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

Mr. Jenner. Thank you. Proceed.

Mr. Oswald. That we talked about hunting over there, and he said that he had only been hunting a half dozen times, and so forth, and that he had only used a shotgun, and a couple of times he did shoot a duck.

Mr. Jenner. It was all shotgun shooting, no rifle shooting?

Mr. Oswald. No rifle shooting, no sir. That is all they were allowed to have, the shotgun.

Mr. Jenner. This conversation took place, as I understand it, on his return from Russia when he was living with you for that month, that would be June-July of 1962?

Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir; that is correct.

Mr. Jenner. And that is the extent of the conversation?

Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir; that is.

Mr. Jenner. As you now recall it—there have been some reports, and they are only reports as far as we of the staff are concerned, of speculation about a television set, whether your brother purchased or owned a television set and whether he purchased it outright or on time with a guarantee from you.

What information or knowledge do you have in that connection?

Mr. Oswald. I am not aware that he purchased a television set, sir. I did at his request, when he and Marina and the baby were living in Fort Worth.

Mr. Jenner. Where in Fort Worth?

Mr. Oswald. Mercedes Street in Fort Worth, in a small duplex which was——

Mr. Jenner. Can you fix even more definitely the time of this event?

Mr. Oswald. This was approximately the latter part of September, 1962. And at his request——

Mr. Jenner. He came to you, excuse me.

Mr. Oswald. He called me, sir.

Mr. Jenner. He called you by telephone?

Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir; he called me at my office from his place of employment in Fort Worth at that time.

Mr. Jenner. Give us the substance of what he said.

Mr. Oswald. We talked briefly about how each family was doing, and so forth, and he said that he would like to establish credit and he had tried to charge something at Montgomery Ward's at Fort Worth, the West 7th Street store, and they had stated that he needed to have somebody cosign or vouch for him, and this was his request to me, and I said gladly I would do so, and late that afternoon after work, this was approximately 5:30 by the time I arrived at Montgomery Ward, I did sign for Lee's charge account. However, I was not aware of what he was charging.

Mr. Jenner. There was no discussion, I take it, at that time of what—the use to which he intended to put his credit?

Mr. Oswald. No, sir; I believe perhaps he did mention something about a baby chair and a baby bed.

Mr. Jenner. Was there ever any discussion between you about his purchase or acquisition of a television set?

Mr. Oswald. No, sir; there was not.

Mr. Jenner. Were you ever in his home or apartment?

Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir; I was.

Mr. Jenner. Did you see a television set there?

Mr. Oswald. Pardon me, you are referring to the apartment on Mercedes Street, is that correct?

Mr. Jenner. Yes.

Mr. Oswald. Yes, I was in his home quite a few times and there was not a television set that I remember.

Mr. Jenner. On any occasion that you were there?

Mr. Oswald. No, sir.

Mr. Jenner. On any occasion when you were in any place of residence of your brother after his return to the United States, did you see in those premises a television set?

Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir.

Mr. Jenner. Where was that?

Mr. Oswald. At my house and at my mother's house.

Mr. Jenner. I should have been more specific and identified a residence as one of his own rather than living with you or living with your mother.

Mr. Oswald. At no residence that he lived in that I was aware of at any time did I see him with a television set that I would take to be his own.

Mr. Jenner. Did you ever have any discussions—did any discussion ever occur between the two of you with respect to his acquisition of a television set?

Mr. Oswald. None that I recall, sir.

Mr. Jenner. This is, as far as you are concerned, a total blank, this television set matter?

Mr. Oswald. That is correct, sir.

Mr. Dulles. I think we had better adjourn pretty soon. This man has had quite an ordeal for the day.

Mr. Jenner. It is acceptable.

Mr. Dulles. Is it acceptable to you?

The Chairman. Yes.

Mr. Oswald. I have no objection to continuing.

Mr. McKenzie. If you would prefer to reconvene tomorrow morning we can reconvene then.

Mr. Rankin. I think 9 o'clock is better. I think we can finish up in the morning.

Mr. Dulles. Thank you. At 9 o'clock in the morning.

(Whereupon, at 5:15 p.m., the President's Commission recessed.)

Table of Contents

The President's Commission met at 9 a.m. on February 21, 1964, at 200 Maryland Avenue NE., Washington, D.C.

Present were Chief Justice Earl Warren, Chairman; and Allen W. Dulles, member.

Also present were J. Lee Rankin, general counsel; Albert E. Jenner, Jr., assistant counsel; Wesley J. Liebeler, assistant counsel; and William McKenzie, attorney for Robert Edward Lee Oswald.

The Chairman. Gentlemen, the Commission will be in order.

As yesterday, I will only be able to be here for a comparatively short time, because we have our weekly conference of the Supreme Court today. And when I leave, Mr. Allen Dulles will conduct the hearing. We will now proceed with the testimony.

Mr. Jenner. Thank you, Mr. Chief Justice.

I would like to return, Mr. Oswald, to the time that your brother Lee was discharged from military service and spent approximately 3 days at home. You recall that period?

Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir; I do.

Mr. Jenner. Now, would you please describe his physical appearance the last time you saw him during that 3-day period?

Mr. Oswald. His hair was brown and curly, a full set of hair. His physical appearance—he was trim, weighed approximately 140 pounds, he was approximately 5 foot 9½, he seemed to be in fine physical shape at that time.

Mr. Jenner. I mentioned 3 days. Was I wrong about the 3 days, or was it a little longer period?

Mr. Oswald. No, sir; my recollection on that period was 2 or 3 days, and only during one of these day do I remember seeing him. He spent the day at our house.

Mr. Jenner. It was your impression, sir, that he was in good health, bright and alert mentally at that time?

Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir; he most certainly was.

Mr. Jenner. Did you describe his physical appearance as far as his head of hair was concerned?

Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir.

Mr. Jenner. A full head of hair?

Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir.

Mr. Jenner. Did he appear strained in any respect?

Mr. Oswald. No, sir; he did not.

Mr. Jenner. His mental condition, as far as you can tell, is what you would regard or had regarded as normal during your acquaintance with him as his brother?

Mr. Oswald. That is correct.

Mr. Jenner. Now, will you then jump to the first time you saw him subsequently thereto, which I understand was in June 1962. State the date, please, as closely as you can.

Mr. Oswald. This was June 14, 1962.

Mr. Jenner. And where did you see him?

Mr. Oswald. At Dallas, Love Field.

Mr. Jenner. Now, on that occasion—and take in also the period of time that he lived with you in your home during June and part of July 1962—what did you observe, and if in contrast by way of contrast, in his physical appearance and demeanor as against the last time you had seen him, in 1959.

Mr. Oswald. His appearance had changed to the extent that he had lost a considerable amount of hair; his hair had become very kinky in comparison with his naturally curly hair prior to his departure to Russia.

Mr. Jenner. Had his hair been in any respect kinky, as you put it, in November of 1959 immediately prior to his leaving for Russia?