by Joan Mellen
p. 95: Roger Craig’s credibility would later come into question.
p. 96: Baumler provides information on Oswald and Ruby being acquainted: Memorandum. March 6, 1967. To: Jim Garrison. From: James L. Alcock. Re: Telephone call from Tommy Baumler on February 27, 1967. NODA. NARA.
p. 96: Oswald used Jack Ruby as a personal reference: FBI. From: SAC, New Orleans. To: Director, FBI. March 5, 1967. Record number: 124-10027-10214. HQ. Agency file number: 62-109060-4657. NARA.
p. 96: Here is but a sample of the sources suggesting that Oswald and Ruby knew each other: A Chicago gun runner named Eugene Sauner placed Oswald and Ruby together. So did a man named Wilber (Bob) Litchfield. Taxi driver Raymond Cummings had come forward. The testimony in Dallas was even more definitive: It included a man who told his barber that one of the Lucase owners of the B & B Cafe had seen Ruby and Oswald there “on more than one occasion.” The waitress, Mary Lawrence, confirmed this interview, adding that Oswald had told her he was waiting for Jack Ruby. She came forward despite an anonymous telephone threat. Dallas police criminal intelligence learned that Ruby was a homosexual who attended parties in Dallas with Oswald, who was considered “trade” by other homosexuals. Among people who came forward who saw Oswald and Ruby together at the Carousel Club (see Steven J. Burton to Louis Ivon, April 8, 1968), was a Jackie Caddell of Dentport who said many of her parents’ friends say they had seen the two together. “We must get some written statements on this,” Garrison wrote onto the letter. He wanted Boxley to interview Caddell. See also the report to Garrison from Matt Herron. September 18, 1967. To: Jim Garrison. From: Matt Herron: Report on Investigations into possible records of Phone calls between Oswald and Ruby. NODA. NARA. See also Statement of Eugene Sauner, February 24, 1967. NODA. Billings papers. Georgetown. Box 1, folder 11. See also August 27, 1967. From: Bill Turner. To: Jim Garrison. Subject: Possible Witness to Ruby- Oswald Link.” NARA. See also Memorandum. Undeveloped Lead —Ruby Case. January 27, 1964 from Henry Wade; Captain W. P. Gannaway Through Lieutenant Jack Revill, Criminal Intelligence Section. 30 January 1964. Subject: Criminal Intelligence (6). Mary Lawrence. From: R. W. Westphal, Detective and P. M. Parks, Detective; 2 December 1963. Gannaway through Lt. Jack Revill. From: H. M. Hart, Detective, Criminal Intelligence Section. Subject: Criminal Intelligence (1). Jack Ruby w-m. Records of the Dallas Police Department, courtesy of Gary Shaw. There is as well the testimony of Thomas Edward Beckham, Bill Demar, Rose Cheramie, and others.
p. 96: Oswald was at a table: Interview with Bill DeMar, January 26, 2003.
p. 96: Volz is sent to Dallas: Memorandum. January 31, 1967. To: Jim Garrison. From: John Volz. Re: SPECIAL INVESTIGATION, DALLAS. NODA. NARA. Interview with John Volz, May 21, 1998.
p. 96: Ferrie paid Arcacha: Handwritten notes of Jim Garrison. Courtesy of Lyon Garrison.
p. 97: concentrated on Arcacha and Shaw: Diary of Richard N. Billings. Notes 14 14. AARC.
p. 97: Arcacha maintains extensive relations with FBI, Immigration and Warren de Brueys: CIA 100-200-17. May 2, 1967. Secret. JMWAVE 6938. Priority, Director. See also: FBI. From: W. A. Branigan. To: W. C. Sullivan. May 2, 1967. Subject: Arcacha Smith. Record number: 104- 10310-10150. Agency file: CIADDPFILES. NARA.
p. 97: Both Carlos Quiroga and Carlos Bringuier warn Arcacha that Garrison’s men are coming: Interview with Carlos Bringuier, January 5, 2000. Interview with Carlos Quiroga, January 14, 2000.
p. 97: “I had expected them earlier”: To: Will Lang. From: Holland McCombs. 4 April 1967. For Richard Billings and Nancy Haskell. Office Memorandum. AARC.
p. 97: admitted that he had traveled to New Orleans: Conversation with Sergio Arcacha Smith, November 29, 1999.
p. 97: denied he knew Oswald: Conversation with Sergio Arcacha Smith.
p. 97: “nutty as a fruitcake”: Interviews of Ronny Caire by Jim Brown, May 31, 1970, and November 19, 1970. See Brown, Central Intelligence Assassination.
p. 97: “a waste of time”: Memo. February 14, 1977. From: Fonzi. To: Tanenbaum. Courtesy of Gaeton Fonzi.
p. 97: “sterilizing him”: Memorandum. September 30, 1968. From: William C. Boxley. Re: Banister’s Associations. NODA. NARA.
p. 97: “David Ferrie is capable of almost anything”: Statement of Joseph S. Newbrough. December 19, 1966. NODA. NARA.
p. 98: Oster reported everything to Regis Kennedy: FBI. Memorandum. To: Director, FBI. From: SAC, New Orleans. January 4, 1967. 124- 10256-10132. 89-69-1376. NARA.
p. 98: Ivon consulted Oster nonetheless: See: Memorandum. March 6, 1967. To: File. From: Lou Ivon. Re: Information from Joseph Oster. NODA. NARA.
p. 98: “someone should do away with Kennedy”: Memorandum. December 30, 1966. 11:30 a.m. To: Jim Garrison. From: Douglas Ward. NODA. NARA. The witness is named Emile Stopper.
p. 98: I. E. Nitschke: Statement and Interview with Mr. I. E. Nitschke in the office of Jim Garrison. Tuesday, January 17, 1967, at approximately 1:00 p.m. NODA. NARA.
p. 98: “world-wide intelligence network”: Statement of Delphine Roberts. January 19, 1967. NODA. NARA.
p. 98: Mary Banister concealed: Memorandum. May 1, 1967. To: Jim Garrison. From: Andrew J. Sciambra. Re: Mrs. Mary Banister— Interview with. April 29th and 30th, 1967. NODA. NARA. Sciambra’s interviews with Ross Banister: February 1 and 2, 1967. Sciambra also talked to Banister’s mother: See diary of Richard N. Billings, file 23 23. Sciambra wrote no memo of this interview.
p. 98: Quiroga drove the arms to Miami: Interview with Quiroga, January 14, 2000. Some boxes of plastic explosives remained. These Arcacha loaded into Quiroga’s car and he drove them to the house of Arcacha’s successor, Luis Rabel. “You guys are now in charge of this revolution,” Quiroga told Rabel and the group of Cubans gathered at his house. “Take these arms to Miami.” A few hours passed and Quiroga’s car was empty. Later Jim Garrison was told that these arms had been dumped into Lake Pontchartrain.
p. 98: studying Russian at Tulane: the best source for this is Quiroga’s interview with Kent Courtney, September 23, 1967. Papers of Kent Courtney. Northwestern State University at Natchitoches. Watson Library. Cammie G. Henry Research Center. Folder: 1963, 3-I-2.
p. 98: “physically attack”: Interview with Carlos Quiroga.
p. 98: reported the names of students: Interview with Carlos Quiroga, January 14, 2000.
p. 98: Quiroga as an FBI informant: Warren de Brueys would credit Quiroga as a “source” for Commission Document 75, his 790 page rendition of the assassination, released on December 2, 1963. On the page “Identity of sources,” Quiroga is listed as “New Orleans T-5.” FBI 100-6601. Dallas field office no. 100- 10461. Bureau file number: 105-82555. 12/2/63. Report made by Warren C. de Brueys. Character of case: IS -R-CUBA. “He was a source, not an informant,” de Brueys says, even as he contradicts himself in his House Select Committee testimony: “sources of information would apply to anybody that we had talked to more than once and was inclined to give us information. They wouldn’t initiate it.” By this standard, given that he did a good deal of the initiating, Quiroga was an “informant.” See HSCA 014716. May 3, 1978. Executive Session. Testimony of Warren C. de Brueys.
p. 98: “apparent detective complex”: Memorandum. SAC, New Orleans. From: SA Robert J. Heibel. Subject: Carlos Quiroga Info Concerning. February 20, 1967. 89-69-1559. NARA. See also: FBI Airtel To: Director, FBI. From: SAC, New Orleans. April 17, 1967. 124-10259-10230. 89-69- 1999, 2000, 2001. NARA. “Quiroga was interviewed by Bureau Agents on 1/5/67, for the purpose of accessing him as a PSI but the interviewing Agents felt that Quiroga possessed a detective complex.”
p. 99: “plenty scared”: To: Jim Garrison. From: Frank Klein. Re: Interview of Carlos Quiroga. January 13, 1967. NODA. NARA.
p. 99: another round of questions: Transcript of Jim Garrison’s January 21, 1967, interview with Carlos Quiroga is available at AARC. Quiroga’s comments on this interview are contained in his “Appendix to Mr. Carlos Bringuier’s Letter of March 29, 1967.”
p. 99: evasive ab
out Mancuso cafe: Diary of Richard N. Billings, File 777.
p. 99: Quiroga reports Garrison to the House Un-American Activities Committee: HUAC: FBI 89- 69-1999,2000, 2002, 2002. Agency record: 124-10259-10230. To: Director, FBI. From: SAC, New Orleans. April 17, 1967.
p. 99: Quiroga calls de Brueys at home: Memo to SAC 1/24/67. SA Warren C. de Brueys. Carlos Quiroga, Information concerning. 89-69-13. NARA. De Brueys suggests that his memo “be routed to the agent who may possibly be conducting any inquiries relative to the District Attorney’s investigation of the Kennedy assassination.”
p. 100: At the grand jury, Quiroga would expose his lack of belief in the basic principles of American democracy. He admitted that he had called the FBI asking “how come they would allow Oswald to distribute that type of propaganda in the streets of this country here.” He “got mad” when the FBI explained that this was not illegal, and tried to get satisfaction from New Orleans police intelligence. Oswald asked him for money to join the Fair Play for Cuba Committee, but he declined: “I know better about giving money to organizations without asking the authorities if I can join the organizations.” He must have thought he had emigrated to Stalin’s Russia. Quiroga’s grand jury testimony transcripts are available both at NARA and AARC.
p. 100: Jim Garrison wanted more evidence, and so was not ready to arrest David Ferrie: This information, and the account of Louis Ivon’s encounters with Ferrie, is from interviews with Louis Ivon, January 8, 1998; January 12, 2000; October 9, 2000.
p. 100: At White Rock airport: Gurvich goes to every airport in the Dallas area: Memorandum. To: Jim Garrison. From: William Gurvich, Investigator. January 28, 1967. NODA. NARA.
p. 100: Fred Lenz identifies Ferrie: Memorandum. February 14, 1967. To: Jim Garrison. From: William Gurvich. Subj: David William Ferrie—I. E. Nitschke’s Description of. NODA. Dick Billings had the Gurvich memorandum corroborated. See: Will Lang, Life Magazine. For Billings on Ferrie. February 27, 1967. Papers of Richard N. Billings. Holland McCombs provided the research.
p. 100: piloting a plane in and out of Dallas: Billings. Haskell. February 14, 1967. DAVID WILLIAM FERRIE. Biography written by Richard N. Billings. Papers of Richard N. Billings. Box 4, folder 48. Lenz confirmed the identification of Ferrie for Holland McCombs, working on Richard Billings’ Life magazine investigation.
p. 100: “I’ve got some interesting ideas”: FBI Airtel. To: Director, FBI. From: SAC, New Orleans. January 4, 1967. 124-10256-10132. 89-69-1376. NARA.
p. 100: Max Gonzales would try to spend time with Ferrie by pretending that he was interested in purchasing an airplane: Memorandum. January 11, 1967. To: Louis Ivon. From: Lynn Loisel. Re: Phone call from Jimmy Johnson Regarding Ferrie and the Smith Case (January 10, 1967, 4:00 p.m.). NODA. NARA.
p. 101: Jimmy Johnson: Jim Garrison had Johnson checked out after the fact: Memorandum. March 3, 1967. To: Jim Garrison. From: Julian R. Murray Jr. Re: Kennedy Assassination Investigation. NODA. Mrs. William B. Jones in January of 1965 interviewed Johnson for the position of male nurse for her husband. On the basis of a recommendation from “either a psychiatrist or a psychologist whose last name was Ferrie and who lived on Louisiana Avenue Parkway,” she hired him.
p. 101: “to keep myself out of trouble”: Walter Sheridan interview with Jimmy J. Johnson. Index 37. NARA.
p. 101: Neither Beaubouef nor Brownlee: Interview with Alvin Beaubouef, January 4, 2000. Beaubouef affected surprise about Johnson when told he was working for Garrison; interview with Morris Brownlee, June 2, 2000.
p. 101: the surveillance of Ferrie: Jimmy Johnson picks up an envelope, etc. Johnson’s and the following NODA memoranda are available at NARA. See in particular: Memorandum: January 11, 1967 To: Louis Ivon. From: Lynn Loisel. Re: Phone call from Jimmy Johnson Regarding Ferrie and The Smith Case (January 10, 1967, 4:00 PM); Memorandum January 16, 1967. To: Jim Garrison. From: Undercover Agent #1 (Jimmy Johnson). Re: Information on Dave Ferrie received 1-11-67, gathered by Undercover Agent #1; Memorandum. January 19, 1967. To: Jim Garrison. From: Investigator Lynn Loisel. Re: Telephone Conversation with Agent #1; NODA; Memorandum. January 23, 1967. To: Louis Ivon. From: Lynn Loisel. Re: Phone call from Agent One to L. Loisel. 1/23/67. 12:30 p.m. NODA; Memorandum. February 3, 1967. To: Jim Garrison From: Agent #1. Re: Smith Case. NODA; Memorandum: February 6, 1967. To: Jim Garrison. From: Kent Simms. NODA; Memorandum. February 6, 1967. To: Jim Garrison. From: Sgt. Tom Duffy. NODA; Memorandum. February 8, 1967. To: Louis Ivon From: Detective C. Jonau; Memorandum, February 9, 1967. To: Jim Garrison. From: Louis Ivon. Re: Surveillance of 3330 Louisiana Avenue — Residence of William D. Ferrie [sic] on February 5, 1967; Memorandum. February 10, 1967. To: Jim Garrison. From: Agent #1. Re: Smith Case; Memorandum. February 14, 1967. To: Jim Garrison From: Lynn Loisel. Re: Surveillance of 3330 Louisiana Avenue Parkway, Residence of David Ferrie, W/M, to observe actions and associates; Memorandum. February 15, 1967 to: Lewis [sic] Ivon. From: Kent Simms. Re: Stake-Out at 3330 Louisiana Avenue, home of David Farrie [sic].
p. 101: run guns: Memorandum. January 9, 1967. To: Louis Ivon. From: Lynn Loisel. Re: Smith Investigation. NODA. NARA.
p. 101: Ferrie didn’t have a license: Statement of James R. Williams. Office of the District Attorney. March 20, 1967. Re: Conversation with Mr. Al Crouch. Papers of Richard N. Billings. Box 1, folder 5. Ferrie had been employed by Crouch, who owned Saturn Aviation, before he started his own school in 1966.
p. 101: the “dear Bastard” letter is available in the Wegmann papers.
p. 101: burglarize. This was not the first time Ferrie requested that one of his young followers commit robbery. Another was Michael Otto Clyde Wakeling. Memorandum. February 15, 1967. To: Jim Garrison. From: William Gurvich. Subj: David William Ferrie—1957 incident. NODA. NARA.
p. 101: “the police suspect me”: Jimmy reported David Ferrie’s comments to his brother Charles: DOJ. 179-20002-10108. CLASSIFIED SUBJECT FILE 129-11, OFFICIAL MAIL SECT. 17A. FBI. From: Oklahoma City, Ok. March 7, 1967. 2 pages. NARA.
p. 101: Ferrie calls Reverend Broshears and says he fears he will be killed: Broshears quoted in Dick Russell, “The Vindication of Jim Garrison,” Harper’s Weekly. September 6, 1976. p. 33.
p. 102: “in his need to talk to Ivon”: Jim Garrison interviewed in Richard Cohen and Carol Kachmer, Rough Side of the Mountain, an unfinished documentary about the events in Clinton and Jackson, Louisiana.
p. 102: Judge Thomas Brahney told Dempsey, “You’d better get off your big Irish bazoo”: Interview with Jack Dempsey, May 20, 1998.
p. 102: “I’m a dead man”: Interview with Allen Campbell, July 4, 2002.
p. 102: “big joke”: quoted in Rosemary James and Jack Wardlow, Plot or Politics? The Garrison Case & Its Cast (New Orleans: Pelican Publishing House, 1967), p. 39.
p. 102: “get your licks in first”: FBI. To: Director. From: SAC, New Orleans. February 20, 1967. 124- 10256-10155. 89-69-1404. NARA.
p. 102: Ferrie telephones Snyder: “Sick Ferrie Felt Life Unjust,” by David Snyder. States-Item. February 23, 1967. Ferrie told Snyder that acquaintances had told him that the DA had questioned them: “New Orleans DA Says His Investigation Shows Oswald Didn’t Act Alone.” States-Item. February 18, 1967.
p. 103: arrests are months away: “Confident He Can Show JFK Killing Was Plotted—DA.” Times- Picayune, February 21, 1967. Section 1, p. 1.
p. 103: “Jim Garrison has some information”: “Thinks DA Has Data—Long.” Times-Picayune, February 22, 1967, Section 1, p. 1.
p. 103: “as the S. P. C. A”: The news release is dated February 23, 1967.
p. 103: Ivon and Sciambra visit Ferrie: Memorandum. February 28, 1967. To: Jim Garrison. From: Andrew Sciambra and Louis Ivon. Re: Interview with David Ferrie. NODA. NARA.
p. 103: Ferrie lived at one of Shaw’s French Quarter properties: Interview with John Wilson, December 13, 2003.
p. 104: Ferrie calls Lou Ivon and talks: Interviews with Louis Ivon, January 8, 1998; January 12, 2000; October 9, 2000. Ivon�
��s handwritten notes of his meeting with Ferrie disappeared from Jim Garrison’s records.
p. 104: “Shaw was involved with the CIA”: Louis Ivon interviewed in Beyond JFK.
p. 105: CIA affiliated Schlumberger ammunition dump: The president of Schlumberger drilling company in the U.S., Milton E. Loy, had been granted a Covert Security Approval in 1965 as the buyer of a JMWAVE boat from a JMWAVE corporation that would then be sold to “an Agency proprietary corporation.” In 1963, he had moved from New Orleans to Houston, Texas. The document, marked “Secret”, and chronicling Loy’s career, offers a rare revelation of how CIA operates within U.S. borders. See: Memorandum: Subject: DCS Contacts with the Schlumberger Well Surveying Corporation and Its Subsidiaries. numbers obliterated. See also CIA. Subject: Loy, M. E. aka Loy, Milton E. August 7, 1968. Subjects: Garrison, James. 104-10515-10078. 80T01357A. NARA.
p. 105: checks from the White House: Interview with Layton Martens, January 16, 2000.
p. 105: “you guys don’t know what you’re dealing with”: Interview with William Alford, May 28, 1998.
p. 105: Loisel went out for cigarettes: Interview with William Alford, May 28, 1998.
p. 105: Ferrie asks Orestes Peña about Arcacha and Mas: HSCA. Sworn Testimony of Orest [sic] Peña. June 23, 1978. 180-10075-10167. HSCA 010136. 36 pages. NARA.
p. 105: During that talk, Ferrie asked Bringuier to slow his steps: Carlos Bringuier interviewed by Kent Courtney. p. 37. Kent Courtney Collection. Northwestern State University at Natchitoches. Folder no. 9, 3-I-1.
p. 105: when the conspiracy started: Interview with Carlos Bringuier, January 5, 2000.
p. 105: harassed because he helped Marcello: Memorandum. March 29, 1967. To: Louis Ivon. From: Clency Navarre. Re: Interview— Tom C. Brister—W/M 24 years. NODA. NARA.
p. 105: figured out that Jimmy Johnson had been spying on him: Jimmy Johnson interviewed by Walter Sheridan, Undated, c. May 1967.
p. 106: Ferrie tells Krasnoff he is going to kill himself: Conversation with Sanford Krasnoff, March 5, 2002.