by Jim Bishop
* Had the plea been granted, it would have saved the life of Lee Harvey Oswald. Thirty-four hours later, he was shot to death in the basement of police headquarters by Jack Ruby. In a prison ward, Ruby died of cancer three years later.
* At 4 A.M. Dallas time, the order for C2766 was located. It was a coupon clipped from the American Rifleman of February 1963. It was ordered by “A. Hidel, P.O. Box 2915, Dallas, Tex.” It was paid for by “A. Hidell,” a name Lee Harvey Oswald told Captain Fritz he used now and then. The price of the rifle, with four-power scope on it, was $19.95. There was an additional charge of $1.50 for postage and handling. The Mannlicher-Carcano had been mailed to the purchaser on March 20, 1963.