The Second Oswald
Page 12
Miss ODIO stated her father, AMADOR ODIO-PADRON, was active in the Cuban underground assisting CASTRO in the revolution against BATISTA. Her father was exiled twice previously from Cuba during BATISTA’s era. After FIDEL CASTRO came to power in Cuba, her father, realizing too late that CASTRO was a Communist, joined the Cuban underground and fought against the CASTRO regime. He and his family used to hide members of the Cuban underground who were fighting CASTRO.
ODIO stated that she married GUILLERMO HERRERA, a Cuban in Havana, Cuba, in 1957. In 1960, her husband, their children and she were able to leave Cuba and went to Ponce, Puerto Rico, via Miami, Florida, where they spent a few days being processed by U. S. Immigration authorities.
She and her family then resided at Ponce, Puerto Rico, until she left for Dallas, Texas, in March 1963, to join her sister, SARA, who was at that time a student in the University of Dallas. She left her children in Puerto Rice until she could make living arrangements for them with her in Dallas. Miss ODIO stated she had obtained a divorce from her husband in both Ponce and San Juan, Puerto Rico, in early 1963. She stated due to her marital problems, her parents being in jail in Cuba, and her brothers and sisters all scattered throughout the United States, she had developed a nervous condition but same had not affected her mentality, and she does not suffer from illusions.
Miss ODIO stated in regard to previous information furnished her to the President’s Commission regarding the visit to her apartment, around the latter part of September, 1963, of three individuals, one of whom she believes was LEE HARVEY OSWALD, she has the following information to furnish:
She advised that she has tried and tried to definitely determine the exact date these three persons came to her apartment. She stated that she has discussed this matter with her sister, ANNIE, who was in her apartment when these three men came to her residence.
She stated her sister, ANNIE, normally came to her apartment on Friday to baby-sit for her, as she, SYLVIA. normally went out that night of the week; however, ANNIE had come early this particular week, and both she and her sister now believe that she, ANNIE, had arrived on Thursday, September 26, 1963.
Miss ODIO remembers that she moved from her apartment at 1084 Magellan Circle, Casa View, Dallas, Texas, on Monday, September 30, 1963, to avoid having to pay any additional rent for October at this address. She stated she does not go out on Sundays and would have been home on Sunday. September 29, 1963. On Saturdays, Miss ODIO stated that she is normally so tired that she stays home all day and would have been home on Saturday, September 28, 1963.
Miss ODIO stated that she received the one telephone call from the previous night’s visitor, who had identified himself to her as “LEOPOLDO”, after she returned home from work. Accordingly, this telephone call would have had to be on either Thursday, September 26, 1963, or Friday, September 27, 1963; however, she stated that Friday, September 27, 1963, would be her best recollection of the exact day.
She stated that the three men, one of whom is believed by her to have been OSWALD, were most probably at her apartment on Thursday night, September 26, 1963. She stated that if it was not Thursday night, September 26, 1963, then it would have been Wednesday, September 25, 1963, but she considers the Thursday date to be the most probable date.
Miss ODIO advised that the Cuban anti-CASTRO group known as the Directorate Revolucionario Estudiantil, more commonly referred to as the “DRE”, has never to her knowledge been au organized group in the Dallas area.
She stated that while a resident of Ponce, Puerto Rico, she had attended the organizing meeting of “JURE” held in early 1963 at Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico, a town located near Ponce, Puerto Rico. She stated that she was one of the original members of this organization.
Miss ODIO stated that if the two other individuals who visited her home on the night in question were truly members of the “JURE”, then MANOLO RAY, head of this group, should positively know the identity of any such “JURE” member who uses the war name of “LEOPOLDO”.
Miss ODIO stated that in her own mind she rather doubts that these two other visitors were actually members of “JURE”. She stated that she bases this doubt on the fact that these two unknown men appeared to her to be Mexicans rather than Cubans. She stated that their skin was “olive” colored, which skin tone is common among Mexicans and not among Cubans.
She stated that in their approximately fifteen minute conversation on the night in question, she cannot recall any phrases or words in Spanish used by “LEOPOLDO” or the other man which would indicate that they were not actually Cubans, but instead Mexicans. She noted that she does not recall any idiomatic phrases used by them at that time, as she did not then question their authenticity.
She stated that she would probably have never given much thought to their visit if it had not been for the subsequent assassination of President KENNEDY. When she first heard of President KENNEDY’s assassination, at work, on the afternoon of November 22, 1963, she immediately recalled the visit of the three men to her home in late September, 1963, and thought it very possible that they might have been responsible, as one had mentioned that night that President KENNEDY should have been killed by the Cubans.
She stated she became very nervous regarding this possibility and feared that the Cuban exiles might be accused of the President’s death and, upon dwelling on this thought, had fainted at work and was taken to the hospital in Irving, Texas.Miss ODIO emphatically denied that she had ever told Mrs. C. L. CONNELL that LEE HARVEY OSWALD had made talks to small groups of Cuban refugees in Dallas. She similarly denied knowledge of ever telling Mrs. CONNELL that a Cuban associate of hers had called anyone in New Orleans regarding OSWALD, in which this Cuban friend had been advised that OSWALD was a double agent attempting to infiltrate Cuban exile groups.
Miss ODIO stated that a gun seller called JOHNNY MARTIN had spoken before small groups of Cuban refugees in Dallas, and she believes she had mentioned this person’s name to Mrs. CONNELL; however; she does not know what Mrs. CONNELL is talking about in regard to the alleged telephone call to New Orleans where a person was discussed who might be a double agent trying to infiltrate Cuban refugee groups.
In reply to a question as to why Mrs. CONNELL would attribute such a statement to her, Miss ODIO stated that, “You would have to be a woman to understand”. She stated that Mrs. CONNELL and she had been friends, but due to personal reasons, they had had a falling out. She believes that Mrs. CONNELL in attributing the aforementioned information to her was using a “double-edged knife”, that is, she was trying to help in the investigation of the assassination and at the same time was trying to embarrass or get her, Miss ODIO in trouble.
In regard to the information attributed to her by Mrs. CONNELL, Miss ODIO noted that she most certainly would have mentioned these facts to FBI Agents when they first interviewed her if she had such knowledge of same, as she fully realizes the importance of such information, if true.
Miss ODIO stated she had not previously contacted the FBI with her information about the three visitors who had come to her home in September, 1963, as she had not considered it pertinent at the time and did not want to bother the Government investigative agencies with what they might consider a “nut” complaint when they were undoubtedly so busy with other investigative matters pertaining to the assassination. She stated that she might have eventually proceeded on her own initiative to bring this incident to the attention of the appropriate authorities, but she still considers her information meager, and even unimportant, due to the very short duration of her conversation with the three visitors to her apartment in late September, 1963.
Miss ODIO stated she still personally believes that it was LEE HARVEY OSWALD who was the third man who accompanied the two self-identified Cubans to her apartment; however, she stated that she has seen so many pictures of LEE HARVEY OSWALD since the assassination of President KENNEDY that she is getting confused on this point at this late date, and added that even though she thinks it was LEE HARVEY OSWALD,
it may not have been.
(XXVI: 85-38)
Appendix V
J. Edgar Hoover’s letter to the Commission concerning Mrs. Odio’s visitors.
September 21, 1964
BY COURIER SERVICE
Honorable J. Lee Rankin
General Counsel
The President’s Commission
200 Maryland Avenue, N. E.
Washington, D.C.
Dear Mr. Rankin:
Reference is made to your letter dated August 28, 1964, dealing with the claim of Sylvia Odio that Lee Harvey Oswald and two other individuals visited at her apartment in Dallas, Texas, on September 26 or 27, 1963. Sylvia Odio in testifying before the Commission stated that the man believed by her to be Lee Harvey Oswald was introduced to her as “Leon Oswald.”
In connection with investigation requested in letter of reference, there are enclosed two copies each of memoranda dated September 8, September 10 and September 11, 1964. There are also enclosed two copies each of a memorandum dated September 14, 1964 and the eighteen attachments thereto.
On September 16, 1964, we located one Loran Eugene Hall at Johnsondale, California. Hall has been identified as a participant in numerous anti-Castro activities. He advised that in September, 1963, he was at Dallas, Texas, soliciting aid in connection with an anti-Castro cause. He recalled meeting a Cuban woman, Mrs. Odio who lived in a garden-type apartment at 1080 Magelland Circle, Dallas, Texas. He said that at the time of his visit he was accompanied by Lawrence Howard, a Mexican-American from East Los Angeles and William Seymour from Arizona. He denied that Lee Harvey Oswald was with him during his visit to Mrs. Odio’s apartment in September, 1963.
Hall stated that William Seymour is similar in appearance to Lee Harvey Oswald and that Seymour speaks only a few words of Spanish. In connection with the revelations of Hall, you will note that the name Loran Hall bears some phonetic resemblance to the name Leon Oswald.
We have obtained photographs of Loran Hall and will attempt to obtain photographs of William Seymour and Lawrence Howard for display to Mrs. Odio. We are continuing our investigation into the claims of Sylvia Odio with particular emphasis on efforts to determine if Hall, Howard and Seymour may be identical with the three individuals who visited her in late September, 1963. The results of our inquiries in this regard will be promptly furnished to you.
Sincerely yours,
Enclosures—44
(XXVI:834-35)
Appendix VI
The FBI’s later report on Mrs. Odio’s visitors that was not published by the Warren Commission. (From National Archives: Commission Document No. 1553.)
Miami, Florida
October 2, 1964
LEE HARVEY OSWALD
It is recalled that SYLVIA ODIO has advised that on an evening in the latter part of September, 1963, she was visited at her apartment in Dallas, Texas, by two Cubans or Mexicans, accompanied by an American whom she believed to be LEE HARVEY OSWALD.
LORAN EUGENE HALL, upon interview on September 16, 1964 at Johnsondale, California, stated he had been in Dallas, Texas, in September, 1963 in the company of LAWRENCE HOWARD and WILLIAM SEYMOUR, and has contacted many Cubans in the Dallas area, including a Cuban woman, a Mrs. ODIO, who lived in apartment A, located on Magellan Circle, Dallas in the same building with a Cuban friend of HALL, named KIKI FERROR. During a second interview on September 20, 1964, HALL stated that during his visit in Dallas in September, 1963, he was accompanied by LAWRENCE HOWARD and a Cuban whom he knew as “WAHITO,” and was not accompanied at that time by WILLIAM SEYMOUR. He also said he recalled no contact with ODIO.
Upon interview at Los Angeles, California on September 20, 1964, LAWRENCE JOHN HOWARD advised that he accompanied HALL to Dallas, Texas, in September, 1963 with a Cuban refugee named CELLIOS ALBAS who was also known by the name “QUARITO.” HOWARD recalled no contact with a Cuban woman named ODIO at an apartment on Magellan Circle in Dallas.
W1LLIAM SEYMOUR of Phoenix, Arizona, during interview on September 18, 1964, stated he and LAWRENCE HALL were in Dallas, Texas in October, 1963, rather than September, 1963, and SYLVIA ODIO was unknown to him.
Review of record of Beach Welding and Supplies Company, Miami Beach, Florida, on September 22, 1964, confirmed WILLIAM SEYMOUR’s employment with that company throughout the period September 5 to October 10, 1963.
On September 24, 1964, CELLO SERGIO CASTRO ALBA, employed at the South Florida Sugar Company, Belle Glade, Florida, stated he had traveled with LORAN HALL and LAWRENCE HOWARD from California to Dallas, Texas, to Miami, Florida in September, 1963, but he had not met any person at Dallas named ODIO, nor had he heard the name ODIO mentioned by HALL or HOWARD in Dallas.
On October 1, 1964, SYLVIA ODIO, presently residing at 1711 S.W. 83rd Avenue, Miami, Florida, stated she had moved to Miami from Dallas, Texas, with her four small children, about a week ago.
Mrs. ODIO was shown photographs of LORAN EUGENE HALL, taken at Wichita, Kansas on December 16, 1961; LAWRENCE J. HOWARD taken at Key West, Florida on December 4, 1962; WILLIAM HOUSTON SEYMOUR taken in March, 1959 at San Diego, California; and CELIO SERGIO CASTRO ALBA taken in November, 1961 at Miami. Florida.
Upon viewing the photographs of HALL, HOWARD, SEYMOUR and CASTRO, Mrs. ODIO stated that none of these individuals were identical with the three persons including the individual she believed to be OSWALD, who had come to her apartment in Dallas in the last week of September, 1968. She said she is not certain that she could identify photographs of the two individuals accompanying the one she believed to be OSWALD, because of the passage of time since the incident and because photographs sometime differ from the real appearance of an individual.
Mrs. ODIO added she did believe, however, she could recognize the individual who gave his name as LEOPOLDO. She indicated that the photograph of CELIO CASTRO was similar to the appearance of LEOPOLDO but that LEOPOLDO’s hairline was receding at the temples. She also thought that the photo of CELIO CASTRO did not give the Mexican appearance that she recalled LEOPOLDO to have.
Mrs. ODIO stated she did not know anyone named KIKI FERRER, or FERROR, either resident in the apartment building at 1084 Magellan Circle, where she resided, or elsewhere. She stated there was a Cuban family of man, wife and two children with the surname MASFERRER, who also lived in the Crestwood Apartments on Magellan Circle, about 5 or 6 buildings down from the building in which Mrs. ODIO lived. She said that on occasion the Cuban families living in the Crestwood Apartments would have get-togethers and she recalled that on one occasion the son of the aforementioned MASFERRER became involved in a fight with another individual and the get-together deteriorated into a general disturbance to which the police were called. She stated she did not know the first name of Mr. MASFERRER.
Also on October 1, 1964, the photographs described hereinbefore were displayed to ANNIE LAURIE ODIO, younger sister of SYLVIA ODIO, who stated she had opened the door of the ODIO apartment in Dallas to the three individuals including the one believed to be LEE HARVEY OSWALD, who called at the apartment in the last week of September, 1964. ANNIE LAURIE ODIO stated none of the photographs appeared similar to the three individuals in her recollection. When telephonically contacted on the morning of October 1, 1964 in order to arrange an interview, SYLVIA ODIO advised that she had an appointment at 11:30 AM that date with her doctor. The interview was then set for 1:00 PM. Shortly after making this arrangement for interview, Mr. MAURICE FERRE, a member of the FERRE family with extensive industrial holdings in South Florida and Puerto Rico, contacted the Miami Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to state he is a personal friend of SYLVIA ODIO. He wished to advise that ODIO was then under the care of Dr. IRWIN JACOBS, psychiatrist, at Miami and had attempted suicide during the past week.
Appendix VII
Oswald’s letter to the Russian Embassy.
FROM: LEE H. OSWALD, P.O. BOX 6225, DALLAS, TEXAS
MARINA NICHILAYEVA OSWALD, SOVIET CITIZEN
TO: CONSULAR DIVISION,EMBASSY U.S.S.
R
WASHINGTON, D.C.
NOV. 9, 1963
Dear Sirs:
This is to inform you of recent events since my meetings with comrade Kostin in the Embassy of the Soviet Union, Mexico City, Mexico.
I was unable to remain in Mexico indefinitely because of my Mexican visa restrictions which was for 15 days only. I could not take a chance on requesting a new visa unless I used my real name, so I returned to the United States.
I had not planned to contact the Soviet embassy in Mexico so they were unprepared, had I been able to reach the Soviet Embassy in Havana as planned, the embassy there would have had time to complete our business.
Of course the Soviet embassy was not at fault, they were, as I say unprepared, the Cuban consulate was guilty of a gross breach of regulations, I am glad he has since been replaced.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is not now interested in my activities in the progressive organization “Fair Play For Cuba Committee”, of which I was secretary in New Orleans (state Louisiana) since I no longer reside in that state. However, the F.B.I. has visited us here in Dallas, Texas, on November 1st. Agent James P. Hasty warned me that if I engaged in F.P.C.C. activities in Texas the F.B.I. will again take an “interest” in me.
This agent also “suggested” to Marina Nichilayeva that she could remain in the United States under F.B.I. “protection”, that is, she could defect from the Soviet Union, of course, I and my wife strongly protested these tactics by the notorious F.B.I.