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

Mr. Redlich. At this time, rather than go into the details of these business arrangements, I would like to revert to the question posed earlier in connection with this document, you referred to yourself as a patsy.

Would you care to explain that?

Mr. Martin. Well, I have put in approximately 2½; months of good, hard work and grief trying in the first place, trying to keep the news media away from her and at the same time trying to sell her story.

Mr. Redlich. Don't assume we know anything, tell us everything.

Mr. Martin. I had to leave my job at the Inn of the Six Flags to properly handle this which was the first of the year. I could not keep going on both jobs. These contracts were negotiated on the basis of my contract with her, which states that I have full power to sign any contracts for her in these fields.

William McKenzie, who is, was hired, apparently, by Robert Oswald, and is acting in his behalf, I guess, although he is using Marina Oswald's name, has tried to cancel my contract retroactively, in other words, just like it was never there at all, and it just happened too suddenly for it not to have been planned.

Mr. Redlich. What would have been planned? What is the plan that you suspect?

Mr. Martin. Well, the dropping of it—as soon as the money starts to come in, then the first thing they want to do is get rid of the personal manager and the attorney who has been taking all, who have been the buffers for the 2½; months prior to that.

The Secret Service was pulled off, there is apparently no danger at all concerning her life or anyone connected with her. So they feel perfectly safe in taking off, carrying on where we left off, utilizing all the work that we had put into it.

This was not a decision that was made in two days.

Mr. Redlich. Could you be more specific in terms of your suspicions with regard to the plan which you have alleged here was designed to get you off this job?

Mr. Martin. Well, I have letters from—one from Marina and one from McKenzie, that requests my discharge from this contractual agreement.

Now they have actually no reason to cancel the contract. I have performed as far as these sales are concerned quite well, and, of course, those are just advance payments of $132,000. There would be more on royalties after that.

Mr. Dulles. Did you sign these agreements or Mr. Thorne or did Marina sign them?

Mr. Martin. I did.

Mr. Dulles. These agreements with the news media?

Mr. Martin. I did.

Mr. Dulles. You signed them?

Mr. Martin. According to the contract that I have with Marina, "You will authorize me and approve for and in my behalf and in your discretion and decision the following: approve and permit the use of my name, photographs, likeness, voice, sound effects, characters, persons for all publicity, advertising and the promotion of any and all ventures desired by you to be undertaken by me and for the performance by me of any appearance or service. You are authorized, empowered and directed by me."

Mr. Dulles. I think we have a copy of this, do we not?

Mr. Redlich. Yes. You are reading from——

Mr. Martin. My contract.

Mr. Redlich. Yes, just so the record is clear, the contract between James Martin and Marina Oswald is Commission Exhibit 276 which was introduced in connection with Robert Oswald's testimony. Mr. Martin, there has been introduced in a prior hearing what is now Commission Exhibits Nos. 274 and 275, a letter from William McKenzie to you and a letter from William McKenzie to Mr. Thorne concerning the discharging of your services.

Do you have any document which you wish to introduce at the present time concerning that—the reasons given for your discharge, because I would like to ask you questions concerning that?

Mr. Leech. May I ask the date of the letter please, sir? Give me the date. I think we have the originals, sir.

Mr. Redlich. There is one dated February 18, two of them dated February 18.

Mr. Leech. Yes, one to Jim Martin and one to Mr. John Thorne.

Mr. Redlich. One is addressed to Mr. James Martin and the other to Mr. John Thorne.

Mr. Leech. Yes, sir; we have the originals.

Mr. Redlich. Do you have with you any other letters in connection with the termination of Mr. Martin's services?

Mr. Martin. One from Marina Oswald.

(Discussion off the record.)

Mr. Redlich. Mr. Martin, you said earlier in your testimony that you were building a public image of Marina Oswald?

Mr. Martin. Yes.

Mr. Redlich. Would you tell the Commission what you mean by that?

Mr. Martin. Well, in this type of thing——

Mr. Redlich. May I interrupt and suggest you don't thumb through——

Mr. Martin. Excuse me. We were trying to create in the public mind an image of a bereaved widow and a simple lost girl. And I think we did actually. This was for her, as I say, for her benefit. She has received some $68,000 in contributions, and the image is not all true.

Mr. Redlich. Would you tell us in respect to which in your opinion the image is not true?

Mr. Martin. Well, as I mentioned before about the bible, this is a very small incident, she has received numerous bibles in the mail, and to my knowledge has never read the first page of one, and most of them are in Russian.

This is a small thing really but it is part of her image, that she is a religious person.

She wants to be thought of as we have built her now but she doesn't conform to that image.

Mr. Redlich. In what way, how?

Mr. Martin. Well, she is lazy, for one thing.

Mr. Redlich. Lazy in what respect?

Mr. Martin. Well, as far as even taking care of the children. The children bother her. I mean to her they are a constant upset. When she left our home to go up to Denton, my wife offered to keep the baby there at the house if she liked, and Marina took her up on it and then Robert told her she had better take the baby with her. She hadn't seen the baby for over a week. And the first day she was back she was willing to leave the baby again.

Mr. Redlich. Is there anything else?

Mr. Martin. Her lack of, well, humbleness as far as all these contributions are concerned. She takes it as a matter of—she takes it for granted. She is quite unhappy when the contributions slack off.

Mr. Redlich. Has she discussed the amount of contributions with you?

Mr. Martin. I have kept her informed all along on it.

Mr. Redlich. Has she indicated that there is some relationship between the story that she reveals to the public and the contributions which she will receive?

Mr. Martin. Yes.

Mr. Redlich. Would you be more specific about that?

Mr. Martin. Well, she has read newspaper articles, for instance, that I haven't written but I have directed.

Mr. Redlich. Directed?

Mr. Martin. By giving them information.

Mr. Redlich. What is the nature——

Mr. Martin. To build it up.

Mr. Redlich. What is the nature of these articles?

Mr. Martin. Well, I recall one, I wonder if I have it, I guess I don't have it, that was written by Bill Burrus of the Times Herald in Dallas. It was a very good article, and not quite true, we will say. It is shaded in truth.

Mr. Redlich. Do you have the article with you?

Mr. Martin. Here is one Bill Burrus did that is when she went to midnight mass.

Mr. Redlich. Mr. Martin has submitted to the Commission an article which does not carry a date or the name of the publication in which it appears, but is headed "Marina Oswald attended mass, had quiet Yule", by Bill Burrus.

Mr. Martin. That was the Dallas Times Herald.

Mr. Redlich. Since we would like to question the witness about this, I would like to label it Commission Exhibit No. 326 and ask it be introduced in evidence.

Mr. Dulles. It will be admitted with no objection.