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

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

Mr. Jenner. Now, Mr. McKenzie has kindly asked a question that I would wish also to join in and put to you.

Having glanced through the memorandum again, or read it—is there anything you wish to add to any of the recordings that you have made in your notebook?

Mr. Oswald. Well——

Mr. Jenner. That is that you might have been stimulated during the course of the questioning yesterday and today to recall, that you did not recall at the time you made those entries?

Mr. Oswald. No, sir—not to the entries or material that is already in here. Of course this is not complete to the extent it is my intention to complete at least as fully as I possibly can the entire week out at the Inn of the Six Flags—and possibly other events that has occurred to me since that time that would be more in the nature of a personal nature than anything that perhaps the Commission would be interested in. However, I might say that any time that I do complete this, I would certainly turn it over to the Commission, if they or my attorney deemed it necessary.

Mr. Jenner. If you elaborate further on your memorandum, as I understand, you will supply the Commission with a copy, and with your willingness also to exhibit the original of what you add to it?

Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir.

Mr. McKenzie. Yes, sir, we shall.

Mr. Jenner. Mr. Chairman, you have read the memorandum. It does purport to state in some detail and accuracy the course of events of the 22d, 23d, and 24th, and during that week.

Was there anything in the course of your reading that memorandum that might have led you to pose any further questions of the witness?

Mr. Dulles. No, I think not at this time. I would have to go over it again and I will do that. But, at this time—it seemed to me, as I read it, to cover the area you have indicated.

I, of course, cannot myself judge the completeness of it. But it seems to cover the points that I would have questioned the witness on if I had not had the diary available.

Mr. Jenner. There is this feature. Mr. Liebeler and I have not examined the memorandum in depth with a view as to whether any thing said in it would stimulate us to ask further questions. I read it last night, but not with a view in mind of asking additional questions.

Mr. Dulles. Well, I read it from the same angle. I read it during these proceedings, and, therefore, I was distracted from time to time. I think it is a very helpful memorandum from the point of view of the Commission.

Do you wish to—it has been introduced in evidence.

Mr. Jenner. It is in the record.

Mr. Dulles. But do you wish it put in this record?

Mr. Jenner. Yes, I would like to have it recited in full in the record. And as I recall, you agreed, Mr. Oswald, to dictate—to take the memorandum and dictate it aloud on a tape, and Mr. McKenzie will forward the tape to us.

Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir; I have so agreed.

Mr. Dulles. And when you do forward it, would you kindly advise us at that time if there is anything on a rereading of this memorandum which you would like to supplement or add which you feel will be essential for the Commission to have, or desirable for the Commission to have?

Mr. Oswald. I will certainly do so, sir.

Mr. McKenzie. And, further, Mr. Dulles, in the event that any of the attorneys representing or working with the Commission see fit to be in Dallas in the course of the investigation of the Commission, with a little notice Mr. Oswald will be glad to appear and talk with them at any time.

Mr. Dulles. Thank you.

And it is, of course, possible that we might wish to recall you. I am not at all sure, and I hope that will not be necessary. But we always have to reserve that for the Commission.

Mr. Jenner. There may be other witnesses who will say things upon which we would like your testimony.

For the period recorded in the memorandum, and the events recorded in the memorandum, the recordings are full and complete, is that correct?

Mr. Oswald. That is correct.

Mr. Jenner. And if you wish, or should determine to add to it, it will be with respect to matters that have occurred subsequently to those events recorded in the memorandum?

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

Mr. McKenzie. With one exception, Mr. Jenner. In the event there is some recollection or something that is recalled to his mind, he would likewise add that to the memorandum.

Mr. Dulles. I will direct that a photostat of Commission's Exhibit 323 describing the events of November 22, 1963, and immediately following days insofar as concerns the witness be incorporated in the record at this point.

(The document referred to was marked Commission Exhibit No. 323 for identification and received in evidence.)

Mr. Jenner. Have you spoken to any member of the Dutz Murret family in New Orleans since November 22, 1963?

Mr. Oswald. I have not.

Mr. Jenner. What knowledge do you have as to the cause of the split between your sister-in-law, Marina, and Ruth Paine?

Mr. Oswald. The cause of that split, sir——

Mr. Jenner. What knowledge do you have of the split, first?

Mr. Oswald. Full knowledge of the split, sir.

Mr. Jenner. All right.

Will you tell us about it? What led to it and——

Mr. Oswald. Under my advice to Marina Oswald I requested that she sever all connections with Mr. and Mrs. Paine.

Mr. Jenner. When did you give that advice and make that request?

Mr. Oswald. At the Inn of the Six Flags.

Mr. Jenner. Was this the same occasion about which you have already testified, and which consideration was being given, to whether your sister-in-law Marina would reside with the Martins rather than with the Paines?

Mr. Oswald. This was the first occasion, sir.

Mr. Jenner. I take it then from your present testimony, just answering my present questions, that the discussion went beyond the question whether Marina would reside with the Paines as distinguished from the Martins, and when I say beyond, it went to the question of whether Marina would have anything to do with the Paines thereafter.

Am I correct?

Mr. Oswald. Not fully, sir.

Mr. Jenner. All right. Will you please explain?

Mr. Oswald. To the extent that the question arose whether or not after our first agreement that she would not live with the Paines, that question never has been brought up again. The question has come up from Mrs. Marina Oswald. The time I fix this second query or inquiry from her was approximately December 20 or 21, 1963, at which time we were advised that Mrs. Paine had written her a letter or letters requesting that she contact Mrs. Paine.

Mr. Jenner. What was the date?

Mr. Oswald. Approximately December 20 or December 21.

Mr. Jenner. Marina advised you that Mrs. Ruth Paine had written her.

Mr. Oswald. That is correct, sir.

Mr. Jenner. Had written her, Marina?

Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir.

Mr. Jenner. Asking Marina to do what?

Mr. Oswald. To contact Mrs. Paine; that Mrs. Paine wanted to speak with her. I do not recall any specific reference as to what she had to speak to her about. She just wanted to speak to Marina Oswald. She did not reply to these letters. She asked me would it be all right in my opinion for her to call her on the phone.

I recommended that she did not talk to Mrs. Paine at all nor answer her letters and to my knowledge this request has been done.

Mr. McKenzie. To the best of your knowledge, is that right?

Mr. Oswald. To the best of my knowledge she has not contacted Mr. or Mrs. Paine.

Mr. Jenner. She has followed your admonition or advice to have no contact whatever with Mrs. Paine?

Mr. Oswald. That is correct, sir.

Mr. Jenner. Or to permit Mrs. Paine to have any contact with her, Marina?