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

On the second printing would be 12½ percent commission, and on the third and succeeding printings it would be 15 percent commission.

Now, of course, the commissions were to be deducted from the advance.

Mr. Redlich. And this was to be her life story?

Mr. Martin. Yes.

Mr. Redlich. Had you discussed with Marina at all the contents of this book? Had you started making any preparations for writing?

Mr. Martin. No. I am not a writer, and wouldn't know the first thing to do about a book. But we had negotiated with one writer, Isaac Don Levine, who Meredith Press felt would be the best writer available for this type of book because of the Russian attachment.

Mr. Redlich. When you told us this morning of your initial concern over the Nixon shooting incident, did it relate to these various agreements that you have been working on concerning the sale of Marina Oswald's story?

Mr. Martin. Did it relate to them?

Mr. Redlich. Yes.

Mr. Martin. How do you mean?

Mr. Redlich. Were you concerned about the publicity, the effect of the publicity of the Nixon incident on these various agreements which you were negotiating at the time?

Mr. Martin. No. As a matter of fact, it would enhance the price of it.

For instance, the Post magazine, the Saturday Evening Post, said that they would like to buy American serial rights if there was something in Marina's story that the Commission did not know.

Mr. Redlich. When did they tell you this?

Mr. Martin. Around the first of the year I guess.

Mr. Redlich. Around the first of the year. Did Marina know about this?

Mr. Martin. No.

Mr. Redlich. This is the Saturday Evening Post you are talking about?

Mr. Martin. Yes. I talked to a Mr. Black.

Mr. Redlich. And the Saturday Evening Post said to you that they would buy the serial rights provided there was some information which would not be known to the Commission?

Mr. Martin. Yes. I told them there was no realm that would apply, and we closed negotiations.

Mr. Redlich. And you say you didn't relate this fact at all to Marina Oswald?

Mr. Martin. No.

Mr. Redlich. These negotiations with the Post.

Mr. Martin. No.

Mr. Redlich. Was there in fact to the best of your knowledge material which she did not in fact relate to this Commission?

Mr. Martin. Not to my knowledge other than the Nixon affair.

Mr. Redlich. And were you aware at the time she completed her testimony here that she had not related this information to the Commission?

Mr. Martin. Yes.

Mr. Redlich. Was there any connection between her failure to tell the Commission of the Nixon incident and the negotiations, the temporary negotiations that you had had with the Saturday Evening Post?

Mr. Martin. No, none whatsoever. That was closed off at least 30 days before she testified.

Mr. Redlich. Was there any attempt on your part or anyone acting on Marina Oswald's part that you know of to negotiate the sale of the information concerning the Nixon shooting incident?

Mr. Martin. No, not to my knowledge.

Mr. Redlich. When Marina—did Marina ever give you an explanation for why she did not tell the Commission about the Nixon incident?

Mr. Martin. No. I have never talked to her about that other than the first time that she told me about it. I asked John Thorne if she had mentioned it. I didn't discuss it with her.

Mr. Redlich. And since Marina Oswald's return from Washington after having testified here, you say you have never discussed the Nixon incident with Marina Oswald in any way?

Mr. Martin. No. I probably would have had there been sufficient time. Of course, she left my home the following day after she got back from Washington.

Mr. Redlich. When you say you probably would have, in what way?

Mr. Martin. Well, since she didn't mention it to the Commission, I feel the Commission should know about it.

Mr. Dulles. Did you know at this time she had not mentioned it to the Commission?

Mr. Martin. I asked John Thorne.

Mr. Dulles. Oh, you asked John Thorne?

Mr. Martin. Yes.

Mr. Redlich. What did John Thorne say?

Mr. Martin. Said she had not mentioned it.

Mr. Redlich. Did you ask John Thorne why she had not mentioned it?

Mr. Martin. No.

Mr. Redlich. Did John Thorne offer any information as to why she had not mentioned it?

Mr. Martin. No.

Mr. Redlich. Do you know whether John Thorne had urged her to mention it?

Mr. Martin. No.

Mr. Redlich. John Thorne was aware of the Nixon incident prior to Marina Oswald's appearance before this Commission, was he not?

Mr. Martin. Yes.

Mr. Redlich. Because you had apparently told him about that shortly after you learned about it in January.

Mr. Martin. Yes.

Mr. Redlich. Did you discuss the Nixon incident with Robert Oswald after Marina Oswald's appearance before this Commission in February?

Mr. Martin. No.

Mr. Redlich. You had not?

Mr. Martin. I don't know if I discussed it with him prior to the Commission's testimony or not. I may or I may not have. I don't know. I don't know whether I mentioned it to him or not.

Mr. Redlich. Coming back to Commission Exhibit No. 325, the next item under London Daily Mirror, am I correct in assuming that this is, that this item refers to the rifle photo which you discussed earlier in your testimony tonight?

Mr. Martin. Yes, that is right.

Mr. Redlich. Do you have anything to add with regard to that rifle photo that you have not already told us?

Mr. Martin. No.

Mr. Redlich. Did you discuss with Marina Oswald at any time this rifle photo and the circumstances under which it was taken.

Mr. Martin. I asked her at one time why he wanted a photograph taken of that type, and she said she didn't know. He just wanted pictures taken that way.

Mr. Redlich. Did she tell you when this photograph was taken in relationship to any other incidents such as the General Walker incident or the Richard Nixon incident?

Mr. Martin. No.

Mr. Redlich. Did you know where the photograph was taken?

Mr. Martin. I don't know, I don't even know if it was in Oak Cliff or not. I have an idea that it was in Oak Cliff but I don't know whether I know that or whether I have read it.

Mr. Redlich. When you say Oak Cliff, some of us don't live in Dallas.

Mr. Martin. It is a suburb of Dallas, a section of Dallas.

Mr. Redlich. Are you referring to the area where the Neely Street house was located?

To refresh your recollection, Mr. Martin, the Oswalds lived in two places in Dallas. One was on Elsbeth Street and the other on Neely. Are they both in Oak Cliff?

Mr. Martin. Yes, Elsbeth Street is right around the corner from Neely Street, I believe they lived in an apartment on Elsbeth.

It was a group of apartments in one building, and on Neely Street, I think, that was similar to a duplex.

Mr. Redlich. And you are not certain as to where this photograph which was the subject of these negotiations was taken?

Mr. Martin. No, except that the Elsbeth address, I believe, was a brick residence, I mean a brick apartment, it is a dark building, and the Neely Street address is a white building.

I believe the photo shows a white building.

Mr. Redlich. On the basis of that you would conclude the photograph was taken at which address?

Mr. Martin. At the Neely Street address.

Mr. Redlich. At the Neely Street address. When you were negotiating with various publications for this photograph, didn't anyone ask you when and where it was taken?

Mr. Martin. Yes, I told them that it was while they were living in Oak Cliff. I didn't say where or when.

Mr. Redlich. No one asked you.

Mr. Martin. And they apparently weren't concerned with the where or when.