Richard Billings' New Orleans Journal

 

February 11-March 22, 1967

FEB. 11 . . .

Arcacha known to be in Dallas . . . Located by Gurvich . . .

More on CDP camp . . . Vega trapped Fernandez . . . Davis set up camp, but not there much . . . Davis lived in New Orleans till '65, then moved to Houston . . . Alcock has cleared CDP camp of involvement, but not Davis, who he thinks might have worked with both CDP camp and ultra right camp . . .

Oser has located house raided by Feds in summer of '63 . . . Arms and explosives taken . . . See Gurvich report . . .

Gurvich has purchased gun from guy who bought it from Beauboeuf . . . It's a thirty o six . . . Springfield army rifle converted for hunting . . . Got rifle by calling Ferrie at Lakefront Airport . . . Beauboeuf flew from Lakefront to Moisant . . . Sold a revolver, too . . . Checking sight mounting on rifle . . .

Giant says Clay Shaw and Clay Bertrand one and the same . . . Has a picture taken from a driver's license . . .

Ferrie's apartment staked out from across street . . .

Shaw, now engaged in translating plays, links to Ferrie through [James] Lewallen . . . old friend of Ferrie's who lived next door to Shaw . . .

Dick Burnes calls Shaw and asked for John Shaw . . . Clay's answer: "Who are you?" "Who sent you?" . . . which seems to prove Shaw used to having people sent to him . . .

Giant hasn't questioned Quiroga and Andrews again, because he knows they lied . . . Figures he'll catch them in a lie, then turn them . . .

Giant has now cut his team to hard core: Ivon, Sciambra, Alcock, Gurvich and Burnes . . . Says he needs focus, and figures ultimately he can turn people on basis of relationship structure . . . "We'll show them how their names will look on a charge sheet." Wants to move from phase one to phase two . . . Solve phase one first and develop things so people will be willing to reveal what they know about phase two . . . "Only thing to prevent solving the case now will be a Bureau steal . . ." Take Quiroga . . . We know when he's lying, because he tends to be evasive . . . He knows what happened, but don't think he was involved in assassination . . .

Giant fears Ferrie may kill himself . . . He talks a lot about not having long to live . . . "He's a sick man, and it's obvious to him we're not stopping . . . "

Conjecture on how Oswald have made visit to Odio's house while reportedly en route by bus to Mexico . . . Giant suggests he was flown there . . . Gurvich to check White Rock on this . . . Giant concedes no one but Oswald might have been involved, but he says it's doubtful . . .

Giant investigation to cover other homosexual murders that may give a lead . . . may 1, 1962 -- Jimmy Roop, 15-year-old boy found hung . . . Wearing mother's clothes . . . Termed suicide, but indications otherwise . . . He belonged to mysterious club, says his mother . . . Had voiced fear that kids might kill him . . . when found his ankles were tightly bound . . . Two queers about 18 or 19 known to have been hanging around . . . Had Ohio license on their car . . . Layton Martens lived four blocks from Roop . . . Does this link Roop killing to Ferrie?

Giant also checking narcotics links . . . Brownlee may have been bringing in stuff through Brownsville . . . Ferrie made calls to Brownsville . . . How about Torres' friends . . . His girlfriend died of an overdose . . . then there's O'Dell -- his name found in Ferrie's apartment . . . He sold LSD to girl in first New Orleans case . . .

Gurvich has Arcacha address: 9915 Donegal Dr. . . . Had moved from 10746 Lake Gardens . . . Had once lived near White Rock Airport . . . Giant plans to hold up on Arcacha . . . He may be suspect . . .

Giant turns up Oswald application for job at Cosmos Shipping Co. . . . Lists a Ruth Kloepfer (though misspelled) as a reference . . . She confirms . . . Is friend of Ruth Paine . . . Turns out she lives at 3033 Louisiana Parkway, right near Ferrie . . .

Giant interested in when Brett [sic] Wall, queer ex-roommate of Jack Ruby, arrived in Galveston . . . He was there night of Nov. 23, having driven from Dallas that day . . . Wall got call from Ruby at five before midnight on Nov. 23, same night Ferrie turns up in Galveston . . . Wall staying at home of respectable friends . . . Ruby explained call was about a complaint he had with theater guild . . . Wall in theater, produces revue called "Bottoms Up" . . . Ruby, often connected with perverts and gunrunners, was in New Orleans several times . . .

Gurvich locates in Dallas a Caridad Lopez, who lives with her mother, Carmen Zalvidar . . . He was looking for 3128 Harlingdale [sic], since Warren evidence shows many Cubans met there, left right after assassination . . . No 3128 Harlingdale [sic], but Caridad lives at 3218 Harlingdale [sic] . . . She has nothing to say that is helpful . . . But a Fidel Zalvidar, perhaps her brother, was at CDP training camp . . .

FEB. 23 [Thursday] . . .

Sciambra returns from Houston where he went to check skating rink Ferrie said he visited . . . Giant especially interested if Chuck Rolland, manager of rink, turns out to be gay . . . Winterland skating rink, 2400 Norfolk . . . First he met skating pro, Larry Rost, who is a swish . . . Rost says Rolland no longer running rink . . . Rost, former Canadian skating champ, slips when he learns Moo [Sciambra] wants to talk with Rolland about what happened in 1963 . . . he asks Rost about Ferrie and two boys . . . Rost says he knows what it's about but remembers nothing . . . Moo asks, "Haven't I seen you somewhere?" . . . Rost says he used to skate in New Orleans with "Holiday on Ice" . . . Know Miss Dixie's, a famous fag joint . . . Moo surmises Rost was guy Ferrie came to see that day in '63 . . .

Sciambra goes to see Rolland, now in office equipment business . . . Rolland knew immediately why he there . . . Says there's a lot more than he gave FBI . . . says Ferrie called him late on Nov. 22, said he wanted to skate next day . . . Rolland gave him hours: 10 to 12 and 3:30 to 5:30 . . . Ferrie arrived before Rolland got to rink on afternoon of 23rd . . . Ferrie asking for him . . . When he met, Ferrie almost screamed: "I'm Dave Ferrie. I'm from New Orleans and I'm here." Ferrie didn't seem to care much about skating . . . The two boys did . . . They stayed till 5:30 . . . Rolland thought Ferrie some kind of nut: "He made too much of an effort to tell me he was here . . . " Moo asked Rolland if knew Brett [sic] Wall . . . Rolland said he didn't but he'd ask his wife . . . Mrs. Rolland told of follies club, managed by a Keith Richards . . . It's a gay club, featuring female impersonators . . . She says she knows hairdresser who did her hair and also coifed for the boy-girls . . . She says Richards once lived in Mexico, was an ex-bullfighter, perhaps a pilot . . . He once was connected with rink . . . In May 1963 Rolland and his step-father (now dead) leased rink from Richards (?) . . .

Mrs. Rolland [said] there were three female impersonators whose names she would try to get from hairdresser, Vincent Mazzola, who worked at Joskes . . . She says the impersonators worked all over country, talked a lot about New Orleans . . . In fact, she thinks, two of them came from NO . . . She remembered Brett [sic] Wall, because "Bottoms Up" once played at Houston-Continental (check a Mr. Schaefer) . . . (Note: Sciambra relates "Bottoms Up" playing at Adolphus in Dallas at time of assassination . . . )

Giant says he has two witnesses . . . One participated in a 1961 raid on a bunker of explosives in Houma, La. with Ferrie and Arcacha in attempt, apparently successful, to get arms to ship to Cuba . . . This turns out to be Gordon Novel, a witness Giant wants to keep secluded, because he thinks he's got something . . . (Independent check later revealed Novel is a con man who is bragging about leading the DA astray . . . Also, he's a friend and confederate of Dean Andrews . . .) Novel an electronics expert who tells Arcacha location of explosives . . . presumably stored in Houma by an oil company . . . Second witness named [Rancier Blaise] Ehlinger . . . Novel and Ehlinger had seen the bunker while in Houma for drag racing . . . This in Sept. 1961 . . . Expedition to Houma consisted of Novel's Lincoln, a Chevrolet and a laundry truck . . . Laundry truck, says Novel, driven by a nutty ex-Marine named Andy, who Giant presumes to be Andrew Blackmon, known to be a Ferrie associate at the time . . . This name Giant did not give to Novel, who says he'd been questioned by the Bureau . . . Also on journey were Layton Martens and two Cubans, Ferrie and Arcacha . . . laundry van was used to transport stuff . . . Blackmon described as a guy who whenever he picks up a rifle, he can't resist firing it . . . Novel says when he mentioned laundry truck to FBI agents, "They nearly had a shit hemorrhage . . ." . . . This, Garrison presumes, due to reports there was a laundry truck on scene of assassination . . . Giant later photographed truck belonging to Golden Cleaners ([Walter] Sheridan, inexplicably, has copy print) . . . Giant thinks this is hot, but he's probably wrong . . . Back to Novel story . . . Arcacha, usually well-dressed gentleman, wearing a sport shirt . . . Everybody wearing work gloves . . . Metal clippers used to break in bunker . . . Says Novel, "I got the impression they were amateurs on the verge of becoming professionals . . ." Giant found Novel through Willard Robertson, one of angels . . . Robertson heard he'd been approached by Bureau . . . They took everything in bunker but the nitro . . . On drive back, says Novel, either Martens or Blackmon lit a piece of dynamite and threw it from laundry truck, making a sheet of flame 10 feet across . . . "It was then," says Novel, "that I knew they [were] nuts . . ." . . . Novel claims two weeks later there was a report in the papers concerning explosions in Cuba . . . Two weeks after that he claims he got letter of thanks from Tony Varona . . .

Giant says Andrews now tells him there is no such man as Clay Bertrand . . .

Sciambra tells story he got from levee cop Charlie Noto . . . Noto claims in Oct. '62, when Oswald supposed to be in Dallas, he arrested two men in a parked truck at Lakefront Airport . . . Figured they were deviates . . . One of them jumped out and yelled, "I'm Lee Harvey Oswald. I'm an official of Fair Play for Cuba." . . . Noto took the pair to his superintendent, Oswald protesting . . . Other guy described as a Latin . . . Noto says his superior let them off . . .

Sciambra also tells of trip to Morgan City . . . Statement from a Mrs. Villard, who claims in November 1963 was employed by a motel owned by a Mr. Guarisco, an associate of Carlos Marcello . . . She was a receptionist . . . On Nov. 14, a man she swears was Jack Ruby came in asking for Guarisco . . . He was followed by a kid who, she remembers, played nervously with the phone . . . While Ruby waited for Guarisco, kid kept picking phone off hook . . . The kid, she is certain, was Oswald . . . Ruby she remembered from seeing him at a Morgan joint called the Hub Club . . . Guarisco didn't return, so the pair left by separate doors, but Mrs. Villard says she saw them rendezvous at their car . . . Said earlier they were getting a plane at Patterson Airport . . . She says she told Guarisco, who said nothing, but the next day he placed a call to Dallas and charged it to a Patterson number . . . Mrs. Villard said she had been questioned by the Bureau, but because she's afraid of Guarisco, she said little . . . Then in late September, she says Oswald and Marina came by looking for a room . . . They came in an old beat-up car, Marina came in and said, "Room, room," but due to inability to understand answer, she left and they drove off . . .

Ivon tells of telephone operator in Alexandria who says on the Wednesday before the assassination, she monitored a call in which a voice said, "He's got to be killed in Dallas . . ."

Giant decides to concentrate on Arcacha and Shaw and establish a link to Oswald and Ferrie . . . He promises an arrest "for next Wednesday or the following . . ."

Alcock says he has a restaurant owner on lakefront who swears he saw Ruby and Oswald together . . .

FEB. 25 [Saturday] . . .

Going after Shaw . . . Talked to Andrews, but he wouldn't turn . . . Still unclear about Bertrand . . . plans to subpoena Shaw Monday morning . . . Giant planning to leave town . . .

Fowler has new information from Bernardo [de] Torres which proves unlikely . . . Torres has reidentified stocky guy in leaflet photograph, already positively identified as a Lebanese businessman . . . Torres claims his name is Verdaguer, a pilot, and his informant, Yito del Valle, was murdered the past Wednesday night . . . Del Valle turns out to be tied up with Santo Trafficante . . . Giant cuts Torres off as source . . .

Giant mentions receiving letter from Mrs. Luce referring to three Cubans who have proof Castroites murdered JFK . . . Mentions Justin McCarthy, New York flak . . . Mrs. Luce, she flew to Chicago on night of assassination, where she got a call from one of the Cubans, a doctor . . . He said Oswald had approached his people and tried to join their group (checks with Bringuier story), and therefore, the anti-Castro Cubans decided to infiltrate Oswald . . . The Cuban infiltrators say they saw and heard Oswald at Communist meetings, where he made speeches about plans to kill Kennedy . . . Acoca contacting Lanusa . . . Hellowell contacting Justin McCarthy . . .

Search for Ricardo Davis intensified . . . Fowler seeking Mrs. Odio . . . Fowler has heard from Phil Carter of Newsweek that Julian is Julian Buznedo . . .

FEB. 26 [Sunday] . . .

Oser with Vega found camp . . . Also, he's talked to Nick Chetta, who confirms Ferrie died of natural causes, "but he could have worried himself to death," said Chetta . . .

Gurvich and Alcock in Dallas after Arcacha, who uses Dallas Police as sanctuary . . . Sergio getting legal advice from Ass't. DA Bill Alexander . . . Giant tips CBS of his interest in Arcacha . . . Arcacha claims he's being hounded . . . Giant plans to issue warrant for Arcacha arrest . . . But later, Arcacha began to help . . . He located Davis and later still, he confirmed (through Aynesworth of Newsweek) identity of Julian Buznedo . . .

Andrews is scared, says Giant . . . He now vaguely indicates Shaw and Bertrand the same . . . Andrews calls Moo's uncle, says he's a promising lawyer . . . Andrews says Novel knows Shaw . . . Novel denies it . . . Andrews says he'll help find Davis . . . Gurvich told to look for Davis in Houston . . . Sciambra to Baton Rouge to find Perry Russo, who has told States-Item he knew Ferrie . . .

Sciambra reports on meeting with Perry Raymond Russo, who he describes as 25 or 26, an employee of Equitable, and very cooperative . . . (See report in file) . . .

FEB. 27 [Monday] . . .

Sciambra brings Russo to New Orleans . . . He identifies bearded picture of Oswald as Ferrie's roommate . . . He also remembers Blackmon's name . . . Has seen Santana . . . Plan is to have Russo identify Shaw . . . For a time Russo thought perhaps Arcacha had posed for porno films, but later he decided it was untrue . . . Then they give Russo sodium Pentothal in presence of Nick Chetta and two other doctors at Mercy Hospital . . . Some variations with earlier statement, especially significant were some new revelations and recognition of names, but it's possible he was responding to Sciambra's lead . . . (See Sciambra report of sodium Pentothal test) . . .

Ricardo Davis has told Bringuier he once saw and met Oswald . . . Gurvich and Alcock find him in Houston . . . He cooperates . . .

Giant certain things about to break . . . Lewallen has refused polygraph . . . So he's got a stakeout, as does Shaw . . . Planning to subpoena them both on Tuesday morning . . . Shaw becomes hottest suspect, because, said Russo, Ferrie said, "We're gonna kill Kennedy, and it won't be long." This said in Shaw's presence, says Russo . . .

Giant now knows his no. one priority is establishing the link to Oswald . . . Russo his star witness, but also has friends -- Kenny Carter, Niles Peterson, Ted & Jerry Kirchenstein -- who corroborate identification of Oswald as the bearded roommate . . . doctors who witnessed sodium Pentothal: James Wall, Richard Zepernick . . . He went under at 3:28 on Feb. 27 . . . Came out at 4:10 . . . Have certificate . . . Plan to have subpoenas issued for Lewallen and Shaw by Matt Braniff, a cooperative judge . . . Subpoenas will be on record and will indicate matter of interest . . .

FEB. 28 [Tuesday] . . .

Subpoena delayed for Chetta's press conference . . .

Giant talking to Novel at home . . . He confirms picture shows right laundry truck (?) . . . Says further they were trying to get a zoholoran rifle (fires an explosive 20 mm shell) to kill Castro . . . Says also Ferrie was planning in 1961 to blow up pipelines to Guantanamo to set off an invasion by US . . . Giant now thinks there was a fusion of motives in JFK slaying: anti-Castro obsession and Leopold-Loeb revisited . . . Thinks Julian was the field general . . . Subpoena to go to Lewallen, but not to Shaw . . . Will have Shaw tailed, but will not do anything until Russo identifies him . . . Russo at Shaw home with Moo . . . Giant to use New Orleans Athletic Club for HQ . . . If Shaw is identified, he'll be brought in and charged . . .

Garrison describes staff: he has 20 assistant Das and 10 investigators . . . Chief ass't. Charles Ward is running office, while Garrison concentrates on Smith case . . . He has picked a few to help him: Sciambra, Alcock, Oser and Burnes, plus Lou Ivon, chief investigator and private eye Bill Gurvich . . . But with private fund, Giant plans to hire young lawyers from around city and also get three men from the governor . . .

3:05 PM, Feb. 28 . . . Giant tells Ivon Russo has identified Shaw, so "grab him." Then decides to wait till 4 . . . Subpoena "for questioning in the investigation of the assassination of John F. Kennedy" has gone to Lewallen . . .

Ward comes in, says he's been contacted by inmate of the parish prison who has given a statement swearing he saw Ruby and Oswald in Chicago together . . .

Moo says identification is definite . . . But Shaw has spotted them . . . Says Russo, "You just don't forget that face." . . . Giant plans to arrest Shaw at 1313 Dauphine as an accessory? . . . "He knows he's involved. He's got to," says Giant . . . Now plans to charge Shaw as conspirator . . . "He sat there, giving assent," says Garrison . . .

Name of pilot who claims seeing Ruby and Oswald together is Eugene Sauner . . .

Russo says he saw Bertrand three times: at Nashville Wharf, at Ferrie's apartment and at gas station . . . The latter interesting because Russo first said it occurred before apartment, while we know from Ferrie's records he owned station in 1964 . . . (It was called Al [for Beauboeuf] and Dave's) . . . Franchise reportedly awarded to Ferrie by Marcello . . . Why (?) . . . This all cleared up under hypnosis later, for then Russo recalls it was in 1964 that he saw Bertrand and Ferrie at "Al and Dave's" . . . Russo says at dinner he now recalls Oswald was wearing a gold or brass wedding ring . . . But he's leery of name, Bertrand . . . "I don't remember name Bertrand now, so I'm very skeptical of what I'm saying . . ." . . . He well remembers muscled face and kinky hair . . . "When Kennedy was speaking at the Nashville Wharf, everyone but the Secret Service men were watching him . . . I thought Shaw was an SS man because he was watching the crowd . . ." He remembers Sandra Moffett at Ferrie's apartment . . . She had posed for sex movies . . . "Ferrie would pace back and forth -- he was very nervous -- while he was making a point." . . . Bertrand argued with him over plan . . . Oswald was quiet. So were others . . . "It seemed to me so remote and so far fetched . . . I said, 'You'll never get away with it.'" . . . Russo says he saw Ferrie 50 times over two years . . . saw "bearded wonder" four or five times at Ferrie's place . . .

MARCH 3 [Friday] . . .

The day after Russo identified him (Feb. 28), Shaw was subpoenaed . . . He was detained from one until eight . . . Giant says he refused to confirm or deny anything . . . He had desisted from making the arrest on advice from Ward and Ivon . . . He gave Shaw last chance to take polygraph . . . Shaw asked to go home and rest . . . Giant declined and placed him under arrest for conspiracy . . . (Details of arrest and events surrounding on record and well reported) . . .

Preliminary hearing set for March 14 . . . Requested by Garrison in move to beat defense, so to be able to pick judge . . . Would be three judges . . . Hearing to show probable cause to bind Shaw over for trial . . .

Search of Shaw home produces whips, chains, robe, etc. . . . Giant now convinced it was a sadist plot . . . Has read Marquis de Sade . . . Says sadists escalate from whipping to killing . . . "Shaw is a Phi Beta Kappa sadist," Giant surmises . . . Cuban plot now subsidiary . . . But it provided guerrilla team . . . Ferrie was a butch fag who hired Cubans instead of ex cons . . . Whips give away . . . Leopold Loeb key to whole thing . . . Giant convinced . . . "I am going to talk to a good psychiatrist -- Bob Heath -- and I will make sadism relevant . . . I'll develop expert testimony that a sadist would have motivation for a Presidential assassination." "He's a sadist, not a masochist . . . The robe and hood prove it . . ." . . . "When he came in yesterday he said nothing, knew no one . . . We asked if he'd take truth serum, and he said he would if he could go home and rest . . . I suspect he wanted to destroy the evidence of sadism . . ."

Giant mentions talking to [Hugh] Aynesworth, who "knows a lot about Dallas." . . . "He knew Ruby for ten years, and he gave me information that he was a faggot, and that his name among faggots was Pinky."

Giant admits Russo is his only link now . . . But there's the girl . . . And Peterson and Carter have also made Oswald . . . He plans to arrest Andrews as an accessory . . . Then again, he may charge Dean with perjury . . . Can use Grand Jury . . . "We'll give the Grand Jury a picture, and we'll communicate to them we know about Bertrand . . . They can then ask Andrews if he knows Bertrand . . . Any statement Andrews makes to the Grand Jury that conflicts with what he told the Warren Commission is automatic perjury . . ."

Dr. Chetta said to Oser, "There's not a chance at all that what this kid (Russo) said (under sodium Pentothal) is not true . . . it had to happen." Russo also undergoes hypnosis (see report) . . .

Garrison plans to use sadism evidence found in Shaw's apartment to rebut defense contention of good character . . . And if defense contends he's a peaceful, law-abiding citizen, Garrison will show human blood on whips (?) . . ."

Arcacha and Davis now considered accessories . . . "They know what happened . . ." "They will have choice of becoming state witnesses or being charged . . ." Giant predicts Sergio will be a major witness . . .

Conspiracy to murder carries up to 20 years or life . . . Accessory could get max of five years . . .

Aynesworth has told Giant Buznedo came to New Orleans from Miami to finance a camp . . . Friend of Arcacha . . . Knew Ferrie . . . This from Arcacha . . . Arcacha says he saw Ferrie and Buznedo together from time to time . . . Julian also mentioned by Landry after he was picked up in a car . . .

Giant is worried because public opinion giving aid and comfort to suspects . . . "What better allies can they have than the President . . . They have the US Army and the atom bomb . . . Shaw sounds like the Picayune's candidate for governor . . . He's been talked out of his fear . . ."

MARCH 4 . . .

Fowler and Pelham strike out on Sylvia [sic] Odio . . . Absolute dead end for now . . . Maybe Giant could see her later . . .

Schiller has guy was with Shaw in San Francisco during assassination . . . Jim Dondson his name . . .

Schiller says Garcia Gonzales may show in Fred Kaufman picture taken in Dallas . . . Was arrested . . .

MARCH 5 . . .

Schiller with Dondson and other gay folks . . .

Nancy checking Richard Sprague, a film buff . . .

Jones Harris wants [Richard] Popkin to talk to Garrison . . . Has some guy in a prison in Kansas [Richard Case Nagell] who claims to have been with Oswald during summer of '63 . . . And knew about assassination . . . Got arrested purposely (?) just before . . . Tried to warn the FBI . . .

Schiller says a guy named Bob Damron knows a New Orleans businessman who claims to have a job application from Oswald that lists Jack Ruby as a character references . . .

Byers reports DA's office has finally taped Russo . . .

MARCH 6 . . .

Schiller with Garrison . . .

Pelham and Fowler strike out with Annie Odio, but they identify Buznedo and get a Denver address . . . Giant plans arrest of Julian on Saturday . . .

Schiller says he's heard Oswald was gay, so was Michael Paine, and they did it together . . .

Schiller says Guthman told Liebeler it's been known for two months that Bertrand and Shaw are the same man . . .

March 7 . . . Talked by phone with Giant . . . He in touch with Denver DA Bert Keating re: arrest of Julian Buznedo . . . checking Julian's background, turns out he working for Collier (?) Encyclopedia . . . Tentatively plan to arrest Sat. . . . Later decided to wait end of preliminary hearing, for to extradite material witness requires a formal charge of Shaw . . . Giant sending Gurvich to San Francisco to check hotel records and do general research on gay hangouts -- negative . . . He mentions Dondson good only for liaison with Shaw . . . He has also contacted Dick Gerstein, who agrees to talk to Mrs. Springler, Parrot Jungle employee who told FBI of visit by Cuban before and after assassination . . . He to show picture . . . getting identifications on Julian picture -- Russo, Andrews, etc. . . .

March 8 . . . Morning Picayune carrying ACLU complaint . . . Answered by Dowd in telegram . . . Schiller reports from New Orleans he talking to Shaw's friends . . . A minister named Cross (married but gay) who says they have boys who will testify Garrison [sic] is queer . . . All of Schiller's sources backing Shaw all the way . . . Another, McKenzie, who runs Folly Bar (source also of Sciambra's, it turns out) says he's been questioned by Bureau about Shaw . . . Agents came three or four days before story broke . . . They asked if Shaw is a homosexual . . . Shaw making move in court to get case dismissed . . .

Interviewed Rep. Kupferman re: guy in Kansas prison [Nagell] who claims he knew Oswald in New Orleans in summer '63 . . . This is Popkin-Jones Harris discovery . . . Kupferman thinks guy is nuts, but he will go see him if family sets it up . . . Popkin wants to see Garrison about it . . . Kupferman hasn't been in touch with Garrison, is dubious, but he's still back with the California kooks, thought he is pressing in Congress for release of X-rays and photos . . . Call from Byers in New Orleans . . . She says Andrews going before Grand Jury . . . St. Gill still on Novel . . . Shaw's hearing still on . . .

Talk to Seymour Philipson re: Gongora angle . . . Turns out negative . . .

March 10 . . . LA Times reports Dallas cab driver [Raymond Cummings] drove Ferrie and Oswald to Ruby's club in '63 (?) . . . Also reports Josephine Hug, Shaw's secretary in '63, has told friends Ferrie had run of Shaw's office . . . she's to go before Grand Jury, where she decided she didn't want to get involved . . .

March 13 . . . Garrison visited by Chuck Glynn, self-appointed emissary from Bob Kennedy . . . Garrison promising immediate action after hearing . . . Buznedo, Sandra Moffett (who has declined to come to testify) . . . Dean Andrews suspended as Ass't. DA in Jefferson Parish . . . Garrison complains local papers creating illusion the case is closed . . . Fed. govt. officials supporting illusion, so that "what was mud a few weeks ago is now concrete" . . . He refers to the papers' "consistent subliminal obligado" . . . Garrison plans to blow Andrews out of his reluctance to talk by getting Grand Jury indictment for perjury or contempt . . . "I won't let anybody protect the people who killed Kennedy," says Garrison . . . plans material witness charge against Sandra Moffett . . . Garrison reveals Dondson told him Shaw got word of assassination from a Dick Randolph, who works for the May Company . . . Having Angeloff checking Seattle HQ of hotel chain to locate St. Francis records . . .

Garrison says Russo will testify that Ferrie told meeting everyone indirectly involved should be certain to be seen someplace . . .He would be in Hammond, Bertrand would be on West Coast . . . General plan for hearing is to put just a bit of the evidence on the scale . . . Must get pre-existing charge to extradite Julian . . . Will also go after half truths and lies of people like [Dante] Marochini, Martens and Lewallen . . . Gerstein has found man in Miami seen by Mrs. Springler . . . He denies involvement . . . Polygraph planned . . . Garrison claims Manuel Garcia Gonzales does exist . . . Max Gonzales found him quite by accident when checking pictures . . . He often came to the Casa de la Marina with Ferrie . . . He was picked up by NO police last September carrying a loaded Baretta . . . Arrested in 1100 block Decatur . . . Can't find him now . . . Garrison now knows Novel a complete phony . . . Not only did he sell print of laundry truck to Sheridan, but he also offered state police $150 for Andy's last name . . .

March 14-15 . . . First two days of hearing (see transcript) . . .

March 16 . . . Talked to Charlie Ward, who is skeptical . . . Says Russo bad witness, this contrary to ebullient optimism of other ass't. DA's, not to mention overconfident Garrison . . . Ward considers Russo half intelligent man, half dopey kid . . . Worst kind . . . He tries to sound articulate . . . Ward also reveals Russo has been a homosexual . . . Says it came out in hypnosis . . . May not be now (Russo firmly denies it, though we haven't broached it directly) . . . But he did say on stand he'd been under psychiatric care . . . Ward, though generally pessimistic, does believe probable cause will be shown . . . But he worries about press and its effect on public acceptance . . . Public by and large anxious to accept evidence contrary to Warren Report, but a skeptical press works as a cross current to that stream of thought . . . Big problem, Ward feels: as presented thus far, case boils down to Russo's word against Shaw's . . . It's head on head, and this will persist if it turns out Russo is the only living witness to the conspiracy . . . It needs corroboration, and what exists thus far is quite circumstantial . . . But Ward shows ignorance of particulars, hasn't read Warren Report . . . Even suggests case must hang on proving there was more than one gun in Dallas . . . Then he contradicts himself by suggesting probable cause proves there was a conspiracy, all that is needed is proof of an overt act . . . He feels, therefore, Garrison should call federal government to prove Oswald fired the fatal shot, thus establishing overt act . . . Garrison, on the other hand, insists on theorizing Oswald did not fire fatal shots, that he was the patsy and that there were possibly two others firing . . .

(By the noon recess Ward had changed attitude toward Russo as a witness . . . He had done much better that morning . . .)

Garrison going after indictment of Dean Andrews for perjury . . . This morning he told Grand Jury he did not know Ferrie [sic] . . . Then another witness, Tom Clark, swore that Ferrie got him paroled twice by appealing to Andrews . . . This was in 1965 . . . Andrews was indicted that afternoon . . . Garrison appealed directly to G. J. . . .

Defense issues subpoena for Martens, Gonzalez, Buznedo . . . Never returned before hearing ends . . .

Gordon Novel subpoenaed before Grand Jury . . . Garrison has promoted him from confidential source to witness . . . He had given information, saying Bureau had talked to him and agreed to keep it confidential . . . Wanted same agreement from DA . . . Garrison agreed, then caught Novel selling information to NBC . . . (Novel told story of trip to Houma in laundry truck, then said truck operated by Golden Cleaners looked like the one . . . Suggested it was used to transport execution squad to Dallas . . . Got Garrison to take a picture . . . Then borrowed picture to study . . . Made black and white copy, sold it to Sheridan for a reported $1000 . . . He also offered state police $150 for Andy's last name, and Garrison heard about it) . . . "He broke our contract and got promoted to witness" . . . He knew Ferrie, knows Andrews, Shaw as well . . .

Garrison plan is to issue Grand Jury subpoenas to Martens, Buznedo, Gonzalez, when they show up for the defense . . . This never happens, so Garrison must go after them on his own . . . Plans to get Martens perjury, since he denies the trip to Houma, although it's his word against Novel's . . .

Tommy Clark -- 19-year-old boy who worked for Ferrie at Dave and Al's gas station . . . His Grand Jury testimony got Andrews indicted . . . He also says Ferrie and Andrews knew each other very well . . . Says further he saw Shaw come to gas station to meet Ferrie . . .

Jimmy Johnson -- agent number one, old friend of Ferrie's who spied on him for DA . . . Claims Ferrie once took him to Shaw's to get money . . . But can't positively identify interior pictures of 1313 Dauphine . . .

Owen Mitchell Wright -- friend of Shaw's . . . While DA's office was searching Clay's pad, he ran up to door yelling, "Where's my friend, Clay Shaw?" . . . He then busted a photographer in the nose . . . He's a homosexual, was once arrested in a men's room at Madison and Decatur with a Michael Marino of Havana . . . No record of Marino . . . Wright denies knowing Ferrie, but an informant says otherwise, which is logical, since he also a pilot, may have flown for a major airline . . .

Koming Daniels -- gay Negro picked up in '65 for exposing himself to young girls while driving Shaw's Thunderbird . . . Shaw said he had sold car to Daniels, but this believed to be untrue . . .

Garrison's policy is to follow hearing with action -- indict Andrews, arrest Buznedo and Sandra Moffett as material witnesses (which requires extradition, a lengthy process . . . DA intends a buildup of power to break the roadblock . . . action, action, action . . .

No plans now for Davis and Arcacha . . . No longer suspected in phase two, but their knowledge about phase one makes them prime candidates for witnesses . . .

March 16 (PM) . . . Andrews indicted . . . Interest in Novel increasing . . . "Knows too many people" . . . Novel, an electronics expert, put a tap on Garrison's phone, then told him . . . He plays both sides . . . Proprietor of Jamaica Inn on Rampart St. . . . May become a suspect . . . "He volunteered too quickly" . . . "He's already demonstrated he's a liar . . ."

Garrison now interested in possible connections between Shaw and the CIA . . . wants to check his tie to Mario Bermudez, international relations director for late mayor, Shep Morrison . . . Two leads re: CIA tie: article in March issue Humanite supposedly mentions Shaw's Company work in Italy . . . Garrison also mentions a phone call from Chicago in 1963 . . . From a guy named Krop . . . He worked for a Castro execution group in Chicago . . . And his two contact men in New Orleans were Ferrie and Shaw . . . This is speculation for further checking . . .

Garrison mentions new witness, a dope addict named William Vernon Bundy [sic], who claims he saw Shaw meet Oswald in summer of 1963 and give him money (see transcript) . . .

Curious questions posed: What about Shaw and the Company? Was Shaw Oswald's sponsor? What about Shaw's queer connections in Dallas? (Garrison becoming convinced he can link Shaw with Ruby) . . . What about Reily Coffee Co.? (Garrison suspects Shaw got him the job) . . .

March 17 (final day of hearing -- see transcript) . . . Garrison visited by Baton Rouge DA Sargent Pitcher, who has 1961 tape of Ferrie speech . . .

Bundy put on stand by Garrison against opposition of his staff . . .

Immediate plans: Ward to Denver, March 18, to question Buznedo . . . Then to meet Garrison in LA, Sat. night at DA's convention . . . Garrison, based on what Ward tells him, will follow up on Buznedo Sunday or Monday . . . Garrison considers Buznedo "most important man in world" right now . . .

At dinner -- Garrison in victory mood . . . Nothing can stop him now, he sense . . . just a matter of time and effort . . . Relentless pursuit of leads and witnesses planned . . . Yes, he'll cooperate with federal government, but on his terms . . . Sen. [Russell] Long has acted as intermediary for Ramsey Clark . . . Long says Clark wants to trade information . . . Garrison would agree, if he could maintain control . . .

Garrison -- March 22

Today the Orleans Parish Grand Jury indicted Clay Shaw for participating in a conspiracy with Ferrie, Oswald and others to assassinate the President . . . Garrison says he was reluctant to take it to the Jury, for he wasn't sure how they would respond (doubtful), but he decided to give them some witnesses "to chew on" . . . And like that, "they saw the picture" . . . So now Shaw has the DA's office, three judges and 12 citizens in accord as to his suspected involvement . . . Garrison calls the Jury decision "another level of seriousness" . . . He points out the Jury decided with no one from his office to con them . . . Angeloff will file legal perspective . . . Looks like Garrison wanted Grand Jury decision to take some of the heat off . . . It does lend substance to the charge . . .

Meanwhile, Novel has fled from town . . . At least he couldn't be found to answer Grand Jury subpoena . . . Garrison says he will be charged as a material witness "in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy," and the bond will be $25,000 . . .

Andrews arraigned on perjury charge . . . Pleaded not guilty . . .

Garrison says investigation getting back on track . . . He's getting special law enforcement fund from governor -- $5,000 . . . With it he'll hire two additional assistants, one of them a private lawyer with Latin contacts who will work undercover . . .

Buznedo may be in Saturday or shortly thereafter . . . Seems to be cooperating . . . Giant will call Pelham direct . . .

Garrison looking back over old testimony in light of new information . . . e.g., Russo mentioned Ferrie giving Oswald drugs . . . Giant recalls Oswald came in '63 to see ass't. DA Ed Gillen . . . Wanted to know if certain kind of drug was harmful . . . He's putting Gillen statement in mail . . .

Story about Shaw and CIA appears in Humanite, probably March 8 . . . Giant has copy datelined Rome, March 7, from La Presse Italien . . . It explains Shaw working in Rome in '58 to '60 period . . .

Garrison got anonymous note on CIA aspect . . . Says he a friend of Shaw . . . A Russian interpreter with Company . . . He came to New Orleans from Mexico in August or September '63 . . . Then to San Francisco . . . He's now in New Orleans, hiding at 837 Dumaine . . .

Giant refers back to Ramsey Clark statement: "Shaw was cleared" . . . Giant knows FBI never clears anyone . . . So what does this mean? . . . Does it mean he had Company clearance . . . Then he mentions that picture taken outside Cuban embassy in Mexico City, mistakenly identified as Oswald (Odum Exhibit) . . . Garrison theorizes that guy was Oswald's CIA shepherd . . . He also showed up in picture, but embarrassed government never explained . . . Yes, Giant believes, Oswald had CIA connection, but perhaps even he didn't know it . . . He was employed by Shaw in the New Orleans operation, "then the Leopold-Loeb characters took over . . ." Maybe Oswald just cracked up, or maybe that's what Company told the White House and the Commission . . . and Shaw could have been insulated by saying he thought the kid was strange, but that he'd never kill the President . . . but Giant doesn't absolve Shaw . . . figures he worked for Company, involved in something to do with Cuba, then the spin-off, and Shaw, the galloping sadist, was right behind it with Ferrie, etc. . . .

Garrison notes report from Chicago from man (Krop -- ?), may be a nut, who says he was told men in New Orleans who knew about plot to kill Fidel were Shaw and Ferrie . . . Report from this man Koming . . .

Mentions Drew Pearson column . . .

Sciambra talking to a lady, friend of Clay Shaw, who says he couldn't have been involved in the assassination . . . Why, she says, he worked for the CIA . . .

And then there's this fellow named Casey, John Casey, who came down Sunday on his own to tell Garrison he heard two stories in Washington . . . Casey, Georgetown graduate, says Giant, in his early thirties . . . Says one source. a lawyer, told him federal government had in custody man they believed fired the fatal shots . . . Second source told him government had name of the man . . . Casey said he called Clark Clifford, who said he didn't want to talk about it . . . Angeloff will look up Casey, who is some kind of an economist . . .

Garrison heard Davis was in town over weekend . . . Seems miffed he didn't get to talk to him . . .

Giant is pushing Gerstein to get Jorge Martinez, Parrot Jungle man, to take polygraph . . .

Garrison adamant about locating Garcia Gonzalez . . .

Garrison had three-hour talk with Russell Long . . . Wants federal government to cooperate . . . Knows he needs help, especially with CIA angle . . . Wants liaison but wants to maintain control . . . Would let Bureau make arrests . . . He is convinced Company has the names . . .

Ivon mentions one Alford Hartwick of New York who says he has information about the Trade Mart . . .

[Handwritten addition:] "Just another day at Tulane & Broad." -- Giant

 

Richard Billings's NODA Journal

December 1966-January 25, 1967
March 25-April 20, 1967
April 21-May 8, 1967
May 9-18, 1967
May 22-23, 1967
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