March 25-April 20, 1967

Saturday, March 25 --

Garrison advises lay off Casey . . . Figures he was simply a feeler for someone more important . . . Seems person federal government "has in custody" is not so important . . . He's in an institution around New York . . . (Gongora) . ..

Now an attorney in Washington has told two people he is in touch with a man who says he was involved in shooting . . . This man is waiting until next December, when he feels prescription runs out to admit his role . . . The attorney seems confident his man was there, but he won't divulge his name . . . He is in Washington now, so perhaps is his client . . . Client is a Cuban and must register each January . . . Giant suggests checking Cuban registry for all Washington names . . . (Sounds like a phony) . . .

Garrison will see Popkin for dinner Monday night . . . Have him call Giant's home, say simply, this is Richard, etc. . . . Lane and Epstein, even Max Lerner, are in touch with Giant and want to come visit . . .

Re: Novel -- he must have been on periphery . . . When he became a witness, he became a fugitive . . . Look where he went . . . Columbus is significant for it is home of Ruth Paine . . . Garrison says Salandria has information that Michael Paine is or was CIA-connected . . . Anyway, Garrison thinks Novel offers great possibilities . . . An electronics expert, double agent who knows any number of FBI agents . . .

Garrison raises interesting point by asking, "Where was President headed when he was shot?" . . . Right, the Dallas International Trade Mart . . . To get there, he proposes, route requires Stemmons Freeway, and to get to Stemmons Freeway, caravan had to travel down Elm Street . . . So, who arranged lunch at the Dallas Mart? . . . Could Shaw have had anything to do with it . . . Could Shaw have set it up through Shep Morrison, JFK's ambassador to the OAS? . . . Tomorrow Garrison is to study Morrison's file of correspondence . . . Morrison was a friend of Shaw's, so Garrison feels he could have been unwittingly involved . . . And it could have been Morrison who introduced Shaw to the Company . . . Meanwhile, Moo is checking sexual history of the manager of the Dallas Mart . . . Can Life check history of the Mart?

Garrison tops off his theory of the Dallas Trade Mart by reminding that Ruth Paine got Oswald the job at the depository, perhaps knowing the probable route after all, since she could have been in touch with Shaw, who was arranging that President speak at Dallas Mart . . . (wild) . . .

What about Ruth Paine? Check Warren testimony of Deputy Sheriff Roger Craig . . . after hearing shots, he headed for grassy knoll . . . He saw an amber-colored station wagon with dark complected man at wheel . . . It drove to the rear of depository, and man who looked like Oswald ran out and got in . . . Then Penn Jones says he has a construction worker who was atop nearby building . . . Worker says he saw two men running from the grassy knoll . . . One was very dark, he thought a Negro . . . They hopped in an amber-colored station wagon, which drove to depository . . . One got out . . . Must put Craig and construction worker statements together . . . Also check statement Oswald supposed to have made after arrest, when asked about a tan station wagon . . . Did he really say, "That is Mrs. Paine's car, she's not involved . . ."

Garrison says Oswald almost definitely can be placed in the Carousel . . .Check statement of Harvey [sic] Wade (Vol. XXV, CE 2370) . . . Wade says Oswald was sitting with a white male, 30 to 32, stocky, dark, 200 pounds, etc. . . . The Spanish trace continued . . . Wade made his statement on Nov. 26 . . . Said he saw Oswald in club Nov. 10 . . . Furthermore, the mind reading MC, Bill de Mar . . . Also in CE 2370 . . . He says a photographer snapped picture of table, whereupon Ruby grabbed film and tore it up . . .

More on Spanish trace . . . Giant says the shepherd has a one-inch scar on left eyebrow . . . He was also seen by Bringuier and Miguel Cruz at Maison Blanche when Oswald passing out leaflets . . . He was wearing a coat and tie and sunglasses . . . He was taking pictures of Oswald . . . And was this not the guy driving the tan station wagon? . . . Garrison is convinced the reason the CIA sent the Commission the phony picture taken at the Cuban embassy is that the Shepherd appeared in the real one with Oswald, and the Company wasn't about to let him be implicated . . . "They didn't dare show the picture of the guy who was really involved" . . .

Garrison theorizes Oswald knew he was on some kind of mission, but he probably didn't know details . . .

Al Landry says Ferrie was involved with the Company . . . Says he was making flights from Miami to Cuba in 1961, that on one mission he got stabbed in the stomach . . . Garrison checked Ferrie autopsy . . . Sure enough, Ferrie's body shows stab wound in stomach . . .

Columnist Robert S. Allen, says Giant, has details of Shaw and the CIA and his activities in Italy . . . Sounds like Allen has accurate source . . .

March 25 . . . Conversation with Vincent Salandria, Philadelphia -- (215) Locust 3-2347 . . . re: Ruth and Michael Paine . . . He hasn't seen them for 18 months, but he interviewed them at length in Aug. '65 . . .

Other Paine sources: Mrs. Shirley Martin, Box 225, Owasso, Okla. 74055 . . . John Suchardt, the Experiment in International Living, US Office, Putney, Vt. 05348 -- (802) 387-5544 . . . Mrs. Martin probably knows most . . . She was once close to them, may still be . . . But she is convinced they are federal agents . . . She is working on a book with Penn Jones . . . Suchardt interviewed Paines in December '65 . . . Compared notes with Salandria . . .

Salandria says Mike Paine, an engineer for Bell Helicopter, has a top security clearance, and Salandria thinks this is odd, since his father was George Lyman Paine . . . Seems that Salandria did piece for The Nation with Harold Feldman (Jan. 27, '64), titled "Oswald and the FBI" . . . Carey McWilliams, Nation editor, called attention to fact that elder Paine was a leading Trotskyite on the West Coast . . .

Paines living together now . . . They had separated when Ruth returned with Marina to Dallas from New Orleans . . . Got back together on day of assassination . . . Salandria calls it a "separation of convenience" . . .

Some time ago Ed Epstein told Salandria that Mike Paine attended an intelligence school in South Dakota with George De Mohrenschildt . . . Both Salandria and Suchardt convinced Paines were (maybe still are) federal agents . . . Says further, Mike Paine a very weak link . . . Is under tremendous stress, prone to break, almost did with Salandria, once he got him away from Ruth . . .

Sometime in latter part of '65, Paines built and moved into a "beautiful new house," says Salandria . . . While he was there, Ruth left for short time . . . Mike became undone, said he didn't even know De Mohrenschildt, but later, he stuttered, "I was just kidding" . . .

Salandria told Paine there was evidence of another assassin . . . Paine said this impossible, for "Oswald was unable to maintain an interpersonal relationship with anyone . . ." . . . He said if there were another assassin, it would have to have been an independent accident . . .

Salandria convinced Paine had been alerted to interview by authorities . . . Thinks this because Michael at one point suggested he get involved in non-violent work . . . Salandria turned to Ruth and asked, "Is he a pacifist?" . . . He's not, but Salandria is, and how did Michael know? . . . (Could be Salandria is just overly suspicious) . . . (He certainly sees spooks in the shadows . . . One day in Dallas, he tells, he was taking pictures of the grassy knoll when a creepy-looking guy with sandals came out of the County Court Building . . . He asked about Mark Lane and conversed about the assassination . . . Then he talked about the death of the Catholic President, and he excoriated the Jews . . . Finally, he said threateningly to Salandria, "Next time you write an article, make sure you note that a socialist President was killed at a socialist project" . . . Seems Dealey Plaza was built by WPA . . .)

Salandria mentions car parked outside Paine's home, a blue and white mid-fifty [sic] Olds . . . Convinced it had belonged to Oswald, though Paines claimed it was theirs . . . Salandria thinks this because when asked if it had power steering by Salandria's wife, Paine, an engineer, said he didn't know . . .

Then Paine, shaking and stuttering, started talking about civil liberties . . . Paine, says Salandria, supposed to be a civil libertarian, yet his definition of civil liberties was "rules we must learn to live by" . . . Paine said he took Oswald to ACLU meetings, but authoritarianism didn't seem to bother Oswald, said Paine . . . he talked about right wing activity . . . Paine said Oswald had been a spy on the Dallas right wing . . . Had attended rightist meetings, where he took extensive notes . . . Paine didn't know or wouldn't say for whom Oswald was spying or what has happened to the notes . . . But Salandria certain it means Oswald was working for US intelligence . . . Other witnesses to conversation agree . . . They are Mrs. Salandria, Shirley Martin and her daughter, Vicki . . . "That was Oswald's work," said Salandria, who further theorized that Oswald thought he was spying on potential assassins . . .

Paine insists Oswald was the assassin . . . He claims to know nothing about assassination, hasn't read Warren Report, but, Salandria says, he seems to know a helluva lot . . .

Salandria feels the Paines, like Oswald, were patsies . . . They were not knowingly involved in assassination, but were used . . . They were a surveillance team keeping tabs on Oswald . . .

Since assassination, Ruth P. has had psychiatric care . . . Michael P. is terrified and ready to collapse . . .

De Mohrenschildt, says Salandria, obviously CIA . . . Unlike Paines, he's a very sophisticated man . . .

Ruth Paine a Hyde, comes from Ohio . . . Her mother living in Phila. . . . Michael went to Harvard, flunked out . . .

Salandria says sexual business is rumor only . . . But thinks Paines a fruitful subject . . . Shirley Martin is key . . . She has history and Salandria confident she is sitting on dynamite . . .

March 27 -- Garrison by phone . . . He [sic] interested in Paines and West Coast connection (Michael's father) rings bell . . . Says Bureau has withheld documents on Paine activities on West Coast . . .

Popkin and Lane in New Orleans . . .

Newspapers running story quoting Oswald associates who claim LHO was always clean-shaven . . . Conflicts with Mrs. Odio statement to Father Machann (CE 2943) . . .

Buznedo, interviewed last Saturday, turns out clean . . . Had peripheral exposure to Ferrie in '61 and '62 . . .

Material witness charge filed against Sandra Moffett McMaines . . .

March 28 . . . Schiller in Dallas to recreate picture of Oswald with weapons . . . says he has information that Shaw has used Bertrand name, not as alias, but as a legal name . . . Says Schiller, Bureau reportedly has documents signed by Clay Bertrand and handwriting checks with Shaw's . . . These are supposed to be checks or contracts . . . Schiller also in touch with Liebeler, who has index of all FBI reports . . .

Arrived New Orleans . . . Bribe report has reached New York . . . Rowan via Cate and Clurman . . . Cate has been offered tape and manuscript by lawyer for Beauboeuf, Hugh B. Exnicios, Jr., Exnicios says Ivon and Loisel went to Beauboeuf's home on night of March 9, offered him $3,000 and a flying job if he would make statement . . . Beauboeuf called Exnicios next day . . . Exnicios got Loisel to come to his office in Jefferson Parish to repeat offer . . . Exnicios put tape recorder behind curtain . . . Transcript has been turned over to US attorney (Louis Lacour) . . .

Talked with Cate, then with Cate and Exnicios . . . Exnicios is 34, practicing law for four years . . .Was Ferrie's attorney till last Nov., when they apparently broke over Marcello . . . Exnicios was running for Jeff. Par. DA against Frank Langridge . . . Exnicios planning to give tape to Langridge in attempt to get Ivon, Loisel and Garrison charged with bribe offer . . . Exnicios, also executor of Ferrie's estate, plans suit against Garrison in name of Ferrie heirs (Beauboeuf) . . .

Cate has seen 12 of 29-page manuscript . . . 30-min. tape . . . Three things offered -- $3,000, a hero's role for Beauboeuf, a job with Space Airfreight . . . Loisel identified himself on tape . . . Exnicios asked how [Beauboeuf] would square new statement with earlier denial of knowledge . . . Loisel said now that Ferrie's dead, there are 99,000 ways to skin a cat . . . Could say he was scared of Dave . . . Then Loisel left room . . . When he came back, Exnicios said he knew nothing, that his statement would be the same as in November (December -- ?) . . . Loisel said no deal . . . Beauboeuf didn't know room was bugged, knows now and he's scared . . . Exnicios thinks bribery can be charged under criminal code, title 14, paragraph 118 . . .

Meeting with Exnicios, who has bone to pick with Garrison . . . "He has built a formidable structure, but cracks are appearing " . . . Knew Ferrie as client and friend for two years . . . calls Ferrie highly moral, intelligent individual . . . Ferrie introduced him to Beauboeuf . . . "Ferrie not the kind of man who would be involved in a crime of this magnitude," but Exnicios didn't see Dave during recent investigation, though he says he planned to go see him the day he learned of Dave's death . . . Admits Dave was never clean (and the hair), but he attracted people with his magnetism . . .

Exnicios says it's important that Al signed earlier statement, because if he hadn't, he couldn't be coerced to change it . . . On night of March 9, Ivon asked Al to come outside, where he said, "We could really fix you up . . . You could come out smelling like a hero" . . . Beauboeuf, now an unemployed welder, responded to offer . . . His eyes lit up, says Exnicios, 'cause he's nuts about flying . . . But he wanted to call his lawyer, etc., etc. . . .

Exnicios wants to sell tape for $5,000 . . . Will not reveal content, but will hold press conference after charge is made to tell essence . . . Defense has copy . . .

Met with Garrison . . . He has heard rumor that Dymond has a tape that alleges bribe offer to Beauboeuf . . .

Talked with Loisel and Ivon on March 29 . . . Asked Ivon about offer . . . He says, "It is probably true" . . . He and Loisel approached Beauboeuf, asked him to tell the truth, all of it . . . If he did, DA's Office could help him get a job . . . Later, Beauboeuf came to office twice without his lawyer, Hugh B. Exnicios, Jr. . . . seemed to be cooperating . . . Had he been offered money? Ivon answered, "I would think yes . . . But on the stipulation that he would only tell the truth . . . I wish you wouldn't call it a bribe . . . We felt he had information on Layton Martens and Dave Ferrie, and that he was holding back . . . So, if he would talk, we offered financial help . . ."

Talked with Loisel . . . His story: It was during the Shaw hearing . . . Sometime during period Beauboeuf said he believed Dave to be innocent until he saw Russo's statement . . . He then changed his mind . . . So back on March 9, we went to his house . . . Yes, we offered two or three thousand dollars and a job, but all we were interested in was to find out the truth about the assassination . . . Said to Al, we understand you're broke . . . He said, that's right . . . I said our office has an expense account and good contacts, and maybe we could help . . . Al said, "You really mean that," and he agreed to cooperate . . . but Lou told him again to stick to the truth about the assassination . . .

The next day, about lunch time . . . We got a call from the lawyer, Exnicios . . . He said his client, Beauboeuf, was in his office . . . He suggested a meeting there, we agreed and I went over . . . Met with Exnicios and Beauboeuf . . . Exnicios repeated what Al said had been offered the night before . . . He said, "I understand you offered Al certain things to get certain information about the assassination?" I said, "That's true" . . . He said, "Was part of the offer two or three thousand dollars?" . . . I said, "That is correct, and I repeated the offer" . . . He said, "What about the job?" . . . I said, "Al wants a job with Space Airfreight, and I figured we could get him one with the boss's connections" . . . Exnicios said, "Wouldn't this classify Al as a paid informer?" . . . I said, "Now that you mention it, it would" . . .

Exnicios said he didn't think Al knows anything . . . "What exactly do you want to know?" So I asked a few key questions . . . Why did Ferrie go to the skating rink in Houston and loudly announce his presence there? Why did Ferrie [go] to Southeast Louisiana College in Hammond and tell people he had to be seen there?

At the very beginning I said this offer is predicated on Al's telling the whole truth . . . there would be no deviations, and Al would be subjected to sodium Pentothal and hypnosis . . .

Then I stepped out of the room . . . When I came back, Exnicios said, "My client doesn't know anything" . . . He said, "I guess the deal is off" . . . I said, "I guess so" . . .

But later, without his lawyer, Al offered to try to help us . . . He met with us twice . . . once at the Fontainebleau and again here in the office with Jim Alcock on March 20 (which was taped) . . . We asked if he would try to swing Layton Martens our way . . . If he did, we might still come up with part of the offer . . .

To me, we did nothing wrong . . . I spent five years on the narcotics squad and I learned you don't get information for nothing . . . We sure didn't try to blackmail him . . .

March 28 . . . Garrison checking the late Rose Cheramie [sic] . . . Had many aliases, one of them Melba Christine Youngblood . . . She died in auto-pedestrian accident in Upshur County, Texas on 9/4/65 . . .

Two sources say Oswald was passing out leaflets in 1963 in Mobile . . . One, a man from Fla., says he was with a lady friend of Jack Ruby . . .

Beauboeuf is cooperating . . . Not Martens, who is going before Grand Jury . . . Ricky Davis says he once saw Martens with Oswald . . .

There are two men in jail who seem to know something about Latin American and CIA involvement . . . one is Popkin's [Nagell], who is incommunicado in a mental ward in Springfield, Mo. . . . A federal institution . . . Other is in El Paso, jailed for transporting stolen property across state lines . . . His wife in Laurel, Miss. . . . getting his letters to her . . .

Putting Alcock in charge of Shaw case . . . Sciambra going to Dallas . . .

Looking into murder in July 1964 of Dr. Mary Sherman, a cancer specialist, a lesbian . . . Think she knew both Ferrie and Shaw . . . Her murder an unsolved sex crime . . .

Ivon asks about a Shelly Estrin or Estren, who was told by phone in 1964 that Ruby was a homosexual . . . Her informant a Robert Bienvenu . . . Conversation overheard by another party . . . Estrin at 200 E. 17th St., NYC . . . Informant who overheard conversation same one who gave tip on Dooty . . .

(Schiller thinks he may be able to locate picture of Ruby watching motorcade . . . taken by an outpatient at Oak Cliff . . . He also list from Bureau report of all 71 people taking pictures at time) . . .

Garrison at dinner . . . Says he's being nibbled to death by ants . . . Popkin only trying to justify the "Second Oswald" . . . Jones Harris a curious man . . . "They think I'm some kind of wagon train leader" . . . But Jack Anderson and Mark Lane are helpful (?) . . . Lane scratching Giant's back, supporting investigation . . . Anderson has told him about FBI attempt to discredit . . . Says Hoover has President prepared even for Shaw conviction . . . "They've convinced LBJ I'm a drunk and that I'm committed to Marcello" . . .

Garrison sore at Novel . . . He wrote his own lie detector questions . . .

Will fight back . . . Plan to make release as follows: assassination originated with Bay of Pigs . . . There was an operation in New Orleans to counter a Castro plot . . . It required a decoy, who was Oswald . . . But a spin-off occurred . . . And the Castro assassination plot caused death of Kennedy . . . Will show evidence right from Warren Report . . . The heavy-set fella . . . We must find him . . . Would allude to CIA involvement . . . Plan to release to LA Times . . .

March 29 . . . Schiller tips from Dallas gay source . . . Check records of Polaris branch of NO library . . . (Doesn't exist, but could be Napoleon branch mentioned in CE 2650) . . . Banister was blackmailing Ferrie over homosexuality . . . Fair Play for Cuba meetings may have been held at Ruth Kloepfer's home . . .

March 29 -- Garrison . . . Knows of priest who says he knows of two plays written by Clay Bertrand . . . Talking to Novel's ex-wife, Marlene Mancuso . . . Certain Grand Jury will indict Martens 'cause he claims not to know about trip to Houma . . . this would be next week . . . Gurvich wasting time checking fishing island where Ferrie reportedly flew group of men, one of whom might have been Shaw . . . Sciambra has letter from Dallas cop who says he worked partners with one of men who arrested Oswald . . . Wants to be treated gently . . . Sounds nutty . . . Oser handling Catholic priest . . . Sciambra also to meet in Dallas with a painter named Gibbs . . . He's from Fort Lauderdale, but he lived in Dallas in '63 . . . Says he was painting lady's home after assassination . . . Six days after Ruby shot Oswald, he found her crying . . . Gibbs says she was a secret partner of Ruby . . . claimed she was crying because "a friend had shot a friend" . . . May be Bertha Cheek (Gibbs thinks so, can point out house) . . . Bertha Cheek is sister of Earlene Roberts . . . May link to Ruby as part owner of Carousel . . .

April 3 . . .

Garrison plans to charge Arcacha, Novel, et al, with burglary for Houma escapade . . . He figures they have lost their right to play cute . . . He also detects a CIA angle in the raid . . . Boxes marked with Schlumberger name and apparently arms shipped in those boxes . . .

Martens to be indicted for perjury . . . "We are turning the screws on people who know what happened" . . . says Garrison . . . He points out Novel knew Ferrie, Shaw, Andrews and Arcacha . . . Garrison also finds significance in fact many of people somewhat or somehow involved now working for government or government contractors (Chrysler, Boeing, etc.) . . . Then he injects, for what it's worth, that in 1964, Shaw rented an apartment to a Mr. Kloepfer who now works for Chrysler . . . He doesn't know relationship to Ruth Kloepfer . . .

Garrison is hot in the CIA angle . . . He is reading "The Invisible Government" . . . mentions "Friends of Free Cuba," an organization of interesting types: Bill Dalzell, for one, who came to New Orleans week before to confer with Novel's lawyers . . . Also a man named Logan who worked or works for Company . . . Regis Kennedy, an FBI agent who told a lady (Betty Parrott) that Shaw was a Company man . . .

Garrison tells of a new witness, Clyde Johnson, who in summer of '63 was running for governor on extreme segregationist ticket . . .Tells of meeting in Roosevelt Hotel with an "Alton Bernard" and of a subsequent meeting in a Baton Rouge motel with Bernard, "Leon" and "Jack" . . . Source swears Bernard is Shaw, and Leon and Jack are Oswald and Ruby . . . Also a Spanish-looking [sic] present at meeting in Baton Rouge . . . At meeting they talked about getting Kennedy to come south by attacking him politically, "Then we can get him" . . .

Then Garrison submits theory that JFK was shot with frangible bullets, which, he proposes, are only obtainable by the CIA . . .

He then mentions the Cuban Freedom Committee for a mysterious reason . . . head of this group is Dr. Casa Riego, who lives at 3523 Louisiana Avenue Parkway . . .

April 15 . . . April 16

Garrison has 24-hour intestinal flu . . . Able to spend short day in office . . . Goes there mainly to see Epstein, who claims to be doing a New Yorker piece on the way the press has muffed the story . . .

Garrison sights now set again on the anti-Castro Cubans…This due mainly to story of Richard Nagel [sic], a man now in psychiatric ward of federal prison in Springfield, Mo. . . . (more on Nagel [sic] later) . . . Garrison convinced Arcacha and Quiroga very much involved . . . So Quiroga to get lie detector test under threat of arrest as a conspirator . . . Garrison points out Dr. Guitart said Sylvia [sic] Odio knew Quiroga, so it is possible Carlos was one of the visitors to her apartment . . .

We discuss Yito del Valle briefly . . . Garrison interested in fact he knew Ferrie, but this aspect has not been developed by New Orleans . . .

More propinquity . . . Garrison interested in Nick J. Matrana, who lived next door to Oswald on Magazine St. (still lives there) and ran a restaurant near the Reily Coffee Co. and the Newman Bldg. . . . He is sending Ivon and Gurvich to talk to Matrana . . .

Interest in Andrews higher than ever . . . Garrison curious as to real nature of illness that put him in Hotel Dieu . . .

Pershing is checking hangouts . . . Put Cosimo's on list . . .

Garrison using Magel [sic] as a basis for further investigation, but nothing he says can be put in evidence . . . That is the deal, and Garrison has signed a paper saying he will protect Nagel [sic] . . . Nagel [sic] afraid of being convicted for treason, and for a good reason . . .

Garrison will use sledgehammer on Quiroga . . . he will arrest him if he declines to take the polygraph . . . "I can't let him control the situation . . . This is the way we will make the case . . . Most of our cases aren't proven when they come to the complaint desk . . . It's between then and the trial that we put the evidence together." . . .

Nagell (correct spelling) is being handled by a special assistant DA named Bill Martin . . . Martin is a New Orleans attorney with Latin connections and background . . . He was born in Domrep [Dominican Republic] and brought up there, and Spanish is his first language . . . He went to see Richard Case Nagell under guise of his attorney of record . . . Nagell had written a letter to his sister in New York (?) and asked her to see Garrison . . . She came with message that Garrison on right track . . . And that Fair Play for Cuba was a cover . . . Nagell said he had a tape . . .

Nagell is 35 to 37, a Korean War vet, officer who was wounded three times . . . and decorated . . . After Korea he became a Marxist and went to work for the Soviet government . . . He was a reporter for Soviets, reporting to their embassy in Mexico City . . .

Message sent via sister to effect he had tape that could break the case . . . But Garrison would have to agree to certain conditions . . . The conditions: the tape is in Spanish, so man to contact him must speak Spanish . . . He would then go to man who has tape with letter from Nagell authorizing man to turn it over . . . But no effort to be made to obtain any other material Nagell keeps in a foot locker . . . This material could convict him for treason . . .

Martin went to visit Nagell April 10 . . . At first Nagell declined to talk, then changed his mind again . . . They talked that day and the next . . .

Nagell gave Martin name and address of the contact man, but he not to be contacted until Nagell can get letter out . . . This impossible unless he requests private meeting with Martin or is transferred back to Leavenworth . . . Nagell was assigned to Springfield for 45 days' observation, but that has long since passed . . . his Soviet assignment was to keep an eye on the Dallas assassination plot the Russians knew was brewing . . . There had been two previous ones, says Nagell: one in Miami when Kennedy went to the Orange Bowl, the second in California, but Nagell vague on details . . . Plan was to kill Kennedy and blame Castro and prompt an invasion . . .

Nagell realized plot was for real . . . He was in Dallas and San Antonio in summer of '63 . . . He was in a tight spot . . . If Kennedy were assassinated and he had known about it, he would be implicated . . . He would have to skip country, but then he was fearful of his Soviet superiors (for an unclear reason) . . . At any rate, he wanted it stopped, but was powerless to even save his own neck without taking drastic measures . . . Which he did . . . First, he reported precise plan to Soviet embassy in Mexico City . . . This was a couple of days before Nov. 22 . . . Then he drove to San Antonio, where he staged a phony bank holdup by shooting a couple of pistol shots into the ceiling of a federal bank . . . He was arrested, got 10 years . . . Says he told FBI about assassination plan before it happened, but this is also unclear . . . Claims he was only questioned about Soviet espionage . . . Later he wrote Hoover and claimed he had warned of assassination . . . And he corresponded with Senator Russell . . .

Tape is in both Spanish and English . . . Four voices . . . Two of them are Arcacha and man identified only as "Q" . . . Martin planning to go see Nagell again and to pursue tape . . . Garrison considers this a possible big break . . .

Garrison . . . Awaiting results of Quiroga polygraph . . . Going after Matrana . . . Sandra Moffett has fled, reportedly to Des Moines . . . Garrison also looking for another man reported by Russo friends to have been at Ferrie's party . . . He [sic] quoted as saying Sandra was there, but he [sic] shipping out . . . A seaman, apparently . . .

Gurvich interviewing a John Vicari who runs restaurant at Camp and Girod . . . He knows some principals . . . He says Alba told him Oswald often went to Banister's office . . . Garrison certain Alba has lied . . .

Sciambra has a phony lead on some kids who put a note on a motel room mirror two days after assassination that mentioned Oswald . . .

Garrison planning to bring up all questions about Dealey Plaza at trial . . . Getting architects' bids for scale model . . . Will air the whole grassy knoll theory . . .

April 20 . . .

Garrison . . . He is sending today some clippings covering old battles and his career as DA . . . Mentions to support the point that he gives no favors the fact under Louisiana law district attorneys have parole power, and it is used elsewhere . . . "But we don't use it as a matter of policy" . . .

Garrison refers to Warren Volume XVI, CE 18, page 58, in which Oswald lists a number in an address book that was found at his apartment, 1021 [sic] North Beckley, Dallas . . . Number is 19106 . . . It is preceded by two letters which are deciphered to be DD, but Garrison reads them to be PO . . . He logically assumes it is a lost office box number . . . In Clay Shaw's apartment they found a loose leaf note book which he used for addresses . . . And on a page there is this entry: Lee Odom, PO Box 19106, Dallas, Texas . . . He is sending copy of page . . . Also, he has sent inquiry to Dallas for check of the box, and if he fails to get results, he will make request to Post Office Department in Washington . . .

Garrison also sending copy of result of Quiroga's lie detector test . . . He busted some interesting questions . . . Samples: You said you were in Oswald's company only once, and that was when you tried to infiltrate his Fair Play for Cuba organization. Were you not with him on a number of occasions? Answer: No. Evaluation: specific reaction (meaning lie) . . . In the late summer or early fall of 1963, Oswald was often accompanied by a stocky, Latin-looking man. He has been described by various witnesses as being heavy-set, extremely muscular and dark. Do you think you know the name of this man? Answer: No. Evaluation: SR . . . You said you tried to infiltrate Fair Play for Cuba . . . Did you not know Oswald used this organization as a cover? No. SR . . . Is it not a fact that Oswald was taking part in an anti-Castro operation? No. SR . . . Did Arcacha know Oswald in 1963? No. SR . . . Did Banister? No. SR . . . Did any other persons you know of know Oswald, and we don't mean on a chance encounter? No. SR. Prior to the assassination, did you ever see any of the weapons used to kill Kennedy? No. SR . . . But Quiroga passed on details of Dallas . . . Garrison figures him for phase one only . . .

Bill Martin heading for Springfield, Mo. on the coming weekend . . .

Garrison considers del Valle murder in Miami a side alley not worth pursuing at present . . .

The trial, for planning purposes, will begin in September . . .

Cliff Sessions, Dept. of Justice . . . He hopes to have answer shortly on request made by George Hunt letter to Attorney General Ramsey Clark for declassification of reports . . . Two related requests made to Sessions: for background briefings with Department experts; for a piece of comment by Clark after he has read our story . . .