Mr. Oswald. That is correct, sir.
Mr. Jenner. Twenty-four hours a day?
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir.
Mr. Jenner. Where did Lee reside during this period of your life?
Mr. Oswald. I do not recall the address at that particular time.
I might state that I know mother had sold the house on Alvar and Galvez Streets in New Orleans, and they were living elsewhere, I remember the house, but I cannot remember the address.
Mr. Jenner. I was particularly interested in whether Lee was living with your mother.
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir. He was at this time living with mother. And it is my understanding from her, during later years, discussing with her, that she had various maids or housekeepers come in to keep Lee at this early age.
Mr. Jenner. So, I take it, she was employed.
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir.
Mr. Jenner. Was she also employed during the 1 year when you boys were at the Catholic school?
Mr. Oswald. I am sure—I feel sure she was, sir.
Mr. Jenner. Could we say, except as I might return to the subject specifically, that from the time of the death of your father, in August of 1939, at least until the time of her marriage with Mr. Ekdahl, she was always employed, either continuously or with short breaks?
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir; we certainly can.
Mr. Jenner. She was the sole support, as far as you know, of your family?
Mr. Oswald. That is correct, sir.
Mr. Jenner. All right.
I interrupted you—pardon me.
You and John entered the Bethlehem Orphan Home. Would you describe to us the nature of that school?
Mr. Oswald. Well——
Mr. Jenner. Was it a public or private institution?
Mr. Oswald. I would say it was a private home. The atmosphere generally—of course all the boys and girls were separated—I recall just one large dormitory building, sleeping area and so forth. The cafeteria was located——
Mr. Dulles. Could you tell us about how many there were in this orphanage, roughly? Was it 50, 100, 200?
Mr. Oswald. I would say around 75 to 100, sir.
Mr. Jenner. So you are now about 8 years old, am I correct?
Mr. Oswald. 1942—that would be correct, sir.
The cafeteria was located in a separate, or perhaps a wing of this large dormitory building. The school area was located in a separate building towards the entrance of the home. There was quite a large playground there, and quite a large playroom within that large dormitory.
Mr. McKenzie. The home itself was located in New Orleans, is that correct?
Mr. Oswald. That is correct.
Mr. Jenner. In the city proper, rather than a suburb?
Mr. Oswald. I would say that was so, sir. I still recall that it was pretty close to the end of the St. Charles Street carline at that particular time.
My recollection of the atmosphere and the general conditions there—it was nice, I had a lot of friends there at the home. It was a Christian atmosphere.
Going back to the Catholic school—we had to go to church every morning and so forth like that.
But here at the tables and so forth we had our grace and such as that. It was generally a Christian atmosphere there. He treated us well, I might add—better than the Catholic school did. They were not as strict as far as discipline was concerned, but they certainly kept us in line.
Mr. Dulles. Could I ask a question there?
Was this a denominational school, or a publicly maintained school?
Mr. Oswald. I don't believe it was a denominational school. I believe it was a public—I feel it was a private school or home. But that the religious background did not have anything to do with it. It might have been just a Protestant home.
Mr. Jenner. I am curious, if I may, Mr. Dulles—the name of this school or home is the Bethlehem Orphan Home. But neither of you boys was an orphan.
Mr. Oswald. No, sir.
Mr. Jenner. I take it, then, that apart from the name of the school, there were orphans and young people, children such as you, whose mothers, or perhaps fathers, were unable to take care of them during the daytime completely, and the school accepted children under those circumstances.
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir; that is my understanding.
Mr. Jenner. Therefore, it was not exclusively for orphans?
Mr. Oswald. No, sir.
Mr. Dulles. I think I have read somewhere—I would like to ask, if I may—I understand there had to be only one parent, though. I don't think if you had two parents you were eligible for this school. I don't know where I read that, but I recollect that.
Is that the case, do you remember?
Mr. Oswald. My recollection on that, sir, was that I do recall mother saying something that there was a little difficulty in placing us in there, because we were not orphans. But that they had from time to time made exceptions to this, where one parent was living and unable to attend the children fully during the day and so forth, and even at night.
Mr. Jenner. Now, you entered in 1942. Did you and John continue in this school—for what period of time?
Mr. Oswald. Until we moved to Dallas, in 1944, sir.
Mr. Jenner. Before we get to that, has Mr. Oswald responded to the questions you had in mind, to describe the nature of the school?
Mr. Dulles. Yes.
Mr. Jenner. Were you visited by your mother and Lee to the extent that she brought him along, when you and John were in the Bethlehem Orphan Home?
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir; we were. I do recall quite vividly that on Wednesdays—this perhaps might have been during the summer months only—that John and I would go to downtown New Orleans and meet mother at her place of employment, and either spend the afternoon with her, or she would give us money to go to a movie or something. And at this time mother was employed as a manager or assistant manager of a hosiery shop located on Canal Street. I don't recall the name of it, or the exact address of it.
Mr. Jenner. Would you be good enough to inform the Commission to the best of your recollection about weekends? Did your mother visit you on weekends? Were you free to return home and spend the weekend? Describe that, please.
Mr. Oswald. I do not recall on the weekends—a weekend, I should say, that we visited mother. Normally, we just saw her once a week at that particular time. I do not recall—I have been thinking about this—seeing Lee too often at that time.
Mr. Jenner. You and John would be naturally curious to see him once in awhile?
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir; I know we did. I cannot remember it too clearly.
But I would say that it wasn't too frequently that we did see Lee.
Mr. Jenner. Now, you moved to Dallas in 1944?
Mr. Oswald. That is correct.
Mr. Jenner. Was there anything unusual prior to the time you moved to Dallas about your life and your relationships with your mother and with Lee, if any? Was there an event that is now etched on your mind?
Mr. Oswald. I would like to back up there just a little bit.
Lee was placed at the Bethlehem Orphan Home for approximately the last year that we were there.
Mr. Jenner. That would be, then, 1943?