. 47
The CHAIRMAN. I think that is all. Thank you, again, lieutenant.
Mr. REVILL. I will attempt to find out on that address, and I shall let Mr. Sorrels know, with Secret Service.
In their after-action reports filed with Chief Curry on December 3rd, neither Caroll (DPD Archives Box 5, Folder# 2, Item# 73), nor Detective E.E. Taylor, Special Services Bureau, Narcotics Section (DPD Archives Box 5, Folder# 2, Item# 81) make mention of giving Revill Oswald’s address and I have never seen a document or any other reference where Revill did in fact inform Sorrels where Carroll and Taylor got that address.
Dallas Police Sergeant Gerald Hill rode in the front seat of the car that drove Oswald from the Texas Theater to City Hall. Hill says several times in his WC testimony (7H60) that he did not know where the Beckley Street address came from and was not aware of it before he turned Oswald over to Robbery and Homicide. Hill did not learn of it until 7:00 or 8:00PM that night.
The normal booking process was bypassed in this case. Carroll, Hill and Walker all said that when arriving at City Hall, they went directly up to the third floor.
None of the arresting officers who rode with Oswald from the Theater to downtown said that Oswald gave them his Beckley St. address. As a matter of fact, Oswald was refusing to tell anyone where he lived. I belive that Fritz was correct. When confronted with it, Oswald did not deny living there, but I don't believe he volunteered it either.
I had been under the impression that the police got the Beckley street address when Officers Stovall, Rose, and Adamcik went to the Irving address and either got the address from Ruth Paine, or she gave them a telephone number that the police crossed referenced.
However, none of the three Dallas City Police officers mentions in their reports getting the Beckley St. address from Ruth Paine.
Harry Weatherford, Buddy Walthers, and J.L. Oxford were the Sheriff’s Deputies dispatched to Irving.
Walthers, Weatherford and Sheriff Decker all said that Ruth Paine gave them a telephone number where Oswald could be reached and that they criss-crossed that number and came up with the Beckley St. address.
However, their accounts differ.
Harry Weatherford 19H503 Supplementary Investigation Report filed 11/23/63
I stayed with Mrs. Oswald and Mrs. Payne while the rest of the men searched the house….While standing near the phone bar, I saw a BLACK telephone address book which I picked up and thumbed through, finding in the “O’s” the name of Lee Oswald, Texas School Book Depository and the telephone number. Then another phone number, which I believe was written in PENCIL. I asked what this number was, pointing to this pencil number, and Mrs. Payne said that is the phone where Lee was living. I gave this number to Deputy Buddy Walthers and told him to call the Sheriff and advise him of our findings. That this was all fitting in together with the Assassination of President Kennedy.
From Richard S. Stovall's Warren Commission testimony 7H190
Concerning a list of items taken out of 2515 W. Fifth St.
“I’ve got listed One BLUE Check telephone index book (addresses) – I’m not sure which bedroom that came from.
Buddy Walthers 19H520 Supplementary Investigation Report filed 11/22/63
Mrs. Payne then gave us a telephone number and stated that was the number of Lee Oswald, however, she advised she did not know an address where he was staying. At this time, I called Sheriff Decker and advised him of this and he criss-crossed this telephone number and gave us an address of 1026 N. Beckley. He advised he would dispatch other officers to cover this address.
In his Warren Commission testimony 7H549 taken July 23, 1964, Walthers changes the scenario slightly
"We didn't go to the trouble of looking at any of this stuff much---just more or less confiscated it at the time, and we looked at it there just like that, and then we took all this stuff and put it in the car and then Mrs. Paine got a phone number from Mrs. Oswald where you could call Lee Harvey Oswald in Oak Cliff".
Decker 19H462
Mrs. Payne gave Deputy Walthers a telephone number where she said that Lee Oswald had been staying at, however, she stated that she did not know the address. Officer Walthers then called me by public service giving me this information, whereupon, I had called Allan Sweatt, Chief Criminal Deputy and Deputy Clint Lewis to locate this address both by criss cross and also verifying same through telephone company. Mr. Sweatt reported to me that the telephone number was 1026 N. Beckley. At this time I requested that David Johnston, Justice of the Peace, to issue a search warrant to that location for officers to search the premises. Information was obtained at this address from the landlady to the effect that a man by the name of O.H. Lee had been living at this location for a period of two weeks.
Did Ruth Paine volunteer the number? Did Harry Weatherford find it? Did Ruth Paine get the number from Marina?
Allan Sweatt 19H533 makes no mention of this in his Supplementary Investigation Report file with Sheriff Decker on 11/23/63
J.L. Oxford, the other deputy present, J.L. Oxford Supplementary Investigation Report filed with Sheriff Decker 11/23/63 makes no mention of Ruth Paine giving the police Oswald’s phone number.
Also, they say that they got the Beckley St. phone number AFTER the search of the Irving address was underway, however, police have BEEN AT THE BECKLEY ST. ADDRESS FOR OVER 30 MINUTES BY THIS TIME.
Ruth Paine 3H37
Lee calls on October 14th to report that he has found employment at the TSBD
Mrs. Paine. He gave me a telephone number, possibly this same weekend. The weekend of the 12th)
Mrs. Paine. Yes. He said of the room where he was staying, renting a room, and I could reach him here if she went into labor.
Mr. Jenner. Just stick to this particular occasion. What telephone number – did you record it?
Lee WANTED to be reached (His wife was about to give birth to Rachel)
Mrs. Paine. Yes. In INK in my telephone book.
Mrs. Paine. The number was WH2-1985
Mr. Jenner. He did not give you an address?
Mrs. Paine. No.
He gave her a second phone number. She said she couldn’t remember when or how he transmitted that number to her. She said Oswald told her he had changed rooms, but thought that it was after he had started work at the TSBD
Mr. Jenner. On the second occasion, did he give you the location, or even the area in Dallas where his second room was located?
Mrs. Paine. No.
In her testimony, (3H79-81) describing the search at 2515 W. Fifth St., Ruth Paine makes no mention whatsoever of giving the police Oswald’s telephone number.
Ruth Paine 9H365
Mr. Jenner. Directing your attention to Commission Exhibit No. 402 which is your address book,...Is there anything on any of the entries which appear on those pages which relate to the Oswalds?
Mrs. Paine. The one on the left is the police officer who picked up the address book.
Mr. Jenner. Those are his initials and date that he picked it up?
Mrs. Paine. I don't know who picked it up. And I didn't see it was gone.
I was reading through Will Fritz's testimony before the Warren Commission in volume IV and a careful reading of his testimony leaves the impression that Fritz knew of the Beckley Street address before he dispatched officers to Irving.
Mr. BALL. Some officer told you that he thought this man had a room on Beckley?
Mr. FRITZ. Yes, sir.
Mr. BALL. Had he been brought into the station by that time?
Mr. FRITZ. He was at the station when we got there, you know.
Mr. BALL. He was?
Mr. FRITZ. Yes, sir; so then I talked to him and I ASKED HIM WHERE HIS ROOM WAS ON BECKLEY.
Mr. BALL. Then you started to interrogate Oswald, did you?
Mr. FRITZ. yes, sir.
Mr. BALL. And you called him into your room?
Mr. FRITZ Yes, sir.
In other words, Fritz had the Beckley Street address before he ever started talking to Oswald.
Fritz was in such a hurry to get something to hold Oswald on, that he dispatched his officers to Irving without a search warrant.
Fritz, Sims, Boyd, and Decker all speak of a curious little encounter just after Fritz emerges from the TSBD. They have found the rifle and learned that Oswald lives in Irving. Fritz is all hot to trot. He's determined to go charging off to Irving taking Sims and Boyd with him. Just as he's about to head off, Decker sends word that he wants to talk to Fritz just a minute. What was the subject of that little conversation? None of them are asked by the WC, and none of them volunteer.
Whatever it was, all of a sudden Fritz changes his mind, heads into the office, keeps Sims and Boyd with him, and sends other police officers to check out Irving.
In the Arrest Report on Investigative Prisoner filed by M.M. McDonald against Lee Harvey Oswald as the murderer of President Kennedy and Officer Tippit. (Dallas Police ARchives, Box 1, Folder 3, Item# 17) at:
http://jfk.ci.dallas.tx.us/box1.htm
Now, without knowing when this Report was filled out, McDonald lists Oswald's arrest time as 1:40PM and gives his address as 1026 N. Beckley. I believe that McDonald is off by about 10 minutes on the arrest time, but it's interesting that he gives the Beckley St. address. If McDonald filled this out as soon as he got back to the station, I wonder where he got the Beckley St. address?
I don't believe Oswald gave it to the police. When he was arrested and brought back to the station, he had two ID cards on him. One was for A.J. Hidell and one was for Lee Harvey Oswald.
Detective Guy Rose told the Warren Commission that:
Mr. ROSE. There were some people in the office from the Book Depository and we talked to a few of them and then in just a few minutes they brought in Lee Oswald and I talked to him for a few minutes?
Mr. BALL. What did you say to him or did he say to you?
Mr. ROSE. Well, the first thing I asked him was what his name was and he told me it was Hidell.
Mr. BALL. Did he tell you it was Hidell?
Mr. ROSE. Yes; he did.
Mr. BALL. He didn't tell you it was Oswald?
Mr. ROSE. No; he didn't, not right then--he did later. In a minute--I found two cards--I found a card that said "A. Hidell." And I found another card that said "Lee Oswald" on it, and I asked him which of the two was his correct name. He wouldn't tell me at the time, he just said, "You find out." And then in just a few minutes Captain Fritz came in and he told me to get two men and go to Irving and search his house.
Mr. BALL. Did you ask him what his address was?
Mr. ROSE. Yes; but from there, he wouldn't tell me--he just said, "You just find out."
Mr. BALL. Now, did anybody ever tell you that his address was 1026 North Beckley?
Mr. ROSE. Later they did--right then they didn't; no, sir.
Mr. BALL. You didn't know it at that time?
Mr. ROSE. No, sir; I didn't. When he was asked, "Which one are you", he responded, You figure it out".
I don't think Oswald volunteered his address.
In his testimony before the HSCA, Inspector Kelley was asked what investigation he had made into the background of Lee Harvey Oswald (vol. III p. 330).
In the course of his reply, Kelley said, “The Dallas Police had some information on him and the State Department had some information in connection with his trips to Russia. The military was supplying information to our headquarters and it was being provided to me at Dallas.”
Captain Fritz knew Oswald lived on Beckley before he started talking to him. The address didn’t come from Oswald and it didn’t come from any of the arresting officers. The Sheriff’s Deputies didn’t learn it until after the police had already arrived at Beckley. If Hosty can be believed, it didn’t come from the FBI. I believe it came from someone associated with military intelligence.
Steve Thomas
posted by Steve at 1:01 PM
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