President's Commission on the Assassination of - The Warren Commission (Complete Edition)

Mr. Rankin. Have you ever transcribed that?

Mrs. Oswald. No sir.

Mr. Rankin. Would you transcribe that and send us copies of it?

Mrs. Oswald. Yes, sir. That is a very long document. I was never questioned and answered.

The Chairman. It would hardly seem possible, Mrs. Oswald, that unless this is a complete fabrication that anyone could have given these answers but you, it is—so many of these questions and answers are exactly what you have told us.

Mrs. Oswald. Exactly what I have told you, sir, I have been in the news continuously, I have made the same statements over and over in magazines and newspapers and press conferences, yes, sir, that is not news to anybody.

And as a matter of fact, I was taped, oh, this might be a point, I was taped at my first press conference which was at the Fort Worth Press Club which I talked approximately 2 hours, and there was a tape recorder there. I talked over 2 hours at that press conference.

Mr. Rankin. This is question and answer?

For instance, and I am looking at page 18, there are different questions and answers.

Mrs. Oswald. That is a condensed version of my whole testimony, as I say, because I have been in the public eye and I have all of these things public.

These things have been made public.

Mr. Rankin. This purports to be following the tape recording as to your son Robert, you remember his giving a tape recording interview?

Mrs. Oswald. Yes, Robert gave a tape recording, I told you, and so did Marina and I was not asked to be tape recorded.

I myself asked to give testimony and I did give about 5- or 10-minutes testimony that I say again that I ended up with now all my thoughts are gone, I see my son crying, a very short, and if I remember correctly, I started with the defection. I do know because I said "Robert doesn't know anything about my trip to Washington. He wasn't interested and maybe he should listen to my testimony." And I got not far from it when Robert cried and that ended that testimony.

The Chairman. Mrs. Oswald, while we are waiting, you may relax. We will take a little recess, if you want to refresh yourself, you may step out. That is perfectly all right.

Mrs. Oswald. One thing, of course I am not supposed to tell you what to do, I know and I don't mean to, Chief Justice, but since this man was reassigned to guard me in Fort Worth I would like to know if he was free or if he was taken off another assignment to come to Fort Worth to guard me for this trip? Because it is the same man, understand?

Mr. Rankin. Mrs. Oswald, I think in regard to that I had better state on the record we had nothing to do, that is the Commission or myself, about the selection of any of the personnel. We just asked the Secret Service to handle it and so we don't at this time know what the answer is to your question.

Mrs. Oswald. Thank you.

(Short recess.)

The Chairman. All right, Mr. Rankin, you may continue.

Mr. Rankin. Mr. Chairman, we have this transcript at this time that we are ready to play now and it starts out with Robert Oswald's testimony or answers and questions like the transcription, written transcription states at the head of it, and I think it might be helpful if we just start with that and we can move on if you wish to with the other.

The Chairman. All right.

(Playing of tape recording.)

Mr. Rankin. Mrs. Oswald, this is about 3 pages out of around between 13 and 14 of your son's transcription. Do you recognize your son's voice?

Mrs. Oswald. Yes, I have to listen really, it is a recorder, I am sure, but I have to, you know, listen, that story is right. There are two discrepancies so far as dates.

Mr. Rankin. But you do recognize it? It sounds like him?

Mrs. Oswald. Yes, it sounds like him. It is the recorder.

Mr. Rankin. Is it all right for us to pass down to yours at this time?

Mrs. Oswald. Yes, and I want the time on it.

Mr. Rankin. Yes.

Mrs. Oswald. That would be how many pages? About the 2 months he made an error, it is June 13 and they were in my home with me by July 14.

(Transcription played.)

Mr. Rankin. Mrs. Oswald, do you have any problem about that being your voice on the tape?

Mrs. Oswald. No, sir, but I think probably the rest of it is my voice. I had a news conference at the Fort Worth Press Club at Fort Worth, Tex., that I was on tape for 2 hours.

Now, here is what—this is probably a little over 10 minutes to hear "Pardon me, you will have to excuse me." And there was a lot of break there. That is exactly 10 minutes. I have testified that at the Inn of Six Flags I talked for about 10 minutes and then I stopped because my son was crying, and I still say I testified for 10 minutes approximately at the Inn of Six Flags.

I had a press conference at the Fort Worth Press Club, that can be verified that I talked for over 2 hours that I was on tape. I was sitting on a desk with many, many reporters because this was when it just happened, and we had a lot of reporters, and in the back of me was a man, and everything I said was on this tape, and it was over 2 hours that I talked at this press club.

Mr. Rankin. Did you say the things that you say here?

Mrs. Oswald. Yes.

Mr. Rankin. In answer to these questions?

Mrs. Oswald. Yes, and all through here is my story, yes, sir.

Mr. Rankin. At the press club?

Mrs. Oswald. Yes, sir. I talked for 2 hours.

Mr. Rankin. And you didn't say it to this agent?

Mrs. Oswald. I said, and I am going to continue to say this, that I had approximately 10 minutes interview at the Inn of Six Flags, and then the telephone rang and Robert came out and started crying, and I said I see my son crying so now all my thoughts have left me and I was not interviewed any further at the Inn of Six Flags, sir.

Mr. Rankin. On this tape you heard a little child talking, didn't you?

Mrs. Oswald. Yes, that is right.

Mr. Rankin. Now, was there a little child like that at this——

Mrs. Oswald. Yes, June was at the Inn of the Six Flags and if I am as smart as they are and if they are as smart as I am, there could be a little child crying all during the rest of the testimony.

Mr. Rankin. I see, but there wasn't a little child at the place where you gave your press conference?

Mrs. Oswald. No, but I am not familiar with—but couldn't a tape be added and spliced and couldn't a child voice be put in? I am just saying, because I have said before and I am saying now I was taped for about 10 minutes, just where this business came in was exactly 10 minutes, "Pardon me," now I spoke for over two and a half hours at the Fort Worth Press Club and was taped there.

What they can do with that tape, I don't know.

Mr. Rankin. Who asked you the questions when you were answering them at the Fort Worth Press Club?

Mrs. Oswald. Now, it was not in this sequence, answer and questions. So, I am saying, I do not know how they can get my voice and do the tape and answering questions for the rest, but gentlemen, I am not out of my mind and I have said this over and over publicly, that I have never been interviewed, answer and question, but for about 10 minutes at the Inn of the Six Flags.

Mr. Rankin. Mr. Chairman, then I would like to go down about 5 or 6 minutes more maybe and see what it sounds like and the background if we play for just a few minutes.

The Chairman. All right.

Mr. Rankin. Would you drop down for another 5 minutes? Skip about 5 minutes, please.

Mrs. Oswald. After you start may I say something else?

Mr. Rankin. Yes.

Mrs. Oswald. All of this here I have said and also said in my home and I have testified that there was a tape recorder in my home brought in by Mr. Max Phillips, Mr. Rankin. Why can't—I don't know anything about tape but it can be spliced and edited and so forth, that much I know because when I have talked for reporters, they don't use everything I say. They splice.