One of the more incredible stories to come out of the Clinton/Jackson witnesses was the one regarding Oswald living with a doctor from the East Louisiana State Hospital. I am indebted to Patricia Lambert for her ground-breaking work on this story. This all started with a story Henry Earl Palmer told Anne Dischler. Here is a excerpt from her notes for May 22, 1967: The note reads in part: boy had I.d card -Navy - Lee H. Oswald staying w/doctor - Jackson - Dr. Picard possibly - at ELSH - h/bn [had been] there 6 mo - Dr. w/not reg - w/Palmer Here is an entry from the Richard Billings diary for May 22 -23, 1967: Alcock then reported he had an earlier call from Lieutenant Fruge, in which he said he had a report that Oswald had applied for work in October 1963 at the Jackson Hospital. He was turned down because he was not a registered voter in Louisiana, which [sic] a requirement for employment at a state hospital, which might explain why Oswald would have attempted to register to vote. It was later determined by Loisel that the name of the doctor with whom Oswald stated he was living at the time is a Doctor Frank Silva, who was born on the 10th of October, 1929, in Havana. He reportedly married a girl from Jackson, which is a town as well as the name of the state institution. And he lived in Jackson from 1958-64; he was employed as an associate professor and consultant at Tulane University, though he lived on the grounds of the institution. He did consulting work for the institution, and was on its payroll for a very short time in May of 1963, for the month of May 1963. The source of this information is a Mr. McLeury of the State Sovereignty Commission. Garrison's office is checking the report further. So, Francis Fruge called the Garrison office to tell them that the doctor that Oswald supposedly lived with was Dr. Silva, rather than Picard. Here is an excerpt from an interview that Andrew Sciambra conducted with Henry Earl Palmer on May 29, 1967: The memo reads: "OSWALD told Mr. Palmer he was living at Jackson and had been living there for 6 months with some doctor at the hospital. Mr. Palmer said that OSWALD named the doctor but that he cannot remember the doctor's name." Sciambra then interviewed Dr. Silva: Sciambra writes "DR. SILVA said that he was working at the hospital all during the year 1963 but had never seen or heard of LEE HARVEY OSWALD." As far as I can tell, Dr. Silva was the only doctor at ELSH that Sciambra talked with Here is an excerpt from a November 14, 1967 Garrison memo on outstanding leads: A New Orleans informant? Was that Francis Fruge or Jack Rogers? Sciambra spoke again with Palmer in January, 1968, and he was again unsure of the doctor's name: Palmer says that "the doctor that OSWALD mentioned was in the second register which covers L to Z. The name RIERA rings a bell in some way for him." During the Clay Shaw trial, Palmer said nothing about Oswald living with a doctor. Shaw's attorneys never knew about this allegation. From the HSCA outside contact report, on January 19, 1978, Palmer said: When Palmer testified before the HSCA on April 19, 1978, his story changed: Now Palmer says that the doctor that Oswald said he lived with was Dr. Pierson. And there was in fact a Dr. Pierson at ELSH. Patricia Lambert interviewed Dr. Silva in 1995. And he told her a very interesting story about someone who did come to the hospital in 1963: In our lengthy telephone conversation, Dr. Silva was unclear about the timing of that incident, though he thought it could have been in the summer months prior to the assassination based on his recollections of the way people were dressed. It began when an excited hospital attendant, knowing where Dr. Silva was born, rushed up saying, “You have to meet this guy—he knows about Cuba.” Dr. Silva “very reluctantly” went along with him to an “open corridor” where the man “was at the entrance” of the “back unit,” talking “with two or three other attendants.” “This man came to the hospital asking for work,” Dr. Silva said, “and apparently somebody told him that he had to get registered to vote. . . . My impression of him at that time was that this guy was, excuse my language, a bullshitter. He was very braggadocio. . . . he was bragging about his ability with an AK-47, whatever you call them. . .” “[He] apparently had been in Guantanamo at one point. . .I think he said that, because apparently he had been in the Marines.” “He said something about Castro. I can’t remember what he said, positive or negative—I can’t remember.” Right away, Dr. Silva said, “this guy turned me off.” “[T]he things he was saying irritated me. . .because I knew this guy didn’t know what he was talking about. . .I just didn’t like him.” “So I disconnected in my mind; I just didn’t pay too much attention to him.” “[T]he only thing I remember was my negative reaction to this person. I don’t like people who brag and he was talking and telling this bunch of naïve country people all kinds of stories about what he had done.” What those stories were, Dr. Silva couldn’t remember. The encounter was brief. “. . .[T]he whole conversation,” Dr. Silva said, “didn’t last more than, overall, I would say not more than ten minutes, if it lasted that long.” Dr. Silva didn’t recall the man’s name, or how he was dressed, and he made only one comment regarding what he looked like: “He had not a very well-kept appearance,” Dr. Silva said. Beyond a strong sense of the man’s personality, the braggart in the hall was a virtual blank to Dr. Silva. He remained a blank at the time of President Kennedy’s murder, when Lee Harvey Oswald’s media exposure was most intense, and which occurred only a few months after the meeting in the hospital hallway. Dr. Silva was scrupulously precise, painstaking even, in emphasizing that at the time of the assassination he did not relate Lee Harvey Oswald to the man he met at the hospital. He made no connection whatever between that man and the president’s assassin. “[Oswald’s] face was not familiar,” Dr. Silva said. “I don’t think anybody [at the hospital] remembered him, not anybody that I knew.” When the assassination happened, no one said this is the guy who came here. “No one said anything.” “If you had shown me a picture of this guy, Lee Oswald [as seen] on television and in magazines, and said had you ever seen this guy, I would have said no, I’ve never seen him.” “This Lee Harvey Oswald was a complete stranger to me.” Dr. Silva had never seen or heard of him. There apparently had been a black Cadillac with strangers in Clinton. There also might have been an ex-Marine who wanted a job at the hospital. It was relatively easy to take these stories and graft Lee Harvey Oswald into them. If you show his picture to enough people, you will eventually find usable witnesses. Why was Dr. Silva mentioned by Palmer? Patricia Lambert wrote that Silva told her "it was prompted by the bad blood between him and those he referred to as "the politicians in the area." Linking Dr. Silva to the president’s assassin was a particularly vicious form of payback, a ratcheting up of the crosses left burning on his lawn in earlier days. “[T]hose were kind of bad times in Louisiana, in the south in general,” he said. “And we were having [civil rights] demonstrations and everything and everyone was in turmoil.” “[T]he segregation was so incredible. We got reported to the [White] Citizens Council for calling a black man ‘mister,’ or you have a maid that sits in the front seat with you—you got reported for that. . . .and these are the kind of people that spread rumors about everything.” Palmer’s tale of Oswald’s living arrangement was, as Dr. Silva put it, “preposterous.” “I was married,” he said, “had two children. . .and all the residents were there all the time, and of course my wife’s family.” “There was no way [Oswald] could [have been] living in my house.” (Perhaps that is why Palmer’s “doctor” story veered wildly in one direction then another. Interestingly, Palmer was the tipster whose information brought Garrison’s investigators to the area. It's instructive to examine how conspiracy theorists have treated this story. Here is an excerpt from James DiEugenio's Destiny Betrayed: (pages 91 -92 in the Kindle edition) Consequently, Palmer now asked Oswald where he lived. He said he lived at the hospital. Palmer now asked him who he was living with there. There is confusion as to how Oswald replied. Palmer said, “He told me— I’m not positive about this name—but I think he said, Doctor Person [sic].” In the journal that Life reporter Richard Billings kept on the Garrison investigation, he wrote that Garrison had determined that Oswald said he was living with a Cuban doctor named Frank Silva. What is astonishing about these replies— whichever is correct—is this: Both men did work at East at that time. For when the HSCA subpoenaed a list of doctors employed from that hospital in 1963, both a Malcolm Pierson and Frank Silva were on it. The obvious question then becomes: How did Oswald know the names of these men? What a question! See more of DiEugenio's analysis here. It's not Oswald who knew the names of the doctors, it's Henry Earl Palmer. And how did Palmer know the names? Well, here is an article from 1948 which indicates that his wife worked at ELSH: Baton Rouge State Times Advocate, August 24, 1948 What makes this even more interesting is that Dr. West Palmer divorced Henry Earl Palmer in the 1950s and remarried Jack N. Rogers, the former chief counsel of the Louisiana Un-American Activities Committee. Remember that Henry Earl Palmer and Jack Rogers were originators of the Clinton/Jackson stories. Baton Rouge Advocate, October 10, 1997 How does Jim Garrison treat the supposed episode at the ELSH? Here is an excerpt from On the Trail of the Assassins: (page 140 in the Kindle edition) The fact remained that Oswald had applied for a job at the mental institution, and that would have been all that his sponsors needed for another touch of sheepdipping. A few weeks of menial work there would have been enough to complete the picture of Oswald wandering haplessly from one job to another, each more obscure than the last. With a bit of luck and a little orchestration, it might even have been possible—with a switch of cards from “employee” to “patient”—to have the right psychiatrist at Jackson describe the problems he had in treating this strange outpatient named Lee Oswald. This explanation borders on the insane. Oswald did not live with a doctor in Jackson for six months, just as he was also not a roommate of David Ferrie's in New Orleans (a story told by Perry Russo). This story is somewhat outside the Clinton/Jackson canon, and it did not make the trial. It would have been way too easy to debunk. But it resurfaced during the HSCA and conspiracy theorists have since run with it. Why they believe that this story supports the Clinton/Jackson scenario is beyond me. The Series on the Clinton/Jackson Witnesses The Witnesses from Clinton and Jackson, Louisiana Part One: The witnesses testify at the trial of Clay Shaw. Clay Shaw's Attorneys Rebut the Clinton Witnesses Part Two: A response to the allegations made by the Clinton/Jackson witnesses. A Backgrounder to East Feliciana Parish and the Politics of the Early 1960s Part Three: A look at racism and the politics of the early 1960s. The Clinton/Jackson Witnesses and the Ku Klux Klan Part Four: Many of the witnesses were either members of the KKK or sympathizers. Why Did the Clinton/Jackson Witnesses Not Come Forward? Part Five: None of the Clinton/Jackson witnesses came forward in 1963-1964. The Origin of the Clinton/Jackson Stories Part Six: Just where did the Clinton/Jackson witnesses come from? Who was Anne Dischler? Part Seven: Dischler was an investigator for Garrison who was teamed up with Lt. Francis Fruge of the Louisiana State Police. Was David Ferrie in Clinton? Part Eight: The evidence that David Ferrie was in Clinton is poor. Was there a story about the Clinton/Jackson Witnesses in 1966? Part Nine: Lee McGehee, the barber in Jackson, claimed that the racist newspaper The Councilor wrote about the Clinton/Jackson witnesses in 1966. No one has been able to find the article. Corrie Collins -- A Very Pliable Witness Part Ten: Corrie Collins continually changed his story about what happened in Clinton. Did Reeves Morgan Contact the FBI? Part Eleven: Reeves Morgan claimed he called the FBI right after the JFK assassination. But did he really? Previous Relevant Blog Posts on the Clinton/Jackson Witnesses Jim Garrison: The Uninquisitive District Attorney Three case studies on how Garrison was less than inquisitive, including the possible check of the Cadillac in Clinton. Was Jim Garrison Interested in the Truth about Clinton? Why didn't Garrison check out whether the Trade Mart in New Orleans had leased a Cadillac? Harold Weisberg on Jim Garrison An interview with Weisberg in which he discusses the Clinton witnesses. Were Garrison's Witnesses Surveilled, Harassed, Attacked and Intimidated? Two of the Clinton witnesses claimed they were intimidated. But were they really? Michael Lesser has Died, R. I. P.; Some Thoughts on Clinton... Some background material on Clinton. Was Thomas Beckham in Clinton with Shaw and Oswald? William Dunn initially said that Thomas Beckham was with Shaw and Oswald. Was Jack Ruby in Clinton with Clay Shaw and David Ferrie? Andrew Dunn said Jack Ruby was in Clinton. Why Didn't Garrison's Witnesses Come Forward Before 1967? None of Garrison's witnesses, including the witnesses from Clinton/Jackson, came forward in 1963 -1964.

Reeves Morgan testified at the Clay Shaw trial that he called the FBI with information that Oswald was in Clinton/Jackson: Mr. Sciambra: Did you ever tell this incident to anyone? Mr. Morgan: Well, yes, discussed it with several people around there, and I even called the FBI and told them. Mr. Sciambra: When did you call the FBI? Mr. Morgan: I would say that it was practically the next day after I recognized it, I believe it was the next day. Mr. Sciambra: After the assassination? Mr. Morgan: No, the day after I recognized his picture. Maybe it might have been the next day after the assassination before I saw his picture, as well as I remember. Mr. Sciambra: Did the FBI ever send anybody to talk to you about this? Mr. Morgan: No, sir, they never did send anybody, because when I called them, when we got through talking I told him I was glad that they already knew he was up there in the vicinity. They already knew it. And he thanked me for my trouble of calling them. When Morgan testified before the HSCA, he told them that the FBI had also called him: Mr. Blackmer: And you called the FBI and related to them the story of meeting this individual? Mr. Morgan: Yes, sir. Mr. Blackmer: Do you recall what they told you? Mr. Morgan: Well, the fellow I talked to thanked me but he said "We already know he had been up in those parts." He didn't say he knew he had been to my house. But they knew he had been up there. Mr. Blackmer: And did you later receive a telephone call from the Federal Bureau of Investigation? Mr. Morgan: Sometimes afterwards, several days or so, I received a call from them and they wanted to know that kind of clothes he had on; whoever it was called me from the FBI, said they was calling from the FBI. Federal Investigation or whatever - they said. But it was from the FBI really. Morgan told Andrew Sciambra that it was the Baton Rouge office of the FBI that he had called: So, is there any evidence that Mr. Morgan contacted the FBI and that they called him back? Well, Andrew Sciambra asked the FBI in 1968: Here is an internal FBI note on this letter: The FBI wrote that "A review of the files of this bureau and of our New Orleans Office fails to reveal any contact with Mr. Reeves Morgan in connection with the assassination investigation." On January 31, 1968, James Alcock and Andrew Sciambra visited the FBI: The DOJ replied to Andrew Sciambra and informed him that "the FBI has no record of any such contact by Mr. Morgan.": Sciambra then wrote J. Edgar Hoover: I could not find any reply to this letter from the FBI, although one is referenced in Sciambra's March 1968 letter: This letter was referred to the FBI: The FBI replied: The memo notes that "A review of the files of this Bureau and the files of our New Orleans office pertaining to the investigation of Lee Harvey Oswald, failed to uncover any information that Oswald was in the Jackson and Clinton, Louisiana, areas during the late Summer of early Fall of 1963." Note that because there was no discovery in the Louisiana courts, the prosecution never informed Clay Shaw's attorneys that they asked the FBI whether Morgan contacted them and the FBI said that there was no evidence Morgan ever called them. Had the FBI really gotten wind that Oswald was in the area, they would have talked to dozens of people. And yet not one person in the area came forward to say they were interviewed by the FBI. Garrison staffer Tom Bethell wrote about the FBI in his diary. On August 30, 1967 he wrote "Critics of the Warren Report are nearly always not aware of the extensiveness of the FBI's investigation. I was in the [same] position till I went to Dallas, and more especially the National Archives and read through their voluminous reports." Here is his entry for March 15, 1968: Also, Alcock, Ivon and Sciambra have all attested at different times to the efficiency of the FBI's investigation. It is hard to think of anyone of any relevance who was not interviewed by them within a week or two of the assassination. (In fact, most were interviewed within a few days.) This has been, I am sure, a source of great disappointment to the DA's office, although Garrison himself has never admitted as much. When all the books and articles came out criticizing the Commission, I think many people in the office thought they were exploring virgin territory when they looked into Oswald's background, because these books had tended to over-emphasize the short-comings of the FBI. They gave no indication of how extensive their investigation had been. Far from finding virgin territory, they found that the FBI had been there ahead of them every time -- three years ahead of them. I don't think anyone was expecting this. I know I wasn't; it was clear that many of the people working on the investigation, such as Louis Ivon, acquired a certain sneaking respect for the FBI, as I did too. I can find no evidence that the HSCA ever looked into whether Reeves Morgan contacted the FBI. His explanation for why the FBI did not investigate further in Clinton/Jackson doesn't make sense. Had the FBI realized Oswald was in the vicinity, there would be many records of interviews. Instead, there is absolutely nothing in the FBI's files. The Series on the Clinton/Jackson Witnesses The Witnesses from Clinton and Jackson, Louisiana Part One: The witnesses testify at the trial of Clay Shaw. Clay Shaw's Attorneys Rebut the Clinton Witnesses Part Two: A response to the allegations made by the Clinton/Jackson witnesses. A Backgrounder to East Feliciana Parish and the Politics of the Early 1960s Part Three: A look at racism and the politics of the early 1960s. The Clinton/Jackson Witnesses and the Ku Klux Klan Part Four: Many of the witnesses were either members of the KKK or sympathizers. Why Did the Clinton/Jackson Witnesses Not Come Forward? Part Five: None of the Clinton/Jackson witnesses came forward in 1963-1964. The Origin of the Clinton/Jackson Stories Part Six: Just where did the Clinton/Jackson witnesses come from? Who was Anne Dischler? Part Seven: Dischler was an investigator for Garrison who was teamed up with Lt. Francis Fruge of the Louisiana State Police. Was David Ferrie in Clinton? Part Eight: The evidence that David Ferrie was in Clinton is poor. Was there a story about the Clinton/Jackson Witnesses in 1966? Part Nine: Lee McGehee, the barber in Jackson, claimed that the racist newspaper The Councilor wrote about the Clinton/Jackson witnesses in 1966. No one has been able to find the article. Corrie Collins -- A Very Pliable Witness Part Ten: Corrie Collins continually changed his story about what happened in Clinton. Previous Relevant Blog Posts on the Clinton/Jackson Witnesses Jim Garrison: The Uninquisitive District Attorney Three case studies on how Garrison was less than inquisitive, including the possible check of the Cadillac in Clinton. Was Jim Garrison Interested in the Truth about Clinton? Why didn't Garrison check out whether the Trade Mart in New Orleans had leased a Cadillac? Harold Weisberg on Jim Garrison An interview with Weisberg in which he discusses the Clinton witnesses. Were Garrison's Witnesses Surveilled, Harassed, Attacked and Intimidated? Two of the Clinton witnesses claimed they were intimidated. But were they really? Michael Lesser has Died, R. I. P.; Some Thoughts on Clinton... Some background material on Clinton. Was Thomas Beckham in Clinton with Shaw and Oswald? William Dunn initially said that Thomas Beckham was with Shaw and Oswald. Was Jack Ruby in Clinton with Clay Shaw and David Ferrie? Andrew Dunn said Jack Ruby was in Clinton. Why Didn't Garrison's Witnesses Come Forward Before 1967? None of Garrison's witnesses, including the witnesses from Clinton/Jackson, came forward in 1963 -1964.

Once the basic premise of the Clinton scenario was set -- that Oswald had tried to register to vote during a CORE drive -- all they had to do was to find witnesses who had seen Oswald in line. One witness whose memory got better over time was Corrie Collins who was the leader of CORE in Clinton. Collins was first interviewed by Anne Dischler on October 3, 1967. Here is an excerpt from her notes: Dischler's note reads: Corrie C. Collins 10/3/67 Working @ V. Feliciana 1963 Thurs Fri Sat C. Collins Reg. [registered] 8/16/63 Black car - windows rolled up large man well dressed driving remained in car - hat on - tie - two casually dressed men got out of car - went up to Reg.'s office - believe they got in line Car there at least 10 min - 15 min. morning - Wed. or Thurs. one blue jeans poss. [possibly?]; other in white Verla Bell - (Scotlandville - works at diner on campus) may have been w/Collins day he saw car. Man you→Collins knew (Morgan) got out of car (Is Zip Morgan related to Estus?) Collins told Dischler that a large man with hat was driving the car, and that two casually dressed men got out of the car and went to the registrar's office. One of the men wore blue jeans and the other was in white. Verla Bell was with Collins. Collins knew one of the men and it might have been "Morgan." On the next page of her notes Dischler writes: Dischler writes that "this man may not be a Morgan" and then says she should "refer to Henry Earl (Palmer). Dischler then went to Palmer, and he actually identified who was in the car: The man in white was Winslow Foster. I will discuss Estes Morgan and Winslow Foster in a future post. There was no mention of Lee Harvey Oswald. Here is the first report on Corrie Collins submitted to Jim Garrison: Note that Corrie Collins and Verna Bell took down all the names of people who were in line to register and sent the list to CORE headquarters. That list was never retrieved by Collins or by Garrison investigators. As you can see, there is no mention of Lee Harvey Oswald in this interview. Here is another report from a few months later: Collins could not identify the make of the car. He identifies Lee Harvey Oswald as the man who got out of the car to register. He was shown the photograph of S-2 [David Ferrie] and said that "he remembers seeing this man around Clinton somewhere but can't be sure where or when." As for S-3 [Clay Shaw], Collins said "the face was familiar but can't say for sure where he saw the man. He said he looks big enough to be the man behind the wheel but he would like to see a picture of him with a hat on and from the back." Collins said the driver wore a hat, but Clay Shaw did not wear hats. Here is an affidavit signed by Corrie Collins during jury selection at the Clay Shaw trial: He now says that "I have previously identified photographs of Clay Shaw as being the person who was sitting behind the wheel of a black Cadillac by the Registrar's Office in Clinton, Louisiana, in late August or early September 1963. After looking at Clay Shaw in the courtroom today I am now more positive than ever that he is the man who was in the car in Clinton that day." Collins also identifies the car as a black Cadillac. At the trial of Clay Shaw, Collins identified Lee Harvey Oswald and David Ferrie, as passengers and Clay Shaw as the driver of the black Cadillac: Mr. Sciambra: Can you describe the man behind the wheel? Mr. Collins: Yes, heavy built, gray hair. I would say he was between 40 and 50, somewhere in that area, and he had on a light color hat. Mr. Sciambra: Do you see the man behind the wheel in this courtroom today? Mr. Collins: Yes. Mr. Sciambra: Would you point to him, please? Mr. Collins: (Indicating) Right here. Mr. Sciambra: Would you have the record reflect that the witness pointed to the Defendant Clay Shaw? The Court: Let it be so noted in the record. Mr. Sciambra: Did you get a chance to see the person on the passenger side of the car? Mr. Collins: Yes. Mr. Sciambra: Can you describe him? Mr. Collins: I would say he was medium built, but the most outstanding thing about him was his eyebrows and his hair. They didn't seem real, in other words, they were unnatural, didn't seem as if they were real hair. Mr. Sciambra: (Exhibiting photograph to witness) I show you a picture that the State has marked for purposes of identification "S-3," and I ask you if you can identify or do you recognize the person in this picture? Mr. Collins: Yes, this is the other man that was in the car. Mr. Sciambra: Do you know who this person is? Mr. Collins: Yes, that is David Ferrie. Mr. Sciambra: Did you ever see any of the men get out of the car in the front seat? Mr. Collins: No, I only saw the one man get out. Collins is now sure about Shaw and Ferrie, and he says he only saw one man get out of the car. In Dischler's notes above, Collins said he saw two men get out of the car. Perhaps the story had to be changed to avoid the issue of Estes Morgan. Here is an overview of Collins' various stories: Initial interview: Collins saw a black car in Clinton that was driven by a large man wearing a hat. Two men got out of the car, one wearing blue jeans, the other in white, to go to the Registrar's office. A man that Collins knew, perhaps Estes Morgan, got out of the car. October 1967 interview: Collins remembered seeing a black Cadillac. Collins and Verla Bell took down the names of everyone who was in line to register. The list was sent to the CORE headquarters in New Orleans. January 1968 interview: He saw a black car with Verla Bell. She commented that it must be an FBI car. One person got out of the car. There were two people in the front of the car. The driver wore a hat and had broad shoulders. The person who got out of the car was younger and was of medium height and medium build. He picked out a photo of Lee Harvey Oswald and said that was the man who got out of the car. He also said that pictures of Clay Shaw and David Ferrie were familiar, but he couldn't say where he had seen them. Collins knew Estes Morgan and saw him in line but was not sure exactly when. January 1969 affidavit: Collins stated that he had previously identified photographs of Clay Shaw as the driver of the black Cadillac. Collins was taken to court to have a look at Clay Shaw, and he confirmed that Shaw was the driver. Collins identified photographs of Lee Harvey Oswald and David Ferrie as the two other people in the car. Oswald was the one person who got out of the car to go to the registration line. So, what exactly happened here? Why did Corrie Collins, a black man who clearly did not hang out with Palmer and his gang, testify that he saw Oswald, Shaw, and Ferrie? Why did his memory improve over time? John McAdams has this explanation in his book, JFK Assassination Logic: (page 53) Quite simply, investigators can produce testimony out of virtually nothing. When witnesses are repeatedly questioned, repeatedly shown photos, and led (perhaps not intentionally) in a particular direction, they can end up giving pretty much the testimony investigators want. And they don't need to be lying to do so. However, before the Clay Shaw trial journalist Hugh Aynesworth went to Clinton to interview some of the witnesses. Here is an excerpt of his letter, written after the trial, to writer James Kirkwood about his visit to Clinton: (transcribed from the actual letter in the James Kirkwood papers) October 9, 1969 Gurvich and I drove to Clinton in his car following a visit with a top Louisiana State Police official in Baton Rouge. We learned enough from the state police official to let us know that the whole thing was a hoax, but we decided to visit several of the witnesses anyway - in the belief that if we could talk with them, and tape record the conversation we would probably find flaws in their stories. "It's for sure they'll never be able to tell the same wacky story twice," said Gurvich. This turned out to be true. John Manchester, the town marshal, was the first witness we encountered. He was shocked that we knew what he was to testify. Manchester, a foul-talking, dirty and scruffy man who looked like the only way he could whip a man was to kick him in the groin, wouldn't comment on his testimony at first, but he kept saying', "Ain't no way that son-of-a-bitch (Oswald) could fire all them shots. Ain't no way." We visited with Manchester - in the Clinton Jail - for a couple of hours, until he was called away by somebody. Then we sat talking with a deputy and some of his gin buddies. From them we got the rundown on practically all the witnesses in town and in nearby Jackson. One was a hard drinker, another "couldn't find the truth, it was writ on the front of his head." Still another, was dead, having committed suicide in the Clinton jail a few months before. Mrs. Maxine Kemp lived in a nicely arranged trailer with her teenaged son. She seemed pleased to have someone to talk to. Then she told her story - not noticing the tape recorder Gurvich placed on the floor in his case. Has she really seen an application file for LHO at the Jackson State Hospital? No, she related to the tape and to us, all she knew was that she and a co-worker, Mrs. Aline Woodside, had located a folder with the name "Harvey Oswald" on it. She went on to say that applications were not kept for several years (this would have been 3 1/2 years) and that the folder she described was not in a place where applications would have been or where past records would have been filed. We never found Corry, but it was simple to see how had to testify to what Manchester and the other scrub-nuts wanted him. His father was simply terrified by three white men [Aynesworth, Gurvich and Kent Biffle] barging into his house after dark. In short, being a Negro in Clinton - a hot bed of rednecks and the Klan, is not much fun. First, I think John Manchester, and a State policeman Lt. Francis Fruge, put it all together. Fruge, fired by the state police, turned in bills for 75 head lights inside of a year. I think Aynesworth had it slightly wrong. The whole thing was put together by Henry Earl Palmer and Lt. Francis Fruge. By the way, Corrie Collins said he was with Verla Bell that day. Here is her statement: She says that "pictures of FERRIE and BANISTER looked familiar but can't say from where." She wasn't asked a key question. Did Corrie Collins ever speak to her about seeing Lee Harvey Oswald in line in Clinton? Did anybody else in CORE remember seeing Lee Harvey Oswald in line? Does she remember Oswald being on the list of people in line to register? Did she remember Estes Morgan? Needless to say, the HSCA did not depose Verla Bell. It's not even clear they made any attempt to find her. There was a strange black car in Clinton during the voter registration drive. Andrew Sciambra spent a large part of January 1968 interviewing residents of Clinton. He was trying to find people who would remember seeing Oswald. Corrie Collins fit the bill - whether he was coerced, or whether repeated interviews wore him down, is hard to say. If Clay Shaw's attorneys had access to Garrison's reports, they could have easily damaged the credibility of Corrie Collins. But they had no idea that he initially identified Estes Morgan as the person getting out of the car, and that he didn't even mention Lee Harvey Oswald. The Series on the Clinton/Jackson Witnesses The Witnesses from Clinton and Jackson, Louisiana Part One: The witnesses testify at the trial of Clay Shaw. Clay Shaw's Attorneys Rebut the Clinton Witnesses Part Two: A response to the allegations made by the Clinton/Jackson witnesses. A Backgrounder to East Feliciana Parish and the Politics of the Early 1960s Part Three: A look at racism and the politics of the early 1960s. The Clinton/Jackson Witnesses and the Ku Klux Klan Part Four: Many of the witnesses were either members of the KKK or sympathizers. Why Did the Clinton/Jackson Witnesses Not Come Forward? Part Five: None of the Clinton/Jackson witnesses came forward in 1963-1964. The Origin of the Clinton/Jackson Stories Part Six: Just where did the Clinton/Jackson witnesses come from? Who was Anne Dischler? Part Seven: Dischler was an investigator for Garrison who was teamed up with Lt. Francis Fruge of the Louisiana State Police. Was David Ferrie in Clinton? Part Eight: The evidence that David Ferrie was in Clinton is poor. Was there a story about the Clinton/Jackson Witnesses in 1966? Part Nine: Lee McGehee, the barber in Jackson, claimed that the racist newspaper The Councilor wrote about the Clinton/Jackson witnesses in 1966. No one has been able to find the article. Previous Relevant Blog Posts on the Clinton/Jackson Witnesses Jim Garrison: The Uninquisitive District Attorney Three case studies on how Garrison was less than inquisitive, including the possible check of the Cadillac in Clinton. Was Jim Garrison Interested in the Truth about Clinton? Why didn't Garrison check out whether the Trade Mart in New Orleans had leased a Cadillac? Harold Weisberg on Jim Garrison An interview with Weisberg in which he discusses the Clinton witnesses. Were Garrison's Witnesses Surveilled, Harassed, Attacked and Intimidated? Two of the Clinton witnesses claimed they were intimidated. But were they really? Michael Lesser has Died, R. I. P.; Some Thoughts on Clinton... Some background material on Clinton. Was Thomas Beckham in Clinton with Shaw and Oswald? William Dunn initially said that Thomas Beckham was with Shaw and Oswald. Was Jack Ruby in Clinton with Clay Shaw and David Ferrie? Andrew Dunn said Jack Ruby was in Clinton. Why Didn't Garrison's Witnesses Come Forward Before 1967? None of Garrison's witnesses, including the witnesses from Clinton/Jackson, came forward in 1963 -1964.

The Baton Rouge Sunday Advocate of February 2, 1992 had a feature story about the Clinton Jackson witnesses. One paragraph caught my eye: McGehee [the barber in Jackson] said the first time any public official asked about the story was around 1966, when U.S. Rep. John Rarick, the Congressman for the area at the time, inquired about it. He said a Shreveport newspaper then interviewed some of the East Feliciana witnesses and published a story. Just what newspaper was McGehee talking about? Was it The Councilor, the racist newspaper out of Shreveport? McGehee was interviewed by James DiEugenio for the so-called Oliver Stone documentary series JFK: Destiny Betrayed. Here is an excerpt from that interview: (pages 492-493 in the Kindle edition of the book JFK Revisited) DiEugenio: So very soon after the assassination it got to be kind of common street knowledge that Oswald had been up here. McGehee: Like you said, when my customers would come get a haircut we talked about it and just like the congressman, I think he was a judge at the time. We, I started to tell him what happened to me and Reeves and then and that, that’s when John Wright put it in The Councilor and that’s when Garrison picked it up, or the House Un-American Committee activity. I can’t think of that fellow’s name down in Baton Rouge. He picked it up and they gave it to Garrison. The fellow's name down in Baton Rouge was probably Jack Rogers. Who gave the tip to Garrison -- was it the supposed article in The Councilor, or was it Jack Rogers? We do know that Rogers gave the tip to Dischler and Fruge. McGehee also confirms that the supposed article was in The Councilor. When I went through the papers of Patricia Lambert, I found that she had clipped the above article from the Baton Rouge newspaper and she tried hard to find that article. She went anywhere there were copies of The Councilor but, in the end, she could not find any article about the Clinton/Jackson witnesses. The conspiracy books also mention this article. For instance, Joan Mellen claims that McGehee told John Rarick about Oswald's visit to his barbershop. A year later, Rarick supposedly called Ned Touchstone and Jack Rogers: (page 214 in the Kindle edition of A Farewell to Justice) “Why don’t you tell Jim Garrison about this?” Rarick told Rogers. According to McGehee, Rarick then wrote a little story on the appearance of Oswald in Jackson and Clinton for the Councilor. Her footnote reads: (page 469 in the Kindle edition) p. 214, line 40: in the Councilor Touchstone reported on the “pretty black Cadillac”: Ned Touchstone, “The Truth About the Assassination,” undated manuscript. Mellen does not give a date for an article in The Councilor, but references Ned Touchstone's unpublished manuscript. In April 2022, I visited the Louisiana State University at Shreveport and I photographed Touchstone's manuscript. Here is the paragraph from his manuscript that was referenced by Mellen: The manuscript is 46 pages long and there is nothing about the Clinton/Jackson witnesses. Here is page one from his manuscript: The manuscript tries to prove a link between Ferrie and Oswald though a CAP party that Ferrie organized in Biloxi, Mississippi. Touchstone could not find a link. Here is what Touchstone's inquiry found: The manuscript appears to have been written sometime in 1967, certainly after the March preliminary hearing regarding the Clay Shaw indictment. Perhaps the story about the Cadillac was in its infancy. Bill Davy's book, Let Justice Be Done, also mentions the supposed Councilor article: (page 115) District judge and later Congressman, John Rarick, spoke to both McGehee and Morgan shortly after the assassination about Oswald's visit. Rarick's findings were printed in a right-wing newspaper based out of Shreveport called, The Councillor. [sic] His footnote reads: (page 302) 59. Author's interview with Edwin Lea McGehee, August 26, 1994. Back issues of The Councillor [sic] are on file at the Northwestern State University Library, Louisiana. So Davy does not actually have the date of any article in The Councilor. James DiEugenio mentions the article in his book, Destiny Betrayed: (page 185 in the Kindle Edition) In 1964 barber Edwin McGehee told Rarick about the Oswald visit. Rarick then told Touchstone. An article appeared in Touchstone’s Councilor, and through that exposure word filtered back to Fred Dent of the State Sovereignty Commission. His footnote references Joan Mellen's book. It's telling that none of the conspiracy authors have been able to find this supposed article. I also went through LSU Shreveport's collection of The Councilor and I could not find the article. I think that McGehee mentioned the supposed article as a way of providing some sort of corroboration to his story and the stories of the Clinton witnesses. He probably never thought that anybody would actually try to find the article. And conspiracy theorists, so anxious to believe the Clinton/Jackson witnesses, turn an invisible article into a factoid. All they can do is cite each other. If anybody comes across the article, please drop me a line. The Series on the Clinton/Jackson Witnesses The Witnesses from Clinton and Jackson, Louisiana Part One: The witnesses testify at the trial of Clay Shaw. Clay Shaw's Attorneys Rebut the Clinton Witnesses Part Two: A response to the allegations made by the Clinton/Jackson witnesses. A Backgrounder to East Feliciana Parish and the Politics of the Early 1960s Part Three: A look at racism and the politics of the early 1960s. The Clinton/Jackson Witnesses and the Ku Klux Klan Part Four: Many of the witnesses were either members of the KKK or sympathizers. Why Did the Clinton/Jackson Witnesses Not Come Forward? Part Five: None of the Clinton/Jackson witnesses came forward in 1963-1964. The Origin of the Clinton/Jackson Stories Part Six: Just where did the Clinton/Jackson witnesses come from? Who was Anne Dischler? Part Seven: Dischler was an investigator for Garrison who was teamed up with Lt. Francis Fruge of the Louisiana State Police. Was David Ferrie in Clinton? Part Eight: The evidence that David Ferrie was in Clinton is poor. Previous Relevant Blog Posts on the Clinton/Jackson Witnesses Jim Garrison: The Uninquisitive District Attorney Three case studies on how Garrison was less than inquisitive, including the possible check of the Cadillac in Clinton. Was Jim Garrison Interested in the Truth about Clinton? Why didn't Garrison check out whether the Trade Mart in New Orleans had leased a Cadillac? Harold Weisberg on Jim Garrison An interview with Weisberg in which he discusses the Clinton witnesses. Were Garrison's Witnesses Surveilled, Harassed, Attacked and Intimidated? Two of the Clinton witnesses claimed they were intimidated. But were they really? Michael Lesser has Died, R. I. P.; Some Thoughts on Clinton... Some background material on Clinton. Was Thomas Beckham in Clinton with Shaw and Oswald? William Dunn initially said that Thomas Beckham was with Shaw and Oswald. Was Jack Ruby in Clinton with Clay Shaw and David Ferrie? Andrew Dunn said Jack Ruby was in Clinton. Why Didn't Garrison's Witnesses Come Forward Before 1967? None of Garrison's witnesses, including the witnesses from Clinton/Jackson, came forward in 1963 -1964.

Mug shot used by Garrison investigators in Clinton, Louisiana The House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) partially believed the Clinton witnesses. They felt that David Ferrie was in Clinton with Oswald, but they weren't sure about Shaw: As noted, the committee believed the Clinton witnesses to be telling the truth as they knew it. It was, therefore, inclined to believe that Oswald was in Clinton, La., in late August, early September 1963, and that he was in the company of David Ferrie, if not Clay Shaw. But was David Ferrie there? Ferrie was not seen by barber Lee McGehee in Jackson, and Ferrie was not seen at the East Louisiana State Hospital. The only place that Ferrie was seen was at the voter registration drive in Clinton. Only four witnesses to the voter registration drive testified at the Clay Shaw trial: Henry Earl Palmer, the registrar of Clinton, did identify David Ferrie, but have a look at his testimony: Mr. Sciambra: Did you notice any individuals in the car? Mr. Palmer: Yes, I did. I saw two in the front seat. Mr. Sciambra: Can you describe the individual on the passenger side? Mr. Palmer: Well, the man on the passenger side, all I can tell you about him, he appeared -- his eyebrows were heavy and his hair needed combing. He had messed-up hair, I noticed that. That is all I could see of him. Mr. Sciambra: I would like to have this marked "S-3," for purpose of identification. (Whereupon, the document referred to by Counsel was duly marked for identification as "Exhibit S-3.") Mr. Sciambra: (Exhibiting photograph to witness) I show you what the State has marked "S-3" for purposes of identification, and I ask you if you recognize the individual in this picture? Mr. Palmer: I can't recognize the individual, but the hair and eyebrows are similar. Mr. Sciambra: In other words, you would say the hair and the eyebrows are similar? Mr. Palmer: Yes, sir. Mr. Sciambra: Do you know who this person is? Mr. Palmer: From the picture I know, now. Mr. Sciambra: What is it? Mr. Palmer: That is Mr. Ferrie. This is not exactly a firm identification. During his first interview with Anne Dischler on May 25, 1967, Palmer was unable to identify David Ferrie: The note reads: Mr. Palmer was shown pictures of Clay Shaw and David Ferrie on May 25, 1967. He positively identified Clay Shaw as the driver of this Cadillac before mentioned. He was unable to identify Ferrie as the passenger with Shaw. Here is a paragraph from a May 29, 1967 interview with Palmer: Palmer said only that the picture of Ferrie "looked like the type of eyebrows that the man in the car had." Identification by eyebrows? Notice that Palmer couldn't positively identify Shaw as the driver of the car. John Manchester also had trouble identifying David Ferrie. Here is an excerpt from an Anne Dischler's note from May 25, 1967: The note reads: "Manchester was unable to positively identify either photograph shown him. He does state that he seems to remember going to this car and questioning the occupants (this was regular routine because of Civil Rts. demonstrations at that time -- however two white people in a line of negroes did attract attention as unusual.) Photographs of Shaw and Ferrie do look highly familiar to Manchester." At the trial of Clay Shaw, John Manchester could not identify Ferrie as an occupant of the car: Mr. Sciambra: Can you describe the individual on the passenger side? Mr. Manchester: No, sir, I can't, Mister, I didn't talk to him. Somehow, Manchester's story changed during his HSCA deposition: Mr. Blackmer: During the course of the trial, were you able to identify the other occupant of the automobile? Mr. Manchester: Yes, sir. I recognized David Ferrie, the other man in the car with Clay Shaw. I don't know if I identified him at the trial or not. I don't remember. I don't remember if I identified a picture of him at the trial. Of course, I understand that Ferrie was deceased at the time of the trial. William Dunn did not identify Ferrie at the Clay Shaw trial. Here is an early interview with Dunn: Dunn picks out Clay Shaw but says he was seated in the rear. The only other passenger he identifies is Thomas Beckham. He also says that three or four white males were sitting in the car. At the Clay Shaw trial, Dunn identified Shaw as the driver of the car, and thought there might have been one other person in the car whom he could not identify. Corrie Collins identified David Ferrie as the man in the passenger seat in the car at the Clay Shaw trial. However, he was far less sure in an earlier statement from January 1968: A future post will examine Corrie Collins and his ever-changing testimony. As you can see, the identification of David Ferrie was not very strong at all. Here is how Jim Garrison described the identification of David Ferrie in his book On the Trail of the Assassins: (page 137 in the Kindle edition) A number of the Clinton citizens interviewed found the scene unforgettable because most of the time Oswald was the only white man standing in a long line of blacks. Just as memorable were the two older men who were with Oswald. All of the witnesses described one of the two as wearing a crazy-looking wig and painted eyebrows. There was no doubt that this was David Ferrie. Garrison is just plain wrong. Not one witness mentioned a wig, and just a couple mentioned Ferrie's hair. And painted eyebrows? Palmer said the man had "heavy eyebrows." Stephen Roy, writing as David Blackburst, was the leading expert on David Ferrie. Here is an excerpt of a post of his on a JFK bulletin board about whether David Ferrie was in Clinton (You can see his whole post below) 6) The Ferrie Identification Factor: Ferrie was the least positive of the IDs. It is said that his appearance was unmistakable. His 1961-2 police photos, showing him at his worst, are striking, but other early 60s photos show him looking very normal. The witness identification of David Ferrie being in Clinton is extremely weak. And there is no physical evidence he was there - no friend of his mentioned Clinton, and searches of his apartment and his papers yielded no maps of the area, hotel receipts, etc. In a previous post, I looked at the reasons why the Clinton/Jackson people did not come forward in 1963 - 1964. At Clay Shaw's trial, this question baffled them and none had a good answer. The fact they didn't come forward is even more remarkable because of the continual agitation of The Councilor, a racist newspaper published out of Shreveport. Not only was the JFK assassination a big topic in the newspaper, so was David Ferrie. Right after the assassination, The Councilor was talking about integrationists and a communist plot: The Councilor, January 6, 1964 From the same front page: The FBI took note of the fact that the March 15, 1964, issue of The Councilor said that the newspaper claimed to be "in New Orleans to make a fresh search into the assassination matter at the request of the Dallas District Attorney's Office." On July 4 1965, General Edwin Walker, Ned Touchstone (Editor of The Councilor), John Rarick, and others spoke in Baton Rouge and called upon Louisiana Governor John McKeithen to open a probe into the possibility that there were co-conspirators in a plot against JFK in Louisiana. Here is the text of Touchstone's speech: There is no mention of any witnesses from Clinton or Jackson. In February, 1967, The Councilor boasted about its early coverage of David Ferrie: February 20, 1967 The Councilor also ran this: The Councilor says that "much of the material about leftwing activity was compiled by Louisiana legislators working through a Baton Rouge attorney, Jack Rogers." The Councilor, July 14, 1975 There is no doubt that many people in Clinton/Jackson read The Councilor. They would have been aware of a supposed communist conspiracy and I have to believe that had any of the racist white 'witnesses' in Clinton/Jackson actually seen Lee Harvey Oswald, they would have contacted The Councilor. But wait, some conspiracy theorists say that The Councilor did indeed cover the witnesses from Clinton/Jackson. Stay tuned for the next exciting Clinton/Jackson episode. Same bat-time. Same bat-station. Stephen Roy's Full Post: I personally have enough problems with the sighting to raise reasonable doubt in MY mind. In no particular order: 1) The Stranger Factor: All 3 men were strangers to the Clinton/ Jackson witnesses, making a POSITIVE identification much tougher. 2) The Time Factor: It is possible to remember a stranger from 4 years earlier, but to identify them from a photo, beyond a reasonable doubt, is not an easy thing. I think back to incidents 4 years ago, and I would be hard pressed to make a positive ID of the rent-a-car guy at the airport, or the guy who cleaned the gutters on my house. 3) The View Factor: Some of the witnesses concede only seeing the men for a short time, or from an angle where viewing was difficult. 4) The Car Factor: Some of the early accounts describe different cars. In time, they came to agree on a black Cadillac. But none of the three men owned a black Cadillac. Some speculate that Jeff Biddison lent his car to Shaw, but there is NO evidence that he did. Only speculation. Why would Shaw borrow the car on this occasion alone? One of the accounts quoted Shaw as saying the car was registered to the International Trade Mart, but there is no evidence that a black Cadillac was registered to the ITM. 5) The Other People Factor: Some of the accounts included people who disappeared from later accounts. *Anne Hudley Dischler was told Banister was one of the visitors. *One witness said Oswald was accompanied by a woman. *Several of the accounts include a man named Estus Morgan *One of the accounts includes a man answering the description of Winslow Foster 6) The Ferrie Identification Factor: Ferrie was the least positive of the IDs. It is said that his appearance was unmistakable. His 1961-2 police photos, showing him at his worst, are striking, but other early 60s photos show him looking very normal. 7) The Palmer Factor: Palmer insisted to HSCA that the white-haired man could not have been Banister because he knew Banister from the service in World War II. But Banister was in the FBI, not the service, in WWII. How could Palmer have been so mistaken? What does it say about credibility? 8) The Klan Factor: Speaking of credibility, the FBI said two of these guys were Klansman, which shows striking bad judgement in my opinion. 9) The Change Factor: Several of these accounts did change in significant details over the years: who, how many, what car. 10) The Time Factor 2: It is said that the car arrived in the morning, Oswald got out and got in the voter registration line, and the car left in the mid afternoon - several hours. But an email correspondent who checked the record for August-September 1963 tells me that there was no day in that period when there were enough registrants to account for a line which would cause so long a wait. 11) The Ineligibility Factor: Oswald was not a resident, and was thus ineligible to vote in Clinton. Why waste all that time in line? 12) Purpose 1 - ELSH: It is said that the purpose of the whole event was to get Oswald a job at East Louisiana State Hospital, where he would be switched over to become a patient. But Oswald did not raise the possibility of employment at ELSH; the barber he spoke to was the first to raise the possibility. It would be quite a coincidence if the barber happened upon the very possibility the plotters had intended. 13) Purpose 2 - Civil Rights Disruption: It is said that the purpose was to cause a Cointelpro-style disruption of the civil rights campaign then underway. But a civil rights Cointelpro program did not then exist. Further, all three men - Oswald, Ferrie and Shaw - purported to be supporters of the civil rights movement. Why would they involve themselves in such an operation? 14) The Visibility Factor: No matter how you cut it, Shaw and Ferrie went out of their way to be seen with Oswald. They could have parked around the corner and sent him in. They could have sent him in by bus or taxi. They could have worn disguises. But they did not. Why? Why go out of your way to be seen with someone who, by some accounts, was already slated to be picked up for JFK's assassination? Were Shaw and Ferrie stupid? 15) The Fruge/Sciambra Factor: The Clinton episode was developed by Francis Fruge and Andrew Sciambra. I have seen a lot of material from both men, and I have concerns about their objectivity as investigators. And there are other factors, too. Taken individually, they do not disprove Clinton/Jackson. But taken as a whole, they raise enough reasonable doubt for me to prevent me from regarding the identifications as definitive. But others may disagree. Something probably happened in Clinton and Jackson. Was it really Shaw, Ferrie and Oswald? Some ask: What motivation would the witnesses have to lie? I am only speculating here, but could they have simply talked themselves - and each other - into believing that a real event included these then-well-known figures? The Series on the Clinton/Jackson Witnesses The Witnesses from Clinton and Jackson, Louisiana Part One: The witnesses testify at the trial of Clay Shaw. Clay Shaw's Attorneys Rebut the Clinton Witnesses Part Two: A response to the allegations made by the Clinton/Jackson witnesses. A Backgrounder to East Feliciana Parish and the Politics of the Early 1960s Part Three: A look at racism and the politics of the early 1960s. The Clinton/Jackson Witnesses and the Ku Klux Klan Part Four: Many of the witnesses were either members of the KKK or sympathizers. Why Did the Clinton/Jackson Witnesses Not Come Forward? Part Five: None of the Clinton/Jackson witnesses came forward in 1963-1964. The Origin of the Clinton/Jackson Stories Part Six: Just where did the Clinton/Jackson witnesses come from? Who was Anne Dischler? Part Seven: Dischler was an investigator for Garrison who was teamed up with Lt. Francis Fruge of the Louisiana State Police. Previous Relevant Blog Posts on the Clinton/Jackson Witnesses Jim Garrison: The Uninquisitive District Attorney Three case studies on how Garrison was less than inquisitive, including the possible check of the Cadillac in Clinton. Was Jim Garrison Interested in the Truth about Clinton? Why didn't Garrison check out whether the Trade Mart in New Orleans had leased a Cadillac? Harold Weisberg on Jim Garrison An interview with Weisberg in which he discusses the Clinton witnesses. Were Garrison's Witnesses Surveilled, Harassed, Attacked and Intimidated? Two of the Clinton witnesses claimed they were intimidated. But were they really? Michael Lesser has Died, R. I. P.; Some Thoughts on Clinton... Some background material on Clinton. Was Thomas Beckham in Clinton with Shaw and Oswald? William Dunn initially said that Thomas Beckham was with Shaw and Oswald. Was Jack Ruby in Clinton with Clay Shaw and David Ferrie? Andrew Dunn said Jack Ruby was in Clinton. Why Didn't Garrison's Witnesses Come Forward Before 1967? None of Garrison's witnesses, including the witnesses from Clinton/Jackson, came forward in 1963 -1964.

Whenever I write about a particular conspiracy story, I try to figure out where it came from. For instance, the stories about Eladio del Valle all stem from an article in the National Enquirer. The allegations about David Ferrie all come from Jack Martin's phone calls during the weekend of the assassination. The claim that there was a plot against JFK in Chicago in November 1963 comes from Secret Service agent Abraham Bolden. So, how did Jim Garrison learn about the Clinton/Jackson witnesses and their encounters with Lee Harvey Oswald, Clay Shaw, and David Ferrie? Let's start with Jim Garrison's book, On the Trail of the Assassins: (page 136 - 137 in the Kindle edition) In 1963 Clinton was a rural hamlet in deep south Louisiana. It was a relic of the long-ago time when cotton had been king, a farmers’ center where the cotton crops were weighed and buyers bid for them. Clinton was the kind of place whose continued survival had no visible basis. Its importance to the cotton industry had faded; it remained only because it had always been there. But in early 1967 we picked up a lead that made that sleepy town very important indeed. It seemed that back in late summer or early autumn of 1963, Lee Oswald had been seen in Clinton in the company of two older men. The descriptions of these men closely fit Clay Shaw, whose hometown of Hammond we knew was just east of Clinton, and David Ferrie, who had spent a lot of time at Guy Banister’s anti-Castro camp a little farther east on Lake Pontchartrain. It was a slim lead, little more than a whisper in the air which most law enforcement agencies would have waved away impatiently, but such thin leads were what we had been forced to work with from the beginning. Clinton was a good ways off the beaten path, and I decided that sending assistant D.A. Andrew Sciambra by himself from the city might not be the right way to approach this rural town. Sciambra needed someone else with a bit of country background. I called Governor John McKeithen, and he ordered Lieutenant Francis Frugé, a state police officer of Cajun descent, accent included, to join Sciambra in Clinton immediately. All Garrison says is that "we picked up a lead," and that he sent Andrew Sciambra and Louisiana State policeman Francis Fruge to investigate. Of course, this is not true -- he sent Francis Fruge and Anne Dischler to investigate. The fact that Garrison is unable to shed any light on how these witnesses were 'found' impugns the credibility of the entire story. The conspiracy books aren't much better. Here is an excerpt from Joan Mellen's book, A Farewell to Justice: (page 210 -211 in the Kindle edition) On April 28th, Fruge and [Garrison investigator Anne] Dischler met with Garrison’s staff at Tulane and Broad. “Frank Jeanette,” Rose Cheramie’s pimp, had been seen at “Jim’s Lounge” with a Ruby stripper, they learned. They wanted to proceed to Shreveport, following the trajectory of the Holiday Inn lead. Two sets of Oswald tracks, one heading for Texas by way of Clinton and Shreveport, the other by way of Morgan City and Lake Charles, with a man calling himself “Oswald” and attacking the Kennedys, suggested that a cover-up was in place well before the assassination. Later Ned Touchstone, editor of The Councilor newspaper, who had also been investigating the Louisiana roots of the assassination, would apologize to his readers for not pursuing the divergent tracks of Oswald, who “could have had a double.” Jim Garrison put aside this set of leads in favor of an incident he believed was more promising. Fruge and Dischler had discovered that people in East Feliciana Parish had observed Oswald in the company of both David Ferrie and Clay Shaw. Information of the trio traveling together in the area had begun to circulate early in 1964. All we learn here is that "Fruge and Dischler had discovered" people had seen Oswald, Ferrie and Shaw and that "information of the trio traveling together in the area began to circulate early in 1964." There is no footnote to support that statement. James DiEugenio in his book, Destiny Betrayed, says nothing about how this story originated. He just goes right into the story of barber Lee McGehee cutting Oswald's hair in Jackson, Louisiana. Bill Davy does much the same in his book Let Justice Be Done. However, I found this article from January 1968, to be helpful: Baton Rouge State Times Advocate, January 13, 1968 The importance of this article is that it gives us some insight into what people in the town of Clinton were whispering. One woman, now dead, thought that Oswald was in Clinton during voter registration. Now this is not that unusual. There were lots of reports, after the assassination, of people reporting they had seen Lee Harvey Oswald. There were even reports of Oswald being in my hometown of Montreal, Canada. He was also seen in Alice, Texas, looking for a job. What I find interesting about this rumor is that only one woman saw Oswald, not that several people saw him, and not that he tried to get a job at the East Louisiana State Hospital. It was very easy to graft Shaw and Ferrie into this rumor. The one witness was dead, and they could 'come up with' people to confirm the story. Had many people really seen Oswald, the rumor in town would have been a lot different. Perhaps this woman saw Michael Lesser, the CORE worker who had been arrested in August 1963. Here is a picture of Lesser who was 26 years old in 1963, and two pictures of Oswald: I can certainly see how she could have been confused. I believe that woman was Gloria Wilson who was mentioned by Henry Earl Palmer in his May 29, 1967, interview with Andrew Sciambra: Interestingly, Patricia Lambert wrote that Anne Dischler told her that Francis Fruge had talked to Gloria Wilson before she died. According to Dischler's notes, Wilson died on November 4, 1965. All of the above is consistent with Wilson seeing Michael Lesser. The story that was told in court in February of 1969 was first told to investigator Anne Dischler in May of 1967 by Fred Dent, Jr. of the State Sovereignty Commission. He heard it from Jack N. Rogers, the counsel of the Louisiana Un-American Activities Committee. Excerpt of Anne Dischler's notebook The next entry in Dischler's notebook, from the same day, has the major elements of the Clinton story: Jack Rogers frequently met with Dischler. Here is a note from June 12, 1967: The next day, she talked again with Rogers, who told Dischler that a witness was "no good." In July of 1967, Rogers met with Dischler along with Andrew Sciambra from Garrison's office: At the end of July, Dischler met with Rogers again: On August 29, 1967 Rogers told Dischler he was going to see Garrison: Then in September 1967, Dischler went to Baton Rouge and met with John Rarick, Jack Rogers and two other people: Why is this all relevant? Jack Rogers was not only involved with segregationist activities, he had also been a domestic contact of the CIA since 1959, and he also worked with Jim Garrison on his JFK investigation. Here is an excerpt from a June 5, 1967 memo in which Rogers spoke to Hunter Leake of the CIA: Lee McGehee, the barber in Jackson, told the HSCA that the first person to talk to him about Oswald was Jack Rogers: Mr. Blackmer: Would you explain to us how you came to appear at that trial in New Orleans in 1969? Mr. McGehee: Well, -- Mr. Blackmer: Were you contacted by anyone concerning the events, the story you have just related to the Committee? Mr. McGehee: The first two people that approached me were Jack Rogers -- Mr. Blackmer: And who is Jack Rogers? Mr. McGehee: He's a lawyer here in Baton Rouge. What he was doing then, and what his job was, I'm not sure. And then Ned Touchstone was Editor of the Councilor paper in Shreveport, I believe. And they came in there and said they heard this story, you know, and they asked me about it; and I told them just like I told them in here. And that's the last I saw of them until -- Mr. Blackmer: Approximately what time was this? What date of the year? Mr. McGehee: That was probably in May '66 or '65. Mr. Blackmer: And when is the next time, sir, that you were contact concerning this? Mr. McGehee: Jack Fruge of the State Police came in the shop and identified himself as working with Jim Garrison. Mr. Blackmer: And did you relate the story to him? Mr. McGehee: The same story. So, Jack Rogers and Ned Touchstone came to see McGehee. McGehee says they "said they heard this story," but Blackmer doesn't ask him where they had heard it. I also believe that McGehee has the timing wrong -- no one was talking about the Clinton/Jackson story in 1965 or 1966. By the way, Touchstone's newspaper, The Councilor, would feature many stories on the JFK assassination, but never mentioned the Clinton/Jackson witnesses. A future post will examine JFK assassination coverage in The Councilor. Jack Rogers had earlier tried to tie Lee Harvey Oswald into integrationist activities: These hearings were held on November 27, 1963. Here is an excerpt from Jack Rogers' testimony: Rogers then tied the Fair Play for Cuba Committee with the SCEF: And the connections all led back to Oswald: Rogers did not want to make a point about Oswald by linking him to SCEF; he wanted to make a point about SCEF by linking it to Oswald. Given his interest, and the interest of many other people to do the same, it is hard to believe, that had Oswald really been in Clinton/Jackson, that these witnesses would have waited to tell their stories until mid-1967. Rogers told his CIA contact that he was not happy with Garrison's theory of the assassination: Rogers believed that Oswald was "a Moscow-trained agent" who killed Kennedy and that even Jim Garrison was influenced by the Oswald-linked SCEF crowd. Garrison wasn't buying Rogers' theory: Perhaps Rogers thought the Clinton/Jackson scenario would sway Garrison. Another racist to have a relationship with Garrison was L. P. Davis. Here is an excerpt from a leads memo that Garrison wrote in November of 1967: So, Davis called Garrison "to advise me that we were heading in the wrong direction because, in actuality, the Communists were involved in the assassination." Note that L. P. Davis was a contributor to Truth and Consequences, the organization that funded Garrison's investigation: And L.P. Davis was not a fan of CORE: New Orleans Times-Picayune, June 3, 1961 Was the Clinton/Jackson scenario concocted by Jack Rogers and L. P. Davis? They would have been killing two birds with one stone -- helping Garrison with his case and diverting attention from the CIA to a communist connection to the assassination. There is another interesting clue. Here is an excerpt from Tom Bethell's diary: Entry for December 21, 1966 Now, this doesn't directly relate to the Clinton witnesses, but it indicates that Garrison was leaking information to Leander Perez, who was a political boss in Louisiana and who was part of the segregationist crowd. Perez was a contributor to Jim Garrison's campaign to become District Attorney of New Orleans. Here is an excerpt of an article about a debate between Jim Garrison and his opponent Richard Dowling: New Orleans Times-Picayune, February 20, 1962 No strings attached? All of these segregationists - Rarick, Touchstone, Rogers, Perez, L. P. Davis - were in regular contact. They all might have wanted to help Garrison, and to help themselves. Jack Rogers was interviewed by the HSCA. Here is his outside contact report: Rogers should have been questioned a little more closely. If the HSCA had Anne Dischler's notes, they would have realized that Rogers was one of the early sources of the story. But where did he hear about these witnesses? Rogers should have been deposed. The only known Louisiana Committee on Un-American Activities report on Oswald was released in 1964. If there was a later report, I have not been able to find it. I do not believe Rogers' files have ever been found, and I see no reference to his file on the assassination in the NARA database. The ARRB wanted the supposed 1967 report but couldn't find it. I did find a report from that date that they wrote on the Spartacist League: Had the HSCA been on the ball, we would have known a lot more about what really happened in Clinton. A future post will examine the HSCA and the Clinton/Jackson witnesses. The Series on the Clinton/Jackson Witnesses The Witnesses from Clinton and Jackson, Louisiana Part One: The witnesses testify at the trial of Clay Shaw. Clay Shaw's Attorneys Rebut the Clinton Witnesses Part Two: A response to the allegations made by the Clinton/Jackson witnesses. A Backgrounder to East Feliciana Parish and the Politics of the Early 1960s Part Three: A look at racism and the politics of the early 1960s. The Clinton/Jackson Witnesses and the Ku Klux Klan Part Four: Many of the witnesses were either a member of the KKK or a sympathizer. Why Did the Clinton/Jackson Witnesses Not Come Forward? Part Five: None of the Clinton/Jackson witnesses came forward in 1963-1964. Previous Relevant Blog Posts on the Clinton/Jackson Witnesses Jim Garrison: The Uninquisitive District Attorney Three case studies on how Garrison was less than inquisitive, including the possible check of the Cadillac in Clinton. Was Jim Garrison Interested in the Truth about Clinton? Why didn't Garrison check out whether the Trade Mart in New Orleans had leased a Cadillac? Harold Weisberg on Jim Garrison An interview with Weisberg in which he discusses the Clinton witnesses. Were Garrison's Witnesses Surveilled, Harassed, Attacked and Intimidated? Two of the Clinton witnesses claimed they were intimidated. But were they really? Michael Lesser has Died, R. I. P.; Some Thoughts on Clinton... Some background material on Clinton. Was Thomas Beckham in Clinton with Shaw and Oswald? William Dunn initially said that Thomas Beckham was with Shaw and Oswald. Was Jack Ruby in Clinton with Clay Shaw and David Ferrie? Andrew Dunn said Jack Ruby was in Clinton. Why Didn't Garrison's Witnesses Come Forward Before 1967? None of Garrison's witnesses, including the witnesses from Clinton/Jackson, came forward in 1963 -1964.

My last post examined East Feliciana Parish and its history of discrimination against black voters. Many of the major players in the Clinton/Jackson stories regarding Lee Harvey Oswald were either members of the KKK or had a close association. John Rarick John Rarick was the judge in Clinton, Louisiana and he became a congressman for the Sixth congressional district. But was he KKK? Jimmie Morrison, Rarick's opponent in the 1966 congressional race, accused Rarick of being in the KKK. He even inserted his claims in the 1966 Congressional Record (Volume 112, part 13, page 16891 - 16893), although he provided no direct evidence in support. A large part of Morrison's campaign was spent on the allegations and Rarick filed a $500,000 lawsuit for libel: ("White Flight and the Alteration of the Southern Political Narrative: Louisiana's Sixth District Elects a Congressman," 1966, by Keith Finley) If Morrison offered a scintilla of evidence, Rarick promised to drop his suit. Rarick walked a fine line as he denied being a member of the Klan without criticizing the organization itself. Fortunately for Rarick, Morrison never pushed him into that corner. Instead, the "fighting little judge," as Rarick was sometimes called, continued disavowing his membership as he pilloried his opponent for siding with LBJ, the Congress of Racial Equality, which at the time was actively challenging the system of racial oppression throughout the South, and Martin Luther King Jr., who was synonymous with the cause of equality. Ed Koch placed a statement from the Anti-Defamation League in the Congressional Record on January 19, 1972: Richard Kilbourne, Jr., the son of the District Attorney of Clinton back in the 1960s, told Patricia Lambert that Rarick, "if not a member of the Klan was at least its 'spiritual leader'" In the 2020 book, Deep Delta Justice: A Black Teen, His Lawyer, and Their Groundbreaking Battle for Civil Rights in the South, author Matthew Van Meter tells a story about Judge Rarick: There were also connections between John Rarick and Jim Garrison. They were classmates at Tulane University. Joan Mellen, author of Jim Garrison: His Life and Times -- The Early Years, wrote that they were political allies in at least one instance: (page 24) Politics filled the air. Most of the Tulane students were veterans. Jim Garrison was a patriot, and when the American Veterans Committee attempted to enlist the ex-GIs in a protest against President Truman's policy in Greece, Jim joined the opposition along with his classmate John R. Rarick. Whey they broke up the demonstration, according to Rarick, they were called on the carpet by the Dean for violating the first amendment rights of the organizers. In 1971, when Garrison had been indicted on bribery charges, Rarick put comments into the Congressional Record supporting him (July 6, 1971, page 23610) More importantly, John Rarick just might have been in Clinton when the black Cadillac arrived. Stay tuned. Jack Rogers Jack Rogers was chief counsel of the Louisiana Un-American Activities Committee (LUAC). New Orleans Times-Picayune, March 24, 1961 Rogers spoke at an event in Clinton in 1962 at which Judge Rarick presided: Clinton Watchman, October 12. 1962 The LUAC instructed the police to raid the Southern Conference Education Foundation in 1963: (Race & democracy : the civil rights struggle in Louisiana, 1915-1972, Adam Fairclough, page 323) Jim Garrison's office ultimately charged three people in the raid: New Orleans Times-Picayune, January 31, 1964 James Dombrowski, Executive Director of SCEF, sued the State of Louisiana to have laws on Communist organizations overturned: Jack Rogers served as the attorney for James Pfister. Why is this all relevant? Jack Rogers was not only involved with segregationist activities, he had also been a domestic contact of the CIA since 1959, and he also worked with Jim Garrison during the assassination investigation. Future posts will examine Jack Rogers a little more closely. John Manchester- Clinton Town Marshall Here is a letter that the FBI sent to the Governor of Louisiana, John McKeithen: Here is an FBI report from 1966: Henry Earl Palmer Palmer was an Exalted Cyclops of the KKK. Here is an excerpt from an FBI memo to the Attorney General, prompted by the Clinton witnesses in the Shaw trial, dated February 10, 1969: Here is another report: The Exalted Cyclops was the top leader of a local Klan. Reeves Morgan There is no evidence that Reeves Morgan was a member of the KKK, but here is a document which shows his racism: He fired a black trucker because the man had participated in voter registration activities. Here is a campaign ad he ran in the Clinton newspaper when he ran for state representative: Clinton Watchman, October 2, 1959 Lee McGehee McGehee, the barber in Jackson, told the HSCA that he had a poster of Martin Luther King at a Communist training school on his wall. This might be the poster: Here is an excerpt of his testimony before the HSCA: Mr. McGehee: I'll tell you something else, when this took place, there was a picture of -- on my wall of Martin Luther King at a Communist Training School that a guy brought in and told me to put this up in there. When he came in -- that is what I was referring to a while ago, I said, "This guy is going -- we'll probably get in an argument, you know, about something." And him being a stranger, he's probably in here for the purpose I mentioned a while ago. Mr. Blackmer: What purpose is that? Mr. McGehee: That registration. That's what I thought, him being a stranger. So, I faced him to the picture on the wall. Most everybody had commented. He looked at it -- that's before he said anything, you know, about information. He looked at the picture for, oh, a minute. He never commented, but he was working his jaw, you know, like this, both sides. Mr. Blackmer: Grinding his teeth? Mr. McGehee: Gritting his teeth, right, and looking at that picture. And it was very -- most everybody would comment on it. He never said a word. This indicates that McGehee knew that Oswald was not happy with the poster, and that he didn't share McGehee's racist views. And yet we are supposed to believe that McGehee then just gave Oswald directions to the home of Reeves Morgan, the state representative. Discussion Palmer and Manchester were members of the KKK, a tightly knit organization known for its secrecy and its conspiratorial beliefs and actions. The others, if not actual members of the KKK, were were bound together by absurd notions of racial solidarity. The ties between these men were strong. For instance, Palmer and Morgan had conspired in a scheme about sales of milk to the East Louisiana State Hospital. Clinton Watchman, June 21, 1963 Joan Mellen wrote that Rarick and Manchester went to the same church. McGehee succeeded Palmer as the registrar of Clinton. McGehee also regularly cut Rarick's hair at his barbershop in Jackson. He told Patricia Lambert that he opened his shop just for Rarick on Saturdays. These people knew each other and could easily have cooperated in the fabrication of the Clinton story. More importantly, they all knew how to keep a secret. In our next installment: None of these witnesses came forward in 1963 -1964. Why did they not come forward? The Series on the Clinton/Jackson Witnesses The Witnesses from Clinton and Jackson, Louisiana Part One: The witnesses testify at the trial of Clay Shaw. Clay Shaw's Attorneys Rebut the Clinton Witnesses Part Two: A response to the allegations made by the Clinton/Jackson witnesses. A Backgrounder to East Feliciana Parish and the Politics of the Early 1960s Part Three: A look at racism and the politics of the early 1960s. Previous Relevant Blog Posts on the Clinton/Jackson Witnesses Jim Garrison: The Uninquisitive District Attorney Three case studies on how Garrison was less than inquisitive, including the possible check of the Cadillac in Clinton. Was Jim Garrison Interested in the Truth about Clinton? Why didn't Garrison check out whether the Trade Mart in New Orleans had leased a Cadillac? Harold Weisberg on Jim Garrison An interview with Weisberg in which he discusses the Clinton witnesses. Were Garrison's Witnesses Surveilled, Harassed, Attacked and Intimidated? Two of the Clinton witnesses claimed they were intimidated. But were they really? Michael Lesser has Died, R. I. P.; Some Thoughts on Clinton... Some background material on Clinton. Was Thomas Beckham in Clinton with Shaw and Oswald? William Dunn initially said that Thomas Beckham was with Shaw and Oswald. Was Jack Ruby in Clinton with Clay Shaw and David Ferrie? Andrew Dunn said Jack Ruby was in Clinton. Why Didn't Garrison's Witnesses Come Forward Before 1967? None of Garrison's witnesses, including the witnesses from Clinton/Jackson, came forward in 1963 -1964.

Judyth Vary Baker in Dealey Plaza Every year in September I go to Dallas to hang out with my JFK buddies -- Frank Badalson, Bill Brown, Steve Roe, Dave Ledbetter, Ed Murray, Steve Roe (who unfortunately couldn't make it this time), Scott Maudsley, Freda Dillard, and others -- and visit the various JFK assassination sites. Last year, we also went to New Orleans. We decided this year to time our visit with the 60th anniversary. The big news for our group was that Ruth Paine was going to speak at the Irving Arts Center and that she would also spend time with our group. Accompanying Ruth was her son Chris, and Joe Alesi who is her assistant back home in California. And some new people joined our group (if you are interested in our next get together, send me an email). November 22nd in Dealey Plaza this year was a travesty. Conspiracy theorists from the JFK Historical Group, set up a PA system and brought in a variety of ridiculous speakers. Judyth Vary Baker spoke and even sang God Bless America. Hundreds of people in the plaza were exposed to unadulterated nonsense about the assassination. You can read details of what happened below. My trip to Dallas started with a quick visit to Dealey Plaza. Here is a photo of Scott Maudsley on the grassy knoll: Ruth spoke on the evening of November 20th and she would be on stage with Thomas Mallon, author of Mrs. Paine's garage. Ruth on stage with Thomas Mallon Ruth talked about 45 minutes and then answered questions from Thomas. She dismissed conspiracy noting that whenever Oswald was at her house, he was usually on the floor watching television. The place was packed and about a hundred people stood in line to have Mrs. Paine's Garage autographed by both Ruth and Thomas: Mark Anthony Wright and Frank Badalson are deep in conversation with Ruth at the autograph table. Robert Groden attended and sat in the front row. I got into a long conversation with a 14-year-old conspiracy theorist. He just kept on asking about topics like Rose Cherami, smoke on the grassy knoll, mysterious deaths, etc. I tried to convince him to not rely solely upon conspiracy books for his information and to read more widely on the assassination, I will offer to send him free copies of my books. The next morning Ruth had an interview at the house she lived in in 1963, which is now a museum. The house has been completely restored and even has the original kitchen cabinets. Ruth Paine's kitchen (and original cabinets) along with a light from her interview. Here is a picture from 1963. They were not able to get a real washer that Ruth used in 1963 and so they had to build a mock-up. Marina's bedroom. There are holograms in several of the rooms recreating events from 1963. Thomas Mallon, me, Ruth Paine, Matt Kordelski, and Frank Badalson. Holograph of Marina -- notice the blanket which would have contained the rifle. Ruth and her son Chris outside the garage. Our next stop was the Dallas Municipal Building which now houses the University of North Texas at Dallas College of Law. They have built a new Lee Harvey Oswald exhibit which is currently closed to the public. We were fortunate to have a private tour. Here is the crew: In front: Frank Badalson, Bill Brown, and Chris Panym. In back: Scott Wheeler, Dennis Moricet, Ed Murray, Freda Dillard, Mark Anthony Wright, Ruth Paine, Scott Maudsley, Matt Kordelski, Fred Litwin, Joe Alesi. This building used to be Dallas Police Headquarters, and this is where Oswald was briefly jailed before he was killed by Jack Ruby. Here is Oswald's cell. You can also go into Captain Will Fritz's office which is where Oswald was interrogated: Scott Maudsley and I recreate the interrogation of Oswald. And here is the ramp that Jack Ruby walked down on the morning of November 24th. Photo courtesy of Freda Dillard. At midnight we headed down to Dealey Plaza: From left: Bill Brown, me, Freda Dillard, David Morley, and Scott Maudsley. On the morning of November 22nd, we all visited the Sixth Floor Museum: Stephen Fagin, the curator of the Sixth Floor Museum, in the foreground, and from the left: Ruth's son Chris, Ruth Paine, Bill Brown, Ed Murray. The view from the 7th floor window: After our visit to the Museum, we went down to Dealey Plaza, which was quite crowded: A speaker's platform was set up and for an hour, the most ridiculous of conspiracy theorists had control of Dealey Plaza. The speakers seemed to be associated with the JFK Historical Group and there was no shortage of crazy nonsense. Here is a video taken by my friend Matt Kordelski: Robert Groden spoke as did Judyth Vary Baker. Right after the minute of silence, Baker sang God Bless America. Here is a summary of the above video: 0:53: I am not sure who the MC is. If you know who this is, please let me know. He tells the audience to watch the episode of the documentary series, The Men Who Killed Kennedy, about Judyth. 2:43: MC says is a "solemn occasion," 5:44: Introduction of Gilles Lauzon who is from Montreal. He informs the audience who killed JFK. By the way, Mr. Lauzon recently left this post on Facebook: 10:55: MC asks audience if they know the name Roscoe White. Was Roscoe White actually in one of the backyard photographs of Lee Harvey Oswald? He claims that they took Oswald's face and put it on White's body. Oy, is this insane or what? 12:20: Introduction of Judyth Vary Baker. She then promptly gives the crowd medical advice on vaccines. She talks about the weaponizing of cancer which began in 1963. Baker claims that cancer could have been cured in the 1970s. Baker then talks about bacteriophage! Of course, Lee Oswald had to pretend in 1963 to be a communist and to like Fidel Castro. Baker tells the crowd she was involved in trying to come up with bacterial agents to kill Castro. And guess what, she has never been sued! So, you know she is telling the truth. 21:20: Baker invites people to Oswald's grave. She says the more you know Oswald, the more you will admire him. 24:03: MC talks about Judyth - that she knew Lee Oswald and loved Lee Oswald, and she was working with Oswald on a top-secret project to kill Castro. Oswald tried to save JFK and was a patriot. 23:55 Linda Baker, sister of Judyth. Tells the audience to read Judyth's book. 26:00: I don't know who this speaker is, but he talks about Israel. I wish Matt had more of this guy's speech. Why not blame Israel for the JFK assassination? 28:28: Judyth again. 28:50: Introduction of Robert Groden. 33:50: MC talks about lack of security back in 1963. He says the Secret Service stood down on November 22, 1963. 34:38: Bob Cochran reading. 35:20: Amazing Grace. 38:14: MC recommends David Lifton's book, Best Evidence. 39:30: Janet Groden, Robert's wife. 42:20: Moment of Silence. 43:29: Taps 45:00 Reprise of Amazing Grace. 46:47: Ruth Paine in Dealey Plaza. 47:58: James Files. One speaker mentioned that no military sniper has been able to duplicate the feat of Lee Harvey Oswald. My new Australian friend Mark Anthony Wright quipped that "you guys must not have a very good military." The video mercifully does not include Judyth's rendition of God Bless America. After her talk, Judyth handed out candies to the audience. She then headed over to Oswald's grave for her usual histrionics. On our last night in every trip, we go to Campisi's, the restaurant at which Jack Ruby ate the night before JFK was assassinated, for dinner. Here I am sitting opposite from Ruth Paine. It was a lot of fun hanging out in Dallas this year. Ruth Paine is a very gracious lady. She will have her picture taken with anybody, will answer any question about what happened back in 1963, and will also autograph anything. One man in Dealey Plaza wanted her to autograph a 'paper bag' marked 'curtain rods.' But I will never go back on November 22nd -- I don't want crazy conspiracy theorists to be in control "of the vertical and the horizontal." Previous Relevant Blog Post The CIA's Dinner in Dallas Our terrific dinner at El Fenix in Dallas.

Louisiana is divided into sixty-four parishes. On March 31, 1807, the territorial legislature divided the state into 19 parishes, without getting rid of the old counties (which continued to exist until 1845). In 1811, a constitutional convention organized the state into seven judicial districts, each consisting of groups of parishes. In 1816, the first official map of the state used the term, as did the 1845 constitution. Since then, the official term has been parishes. Here is a closeup of East Feliciana Parish and you can see the location of Clinton and Jackson. Clinton is in East Feliciana Parish. East and West Feliciana made up the 20th Judicial District which was served by one judge, John Rarick, and one district attorney, Richard Kilbourne. In 1960, Clinton's population was just 1,568, and by 2020, the population had actually declined to 1,340. To fully understand the Clinton/Jackson witnesses, you must look at the situation of West and East Feliciana Parish in the early 1960s. This was KKK territory and black people were actively kept off the voting rolls. But the the black community was getting organized and the status quo was being challenged by voter registration drives throughout the area. At the end of this post, I'll include some of the many relevant questions raised by this history. A very good source is the book CORE - A Study in the Civil Rights Movement 1942 - 1968 by August Meir and Elliot Rudwick. They note: (pages 176 - 177) In Louisiana, four parishes had completely excluded blacks from voting since the turn of the century, while many rural parishes which had, beginning in the 1940s allowed them to vote, purged thousands in 1956-57 after the Brown decision. When CORE started its Sixth Congressional District project in 1962, registrars were putting up all the roadblocks they could. Like the Delta counties in Mississippi, the rural Felicianas [East and West] represented extreme cases of the oppression of a black majority by a white minority. Although between one-third and one-half of the eligible Negroes had been able to register in most of the district, total disenfranchisement existed in West Feliciana, while in East Feliciana only 1 per cent of the Negroes were on the roles. The Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) was founded in 1942, "to bring about equality for all people regardless of race, creed, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion or ethnic background." In the summer of 1963, CORE made the Sixth Congressional District its "chief project." Ron Moore, the head of CORE in Louisiana, protested to the Justice Department about intimidation: (page 262) At Clinton, the tiny East Feliciana Parish seat, the registrar's [Henry Earl Palmer] unconcealed hostility was unnerving; he admitted only one person at a time, set rigid identification requirements that few Negroes could meet, and usually flunked the few whom he permitted to take the tests. Out on the streets blacks heard veiled threats, '... boy, you got to leave here. Don't get pushed up to doing things against white folks.' Within a week after CORE's arrival, three blacks lost jobs for attempting to register. Police constantly patrolled the homes of citizens who provided CORE people with living quarters. A white task force worker from Newark, Mike Lesser, was jailed simply because he accompanied Negroes into the registrar's office. So great was the intimidation in this parish that the black Masons asked CORE to stop using their hall as a voter instruction center. Let's have a deeper dive into what was happening in East Feliciana. In May 1960, the Justice Department called for the voting records of four Southern counties, including East Feliciana Parish: New Orleans Times-Picayune, May 24, 1960 The Justice Department's announcement "said that since 1956 1,550 Negroes and 895 whites have been removed from East Feliciana voter rolls by various challenges, many instituted by the segregationist White Citizens Council. Since these purges, the department said, 756 whites and only 20 Negroes have been registered." In May 1960 U.S. Attorney General William Rogers went to court to ask for the voting records of East Feliciana and two other parishes: New Orleans Times-Picayune, June 14, 1960 Henry Earl Palmer, the registrar of East Feliciana Parish, was ordered to appear in court: The Clinton Watchman, June 17, 1960 U.S. Attorney M. Hepburn Many told the court that there were "indications of discrimination": New Orleans Times-Picayune, June 30, 1960 On July 18, 1960, Palmer was ordered to make the voting records available: New Orleans Times-Picayune, July 19. 1960 The FBI started checking the records in August 1960: New Orleans Times-Picayune, August 9, 1960 The FBI inspected records, but the U.S. Attorney went to court to get additional records: New Orleans Times-Picayune, January 18, 1961 The FBI had found that that of 2,000 Parish voters, only eighty were black in a Parish that was more than 60 percent black. The Baton Rouge newspaper State Times Advocate reported on August 1, 1963, that a new committee had been formed to fight JFK's civil rights program: Baton Rouge State Times Advocate, August 1, 1963 Political boss Leander Perez pledged $1,000 at this meeting. The New Orleans Times-Picayune of August 1, 1963, reported that Judge John Rarick was at this meeting, and he pledged $1,000 as well. On August 2, 1963, CORE worker Michael Lesser was arrested in Clinton while trying to register black people: Baton Rouge State Times Advocate, August 3, 1963 Two CORE workers appeared before Judge John Rarick a few days later: Baton Rouge State Times Advocate, August 9, 1963 A black attorney tried to quash the charges and CORE workers tried to integrate the courtroom. Judge Rarick then cleared the courtroom. Baton Rouge Morning Advocate, August 10, 1963 You can see the opposition to civil rights in a meeting held in Clinton in early August: Baton Rouge State Times Advocate, August 6, 1963 Richard Kilbourne was the District Attorney of Clinton and R. G. Van Buskirk was a Clinton town counsel and a member of the KKK. The trials of Lesser and Brown were postponed in mid-August, while Herbert Collins, a CORE defense attorney, tried to desegregate the courtroom. Judge Rarick said it was the "most unusual motion I have ever heard of in my life." Baton Rouge State Times Advocate, August 16, 1963 CORE National Director James Farmer then arrived in Louisiana: Baton Rouge State Times Advocate, August 19, 1963 On August 20, 1963, the town of Clinton asked for a restraining order on CORE: New Orleans States-Item, August 21, 1963 Here is how some of this was reported in Clinton: Clinton Watchman, August 23, 1963 "Yesterday afternoon, Henry Earl Palmer, registrar of voters, said a good many Negroes were appearing at his office to register and "one or two" had successfully met requirements." "One or two"! Here is how CORE described what went on in Clinton: On September 2, 1963, there was a riot in Plaquemine, Louisiana: New Orleans Times-Picayune, September 8, 1963 Leander Perez pledged that if CORE workers arrive in Plaquemines Parish, "they would receive a different reception." Baton Rouge Morning Advocate, September 6, 1963 On September 30, 1963, there was a hearing regarding the injunction against CORE. Van Buskirk said that the citizens of East Feliciana Parish are "met for the time with one of the arms of the Communist conspiracy" in CORE. Baton Rouge, State Times Advocate, October 1, 1963 Van Buskirk said that Communists have infiltrated CORE since it began, and that CORE's actions were a "criminal conspiracy." "Van Buskirk, in his opening statement, said he would prove that 14 members of the board of directors of CORE have been cited more than 400 times with Communist-front activities." There was a long history of believing that CORE was communist: New Orleans Times-Picayune, June 3, 1961 The name L. P. Davis will feature in a future post. There were demonstrations in Clinton in mid-October. Four black people were arrested and CORE's headquarters in Clinton was raided. Edgar Vickery, a white CORE worker, was charged with contributing to the delinquency of minors. The District Attorney, Richard Kilbourne, said that they found works by Karl Marx at CORE headquarters and that the material had been published in Moscow. New Orleans Times-Picayune, October 14, 1963 FBI agents photographed the arrests. New Orleans Times=Picayune, October 13, 1963 In the meantime, CORE had received a stay order from the U.S. Fifth Court of Appeals regarding its injunction. Judge Rarick issued a new restraining order against CORE until October 24, 1963. He also issued a warrant for the arrest of James Farmer, National Director of CORE. By the way, Rarick lived in St Francisville and he was kept busy harassing potential voters: Ultimately, the city of Clinton lost its fight with CORE and the injunction against CORE was lifted in early 1964. Here are some registration numbers for East Feliciana Parish as reported in the Clinton Watchman from November 15, 1963: Only 126 black people were registered, despite the fact they were over half the population. Just before the assassination of President Kennedy, Judge Rarick began an investigation into CORE's ties with communism: Baton Rouge Advocate, November 22, 1963 After the assassination, you can see the depth of feeling towards the Fair Play for Cuba Committee and communism: Shreveport Times, November 29, 1963 Here is the accompanying cartoon: More from CORE on Clinton: Judge Rarick told a rally that the civil rights bill was a "dastardly act." New Orleans Times-Picayune, February 18, 1964 Richard Kilbourne, DA for Clinton, wrote a letter to the editor of the Baton Rouge State Times Advocate in January 1964 about proposed civil rights legislation: Baton Rouge State Times Advocate, February 17, 1964 The U.S. Department of Justice filed suit against Henry Earl Palmer, Registrar of Clinton, to halt voter discrimination: New Orleans Times-Picayune, March 27, 1964 The KKK was very active in those days and here is an incident from April 1964: New Orleans Times-Picayune, April 20, 1964 Judge John Rarick was elected to Congress in 1966. He inserted comments into the Congressional Record on March 4, 1969 in which he described CORE as an "arm of the Communist Conspiracy." Why is this all of this history relevant to the Clinton/Jackson witnesses? Several reasons: People like Judge John Rarick, District Attorney Richard Kilbourne, and others did everything they could to link CORE with communism. A CORE connection to Lee Harvey Oswald, right after the assassination of JFK, would have cemented the link and would have come at an opportune time when they were still fighting CORE in the streets and in the courts. And yet there was no mention of Oswald being in Clinton/Jackson until mid-1967. It is clear from the stories above just how the racists of Clinton and Jackson treated strangers. Michael Lesser was thrown in jail and others were not so lucky. And yet, we are supposed to believe that Lee Harvey Oswald, a total stranger, was welcomed, told to go to the registrar's house at night, and given tips on getting a job at the hospital in Jackson. Lots of strangers were in Clinton and that included FBI agents, journalists from the print and television media, and observers from the Department of Justice. There was probably no shortage of strange cars and the likelihood of people remembering strangers' faces several years later seems remote. Our next article will look at the Clinton witnesses and their relationship to the Ku Klux Klan. The Series on the Clinton/Jackson Witnesses The Witnesses from Clinton and Jackson, Louisiana Part One: The witnesses testify at the trial of Clay Shaw. Clay Shaw's Attorneys Rebut the Clinton Witnesses Part Two: A response to the allegations made by the Clinton/Jackson witnesses. Previous Relevant Blog Posts on the Clinton/Jackson Witnesses Jim Garrison: The Uninquisitive District Attorney Three case studies on how Garrison was less than inquisitive, including the possible check of the Cadillac in Clinton. Was Jim Garrison Interested in the Truth about Clinton? Why didn't Garrison check out whether the Trade Mart in New Orleans had leased a Cadillac? Harold Weisberg on Jim Garrison An interview with Weisberg in which he discusses the Clinton witnesses. Were Garrison's Witnesses Surveilled, Harassed, Attacked and Intimidated? Two of the Clinton witnesses claimed they were intimidated. But were they really? Michael Lesser has Died, R. I. P.; Some Thoughts on Clinton... Some background material on Clinton. Was Thomas Beckham in Clinton with Shaw and Oswald? William Dunn initially said that Thomas Beckham was with Shaw and Oswald. Was Jack Ruby in Clinton with Clay Shaw and David Ferrie? Andrew Dunn said Jack Ruby was in Clinton. Why Didn't Garrison's Witnesses Come Forward Before 1967? None of Garrison's witnesses, including the witnesses from Clinton/Jackson, came forward in 1963 -1964.

New Orleans States-Item, October 7, 1963 Because there was no discovery in Louisiana courts in 1969, Clay Shaw's attorneys did not have access to Garrison's investigative reports on the Clinton/Jackson witnesses. So, they were not aware of the various inconsistencies these reports (to be examined in a future post). However, they were able to show exactly why it was extremely improbable that Clay Shaw was in the Clinton area in late August or early September of 1963. The late summer and early fall of 1963 was an extremely busy time for Clay Shaw. His team was finalizing leases for the new International Trade Mart -- the only way they could float some bonds to finance the building was to have the leases in place for the New York investment bankers. Did Shaw have time to take off one day, let alone three, to drive Oswald and Ferrie to Clinton and Jackson? Let's have a look at some of the testimony from Shaw's trial. On February 21, 1969, Lloyd Cobb took the stand: Mr. Dymond: Now, during the months of August, September and October 1963 was there anything unusual going on in connection with the new Trade Mart Building. Mr. Cobb: We think it was unusual. Mr. Dymond: Will you please describe that. Mr. Cobb: About June, about July 1963 this financing contract was entered into between the International Trade Mart and Bloomfield Building Industries, which later built the building, and Blyth & Company for the sale of bonds to finance the new 33-story structure and the contract provided that the closing date would be October 8, 1963, a period of 90 days. During that time the Trade Mart was under the obligation when the bonds were to be issued to do many things, one of which was to get bonafide leases to support the bond issue. The bond issue was to be for $12,800,000.00 and it was necessary to inaugurate a crash campaign to get leases from tenants, which leases were to produce $1,425,000 as I recall it, gross annual rental to support the $12,800,000.00 bond issue, and the bond issue ultimately concluded on October 10, 1963 in New York. Mr. Dymond: Now during the say three months preceding October '63, did Mr. Shaw have any duties in connection with the negotiating of these leases for the proposed Trade Mart? Mr. Cobb: Well, as I have described it, it was a crash operation and as President of the International Trade Mart, and the man responsible for putting the deal together and bringing about the issuance of the bonds to make the Trade Mart possible, it was my responsibility to delegate work, and the work load of obtaining the leases was delegated to Mr. Shaw for many reasons There was about 40 or 44 foreign consuls here in New Orleans and Shaw had been working with them over a long period of years so naturally he was delegated to try and obtain leases from them, which in turn meant many instances the changing of the offices then occupied into the new building. He was also in direct charge and was responsible for obtaining other leases to make up the total the investment company and the insurance company standing by would require before they would buy the bonds. Mr. Dymond: Would you or would you not term that a busy period, Mr. Cobb? Mr. Cobb: It was busy to this extent. I practice law and during that period of time I worked on the project every day. I don't recall if I even took a day off during that whole period. We had a dedicated team and had a job to do and I had delegated it and everybody knew what his responsibility was and we were working under adverse conditions because many civic and public institutions in New Orleans and the press were not in favor of the project and, and it was a crash program in every sense of the word. There wasn't a moment when it was left unattended. Mr. Dymond: Now, you say that you worked every day on this. How many days a week? Mr. Cobb: I personally worked probably around the clock except for a little time out at home on Sundays I worked around the clock. Mr. Dymond: You worked on Saturdays? Mr. Cobb: I worked on Saturday, on Sundays, I can't tell you how many Sundays, but Sundays, Saturdays, holidays. Mr. Dymond: Mr. Cobb, in connection with the work you were doing on the project and Mr. Shaw, was it necessary for you to contact him frequently or not? Mr. Cobb: Well, in the nature of things it was absolutely necessary. Shaw had the responsibility for obtaining leases from the consuls and foreign governments; had responsibility for obtaining other leases; and in addition to that we were dealing with many public agencies. For instance, we were dealing with the Board of Commissioners for the Port of New Orleans which involved the demolition of the Dock Board Headquarters at the head of Canal Street and the exchange of that property for two squares that the Trade Mart owned that now form a part of Rivergate. We were busily engaged at that time working out with the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad the relocation of all railroad tracks of the Public Belt on the riverfront. We were engaged with Southern Pacific Railroad moving that railroad after 100 years clean off the riverfront. We were engaged with the Dock Board too in revamping the ferry landing at Canal Street and then we were working almost constantly with Edward Durell Stone, the architect of the Trade Mart, on the plans and the specifications which had to be submitted to the investment house at the time of closing, and Mr. Shaw was, Shaw did more of that work I think than anybody else deciding what would go into the building and where and what the cost would be and so forth. Mr. Dymond: When you say "we," in your testimony, to whom are you referring? Mr. Cobb: In connection with the Trade Mart project? Mr. Dymond: That is correct. In outlining what you had to do. Mr. Cobb: The whole project was put together by a good many people but the responsibility in the final analysis rested on, I would say, three people. Mr. Dymond: Who were those people? Mr. Cobb: It rested on Clay Shaw to obtain the leases and Mr. Jimmy Coleman and his office who worked with me on a day-to-day basis, working out all the legal details in connection with the Mart and they were considerable because when I went to New York on October 8 to conclude the issue I carried with me 44 separate legal documents and over 100 leases all of which had to be approved by counsel here, Mr. Coleman and his associate, Mr. Yuratich and myself. Others worked on the project but the great bulk of work virtually all was done by that small team. Mr. Dymond: You say you were working with Mr. James Coleman on a day-to-day basis. On what basis were you working with Clay Shaw? Mr. Cobb: I was working with Clay Shaw during that period almost on a constant basis. I don't mean, I was with him but my office is in the Whitney Bank Building and his office was in the International Trade Mart Building and we were talking back and forth throughout the period in the negotiation of leases and I was calling on him and he was asking me for advice with respect to approaches to be made to this tenant or that tenant and more or less constantly dealing together. Mr. Dymond: Do you recall any work days during that approximate three-month period that you were not in touch with Clay Shaw? Mr. Cobb: Well, I recall there was one day during that period when I was not in touch with him because he had requested me -- [Court asked Dymond to rephrase the question] There was only one day that Shaw was absent and that was September 23, 1963, when he went to Hammond, Louisiana. And even on that day, Shaw was in touch with the Trade Mart. Clay Shaw's secretary, Goldie Moore, was then called to the stand: Mr. Dymond: Now, Miss Moore, were you Mr. Shaw's secretary during the negotiation of the leases for the new Trade Mart Building back in '63? Miss Moore: Yes, sir, I was. Mr. Dymond: Was there anything unusual about the work load at that time during the say 90 days preceding the windup of the leasing? Miss Moore: It was a tremendous task we had to accomplish. Mr. Dymond: Now when you say, "tremendous task we had to accomplish," whom are you referring to? Miss Moore: Mr. Shaw. Mr. Shaw and I helped in typing up offers to lease and Mr. Shaw attended many meetings, and we had correspondence in regard to offers to lease. Mr. Dymond: Did you during that period have any occasion to be in touch with Mr. Lloyd Cobb? Miss Moore: Mr. Cobb was our President. We met many times with Mr. Shaw. Mr. Dymond: During the approximate 90 days preceding the windup of the lease negotiations would you say that that period was a usual period of work for Mr. Shaw or unusual, and if unusual, in what respect? Miss Moore: I would say that it was, it was unusual because we were trying, we wanted to build the new Trade Mart and therefore in order to do so our work load was much heavier. Mr. Dymond: Do you recall any days, any work days, on which Mr. Shaw was absent from the office in that period? Miss Moore: Only one. Mr. Dymond: What was that if you recall? Miss Moore: September 25. Mr. Dymond: And how do you happen to recall that day, Miss Moore? Miss Moore: I had occasion to call Hammond where his mother and father lived because I had a call from one of our Directors -- [an objection to the stating of her reason is sustained] Mr. Dymond: Do you know Mr. Shaw's voice on the telephone when you hear it? Miss Moore: Yes, I do. Mr. Dymond: Were you able to reach Mr. Shaw on the telephone while he was in Hammond? Miss Moore: Yes, sir, I did. Mr. Dymond: Approximately what time, what time of day or night was that, Miss Moore? Miss Moore: Well, I would say probably sometime before 4:00 or 5:00 o'clock, I can't really say the exact hour. Mr. Dymond: I would assume you mean 5:00 p.m.? Miss Moore: Yes, sir. Mr. Dymond: To your knowledge were there any other work days that he was absent from the office during that period? Miss Moore: No, sir. Mr. Dymond: Were you absent from the office during any of that work period? Miss Moore: No, sir. Clay Shaw took the stand on February 27, 1969, and denied that he was ever in Clinton, Louisiana: Mr. Dymond: Mr. Shaw, have you ever been in the town of Clinton, Louisiana? Mr. Shaw: I have never been to Clinton, Louisiana. Mr. Dymond: Do you have any relatives who live there? Mr. Shaw: Yes, I have a first cousin, who is married to a Mr. Yarborough, and they live in Clinton. Mr. Dymond: You say you personally have never been there? Mr. Shaw: I have never been there. Shaw then outlined his work for the Trade Mart during the late summer of 1963: Mr. Dymond: Now, Mr. Shaw, referring to the period from July into October of 1963, where were you employed at that time, sir? Mr. Shaw: I was Managing Director of the International Trade Mart here in New Orleans. Mr. Dymond: Now, as Managing Director what were normally your duties there at the Trade Mart? Mr. Shaw: The managing of the building, the promotion of trade, the handing of various activities that the Trade Mart undertook. In general, I supervised the operations of the building and the institution. Mr. Dymond: Now, was there anything unusual about the duties which you had during the period from July 8 until approximately October 8, 1863? Mr. Shaw: Yes, there was. We were planning to build a new International Trade Mart, which has now been built. To do this it was necessary we issue bonds which a New York syndicate was to buy. A condition of their buying these bonds, however, was that during the period of approximately July 8 to October 8 in 1963, we had to obtain from potential tenants offers to lease totalling an annual income of $1,425,000.00 a year, and this we had to do within a period of 90 days. Mr. Dymond: Now, had you not succeeded in doing that, what would have been the result? Mr. Shaw: Had we not succeeded in doing that, there would be no Trade Mart now at Canal Street and the River. Mr. Dymond: Now, what was the nature of the work load as a result of your being obliged to do this withing that given period, Mr. Shaw? Mr. Shaw: It was extremely heavy; I have never worked harder in my life than I did those three months, and I have had some hard jobs. Mr. Dymond: During that time, Mr. Shaw, that is, the period you mentioned, did you take any trips out of New Orleans? Mr. Shaw: To the best -- yes, I went to Hammond on one occasion I recall. Mr. Dymond: What was that occasion? Mr. Shaw: My father was not well, and in late September I went one day to Hammond to visit with him. Mr. Dymond Now, on that one day did you have any contact with your office here in New Orleans? Mr. Shaw: Yes, my secretary phoned me in Hammond at my parents' house on that day concerning a business matter. Mr. Dymond: Now, on that day did you have occasion to go to any other town than Hammond, with the exception of the towns which would be on the way to Hammond? Mr. Shaw: No, I did not. Mr. Dymond: Now, how did you get to Hammond upon that occasion, Mr. Shaw? Mr. Shaw: I do not recall exactly. Sometimes I went by train, there was an early morning train; sometimes I drove; I could not tell you now six years later which way I went to Hammond on that particular day. Mr. Dymond: Now, other than that trip, did you take any other trip out of New Orleans between July 8 and August 8, 1963? Mr. Shaw: To the best of my recollection, no. Mr. Dymond: During that period, Mr. Shaw -- and with the exception of this one day that you went to Hammond -- were you absent from your job at the Trade Mart on any work day? Mr. Shaw: No, I was not. Mr. Dymond: And how many days a week were your working, Mr. Shaw? Mr. Shaw: The average work week was Monday through Friday. However, during this extremely busy period there were a number of Saturdays when I worked as well. Discussion Shaw's attorneys did not know that Corrie Collins had given a statement in January 1968, stating that the day in question had to be either a Wednesday or a Thursday. If Clay Shaw's attorneys had this memo, they might have been able to produce specific records for the relevant dates (Wednesdays and Thursdays). Andrew Sciambra wrote a memo in January 1968, to Jim Garrison narrowing the dates to Thursdays or Fridays: Shaw's absence from the Trade Mart during a work day(s) would have been noticed. An ethical District Attorney would have checked Shaw's whereabouts and workload before accepting this story. Before we delve further into witness statements, it is important to understand what was going on in Clinton in the summer of 1963. It was not business as usual. The Series on the Clinton/Jackson Witnesses The Witnesses from Clinton and Jackson, Louisiana Part One: The witnesses testify at the trial of Clay Shaw. Previous Relevant Blog Posts on the Clinton/Jackson Witnesses Jim Garrison: The Uninquisitive District Attorney Three case studies on how Garrison was less than inquisitive, including the possible check of the Cadillac in Clinton. Was Jim Garrison Interested in the Truth about Clinton? Why didn't Garrison check out whether the Trade Mart in New Orleans had leased a Cadillac? Harold Weisberg on Jim Garrison An interview with Weisberg in which he discusses the Clinton witnesses. Were Garrison's Witnesses Surveilled, Harassed, Attacked and Intimidated? Two of the Clinton witnesses claimed they were intimidated. But were they really? Michael Lesser has Died, R. I. P.; Some Thoughts on Clinton... Some background material on Clinton. Was Thomas Beckham in Clinton with Shaw and Oswald? William Dunn initially said that Thomas Beckham was with Shaw and Oswald. Was Jack Ruby in Clinton with Clay Shaw and David Ferrie? Andrew Dunn said Jack Ruby was in Clinton. Why Didn't Garrison's Witnesses Come Forward Before 1967? None of Garrison's witnesses, including the witnesses from Clinton/Jackson, came forward in 1963 -1964.

I am now in Dallas for the 60th anniversary of the JFK assassination. I come down here yearly to spend some time with my JFK buddies -- all of whom are in the sane caucus. Last night the CIA sponsored an amazing dinner for us at El Fenix and top CIA agent Ruth Paine was the honored guest. On the far right is her son Chris. Others in the top row are Mark Wright, Bill Brown, Freda Dillard, Scott Maudsley, David Morley and myself. ON the bottom row are Ed Murray, Joe Alesi, Frank Badalson, Ruth, Matt Kordelski and Les Parson. Of course I joke. Last night I was on a panel discussion over Zoom from Canada and a conspiracy theorist was claiming that Beverly Oliver supported a back of the head blowout in JFK. Beverly Oliver! I'm losing patience with conspiracy theorists. Just have a look at their various conferences - crazy topic after crazy topic. The poor scholarship at these events illustrates the crisis of JFK assassination as an intellectual discipline. Presenters at these conferences are just purveyors of an ideology. On Monday night, Ruth Paine gave a talk at the Irving Arts Center. I spoke to a young 14-year-old conspiracy theorist at the event. I saw myself in him, except I was 17 when I started believing in a JFK conspiracy. He rattled off a whole bunch of supposed issues - the smoke on the grassy knoll, Rose Cherami, suspicious deaths, etc. I asked him if he had ever read a non-conspiracy book, and he said Reclaiming History. I said, "you've actually read it?' He replied, well no. I warned him not go down into the rabbit hole and waste a large part of his life chasing a mirage. When I get back, I will write a longer piece. It's been amazing week, hanging out with Ruth Paine and her friends, her son Chris, visiting the new museum at the Municipal Building where Oswald was briefly jailed, and having lots of good conversations with sane people. Here we are Ruth Paine's house with Thomas Mallon, author of Mrs. Paine's Garage (on left) Dealey Plaza at Midnight Some essential reading: A review in the Texas Monthly of Paul Bleau's new book Chokeholds. After I finish the multi-part series on the Clinton/Jackson witnesses, I will be examining Paul Bleau's supposed chokeholds. There is a lot more debunking to come.

Clinton is 109 miles northwest of New Orleans, and Jackson is 13 miles further west. Google Maps shows that it would take 1 hour and 46 minutes to drive there from New Orleans, but in 1963 it would have taken much longer. At the beginning of the Clay Shaw trial in February 1969, several witnesses from Clinton and Jackson, Louisiana were called to testify. Their stories of seeing Clay Shaw with David Ferrie and Lee Harvey Oswald in the summer of 1963 shocked the trial -- these were new stories that had not been told before. Over the next few weeks, I will be publishing several articles on the Clinton witnesses. I will try to put their stories in the context of the times, and I have some new information that will shed light on Garrison's investigation. Let's start at the beginning. Who were these witnesses and what did they tell the jury in February 1969? Here is a summary of their testimony in the Clay Shaw trial. Lee McGehee Baton Rouge Morning Advocate, February 7, 1969 On February 6, 1969, the prosecution called its first witness, Lee McGehee, a barber from Jackson, Louisiana. He told the court that one evening in the last part of August or the first part of September 1963 a car drove up and Lee Harvey Oswald came into his barbershop. There was a woman in the car along with a bassinet. McGehee gave a 15-minute haircut to Oswald. He referred Oswald to Reeves Morgan, the State Representative of the area, about getting a job at the East Louisiana State Hospital (ELSH), which was located in Jackson. McGehee gave Oswald directions to go to Morgan's house. He also told Oswald that if he wanted a job at the hospital, it would help if he was a registered voter. Reeves Morgan Baton Rouge Morning Advocate, February 7, 1969 Reeves Morgan told the court that he had been a state representative from 1952 - 1956 and from 1960 - 1964. He said that one evening Lee Harvey Oswald came to his house, introduced himself, and they spoke for about 20 - 25 minutes. Morgan told Oswald he could not help him before helping his own constituents, but that it wouldn't hurt if he was a registered voter. John Manchester Baton Rouge Morning Advocate, February 7, 1969 John Manchester was the town marshal of Clinton, Louisiana. He told the court that in the summer of 1963, the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) was sponsoring a voter registration drive. His job was to "maintain law and order and to try to keep out the outside agitation that was attempting to infiltrate." Manchester said that a lot of outsiders were coming into Clinton, and that the FBI was there to observe. He said he was assigned to the immediate vicinity of the voter registration office on St. Helena Street, which was the main street in Clinton. He noticed a 1961 or 1962 Cadillac fifty feet from the office. Manchester walked over and talked to the man behind the wheel for about two minutes. He identified himself as a representative of the International Trade Mart in New Orleans. There was another man in the front seat. Manchester identified Clay Shaw as the driver of the car. He then went over to talk to Henry Earl Palmer, the registrar of voters in Clinton. Manchester told him that he didn't have anything to worry about and that the men were from the Trade Mart and had nothing to do with the voting drive. Henry Earl Palmer Baton Rouge Morning Advocate, February 7, 1969 Henry Earl Palmer was the registrar of voters for Feliciana County, Louisiana. At 10:30 AM on the day in question, Palmer took a coffee break and noticed two conspicuous white people in line who were dressed similar to CORE workers. He started to cross the street to get some coffee and he noticed a black Cadillac twenty feet from the door with two men in the front seat. Palmer noticed Corrie Collins, a CORE worker, standing near the Cadillac. He told a law officer, unidentified, to run a "1028" -- to get an identification of the vehicle registration. He was shown a picture of David Ferrie, and Palmer said the hair and eyebrows were similar to the person in the passenger seat. He identified Clay Shaw as the man behind the wheel. He saw the car about six times during the day parked in the same spot. After his 3:30 PM coffee break, the two white men in line came in to register. The first man, Estes Morgan, didn't have enough identification to vote. The other man, whom he identified as Lee Harvey Oswald, showed Palmer a U.S. Navy I.D. card. Oswald wanted a job at the hospital but could not give him proof of living in Feliciana County long enough to register. Palmer told him that he did not have to be a registered voter to get a job at the hospital. Corrie Collins Baton Rouge Morning Advocate, February 7, 1969 Corrie Collins was Chairman of the Clinton chapter of CORE in 1963. He told the court he was in the neighborhood of the registrar's office and saw a black Cadillac drive up with three men inside, and park right outside the office. This was between 9:30 AM and 10:00 A.M. Collins said that one man, whom he identified as Lee Harvey Oswald, got out of the rear seat of the car. Collins saw John Manchester walk up to the car and talk to the occupants. Collins' first thought was that this was an FBI car. Collins then identified Clay Shaw as the man behind the wheel and David Ferrie as the man in the passenger seat. William Dunn, Sr. Baton Rouge State Times Advocate, February 8, 1969 William Dunn, Sr. testified on February 7, 1969, that he was also involved with CORE in Clinton. He also saw a black Cadillac in Clinton which he believed to be manned by FBI agents. Dunn saw one man behind the steering wheel whom he identified as Clay Shaw. He also noticed one "white boy" in the registration line whom he identified as Lee Harvey Oswald. Dunn was not sure if there was a man in the passenger seat. Mrs. Bobbie Dedon Bobbie Dedon on the left, Maxine Kemp on the right. Bobbie Dedon worked at the East Louisiana State Hospital in 1963. She told the court that in the early part of September, Lee Harvey Oswald asked her for directions so he could submit an application for employment. Dedon talked to Oswald for about two minutes and told him to go around the building to the front. Mrs. Maxine Kemp Maxine Kemp was a secretary in the personnel office of the East Louisiana State Hospital in 1964. She testified that, in September of 1964, she came across an employment application from a "Harvey Oswald." She said she looked at the file and put it back. She has not been able to find the application since. Discussion The scenario described by the witnesses implies that Lee Harvey Oswald was in Clinton/Jackson for three days and two nights: Evening 1: Oswald goes to Jackson for a haircut. Barber sends him to the house of Reeves Morgan. Oswald goes there and visits with Morgan. Next day: Oswald drives to Clinton with Shaw and Ferrie and stands in line most of the day to register to vote. Next day: Oswald goes to the East Louisiana State Hospital in the late morning to apply for a job. The whole scenario doesn't really make much sense. Sylvia Meagher was not impressed at all with these witnesses. She wrote a review of the Shaw trial and noted: But the identification by the Clinton witnesses, some five years after the event, of strangers seen on one occasion under circumstances in no way remarkable, could have no inherent plausibility. Over the next couple of weeks, I will be posting many articles on the Clinton/Jackson witnesses. I'll be examining the reasons why they didn't come forward in 1963 -1964; the origins of their stories; the background of East Feliciana Parish and the politics of 1963; and the many inconsistencies in their stories. I want to acknowledge some of the people who provided important research on Clinton/Jackson: Patricia Lambert, David Reitzes, Larry Haapanen, Paul Hoch (who has also provided a lot of links and has edited this series) and Jerry Shinley. I have relied upon a lot of their prior research -- I am standing on the shoulders of giants. Next post: Clay Shaw and his boss, Lloyd Cobb, respond to these allegations. Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Clinton Jim Garrison: The Uninquisitive District Attorney Three case studies on how Garrison was less than inquisitive, including the possible check of the Cadillac in Clinton. Was Jim Garrison Interested in the Truth about Clinton? Why didn't Garrison check out whether the Trade Mart in New Orleans had leased a Cadillac? Harold Weisberg on Jim Garrison An interview with Weisberg in which he discusses the Clinton witnesses. Were Garrison's Witnesses Surveilled, Harassed, Attacked and Intimidated? Two of the Clinton witnesses claimed they were intimidated. But were they really? Michael Lesser has Died, R. I. P.; Some Thoughts on Clinton... Some background material on Clinton. Was Thomas Beckham in Clinton with Shaw and Oswald? William Dunn initially said that Thomas Beckham was with Shaw and Oswald. Was Jack Ruby in Clinton with Clay Shaw and David Ferrie? Andrew Dunn said Jack Ruby was in Clinton. Why Didn't Garrison's Witnesses Come Forward Before 1967? None of Garrison's witnesses, including the witnesses from Clinton/Jackson, came forward in 1963 -1964.