Post by Rob Caprio on Nov 19, 2021 14:12:53 GMT -5
All portions are ©️ Robert Caprio 2006-2024
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The Warren Commission (WC) relied on ONE witness for all the portions of this case. For the shooter of President John F. Kennedy (JFK) it was Howard Brennan. For the shooting of J.D. Tippit (JDT) it was Helen Markham. For the alleged bus ride after the shooting it was Mary Bledsoe. We have covered the rooming house issue already in other posts so I won’t go over this again in detail, but as we have seen the WC had NO way of showing Lee Harvey Oswald (LHO) ever stayed at her rooming house, thus, they had NO way of showing she would recognize LHO on 11/22/63!
This alone sinks their claim about LHO and the alleged bus ride (this and of course NO evidence showing he took the McWatters bus). IF he did take a bus it was NOT the one driven by McWatters.
Let’s look at other parts of this WC Star witness’s testimony now.
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Mary Bledsoe would be the WC's major witness in placing LHO on the bus (McWatters’) on 11/22/63 as they claimed he took it for two blocks as part of his escape following the assassination of JFK.
Her testimony was done in a deposition form, meaning she was not in front of the full WC when she gave it, instead she went to the offices of Mr. Belin, Mr. Ball and Mr. Jenner who were acting counsels to the WC. An interesting note is she was accompanied by Miss Melody June Douthit, her lawyer, and it is an ironic fact of this case that witnesses had lawyers, and the accused LHO, had no one defending his rights. He was never given a lawyer despite repeated requests for one. WE have seen the whole John Abt saga was NOT true so the claims of the WC and its defenders about trying to get him a lawyer are also false.
The reason the WC claimed she identified LHO on the bus is because he had rented a room from her for about a week in October 1963, but as we have seen previously there was NO way to show he had rented a room from her since the ONLY supposed evidence she had was MISSING.
Mr. BALL - Then did he tell you what his name was?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Oh, yes.
Mr. BALL - What did he say?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - His name was Oswald, and he put it on this thing, and my son took it and sold it.
We see here her son SOLD the page LHO allegedly wrote his name on. Another odd thing is LHO was in the habit of using an alias for these rooming houses (O.H. Lee), but here she claims he gave his real name. Why would he do this? Here is testimony from his last housekeeper about this.
Mr. BALL. Why to your sorrows?
Mrs. ROBERTS. Well, he was registered as O. H. Lee and I come to find out he was Oswald and I wish I had never known it.
Mr. BALL. Had you ever heard of the man before?
Mrs. ROBERTS. No, and he didn't register as Oswald---he registered as O. H. Lee.
Mr. BALL. Did he sign his name?
Mrs. ROBERTS. O. H. Lee.
Mr. BALL. Did he sign his own name that way ?
Mrs. ROBERTS. O. H. Lee---that's what he was registered as.
We see he used his alias (the ONLY one the Dallas Police Department (DPD) listed for him on 11/22/63 by the way) of O.H. Lee to rent the room from Mrs. Roberts, but we are asked to believe that he used his real name for Bledsoe. This doesn’t make any sense. The only evidence the WC and Bledsoe had showing LHO stayed with her is gone.
Mr. BALL - He put his name on the calendar?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Well, got it in September. He got it, my son sold it for $5, and I didn't even know that he tore that out.
Mr. BALL - Now, let me see here in this calendar. It runs from January 1963, to December of 1963, but October of 1963, has been torn out?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Uh-huh. And he said his name was Lee Oswald was what his name was, and I said, "Well, I can't think of that name Oswald, I will call you Lee."
The page that he wrote his REAL NAME on instead of the alias he always used for rooms is missing. She claims (or maybe the WC told her to claim) LHO rented a room for a week in October 1963, and the calendar she used to have guests sign in with just happens to have the whole month of October missing. Hmm. Well how can she prove he stayed there at all then? She can’t. How convenient for her and the WC, huh?
Another tell is the WC never cared enough to ask her this very important question, they instead just took her word for it. Other witnesses who did NOT say things beneficial to the WC did NOT get the same laissez-faire treatment.
The WC would spend a lot of time on the what kind of luggage he had though as they were trying to show he had a rifle with him. She keeps making it clear she did not really notice this man much.
Mr. BALL - Let me ask you some questions before we commence the grocery store part of it. When you first saw him, did he have his luggage with him?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Yes.
Mr. BALL - What did he have with him?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - A bag.
Mr. BALL - Will you describe the bag?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - I don't remember where---seemed like it was a kind of a duffelbag.
Mr. BALL - What color was this duffelbag?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - I think it was blue.
Mr. BALL - That was the only bag he had with him?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No, he went off to town and got another one.
Mr. BALL - Then he went off to town and brought another bag back, would you describe that?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No, I didn't pay any attention to it.
Mr. BALL - Was it leather or---
Mrs. BLEDSOE - I couldn't say.
Mr. BALL - Could you give me any idea of the size of it?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Well, it was big. About like that [indicating].
Mr. BALL - About like that, you mean, oh, 8 feet long, 2 feet, 2 1/2?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No; about like that.
Mr. BALL - About 2 feet long? Was it brown?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - I just couldn't remember. I didn't pay any attention to it.
Mr. BALL - Do you remember the color?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No.
Mr. BALL - Do you remember him carrying it into the room?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Yes; I remember he went in.
Mr. BALL - Now----
Mrs. BLEDSOE - But, I didn't pay any attention. He rented the room, and I didn't pay any attention.
We got it—you didn’t pay much attention to him! This alone would make her a horrible witness for the prosecution in a real trial. Next the WC would resort to leading the witness.
Mr. BALL - After he moved, after he put his bags in his room, did he leave?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No; he said---
Mr. BALL - I mean, did he leave to go downtown to get the other bag? (wink-wink)
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Uh-huh, and come back.
This is ridiculous and would have been stopped in a real court. More I didn't pay attention to him stuff:
Mr. BALL - Did you see him leave?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No; I didn't see him.
Mr. BALL - The time he went to get the other bag, did you see him?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No.
Mr. BALL - Do you know what kind of transportation he had?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No; I guess I didn't pay any attention to him.
What value could she be since she NEVER seemed to pay attention to anything he did? Could this simply be due to LHO NEVER being in her rooming house and her being a poor liar? More giant leap stuff:
Mr. BALL - Did you ever see him drive up in a car?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No, always took a bus.
Mr. BALL - How do you know that?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Well, I saw--one time he stopped over there across the street and get the bus that is the only time I didn't watch what he did. Of course, I had no idea he was the kind of man he was.
So, let me see, he allegedly stayed at your house for a week, you repeatedly say you really didn't pay attention, and now you make a comment that he "always took the bus" because ONE TIME you saw him at the bus stop! Does that sum it up so far? Of course NO mention of the fact that LHO couldn't drive is made by the WC. Also, what did she mean she had NO idea “what kind of man he was?” LHO was never convicted of shooting anyone, so why is she judging him in that way? Why was she not asked if he showed violent tendencies in her presence? IF not, what is she basing her comment on?
Now on to the part where she rips this man, allegedly LHO, off of $2.00. There is a lot of testimony concerning the man coming back in the afternoon and disturbing her nap so she will not rent to him anymore.
Mrs. BLEDSOE - About 10 o'clock, or 9:30 and I thought he was going to move and I---"Oh---" I said, "You are going to move?" And he said, "No; I am just going for the weekend." Well, I said, "Well, I don't know." But he said, "And I want my room cleaned and clean sheets put on the bed." And I said, "Well, I will after you move because you are going to move." He said, "Why?" I says, "Because I am not going to rent to you any more."
Mr. BALL - Not going to what?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Not going to rent to you any more. He said, "Give me back my money." Now, $2. I said, "Well, I don't have it."
Mr. BALL - You told him you weren't going to rent to him any more on that Saturday morning about 10 o'clock. At that time did he have his bag? Was he carrying a bag?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Yes; going out with it again. Going out to Irving.
What is the obsession with this bag? He has asked a million questions regarding a dufflebag. For anyone in the service you know there isn't much to tell about them. Was he trying to get to maybe the rifle was in there? Why didn't she want to rent to him anymore?
Mr. BALL - Why did you tell him you wouldn't rent to him any more?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Because I didn't like him.
Mr. BALL - Why?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - I didn't like his attitude. He was just kind of like this, you know, just big shot, you know, and I didn't have anything to say to him, and--but, I didn't like him. There was just something about him I didn't like or want him-- just wasn't the kind of person I wanted. Just didn't want him around me.
This seems highly picky for a person who makes a LIVING renting rooms. He ONLY rented a room supposedly for a week. NO one said he was going to be there for a long time. Does her reaction seem normal to you? Also, her testimony is at odds with every other comment about LHO as everyone said he was very QUIET and well mannered. Was this the LHO who was shot in the DPD basement? You have to wonder since that LHO NEVER used his real name to rent a room and here supposedly he did as if the person wanted to leave a trail (albeit a poor one) to him.
How did he leave her place?
Mr. BALL - When he left on Saturday morning do you know by what transportation he took?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Didn't pay any attention.
Mr. BALL - Is there a bus stop near your home?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Right in front of the house.
Mr. BALL - Did you see him take the bus.
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No; I didn't see him.
The WC again and again led her to where they wanted her to go. IN a real court of law this would have been prevented. This shows us LHO did NOT get a fair shake at all with the WC.
Mr. BALL - Did you see him wait for the bus? (wink-wink)
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No; I just saw him go out the door. Didn't pay any attention. And when he left I said--oh, he was going to come back and get his things Saturday. He took it out and said, "Well, it is 2 dollars," and, I---"Well, I don't have it, so, he went off."
More obsession with the dufflebag:
Mr. BALL - When he came back did he have anything in his hand?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No.
Mr. BALL - Did you see him leave?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Yes; I did.
Mr. BALL - What did he take with him?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - He had that bag.
Mr. BALL - What bag?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - The bag, you see, he had two.
Mr. BALL - Yes.
Mrs. BLEDSOE - But, I never noticed it. I don't know what kind it was or anything.
Mr. BALL - When he left, he had one bag when he left?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - One bag.
Mr. BALL - Do you know whether it was the duffelbag?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No; I couldn't say for sure.
How can you NOT pay attention, have NO idea what kind of bag he left with and then say he left WITH **THE** BAG! Ball said, "What bag?" And she replied, "The bag" as IF she knew what bag was of importance. How would she know this?
Ms. Bledsoe would be one of several who were allowed to read her answers from notes, why? If she was telling the truth, and these things happened why do you need notes?
Mr. BALL - But, before you go into that, I notice you have been reading from some notes before you.
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Well, because I forget what I have to say.
Mr. BALL - When did you make those notes?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - What day did I make them?
Miss DOUTHIT – When Mr. Sorrels and I were talking about her going to Washington, he made the suggestion that she put all the things down on paper because she might forget something, and I said, "Mary, you put everything on a piece of paper so that you can remember it and you won't forget anything, you know, what happened," and that's when she started making notes.
Mr. BALL – You have made the notes in the last week?
Mrs. BLEDSOE – Yes.
Miss DOUTHIT - At my suggestion and Mr. Sorrels.
Mr. BALL - You didn't make any notes during the week he was there?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No; I didn't pay any attention to him.
Why would she forget what she had to say? Why phrase it like that in the first place? What she "had to say" not what she remembered? Hmm. The notes were not done at the time, so if she had memory issues what good is writing this stuff down in late March 1964? None from what I can see. Why was Secret Service (SS) Agent Sorrels so helpful to her with this idea? Did he help any other witness like this?
They tried to get her to ID the foreign language she claimed she heard him use on the phone, but she was having none of that.
Mr. BALL - And the foreign language that you heard Oswald using over the telephone on this Wednesday afternoon, do you know what the language was?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No; I didn't.
Mr. BALL - Are you familiar with the Spanish language?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No; I am not. Not familiar with any of them.
Mr. BALL - All you know it was not English?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No.
Mr. BALL - But, you can't tell what language?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No.
Mr. BALL - Can you make a guess?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No; I have no idea. I do, because the girl is Spanish, but I don't know whether he called her or not.
Mr. BALL - What girl is Spanish?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - I mean--his wife was Russian.
Mr. BALL - Russian.
Mrs. BLEDSOE - I don't know.
Oh, brother, and they used her as their main witness? Now on to the bus stuff, and she starts off with a doozy.
Mr. BALL - Now, when did you see Oswald again?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Well, I went down to the parade. Oh, when was the parade? The 22d of---the next---22d of February---when was the parade?
Mr. BALL - The 22d of November the President came to Dallas.
Mrs. BLEDSOE - And I first got off at Neiman's and I---the parade didn't come on, and I kept walking on up, and walked in front of Titche's over on that side there, and I saw the parade there. He passed--I saw the President, oh, I was happy I got to see him. And—so then I got on across and went over to the Athletic Club, and caught the bus.
Mr. BALL - What bus did you catch?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Well, I don't remember whether it was the Marsalis or the Romana.
Mr. BALL - Both go by your house, do they? What was the last one?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - The Marsalis.
Mr. BALL - What was the second name?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Romana.
Mr. BALL - And both go west on Elm?
Here we see she wasn't even sure of the month JFK came, and she didn't even know what bus she got on. Now, I'm not making fun of this poor woman as she was older and had suffered a stroke, but all of this goes to credibility and what she really saw compared to what she was told to say. The bus was NOT crowded when she got on either so this should have made it easier to ID LHO if he got on.
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Right--so, I got on the bus, and while it was awfully crowded there----
Mr. BALL - You mean crowded on the bus?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No; outside.
Mr. BALL - Were there many people on the bus?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No.
Mr. BALL - How many people on the bus?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Oh, about 10.
Mr. BALL - All right, now, tell me what happened?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - And, after we got past Akard, at Murphy---I figured it out. Let's see. I don't know for sure. Oswald got on. He looks like a maniac. His sleeve was out here [indicating]. His shirt was undone.
Mr. BALL - You are indicating a sleeve of a shirt?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Yes.
Mr. BALL - It was unraveled?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Was a hole in it, hole, and he was dirty, and I didn't look at him. I didn't want to know I even seen him, and I just looked off, and then about that time the motorman said the President had been shot, and I sit--when I go to town I sit this way on the bus. The motorman is right there [indicating], and I sit right there so that I can get off.
She always sat in a side seat, and they covered this to try and defuse the issue of how clearly she saw the man's face.
Mr. BALL - When Oswald got on, you then weren't facing him, were you?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No; but I saw that it was him.
Mr. BALL - How close did he pass to you as he boarded the bus?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Just in front of me. Just like this [indicating].
Mr. BALL - Just a matter of a foot or two?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Uh-huh.
She is then confused about where he sat.
Mr. BALL - Where did he sit?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - He sat about halfway back down.
Mr. BALL - On what side?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - On the same side I was on.
Mr. BALL - Same side
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No, sir.
I love when he repeats what she just said, she says no! Did the man look at her?
Mr. BALL – Did he look at you as he went by? Did he look at you?
Mrs. BLEDSOE – I don't know. I didn't look at him. That is---I was just---he looked so bad in his face, and his face was so distorted.
First she can't remember if he looked at her, then it was she didn't look at him, and finally even with no one looking at each other we get his face is distorted. Now for the clothing he was wearing when she allegedly saw him.
Mr. BALL - Did he have a hat on?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No.
Why would they ask about a hat?
Mr. BALL - Now, what color shirt did he have on?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - He had a brown shirt.
LHO himself described it as “reddish-brown”, NOT brown.
Mr. BALL - And unraveled?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Hole in his sleeve right here [indicating].
Mr. BALL - Which is the elbow of the sleeve? That is, you pointed to the elbow?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Well, it is.
Mr. BALL - And that would be which elbow, right or left elbow?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Right.
Mr. BALL - Did he have anything on. Was the shirt open or was it buttoned?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Yes; all the buttons torn off.
Mr. BALL - What did he have on underneath that?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - I don't know.
Mr. BALL - Do you know the color of any undershirt he had on?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No.
She didn’t even notice if he had an undershirt on or not. This goes to her credibility and powers of observation.
Mr. BALL - Notice the color of his pants?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Yes, they were gray, and they were all ragged in here [indicating].
LHO simply said he changed his shirt and pants because they were dirty, he never mentioned because they had holes and were ragged. Don’t you think something would have been said to him by Truly if he wore clothes in this condition to work? I sure do. Truly never mentioned LHO having holes or wearing ragged clothes on 11/22/63.
Mr. BALL - Around where?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - At the seam.
Mr. BALL - At the waist?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - At the waist, uh-huh.
Mr. BALL - Was the shirt tucked beneath the belt in his pants, or outside the belt?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No; he had it in.
Mr. BALL - Had it tucked in?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No: it was tucked in.
Mr. BALL - So, that the belt of the pants was outside the shirt?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Yes; uh-huh.
There is good news and bad news here. The good news is she described LHO's clothes fairly accurately in terms of the shirt and pant colors, but as already stated she is off base with the hole in the elbow and the ragged nature of the pants. I don't believe his shirt was torn open as she said, I think he just had it open halfway down. The issue of not knowing if he had a T-shirt on or was bare-chested is of concern if I was the prosecutor as it goes to awareness. She initially says the shirt is torn open, no buttons left, but then she says the shirt is tucked in. Now for the bad news, her clothing description of the man differs from McWatters and Jones. No one else described it the same way as her. For someone who is so forgetful and always says she didn't pay attention, how did she get the clothing so correct?
Mr. BALL - Now, you say the motorman said something?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Motorman said. "Well, the President has been shot," and I say--so, and the woman over--we all got to talking about four of us sitting around talking, and Oswald was sitting back there, and one of them said, "Hope they don't shoot us," and I said, "I don't believe that--it is--I don't believe it. Somebody just said that. And it was too crowded, you see, and Oswald had got off.
Mr. BALL - How far had he been on the bus before he got off? Until the time he got on until the time he got off?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - About three or four blocks.
How did we go from 10 people to a very crowded bus so fast?
Mr. BALL - Did he say anything to the motorman when he got off?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - They say he did, but I don't remember him saying anything.
Mr. BALL - Did you ever see the motorman give him a transfer?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No; I didn't pay any attention but I believe he did.
Mr. BALL - Well, what do you mean he---you believe he did? Did you remember seeing him get on or are you telling me something you read in the newspapers?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No; I don't remember. I don't remember.
Here it is, a confession that she simply doesn't know if LHO got on or not since she can't remember. There is more though.
Mr. BALL – Did you pay any attention at that time as to whether he did, or did not get a transfer?
Mrs. BLEDSOE – I didn't pay any attention to him.
Mr. BALL - Well, did you look at him as he got off the bus?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No; I sure didn't. I didn't want to know him.
We go from this to this.
Mr. BALL - Well, you think you got enough of a glimpse of him to be able to recognize him?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Oh, yes.
Mr. BALL - You think you might be mistaken?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Oh, no.
Mr. BALL - You didn't look very carefully, did you?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No; I just glanced at him, and then looked the other way and I hoped he didn't see me.
Mr. BALL - Now, are there two exits from the bus?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Uh-huh.
Mr. BALL - The middle of the bus, and front of the bus?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Uh-huh.
Mr. BALL - Which exit did he leave?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Front.
Mr. BALL - By the motorman?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Uh-huh, by the motorman.
What????? How about the mysterious lady?
Mr. BALL - Did anybody else get off at that time when he got off?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No, not then, but there was a lady sitting right across, she wanted to go to the train station.
Mr. BALL - To the what station?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Train station, and she was worried about trying to get off, you know, trying to get there, and then we were hearing her, and I said, "Well, why don't you walk over there. It's just a little ways." Because the crowd was so bad we still didn't know the President had been killed, and finally she got off, but I think it was---it was before---I mean after Oswald did.
Mr. BALL - Did she ask for a transfer?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Yes; she had the man give her one, because she caught the bus before she got to the train station.
Mr. BALL - How do you know that?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Well, I saw her.
Mr. BALL - You saw her catch another bus?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - She got on when we did. She rode a block.
Mr. BALL – Did anybody get off when the lady got off? Any body that was going to the train station?
Mrs. BLEDSOE – No.
Am I the only one who can't make any sense out of what she says? Why did they ask if anyone else was going to the train station with the woman? Did they suspect her of something? Just wondering.
More I don't know and I didn't pay any attention to him stuff:
Mr. BALL - Can you tell me the location of the bus with reference to a cross street on Elm where Oswald got off?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No; I can't, because they have changed that street, so, they have torn down things and I don't go town very much now and so I don't-----
Mr. BALL - Was it in the middle of the block, or at a regular bus stop?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Well, they said it was.
Mr. BALL – I want to know what you remember.
Mrs. BLEDSOE – No; I don't remember.
Mr. BALL - Do you remember whether it was a regular bus stop or not?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No; I didn't pay any attention.
Mr. BALL – Did Oswald get on at a regular bus stop?
Mrs. BLEDSOE – I didn't pay any particular attention to him.
Her son called the police and took her to the station, but she was never shown LHO in a lineup to ID.
Mr. BALL – Uh-huh. Now, did you ever see Oswald in a lineup?
Mrs. BLEDSOE – No.
Mr. BALL - Never did see Oswald after he was arrested?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Not after he got off the bus; no.
Mr. BALL - But, you looked at the pictures of Oswald?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Yes.
Why would they show her pictures of LHO, but NOT take her to a lineup? Does this make any sense? Now, how about leading the person to guilt?
Mr. BALL - Showed you the pictures of Oswald?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - The man down at the police station, he had a picture of him with a gun, and said, "Do you recognize him?" And I said, "Yes; it is Oswald." That is the one that I remember him.
Mr. BALL – Do you know the name of the man who showed you the picture of the man with the gun?
Mrs. BLEDSOE – I am so bad about names.
Nice of them to show the backyard photos to her, huh? A nice gun in his hands sure made the whole ID process a little quicker I'm sure. And she is so bad with names so we don't even know what helpful person did this. Oh, and she is NOT so bad with names when it comes to LHO as she said it is "Oswald" right away! Hmm. They then show her the shirt she claimed LHO was wearing (CE150). This is funny as she is frustrating Ball a lot.
Mr. BALL - Commission Exhibit 150.
Mrs. BLEDSOE - That is it.
Mr. BALL - This is a shirt.
Mrs. BLEDSOE - That is it.
Mr. BALL - What do you mean by "that is it?"
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Because they brought it out to the house and showed it.
Mr. BALL - I know. What do you mean by "that is it?"
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Well, because I can recognize it.
Mr. BALL - Recognize it as what?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Yes, sir; see there?
Mr. BALL - Yes. You tell me what do you see here? What permits you to recognize it?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - I recognize---first thing I notice the elbow is out and then I saw---when the man brought it out and let me see it?
Mr. BALL - No, I am talking about---I am showing you this shirt now, and you said, "That is it." You mean---What do you mean by "that is it"?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - That is the one he had out there that day?
Mr. BALL – Who had it out there?
Mrs. BLEDSOE – Some Secret Service man.
Mr. BALL - He brought it out. Now, I am---you have seen this shirt then before?
Mrs. BLEDSOE – Yes.
Mr. BALL – It was brought out by the Secret Service man and shown to you?
Mrs. BLEDSOE – Yes.
Mr. BALL - Had you ever seen the shirt before that?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Well---
Mr. BALL - Have you?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No; he had it on, though.
Mr. BALL - Who had it on?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Oswald.
Mr. BALL - Oswald had it on?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Oswald had it on.
This is classic stuff, right up there with who's on first. Why was the helpful SS bringing the shirt out to her to look at? Did the SS help any other witness like this? The story continues.
Mr. BALL - Now, what is there about the shirt that makes you believe that this is the shirt that Oswald had on when he was on the bus? What is there about it?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Well, let's see the front of it. Yes See all this [indicating]? I remember that.
Mr. BALL - Tell me what you see there?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - I saw the---no; not so much that. It was done after---that is part I recognize more than anything.
Mr. BALL - You are pointing to a hole in the right elbow?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Yes.
Mr. BALL - What about the color?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Well, I---What do you mean?
Mr. BALL - Well----
Mrs. BLEDSOE - When he had it on?
Mr. BALL - Yes.
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Before he was shot? Yes; I remember it being brown..
What is this? Before he was shot? More keystone cops.
Mr. BALL – You remember the shirt being brown. Was it this color?
Mrs. BLEDSOE – Yes; it was that color.
Mr. BALL - In other words, when you remember that you have seen something before---
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Uh-huh.
Mr. BALL - In order to convince me that you did see it before you've got to tell me what there is about it that is the same, you see. Now, you try to convince me, or tell me why it is that you believe that this is the shirt that Oswald had on when you saw him on the bus?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Well, I would say it was. That hole---
Mr. BALL – Mostly the hole in the right sleeve?
Mrs. BLEDSOE – Yes.
Mr. BALL - What about the color?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Yes; I remember the color.
Mr. BALL - That is a similar color, isn't it?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No; same color.
Mr. BALL - Same color?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Uh-huh.
Mr. BALL - You think that is the shirt?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Yes; it is the shirt.
Do you really think a defense attorney would sit through all of this? They would then go on the pants and back to the bag. Her testimony seems endless. Both McWatters and Jones will say, 1) the man is wearing a jacket, 2) that he sits near the front of the bus behind Jones, but Bledsoe said he had NO jacket and went to the back of the bus.
The big things here are the ability to establish LHO ever rented a room are remote as he had a habit of not telling Marina where he was staying and the only source allegedly is the calendar LHO signed, but the month of October is missing. Without an establish fact of LHO renting a room from her there is NO way she would know LHO from a hole in the ground on 11/22/63.
Her testimony is just not believable in my opinion as she says she was not paying attention and then turns around and gives the exact info the WC was looking for. That brings us to the notes. These were and are allowed in most states (if not all) and at the federal level, so there is no issue there, but the fact of them being written in late March 1964 makes them highly suspect. For if she did need them to remember things, how would she know what to remember 5 to 6 months after the events? It opens the door for coaching, being told what to say and she basically said this at one point.
Her value at proving LHO was on the bus is nil for me for the reasons above and the fact she was at odds with the other witnesses on the bus.
2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZiBzNUYK-fw/Tvw52Y6O-3I/AAAAAAAABwc/C60LhTtnNg0/s1600/Mary-Bledsoe-Affidavit.gif
The Warren Commission (WC) relied on ONE witness for all the portions of this case. For the shooter of President John F. Kennedy (JFK) it was Howard Brennan. For the shooting of J.D. Tippit (JDT) it was Helen Markham. For the alleged bus ride after the shooting it was Mary Bledsoe. We have covered the rooming house issue already in other posts so I won’t go over this again in detail, but as we have seen the WC had NO way of showing Lee Harvey Oswald (LHO) ever stayed at her rooming house, thus, they had NO way of showing she would recognize LHO on 11/22/63!
This alone sinks their claim about LHO and the alleged bus ride (this and of course NO evidence showing he took the McWatters bus). IF he did take a bus it was NOT the one driven by McWatters.
Let’s look at other parts of this WC Star witness’s testimony now.
**********************************
Mary Bledsoe would be the WC's major witness in placing LHO on the bus (McWatters’) on 11/22/63 as they claimed he took it for two blocks as part of his escape following the assassination of JFK.
Her testimony was done in a deposition form, meaning she was not in front of the full WC when she gave it, instead she went to the offices of Mr. Belin, Mr. Ball and Mr. Jenner who were acting counsels to the WC. An interesting note is she was accompanied by Miss Melody June Douthit, her lawyer, and it is an ironic fact of this case that witnesses had lawyers, and the accused LHO, had no one defending his rights. He was never given a lawyer despite repeated requests for one. WE have seen the whole John Abt saga was NOT true so the claims of the WC and its defenders about trying to get him a lawyer are also false.
The reason the WC claimed she identified LHO on the bus is because he had rented a room from her for about a week in October 1963, but as we have seen previously there was NO way to show he had rented a room from her since the ONLY supposed evidence she had was MISSING.
Mr. BALL - Then did he tell you what his name was?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Oh, yes.
Mr. BALL - What did he say?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - His name was Oswald, and he put it on this thing, and my son took it and sold it.
We see here her son SOLD the page LHO allegedly wrote his name on. Another odd thing is LHO was in the habit of using an alias for these rooming houses (O.H. Lee), but here she claims he gave his real name. Why would he do this? Here is testimony from his last housekeeper about this.
Mr. BALL. Why to your sorrows?
Mrs. ROBERTS. Well, he was registered as O. H. Lee and I come to find out he was Oswald and I wish I had never known it.
Mr. BALL. Had you ever heard of the man before?
Mrs. ROBERTS. No, and he didn't register as Oswald---he registered as O. H. Lee.
Mr. BALL. Did he sign his name?
Mrs. ROBERTS. O. H. Lee.
Mr. BALL. Did he sign his own name that way ?
Mrs. ROBERTS. O. H. Lee---that's what he was registered as.
We see he used his alias (the ONLY one the Dallas Police Department (DPD) listed for him on 11/22/63 by the way) of O.H. Lee to rent the room from Mrs. Roberts, but we are asked to believe that he used his real name for Bledsoe. This doesn’t make any sense. The only evidence the WC and Bledsoe had showing LHO stayed with her is gone.
Mr. BALL - He put his name on the calendar?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Well, got it in September. He got it, my son sold it for $5, and I didn't even know that he tore that out.
Mr. BALL - Now, let me see here in this calendar. It runs from January 1963, to December of 1963, but October of 1963, has been torn out?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Uh-huh. And he said his name was Lee Oswald was what his name was, and I said, "Well, I can't think of that name Oswald, I will call you Lee."
The page that he wrote his REAL NAME on instead of the alias he always used for rooms is missing. She claims (or maybe the WC told her to claim) LHO rented a room for a week in October 1963, and the calendar she used to have guests sign in with just happens to have the whole month of October missing. Hmm. Well how can she prove he stayed there at all then? She can’t. How convenient for her and the WC, huh?
Another tell is the WC never cared enough to ask her this very important question, they instead just took her word for it. Other witnesses who did NOT say things beneficial to the WC did NOT get the same laissez-faire treatment.
The WC would spend a lot of time on the what kind of luggage he had though as they were trying to show he had a rifle with him. She keeps making it clear she did not really notice this man much.
Mr. BALL - Let me ask you some questions before we commence the grocery store part of it. When you first saw him, did he have his luggage with him?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Yes.
Mr. BALL - What did he have with him?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - A bag.
Mr. BALL - Will you describe the bag?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - I don't remember where---seemed like it was a kind of a duffelbag.
Mr. BALL - What color was this duffelbag?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - I think it was blue.
Mr. BALL - That was the only bag he had with him?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No, he went off to town and got another one.
Mr. BALL - Then he went off to town and brought another bag back, would you describe that?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No, I didn't pay any attention to it.
Mr. BALL - Was it leather or---
Mrs. BLEDSOE - I couldn't say.
Mr. BALL - Could you give me any idea of the size of it?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Well, it was big. About like that [indicating].
Mr. BALL - About like that, you mean, oh, 8 feet long, 2 feet, 2 1/2?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No; about like that.
Mr. BALL - About 2 feet long? Was it brown?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - I just couldn't remember. I didn't pay any attention to it.
Mr. BALL - Do you remember the color?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No.
Mr. BALL - Do you remember him carrying it into the room?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Yes; I remember he went in.
Mr. BALL - Now----
Mrs. BLEDSOE - But, I didn't pay any attention. He rented the room, and I didn't pay any attention.
We got it—you didn’t pay much attention to him! This alone would make her a horrible witness for the prosecution in a real trial. Next the WC would resort to leading the witness.
Mr. BALL - After he moved, after he put his bags in his room, did he leave?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No; he said---
Mr. BALL - I mean, did he leave to go downtown to get the other bag? (wink-wink)
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Uh-huh, and come back.
This is ridiculous and would have been stopped in a real court. More I didn't pay attention to him stuff:
Mr. BALL - Did you see him leave?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No; I didn't see him.
Mr. BALL - The time he went to get the other bag, did you see him?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No.
Mr. BALL - Do you know what kind of transportation he had?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No; I guess I didn't pay any attention to him.
What value could she be since she NEVER seemed to pay attention to anything he did? Could this simply be due to LHO NEVER being in her rooming house and her being a poor liar? More giant leap stuff:
Mr. BALL - Did you ever see him drive up in a car?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No, always took a bus.
Mr. BALL - How do you know that?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Well, I saw--one time he stopped over there across the street and get the bus that is the only time I didn't watch what he did. Of course, I had no idea he was the kind of man he was.
So, let me see, he allegedly stayed at your house for a week, you repeatedly say you really didn't pay attention, and now you make a comment that he "always took the bus" because ONE TIME you saw him at the bus stop! Does that sum it up so far? Of course NO mention of the fact that LHO couldn't drive is made by the WC. Also, what did she mean she had NO idea “what kind of man he was?” LHO was never convicted of shooting anyone, so why is she judging him in that way? Why was she not asked if he showed violent tendencies in her presence? IF not, what is she basing her comment on?
Now on to the part where she rips this man, allegedly LHO, off of $2.00. There is a lot of testimony concerning the man coming back in the afternoon and disturbing her nap so she will not rent to him anymore.
Mrs. BLEDSOE - About 10 o'clock, or 9:30 and I thought he was going to move and I---"Oh---" I said, "You are going to move?" And he said, "No; I am just going for the weekend." Well, I said, "Well, I don't know." But he said, "And I want my room cleaned and clean sheets put on the bed." And I said, "Well, I will after you move because you are going to move." He said, "Why?" I says, "Because I am not going to rent to you any more."
Mr. BALL - Not going to what?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Not going to rent to you any more. He said, "Give me back my money." Now, $2. I said, "Well, I don't have it."
Mr. BALL - You told him you weren't going to rent to him any more on that Saturday morning about 10 o'clock. At that time did he have his bag? Was he carrying a bag?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Yes; going out with it again. Going out to Irving.
What is the obsession with this bag? He has asked a million questions regarding a dufflebag. For anyone in the service you know there isn't much to tell about them. Was he trying to get to maybe the rifle was in there? Why didn't she want to rent to him anymore?
Mr. BALL - Why did you tell him you wouldn't rent to him any more?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Because I didn't like him.
Mr. BALL - Why?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - I didn't like his attitude. He was just kind of like this, you know, just big shot, you know, and I didn't have anything to say to him, and--but, I didn't like him. There was just something about him I didn't like or want him-- just wasn't the kind of person I wanted. Just didn't want him around me.
This seems highly picky for a person who makes a LIVING renting rooms. He ONLY rented a room supposedly for a week. NO one said he was going to be there for a long time. Does her reaction seem normal to you? Also, her testimony is at odds with every other comment about LHO as everyone said he was very QUIET and well mannered. Was this the LHO who was shot in the DPD basement? You have to wonder since that LHO NEVER used his real name to rent a room and here supposedly he did as if the person wanted to leave a trail (albeit a poor one) to him.
How did he leave her place?
Mr. BALL - When he left on Saturday morning do you know by what transportation he took?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Didn't pay any attention.
Mr. BALL - Is there a bus stop near your home?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Right in front of the house.
Mr. BALL - Did you see him take the bus.
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No; I didn't see him.
The WC again and again led her to where they wanted her to go. IN a real court of law this would have been prevented. This shows us LHO did NOT get a fair shake at all with the WC.
Mr. BALL - Did you see him wait for the bus? (wink-wink)
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No; I just saw him go out the door. Didn't pay any attention. And when he left I said--oh, he was going to come back and get his things Saturday. He took it out and said, "Well, it is 2 dollars," and, I---"Well, I don't have it, so, he went off."
More obsession with the dufflebag:
Mr. BALL - When he came back did he have anything in his hand?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No.
Mr. BALL - Did you see him leave?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Yes; I did.
Mr. BALL - What did he take with him?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - He had that bag.
Mr. BALL - What bag?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - The bag, you see, he had two.
Mr. BALL - Yes.
Mrs. BLEDSOE - But, I never noticed it. I don't know what kind it was or anything.
Mr. BALL - When he left, he had one bag when he left?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - One bag.
Mr. BALL - Do you know whether it was the duffelbag?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No; I couldn't say for sure.
How can you NOT pay attention, have NO idea what kind of bag he left with and then say he left WITH **THE** BAG! Ball said, "What bag?" And she replied, "The bag" as IF she knew what bag was of importance. How would she know this?
Ms. Bledsoe would be one of several who were allowed to read her answers from notes, why? If she was telling the truth, and these things happened why do you need notes?
Mr. BALL - But, before you go into that, I notice you have been reading from some notes before you.
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Well, because I forget what I have to say.
Mr. BALL - When did you make those notes?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - What day did I make them?
Miss DOUTHIT – When Mr. Sorrels and I were talking about her going to Washington, he made the suggestion that she put all the things down on paper because she might forget something, and I said, "Mary, you put everything on a piece of paper so that you can remember it and you won't forget anything, you know, what happened," and that's when she started making notes.
Mr. BALL – You have made the notes in the last week?
Mrs. BLEDSOE – Yes.
Miss DOUTHIT - At my suggestion and Mr. Sorrels.
Mr. BALL - You didn't make any notes during the week he was there?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No; I didn't pay any attention to him.
Why would she forget what she had to say? Why phrase it like that in the first place? What she "had to say" not what she remembered? Hmm. The notes were not done at the time, so if she had memory issues what good is writing this stuff down in late March 1964? None from what I can see. Why was Secret Service (SS) Agent Sorrels so helpful to her with this idea? Did he help any other witness like this?
They tried to get her to ID the foreign language she claimed she heard him use on the phone, but she was having none of that.
Mr. BALL - And the foreign language that you heard Oswald using over the telephone on this Wednesday afternoon, do you know what the language was?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No; I didn't.
Mr. BALL - Are you familiar with the Spanish language?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No; I am not. Not familiar with any of them.
Mr. BALL - All you know it was not English?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No.
Mr. BALL - But, you can't tell what language?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No.
Mr. BALL - Can you make a guess?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No; I have no idea. I do, because the girl is Spanish, but I don't know whether he called her or not.
Mr. BALL - What girl is Spanish?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - I mean--his wife was Russian.
Mr. BALL - Russian.
Mrs. BLEDSOE - I don't know.
Oh, brother, and they used her as their main witness? Now on to the bus stuff, and she starts off with a doozy.
Mr. BALL - Now, when did you see Oswald again?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Well, I went down to the parade. Oh, when was the parade? The 22d of---the next---22d of February---when was the parade?
Mr. BALL - The 22d of November the President came to Dallas.
Mrs. BLEDSOE - And I first got off at Neiman's and I---the parade didn't come on, and I kept walking on up, and walked in front of Titche's over on that side there, and I saw the parade there. He passed--I saw the President, oh, I was happy I got to see him. And—so then I got on across and went over to the Athletic Club, and caught the bus.
Mr. BALL - What bus did you catch?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Well, I don't remember whether it was the Marsalis or the Romana.
Mr. BALL - Both go by your house, do they? What was the last one?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - The Marsalis.
Mr. BALL - What was the second name?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Romana.
Mr. BALL - And both go west on Elm?
Here we see she wasn't even sure of the month JFK came, and she didn't even know what bus she got on. Now, I'm not making fun of this poor woman as she was older and had suffered a stroke, but all of this goes to credibility and what she really saw compared to what she was told to say. The bus was NOT crowded when she got on either so this should have made it easier to ID LHO if he got on.
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Right--so, I got on the bus, and while it was awfully crowded there----
Mr. BALL - You mean crowded on the bus?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No; outside.
Mr. BALL - Were there many people on the bus?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No.
Mr. BALL - How many people on the bus?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Oh, about 10.
Mr. BALL - All right, now, tell me what happened?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - And, after we got past Akard, at Murphy---I figured it out. Let's see. I don't know for sure. Oswald got on. He looks like a maniac. His sleeve was out here [indicating]. His shirt was undone.
Mr. BALL - You are indicating a sleeve of a shirt?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Yes.
Mr. BALL - It was unraveled?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Was a hole in it, hole, and he was dirty, and I didn't look at him. I didn't want to know I even seen him, and I just looked off, and then about that time the motorman said the President had been shot, and I sit--when I go to town I sit this way on the bus. The motorman is right there [indicating], and I sit right there so that I can get off.
She always sat in a side seat, and they covered this to try and defuse the issue of how clearly she saw the man's face.
Mr. BALL - When Oswald got on, you then weren't facing him, were you?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No; but I saw that it was him.
Mr. BALL - How close did he pass to you as he boarded the bus?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Just in front of me. Just like this [indicating].
Mr. BALL - Just a matter of a foot or two?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Uh-huh.
She is then confused about where he sat.
Mr. BALL - Where did he sit?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - He sat about halfway back down.
Mr. BALL - On what side?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - On the same side I was on.
Mr. BALL - Same side
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No, sir.
I love when he repeats what she just said, she says no! Did the man look at her?
Mr. BALL – Did he look at you as he went by? Did he look at you?
Mrs. BLEDSOE – I don't know. I didn't look at him. That is---I was just---he looked so bad in his face, and his face was so distorted.
First she can't remember if he looked at her, then it was she didn't look at him, and finally even with no one looking at each other we get his face is distorted. Now for the clothing he was wearing when she allegedly saw him.
Mr. BALL - Did he have a hat on?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No.
Why would they ask about a hat?
Mr. BALL - Now, what color shirt did he have on?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - He had a brown shirt.
LHO himself described it as “reddish-brown”, NOT brown.
Mr. BALL - And unraveled?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Hole in his sleeve right here [indicating].
Mr. BALL - Which is the elbow of the sleeve? That is, you pointed to the elbow?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Well, it is.
Mr. BALL - And that would be which elbow, right or left elbow?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Right.
Mr. BALL - Did he have anything on. Was the shirt open or was it buttoned?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Yes; all the buttons torn off.
Mr. BALL - What did he have on underneath that?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - I don't know.
Mr. BALL - Do you know the color of any undershirt he had on?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No.
She didn’t even notice if he had an undershirt on or not. This goes to her credibility and powers of observation.
Mr. BALL - Notice the color of his pants?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Yes, they were gray, and they were all ragged in here [indicating].
LHO simply said he changed his shirt and pants because they were dirty, he never mentioned because they had holes and were ragged. Don’t you think something would have been said to him by Truly if he wore clothes in this condition to work? I sure do. Truly never mentioned LHO having holes or wearing ragged clothes on 11/22/63.
Mr. BALL - Around where?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - At the seam.
Mr. BALL - At the waist?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - At the waist, uh-huh.
Mr. BALL - Was the shirt tucked beneath the belt in his pants, or outside the belt?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No; he had it in.
Mr. BALL - Had it tucked in?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No: it was tucked in.
Mr. BALL - So, that the belt of the pants was outside the shirt?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Yes; uh-huh.
There is good news and bad news here. The good news is she described LHO's clothes fairly accurately in terms of the shirt and pant colors, but as already stated she is off base with the hole in the elbow and the ragged nature of the pants. I don't believe his shirt was torn open as she said, I think he just had it open halfway down. The issue of not knowing if he had a T-shirt on or was bare-chested is of concern if I was the prosecutor as it goes to awareness. She initially says the shirt is torn open, no buttons left, but then she says the shirt is tucked in. Now for the bad news, her clothing description of the man differs from McWatters and Jones. No one else described it the same way as her. For someone who is so forgetful and always says she didn't pay attention, how did she get the clothing so correct?
Mr. BALL - Now, you say the motorman said something?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Motorman said. "Well, the President has been shot," and I say--so, and the woman over--we all got to talking about four of us sitting around talking, and Oswald was sitting back there, and one of them said, "Hope they don't shoot us," and I said, "I don't believe that--it is--I don't believe it. Somebody just said that. And it was too crowded, you see, and Oswald had got off.
Mr. BALL - How far had he been on the bus before he got off? Until the time he got on until the time he got off?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - About three or four blocks.
How did we go from 10 people to a very crowded bus so fast?
Mr. BALL - Did he say anything to the motorman when he got off?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - They say he did, but I don't remember him saying anything.
Mr. BALL - Did you ever see the motorman give him a transfer?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No; I didn't pay any attention but I believe he did.
Mr. BALL - Well, what do you mean he---you believe he did? Did you remember seeing him get on or are you telling me something you read in the newspapers?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No; I don't remember. I don't remember.
Here it is, a confession that she simply doesn't know if LHO got on or not since she can't remember. There is more though.
Mr. BALL – Did you pay any attention at that time as to whether he did, or did not get a transfer?
Mrs. BLEDSOE – I didn't pay any attention to him.
Mr. BALL - Well, did you look at him as he got off the bus?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No; I sure didn't. I didn't want to know him.
We go from this to this.
Mr. BALL - Well, you think you got enough of a glimpse of him to be able to recognize him?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Oh, yes.
Mr. BALL - You think you might be mistaken?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Oh, no.
Mr. BALL - You didn't look very carefully, did you?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No; I just glanced at him, and then looked the other way and I hoped he didn't see me.
Mr. BALL - Now, are there two exits from the bus?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Uh-huh.
Mr. BALL - The middle of the bus, and front of the bus?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Uh-huh.
Mr. BALL - Which exit did he leave?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Front.
Mr. BALL - By the motorman?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Uh-huh, by the motorman.
What????? How about the mysterious lady?
Mr. BALL - Did anybody else get off at that time when he got off?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No, not then, but there was a lady sitting right across, she wanted to go to the train station.
Mr. BALL - To the what station?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Train station, and she was worried about trying to get off, you know, trying to get there, and then we were hearing her, and I said, "Well, why don't you walk over there. It's just a little ways." Because the crowd was so bad we still didn't know the President had been killed, and finally she got off, but I think it was---it was before---I mean after Oswald did.
Mr. BALL - Did she ask for a transfer?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Yes; she had the man give her one, because she caught the bus before she got to the train station.
Mr. BALL - How do you know that?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Well, I saw her.
Mr. BALL - You saw her catch another bus?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - She got on when we did. She rode a block.
Mr. BALL – Did anybody get off when the lady got off? Any body that was going to the train station?
Mrs. BLEDSOE – No.
Am I the only one who can't make any sense out of what she says? Why did they ask if anyone else was going to the train station with the woman? Did they suspect her of something? Just wondering.
More I don't know and I didn't pay any attention to him stuff:
Mr. BALL - Can you tell me the location of the bus with reference to a cross street on Elm where Oswald got off?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No; I can't, because they have changed that street, so, they have torn down things and I don't go town very much now and so I don't-----
Mr. BALL - Was it in the middle of the block, or at a regular bus stop?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Well, they said it was.
Mr. BALL – I want to know what you remember.
Mrs. BLEDSOE – No; I don't remember.
Mr. BALL - Do you remember whether it was a regular bus stop or not?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No; I didn't pay any attention.
Mr. BALL – Did Oswald get on at a regular bus stop?
Mrs. BLEDSOE – I didn't pay any particular attention to him.
Her son called the police and took her to the station, but she was never shown LHO in a lineup to ID.
Mr. BALL – Uh-huh. Now, did you ever see Oswald in a lineup?
Mrs. BLEDSOE – No.
Mr. BALL - Never did see Oswald after he was arrested?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Not after he got off the bus; no.
Mr. BALL - But, you looked at the pictures of Oswald?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Yes.
Why would they show her pictures of LHO, but NOT take her to a lineup? Does this make any sense? Now, how about leading the person to guilt?
Mr. BALL - Showed you the pictures of Oswald?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - The man down at the police station, he had a picture of him with a gun, and said, "Do you recognize him?" And I said, "Yes; it is Oswald." That is the one that I remember him.
Mr. BALL – Do you know the name of the man who showed you the picture of the man with the gun?
Mrs. BLEDSOE – I am so bad about names.
Nice of them to show the backyard photos to her, huh? A nice gun in his hands sure made the whole ID process a little quicker I'm sure. And she is so bad with names so we don't even know what helpful person did this. Oh, and she is NOT so bad with names when it comes to LHO as she said it is "Oswald" right away! Hmm. They then show her the shirt she claimed LHO was wearing (CE150). This is funny as she is frustrating Ball a lot.
Mr. BALL - Commission Exhibit 150.
Mrs. BLEDSOE - That is it.
Mr. BALL - This is a shirt.
Mrs. BLEDSOE - That is it.
Mr. BALL - What do you mean by "that is it?"
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Because they brought it out to the house and showed it.
Mr. BALL - I know. What do you mean by "that is it?"
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Well, because I can recognize it.
Mr. BALL - Recognize it as what?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Yes, sir; see there?
Mr. BALL - Yes. You tell me what do you see here? What permits you to recognize it?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - I recognize---first thing I notice the elbow is out and then I saw---when the man brought it out and let me see it?
Mr. BALL - No, I am talking about---I am showing you this shirt now, and you said, "That is it." You mean---What do you mean by "that is it"?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - That is the one he had out there that day?
Mr. BALL – Who had it out there?
Mrs. BLEDSOE – Some Secret Service man.
Mr. BALL - He brought it out. Now, I am---you have seen this shirt then before?
Mrs. BLEDSOE – Yes.
Mr. BALL – It was brought out by the Secret Service man and shown to you?
Mrs. BLEDSOE – Yes.
Mr. BALL - Had you ever seen the shirt before that?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Well---
Mr. BALL - Have you?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No; he had it on, though.
Mr. BALL - Who had it on?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Oswald.
Mr. BALL - Oswald had it on?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Oswald had it on.
This is classic stuff, right up there with who's on first. Why was the helpful SS bringing the shirt out to her to look at? Did the SS help any other witness like this? The story continues.
Mr. BALL - Now, what is there about the shirt that makes you believe that this is the shirt that Oswald had on when he was on the bus? What is there about it?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Well, let's see the front of it. Yes See all this [indicating]? I remember that.
Mr. BALL - Tell me what you see there?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - I saw the---no; not so much that. It was done after---that is part I recognize more than anything.
Mr. BALL - You are pointing to a hole in the right elbow?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Yes.
Mr. BALL - What about the color?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Well, I---What do you mean?
Mr. BALL - Well----
Mrs. BLEDSOE - When he had it on?
Mr. BALL - Yes.
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Before he was shot? Yes; I remember it being brown..
What is this? Before he was shot? More keystone cops.
Mr. BALL – You remember the shirt being brown. Was it this color?
Mrs. BLEDSOE – Yes; it was that color.
Mr. BALL - In other words, when you remember that you have seen something before---
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Uh-huh.
Mr. BALL - In order to convince me that you did see it before you've got to tell me what there is about it that is the same, you see. Now, you try to convince me, or tell me why it is that you believe that this is the shirt that Oswald had on when you saw him on the bus?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Well, I would say it was. That hole---
Mr. BALL – Mostly the hole in the right sleeve?
Mrs. BLEDSOE – Yes.
Mr. BALL - What about the color?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Yes; I remember the color.
Mr. BALL - That is a similar color, isn't it?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - No; same color.
Mr. BALL - Same color?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Uh-huh.
Mr. BALL - You think that is the shirt?
Mrs. BLEDSOE - Yes; it is the shirt.
Do you really think a defense attorney would sit through all of this? They would then go on the pants and back to the bag. Her testimony seems endless. Both McWatters and Jones will say, 1) the man is wearing a jacket, 2) that he sits near the front of the bus behind Jones, but Bledsoe said he had NO jacket and went to the back of the bus.
The big things here are the ability to establish LHO ever rented a room are remote as he had a habit of not telling Marina where he was staying and the only source allegedly is the calendar LHO signed, but the month of October is missing. Without an establish fact of LHO renting a room from her there is NO way she would know LHO from a hole in the ground on 11/22/63.
Her testimony is just not believable in my opinion as she says she was not paying attention and then turns around and gives the exact info the WC was looking for. That brings us to the notes. These were and are allowed in most states (if not all) and at the federal level, so there is no issue there, but the fact of them being written in late March 1964 makes them highly suspect. For if she did need them to remember things, how would she know what to remember 5 to 6 months after the events? It opens the door for coaching, being told what to say and she basically said this at one point.
Her value at proving LHO was on the bus is nil for me for the reasons above and the fact she was at odds with the other witnesses on the bus.