Post by Rob Caprio on Oct 7, 2024 20:00:39 GMT -5
All portions are ©️ Robert Caprio 2006-2025
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The Story of Carroll Jarnigan
The Warren Commission (WC) claimed that Lee Harvey Oswald (LHO) was the sole assassin of President John F. Kennedy (JFK) on November 22, 1963. They further claimed that the killer of LHO, Jack Ruby, had no connection or relationship to the accused assassin. They were adamant that each man was a lone nut with no tie of any kind.
If this is true, and it seems not to be, why did so many people see the two men together in the months leading up to the assassination? I have covered many of them in my "Statements That Sink The WC's Conclusions" series already and I have touched briefly on one person before, but it is time to do a bigger examination of his story.
Carroll Jarnigan was an attorney who said he visited the Carousel Club on October 4, 1963, to see a client of his who was a dancer. He related that while he was waiting to see his client, he noticed a man talking with Jack Ruby about killing the Governor of Texas, John B. Connally (JBC).
He felt so sure about what he had heard that he passed this information on to the Texas Department of Public Safety on October 5, 1963, via the telephone. After the assassination he was even more sure of what he saw and heard when photographs of LHO began to appear in the newspapers. On November 24, 1963, Jarnigan saw LHO's photograph in the Dallas Times Herald and he knew this was the same man who had said his name was H.L. Lee at the Carousel Club.
This caused him to concentrate on what he had heard that day and compose a letter for the FBI. He sent the letter to FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover (JEH) and this became Commission Exhibit (CE) 2821.
historymatters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh26/pages/WH_Vol26_0145b.gif
He would send this letter to the FBI after the assassination. He had one condition; he wanted his identity to remain confidential for as long as possible. His client went by the stage name of "Robin Hood," and they were seeking employment from Ruby. Here are the details from his letter that were included in a FBI report.
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...The witness and the dancer enter club, and sit down at the second table on the right from the entrance; the dancer faces the stage... the witness sits facing the entrance doorway... Several minutes after the witness and dancer are seated, the witness notices a man appear in the lighted entrance area and tell the girl in the ticket booth: "I want to see Jack Ruby."
The man who has aked (sic) to see Jack Ruby is dressed in a tan jacket, has brown hair, needs a haircut, is wearing a sport shirt, and is about 5'9 or 10" in height, his general appearance is somewhat unkept, and he does not appear to be dressed for night-clubbing; he, the new arrival, sits with his back to the wall at the first table to his right from the entrance area... after some minutes a man in a dark suit, about 45-50 years of age, partially bald, medium height and medium to heavy build, dark hair, and more or less hawk faced in appearance from the side, joins the new arrival at the table; the new arrival appeared to be about 25 years of age; the older man dressed in the dark suit was later indicated by the dancer to be Jack Ruby and the following conversation was overheard:
Jack Ruby: "What are you going (sic) here?"
Man who had been sitting alone: "Don't call me by my name,..."
Jack Ruby: "What name are you using?"
Man who had been sitting alone: "I am using the name of H.L. Lee."
Jack Ruby: "What do you want?"
Lee: "I need some money."
Jack Ruby: "Money?"
Lee: "I just got in from New Orleans, I need a place to stay, and a job."
Jack Ruby: "I noticed you hadn't been around in two or three weeks, what were you doing in New Orleans?"
Lee: "There was a street fight, and I got put in jail."
Ruby: "What charge?"
Lee: "Disturbing the peace."
Ruby: "How did you get back?"
Lee: "Hitch-hiked, I just got in."
Ruby: "Don't you have a family, can't you stay with them?"
Lee: "They are in Irving, they know nothing about this; I want to get a place to myself, they don't know I'm back."
Ruby: "You'll get the money after the job is done."
Lee: "What about half now, and half after the job is done?"
Ruby: "No, but don't worry, I'll have the money for you, after the job is done."
Lee: "How much?"
Ruby: "We've already agreed on that..."
(Ruby leaned forward and Jarnigan was unable to hear what was being said.)
Ruby: "How do I know that you can do the job?"
Lee: "It's simple, I'm a Marine sharpshooter."
Ruby: "Are you sure that you can do the job without hitting anybody but the Govenor?"
Lee: "I'm sure, I've got the equipment ready."
Ruby: "Have you tested it, will you need to practice any?"
Lee: "Don't worry about that, I don't need any practice; when will the Govenor be here?"
Ruby: "Oh, he will be here plenty of times during campaigns..."
Lee: "Where can I do the job?"
Ruby: "From the roof of some building."
Lee: "No, that's too risky, too many people around."
Ruby: "But they'll be watching the parade, they won't notice you."
Lee: "But afterwards, they would tear me to pieces before I could get away."
Ruby: "Then do it from here (indicating the North end of the Carousel Club) from a window."
Lee: "How would I get in?"
Ruby: "I'll tell the porter to let you in."
Lee: "But won't there be people in the place?"
Ruby: "I can close the place for the parade, and leave word with the porter to let you [in]."
Lee: "But what about the porter..."
Ruby: "I can tell him to leave after letting you in, he won't know anything."
Lee: "I don't want any witnesses around when I do the job."
Ruby: "You'll be alone."
Lee: "How do I get away, there won't be much time afterwards."
Ruby: "You can run out the back door."
Lee: "What about the rifle, what do I do if the police run in while I am running out?"
Ruby: "Hide the rifle, you just heard the shot and ran in from the parade to see what was going on; in the confusion you can walk out the front door in the crowd."
Lee: "No, they might shoot me first; there must be time for me to get out the back way before the police come in; can you lock the front door after I come in, and leave the back door open?"
Ruby: "That would get me involved, how could I explain you in my club with a rifle and the front door locked?"
Lee: "You left the front door open, and it was locked from inside when somebody slipped in while you were outside watching the parade." (Commission Document (CD) 86, pp. 560-562; pp. 2-4 in original)
www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=10489#relPageId=588
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Let's stop here so this can be reviewed. There are only two scenarios that make sense of this exchange. If you are new to the case or have not researched it fully for years, you will be confused by what is going on. Even veteran researchers who believe that there was only one Oswald might be led astray.
The first scenario is that this was the Oswald of record who was killed in Dallas on November 24, 1963. He could have been working with some group (i.e., CIA, FBI, etc.) to find out what was happening as there was an informant by the name of "Lee" who alerted the Chicago police about an assassination attempt there. Now, how the LHO of record would know about this when he never went to Chicago is a good question, but one answer might be that he heard about it from people he was associating with.
Did LHO infiltrate a group trying to kill JBC? Some researchers believe that there were two plots on November 22, 1963, one for JFK and one for JBC and this is why the assassination is so complicated. The LHO of record was "missing" around this time as the WC claimed he was returning from Mexico City, but their own evidence in the twenty-six volumes shows this is an incorrect assertion. It seems that the LHO of record was searching for a job on October 4 as he was seen at an employment agency, Jobco, the Padgett Printing Corporation, and the Hill Machinery Company seeking employment. The Hill Machinery sighting involved him DRIVING an automobile (when he couldn't) and leaving a woman and child in the automobile.
IF this is the case, it is more likely that LHO was working for the FBI since this was a domestic issue. It is pretty obvious at this point that LHO was working as an informant for the FBI so this would make sense. But did the Carousel Club face the area where the motorcade would be passing or was there another opportunity that would present a chance to shoot JBC?
To me, this is obviously the second Oswald at work. Why? The first tipoff is the mention of his arrest for disturbing the peace. That happened in August so why would he be using this as an excuse for the last two weeks of September? Furthermore, while he was put in jail, it was for a short period of time and would not explain a two-to-three-week absence. The LEE of the two Oswald theory was the one born in New Orleans so it would make sense he went there for some reason (perhaps to reconnect with David Ferrie and others). We know that the Oswald of record was in New Orleans until late September, but the way Ruby questioned him means that they had seen each other in the early-to-mid September and Ruby was in Dallas at that time.
This means that this cannot be the Oswald of record. This is the real Oswald named Lee who was born in New Orleans. He was impersonating LHO and possibly using Ruby along the way in this scenario. This Oswald was careful and did NOT want to be caught. Notice how he said that shooting from the Carousel Club would be dangerous since people would be there. Meanwhile, we are asked to believe that LHO would shoot from a building that he worked in and was full of people! This Oswald also understood that the crowd might "tear him to pieces" for shooting JBC.
The real tipoff for me is the description of this man. The two points that jump out are "needs a haircut" and "general appearance are somewhat unkept" as the LHO of record never seemed to need a haircut in photographs and never seemed to look unkept. The LEE Oswald would be travelling a lot and doing all kinds of things so his appearance would be shabbier in all likelihood. To me, this description fits the LEE Oswald and NOT LHO.
Furthermore, we know that the LHO of record was not a good with a rifle as he barely passed his last United States Marine Corps (USMC) rifle test, and he had not practiced in the ensuing two-and-half years. This guy said he did not need to practice, and this means he either had been and was really good, or he was playacting and knew he was never going to fire a shot.
There is one major thing to keep in mind when dealing with this two Oswald and the double issues. I said many years ago that the biggest mistake most CTers make is thinking all of these sightings were meant to frame LHO for the JFK assassination. Some of these began in 1962 and one occurred in 1960 when LHO was in Russia. Clearly, these weren't about the JFK assassination.
LHO was a cog in the machine for the CIA, ONI and FBI and he was being prepared for a number of things along with others who could have been the patsy just as easily (i.e., Thomas Aruthur Vallee, Vaughn Marlowe, Gilberto Policarpo Lopez, etc.) had JFK been shot elsewhere. It seems like LHO was primarily being setup as a patsy for the murder of Cuban Premier Fidel Castro had one of the hundreds of attempts had been successful since he was strongly tied to this environment.
In my opinion, this is why the cover-up was so poor as the conspirators really had days to try and concoct one since they thought they would get JFK in either Chicago, Illinois, on November 2, or Tampa, Florida, on November 18. None of us know the full details of those plans, but I think it is a safe guess that to say that the majority of preparation went into those two locations. Dallas was a last resort. Their desperation is shown in the fact that there were most likely multiple teams in place to make sure this time it worked (Love Field, Dealey Plaza and the Trade Mart).
I have received pushback on this by a few over the years, but I can't think of another reason why the cover-up was so poor and obvious. We are talking about powerful forces at work here. Surely, they could have created a frame that was much tighter than the one we saw in Dallas IF they were given enough time, right?
This is why the endless study of LHO is really sidetracking progress as he could have been setup for any number of things (i.e., killing Castro) if the attempts in other cities had succeeded. I think the intensity of framing him for the assassination began in earnest in October and November 1963 as that is when we see the increase in sightings dramatically and he got the job at the Texas School Book Depository (TSBD) Building. This is when the conspirators began really prepping for the possibility, but with the chances of JFK being killed elsewhere it was difficult to begin to plant and manufacture "evidence" this far out.
The conversation continued and focused on the money for the job. Lee wanted it left for him, but Ruby said he would come as soon as the assassination of JBC occurred, and he would give him the money then.
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Ruby: "I'll have the money on me, and I'll run in first and hand it to you, and you can run out the back way."
Lee: "I can't wait long, why can't you leave the money in here?"
Ruby: "How do I know you'll do the job?"
Lee: "How do I know you will show up with the money after the job is done?"
Ruby: "You can trust me, besides, you'll have the persuader."
Lee: "The rifle, I want to get away from it as soon as it's used."
Ruby: "You can trust me."
Lee: "What about giving me half of the money just before the job is done, and then you can send me the other half later?"
Ruby: "I can't turn loose of the money until the job is done; if there's a slip up and you don't get him, they'll pick the money up, immediately; I couldn't tell them that I gave half of it to you in advance; they'd think I doublecrossed them. I would have to return all of the money. People think I have a lot of money, but I couldn't raise half of that amount even by selling everything I have. You'll just have to trust me to hand you the money as soon as the job is done. There is no other way. Remember, they want the job just as bad as you want the money; and after this is done, they want to use you again.
Lee: "Not that it makes me any difference, but what have you got against the Governor?"
Ruby: "He won't work with us on paroles; with a few of the right boys out we could really open up this State, with a little cooperation from the Governor. The boys in Chicago have no place to go, no place to really operate; they've clamped down the lid in Chicago; Cuba is closed; everything is dead, look at this place, half empty; if we can open up the State we could pack this place every night, those boys will spend, if they have the money; and remember, we're right next to Mexico; there'd be money for everybody, if we can open up this State.
---
Lee: "A rifle shoots has far in Washington as far as it does here, doesn't it?"
Ruby: "Forget it, that would bring the heat on everywhere, and the Feds would get into everything, no, forget about the Attorney General."
Lee: "Killing the Governor of Texas will put the heat on too, won't it?"
Ruby: "Not really, they'll think some crack-pot or communist did it, and it will be written off as an unsolved crime." (Ibid., pp. 562-563; pp. 5-6 in original)
www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=10489#relPageId=590
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This is very interesting stuff. One can guess that the "boys" in Chicago are the Mafia. One can also guess that according to Ruby they were the ones putting up this money to kill JBC. But was that their real goal? Was their real goal JFK all along, but they knew that Ruby liked JFK and would not go with this? I have read a few things saying that Ruby didn't like JFK, but the preponderance of things has said that he did. There is no other reason to lie about who the target was IF this was a real assassination attempt.
Was Ruby as shocked as LHO when JFK was killed instead on November 22, 1963? Some researchers have said he was since he thought they were going after JBC. The problem with the JBC alone issue is, why would you wait until he was with JFK to try and kill him? Wouldn't all the added (supposed in this case) security make it even more difficult? One would think so. There had to be times JBC was in-state and easier to get IF that was your true goal.
The only other option is Ruby was using Lee to frame him later. He may have said that the target was JBC when he knew all along that it was JFK and that Lee would be the patsy. Or, that the guy Lee was framing was going to be the patsy (LHO). This conversation could be deciphered a number of ways depending on what you believe.
Ruby made it clear what heat would come from killing a federal employee and he wasn't even talking about JFK. Why did he say the attorney general? Had he heard discussion of this possibility? We do know that some of the Mafia Dons favored this until they realized that JFK would launch an all-out war against them if they did this. Thus, they moved their plans to him instead.
Yet another scenario is that Lee was working undercover and was trying to implicate Ruby as this portion of the discussion would lead one to think this.
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Lee: "There's really only one building to do it from, one that covers Main, Elm and Commerce."
Ruby: "Which one is that?"
Lee: "The School Book Building", close to the triple underpass."
Ruby: "What's wrong with doing it from here?"
Lee: "What if he goes down another street?"
Lee: (looking up and staring directly at the witness [Jarnigan])
Who is that? he's (sic) from the FBI."
(Ruby summons the woman with Jarnigan and questions her for a few minutes. She returns and tells Jarnigan that they think he is from the FBI, but she told Ruby he was an advertising man from Arizona.) (Ibid., p. 564; p. 6 in original)
www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=10489#relPageId=592
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This is weird. Lee will tell Ruby that the FBI talked with him in New Orleans and have followed him to Dallas. Ruby tries to reassure him that he couldn't have heard anything, but Lee wants to eliminate him. (Ibid.) Ruby tries to dissuade him as he tells him that they work in pairs. They begin to talk really low after this so Jarnigan cannot hear anything else.
Why did Lee bring up the TSBD when Ruby had said he should use the Carousel Club to shoot JBC from? Why would Lee think JBC would be on either Elm, Main or Commerce Streets? Ruby had mentioned campaign events earlier so why did Lee seem to know that JBC may be on one of those streets at some time? Remember, this was October 4, so this was almost a month-and-a-half before the motorcade. Was Lee trying to set up Ruby?
One person who believed Jarnigan after speaking with him was William Turner who had been a former FBI agent for many years. The FBI would call Jarnigan's story "fanciful", but Turner found him to be credible.
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Turner went to see Jarnigan and interviewed him regarding these events. He found him to be impressive and believable. (INTERVIEW REPORT WILLIAM TURNER DECEMBER 22-24, 1977; NARA Record Number: 180-10073-10072, p. 10; p. 8 in original)
www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=197034#relPageId=10
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Is it surprising to anyone reading this that the FBI didn't take this seriously and avoided doing anything with it? IF it is, then you must be new to this case. Why would a lawyer make this up and risk his future for no reason? That makes no sense. The FBI would make a big deal of him waiting so long to notify them about this issue when he had said he wanted to get his thoughts straight and write it down first. Keep in mind, this is the same group who refused to acknowledge or interview James Tague about what happened to him.
The FBI played games like this all the time. If you waited, that was used against you. If you reported it right away, then that was used against you. No matter what you did, IF it countered the official narrative then you were in the wrong per the FBI. The old "damned if you, and damned if you don't" mantra.
We can imagine the beatdown Jarnigan went through just for trying to help and pass on information that he thought was important.
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JARNIGAN advised that he has never had a mental or nervous breakdown, but that he does have an alcoholic problem and has considered the possibility of joining Alcoholics Anonymous. He also stated that his ex-wife, in divorce proceedings, indicated that his drinking was part of the reason for her getting a divorce. (CD 86, p. 567; p. 2 in original)
www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=10489#relPageId=595
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So, because he drank then he made all of this up is the FBI go-to. How do the two things go together? Was he drunk at the time of the sighting? No from what he said he was there to help Shirley Maudlin (Robin Hood) and this would indicate he was working. But the FBI must have really given him the treatment as we see that he finally admitted to being drunk at the time of the incident. He and Shirley had supposedly consumed one bottle of something and working on another when the conversation started. To make matters worse, he supposedly had not eaten since noon, and it was now 10:00 p.m. (Ibid., p. 568; p. 3 in original)
Even if all of this is true, and that is suspect, why couldn't the FBI just take this and look into it? They would have IF they were running an honest investigation, but they weren't. They were told to run a cover-up instead.
The next point shows the intended path was met successfully as good old FBI Agent Bardwell Odum was sent to talk with Major Guy Smith at the Department of Public Safety who said that they had no record of any phone call from Jarnigan on October 5, 1963. Ditto the Texas Rangers. (Ibid., p. 570; p. 1 in original) No one heard anything about an assassination attempt on JBC from Jarnigan or anyone else.
If this was a movie, we would see a person wipe their hands indicating that everything is wiped away. See, nothing to see here.
They would visit Maudlin as well to see what she had to say. She was in jail at the Douglas County Jail in Omaha, Nebraska, when the FBI talked with her. One can imagine she would be anxious to help the FBI out. And she did as she of course could not recall seeing anyone who looked like LHO or hearing any conversation about the killing of JBC. And perhaps she didn't as not everyone focuses on the same things. This should NOT negate what Jarnigan saw, but of course this is what it was used to do.
She did support him in the regard that she said neither of them drank to excess and she had not felt that he had any mental issues. (Ibid., p. 571-572; pp. 1-2 in original) In their full investigation of Jarnigan (imagine if they had actually investigated what he told them) they listed a 1958 arrest for being drunk and disorderly. He supposedly threatened the officer with a lawsuit as well. (Ibid., p. 573; p. 1 in original)
The FBI spent more time investigating Jarnigan than they did the information he provided them with! This was a repeated thing in this case. IF you said anything that differed from the official narrative then you were going to be treated in a certain way. I have highlighted many of these situations already in many articles and this is another example.
Jarnigan's story brings up many angles on what could have been going on. Were there multiple plots going on at once? Most likely that is a good possibility and that is why this case is so grand and confusing in many areas.
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The Story of Carroll Jarnigan
The Warren Commission (WC) claimed that Lee Harvey Oswald (LHO) was the sole assassin of President John F. Kennedy (JFK) on November 22, 1963. They further claimed that the killer of LHO, Jack Ruby, had no connection or relationship to the accused assassin. They were adamant that each man was a lone nut with no tie of any kind.
If this is true, and it seems not to be, why did so many people see the two men together in the months leading up to the assassination? I have covered many of them in my "Statements That Sink The WC's Conclusions" series already and I have touched briefly on one person before, but it is time to do a bigger examination of his story.
Carroll Jarnigan was an attorney who said he visited the Carousel Club on October 4, 1963, to see a client of his who was a dancer. He related that while he was waiting to see his client, he noticed a man talking with Jack Ruby about killing the Governor of Texas, John B. Connally (JBC).
He felt so sure about what he had heard that he passed this information on to the Texas Department of Public Safety on October 5, 1963, via the telephone. After the assassination he was even more sure of what he saw and heard when photographs of LHO began to appear in the newspapers. On November 24, 1963, Jarnigan saw LHO's photograph in the Dallas Times Herald and he knew this was the same man who had said his name was H.L. Lee at the Carousel Club.
This caused him to concentrate on what he had heard that day and compose a letter for the FBI. He sent the letter to FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover (JEH) and this became Commission Exhibit (CE) 2821.
historymatters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh26/pages/WH_Vol26_0145b.gif
He would send this letter to the FBI after the assassination. He had one condition; he wanted his identity to remain confidential for as long as possible. His client went by the stage name of "Robin Hood," and they were seeking employment from Ruby. Here are the details from his letter that were included in a FBI report.
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...The witness and the dancer enter club, and sit down at the second table on the right from the entrance; the dancer faces the stage... the witness sits facing the entrance doorway... Several minutes after the witness and dancer are seated, the witness notices a man appear in the lighted entrance area and tell the girl in the ticket booth: "I want to see Jack Ruby."
The man who has aked (sic) to see Jack Ruby is dressed in a tan jacket, has brown hair, needs a haircut, is wearing a sport shirt, and is about 5'9 or 10" in height, his general appearance is somewhat unkept, and he does not appear to be dressed for night-clubbing; he, the new arrival, sits with his back to the wall at the first table to his right from the entrance area... after some minutes a man in a dark suit, about 45-50 years of age, partially bald, medium height and medium to heavy build, dark hair, and more or less hawk faced in appearance from the side, joins the new arrival at the table; the new arrival appeared to be about 25 years of age; the older man dressed in the dark suit was later indicated by the dancer to be Jack Ruby and the following conversation was overheard:
Jack Ruby: "What are you going (sic) here?"
Man who had been sitting alone: "Don't call me by my name,..."
Jack Ruby: "What name are you using?"
Man who had been sitting alone: "I am using the name of H.L. Lee."
Jack Ruby: "What do you want?"
Lee: "I need some money."
Jack Ruby: "Money?"
Lee: "I just got in from New Orleans, I need a place to stay, and a job."
Jack Ruby: "I noticed you hadn't been around in two or three weeks, what were you doing in New Orleans?"
Lee: "There was a street fight, and I got put in jail."
Ruby: "What charge?"
Lee: "Disturbing the peace."
Ruby: "How did you get back?"
Lee: "Hitch-hiked, I just got in."
Ruby: "Don't you have a family, can't you stay with them?"
Lee: "They are in Irving, they know nothing about this; I want to get a place to myself, they don't know I'm back."
Ruby: "You'll get the money after the job is done."
Lee: "What about half now, and half after the job is done?"
Ruby: "No, but don't worry, I'll have the money for you, after the job is done."
Lee: "How much?"
Ruby: "We've already agreed on that..."
(Ruby leaned forward and Jarnigan was unable to hear what was being said.)
Ruby: "How do I know that you can do the job?"
Lee: "It's simple, I'm a Marine sharpshooter."
Ruby: "Are you sure that you can do the job without hitting anybody but the Govenor?"
Lee: "I'm sure, I've got the equipment ready."
Ruby: "Have you tested it, will you need to practice any?"
Lee: "Don't worry about that, I don't need any practice; when will the Govenor be here?"
Ruby: "Oh, he will be here plenty of times during campaigns..."
Lee: "Where can I do the job?"
Ruby: "From the roof of some building."
Lee: "No, that's too risky, too many people around."
Ruby: "But they'll be watching the parade, they won't notice you."
Lee: "But afterwards, they would tear me to pieces before I could get away."
Ruby: "Then do it from here (indicating the North end of the Carousel Club) from a window."
Lee: "How would I get in?"
Ruby: "I'll tell the porter to let you in."
Lee: "But won't there be people in the place?"
Ruby: "I can close the place for the parade, and leave word with the porter to let you [in]."
Lee: "But what about the porter..."
Ruby: "I can tell him to leave after letting you in, he won't know anything."
Lee: "I don't want any witnesses around when I do the job."
Ruby: "You'll be alone."
Lee: "How do I get away, there won't be much time afterwards."
Ruby: "You can run out the back door."
Lee: "What about the rifle, what do I do if the police run in while I am running out?"
Ruby: "Hide the rifle, you just heard the shot and ran in from the parade to see what was going on; in the confusion you can walk out the front door in the crowd."
Lee: "No, they might shoot me first; there must be time for me to get out the back way before the police come in; can you lock the front door after I come in, and leave the back door open?"
Ruby: "That would get me involved, how could I explain you in my club with a rifle and the front door locked?"
Lee: "You left the front door open, and it was locked from inside when somebody slipped in while you were outside watching the parade." (Commission Document (CD) 86, pp. 560-562; pp. 2-4 in original)
www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=10489#relPageId=588
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Let's stop here so this can be reviewed. There are only two scenarios that make sense of this exchange. If you are new to the case or have not researched it fully for years, you will be confused by what is going on. Even veteran researchers who believe that there was only one Oswald might be led astray.
The first scenario is that this was the Oswald of record who was killed in Dallas on November 24, 1963. He could have been working with some group (i.e., CIA, FBI, etc.) to find out what was happening as there was an informant by the name of "Lee" who alerted the Chicago police about an assassination attempt there. Now, how the LHO of record would know about this when he never went to Chicago is a good question, but one answer might be that he heard about it from people he was associating with.
Did LHO infiltrate a group trying to kill JBC? Some researchers believe that there were two plots on November 22, 1963, one for JFK and one for JBC and this is why the assassination is so complicated. The LHO of record was "missing" around this time as the WC claimed he was returning from Mexico City, but their own evidence in the twenty-six volumes shows this is an incorrect assertion. It seems that the LHO of record was searching for a job on October 4 as he was seen at an employment agency, Jobco, the Padgett Printing Corporation, and the Hill Machinery Company seeking employment. The Hill Machinery sighting involved him DRIVING an automobile (when he couldn't) and leaving a woman and child in the automobile.
IF this is the case, it is more likely that LHO was working for the FBI since this was a domestic issue. It is pretty obvious at this point that LHO was working as an informant for the FBI so this would make sense. But did the Carousel Club face the area where the motorcade would be passing or was there another opportunity that would present a chance to shoot JBC?
To me, this is obviously the second Oswald at work. Why? The first tipoff is the mention of his arrest for disturbing the peace. That happened in August so why would he be using this as an excuse for the last two weeks of September? Furthermore, while he was put in jail, it was for a short period of time and would not explain a two-to-three-week absence. The LEE of the two Oswald theory was the one born in New Orleans so it would make sense he went there for some reason (perhaps to reconnect with David Ferrie and others). We know that the Oswald of record was in New Orleans until late September, but the way Ruby questioned him means that they had seen each other in the early-to-mid September and Ruby was in Dallas at that time.
This means that this cannot be the Oswald of record. This is the real Oswald named Lee who was born in New Orleans. He was impersonating LHO and possibly using Ruby along the way in this scenario. This Oswald was careful and did NOT want to be caught. Notice how he said that shooting from the Carousel Club would be dangerous since people would be there. Meanwhile, we are asked to believe that LHO would shoot from a building that he worked in and was full of people! This Oswald also understood that the crowd might "tear him to pieces" for shooting JBC.
The real tipoff for me is the description of this man. The two points that jump out are "needs a haircut" and "general appearance are somewhat unkept" as the LHO of record never seemed to need a haircut in photographs and never seemed to look unkept. The LEE Oswald would be travelling a lot and doing all kinds of things so his appearance would be shabbier in all likelihood. To me, this description fits the LEE Oswald and NOT LHO.
Furthermore, we know that the LHO of record was not a good with a rifle as he barely passed his last United States Marine Corps (USMC) rifle test, and he had not practiced in the ensuing two-and-half years. This guy said he did not need to practice, and this means he either had been and was really good, or he was playacting and knew he was never going to fire a shot.
There is one major thing to keep in mind when dealing with this two Oswald and the double issues. I said many years ago that the biggest mistake most CTers make is thinking all of these sightings were meant to frame LHO for the JFK assassination. Some of these began in 1962 and one occurred in 1960 when LHO was in Russia. Clearly, these weren't about the JFK assassination.
LHO was a cog in the machine for the CIA, ONI and FBI and he was being prepared for a number of things along with others who could have been the patsy just as easily (i.e., Thomas Aruthur Vallee, Vaughn Marlowe, Gilberto Policarpo Lopez, etc.) had JFK been shot elsewhere. It seems like LHO was primarily being setup as a patsy for the murder of Cuban Premier Fidel Castro had one of the hundreds of attempts had been successful since he was strongly tied to this environment.
In my opinion, this is why the cover-up was so poor as the conspirators really had days to try and concoct one since they thought they would get JFK in either Chicago, Illinois, on November 2, or Tampa, Florida, on November 18. None of us know the full details of those plans, but I think it is a safe guess that to say that the majority of preparation went into those two locations. Dallas was a last resort. Their desperation is shown in the fact that there were most likely multiple teams in place to make sure this time it worked (Love Field, Dealey Plaza and the Trade Mart).
I have received pushback on this by a few over the years, but I can't think of another reason why the cover-up was so poor and obvious. We are talking about powerful forces at work here. Surely, they could have created a frame that was much tighter than the one we saw in Dallas IF they were given enough time, right?
This is why the endless study of LHO is really sidetracking progress as he could have been setup for any number of things (i.e., killing Castro) if the attempts in other cities had succeeded. I think the intensity of framing him for the assassination began in earnest in October and November 1963 as that is when we see the increase in sightings dramatically and he got the job at the Texas School Book Depository (TSBD) Building. This is when the conspirators began really prepping for the possibility, but with the chances of JFK being killed elsewhere it was difficult to begin to plant and manufacture "evidence" this far out.
The conversation continued and focused on the money for the job. Lee wanted it left for him, but Ruby said he would come as soon as the assassination of JBC occurred, and he would give him the money then.
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Ruby: "I'll have the money on me, and I'll run in first and hand it to you, and you can run out the back way."
Lee: "I can't wait long, why can't you leave the money in here?"
Ruby: "How do I know you'll do the job?"
Lee: "How do I know you will show up with the money after the job is done?"
Ruby: "You can trust me, besides, you'll have the persuader."
Lee: "The rifle, I want to get away from it as soon as it's used."
Ruby: "You can trust me."
Lee: "What about giving me half of the money just before the job is done, and then you can send me the other half later?"
Ruby: "I can't turn loose of the money until the job is done; if there's a slip up and you don't get him, they'll pick the money up, immediately; I couldn't tell them that I gave half of it to you in advance; they'd think I doublecrossed them. I would have to return all of the money. People think I have a lot of money, but I couldn't raise half of that amount even by selling everything I have. You'll just have to trust me to hand you the money as soon as the job is done. There is no other way. Remember, they want the job just as bad as you want the money; and after this is done, they want to use you again.
Lee: "Not that it makes me any difference, but what have you got against the Governor?"
Ruby: "He won't work with us on paroles; with a few of the right boys out we could really open up this State, with a little cooperation from the Governor. The boys in Chicago have no place to go, no place to really operate; they've clamped down the lid in Chicago; Cuba is closed; everything is dead, look at this place, half empty; if we can open up the State we could pack this place every night, those boys will spend, if they have the money; and remember, we're right next to Mexico; there'd be money for everybody, if we can open up this State.
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Lee: "A rifle shoots has far in Washington as far as it does here, doesn't it?"
Ruby: "Forget it, that would bring the heat on everywhere, and the Feds would get into everything, no, forget about the Attorney General."
Lee: "Killing the Governor of Texas will put the heat on too, won't it?"
Ruby: "Not really, they'll think some crack-pot or communist did it, and it will be written off as an unsolved crime." (Ibid., pp. 562-563; pp. 5-6 in original)
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This is very interesting stuff. One can guess that the "boys" in Chicago are the Mafia. One can also guess that according to Ruby they were the ones putting up this money to kill JBC. But was that their real goal? Was their real goal JFK all along, but they knew that Ruby liked JFK and would not go with this? I have read a few things saying that Ruby didn't like JFK, but the preponderance of things has said that he did. There is no other reason to lie about who the target was IF this was a real assassination attempt.
Was Ruby as shocked as LHO when JFK was killed instead on November 22, 1963? Some researchers have said he was since he thought they were going after JBC. The problem with the JBC alone issue is, why would you wait until he was with JFK to try and kill him? Wouldn't all the added (supposed in this case) security make it even more difficult? One would think so. There had to be times JBC was in-state and easier to get IF that was your true goal.
The only other option is Ruby was using Lee to frame him later. He may have said that the target was JBC when he knew all along that it was JFK and that Lee would be the patsy. Or, that the guy Lee was framing was going to be the patsy (LHO). This conversation could be deciphered a number of ways depending on what you believe.
Ruby made it clear what heat would come from killing a federal employee and he wasn't even talking about JFK. Why did he say the attorney general? Had he heard discussion of this possibility? We do know that some of the Mafia Dons favored this until they realized that JFK would launch an all-out war against them if they did this. Thus, they moved their plans to him instead.
Yet another scenario is that Lee was working undercover and was trying to implicate Ruby as this portion of the discussion would lead one to think this.
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Lee: "There's really only one building to do it from, one that covers Main, Elm and Commerce."
Ruby: "Which one is that?"
Lee: "The School Book Building", close to the triple underpass."
Ruby: "What's wrong with doing it from here?"
Lee: "What if he goes down another street?"
Lee: (looking up and staring directly at the witness [Jarnigan])
Who is that? he's (sic) from the FBI."
(Ruby summons the woman with Jarnigan and questions her for a few minutes. She returns and tells Jarnigan that they think he is from the FBI, but she told Ruby he was an advertising man from Arizona.) (Ibid., p. 564; p. 6 in original)
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This is weird. Lee will tell Ruby that the FBI talked with him in New Orleans and have followed him to Dallas. Ruby tries to reassure him that he couldn't have heard anything, but Lee wants to eliminate him. (Ibid.) Ruby tries to dissuade him as he tells him that they work in pairs. They begin to talk really low after this so Jarnigan cannot hear anything else.
Why did Lee bring up the TSBD when Ruby had said he should use the Carousel Club to shoot JBC from? Why would Lee think JBC would be on either Elm, Main or Commerce Streets? Ruby had mentioned campaign events earlier so why did Lee seem to know that JBC may be on one of those streets at some time? Remember, this was October 4, so this was almost a month-and-a-half before the motorcade. Was Lee trying to set up Ruby?
One person who believed Jarnigan after speaking with him was William Turner who had been a former FBI agent for many years. The FBI would call Jarnigan's story "fanciful", but Turner found him to be credible.
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Turner went to see Jarnigan and interviewed him regarding these events. He found him to be impressive and believable. (INTERVIEW REPORT WILLIAM TURNER DECEMBER 22-24, 1977; NARA Record Number: 180-10073-10072, p. 10; p. 8 in original)
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Is it surprising to anyone reading this that the FBI didn't take this seriously and avoided doing anything with it? IF it is, then you must be new to this case. Why would a lawyer make this up and risk his future for no reason? That makes no sense. The FBI would make a big deal of him waiting so long to notify them about this issue when he had said he wanted to get his thoughts straight and write it down first. Keep in mind, this is the same group who refused to acknowledge or interview James Tague about what happened to him.
The FBI played games like this all the time. If you waited, that was used against you. If you reported it right away, then that was used against you. No matter what you did, IF it countered the official narrative then you were in the wrong per the FBI. The old "damned if you, and damned if you don't" mantra.
We can imagine the beatdown Jarnigan went through just for trying to help and pass on information that he thought was important.
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JARNIGAN advised that he has never had a mental or nervous breakdown, but that he does have an alcoholic problem and has considered the possibility of joining Alcoholics Anonymous. He also stated that his ex-wife, in divorce proceedings, indicated that his drinking was part of the reason for her getting a divorce. (CD 86, p. 567; p. 2 in original)
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So, because he drank then he made all of this up is the FBI go-to. How do the two things go together? Was he drunk at the time of the sighting? No from what he said he was there to help Shirley Maudlin (Robin Hood) and this would indicate he was working. But the FBI must have really given him the treatment as we see that he finally admitted to being drunk at the time of the incident. He and Shirley had supposedly consumed one bottle of something and working on another when the conversation started. To make matters worse, he supposedly had not eaten since noon, and it was now 10:00 p.m. (Ibid., p. 568; p. 3 in original)
Even if all of this is true, and that is suspect, why couldn't the FBI just take this and look into it? They would have IF they were running an honest investigation, but they weren't. They were told to run a cover-up instead.
The next point shows the intended path was met successfully as good old FBI Agent Bardwell Odum was sent to talk with Major Guy Smith at the Department of Public Safety who said that they had no record of any phone call from Jarnigan on October 5, 1963. Ditto the Texas Rangers. (Ibid., p. 570; p. 1 in original) No one heard anything about an assassination attempt on JBC from Jarnigan or anyone else.
If this was a movie, we would see a person wipe their hands indicating that everything is wiped away. See, nothing to see here.
They would visit Maudlin as well to see what she had to say. She was in jail at the Douglas County Jail in Omaha, Nebraska, when the FBI talked with her. One can imagine she would be anxious to help the FBI out. And she did as she of course could not recall seeing anyone who looked like LHO or hearing any conversation about the killing of JBC. And perhaps she didn't as not everyone focuses on the same things. This should NOT negate what Jarnigan saw, but of course this is what it was used to do.
She did support him in the regard that she said neither of them drank to excess and she had not felt that he had any mental issues. (Ibid., p. 571-572; pp. 1-2 in original) In their full investigation of Jarnigan (imagine if they had actually investigated what he told them) they listed a 1958 arrest for being drunk and disorderly. He supposedly threatened the officer with a lawsuit as well. (Ibid., p. 573; p. 1 in original)
The FBI spent more time investigating Jarnigan than they did the information he provided them with! This was a repeated thing in this case. IF you said anything that differed from the official narrative then you were going to be treated in a certain way. I have highlighted many of these situations already in many articles and this is another example.
Jarnigan's story brings up many angles on what could have been going on. Were there multiple plots going on at once? Most likely that is a good possibility and that is why this case is so grand and confusing in many areas.