I believe that would conclude my opinion on the assistance I had reference to.
Mr. Jenner. This is based, I gather from what you have just said, on the assumption or opinion—I will say assumption first—that your brother Lee Harvey Oswald did assassinate President Kennedy?
Mr. Oswald. That is right.
Mr. Jenner. And do you have that opinion?
Mr. Oswald. That he did assassinate the President of the United States?
Mr. Jenner. Yes.
Mr. Oswald. On his own, sir?
Mr. Dulles. Did he handle the gun and shoot the shots?
Mr. Jenner. Let's take it in alternatives. You state it in your own words.
Mr. McKenzie. He has stated this once before, but I am going to ask him to state it again.
Mr. Jenner. Yes, I would like to have that clearly stated.
Mr. Oswald. Sir, as I previously testified to that question, based on the circumstantial evidence that has been put forth and that I have read from the newspapers and general impression of the time that the event took place, and the subsequent following days of that event, that I would be of the opinion, purely based on these circumstantial points, that he did actually fire the rifle that killed the President of the United States and wounded the Governor of Texas, Mr. Connally.
Mr. Dulles. The same would apply to the attack on Officer Tippit?
Mr. Oswald. I would base my opinion on Officer Tippit's death, sir, on my conversation with the District Attorney of Dallas, Tex., on the morning of Saturday, November 23, 1963, at which time during our conversation he said in his mind and based on the evidence and the eye witnesses, that he was reported to have, that there was no question to him that Lee Harvey Oswald did in fact kill Officer J. D. Tippit in Dallas, Tex.
Mr. McKenzie. And you believe that would be correct?
Mr. Oswald. I believe that would be correct.
Mr. Jenner. Have you had any conversation with Marina——
Mr. Dulles. Just one point on that.
You have testified that you felt that your brother did have or would have required some outside help or assistance to do what he did—roughly to that effect, I believe.
Mr. Oswald. That is right.
Mr. Dulles. Have you any idea at all or any thoughts as to what kind of help, where that could have come from, who was involved.
I have in mind—was this in your opinion a rightist plot, a leftist plot, an anarchist plot?
Mr. Oswald. If I may take your question, sir; in the parts that you pointed out—I believe the first part was to where and how.
Mr. Dulles. And who.
Mr. Jenner. May have assisted.
Mr. Oswald. The where and the how, sir, I am not of any opinion. And as to who might have assisted him, as related in my diary, or memorandum——
Mr. Jenner. Identify the page, please.
Mr. Oswald. On page 6—and I quote—"I still do not know why or how, but Mr. and Mrs. Paine are somehow involved in this affair."
I am still of that opinion, sir.
And as to any other persons that I might suggest was involved in any way in this affair, I do not know of their names nor can I identify them in any way.
Mr. Dulles. As this covers two of my questions——
Mr. Jenner. Why don't you proceed.
Mr. Dulles. May I proceed at this time.
I will proceed with a couple of questions I have at this time.
Mr. Oswald. Pardon me, sir; may I interrupt you here? And I would like to add something to my previous statement there.
Mr. Dulles. Please, yes.
Mr. Oswald. Perhaps there is one other person that I feel like would be involved in this affair, and the subsequent death of my brother, Lee Harvey Oswald, and that was the man that actually shot Lee Harvey Oswald, Mr. Jack Ruby or Mr. Rubenstein. And that would be the only other party that I could possibly attempt to identify that I feel like would have been involved and perhaps assisted Lee in this assassination.
Mr. Jenner. Would you please give us the basis of your opinion?
Mr. Oswald. I am of the opinion, as previously stated, based on newspaper accounts and magazine articles of Mr. Ruby's activities, to the best of my remembrance, as reported in one newspaper I recall reading after November 24, 1963, that a period of a couple of months, 2 or 3 months, prior to Mr. Ruby's killing my brother, Lee Harvey Oswald, in a Dallas police station, that he appeared at the Dallas police station and started making acquaintances at the Dallas police station to the extent that he, from then on, appeared frequently and was able to move about the Dallas police station very easily.
Based on that and the shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald, I am of the opinion that Mr. Ruby did in fact know Lee Harvey Oswald prior to Sunday, November 23, 19—Sunday, November 24, 1963, and that he was in my opinion paid to silence Lee Harvey Oswald.
Mr. Dulles. This is based on—this opinion is based on what you have read in the press subsequent to November 22?
Mr. Oswald. November 24; sir, 1963, the day of my brother's death. Up until that time I had never heard of Mr. Jack Ruby.
Mr. Dulles. I was including all of the press accounts that carried through from the time of the assassination.
Mr. Jenner. Well, the witness has referred, of course, to events immediately preceding November 22—that is Mr. Ruby's apparent interest in—his frequent visits to the quarters—did you say the police department?
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir; the Dallas police station.
Mr. Dulles. I was trying to get at also—to cover what you had previously said about possible aid in connection with the assassination of the President.
Is that based largely on what you have read subsequent thereto?
Mr. Oswald. That is right.
Mr. Dulles. This question of mine covers the whole period of your relationship with your brother.
Do you recall during that entire period, up to November 22, that your brother made any comments with regard to President Kennedy of a derogatory nature or character or of any other character? Did he ever discuss the President with you during the whole period? Of course, he was only President for the last 3 years.
Mr. Oswald. No, sir; I do not recall at any time that he ever mentioned President Kennedy's name or referred to him in any way, either pro or con.
Mr. Dulles. Governor Connally—the same question.
Mr. Oswald. No, sir; not as Governor Connally.
Mr. Dulles. Or as Secretary of the Navy?
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir; to the extent that he had mentioned his letter to Governor Connally, his request for his assistance in correcting the dishonorable or undesirable discharge that he had received from the United States Marine Corps.
Mr. Dulles. What was his comment with regard to Mr. Connally, Secretary of the Navy, and later Governor?
Mr. McKenzie. If you recall, go ahead and tell him. But it is covered in some of the letters previously introduced into testimony.
Mr. Jenner. If there was any discussion, I would like to have that. And I take it, Mr. Chairman, you are interested in that as well.
Mr. Dulles. I am interested in that, because there has been some testimony here from Mrs. Oswald