Oswald and the Hidell ID

According to the Warren report, Oswald was arrested carrying identification for two different names. One was for his actual name, Lee Harvey Oswald, and the other for the fictitious name, Alek James Hidell. The Hidell name was on a Selective Service card, with a photo of Oswald. We were also informed by the Warren report that Oswald allegedly ordered both the rifle and the revolver using the Hidell name, but had it delivered to his post office box in Dallas - which was under his real name.

The idea that Oswald would order the rifle and revolver under the Hidell name, but have them delivered to his Post Office box under his real name, is truly absurd and bizarre. Now obviously, the purpose of using an alias is to conceal the fact that he had purchased the weapons. So why in God’s name would he have them delivered to his P.O box? The simple answer is: He wouldn’t! Please refer to this post for further discussion on the rifle order.

I realise I have stated this before. However, I honestly think it is imperative I repeat it in this post. Now, if Oswald actually purchased the rifle and revolver under the Hidell name - and then used the rifle to murder the President, why on Earth would he be carrying the Selective Service card in his Wallet? It makes absolutely no sense. Although lone gunman zealots have used the testimony of the DPD Officers as proof that Oswald had the Hidell ID inside his wallet at the time of his arrest – there is every reason to believe this was an outright lie!

First of all, consider the fact that although Paul Bentley removed Oswald’s wallet from his left pant pocket en route to City hall – neither Bentley nor any of the four other arresting Officers mentioned the name Hidell in their arrest reports! In fact, when Bentley was asked during his interview on WFAA-TV, concerning how he had obtained Oswald’s name, he made absolutely no mention of the Hidell name. Also, when Sgt Gerald Hill, District Attorney Henry Wade, Captain Will fritz, and DPD chief Jesse Curry were interviewed by reporters on the day of the President’s assassination – they never once mentioned the name Hidell! Hill also failed to mention it during his radio interview.

However, what’s even more intriguing is that on the following day, Jesse Curry had informed reporters that the money order for the rifle bearing the name A. Hidell had been discovered. Yet incredibly, he again failed to mention that a Selective Service card bearing that name was found in Oswald’s wallet! This simply defies belief.   

When Oswald was taken to City Hall, he was first placed into an interrogation room with homicide detectives, Gus Rose, and Richard Stovall. The Officer who placed him there was Charles Walker. According to Walker’s testimony, he allegedly discovered the Hidell ID in Oswald’s wallet after placing him into the interrogation room. See below.

Mr. Belin.

After you got down there, what did you do with him?

Mr. Walker.

We took him up the homicide and robbery bureau, and we went back there, and one of the detectives said put him In this room. I put him in the room, and he said, "Let the uniform officers stay with him." And I went inside, and Oswald sat down, and he was handcuffed with his hands behind him. I sat down there, and I had his pistol, and he had a card in there with a picture of him and the name A. J. Hidell on it.

Please note, that by “Pistol” Walker surely meant wallet. He either misspoke, or the stenographer had misquoted him. Regardless of this error, Walker’s discovery of the Hidell ID was a lie. Bear in mind that Paul Bentley had claimed during his TV interviews, and in his arrest report, that he had obtained Oswald’s wallet en route to City Hall. Bentley was corroborated by Gerald Hill in his testimony. See below.

Mr. Belin.

Was he asked where he lived?

Mr. Hill.

That was the second question that was asked the suspect, and he didn't answer it, either. About the time I got through with the radio transmission, I asked Paul Bentley, "Why don't you see if he has any identification." Paul was sitting sort of sideways in the seat, and with his right hand he reached down and felt of the suspect's left hip pocket and said, "Yes, he has a billfold," and took it out. I never did have the billfold in my possession, but the name Lee Oswald was called out by Bentley from the back seat, and said this identification, I believe, was on the library card. And he also made the statement that there was some more identification in this other name which I don't remember, but it was the same name that later came in the paper that he bought the gun under.

Mr. Belin.

Would the name Hidell mean anything? Alek Hidell?

Mr. Hill.

That would be similar. I couldn't say specifically that is what it was, because this was a conversation and I never did see it written down, but that sounds like the name that I heard.

As we can see, Hill confirmed that Bentley had obtained Oswald’s wallet. However, neither Bentley nor Hill ever claimed that the wallet was turned over to Charles Walker once they arrived at city hall. In fact, Bentley claimed in his arrest report: “I turned his identification over to Lt. Baker”. The lieutenant Baker Bentley is referring to is T.L Baker, of the DPD homicide bureau. It is unclear exactly what Bentley meant by identification. However, bear in mind that both Bentley and Hill claimed the revolver was turned over to Baker. Hence, by all likelihood, Bentley was referring to Oswald’s Wallet and contents when he stated identification.

Unfortunately, Baker doesn’t confirm that Bentley delivered Oswald’s wallet to him. However, Baker claimed he identified Oswald to Fritz as “Lee Oswald”, and there was no mention of the name Hidell anywhere in his lengthy report! Incidentally, despite Walker’s claim of having Oswald’s wallet, he doesn’t mention this in his arrest report. Therefore, there is absolutely no reason to believe that Walker was being truthful.

As mentioned previously, Oswald was initially placed into an interrogation room with detectives Gus Rose, and Richard Stovall. According to both of their Warren commission testimonies, they had Oswald’s wallet with the Selective Service card bearing the Hidell name inside of it. In the report by Rose, Stovall (and another detective named John Adamcik), they obtained Oswald’s name and ID when he was brought into the interrogation room. However, there was no mention of Hidell.

Rose informed the Warren commission that when he asked Oswald what his name was, Oswald replied that it was Hidell. See below.

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

Although Rose claimed that Oswald told him his name was Hidell, Richard Stovall, who was in the interrogation with Rose, claimed Oswald told them his name was Lee Oswald. See below.

Mr. Ball.

Do you remember what was said to him and what he said to you?

Mr. Stovall.

I don't recall exactly--I went in and asked him for his identification, asked him who he was and he said his name was Lee Oswald, as well as I remember. Rose and I were both in there at the time. He had his billfold and in it he had the identification of "A. Hidell," which was on a selective service card, as well as I remember.

Now, there are a couple of problems with Rose’s and Stovall’s testimonies. Firstly, they were in the interrogation room together with Oswald. Rose claimed Oswald stated his name was Hidell, yet Stovall claimed Oswald said it was Lee Oswald. Obviously, they can’t both be telling the truth. Secondly, if Oswald really had ordered the rifle and revolver, why the heck would he inform them his name was Hidell – let alone carry the Selective Service card bearing that name in his wallet! None of this makes any sense.

Furthermore, both Rose and Stovall claimed they had Oswald’s wallet. Yet, as previously mentioned, Bentley most likely turned the Wallet over to Lt. T.L Baker. It’s also important to keep in mind that neither Bentley nor Baker claimed in their reports that they turned the wallet over to Rose and Stovall during Oswald’s interrogation. Combined with the fact that Rose and Stovall made no mention of the wallet or Hidell in their report – the most logical conclusion is that they were lying when they claimed they had Oswald’s wallet.

Based on the above information – there is absolutely no reason to believe Oswald had the Alek James Hidell Selective Service card in his wallet when he was arrested. It’s also important to note that FBI agent James Hosty (who interviewed Oswald along with FBI agent James Bookhout), didn’t mention the Hidell name in his handwritten notes. However, Hosty and Bookhout did mention it in their reports (although it could easily have been added in to their reports later). Captain Fritz also had knowledge about the Hidell name – but didn’t mention it in his notes until the day following the assassination!

Naturally, lone gunman zealots have no qualms about the lack of mention of Hidell in any of the aforementioned reports and interviews. However, they never explain why it was not mentioned – and simply take the testimonies of the DPD Officers at face value. In fact, what makes the lack of mentioning the Hidell name even more incredible (had the Selective Service card actually been found in Oswald’s wallet) is the fact that the name O.H Lee (which Oswald used to identify himself at his boarding house) was mentioned in James Hosty’s notes, T.L Baker’s report etc. Yet, the Hidell ID was not.

The final point I would like to make is that in 1963, Selective Service cards did not contain a photograph of the card bearer on them. Yet, “Oswald’s” did. As researchers such as Gil Jesus have pointed out, the card was obviously a fake to anyone who looked at. In fact, it served Oswald no useful purpose (aside from incriminating himself for the assassination). So yet again, there is no reason to believe Oswald would be carrying it in his wallet.

Now, if the Selective Service card was never in Oswald’s wallet, the obvious question is: Where was it discovered? The answer to that question is that it was found in a wallet at the Tippit murder scene. This is based on the recollections of former FBI agent, Robert Barrett. Barrett claimed that after he arrived at the Tippit murder scene, he was asked by DPD Captain W.R Westbrook, if he knew who Lee Harvey Oswald and Alek James Hidell were. Barrett also claimed that Westbrook showed him the wallet. Former FBI agent, James Hosty, wrote about Barrett’s allegations concerning the wallet in his book, Assignment Oswald.

The wallet was captured on film by WFAA cameraman, Ron Reiland. Reiland’s footage shows a uniformed police Officer (believed to be Sgt Calvin “Bud” Owens) showing the wallet to two plain clothed Officers (believed to Captain George Doughty, and Captain W.R Westbrook). See below.

Lone gunman zealots have naturally tried to dismiss Barrett’s story. For example, some such as David Von Pein have claimed that the wallet was actually Tippit’s. Others such as Dale Myers have claimed that Barrett was simply mistaken about when Captain Westbrook asked him about Oswald and Hidell. However, former DPD Officer, Leonard Jez, informed researcher Martha Moyer that the wallet at the Tippit murder scene contained ID for Oswald! Nevertheless, it is important we address these claims by lone gunman zealots.

First, let’s address the possibility of whether the wallet was Tippit’s. This allegation is based on Ron Reiland, who claimed the wallet was Tippit’s during his narration of the footage on WFAA-TV. Unfortunately for lone gunman zealots, Tippit’s wallet was accounted for at the Methodist hospital, where he was taken after he was shot. DPD Officer, W.R Bardin, filled an inventory sheet listing the items removed from Tippit following his death. One of those items was a black billfold aka wallet.

Secondly, as Dale Myers and others have noted, Reiland made a series of mistakes when describing the events following the assassination. For example, Reiland claimed the gun which Calvin Owens was holding with the wallet, belonged to Tippit’s killer. Whereas in actual fact, the gun belonged to Tippit. Now if Reiland mistook Tippit’s gun for the killers, then he should not be considered reliable. In fact, Dale Myers argued against Reiland’s credibility in his book, With Malice.

The final point I would like to make, is that there is no mention in any report or interview by DPD Officers that the wallet belonged to Tippit. Similarly, there is no mention in any report or interview that the wallet contained ID for Oswald and Hidell. However, is this supposed to come as a shock? Think about it. With a wallet already found in Oswald’s pant pocket, (and with Oswald arrested as a viable suspect for Tippit’s murder), the presence of a second would clearly indicate that Oswald was framed for Tippit’s murder.

Now, does anyone honestly believe that with a viable suspect already arrested, the DPD would allow any notion that Oswald was framed? Keep in mind that Johnny Brewer (who allegedly saw Oswald enter the Theatre looking scared) claimed he heard a Police Officer shout out to Oswald “Kill the President will you”. Julia Postal, the Theatre cashier who allegedly called the Police, overheard a Police Officer utter the words “I think we’ve got our man, on both counts”. Apparently, the DPD had decided inside the Theatre that Oswald was guilty for both the Tippit Killing and the President’s assassination. In previous posts, I also discussed the various lies by the DPD regarding evidence such as the palm print from the barrel of the rifle.

Therefore, the argument by lone gunman zealots that the DPD would not hide the fact the wallet at the Tippit murder scene contained ID for Oswald and Hidell, is simply a crock. Let’s now address the issue of whether Barrett could have been mistaken about when he was asked if he knew who Oswald and Hidell were. Firstly, Barrett was always adamant that Captain Westbrook asked him about Oswald and Hidell at the Tippit murder scene. Even Dale Myer’s acknowledged that Barrett’s recollection was consistent.

Secondly, there is absolutely no evidence that Westbrook had possession of Oswald’s wallet following his arrest. As I have mentioned previously, Paul Bentley indicated that he had turned Oswald’s wallet over to Lt. T.L Baker. Furthermore, no DPD Officer (including Westbrook himself) mentioned in their reports/testimony that Westbrook had possession of Oswald’s wallet at City hall. In fact, according to Westbrook’s testimony, the only evidence he observed at City Hall immediately following Oswald’s arrest was the revolver. He also made no mention of speaking to Barrett following his return to City Hall – but indicated he returned to the scene of the Tippit with Barrett, following Oswald’s arrest at the Theatre.

Based on the above, there is no simply no reason to believe Barrett had misremembered where he was when asked about Oswald and Hidell. Besides, as I previously mentioned, DPD Officer, Leonard Jez, also recalled the wallet contained ID for Oswald. Also consider this: Julia Postal informed an FBI agent during an interview (here, page 14), that one of the Officers told her inside the Theatre that the suspects name was Oswald.  

Obviously, the Officer couldn’t have known Oswald’s name since his wallet was removed from his pant pocket inside the Police car. However, if the wallet at the Tippit murder scene contained ID for Oswald with his picture, then the Officer would have known Oswald’s name. I should note that in her affidavit to the Dallas Sheriff’s Office, Postal claimed she had heard the suspects name was Oswald at a later stage in time. However, she could easily have had her affidavit altered to conceal this fact – just as numerous witnesses such as Roger Craig had their statements altered.

There’s also the issue of the three wallets which allegedly belonged to Oswald. As discussed above, one wallet was removed from his left pant pocket en route to City hall. Another wallet was discovered on a dresser at the residence of Ruth Paine. The third wallet was by all likelihood the one discovered at the Tippit murder scene. There has never been a rational explanation by lone gunman zealots concerning this issue.

Now let’s get real people. If it wasn’t the wallet found at the Tippit murder scene, then where did it come from? We know there definitely was a third wallet, because FBI agent James Hosty signed a receipt (dated 27/11/63) for a billfold (wallet), a notebook recovered from Oswald’s rooming house, and for one spent shell casing allegedly found on the 6^th floor of the TSBD. See here.

However, despite the claims by Barrett, Jez, Postal, and the receipt for a third wallet, there is still one important question concerning the wallet at the Tippit murder scene. Why wasn’t a dispatch broadcast over the DPD radio stating that the suspect’s name was Oswald/Hidell? Many researchers who have closely studied the DPD radio transcripts have concluded that they have been altered/edited. Hence, the broadcast of Oswald/Hidell could easily have been edited out of the transcripts. In my opinion, Tippit’s killer dropped the wallet into his patrol car, as he leaned into the car to speak to him (as witnesses by Helen Markham).

In conclusion, there is no reason to believe the Selective Service card with the Hidell name was found in Oswald’s wallet - and very good reason to believe it was found inside the wallet at the Tippit murder scene. The obvious implication of this is that Oswald was framed for both the Tippit killing, and for President Kennedy’s assassination. Unless we are to entertain the utterly ridiculous notion that Oswald was carrying two wallets on his person, and happened to drop one at the Tippit murder scene – thereby incriminating himself!

As I said before, Captain Fritz did have knowledge about the Hidell name, since he mentioned it in his handwritten notes. Fritz by all likelihood learned of the Hidell name when he received the wallet at the Tippit murder scene from Captain Westbrook. Incidentally, Fritz didn’t question Oswald about the Hidell ID - until the day following the assassination. But Apart from Fritz knowledge of the Hidell name, all the evidence indicates the Selective Service card bearing the Hidell name was not in Oswald’s wallet when he was arrested.

The "Incriminating statements" by Oswald

In this post, I address the incriminating statements which Oswald allegedly uttered during and following his arrest at the Texas Theatre. As you will hopefully come to realise, these were lies by the DPD to help incriminate Oswald.

The first DPD Officer to approach Oswald in the Theatre was Patrolman, M. Nick McDonald. As McDonald approached Oswald, he asked him to get on his feet. According to McDonald, Oswald stood up and raised both of his arms. Oswald then allegedly yelled out “this is it” then struck McDonald’s nose with his fist. McDonald made this statement to WFAA-TV the day following the assassination.

The obvious implication of this statement is that Oswald had realised he had been caught after trying to get away for murdering Officer J.D Tippit. When DPD Sgt, Gerald Hill, was interviewed on television on the day of the assassination, he also claimed that Oswald yelled out “this is it”. Detective Paul Bentley was also interviewed by reporters. He claimed Oswald yelled out “This is it. It’s all over with now”. However, Bentley indicated that Oswald stated this remark after he was arrested – and not before.

Whilst lone gunman kooks such as Vincent Bugliosi, Dale Myers and David Von Pein have used this statement to incriminate Oswald, there are many reasons to believe these were deliberate lies. None of the other arresting Officers, including Johnny Brewer, and theatre patrons John Gibson and George Applin, who were sitting near Oswald, claimed in their reports, affidavits or Warren commission testimony, that they heard Oswald say anything as he stood up and punched McDonald.  

Furthermore, McDonald claimed in both his arrest report (submitted on 3/12/63) and during his Warren commission testimony that Oswald yelled out “Well, it’s all over now” as he stood up. He also repeated this claim during a TV recreation of Oswald’s arrest. Now, there is no way in which McDonald could have confused “Well, it’s all over now” for “This is it” since they sound nothing alike. The only logical conclusion is that McDonald lied!

The following is from McDonald’s testimony:

Mr. Ball

What did you do then?

Mr. McDonald

After I was satisfied that these two men were not armed or had a weapon on them, I walked out of this row, up to the right centre aisle toward the suspect. And as I walked up there, just at a normal gait, I didn't look directly at him, but I kept my eye on him and any other persons. And to my left was another man and I believe a woman was with him. But he was further back than the suspect. And just as I got to the row where the suspect was sitting, I stopped abruptly, and turned in and told him to get on his feet. He rose immediately, bringing up both hands. He got this hand about shoulder high, his left hand shoulder high, and he got his right hand about breast high. He said, "Well, it is all over now."

As far as Bentley’s insinuation that Oswald said “This is it. It’s all over with now” following his arrest - there is absolutely no corroboration for this from any other Officer. Bentley was therefore lying. Unless of course we are to believe the completely absurd notion that none of the other four arresting Officers heard it. As far as Hill is concerned, McDonald either told him that Oswald said “This is it” or Hill himself had concocted that expression to incriminate Oswald, with McDonald going along with it. Let me note that hill made the following comments during his testimony.

Mr. Belin.

Did you hear anyone else yell or make any other statements? First, I will ask you this. Did you hear the suspect make any statement of any kind?

Mr. Hill.

Not any distinguishable statement that I can specifically recall. Later in the course of trying to piece this thing together for a report, I believe it was McDonald and Hutson that stated, and we put it in the report that way, that the suspect yelled, "This is it."

Hill claims that it was McDonald and Hutson who stated Oswald yelled out “This is it”. Hutson, however, made no mention of this in his report, and when asked during his Warren commission testimony if he heard Oswald say anything as he stood up, he claimed he didn’t. Hill was therefore either badly mistaken, or simply lying.

It’s difficult to make a judgement on who was responsible for concocting this phony statement by Oswald. However, given that Hill was interviewed by reporters shortly following Oswald’s arrest (and the fact that his actions following the President’s assassination are highly suspect) I believe it was Hill who was responsible.

Following Oswald’s arrest inside the Texas theatre, he was placed into an unmarked Police car and taken to City hall. The Officers accompanying Oswald were: Bob Carroll (driver), Paul Bentley, Gerald Hill, Charles Walker, and K.E Lyons. Carroll and Lyons stated in their arrest reports that Oswald admitted to carrying the revolver into the theatre. Hill and Walker made the same claim during their Warren commission testimonies. Bentley also made this claim during his interview with WFAA –TV the day following the assassination. I discussed the issue of Oswald’s ownership of the revolver in this post.

According to Officers Gerald Hill and Charles Walker, Oswald allegedly made a further incriminating statement whilst en route to city hall. Below are the excerpts from their Warren commission testimonies - where they explain what Oswald allegedly said.

Mr. Belin.

Was he ever asked again where he lived, up to the time you got to the station?

Mr. Hill.

No; I don't believe so, because when Bentley got the identification out, we had two different addresses. We had two different names, and the comment was made, "I guess we are going to have to wait until we get to the station to find out who he actually is." After about the time Bentley reached in his pocket and got his billfold, the suspect made the statement, "I don't know why you are treating me like this. The only thing I have done is carry a pistol in a movie." Then there was a remark made something to the effect, "Yes, sir; you have done a lot more. You have killed a policeman." And then the suspect made a remark similar to "Well, you fry for that," or something to that effect.

Mr. Belin.

Something to what effect?

Mr. Hill.

Well, now, he either made the statement, "You only fry for that," or "You can fry for that," or a similar statement. Now the exact words of it, I don't recall.

Mr. Belin.

All right; then what was said?

Mr. Hill.

Some more questions were asked as to where he had been prior to going to the movie, which he did not answer. Some more questions were asked as to what was his true name, and in neither case did he ever answer them. He did make a comment, if I recall, about the handcuffs, about, "I don't see why you handcuffed me." And here again he repeated the statement, "The only crime I have committed was carrying a pistol in a movie."

From Walker’s testimony:

Mr. Belin.

All right, you got in the car and went down to the police station?

Mr. Walker.

As we were driving down there, yes; he said –

Mr. Belin.

Who was he?

Mr. Walker.

Oswald said. "What is this all about?" He was relating this all the time. He said, "I know my rights." That is what he was saying, "I know my rights." And we told him that the police officer, that he was under arrest because the police officer, he was suspected in the murder of a police officer. And he said, "Police officer been killed?" And nobody said nothing. He said, "I hear they burn for murder." And I said, "You might find out." And he said, "Well, they say it just takes a second to die." And that is all I recall. Now we talked some more going down, but that is the thing that I recall.

Mr. Belin.

Do you recall any other conversation that you had with him, or not?

Mr. Walker.

No; he was just denying it, and he was saying that all he did was carry a gun, and the reason he fought back in the theatre is, he knew he wasn't supposed to be carrying a gun, and he had never been to jail.

Mr. Belin.

Were you asked ever to make a report of any conversation you had with him?

Mr. Walker.

No; they called me on the phone a couple of days after, and some supervisor asked me, there had been a rumour got out that Oswald had said, "Well, I got me a President and a cop. I should have got me two more." Or something like that. But that conversation was never said, because I was with him from the time that he was arrested until the time the detectives took him over. I made a written report on the arrest about a week after it happened, and that is the only conversation I had with anyone.

Mr. Belin.

In that report you didn't put any conversation that Oswald had, did you?

Mr. Walker.

No; I didn't put any conversation. I just put the details of the arrest.

Mr. Belin.

Were you asked just to make a report on your arrest of Oswald?

Mr. Walker.

That is normal procedure, just what we call a "Dear Chief" letter. Just describe the arrest and other officers involved, and we never did put what conversation we had.

The statements made by Hill and Walker regarding what Oswald stated vary slightly, and is expected since the recollections of two people always differ to some degree. However, as with the claim that Oswald supposedly yelled out “This is it”, “Well, it’s all over now”, and “This is it. It’s all over now”, there is good reason to believe that both Hill and Walker were lying. For example, during Hill’s interviews by reporters, the only incriminating statement which he claimed that Oswald made was “This is it” and made no mention of what Oswald allegedly stated in the Police car en route to city hall.

Similarly, when Paul Bentley was interviewed on WFAA –TV concerning the arrest, he recalled Oswald stating he had carried a revolver into the theatre, and that Oswald refused to answer any questions asked about his address etc. Now, are we to honestly believe that Bentley (who was sitting to Oswald’s left in the car) somehow couldn’t recall hearing this incriminating statement? This is completely absurd – especially in light of the fact that Gerald Hill was sitting in the front middle seat, with Walker sitting to Oswald’s right, heard what they claimed Oswald purportedly said.

Let me also note that Walker claimed during his testimony that he didn’t write down any conversation he had with Oswald in his arrest report, because it wasn’t a requirement to do so. However, both Bob Carroll and K.E Lyons wrote in their reports that Oswald admitted to carrying a pistol into the Theatre. In fact, Carroll claimed in his report: “Oswald was belligerent and said very little”. Also, there was no mention of Oswald’s incriminating remarks in either Carroll’s or Lyons’ reports. Hence, Walker was by all likelihood lying.

Based on the above information, there is simply no reason to believe that Oswald made any of the incriminating remarks attributed to him by McDonald, Hill, Walker, and Bentley – and they were therefore lying! But if the above is not enough to convince you that the DPD were lying, then what follows concerning the Selective Service card bearing the name Alek James Hidell (allegedly discovered in Oswald’s wallet) hopefully will.

The JFK bashing continues

With the 50^th anniversary of President John F Kennedy’s assassination fast approaching, his character and legacy has once again come under fire. I am referring to the recent allegations of his affair with famed actress, Elizabeth Taylor, Bill O’Reilly’s new book, Killing Kennedy, and the recent “revelations” that the Kennedy brothers had been running a top secret CIA- Mafia plot against Fidel Castro, in 1963.

Honest to god, is anybody actually surprised to hear this sort of crap being dumped on us?

Let’s begin with Kennedy’s so-called affair with Elizabeth Taylor. The allegations were made in Taylor’s new biography, Elizabeth Taylor: There is nothing like a dame, written by Danforth Prince and Darwin Potter. According to the authors, Kennedy and Taylor had sex whilst skinny dipping in Kennedy’s swimming pool in 1948. But apparently they weren’t alone. The authors allege that actor, Robert Stack, was also involved in sexual intercourse with Kennedy and Taylor!

Yes ladies and gentlemen, you read that correctly. Not only did Kennedy have affairs with Marilyn Monroe, Judith Exner, Mary Meyer, Mimi Alford, but he also had a threesome with Elizabeth Taylor and Robert Stack. These are all quite kinky stories, but are any of them true? Well, we don’t know, now do we?

I don’t know about you, but whenever I hear one these rumours about Kennedy’s sexual relationships, I demand to see actually tangible proof. As far I am concerned, simply taking the word of Judith Exner, Mimi Alford, and a few authors such as Seymour Hersh, who have undoubtedly made a lot of money off these allegations, does not constitute tangible proof.

This brings me to Bill O’Reilly’s latest book, Killing Kennedy. Not surprisingly, O’Reilly’s book is nothing but a rabid defence of the Warren commission’s conclusion that Lee Harvey Oswald acting alone murdered President Kennedy. However, O’ Reilly didn’t stop there. You see, like the many rabid Warren commission defenders before him, the big shot goes after Kennedy’s sex life as well. For those of you fortunate enough not to own a copy, I strongly recommend you read through Jim DiEugenio’s excellent review of that piece of trash of a book, here.

The final point I would like to address are the insinuations of CIA- mafia assassination plots against Fidel Castro sanctioned by the Kennedy brothers. But we’ve all heard it all before, haven’t we? From Gus Russo’s atrocious book, Live by the Sword, to Lamar Waldron’s and Tom Hartman’s utterly banal, Legacy of Secrecy and Ultimate Sacrifice.

Waldron’s fanciful C-Day invasion has been thoroughly ripped apart by Jim DiEugenio in his reviews of Waldron’s books, here and here. Whilst Waldron, Russo, and other JFK bashers continue to undermine his legacy with this garbage, they never once mention the secret back channel JFK had established with Fidel Castro. I am referring of course to the secret liaisons between Lisa Howard, William Atwood, and Jean Daniel with Castro on Kennedy’s behalf. The goal being to negotiate a détente between the United States and Cuba.

The most recent allegations were made in the so-called RFK papers, which outline a contract on Castro’s life using Mafia hit men – spearheaded by non-other than Robert Kennedy. Apparently the contract on Castro’s life was $100,000, with $20,000 for his brother Raul, and also $20,000 for the life of Argentine Marxist revolutionary, Che Guevara.

Of course the question is whether this is authentic information, or just more disinformation to chastise the Kennedy brothers. I honestly believe it is nothing but a pile of crap! None of President Kennedy’s closet advisors ever claimed that either he or his brother had any knowledge of any assassination attempts against Fidel Castro. In fact, when Lyman Kirkpatrick, the CIA inspector general, investigated the involvement of the Kennedy brothers in the assassination plots, he could find no evidence that either one of them had any knowledge of the plots!

Unfortunately, there are many delusional souls who actually believe that the Kennedy brothers were really the culprits behind the assassination attempts against Castro. For example, there are those who have made repulsive comments such as “The Kennedy’s were mad men”. Oh really? If JFK was a mad man, then why didn’t he attack Cuba during the Cuban missile crisis - instead of secretly negotiating with Nikita Khrushchev through his brother to bring the crisis to a peaceful end?

Honestly, where do these people come with such sickening crap? Also, just ask yourself, what kind of a mad man refuses to invade Cuba to prevent the Bay of Pigs invasion from failing? What kind of a mad man refuses on no less than, get this, 9 occasions to send combat troops into Vietnam to fight the communists? What kind of a mad man agrees to establish the Peace Corps to render aid and support to third world countries? What kind of a madman refuses to attack the Soviets during the Berlin crisis? What kind of a mad man signs the partial test ban treaty with the Soviets to limit nuclear testing?

These people really should purchase a copy of Jim Douglass’s seminal book, JFK and the unspeakable.

All of the allegations against the Kennedy brothers are nothing but pure horse crap. What will we hear next? JFK was a paedophile? Considering all the garbage that has been written about his character in the past, it would not surprise me in the least! However, no matter what derogatory claims are made against JFK, there will those of us, such as Jim DiEugenio and Lisa Pease, who will continue to defend him and his legacy.

Fake Secret Service agents in Dealey Plaza

Shortly following the assassination of President Kennedy, DPD Officers encountered men in Dealey Plaza identifying themselves as Secret Service agents. However, according to the Secret Service – no agents were assigned to Dealey plaza! As for the agents assigned to the motorcade, all of them remained in the motorcade until it reached Parkland Memorial hospital. The first agent to return to Dealey Plaza was Forrest Sorrels, the Special agent in charge of the Dallas district of the United States Secret Service. According to the Warren commission, Sorrels returned to Dealey plaza 20 to 25 minutes following the assassination. Up until that point in time, there were no other Secret Service agents present in Dealey Plaza.

The obvious implication of the above information is that the men identifying themselves as Secret Service agents were in fact imposters. The sinister explanation is that these men were conspirators, posing as Secret Service agents, in order to deflect suspicion away from themselves when confronted by DPD Officers. I discuss the encounters with these “Secret Service” men below.

The encounter behind the picket fence

Immediately following the assassination, Dallas Police officer, Joe Marshall Smith, was approached by a woman screaming hysterically that someone was shooting at the President from behind the bushes on top of the grassy knoll. Smith raced his motorcycle to the Grassy Knoll, pulled out his revolver and made his way behind the picket fence. After arriving behind the fence, he encountered a man who identified himself as a secret service agent.

From Smith’s Warren commission testimony:

Mr. Smith.

I started up toward this Book Depository after I heard the shots, and I didn't know where the shots came from. I had no idea, because it was such a ricochet.

Mr. Liebeler.

An echo effect?

Mr. Smith.

Yes, sir.; and 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.

Mr. Liebeler.

You proceeded up to an area immediately behind the concrete structure here that is described by Elm Street and the street that runs immediately in front of the Texas School Book Depository, is that right?

Mr. Smith.

I was checking all the bushes and I checked all the cars in the parking lot.

Mr. Liebeler.

There is a parking lot in behind this grassy area back from Elm Street toward the railroad tracks, and you went down to the parking lot and looked around?

Mr. Smith.

Yes, sir; I checked all the cars. I looked into all the cars and checked around the bushes. 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.

Mr. Liebeler.

Did you accost this man?

Mr. Smith.

Well, he saw me coming with my pistol and right away he showed me who he was.

Mr. Liebeler.

Do you remember who it was?

Mr. Smith.

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.

Note that Smith claimed the man showed him he was a Secret Service agent – which means he obviously produced Secret Service identification. The deputy Sheriff to whom Smith referred to was Seymour Weitzman. Below is the relevant excerpt from Weitzman’s Warren Commission testimony - where he corroborates Smith’s encounter:

Mr. Ball.

What did you notice in the railroad yards?

Mr. Weitzman.

We noticed numerous kinds of footprints that did not make sense because they were going different directions.

Mr. Ball.

Were there other people there besides you?

Mr. Weitzman.

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.

Given the fact that no Secret Service agents were on foot in Dealey Plaza immediately following the assassination, the man Smith encountered was a fake. Lone gunman kooks have naturally tried to dismiss the encounter by Officer Smith, as being a simple case of misidentification. In his overblown tome, Reclaiming history, Vincent Bugliosi argues that the man Smith encountered was actually an off duty Army intelligence officer named James W Powell. However, as I hope you will be convinced, this is a complete crock!

Powell was viewing the motorcade along Houston, near the Elm street intersection. Following the assassination, Powell wrote a report where he described his activities immediately following the assassination. Below is Powell’s entire report, with the relevant sections underlined.

Approximately 1225 hours, I was standing at the corner of Austin Street and Main Street, Dallas, where I had just taken a picture of the late President John F. Kennedy and his wife as they passed in the motorcade. Hoping to get one more picture, I ran one block back to Elm Street, and down Elm towards the intersection of Elm Street and Houston Street. As I approached this intersection, at approximately 1228 hours, and was about one block away, Kennedy’s motorcade was just turning West off Houston Street. At this point, I heard at least two loud explosions, which I assumed could either have been shots from a firearm or some sort of fireworks. Several people in the crowd, which was at the intersection to view the motorcade as it passed, pointed up at the Texas School Book Depository (TSBDB), 411 South Elm Street. I took a photograph of the building at that instant. Several policemen, men from the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office, and newspapers and television reporters, were rushing toward the railroad switching yard behind the TSBDB. I followed them in order to learn what had happened. One of the television reporters, whose name I did not get, said that he heard that someone had fired a gun at Kennedy. I rushed back to the TSBDB, through the lobby, and into the first-floor office. There I heard Pearce Almond (phonetic), a newscaster from WFAA Television Station, Dallas, who was telephoning his office. Almond said that he heard that Kennedy had been fired at and hit, and that the shots had may have come from the TSBDB. Almond had just talked with a construction worker supposedly witnessing the accident. I went upstairs to the second floor and telephoned my office. I reported what I had heard to Let. Col. Roy H. Pate, Region Commander. I then returned to the first floor, where I met and interviewed the aforementioned construction worker, an employee of Wallace Beard, Oil and Gas Building, Dallas. I did not have time to get the man’s name because the Dallas Police had to talk to him. I was able to learn from this man that he saw someone fire shots from approximately the sixth floor of the TSBDB, and that one of the shots hit Kennedy. This man said that Kennedy grabbed his chest and slumped forward, as the motorcade continued towards Stemmons Expressway. Kennedy’s wife, the man told me, attempted to jump out of the car. This was all the information I was able to obtain from this source. I rushed to the same telephone I had previously used and called my office to report this information. When I returned to the lobby of the TSBDB, I was met by policeman and men form the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office, some of whom were carrying shotguns. I identified myself with my credentials, but, along with everyone else in the building, I was detained. One of the law enforcement officers telephoned my office in order to further verify my identity. I gave them my name, the fact that I am a special agent with the United States Army Intelligence Corps, my business and home addresses, and my business and home telephone numbers. I was not allowed to leave the lobby of the building at that time. It was then approximately 1300 hours. I was released at 1345 hours and returned to my office.

As we can see, Powell claimed to follow several people to the railway yards following the assassination. Powell also claimed in his report that he spoke to a construction worker, who worked at Wallace Beard, Oil and gas building in Dallas. This was undoubtedly Howard Brennan – who of course later claimed to identify Oswald as the TSBD 6^th floor sniper. It’s important to note that Brennan claimed during his Warren commission testimony that Powell was a Secret Service agent. The significance of this misidentification could be used to argue that Officer Smith made the same mistake as Brennan. However, there are many problems with this theory.

Firstly, Powell makes no mention of encountering a Policeman with his revolver drawn and showing him his identification – despite the fact that Powell mentioned showing his ID to Police Officers inside the TSBD. Secondly, Smith claimed that he was alone with Seymour Weitzman when he encountered the “Secret Service” man. Yet Powell claimed to see several people rushing towards the railway yards after which he followed them. Also, Powell had been carrying his camera with him. However, Smith made no mention of seeing a camera with the man he encountered.

Officer Smith was also interviewed by journalist and author, Anthony Summers. According to Summers, Smith described the “Secret Service” agent he encountered as follows:

“He looked like an auto mechanic. He had on a sports shirt and sports pants. But he had dirty fingernails, it looked like, and hands that looked like an auto mechanic's hands. And afterwards it didn't ring true for the Secret Service. At the time we were so pressed for time, and we were searching. And he had produced correct identification, and we just overlooked the thing. I should have checked that man closer, but at the time I didn't snap on it.”

Smith makes it clear that he was suspicious of the man he encountered. Smith’s description of the man is intriguing for a number of reasons. Firstly, he claimed the man was wearing a sports shirt and Sports pants. This hardly fits the description of an off duty intelligence officer- and there is no evidence that Powell was dressed in such clothing. In fact, many researchers have identified whom they believe to be James Powell, wearing a suit and tie. Secondly, Smith claimed the man looked like an auto mechanic, and had dirty finger fingers. This description is also not consistent with that of an off duty intelligence officer.

Let’s now take a look at the observations of Lee Bowers. On the day of the assassination, Bowers was working inside the 14 foot tall railroad tower, behind the TSBD, as a switch and signal operator. Bowers is well known amongst conspiracy advocates, because of his observation of seeing three suspicious looking vehicles enter the parking lot behind the grassy knoll and picket fence just prior to the assassination.

Bowers also claimed to see two men standing close together towards the triple underpass. Many conspiracy advocates (including myself) believe the two men were standing behind the picket fence, and fired a shot at the President as his limousine approached their location. Lone gunman zealots (including some conspiracy advocates) believe the two men were actually in front of the fence, and were therefore not part of the conspiracy.

According to lone gunman zealots, the two men Bowers observed were Emmett Hudson (the Dealey Plaza grounds keeper), and a man who Pat Speer believes to be F. Lee Mudd. These two men were standing on the steps on the grassy knoll, as seen in photographs, and the Mary Muchmore film. However, there are many problems with this theory. For example, Hudson and “Mudd” were not standing together alone. An African American man believed to be Wilfred Baetz, was also standing with them. Now are we to believe that Bowers noticed two of the men, but somehow completely missed one of them? Ridiculous if you ask me!

Furthermore, Bowers description of the two men he saw, do not match the descriptions of Hudson, “Mudd”, or “Baetz”. During his Warren commission testimony, Bowers described the two men he saw as follows:

“Directly in line, towards the mouth of the underpass, there were two men. One man, middle-aged, or slightly older, fairly heavy-set, in a white shirt, fairly dark trousers. Another younger man, about midtwenties, in either a plaid shirt or plaid coat or jacket.”

Photographs and the Muchmore film show that Hudson was dressed in a white shirt with a dark coloured jacket, and white/khaki coloured pants. Although Hudson does appear to be “middle-aged, or slightly older” he does not appear to be heavy-set. As far as Bower’s description of a man with a plaid shirt is concerned, this could be referring to “Mudd”. However, there is no way to be certain. As far as “Baetz” is concerned, Bower’s description of the two men he observed, doesn’t match “Baetz’s” description at all.

Let’s now take a look at the observations of witness, J.C Price. Price was viewing the motorcade from the roof of the Terminal Annex building on Commerce Street, opposite the grassy knoll/picket fence. Following the assassination, Price gave a sworn affidavit to the Dallas Sheriff’s department, where he described seeing a man running towards the cars behind the picket fence. Below is Price’s entire affidavit.

“This day at about 12:35 PM I was on the roof of the Terminal Annex Bldg on the NE corner when the presidential motorcade came down Main to Houston, North on Houston and then West on Elm. The cars had proceeded west on Elm and was [sic] just a short distance from the Triple [sic] underpass, when I saw Gov. Connelly [sic] slump over. I did not see the president as his car had gotten out of my view under the underpass. There was a volley of shots, and then much later, maybe as much as five minutes [sic!] later, another one. I saw one man run towards the passenger cars on the railroad siding after the volley of shots. This man had a white dress shirt, no tie and khaki [sic] coloured trousers. His hair appeared to be long and dark and his agility running could be about 35 yrs [sic] of age. He had something in his hand. I couldn't be sure but it may have been a head piece.”

As we can see, Price described seeing what he believed to be a head piece in the man’s hand. Although “Baetz” did start running towards the cars following the shots (as seen in the Muchmore film) he didn’t have anything in his hands. Furthermore, Price’s description of the man he saw running doesn’t match “Baetz’s” description. I should note that Price’s description of a white shirt and Khaki pants is consistent with the clothing Emmett Hudson was wearing. However, Hudson did not run towards the cars following the assassination, and he certainly wasn’t a young man with long dark hair, and he didn’t have a head piece in his hands. Also, Hudson was wearing a dark jacket over his white shirt. Price didn’t mention seeing the man wearing a dark jacket.

In my opinion, the man J.C Price observed running, was most likely a shooter behind the fence. In his affidavit to the Dallas Sheriff’s office, Bowers described one of the men he saw driving a car into the parking lot behind the grassy knoll/picket fence as follows.

“At about 12:15 pm another car came into the area with a white man about 25 to 35 years old driving. This car was a 1957 Ford, Black, 2 door with Texas license. This man appeared to have a mike or telephone in the car”

Bowers’ description of the man’s age is consistent with Price’s description of the man’s age being about 35. It is also quite curious that Bowers described seeing the man with what appeared to be a mike or telephone. Recall that Price observed the man he saw running with what appeared to be a head piece. Now is this just a coincidence?

I should note that Bowers did state in his affidavit that the car bearing the man he observed with the mike/telephone, did leave prior to the assassination. However, bear in mind that many witnesses such as Sam Holland, Victoria Adams, and Carolyn Arnold claimed their statements/testimonies were altered. So I think it’s a safe bet that the statements of a crucial witness, such as Bowers, would also have been altered to some degree.

Bowers’ testimony to the Warren commission on where he observed the two men standing was fairly ambiguous. However, when we also take into account Joe Marshall Smith’s encounter with the fake Secret Service agent, along with the Observations of J.C Price, it becomes less ambiguous that the men Bowers observed, were standing behind the fence.  The following is from Bowers’ testimony.

Mr. Ball  

Did you see any activity in this high ground above Elm after the shot?

Mr. Bowers  

At the time of the shooting there seemed to be some commotion, and immediately following there was a motorcycle policeman who shot nearly all of the way to the top of the incline.

Mr. Ball  

On his motorcycle?

Mr. Bowers  

Yes.

Mr. Ball  

Did he come by way of Elm Street?

Mr. Bowers

He was part of the motorcade and had left it for some reason, which I did not know.

Mr. Ball  

He came up---

Mr. Bowers  

He came almost to the top and I believe abandoned his motorcycle for a moment and then got on it and proceeded, I don't know

Mr. Ball  

How did he get up?

Mr. Bowers  

He just shot up over the curb and up.

Mr. Ball  

He didn't come then by way of Ell, which dead ends there?

Mr. Bowers  

No; he left the motorcade and came up the incline on the motorcycle.

Mr. Ball  

Was his motorcycle directed toward any particular people?

Mr. Bowers  

He came up into this area where there are some trees, and where I had described the two men were in the general vicinity of this.

Mr. Ball  

Were the two men there at the time?

Mr. Bowers  

I--as far as I know, one of them was. The other I could not say.
The darker dressed man was too hard to distinguish from the trees. The white shirt, yes; I think he was.

Mr. Ball  

When you said there was a commotion, what do you mean by that? What did it look like to you when you were looking at the commotion?

Mr. Bowers  

I just am unable to describe rather than it was something out of the ordinary, a sort of milling around, but something occurred in this particular spot which was out of the ordinary, which attracted my eye for some reason, which I could not identify.

Bowers informed the Warren commission that one of the men was still in the spot where he had previously observed the two men together - as Officer Smith came into the area. This is consistent with Smith encountering only one man, and Price seeing one man running away.

If you want further evidence of a shooter located behind the picket fence, then just consider that at least 57 witnesses recalled hearing a shot from that direction – although they could have been confused by echoes. When witness Sam Holland (viewing the motorcade from on top of the railroad bridge) went behind the picket fence with several of the railroad workers he supervises following the assassination, they discovered fresh footprints in the mud behind the fence. Holland demonstrated where the prints were discovered during the filming of Mark Lane’s documentary, Rush to Judgement.

Holland and several of his workers, such as Thomas Murphy, Richard Dodd, Austin Miller, Walter Winborn, and James Simmons, reported seeing a puff of smoke from the grassy knoll area. Other witnesses such as journalism student Cheryl McKinnon, reporter Ed Johnson, Policeman Earle V. Browne, and Dallas deputy Sheriff W.W Mabra, also observed a puff of smoke from the Grassy knoll area. Both the Zapruder film and the Wiegman film, also show what appears to be smoke from the Grassy knoll area. Yet another bizarre coincidence?

Furthermore, the Nix film (filmed by Orville Nix), shows what appears to be a man with dark hair peak his head over the picket fence immediately following the head shot(s) - just as the President’s limousine begins to speed away from Dealey Plaza. You can see a magnified version of the Nix film on the JFKMURDERSOLVED.com website here, which shows the “man’s” head and hair inside the red circle.

Lone gunman zealots have naturally tried to dismiss any evidence of a shooter behind the picket fence. For example, they claim the smoke seen by the aforementioned witnesses was actually smoke from one of the police motorcycles. However, if this was the case, then many more witnesses on the ground should have seen it. Also, consider the fact that 2 days before the assassination, 2 police officers observed men with rifles, taking aim over the picket fence. Now if these men weren’t part of the conspiracy to kill the President, then what the heck were they doing aiming rifles behind the fence?

Now although neither Bowers or Price reported seeing a man with a rifle behind the fence to either the authorities or to Mark Lane during the filming of Rush to judgement, Bowers did purportedly inform his supervisor, Olan Degaugh, that he saw a man in the parking lot throw what appeared to be a rifle into a car! Perhaps Bowers was too frightened to mention this publically. However, we do know that Bowers informed Mark lane that he saw what he believed to be a flash of light or puff of smoke in the area where he observed the two men standing!

Let me also add that Officer Smith allegedly reported smelling gun smoke, as he rushed up the knoll and behind the fence. In my opinion, the man Officer Smith accosted with Secret Service ID was by all likelihood a conspirator. There is simply no reason to believe otherwise.

There’s also the allegation by assassination witness, Malcolm Summers, who can be seen in the Zapruder driving to the ground following the head shot(s). Summers was featured in Nigel Turner’s documentary series, The men who killed Kennedy. According to Summers, he ran towards the picket fence where he was confronted by a man who had what Summers claimed looked like a little machine gun.

Summers’ credibility has naturally come under attack by lone gunman Zealots. To be honest, I have a hard time believing Summers’ story as well. However, even without Summers’ claim, there is still sufficient evidence of a sniper behind the picket fence. I’ve also mentioned in previous posts that after reading through the work by Pat Speer, I no longer believe the back of President Kennedy’s head was blown out. I believe the shot from behind the picket fence most likely missed the limousine entirely.

Encounter behind the TSBD

Apart from the man Officer Smith encountered behind the picket fence, DPD Sergeant, David V. Harkness, encountered men behind the TSBD following the assassination. These men informed him they were Secret Service agents. Below is the relevant excerpt from Harness’s Warren Commission testimony.

Mr. Belin 

Then you went around to the back of the building?

Mr. Harkness  

Yes, sir.

Mr. Belin

Was anyone around in the back when you got there?

Mr. Harkness  

There were some Secret Service agents there. I didn't get them identified. They told me they were Secret Service.

Harkness’s encounter with the “Secret Service” men occurred at least 5 minutes following the assassination. As I previously mentioned, no genuine Secret service agents were in Dealey Plaza immediately following the assassination. The first genuine Secret Service agent in Dealey Plaza was Forrest Sorrels, after returning from Parkland Hospital.

As is the case with the fake Secret Service agent which Officer Joe Marshall Smith accosted behind the picket fence, lone gunman Zealots have tried to dismiss Harkness’s encounter as being a case of misidentification. For example, many of these Zealots claim the men Harkness encountered were in fact ATF agents – who ran into Dealey Plaza following the assassination. Their Offices were located along Commerce Street.

The problem is that Harkness specifically said the men told him they were Secret Service agents. Why on Earth would the ATF agents (had they actually gone behind the TSBD) inform Harkness that they were Secret Service agents? It makes no sense. Also bear in mind that no ATF agents ever came forward identifying themselves as the men behind the TSBD who encountered Harkness.

Others have claimed that the Secret Service man Harkness encountered was Forrest Sorrels. The problem is Harkness claimed there were some secret service men, and that they had told him they were Secret Service agents. Yet Sorrels was the only Secret Service agent in Dealey Plaza after he had returned from Parkland hospital.

It’s quite clear the men Harkness encountered were impersonating Secret Service agents, and were by all likelihood conspirators. Vincent Bugliosi tried desperately to dismiss the impersonators as actually being police officers. What a load of garbage! Does Bugliosi actually believe that Harkness’s fellow police officers would inform him they were Secret Service agents? Does he also believe that Harkness wouldn’t have recognised them as being his fellow Police Officers? Honestly, the desperation of lone gunman kooks to dismiss any notion of a conspiracy is beyond ridiculous.

Roger Craig’s encounter

Dallas deputy Sheriff, Roger Craig, also claimed to encounter a man identifying himself as a Secret Service agent following the assassination. Craig wrote about his encounter with the “Secret Service” man in his report to Sheriff Bill Decker.

“I was standing in front of the Sheriff's Office at 505 Main Street, Dallas, Texas, watching President Kennedy pass in the motorcade. I was watching the rest of the motorcade a few seconds after President Kennedy passed where I was standing when I heard a rifle shot and a few seconds later a second and then a third shot. At the retort [sic] of the first shot, I started running around the corner and Officer Buddy Walthers and I ran across Houston Street and on up the terrace on Elm Street and into the railroad yards. We made a [unintelligible -- search?] through the railroad yards and I returned to Elm Street by the Turnpike sign at which time Officer Walthers told me that a bullet had struck the curb on the south side of Elm Street. I crossed to Elm with Deputy C. L. Lummie Lewis [sic] to search for a spot where a shell might have hit. About this time I heard a shrill whistle and I turned around and saw a white male running down the hill from the direction of the Texas School Book Depository building and I saw what I think was a light colored Rambler Station [sic] wagon with [a] luggage rack on top pull over to the curb and the subject who had come running down the hill got into the car. The man driving this station wagon was a dark complected white male. 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 [sic] 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.”

The man Craig encountered could not have been Forrest Sorrels, as Craig observed the Rambler station Wagon between 10 to 15 minutes following the assassination, and Sorrel’s had yet to arrive in Dealey Plaza. Also, Sorrel’s makes no mention of any conversation with Craig in any of his statements/testimony. Years later, Craig would learn the man he had encountered was Edgar Eugene Bradley. Bradley was charged by Jim Garrison as being part of the conspiracy to assassinate President Kennedy. Bradley’s complicity in the assassination has never been established. However, he should not be dismissed as a suspect.

Jim Braden/ Eugene Brading

Then there’s also Jim Braden aka Eugene Brading. Braden was a con man who had been involved with the mafia as a money courier. Braden was inside the Dal- Tex building during the assassination. Braden was taken to the Sheriff’s office for questioning, when an elevator operator observed Braden acting suspicious. Now Braden didn’t have a weapon or fake Secret Service ID on him when arrested. However, his presence inside the building with the best location of placing a back-up shooter is certainly a fact which needs to be seriously considered. I don’t believe Braden’s presence in the building on the day of President Kennedy’s assassination was just a coincidence.

JFK assassination researcher, William Kelly, is widely considered the leading expert on Jim Braden. He believes that Braden was most likely not a shooter, and I agree. However, I do believe he was part of the conspiracy. In my opinion, his role was to deliberately act suspicious and be taken out of the front of the building, to enable the actually shooter(s) to escape through the back.

Think about it. If you were a conspirator escaping with a disassembled rifle (probably in a suitcase), you would most logically escape though the back, right? Therefore, wouldn’t you have someone deliberately act suspicious to be taken out the front of the building, in order to try and keep the police away from the back of the building? I sure would.

Let’s keep in mind that nobody else inside the Dal -Tex building during the assassination, was interviewed by the DPD, the Sheriff’s office, FBI, and Secret Service and asked if they had seen suspicious looking men inside the building! What an absolute disgrace!            As I have stated many times previously, there is no doubt in my mind that there was a sniper located inside the Dal-Tex building – most likely on the 7^th floor. There is also no doubt in my mind that any conspirators inside the building, had fake Secret Service ID with them, and may have even shown them to several workers inside the building.

Many researchers believe the man with the dark hat and sunglasses, captured in a photograph standing behind assassination witness Charles Brehm, was in fact Jim Braden. The same man can be seen in a photograph, outside Parkland Memorial hospital, standing with Robert Oswald (Lee Harvey Oswald’s brother)! Now what the heck is this man who was in Dealey Plaza immediately following the assassination, doing at the very hospital in which President Kennedy was taken – with the brother of his accused assassin?

This is a pertinent question which needs to be answered. For lone gunman Zealots to simply dismiss it as being irrelevant, just shows their disregard for the truth behind President Kennedy’s assassination.

Encounter at the Jefferson branch Library

Aside from the men in Dealey Plaza claiming to be Secret Service agents, DPD Officers encountered men at the Jefferson branch Library (located on Jefferson Blvd.), who identified themselves as Secret Service agents. The Dallas Police had converged on the Library following the sighting of a man by DPD Officer, Charles T. Walker. Walker believed the man matched the description of the Tippit murder suspect, and informed the Police dispatcher that the suspect ran into the Library.

The man was later identified as Adrian Hamby, a 19 year Library page who ran into the Library to inform the occupants that President Kennedy had been shot. The DPD Officers had comforted Hamby as he exited the Library upon their demand. At this point, men identifying themselves as Secret Service agents informed the DPD Officers that Hamby wasn’t the man they were after.

The encounter with the Secret Service men was recorded by DPD detective, Marvin A. Buhk, in his report to DPD chief, Jesse Curry. The following is the relevant excerpt from Buhk’s report.

“We next heard the call regarding the suspect being in the branch Library on Jefferson. 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.”

Buhk claims that the Secret Service men spoke to the man – who was Adrian Hamby. This was confirmed by Hamby, who claimed he was informed by “men in suits” that the President had been shot. Now what the heck are we to decipher from this bizarre episode? There are no reports by the Secret Service which confirm any of their agents were at the Library when the DPD arrived there. Also, no Secret Service agents ever came forward to claim they were present at the Library. Therefore, like the “Secret Service” men in Dealey Plaza, these men were by all likelihood imposters.

The obvious questions is: what were these men doing there? Was their purpose to provide cover for Tippit’s murderer, as the Police were frantically searching for him? I believe the answer to that question could very well be yes. Are we to honestly believe that Buhk and his fellow Officers, could have mistaken some of their own Officers as Secret Service men? Well, if you’re a lone gunman Zealot you probably would believe it, but I think it is a completely ridiculous notion!

Let me conclude by saying that there is absolutely no reason to dismiss any of the reports of Secret Service impersonators as being misidentifications. Lone gunman zealots have tried their best to debunk all accounts of fake Secret Service agents, but have not even come close to being successful.

Addendum

After reading through Larry Hancock’s excellent book Someone would have talked (3^rd edition), I realised that I had neglected to mention that Dallas deputy Sheriff W.W Mabra claimed in his report to Sheriff Bill Decker that he had encountered a man whom he believed was a City Officer. According to Mabra, the “Officer” explained the following to him

“I was stationed in rail yards and had this entire area in view. Nobody came this way."

The problem is that no DPD Officer had been stationed in the rail yards! There is nothing in the records of the DPD that an Officer had been stationed there – when there should have been. If Mabra’s claim is true, it would seem there was another imposter in Dealey Plaza, in addition to the ones mentioned above.

However, in light of the fact that the aforementioned imposters identified themselves as Secret Service agents to Officers Joe Marshall Smith and Sgt David V. Harkness, it seems strange that one of them would identify himself as a City Officer to Mabra. Of course, the possibility exists that Mabra was simply mistaken about the man identifying himself as a City officer.