Still from Rush to Judgmen t with Napoleon Daniels and Mark Lane. Napoleon Daniels was a Dallas police officer who claimed that he saw officer Roy Vaughn allow Jack Ruby to walk down the Main Street ramp. Vaughn called Daniels at home on the Monday morning after the assassination : But Daniels said in an affidavit on November 29, 1963 that he did see a man enter through the ramp : A couple of things to note. Daniels writes that the person going down the ramp came from the direction of the Western Union office, which is where Ruby would have been coming from, but Daniels said he was not wearing a hat, and, of course, Ruby wore a hat. He also said that "I did not see Officer Vaughn challenge this person nor did he show any signs of recognizing him, nor even being aware that he was passing, but I know that he saw him. It struck me odd at the time that Officer Vaughn did not say something to this man." In early December, Daniels talked to the FBI: Daniels told the FBI that the photo of Jack Ruby "bore a likeness in his mind to the individual he had previously seen at the police department, as well as the individual who walked by him at the Main Street Ramp." Daniels testified before the Warren Commission on April 16, 1964 : Now Daniels says that "the impression I got was that Vaughn knew him and maybe he had let him out and still, I wondered too why he let him go down in there ..." This was quite different from his affidavit. He also said he did not think the man was Jack Ruby : Daniels was also confused as to whether the man who went down the ramp did so before or after Pierce drove up the ramp . They showed Daniels the FBI reports from 1963, and he changed his mind : The Dallas police gave Daniels a polygraph, according to office Roy Vaughn: (page 452 of Larry Sneed's No More Silence: An Oral History of the Assassination of President Kennedy ) Maybe a year after this happened, I ran across N. J. Daniels in a restaurant in South Dallas where I was assigned to work. My partner and I were two white officers eating in a black cafe in a totally black area, which was the only place we had to eat. In any case, N. J. Daniels was there. By this time, he had changed his story. He then claimed that I had allowed Ruby to go down that ramp. My understanding was that he was run on a polygraph, and it showed him to be untrue. Captain Westbrook said that Daniels was dismissed: (page 321 - 322 of No More Silence ) Polygraphs were also run on Napoleon Daniels, who was a former policeman who had been fired for misconduct on duty. He came forth and volunteered information that Ruby stopped and talked to Vaughn and that Vaughn had let him in. Of course, he had an ax to grind and wanted to get even with somebody. Daniels, who was black, had been managing some real estate for somebody and had tried to collect rent while on duty by chasing a fellow while in full uniform. This account was supported by a fellow officer who was also black. So he was dismissed after he failed a polygraph. It's unclear if the failed polygraph test was in regards to the ramp or to his real estate dealings. James Hosty, in his book Assignment Oswald , says that Daniels was the victim of racism from the Dallas Police, and that Daniels failed the lie detector test because he was threatened. You can read more about Daniels' polygraph here. Mark Lane included the Daniels' story in the film Rush to Judgment . (1:28:02) Here is a excerpt from a transcript: Mark Lane : We are in the office of Napoleon J. Daniels, a real estate broker in Dallas, Texas. Mr. Daniels, have you been associated with the Dallas police force? Napoleon Daniels : I was for seven years. Mark Lane : In what capacity? Napoleon Daniels : As a patrolman. Mark Lane : Where were you on November 24 1963 Napoleon Daniels : Well, I was going down to inspect the assassination site around 11 o'clock, I guess. And, I noticed officer Vaughn standing on the Main Street ramp, the city hall, at the basement, and I stopped to go back to talk to him, and I asked him what his purpose was there, and he told me he was keeping anybody from getting in the basement because they were fixing to transfer Oswald. Mark Lane : How long did you remain in front of the main street ramp with Officer Vaughn? Napoleon Daniels : Twenty minutes, I guess. Mark Lane : Did you remain there until you heard a shot? Napoleon Daniels : I did. Mark Lane : From 11 o'clock until 11:20, did anyone enter the basement through the main street ramp? Napoleon Daniels : There's one man about a couple of minutes before Oswald was shot. Mark Lane : Could you describe that man? Napoleon Daniels : Yes, he was a white man, about, weighed about 175, and had on a blue suit, about five-nine. Mark Lane : What was the color of his hair? Napoleon Daniels : It's brownish, and he's bald, on the top. Mark Lane : Was there anything else distinctive about the gentleman? Napoleon Daniels : He had his right hand, his right coat pocket, and something seemed to be protruding from him. Mark Lane : What was your impression when you saw him enter the basement with his hand in his pocket? Napoleon Daniels : My first impression was that he had a gun in his pocket. And then I didn't think too much about it, because officer Vaughn didn't challenge him. He just let him go on down in there. Mark Lane : Did Vaughn indicate any recognition or knowledge of who the person was, when the man passed by him? Napoleon Daniels : Well, I just assumed he did, because he didn't try to stop him. I assume he knew who he was. Mark Lane : Did Vaughn allow anyone else to enter the basement other than that one man? Napoleon Daniels : No. Mark Lane : How long after that man entered the basement, did you hear a shot? Napoleon Daniels : Time enough, I guess, for him to walk down in and get settled. Mark Lane : And then what did you do after you heard the shot, sir? Napoleon Daniels : Well, I walked out to the center of the entrance and looked down in the basement. And as I looked down, I saw also scuffling with a man that and I got the impression it was the same man, because I saw his right arm, and you know, same color clothing, Mark Lane : Same color clothing as the man you saw? Napoleon Daniels: As the man I saw. Mark Lane : The Federal Bureau of Investigation showed you pictures of Jack Ruby in December 1963, is that correct? Napoleon Daniels : It is. Mark Lane : Did you tell the FBI then, that the man in the picture, Jack Ruby, resembled very closely the man you saw enter the basement ramp? Napoleon Daniels : Right, that's true. Mark Lane : The Warren Commission said that Jack Ruby did enter the main street ramp, and they indicated that happened between 11 o'clock and 11:20. If Ruby did enter the Main Street ramp between 11 and 11:20, was Jack Ruby the man who you saw enter? Napoleon Daniels : He'd almost have to be because that's the only man I saw go there ... that's the only one. Mark Lane : In your opinion, is the man who you saw walk past Vaughn into the basement Jack Ruby? Napoleon Daniels : The first impression I got, when Oswald was shot is that the guy I had just seen is the one that did it. Mark Lane : And now that you've seen pictures of Jack Ruby, does that strengthen your original impression that it was Jack Ruby, who you saw enter or weaken it? Napoleon Daniels : I'd say it'd have to strengthen. Mark Lane : It strengthens it. Video clip Newsman : Chief Curry. would you comment on the presence of Jack Ruby in the basement of City Hall while Lee Harvey Oswald was being transferred? How did he get there? Chief Curry : Well, of course, it's been pretty well established by this time that he came in the ramp entrance on the main street entrance, and the officer who was guarding this door had stepped away to permit a vehicle to come out. It wasn't necessary that he do this, but he had stepped across the sidewalk to assist a vehicle coming out of the basement. And that's when Ruby came into the basement. And this was less than two minutes before Oswald was brought down. Mark Lane : Where was officer Vaughn standing when this man entered past him? Napoleon Daniels : He's standing right inside the entrance to the basement. Mark Lane : And what was his responsibility or obligation that day, do you know? Napoleon Daniels : To not let anyone go down... Mark Lane: Have you any idea why he allowed this man to enter past him? Napoleon Daniels : No, I don't know, other than just he knew who he was, or something known as what I thought at the time, he had to know who he was. Mark Lane: Did officer Vaughan look at the man who walked past him? Napoleon Daniels : He looked in his direction, yes. Sylvia Meagher was not impressed with the scene with Daniels. Here is an excerpt from a letter she wrote to Raymond Marcus, dated December 20, 1966 I agree with Meagher that Lane's use of Daniels is dishonest. Lane spent several pages discussing Daniels in his book, but leaves out a lot in his film. Viewers of the film would not know that Daniels changed his story. Hosty might well have been right, but Lane's dishonesty and the mistreatment of Daniels are not mutually exclusive. Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Mark Lane Mark Lane and Charles Brehm A good case study in Lane's intellectual dishonesty. G. Robert Blakey on Mark Lane Robert Blakey and the HSCA were very critical of Mark Lane. George Lardner on Mark Lane Mark Lane and the HSCA. When Mort Sahl Kicked Mark Lane Out of his House An interesting anecdote from Mort Sahl's book, Heartland. Should We Blame Mark Lane? Some ads for Lane's film Rush to Judgment. In Defense of the Warren Commission A Garry Wills opinion piece on Mark Lane. Victor Navasky Reviews Mark Lane's "A Citizen's Dissent" Navasky tests Lane's book and finds it wanting. Mark Lane and Jonestown A New York Times profile of Lane and his involvement with Jonestown. New York Times Profile of Mark Lane An apt profile. Nightmare Brought to Life An opinion piece by Anthony Lewis in the New York Times  on Mark Lane and Jonestown. Mark Lane, Again An opinion piece from the Washington Post Mark Lane: A Bent for the Macabre Side A good opinion piece from the Philadelphia Bulletin . Sylvia Meagher Corresponds with Philippe Labro Meagher tells Labro a story about Mark Lane. Mark Lane and The Progressive Even a left-wing magazine like The Progressive  found Mark Lane hard to take. Mark Lane on Clay Shaw Mark Lane's addition to the 1992 edition of Rush to Judgment is eye opening. Mark Lane on the Joe Dolan Show Lane tells Dolan about Garrison's amazing evidence. Did the CIA Try to Kill Mark Lane?   Lane makes a startling allegation. Mark Lane: The Left's Leading Hearse-Chaser   A profile from Mother Jones  magazine. Mark Lane vs. Sylvia Meagher   Lane and Meagher feuded about a blurb for her book. The Case Against Mark Lane   A profile from Esquire Magazine . Mark Lane saw a conspiracy - as usual   An article from the Tampa Bay Times . The Mark of Zorro   An Anthony Lewis column on Mark Lane from 1978. Mark Lane's Scholarship!   Howard Roffman finds that Mark Lane's scholarship is lacking. Mark Lane, Conspiracy Addict   A profile of Mark Lane in Newsweek . Mark Lane offers to introduce Jim Garrison to "Mr. Candy"   Mark Lane offers to introduce Jim Garrison to a witness that, for $25,000, would tie Jack Ruby with Clay Shaw. Redactions, Redactions, Redactions...   This post has a good case study of how Mark Lane exploited a redaction in a document. "I Know Who Killed JFK," Part Three Lane tells the Danish press he knows who killed JFK. Mark Lane Said that Clay Shaw Was a "Powerful, Domestic Force in the Assassination." Lane speaks at the Louisiana State Bar Association.

Marguerite Oswald and Mark Lane A ridiculous theory from Marguerite Oswald : If Marguerite was alive today, she could be on Tucker Carlson's show and she would be quite a hit among the antisemitic crowd. Was Israel Behind the JFK Assassination? Tucker Carlson Again ... on the JFK Assassination Tucker says the CIA and another country assassinated JFK. Previous Relevant Blog Posts Marguerite Oswald Sends a Telegram to Jim Garrison Garrison got her upset. Garrison Investigators Talk to Marguerite Oswald   No shortage of crazy stuff here.

Here is an excerpt of G. Robert Blakey's book, Fatal Hour : Here is what the HSCA Final Report said : Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Mark Lane George Lardner on Mark Lane Mark Lane and the HSCA. When Mort Sahl Kicked Mark Lane Out of his House An interesting anecdote from Mort Sahl's book, Heartland. Should We Blame Mark Lane? Some ads for Lane's film Rush to Judgment. In Defense of the Warren Commission A Garry Wills opinion piece on Mark Lane. Victor Navasky Reviews Mark Lane's "A Citizen's Dissent" Navasky tests Lane's book and finds it wanting. Mark Lane and Jonestown A New York Times profile of Lane and his involvement with Jonestown. New York Times Profile of Mark Lane An apt profile. Nightmare Brought to Life An opinion piece by Anthony Lewis in the New York Times  on Mark Lane and Jonestown. Mark Lane, Again An opinion piece from the Washington Post Mark Lane: A Bent for the Macabre Side A good opinion piece from the Philadelphia Bulletin . Sylvia Meagher Corresponds with Philippe Labro Meagher tells Labro a story about Mark Lane. Mark Lane and The Progressive Even a left-wing magazine like The Progressive  found Mark Lane hard to take. Mark Lane on Clay Shaw Mark Lane's addition to the 1992 edition of Rush to Judgment is eye opening. Mark Lane on the Joe Dolan Show Lane tells Dolan about Garrison's amazing evidence. Did the CIA Try to Kill Mark Lane?   Lane makes a startling allegation. Mark Lane: The Left's Leading Hearse-Chaser   A profile from Mother Jones  magazine. Mark Lane vs. Sylvia Meagher   Lane and Meagher feuded about a blurb for her book. The Case Against Mark Lane   A profile from Esquire Magazine . Mark Lane saw a conspiracy - as usual   An article from the Tampa Bay Times . The Mark of Zorro   An Anthony Lewis column on Mark Lane from 1978. Mark Lane's Scholarship!   Howard Roffman finds that Mark Lane's scholarship is lacking. Mark Lane, Conspiracy Addict   A profile of Mark Lane in Newsweek . Mark Lane offers to introduce Jim Garrison to "Mr. Candy"   Mark Lane offers to introduce Jim Garrison to a witness that, for $25,000, would tie Jack Ruby with Clay Shaw. Redactions, Redactions, Redactions...   This post has a good case study of how Mark Lane exploited a redaction in a document. "I Know Who Killed JFK," Part Three Lane tells the Danish press he knows who killed JFK. Mark Lane Said that Clay Shaw Was a "Powerful, Domestic Force in the Assassination." Lane speaks at the Louisiana State Bar Association.

Hat tip: Hideji Okina, who is a terrific JFK assassination researcher in Japan. The Moorman photograph Josiah Thompson wonders in his book, Six Seconds in Dallas , if the gunman behind the fence appears in the Moorman photograph: (pages 128 - 129) "Looking right down at the barrel of that gun." Really? Talk about wanting to please. Holland also told Thompson that Kennedy was hit in the head by two shots, something he had never mentioned before. Here is what the HSCA said about the Moorman photograph : Vincent Bugliosi had this to say about people who "see" things in the Moorman photograph: (page 1605 in the Kindle edition of Reclaiming History ) Suffice it to say that anyone who can actually see human figures at the aforementioned encircled points in the Moorman photograph, or anywhere else in the background of the photo, should be thoughtful enough to bequeath his or her eyes to the scientific and medical communities for study and analysis. Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Smoke on the Grassy Knoll S.M. Holland's "Smoke" on the Grassy Knoll An analysis of Holland's various statements and interviews. Life Magazine's Rifle Test Reporters for Life did a test and discounted the possibility that Holland saw rifle smoke on the knoll. Life Magazine's Interview with George Davis Davis thought the smoke was from a motorcycle. Did S.M. Holland See Cigarette Smoke? Holland says he might have seen smoke from a cigarette. Did Richard Dodd See Smoke on the Grassy Knoll? Dodd told the FBI he did not know where the shots came from. Did Austin Miller just see Steam? His location of smoke was very close to a steampipe. Did James Simmons See Smoke from a Rifle on the Grassy Knoll? Simmons thought the shots came from the TSBD. Did Clemon Johnson see Smoke from a Rifle on the Grassy Knoll? He saw smoke but was it from a rifle? Was there a Cannon on the Grassy Knoll? Walter Winborn saw smoke on the grassy knoll, but was it from a rifle? Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Mark Lane George Lardner on Mark Lane Mark Lane and the HSCA. When Mort Sahl Kicked Mark Lane Out of his House An interesting anecdote from Mort Sahl's book, Heartland. Should We Blame Mark Lane? Some ads for Lane's film Rush to Judgment. In Defense of the Warren Commission A Garry Wills opinion piece on Mark Lane. Victor Navasky Reviews Mark Lane's "A Citizen's Dissent" Navasky tests Lane's book and finds it wanting. Mark Lane and Jonestown A New York Times profile of Lane and his involvement with Jonestown. New York Times Profile of Mark Lane An apt profile. Nightmare Brought to Life An opinion piece by Anthony Lewis in the New York Times  on Mark Lane and Jonestown. Mark Lane, Again An opinion piece from the Washington Post Mark Lane: A Bent for the Macabre Side A good opinion piece from the Philadelphia Bulletin . Sylvia Meagher Corresponds with Philippe Labro Meagher tells Labro a story about Mark Lane. Mark Lane and The Progressive Even a left-wing magazine like The Progressive  found Mark Lane hard to take. Mark Lane on Clay Shaw Mark Lane's addition to the 1992 edition of Rush to Judgment is eye opening. Mark Lane on the Joe Dolan Show Lane tells Dolan about Garrison's amazing evidence. Did the CIA Try to Kill Mark Lane?   Lane makes a startling allegation. Mark Lane: The Left's Leading Hearse-Chaser   A profile from Mother Jones  magazine. Mark Lane vs. Sylvia Meagher   Lane and Meagher feuded about a blurb for her book. The Case Against Mark Lane   A profile from Esquire Magazine . Mark Lane saw a conspiracy - as usual   An article from the Tampa Bay Times . The Mark of Zorro   An Anthony Lewis column on Mark Lane from 1978. Mark Lane's Scholarship!   Howard Roffman finds that Mark Lane's scholarship is lacking. Mark Lane, Conspiracy Addict   A profile of Mark Lane in Newsweek . Mark Lane offers to introduce Jim Garrison to "Mr. Candy"   Mark Lane offers to introduce Jim Garrison to a witness that, for $25,000, would tie Jack Ruby with Clay Shaw. Redactions, Redactions, Redactions...   This post has a good case study of how Mark Lane exploited a redaction in a document. "I Know Who Killed JFK," Part Three Lane tells the Danish press he knows who killed JFK. Mark Lane Said that Clay Shaw Was a "Powerful, Domestic Force in the Assassination." Lane speaks at the Louisiana State Bar Association.

George Davis was another one of the railroad men who watched the motorcade on November 22nd from the triple overpass. Here is his FBI report : In 1966, Life Magazine briefly started investigating the JFK assassination and they looked into the issue of smoke on the grassy knoll. As part of their investigation, Holland McCombs, one of their reporters, interviewed George Davis: Davis says that "one of the policemen that was riding in the rear of the President's car on the motorcycle took off up the embankment -- headed north right up the slope and as I remember he went almost to the top of it -- and the motorcycle was putting out blue smoke as it was going us this embankment. He got off of it and kinda laid the motorcycle on its side still puffing, blue smoke still coming up." Now, this did not happen but Officer Haygood did stop his motorcycle at the edge of the embankment. This must have been what Davis saw -- and I should add that both S. M. Holland and Lee Bowers also say they saw a motorcycle go up the embankment. They were all wrong. Officer Haygood said he tried to jump the curb, but had trouble -- and this maneuver may have contributed to excessive throttle and might have caused smoke. And blue smoke from a Harley-Davidson motorcycle in 1963 was not uncommon. In addition, as the motorcade began to accelerate toward the Triple Underpass after the shots were fired, officers gunned their engines to catch up. A sharp twist of the throttle on a 1963 Panhead frequently caused a "burp" of blue-white oil smoke. On November 22, the wind was quite strong and was blowing generally from the southwest/west. This could carry the exhaust smoke from the motorcycles on Elm Street toward the very trees on the Grassy Knoll where witnesses reported seeing "puffs." I don't want to make the claim the railroad men saw exhaust smoke, but it's a possibility. Holland, Bowers and Davis all thought they saw Haygood's motorcycle go up the embankment, and so, while they were all wrong, they were still watching what was going on on Elm Street. The exhaust smoke could have melded in Holland's memory about what he had just witnessed. Testimony of S. M. Holland From Mark Lane's interview with S.M. Holland. The Secret Service agent with a sub-machine gun was not in the Presidential limousine. George Hickey, in the follow-up car, drew his AR-15. Davis says that "Mr. Bowers would have seen a man with gun of any kind standing there. He said there was no human being on the north side of the fence. I think that pretty well clears that thing up." Davis says the smoke lasted a "minute, minute and a half at most." Smoke from a rifle wouldn't linger for that period of time. The railroad workers came up with a variety of explanations for the smoke -- some thought it was steam; some thought it was motorcycle exhaust; and some thought it might have been from cigarettes. There is no reason to believe it came from a rifle shot. One last word about memory, and this comes from Stephen White's book, Should We Now Believe the Warren Report? : (pages 61 - 62) The fact is that it is never simple to tell where shots have come from. A person directly in line with a shot, or very nearly in line, will usually have a reasonably good notion; a person off to either side will be forced to guess, and only a trained observer is likely to guess accurately. Echoes and reverberations make it especially difficult, and Dealey Plaza, a small bowl surrounded by buildings and by concrete structures, might have been designed to create echoes and reverberations. It is a further fact that no one in Dealey Plaza was ever able to report what he had heard, at least in a certain sense of the word, but was forced instead to fall back upon what he thought he heard. To some extent, one hears what one wishes to hear, as anyone knows who commonly conducts conversations in crowded rooms. The unexpected noise takes some time to make a conscious impression, particularly upon those whose attention is fixed elsewhere. It is probably that most of those in the Plaza were never conscious of gunshots while the gunshots themselves were reverberating, that only after the gunshots faded away was there any general realization that gunshots had been heard. Recollections, even after a few seconds, is subject to gross error, for it is almost always affected by the whole environment. Those who, upon their realization that they heard gunshots, saw officers rushing up the grassy knoll, would instinctively couple the two events. Completely outside any conscious interference -- indeed, beyond the possibility of conscious interference -- recollection would do the rest by merging the two perceptions: They would honestly and sincerely recall that they had "heard" gunshots from the grassy knoll. It is remarkable how many witnesses who report hearing shots from that direction couple their account with the memory of policemen rushing in that direction. They believe that in that manner they reinforce the validity of their recollection; in point of fact, they cast grave doubt upon it. Among those in the best position to know -- the occupants of the Presidential car, at whom the shots were directed and who were therefore directly in the trajectory -- the recollection is unambiguous. The Governor, his wife, the driver, and the accompanying Secret Service men recollect clearly that the shots came from the direction of the Texas School Book Depository. So do the occupants of the following car. Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Smoke on the Grassy Knoll Did S.M. Holland See Cigarette Smoke? Holland says he might have seen smoke from a cigarette. Did Richard Dodd See Smoke on the Grassy Knoll? Dodd told the FBI he did not know where the shots came from. Did Austin Miller just see Steam? His location of smoke was very close to a steampipe. Did James Simmons See Smoke from a Rifle on the Grassy Knoll? Simmons thought the shots came from the TSBD. Did Clemon Johnson see Smoke from a Rifle on the Grassy Knoll? He saw smoke but was it from a rifle? Was there a Cannon on the Grassy Knoll? Walter Winborn saw smoke on the grassy knoll, but was it from a rifle? Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Mark Lane George Lardner on Mark Lane Mark Lane and the HSCA. When Mort Sahl Kicked Mark Lane Out of his House An interesting anecdote from Mort Sahl's book, Heartland. Should We Blame Mark Lane? Some ads for Lane's film Rush to Judgment. In Defense of the Warren Commission A Garry Wills opinion piece on Mark Lane. Victor Navasky Reviews Mark Lane's "A Citizen's Dissent" Navasky tests Lane's book and finds it wanting. Mark Lane and Jonestown A New York Times profile of Lane and his involvement with Jonestown. New York Times Profile of Mark Lane An apt profile. Nightmare Brought to Life An opinion piece by Anthony Lewis in the New York Times  on Mark Lane and Jonestown. Mark Lane, Again An opinion piece from the Washington Post Mark Lane: A Bent for the Macabre Side A good opinion piece from the Philadelphia Bulletin . Sylvia Meagher Corresponds with Philippe Labro Meagher tells Labro a story about Mark Lane. Mark Lane and The Progressive Even a left-wing magazine like The Progressive  found Mark Lane hard to take. Mark Lane on Clay Shaw Mark Lane's addition to the 1992 edition of Rush to Judgment is eye opening. Mark Lane on the Joe Dolan Show Lane tells Dolan about Garrison's amazing evidence. Did the CIA Try to Kill Mark Lane?   Lane makes a startling allegation. Mark Lane: The Left's Leading Hearse-Chaser   A profile from Mother Jones  magazine. Mark Lane vs. Sylvia Meagher   Lane and Meagher feuded about a blurb for her book. The Case Against Mark Lane   A profile from Esquire Magazine . Mark Lane saw a conspiracy - as usual   An article from the Tampa Bay Times . The Mark of Zorro   An Anthony Lewis column on Mark Lane from 1978. Mark Lane's Scholarship!   Howard Roffman finds that Mark Lane's scholarship is lacking. Mark Lane, Conspiracy Addict   A profile of Mark Lane in Newsweek . Mark Lane offers to introduce Jim Garrison to "Mr. Candy"   Mark Lane offers to introduce Jim Garrison to a witness that, for $25,000, would tie Jack Ruby with Clay Shaw. Redactions, Redactions, Redactions...   This post has a good case study of how Mark Lane exploited a redaction in a document. "I Know Who Killed JFK," Part Three Lane tells the Danish press he knows who killed JFK. Mark Lane Said that Clay Shaw Was a "Powerful, Domestic Force in the Assassination." Lane speaks at the Louisiana State Bar Association.

S. M. Holland and Mark Lane in a scene from Rush to Judgment. There are some serious inconsistencies with S.M. Holland's statements and testimony about his supposed sighting of "smoke" on the grassy knoll. Here is his statement to the Sheriff's Department : Holland says that "I heard what I thought for the moment was a fire cracker and he slumped over and I looked over toward the arcade and trees and saw a puff of smoke," and then he heard three more shots. The only puff of smoke he saw came from the first shot. Which would mean that the fatal head shot would not have come from the grassy knoll, according to Holland. He also said that "everything is spinning in my head." Here is the FBI report on S. M. Holland : The FBI report states that "one of the officers in the front seat of the Presidential car stood up with a machine gun in his hands and was looking back from the car when it immediately speeded up, throwing this officer back across the front seat." This did not happen. The Secret Service agent who drew his AR-15 was George Hickey in the follow-up car. And he did not fall back on the seat. Here is an excerpt of S. M. Holland's Warren Commission testimony: Holland located those shots at the southeast corner of the Texas School Book Depository (he wasn't sure how high) and that a later shot came from the knoll and created the smoke. This is not what he said in his initial statement. Holland also discusses two of the motorcycle officers : Once again, Officer Hargood tried to go up the embankment but he couldn't jump the curb. He left his motorcycle there running and ran up the grassy knoll. Holland clearly saw him and so this was several seconds after the shots. When Holland was interviewed by Mark Lane, his story changed somewhat: Now Holland is saying the smoke came from the second shot, but not from the third shot which hit JFK in the head. And so the head shot, according to Holland, did not come from the grassy knoll. But then Holland says something different again: Now the third shot came from the grassy knoll and the first two shots came from the Texas School Book Depository. It's really hard to understand Holland's sequence of shots. In 1966, Holland said that the third and fourth shots hit JFK in the head: (pages 85 - 86 in Six Seconds in Dallas) Thompson : Is it your opinion then ... What is your opinion? That the third and fourth did hit the President? Holland : My opinion is that the third and the fourth shot did hit the President. Thompson : In the head? Holland : In the head. In any case, the smoke drifted from under the trees: In fact, the smoke lingered: Holland was about sixty-five to seventy yards away from where he saw the smoke. The wind was quite strong in Dealey Plaza that afternoon -- so strong that Officer Marrion Baker was blown off his motorcycle. In addition, the wind might have been even stronger than reports because of the cavernous effect of Dealey Plaza. Vincent Bugliosi talked to Willie Brown, a meteorologist in Asheville, North Carolina: I've been to Dealey Plaza, and as you know there are many tall buildings in the area. When the wind, like water, is funneled through a smaller channel -- here, between buildings -- the wind will always speed up, sometimes considerably. You're forcing the same volume of air through a smaller area. It's simple physics. In a water example, a wide river may not flow rapidly, but when funneled through a narrow canyon its velocity pics up immediately. S. M. Holland saw a few things that did not happen -- the Secret Service agent pulling his AR-15 in the Presidential car, and a motorcycle going up the embankment. Perhaps he also got the smoke wrong. In all likelihood, a lot of what Holland saw melded in his mind. There were several ways he could have seen some smoke -- from cigarettes, from an exhaust pipe, or perhaps steam. Remember the assassination happened quickly and human beings are not video recorders. Here is what Holland told Josiah Thompson: (page 72 in Last Second in Dallas ) Right under these trees, right at that exact spot, about ten or fifteen feet from this corner, the corner of the fence here, back this way right under this clump of trees, right under this tree ... That's where it was, just like somebody had clump [sic] a firecracker out and leave a little puff of smoke there; it was just laying there. It was white smoke. It wasn't black smoke or like a black powder. It was like a puff of a cigarette. Yes, it was "like a puff of a cigarette." Thompson was with Ed Kern of Life Magazine and while Holland denied it was cigarette smoke, here is what he said when they asked him about modern-day guns and ammunition, which shouldn't leave smoke: The powder still fires. Now I know this much about hunting and guns: the smoke is not near like it was ten years ago. When you shoot you see a black puff of smoke ... just like a steam engine. They have it refined now. But you fire a gun, any gun, from a light underneath this shade you'll see a puff of smoke that'll linger there. It'll be, just like I say, dim, like a cigarette .... Now Holland says a gun will emit black smoke but he saw white smoke on the knoll, And, once again, he brings up a cigarette. And, of course, he told Thompson that he noticed "three, four, or five cigarette butts" behind the fence. S. M. Holland told CBS he might have seen cigarette smoke. It is interesting that Thompson was with Ed Kern from Life Magazine but he doesn't mention anything in Last Second in Dallas about the rifle test his reporters had done -- nor does Thompson say anything about Kern's conclusion that Holland's story was a "picturesque invention after the fact." Todd Vaughan has another possibility. He recently wrote on Facebook: I just reviewed my very clear digital copy of the Bell film. It appears both the Presidential Limousine and the Secret Service Follow-Up cars are giving off very visible smoke as they accelerate toward and through the Triple Underpass. Holland was still watching when this happened. Could he have seen smoke from the limousine and just thought it was from the knoll? I'll conclude once again, with this paragraph from Stephen White's book,  Should We Now Believe the Warren Report? : (page 67) Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Smoke on the Grassy Knoll Life Magazine's Rifle Test Reporters for Life did a test and discounted the possibility that Holland saw rifle smoke on the knoll. Life Magazine's Interview with George Davis Davis thought the smoke was from a motorcycle. Did S.M. Holland See Cigarette Smoke? Holland says he might have seen smoke from a cigarette. Did Richard Dodd See Smoke on the Grassy Knoll? Dodd told the FBI he did not know where the shots came from. Did Austin Miller just see Steam? His location of smoke was very close to a steampipe. Did James Simmons See Smoke from a Rifle on the Grassy Knoll? Simmons thought the shots came from the TSBD. Did Clemon Johnson see Smoke from a Rifle on the Grassy Knoll? He saw smoke but was it from a rifle? Was there a Cannon on the Grassy Knoll? Walter Winborn saw smoke on the grassy knoll, but was it from a rifle? Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Mark Lane George Lardner on Mark Lane Mark Lane and the HSCA. When Mort Sahl Kicked Mark Lane Out of his House An interesting anecdote from Mort Sahl's book, Heartland. Should We Blame Mark Lane? Some ads for Lane's film Rush to Judgment. In Defense of the Warren Commission A Garry Wills opinion piece on Mark Lane. Victor Navasky Reviews Mark Lane's "A Citizen's Dissent" Navasky tests Lane's book and finds it wanting. Mark Lane and Jonestown A New York Times profile of Lane and his involvement with Jonestown. New York Times Profile of Mark Lane An apt profile. Nightmare Brought to Life An opinion piece by Anthony Lewis in the New York Times  on Mark Lane and Jonestown. Mark Lane, Again An opinion piece from the Washington Post Mark Lane: A Bent for the Macabre Side A good opinion piece from the Philadelphia Bulletin . Sylvia Meagher Corresponds with Philippe Labro Meagher tells Labro a story about Mark Lane. Mark Lane and The Progressive Even a left-wing magazine like The Progressive  found Mark Lane hard to take. Mark Lane on Clay Shaw Mark Lane's addition to the 1992 edition of Rush to Judgment is eye opening. Mark Lane on the Joe Dolan Show Lane tells Dolan about Garrison's amazing evidence. Did the CIA Try to Kill Mark Lane?   Lane makes a startling allegation. Mark Lane: The Left's Leading Hearse-Chaser   A profile from Mother Jones  magazine. Mark Lane vs. Sylvia Meagher   Lane and Meagher feuded about a blurb for her book. The Case Against Mark Lane   A profile from Esquire Magazine . Mark Lane saw a conspiracy - as usual   An article from the Tampa Bay Times . The Mark of Zorro   An Anthony Lewis column on Mark Lane from 1978. Mark Lane's Scholarship!   Howard Roffman finds that Mark Lane's scholarship is lacking. Mark Lane, Conspiracy Addict   A profile of Mark Lane in Newsweek . Mark Lane offers to introduce Jim Garrison to "Mr. Candy"   Mark Lane offers to introduce Jim Garrison to a witness that, for $25,000, would tie Jack Ruby with Clay Shaw. Redactions, Redactions, Redactions...   This post has a good case study of how Mark Lane exploited a redaction in a document. "I Know Who Killed JFK," Part Three Lane tells the Danish press he knows who killed JFK. Mark Lane Said that Clay Shaw Was a "Powerful, Domestic Force in the Assassination." Lane speaks at the Louisiana State Bar Association.

During Life Magazine's investigation of the JFK assassination in 1966, Holland McCombs decided to do a test and see if it was possible to see smoke from a rifle on the grassy knoll. Here is their report: Here is the text: Last week end we sent out a crew of four hunters to perform and witness. They were Carol and Roy Lutz, and Bill and Lucilla Dahnke. They carried to a nearby ranch a 32-20 rifle, a 30-30, an Army M-1, A Texas Ranger 38, a Beretta Automatic Pistol, a 22 Target. As one gunman at a time would fire, the other three witnesses stood from 9' to 15' from the muzzle and 25' to 50' from the muzzle to see if there were any discernible puffs of smoke visible against the green brushy backgrounds and at times among the brush and trees. This crew fired all the above listed weapons several times each. Their consensus report is as follows: Out in the open no smoke at all was visible during the firings but up against a green background before and among the brush and trees, we could see a wispy vapor for second or less but we really had to concentrate hard to see anything at all. As far as any "puff of smoke," there was no such thing. There was no hovering of either vapor or smoke. We could only see a barely wisp of vapor. And it was gone by the time you could say second. In addition to the above tests we have questioned police experts, firearms experts and other hunters and all agree that it would have to be old ammunition and old powder for Mr. Holland to have seen any hovering puff of smoke. However, most everyone seems to believe that it is quite possible that Mr. Davis' theory on the motorcycle exhumes as quite likely. Unfortunately I don't have the end of this sentence... Here was the response to the rifle test from Edward Kern: Here is a paragraph from Stephen White's book, Should We Now Believe the Warren Report? : (page 67) Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Smoke on the Grassy Knoll Life Magazine's Interview with George Davis Davis thought the smoke was from a motorcycle. Did S.M. Holland See Cigarette Smoke? Holland says he might have seen smoke from a cigarette. Did Richard Dodd See Smoke on the Grassy Knoll? Dodd told the FBI he did not know where the shots came from. Did Austin Miller just see Steam? His location of smoke was very close to a steampipe. Did James Simmons See Smoke from a Rifle on the Grassy Knoll? Simmons thought the shots came from the TSBD. Did Clemon Johnson see Smoke from a Rifle on the Grassy Knoll? He saw smoke but was it from a rifle? Was there a Cannon on the Grassy Knoll? Walter Winborn saw smoke on the grassy knoll, but was it from a rifle? Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Mark Lane George Lardner on Mark Lane Mark Lane and the HSCA. When Mort Sahl Kicked Mark Lane Out of his House An interesting anecdote from Mort Sahl's book, Heartland. Should We Blame Mark Lane? Some ads for Lane's film Rush to Judgment. In Defense of the Warren Commission A Garry Wills opinion piece on Mark Lane. Victor Navasky Reviews Mark Lane's "A Citizen's Dissent" Navasky tests Lane's book and finds it wanting. Mark Lane and Jonestown A New York Times profile of Lane and his involvement with Jonestown. New York Times Profile of Mark Lane An apt profile. Nightmare Brought to Life An opinion piece by Anthony Lewis in the New York Times  on Mark Lane and Jonestown. Mark Lane, Again An opinion piece from the Washington Post Mark Lane: A Bent for the Macabre Side A good opinion piece from the Philadelphia Bulletin . Sylvia Meagher Corresponds with Philippe Labro Meagher tells Labro a story about Mark Lane. Mark Lane and The Progressive Even a left-wing magazine like The Progressive  found Mark Lane hard to take. Mark Lane on Clay Shaw Mark Lane's addition to the 1992 edition of Rush to Judgment is eye opening. Mark Lane on the Joe Dolan Show Lane tells Dolan about Garrison's amazing evidence. Did the CIA Try to Kill Mark Lane?   Lane makes a startling allegation. Mark Lane: The Left's Leading Hearse-Chaser   A profile from Mother Jones  magazine. Mark Lane vs. Sylvia Meagher   Lane and Meagher feuded about a blurb for her book. The Case Against Mark Lane   A profile from Esquire Magazine . Mark Lane saw a conspiracy - as usual   An article from the Tampa Bay Times . The Mark of Zorro   An Anthony Lewis column on Mark Lane from 1978. Mark Lane's Scholarship!   Howard Roffman finds that Mark Lane's scholarship is lacking. Mark Lane, Conspiracy Addict   A profile of Mark Lane in Newsweek . Mark Lane offers to introduce Jim Garrison to "Mr. Candy"   Mark Lane offers to introduce Jim Garrison to a witness that, for $25,000, would tie Jack Ruby with Clay Shaw. Redactions, Redactions, Redactions...   This post has a good case study of how Mark Lane exploited a redaction in a document. "I Know Who Killed JFK," Part Three Lane tells the Danish press he knows who killed JFK. Mark Lane Said that Clay Shaw Was a "Powerful, Domestic Force in the Assassination." Lane speaks at the Louisiana State Bar Association.

Here is an excerpt from a transcript : S. M. Holland : The President slumped over forward like that and he tried to raise his hand up. Governor Connally, sitting in front of him on the right side of the car, tried to turn to his right, and he was sitting so close to the door, he couldn't make it that way. And he turned back like that with his arm out, to the left. And about that time the second shot was fired. It knocked him over forward, and he slumped to the right, and I guess his wife pulled him over in her lap because he fell over in her lap. And, about that time, there was a third report that wasn't near as loud, as the two previous reports. It came from that picket fence. And, then there were the fourth report. And the third and fourth reported almost simultaneously, but the third report wasn't nearly as loud as the two previous reports or the fourth report. I glanced over underneath that green tree, and you can see a little puff of smoke. It looked like a puff of steam or cigarette smoke, and the smoke was about oh, eight or ten feet off the ground, and about fifteen foot this side of that tree. Interestingly, Richard Dodd said they found lots of cigarette butts behind the wooden fence. Might someone have simply been smoking? By the way, this interview is from the 1967 CBS News Inquiry, part II. Holland was being interviewed by Eddie Barker. Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Smoke on the Grassy Knoll Did Richard Dodd See Smoke on the Grassy Knoll? Dodd told the FBI he did not know where the shots came from. Did Austin Miller just see Steam? His location of smoke was very close to a steampipe. Did James Simmons See Smoke from a Rifle on the Grassy Knoll? Simmons thought the shots came from the TSBD. Did Clemon Johnson see Smoke from a Rifle on the Grassy Knoll? He saw smoke but was it from a rifle? Was there a Cannon on the Grassy Knoll? Walter Winborn saw smoke on the grassy knoll, but was it from a rifle? Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Mark Lane George Lardner on Mark Lane Mark Lane and the HSCA. When Mort Sahl Kicked Mark Lane Out of his House An interesting anecdote from Mort Sahl's book, Heartland. Should We Blame Mark Lane? Some ads for Lane's film Rush to Judgment. In Defense of the Warren Commission A Garry Wills opinion piece on Mark Lane. Victor Navasky Reviews Mark Lane's "A Citizen's Dissent" Navasky tests Lane's book and finds it wanting. Mark Lane and Jonestown A New York Times profile of Lane and his involvement with Jonestown. New York Times Profile of Mark Lane An apt profile. Nightmare Brought to Life An opinion piece by Anthony Lewis in the New York Times  on Mark Lane and Jonestown. Mark Lane, Again An opinion piece from the Washington Post Mark Lane: A Bent for the Macabre Side A good opinion piece from the Philadelphia Bulletin . Sylvia Meagher Corresponds with Philippe Labro Meagher tells Labro a story about Mark Lane. Mark Lane and The Progressive Even a left-wing magazine like The Progressive  found Mark Lane hard to take. Mark Lane on Clay Shaw Mark Lane's addition to the 1992 edition of Rush to Judgment is eye opening. Mark Lane on the Joe Dolan Show Lane tells Dolan about Garrison's amazing evidence. Did the CIA Try to Kill Mark Lane?   Lane makes a startling allegation. Mark Lane: The Left's Leading Hearse-Chaser   A profile from Mother Jones  magazine. Mark Lane vs. Sylvia Meagher   Lane and Meagher feuded about a blurb for her book. The Case Against Mark Lane   A profile from Esquire Magazine . Mark Lane saw a conspiracy - as usual   An article from the Tampa Bay Times . The Mark of Zorro   An Anthony Lewis column on Mark Lane from 1978. Mark Lane's Scholarship!   Howard Roffman finds that Mark Lane's scholarship is lacking. Mark Lane, Conspiracy Addict   A profile of Mark Lane in Newsweek . Mark Lane offers to introduce Jim Garrison to "Mr. Candy"   Mark Lane offers to introduce Jim Garrison to a witness that, for $25,000, would tie Jack Ruby with Clay Shaw. Redactions, Redactions, Redactions...   This post has a good case study of how Mark Lane exploited a redaction in a document. "I Know Who Killed JFK," Part Three Lane tells the Danish press he knows who killed JFK. Mark Lane Said that Clay Shaw Was a "Powerful, Domestic Force in the Assassination." Lane speaks at the Louisiana State Bar Association.

Mark Lane and Richard Calvin Dodd from the film Rush to Judgment. Richard C. Dodd is another one of Mark Lane's 'smoke on the grassy knoll' witnesses.(page 40 of Rush to Judgment ) In filmed interviews, both James L. Simmons and Richard C. Dodd told me that they had seen smoke near the bushes and trees at the corner of the wooden fence ... Dodd said, 'The smoke came from behind the ledge on the north side of the plaza'. However, Dodd said nothing of the kind in his FBI interview from March, 1964 : Dodd said that "his attention remained on President Kennedy; he did not look up and did not know where the shots came from." Mark Lane footnotes the FBI report in his book Rush to Judgment but doesn't mention it in his text. So, his readers have no idea that Dodd told the FBI that he had no idea where the shots came from. And that he initially said nothing about smoke. Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Smoke on the Grassy Knoll Did Austin Miller just see Steam? His location of smoke was very close to a steampipe. Did James Simmons See Smoke from a Rifle on the Grassy Knoll? Simmons thought the shots came from the TSBD. Did Clemon Johnson see Smoke from a Rifle on the Grassy Knoll? He saw smoke but was it from a rifle? Was there a Cannon on the Grassy Knoll? Walter Winborn saw smoke on the grassy knoll, but was it from a rifle? Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Mark Lane George Lardner on Mark Lane Mark Lane and the HSCA. When Mort Sahl Kicked Mark Lane Out of his House An interesting anecdote from Mort Sahl's book, Heartland. Should We Blame Mark Lane? Some ads for Lane's film Rush to Judgment. In Defense of the Warren Commission A Garry Wills opinion piece on Mark Lane. Victor Navasky Reviews Mark Lane's "A Citizen's Dissent" Navasky tests Lane's book and finds it wanting. Mark Lane and Jonestown A New York Times profile of Lane and his involvement with Jonestown. New York Times Profile of Mark Lane An apt profile. Nightmare Brought to Life An opinion piece by Anthony Lewis in the New York Times  on Mark Lane and Jonestown. Mark Lane, Again An opinion piece from the Washington Post Mark Lane: A Bent for the Macabre Side A good opinion piece from the Philadelphia Bulletin . Sylvia Meagher Corresponds with Philippe Labro Meagher tells Labro a story about Mark Lane. Mark Lane and The Progressive Even a left-wing magazine like The Progressive  found Mark Lane hard to take. Mark Lane on Clay Shaw Mark Lane's addition to the 1992 edition of Rush to Judgment is eye opening. Mark Lane on the Joe Dolan Show Lane tells Dolan about Garrison's amazing evidence. Did the CIA Try to Kill Mark Lane?   Lane makes a startling allegation. Mark Lane: The Left's Leading Hearse-Chaser   A profile from Mother Jones  magazine. Mark Lane vs. Sylvia Meagher   Lane and Meagher feuded about a blurb for her book. The Case Against Mark Lane   A profile from Esquire Magazine . Mark Lane saw a conspiracy - as usual   An article from the Tampa Bay Times . The Mark of Zorro   An Anthony Lewis column on Mark Lane from 1978. Mark Lane's Scholarship!   Howard Roffman finds that Mark Lane's scholarship is lacking. Mark Lane, Conspiracy Addict   A profile of Mark Lane in Newsweek . Mark Lane offers to introduce Jim Garrison to "Mr. Candy"   Mark Lane offers to introduce Jim Garrison to a witness that, for $25,000, would tie Jack Ruby with Clay Shaw. Redactions, Redactions, Redactions...   This post has a good case study of how Mark Lane exploited a redaction in a document. "I Know Who Killed JFK," Part Three Lane tells the Danish press he knows who killed JFK. Mark Lane Said that Clay Shaw Was a "Powerful, Domestic Force in the Assassination." Lane speaks at the Louisiana State Bar Association.

Mark Lane and James L. Simmons in the film Rush to Judgment Another one of Mark Lane's witnesses to support his theory that a gunman was firing from the grassy knoll was James Simmons: (page 40 of Rush to Judgment ) In filmed interviews, both James L. Simmons and Richard C. Dodd told me that they had seen smoke near the bushes and trees at the corner of the wooden fence. Simmons said the sound of the shots 'came from the left and in front of us, toward the wooden fence, and there was a puff of smoke that came underneath the trees on the embankment.' Here is what Simmons said in 1964 to the FBI : Simmons said that "he thought he saw exhaust fumes of smoke near the embankment in front of the Texas School Book Depository," and that "it was his opinion the shots came from the direction of the Texas School Book Depository." Now, here is what Simmons told Mark Lane in 1966: LANE . What did you see and what did you hear? SIMMONS . As the presidential limousine was rounding the curve on Elm Street, there was a loud explosion. At the time I didn't know what it was, but it sounded like a loud firecracker or a gun shot. And it sounded like it came form the left and in front of us towards the wooden fence. And there was a puff of smoke that came underneath of the trees on the embankment. LANE . Where was the puff of smoke Mr. Simmons in relation to the wooden fence? SIMMONS . It was right directly in front of the wooden fence.... LANE . After you heard the shots and saw the smoke, what did you do? SIMMONS . I was talking with Patrolman Foster at the time. And as soon as we heard the shots we ran around to the wooden fence. And when we got there there was no one there. But there was footprints in the mud around the fence, and there was footprints on the wooden two by four railing on the fence. LANE . Were you questioned by Dallas Police that day? SIMMONS . Yes, I was. LANE . Did you give your name to the Dallas Police? SIMMONS . Yes, I did. LANE . Did you tell them what you just told me? SIMMONS . Yes, I did. LANE . Were you subsequently questioned by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. SIMMONS . About a month later I was questioned by the FBI. LANE . Did you tell them what you told me and what you told the Dallas Police? SIMMONS . Yes, I did. So, Simmons changes the location of the smoke from "near the embankment in front of the depository" to "underneath the trees on the embankment." Lane doesn't ask him about the change in the location of the smoke, nor does he ask him about whether the smoke was "exhaust fumes." And Lane doesn't dare tell his readers that Simmons initially thought the shots came from the Texas School Book Depository. In fact, Lane doesn't tell his readers anything about what Simmons said in 1964, although he does provide a footnote to Simmons' statement -- so we know that Lane knew about it. Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Smoke on the Grassy Knoll Did Clemon Johnson see Smoke from a Rifle on the Grassy Knoll? He saw smoke but was it from a rifle? Was there a Cannon on the Grassy Knoll? Walter Winborn saw smoke on the grassy knoll, but was it from a rifle? Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Mark Lane George Lardner on Mark Lane Mark Lane and the HSCA. When Mort Sahl Kicked Mark Lane Out of his House An interesting anecdote from Mort Sahl's book, Heartland. Should We Blame Mark Lane? Some ads for Lane's film Rush to Judgment. In Defense of the Warren Commission A Garry Wills opinion piece on Mark Lane. Victor Navasky Reviews Mark Lane's "A Citizen's Dissent" Navasky tests Lane's book and finds it wanting. Mark Lane and Jonestown A New York Times profile of Lane and his involvement with Jonestown. New York Times Profile of Mark Lane An apt profile. Nightmare Brought to Life An opinion piece by Anthony Lewis in the New York Times  on Mark Lane and Jonestown. Mark Lane, Again An opinion piece from the Washington Post Mark Lane: A Bent for the Macabre Side A good opinion piece from the Philadelphia Bulletin . Sylvia Meagher Corresponds with Philippe Labro Meagher tells Labro a story about Mark Lane. Mark Lane and The Progressive Even a left-wing magazine like The Progressive  found Mark Lane hard to take. Mark Lane on Clay Shaw Mark Lane's addition to the 1992 edition of Rush to Judgment is eye opening. Mark Lane on the Joe Dolan Show Lane tells Dolan about Garrison's amazing evidence. Did the CIA Try to Kill Mark Lane?   Lane makes a startling allegation. Mark Lane: The Left's Leading Hearse-Chaser   A profile from Mother Jones  magazine. Mark Lane vs. Sylvia Meagher   Lane and Meagher feuded about a blurb for her book. The Case Against Mark Lane   A profile from Esquire Magazine . Mark Lane saw a conspiracy - as usual   An article from the Tampa Bay Times . The Mark of Zorro   An Anthony Lewis column on Mark Lane from 1978. Mark Lane's Scholarship!   Howard Roffman finds that Mark Lane's scholarship is lacking. Mark Lane, Conspiracy Addict   A profile of Mark Lane in Newsweek . Mark Lane offers to introduce Jim Garrison to "Mr. Candy"   Mark Lane offers to introduce Jim Garrison to a witness that, for $25,000, would tie Jack Ruby with Clay Shaw. Redactions, Redactions, Redactions...   This post has a good case study of how Mark Lane exploited a redaction in a document. "I Know Who Killed JFK," Part Three Lane tells the Danish press he knows who killed JFK. Mark Lane Said that Clay Shaw Was a "Powerful, Domestic Force in the Assassination." Lane speaks at the Louisiana State Bar Association.

Did Hale Boggs have reservations about the Warren Report. Paul Bleau thinks that he did -- here is excerpt from the book, Chokeholds : Boggs was neither convinced that Oswald was the assassin, nor that Ruby acted alone. According to legal advisor Bernard Fensterwald: “Almost from the beginning, Congressman Boggs had been suspicious over the FBI and CIA’s reluctance to provide hard information when the Commission’s probe turned to certain areas, such as allegations that Oswald may have been an undercover operative of some sort. When the Commission sought to disprove the growing suspicion that Oswald had once worked for the FBI, Boggs was outraged that the only proof of denial that the FBI offered was a brief statement of disclaimer by J. Edgar Hoover. It was Hale Boggs who drew an admission from Allen Dulles that the CIA’s record of employing someone like Oswald might be so heavily coded that the verification of his service would be almost impossible for outside investigators to establish.” According to one of his friends: “Hale felt very, very torn during his work (on the Commission) … he wished he had never been on it and wished he’d never signed it (the Warren Report).” Another former aide argued that “Hale always returned to one thing: Hoover lied his eyes out to the Commission—on Oswald, on Ruby, on their friends, the bullets, the gun, you name it.”[28] Bleau's footnote is a page from the Spartacus website. And the source on that website regarding Boggs is Bernard Fensterwald's book, Coincidence or Conspiracy : Like Russell, Boggs was, very simply, a strong doubter. Several years after his death in 1972, a colleague of his wife Lindy (who was elected to fill her late husband's seat in the Congress) recalled Mrs. Boggs remarking, "Hale felt very, very torn during his work [on the Commission] ... he wished he had never been on it and wished he'd never signed it [the Warren Report]." A former aide to the late House Majority Leader has recently recalled, "Hale always returned to one thing: Hoover lied his eyes out to the Commission - on Oswald, on Ruby, on their friends, the bullets, the gun, you name it... This is just hearsay. An unnamed colleague of his wife supposedly said Boggs regretted signing the Warren Report. And then Fensterwald quotes an unnamed former aide to Boggs. Let's look at what Hale Boggs actually said. Here is an excerpt from an interview between T.H. Baker and Hale Boggs from March 27, 1969 : And here is a video of Hale Boggs: Here is a transcript of this recording: The Warren Commission took testimony from many, many witnesses, well over a thousand. The testimony runs in twenty-six bound volumes, in the many many millions of words. It had at its disposal the complete resources of the FBI, the Secret Service, the CIA, the intelligence of the Army, Navy, Air Force, the State Department, the law enforcement officials of the state of Texas, the Attorney General of this state, law enforcement officials in Dallas, where the assassination occurred. The only direction to the Commission, which was made up of a bipartisan Commission -- my colleague the Republican leader in the house sat on the Commission as did Senator Cooper. As a matter of fact, majority of the members of commission were members of the opposition party. The only admonition we had was to find the truth, and we sought the truth and my own conviction is that we found it. I have my own conviction is, it is, no doubt about it And here is an article: Birmingham Post-Herald, November 28, 1966 Here is another article about the same Boggs interview: Money Quote : Many people would rather believe there was a conspiracy. This is unfortunately human nature. Here is an FBI memo about Hale Boggs : Previous Relevant Blog Post Richard Russell and the Warren Report The truth about his supposed dissent. Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Chokeholds : Did the Second Oswald Fly to Roswell? A rather insane story. Chokeholds Uses a Fake Story The book treats a Mort Sahl quote as if it was correct. Paul Bleau Chokes, Part 18 Chokeholds leaves out a lot of information about Aloysius Habighorst. Paul Bleau Chokes, Part 17 Bleau doesn't tell his readers about Roger Craig's credibility problems. Paul Bleau Chokes, Part 16 Bleau believes the Rose Cherami story. Paul Bleau Chokes, Part 15 Bleau claims the Shaw jury believed there was a conspiracy in the JFK assassination. This is just not true. Paul Bleau Chokes, Part 14 Bleau doesn't tell you everything about Lyndon Johnson's feelings towards the Warren Report. Paul Bleau Chokes, Part 13 Bleau leaves out some important details about the beliefs of Burt Griffin. Paul Bleau Chokes, Part 12 Bleau leaves out an important paragraph from Alfredda Scobey's article on the Warren Commission. Paul Bleau Chokes, Part 11 Bleau misleads readers on the testimony of John Moss Whitten. Paul Bleau Chokes, Part 10 Bleau gets it all wrong on Dr. George Burkley. Paul Bleau Chokes, Part 9 Bleau doesn't tell the whole story about John Sherman Cooper. Paul Bleau Chokes, Part 8 Bleau claims that J. Lee Rankin questioned the findings of the Warren Report. This is just not true. Paul Bleau Chokes, Part 7 Bleau tries to make it appear that Dallas policeman James Leavelle had doubts that Oswald could be found guilty at a trial. Paul Bleau Chokes, Part 6 Bleau gets it all wrong on the FBI Summary Report. Paul Bleau Chokes, Part 5 Bleau discusses the conclusions of the HSCA but leaves out it most important finding. Paul Bleau Chokes, Part 4 Bleau leaves out some important details about a Warren Commission staffer. Paul Bleau Chokes, Part 3 Was Oswald a loner? Bleau says no, and then says yes. Paul Bleau Chokes, Part 2 Bleau leaves out some important details about Malcolm Kilduff. Paul Bleau Chokes An introduction to Paul Bleau's new book,  Chokeholds .

Austin Lawrence Miller Austin Miller was another one of Mark Lane's witnesses who claimed to have seen smoke on the grassy knoll: (page 40 in Rush to Judgment ) Austin L. Miller stated in an affidavit on November 22, 'I saw something which I thought was smoke or steam coming from a group of trees north of Elm off the railroad tracks.' He was questioned for the first time by counsel for the Commission four and a half months after the assassination. The interview was a brief one; it lasted but a few minutes. Counsel did not ask about the smoke, and Miller was dismissed before he could mention the crucial observation contained in his affidavit. Here is Austin Miller's statement to the Sheriff's department: The smoke that Austin Miller saw came from the westernmost part of the grassy knoll which is not where conspiracy theorists claim the shots came from. And there was a steam pipe right in that vicinity -- notice that Miller said it could have been steam. Gary Mack told Vincent Bugliosi that the steam pipe " started at the north end of the Triple Underpass and extended about thirty feet parallel to the railroad tracks” And Dallas police officer Seymour Weitzman testified about the steam pipe : Austin Miller also talked to the FBI : No mention of smoke or steam, but Miller does mention "powder dust spray" which might either have been brain/blood/scalp/skull matter from the head shot, or dust from a missed shot on the pavement. Update Robert Wagner, in his excellent book, JFK Assassinated , references this piece of testimony from Austin Miller: "I don't recall exactly what all did happen for sure." Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Smoke on the Grassy Knoll Did James Simmons See Smoke from a Rifle on the Grassy Knoll? Simmons thought the shots came from the TSBD. Did Clemon Johnson see Smoke from a Rifle on the Grassy Knoll? He saw smoke but was it from a rifle? Was there a Cannon on the Grassy Knoll? Walter Winborn saw smoke on the grassy knoll, but was it from a rifle? Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Mark Lane George Lardner on Mark Lane Mark Lane and the HSCA. When Mort Sahl Kicked Mark Lane Out of his House An interesting anecdote from Mort Sahl's book, Heartland. Should We Blame Mark Lane? Some ads for Lane's film Rush to Judgment. In Defense of the Warren Commission A Garry Wills opinion piece on Mark Lane. Victor Navasky Reviews Mark Lane's "A Citizen's Dissent" Navasky tests Lane's book and finds it wanting. Mark Lane and Jonestown A New York Times profile of Lane and his involvement with Jonestown. New York Times Profile of Mark Lane An apt profile. Nightmare Brought to Life An opinion piece by Anthony Lewis in the New York Times  on Mark Lane and Jonestown. Mark Lane, Again An opinion piece from the Washington Post Mark Lane: A Bent for the Macabre Side A good opinion piece from the Philadelphia Bulletin . Sylvia Meagher Corresponds with Philippe Labro Meagher tells Labro a story about Mark Lane. Mark Lane and The Progressive Even a left-wing magazine like The Progressive  found Mark Lane hard to take. Mark Lane on Clay Shaw Mark Lane's addition to the 1992 edition of Rush to Judgment is eye opening. Mark Lane on the Joe Dolan Show Lane tells Dolan about Garrison's amazing evidence. Did the CIA Try to Kill Mark Lane?   Lane makes a startling allegation. Mark Lane: The Left's Leading Hearse-Chaser   A profile from Mother Jones  magazine. Mark Lane vs. Sylvia Meagher   Lane and Meagher feuded about a blurb for her book. The Case Against Mark Lane   A profile from Esquire Magazine . Mark Lane saw a conspiracy - as usual   An article from the Tampa Bay Times . The Mark of Zorro   An Anthony Lewis column on Mark Lane from 1978. Mark Lane's Scholarship!   Howard Roffman finds that Mark Lane's scholarship is lacking. Mark Lane, Conspiracy Addict   A profile of Mark Lane in Newsweek . Mark Lane offers to introduce Jim Garrison to "Mr. Candy"   Mark Lane offers to introduce Jim Garrison to a witness that, for $25,000, would tie Jack Ruby with Clay Shaw. Redactions, Redactions, Redactions...   This post has a good case study of how Mark Lane exploited a redaction in a document. "I Know Who Killed JFK," Part Three Lane tells the Danish press he knows who killed JFK. Mark Lane Said that Clay Shaw Was a "Powerful, Domestic Force in the Assassination." Lane speaks at the Louisiana State Bar Association.