Mrs. Jesse James Garner's Account of Ferrie Visit
Subject: Garner's Account of Ferrie Visit
Date: 29 Jun 2000 00:00:00 GMT
Message-ID: <20000628232417.12859.00000173@ng-ci1.aol.com>
Matt asked about Jesse Garner's account of Ferrie's visit. I lost the original post.
Mrs. Jesse James (Lena) Garner was interviewed by NOPD, FBI, Secret Service and Warren Commission representatives in 1963-4, mostly about Oswald. She did not mention Ferrie.
In Garner's 1969 Shaw trial testimony, she mentioned the visit in passing, but neither prosecution or defense picked up on it.
On 2/20/78, Garner was interviewed by Bill Brown of HSCA:
"On the night of the assassination, about 10:30 or 11:00pm, a man appeared at
the apartment. She assumed he was an agent and let him in. He identified
himself as a friend of LHO, that his name was Dave Ferrie and that his library
card was found on LHO. That he had nothing to do with it (the assassination)
and wanted to know 'who had been to her house'. She made him leave without
answering his question. She states that she had not seen this person before,
but noticed his unusual appearance, wig and false eyebrows."
On 5/5/78, Garner testified before Jonathan Blackmer of HSCA:
"Later on that night [November 22] I think it was about 9:00, maybe later or
maybe earlier, this guy comes and rings the doorbell...I opened the door and I
thought it was from the Secret Service or something or newsmen or something...I
can't forget him because he had false eyebrows and his hair was false...I'm
sure it was [November 22]...He said 'I'm David Ferrie...What's all this? I come
to see about this.' He said they found his library card on Oswald'...I said
'Get out'...He came out with the library card business. It wasn't his fault
that he [Oswald] borrowed it to use...It was like he [Ferrie] didn't have much
time. He didn't even sit...I presume he was in a car when he left...I never
seen the man before until he hit my door.
[Condensed from a long transcript]
I find the November 22 date confusing, because Ferrie's time that evening is accounted for by himself, Beauboeuf and Coffey. They said they ate dinner in Kenner from about 7:00-9:00pm, then left for Houston shortly after 9:00pm. The three were in Houston on Saturday evening. They arrived back in New Orleans on Sunday between 7:00 and 9:30pm.
Further, a November 22 date is confusing, as it was about 24 hours before Jack Martin and Hardy Davis say Martin came up with the library card allegation.
oo
David
From: blackburst@aol.com (Blackburst)
Subject: Re: Garner's Account of Ferrie Visit
Date: 30 Jun 2000 00:00:00 GMT
Message-ID: <20000630174941.17957.00000503@ng-fu1.aol.com>
I presume everybody is going to disagree with me, but I'll give my interpretation anyway:
Ferrie's friend John Irion said that Ferrie conducted his own investigation of the allegations aginst him, just after he was released from custody. And we have some documentary evidence to support it: Ferrie told the FBI he spoke with Eddie Voebel on November 27, and Roy McCoy said his home was called by Ferrie on the same day (both in regard to Oswald in the CAP). Doris Eames said Ferrie visited her asking questions about the library card after the assassination, but could not give a specific day.
Lena Garner's account of Ferrie's visit carries enough detail for me to accept that it may have happened. It seems consistent with the "investigation" he was conducting to clear himself after his release. The problem is the date: November 22.
I am inclined to credit the accounts of Ferrie, Beauboeuf and Coffey that they ate dinner in Kenner from 7-9pm, then left for Houston. The time frame fits, too, in that a 9:15 or so departure would put them in Houston at around 4:30am, the time they are recorded as checking in.
For these reasons, I am inclined to feel that Ferrie may have visited Garner, but not on the night of the assassination. But there is enough uncertainty that other explanations should be considered.
There is other material bearing on this, when I have more time.
oo
David