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

Mr. Martin. I believe after.

Mr. Rankin. After you had the conversation in the coffee shoppe with Mr. Thorne, did you make any changes in the draft of the contract.

Mr. Martin. Yes.

Mr. Leech. Excuse me, what contract are you talking about?

Mr. Rankin. Thorne contract.

Were you referring to the Thorne contract?

Mr. Martin. Yes.

Mr. Rankin. What changes did you make at that time?

Mr. Martin. We deleted gifts, contributions. He used a standard contractual form, and in that contractual form it includes gifts and contributions, and we deleted those.

Mr. Rankin. I hand you Exhibit No. 279 and ask you if that is a photostat copy of the contract you have been referring to?

Mr. Martin. Yes.

Mr. Rankin. And it has stricken out the words that you have just described with regard to donations and gifts?

Mr. Martin. Yes.

Mr. Rankin. It does give him an interest in collections, trust funds and bequests, according to the language of this Exhibit No. 279.

Do you know what was meant by that?

Mr. Martin. No. That was in the standard contract that this was drawn from.

Mr. Rankin. Did you ever discuss this contract, Exhibit No. 279, with Marina Oswald?

Mr. Martin. Yes, with Mr. Thorne and Robert Oswald present.

Mr. Rankin. When was that?

Mr. Martin. Between the 1st and the 6th of December 1963. I can't recall the dates.

Mr. Rankin. Do you remember where you were when you had that discussion?

Mr. Martin. At the house, my home.

Mr. Rankin. What did you say to Marina about it?

Mr. Martin. I don't recall any conversation at all.

Mr. Rankin. Was anything said about the 10 percent at that time?

Mr. Martin. Well, she knew it was 10 percent.

Mr. Rankin. How do you know she knew that?

Mr. Martin. Well, we explained it to her.

Mr. Rankin. Who explained it?

Mr. Martin. I don't know whether I did or whether John Thorne did or Robert.

Mr. Rankin. Did she understand English enough to understand what you were talking about?

Mr. Martin. Yes.

Mr. Rankin. How do you know that?

Mr. Martin. Because of her reaction to it.

Mr. Rankin. Did she react about the 10 percent?

Mr. Martin. No. I mean there was no reaction as far as her, a definite reaction but I could tell she understood it.

Mr. Rankin. Can you tell us what you observed about her that caused you to think that she understood it?

Mr. Martin. Well, I don't know. I think it was explained to her as 10 cents of a dollar.

Mr. Rankin. Was anything——

Mr. Martin. But she said she understood percents.

Mr. Rankin. How did she say that?

Mr. Martin. That way. "I understand percents" or something of that type.

Mr. Rankin. Was there any discussion with Marina about the effect of this contract on donations and contributions from the public?

Mr. Martin. Yes. We said that that would not be included in that 10 percent.

Mr. Rankin. Did you say anything to Marina about whether this was a good contract for her?

Mr. Martin. I probably did.

Mr. Rankin. Do you recall what you said?

Mr. Martin. No.

Mr. Rankin. You have no recollection about that?

Mr. Martin. No. Actually we left most of it up to Robert.

Mr. Rankin. So whatever explanation was made to Marina was really made by Robert, is that right?

Mr. Leech. Excuse me for just a minute.

(Discussion off the record.)

Mr. Rankin. Back on the record.

Mr. Leech. Mr. Martin's contract and Robert had a contract with her, too, and Mr. Thorne's contract were left with her. They were not signed that day.

Mr. Rankin. You tell us what you know about that, Mr. Martin.

Mr. Martin. Well, Robert wanted to read over the contracts and think them over, and I believe he took copies of them. Now, I am not sure, I am not certain, about that.

Mr. Rankin. When did Robert get involved here, of getting a share?

Mr. Martin. From the beginning.

Mr. Rankin. Were you present when that matter came up?

Mr. Martin. Yes. That was Marina's request that he participate.

Mr. Rankin. When was that request made?

Mr. Martin. Prior to the signing of the contracts, probably December 4—3d or 4th.

Mr. Rankin. Who was present at that time?

Mr. Martin. I believe John Thorne and Robert, Marina and myself.

Mr. Rankin. What did Marina say about that at that time?

Mr. Martin. She wanted Robert to have some of the money.

Mr. Rankin. What did Robert say about that?

Mr. Martin. As I recall he didn't say much of anything.

Mr. Rankin. Did he say anything to indicate that he thought that was a good idea, a bad idea?

Mr. Martin. No. I think he said, "Thank you," that is about it.

Mr. Rankin. Did Marina say anything about how much she wanted Robert to get?

Mr. Martin. Yes.

Mr. Rankin. What did she say about that?

Mr. Martin. Ten percent.

Mr. Rankin. She just said 10 percent, is that all?

Mr. Martin. Yes.

Mr. Rankin. Did Marina make any explanation of how she decided that Robert should get a share, too?

Mr. Martin. No, other than she wanted to give Robert something.

Representative Ford. May I ask a question?

Mr. Rankin. Surely.

Representative Ford. Was there any discussion at any time, Mr. Martin, as to whether Marguerite should have any benefits from it?

Mr. Martin. No.

Mr. Rankin. Did Marina discuss with you at that time what Robert was to do for his 10 percent?

Mr. Martin. No.

Mr. Rankin. Do you recall any discussion about what you were to do for your share?

Mr. Martin. Yes, to sell her story.

Mr. Rankin. And what would Mr. Thorne do for his 10 percent?

Mr. Martin. Handle all the legal work involved.

Mr. Rankin. Did you ever hear any discussion about what Robert was to do for his percentage?

Mr. Martin. We said that—let's see—we would discuss with him on various occasions any of these contracts, but that he was—he would take over the handling of Marina's affairs in case of my disability.

Mr. Leech. Off the record.

(Discussion off the record.)

Mr. Rankin. Was there anything more said than you have related about what Robert would do for his share?

Mr. Martin. No. I think I probably remarked to him that there would probably be plenty for him to do.

Mr. Rankin. Was there any dispute between any of you or with Marina at this time about the percentages?

Mr. Martin. No. The only thing that I recall was the terms of the contract, of my contract.

Mr. Rankin. Was something said about that?

Mr. Martin. Was 10 years.

Mr. Rankin. Yes.

Mr. Martin. And Marina thought that was too long.

Mr. Rankin. What did she say about that?

Mr. Martin. She said she thought 10 years was too long.

Mr. Rankin. What did you say?

Mr. Martin. Let's see, she wanted a 1 year contract and I told her that actually 1 year, there is no telling how this story would develop or anything, and that 1 year might interfere with the sale of the story.

Mr. Rankin. What did she say to that?

Mr. Martin. That they agreed to it.

Mr. Rankin. She agreed then to the 10 years?

Mr. Martin. Yes.

Mr. Rankin. Was any interpreter present at that time?

Mr. Martin. No.

Mr. Rankin. So whatever Marina understood about was from her understanding of English and communication with you and Robert and Mr. Thorne?

Mr. Martin. Well, Lee Gopadze had discussed it prior to that.

Mr. Rankin. Was that in your presence?

Mr. Martin. No. He just discussed it, the general terms, I assume.

Mr. Rankin. But you don't know.

Mr. Martin. Of course. I couldn't understand what he was saying. We left the contracts with her for several days.

Mr. Rankin. But you don't know what was done with them?