Mr. Jenner. Friend or acquaintance of either Marina or of your brother Lee Harvey Oswald?
Mr. Oswald. Other than the ones I have described.
Mr. Jenner. All right.
Mr. Dulles. Plus, of course, the Paines, whom you have already discussed, and others you may have discussed.
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir.
Mr. Jenner. Did you have any knowledge of your brother Lee's defection or alleged defection other than that which you read in the newspapers?
Mr. Oswald. No, sir; I had not.
Mr. Jenner. And other—other than there might be a reference to that subject in the correspondence you have produced for us?
Mr. Oswald. That is correct.
Mr. Jenner. Do you have any possible reason to believe that your brother Lee Harvey Oswald knew Jack Ruby, or Jack Rubinstein, alias Jack Ruby?
Mr. Oswald. Sir, are you asking for my opinion?
Mr. Jenner. I am asking if you have any knowledge first—anything upon which you can base an opinion.
Mr. Oswald. No, sir, I do not.
Mr. Jenner. That he did or might have had an acquaintance with Jack Ruby, or Jack Rubinstein?
Mr. Oswald. No, sir; I do not.
Mr. Jenner. I will ask you the same question as to Officer Tippit.
Mr. Oswald. No, sir. I do not.
Mr. Dulles. With regard to Jack Ruby, you hesitated a moment.
Do you have anything else in your mind about that that you wanted to add or could add?
Mr. Oswald. I just misinterpreted his question as to whether or not he wanted my opinion, rather than any facts that I might have.
Mr. Dulles. Well, let's ask for your opinion now.
Mr. Jenner. Now, we will go to your opinion.
Do you have an opinion?
Mr. Oswald. Based on the newspaper articles that appeared during the week of November 25, 1963, at which time two reported employees of Mr. Jack Ruby, a man and a woman, stated to newspaper reporters that they had seen Lee Harvey Oswald in Mr. Ruby's establishment, known as the Carousel Club, and also on one occasion either or both of these reported witnesses stated that they had seen Mr. Ruby speaking to Lee Harvey Oswald.
Mr. Jenner. And it is on the basis of that newspaper report and only that that you voice this opinion?
Mr. Oswald. No, sir.
I might further elaborate on my opinion that at various times through various magazine articles and television programs, indicating the route taken supposedly by my brother Lee from the place of his boarding house, or apartment, and prior to his capture, was in a direct or approximately a direct line to Mr. Ruby's apartment.
Mr. Jenner. Are you acquainted with the decision which your sister-in-law, Marina, reached not to reside with your mother?
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir; I most certainly am.
Mr. Jenner. And did you take part in that decision, or were you present during the course of any event that resulted in her ultimate decision?
Mr. Oswald. I would say that that decision, sir, was 90 percent my decision, and only 10 percent Marina N. Oswald's decision.
Mr. Jenner. All right.
Now, as to that event, would you please tell us the course it took, your participation in it, where it occurred, and as much as you now recall about it?
Mr. Oswald. This took place at the Inn——
Mr. Jenner. Before you answer—it is not recorded in your diary, is it?
Mr. McKenzie. The diary would be the best evidence of that.
Mr. Jenner. In order that I don't try to examine over 20 pages——
Mr. Dulles. I have just read the diary, and I do not recall it.
Mr. McKenzie. I don't, either. I don't believe it is.
Mr. Jenner. Proceed.
Mr. Oswald. This occurred at the Inn of the Six Flags in Arlington, Tex.
Mr. Jenner. Fix the time.
Mr. Oswald. On Thursday morning, November 28, 1963, at which time I talked to Mrs. Marina N. Oswald.
Mr. Jenner. In whose presence, if anyone?
Mr. Oswald. If memory serves me correct, sir, in the presence of Mr. Jim Martin, and perhaps one Secret Service agent that I cannot recall vividly enough to identify by name. That Mr. Martin—if I may back up, sir. We did have a Secret Service agent there. I do recall he was Mr. Gopadze, who was acting as an interpreter. And I do believe that Mr. Gopadze acted as an interpreter at the time when we discussed with Marina the possibility of her moving to Mr. Jim Martin's home in Dallas, Tex., as a permanent guest or for as long as she wished to with her children, and I believe at this time she asked my opinion of this, whether or not I thought this was the thing to do, and my advice to her was that it was, and that she was going to abide by my decision that this was the thing to do at that time.
Mr. Jenner. This discussion occurred in the presence of these people you have mentioned?
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir.
Mr. Jenner. Included in that discussion, was the alternative of her residing with your mother discussed?
Mr. Oswald. No, sir; it was not, because I did not look to that as an alternative.
Mr. Jenner. Do you know whether Marina—had there been any discussion prior thereto, to your knowledge, of any possibility or suggestion by anyone that Marina undertake residence with your mother?
Mr. Oswald. Not to my knowledge, sir, was there any discussion between me and Marina or myself and my mother that Marina was going to reside in her place.
Mr. Jenner. As a possibility?
Mr. Oswald. Not to my knowledge, sir. I might——
Mr. Jenner. Whether the discussion was directly with you or not, was the subject of the possibility—it is always possible—of Marina residing with your mother—was it raised during this period of time? Did you know of anybody ever suggesting it, or it being considered—apart from whether there was discussion with you directly?
Mr. Oswald. No, sir, to my knowledge I was not aware of any situation such as that.
Mr. Jenner. I forgot now.
Did you say Marina was present during the course of this discussion?
Mr. Oswald. That is correct.
Mr. Jenner. And did she say anything on the subject through the interpreter?
Mr. Oswald. If I may, sir, go to the preceding day of Thursday, November 28, 1963, to Wednesday, November 27, 1963, at which time I was advised by Secret Service agent Mike Howard of the offer of Mr. Jim Martin to take Marina and the children into the family, into his family, and raise them as he would his own members of the family. I did not discuss at first with Marina this offer. I did discuss with Mr. Jim Martin, prior to discussing with Marina N. Oswald, this possibility.
Mr. Jenner. This possibility being what possibility?
Mr. Oswald. Of Marina accepting this offer.
Mr. Jenner. Of Mr. Martin?
Mr. Oswald. Of Mr. Martin's, that is correct.
After my discussion with Mr. Martin on this question—
Mr. Jenner. In that discussion, were any alternatives discussed?
Mr. Oswald. No, sir, there was not. It was a discussion only about Mr. Martin's offer to her with me in the presence of two Secret Service agents at lunch on that day, Wednesday, November 27, 1963.