March 16, 1967
TOMMIE CLARK (THOMAS LOUIS CLARK), after being duly sworn by the Foreman of the Orleans Parish Grand Jury, was questioned and answered as follows:
BY MR. RICHARD BURNES:
Q. Tommie, would you care to state where you live at this time?
A. 240 Orion Street in Metairie.
Q. Old old [sic] are you, Tommie?
A. Nineteen.
Q. Do you know Dave Ferrie?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. I am going to show you a photograph and ask you if this looks like Dave Ferrie?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. How did you have occasion to know Dave Ferrie?
A. I was employed with him when he owned a filling station back in '64, I believe.
Q. What was the name of the filling station?
A. Dave & Al's.
Q. Where was the filling station located?
A. Metairie Heights and Veterans Highway.
Q. Tommie, have you ever been arrested for anything?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. What were you arrested for?
A. Curfew, vagrancy, no visible means of support, twice with vagrancy, accessory with stolen vehicle, and simple robbery.
Q. Were arrests in Jefferson or in New Orleans?
A. All but one were in Jefferson.
Q. How did you have occasion to be released from jail when you were arrested?
A. I called up Dave.
Q. Dave Ferrie?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Is that the person you worked for?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. And what happened?
A. I just told him where I was at, and he asked me, what was I charged with, and he said, sit tight and I'll have you out. And he got me out.
Q. Were you released?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did you see Dave Ferrie after that?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did he tell you how you got released?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. How?
A. Dean Andrews.
Q. Did Dave Ferrie tell you that he knew Dean Andrews?
A. Yes, sir. Ferrie told me a million times that Dean Andrews was like a brother to him, and would do anything for Dave.
Q. Was Dave Ferrie an unusual person?
A. Yes, he was.
Q. About how long did it take for him to get you released?
A. Most of it -- the wait was about an hour.
Q. Did he have you released more than one time?
A. Yes.
Q. Each time by whom?
A. As far as I know, it was twice by Dean Andrews and two other times judges -- I can't remember them.
Q. Did he ever tell you to go by and thank Dean Andrews?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did you have occasion to go by and thank him?
A. No, sir.
Q. Why?
A. Because I was arrested the next night.
Q. That is all the questions I have. Any questions, gentlemen?
BY A JUROR:
You said Dave Ferrie was an unusual man; what do you mean by that?
A. Just from taking a glance at him, I knew when I first met him, I knew there was something about him -- just what it was, I did not know it then; then when I got to know him, I knew he was -- er . . .
Q. What?
A. You know, queer.
Q. What were you arrested for the second time?
A. Vagrancy.
Q. What was the first arrest?
A. Vagrancy.
Q. You got out and were arrested the next night for the same thing?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Were you always arrested from the same place?
A. Once in the 3600 block, Veterans, and then in Studio Arms on Veterans. And they found me the second time with a credit card I had gotten from Dave's house. And they booked me with possession of a stolen credit card.
Q. He charged you with that -- Ferrie did?
A. No, the officers did. He was getting ready to let me go, and he found it in my wallet. So they held me again.
Q. Have you ever been to trial for any of these charges?
A. I am waiting to go back again.
Q. Whose credit card was it?
A. It was David Martin, Sr., I believe it was.
Q. David Martin, Sr.?
A. Or Jr. One of [sic] the other.
Q. What kind of card was it?
A. Conoco -- gas card.
Q. Did Dave Ferrie know you had this card?
A. He didn't know it until I told him.
Q. What did he do about it?
A. He kinda [sic] got upset about it -- and that was the last time, I spent four days in the West Bank lock-up -- and I had to call my mother this time -- he told me Dean Andrews couldn't parole me for two offenses for the same thing.
Q. Did you happen to know this Martin fellow whose card you took?
A. No, sir.
Q. How did you get into Mr. Ferrie's house to get it?
A. I was living with Mr. Ferrie.
Q. You got the card from Mr. Ferrie's house, which meant that Mr. Martin had been there?
A. I believe he was -- he must have. It was just laying around there.
Q. Did you see Mr. Martin in the house?
A. No, sir.
Q. When were you living with Mr. Ferrie?
A. I was living with him about three months -- and then I left about half a month before he died. Then he called me up to watch him while he was sick, and I was watching him because he was sick.
Q. Why weren't you living at home with your parents?
A. Well, me and my mother didn't get along too well.
BY FOREMAN:
Will you excuse this witness from the room for a moment?
* * *
(FEW MINUTES LATER)
BY FOREMAN:
Mr. Clark, I would like to remind you that you are still under oath.
A. Yes, sir.
BY MR. BURNES:
Q. Did you live with Dave Ferrie one or two times?
A. I lived with him once, but I slept at his house before.
Q. When you slept there before, did you stay for periods of two or three days?
A. No, sir, it would be just one at the most.
Q. One day at the most? About how many times did that happen?
A. About four or five, maybe six.
Q. At any of those times, were other people present?
A. Not at that time, no.
Q. There would just be you and him?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Would he pay you money to stay there?
A. No, sir.
Q. Did he discuss other people at the time you were there?
A. Mostly what he talked about was G. Wray Gill.
Q. Did he ever discuss Clay Bertrand at any of these times?
A. No, sir.
Q. At the time you were staying with him just before he died, about how long did you stay with him?
A. About two months.
Q. Did he discuss other people during those times?
A. No.
Q. Did he ever discuss Clay Bertrand in your presence?
A. No, sir.
Q. Did other people visit him during these two months?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Do you remember mentioning a subject in a white compact car?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did any of the subjects who visited him at his home when you were staying with him fit the description of that person?
A. There was only one person who came there.
Q. About what age person?
A. 31 or 32.
Q. Sandy hair?
A. No, he was dark complexion [sic] -- dark hair and needed a shave -- and he smelled pretty bad.
Q. Any other questions, gentlemen?
OK, Tommie, thank you. That is all.