DALLAS
Oswald did not contact his wife immediately when he returned to Dallas. He went to the office of the employment commission, where he filed an unemployment compensation claim[A13-1207] and announced that he was again looking for work.[A13-1208] He spent the night at the YMCA, where he registered as a serviceman in order to avoid paying the membership fee.[A13-1209] On the following day, he applied for a job as a typesetter trainee at the Padgett Printing Co. He made a favorable impression on the department foreman, but the plant superintendent called Jaggars-Chiles-Stovall and decided not to hire Oswald because of the unfavorable responses which his inquiries produced.[A13-1210] Later that day, Oswald telephoned Marina and asked her to have Mrs. Paine pick him up in Dallas. Marina refused, and he hitchhiked out to the Paine home,[A13-1211] where he spent part or all of the weekend.[A13-1212] Marina testified that although her husband “changed for the better” and treated her better after his Mexican trip,[A13-1213] she did not want to live with him because she was pregnant and thought it would be better “to be with a woman who spoke English and Russian.”[A13-1214] On Monday, October 7, Mrs. Paine drove Oswald to the bus station, and he returned to Dallas to look for a job and a place to live.[A13-1215]
Oswald thought that the YMCA was too expensive for him, and intended to rent a room.[A13-1216] He inquired about a room at 1026 North Beckley, where he lived later, but on October 7 there were no vacancies.[A13-1217] He next responded to a “For Rent” sign at a rooming house at 621 Marsalis Street. He obtained a room, for which he paid the weekly rent of $7 in advance, and moved in on the same day.[A13-1218] He immediately resumed his job-hunting, relying partially on referrals by the employment commission.[A13-1219] He spent much of the time when he was not looking for work in his room.[A13-1220] He telephoned his wife daily.[A13-1221] She wrote: “Lee called twice a day, was worried about my health and about June.”[A13-1222] On Friday, Oswald told his landlady, Mrs. Mary Bledsoe, that he was going to Irving for the weekend but would return the following week. She refused to rent the room to him for another week because she didn’t like him.[A13-1223]
Oswald spent the weekend of October 12-13 at Mrs. Paine’s home, during which time she gave him a driving lesson.[A13-1224] He told her that he had received the last of the unemployment checks due him, and that it had been smaller than the previous ones. Mrs. Paine testified that Oswald was extremely discouraged because his wife was expecting a baby, he had no job prospects in sight, and he no longer had any source of income.[A13-1225]
On Monday, Mrs. Paine drove Oswald into Dallas, since she had other business there.[A13-1226] He picked up his bag from Mrs. Bledsoe’s roominghouse[A13-1227] and later that day rented a room at 1026 North Beckley Avenue from Mrs. A. C. Johnson for $8 a week. He registered as O. H. Lee and moved in immediately.[A13-1228] Oswald felt that this room was more comfortable than the previous one, particularly because he had television and refrigerator privileges.[A13-1229] He apparently continued to spend most of his evenings in his room.[A13-1230] He borrowed books from the library[A13-1231] and had subscriptions to various periodicals, including Time, the Worker, the Militant, and some Russian periodicals.[A13-1232]
On that Monday, Mrs. Paine mentioned the Oswalds’ financial and employment problems to neighbors whom she was visiting. Mrs. Linnie Mae Randle, who was also present, remarked that she thought that her younger brother, Buell Wesley Frazier, who worked at the Texas School Book Depository, had said that there was a job opening there. When Marina heard of this, she asked Mrs. Paine to call the Depository to see if there was an opening.[A13-1233] Mrs. Paine called Roy S. Truly, superintendent of the Depository, who indicated that he would talk to Oswald if he would apply in person.[A13-1234] When Oswald telephoned the Paine house on Monday evening, Mrs. Paine told him about this possibility.[A13-1235] On the next day, Oswald was interviewed by Truly and hired in a temporary capacity. He began work on Wednesday, October 16. His duties were to fill book orders; his hours were 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., for which he received $1.25 an hour.[A13-1236]
Both the Oswalds were elated with the new job,[A13-1237] although it apparently required little skill or experience[A13-1238] and he indicated that he still hoped to obtain a better job.[A13-1239] He did a satisfactory job at the Depository,[A13-1240] but he kept to himself and very few of his fellow employees got to know him.[A13-1241]
During his first week at work, Oswald became acquainted with Frazier, with whom he arranged to ride to Irving on weekends.[A13-1242] On Friday, October 18, Frazier drove him from work to the Paine home;[A13-1243] since it was his birthday, Marina and Ruth Paine had arranged a small celebration.[A13-1244] On Sunday, he stayed with June and the Paine children, while Mrs. Paine drove Marina to Parkland Hospital where she gave birth to a second daughter, Rachel.[A13-1245] He went to work on Monday, but that evening visited Marina in the hospital and spent the night in Irving.[A13-1246] Marina wrote:
Monday evening Lee visited me in the hospital. He was very happy at the birth of another daughter and even wept a little. He said that two daughters were better for each other—two sisters. He stayed with me about two hours.[A13-1247]
Oswald returned to Dallas the next morning.[A13-1248]
Oswald wrote to Arnold Johnson of the Communist Party, U.S.A., that on the evening of October 23, he had attended an “ultra right” meeting headed by Gen. Edwin A. Walker.[A13-1249] Two evenings later, he accompanied Michael Paine to a meeting of the American Civil Liberties Union, held at Southern Methodist University.[A13-1250] At this meeting, a statement was made to the effect that members of the John Birch Society should not be considered anti-Semitic; Oswald rose and stated that at the meeting which he had attended 2 days earlier, he had heard a number of anti-Semitic and anti-Catholic statements. Later in the evening, Oswald became involved in a discussion with several people, including Frank Krystinik, who was employed with Paine at the Bell Helicopter plant. During this conversation, Oswald expressed Marxist views and declared that he was a Marxist, although denying that he was a Communist. He admitted that the United States was superior to the Soviet Union in the area of civil liberties and praised President Kennedy for his work in that connection.[A13-1251] Krystinik testified that he got the impression that Oswald did not fully understand the views he was expounding.[A13-1252]
Throughout that week Oswald telephoned his wife to inquire about her health and that of the baby. He spent the weekend at the Paine home, to which Marina and Rachel had returned during the week.[A13-1253] On Friday, November 1, he obtained post office box No. 6225 at the Terminal Annex Post Office Station. He indicated that the box would also be used to receive mail for the Fair Play for Cuba Committee and the American Civil Liberties Union.[A13-1254] Once again he spent the weekend in Irving.[A13-1255]
Throughout this period, the FBI had been aware of the whereabouts of the Oswalds. There was a record in the Dallas office of the FBI that Oswald subscribed to the Worker, engaged in Fair Play for Cuba Committee activities and had traveled to Mexico.[A13-1256] An FBI agent visited the Paine home on November 1 and, accompanied by another agent, again on November 5, and spoke briefly with Mrs. Paine. On neither occasion was Oswald present.[A13-1257] Ruth Paine noted the agent’s name and telephone number and, in accordance with her husband’s instructions, Marina noted the license number of the agent’s automobile, all of which was subsequenty reported to Oswald.[A13-1258] Both Mrs. Paine and Marina testified that Oswald was troubled by the FBI’s interest in him.[A13-1259] He declared that the FBI was “trying to inhibit” his activities,[A13-1260] and wrote the Soviet Embassy in Washington:
The Federal Bureu of Investigation is not now interested in my activities in the progressive organization “Fair Play for Cuba Committee” of which I was secretary in New Orleans (state Louisiana) since I no longer reside in that state. However, the F.B.I. has visted us here in Dallas, Texas, on November 1st. Agent James P. Hasty warned me that if I engaged in F.P.C.C. activities in Texas the F.B.I. will again take an “interest” in me.
This agent also ‘suggested’ to Marina Nichilayeva that she could remain in the United States under F.B.I. ‘protection’, that is, she could defect from the Soviet Uion, of couse, I and my wife strongly protested these tactics by the notorious F.B.I.
Please inform us of the arrival of our Soviet entrance visa’s as soon as they come.[A13-1261] (See Commission Exhibit 15, [p. 311].)
Marina testified that the statements, both by and to the FBI agents, to which her husband referred in this letter, were in fact never made.[A13-1262]
The following Friday, November 8, Oswald as usual drove to the Paine house with Frazier.[A13-1263] On Saturday Mrs. Paine took him to the Texas Drivers’ License Examining Station, but because it was an election day the station was closed. Oswald stayed at the Paines through Monday, November 11, which was Veterans Day. During the weekend, Mrs. Paine gave Oswald a second driving lesson.[A13-1264]
Oswald did not go to Irving on the next weekend. His wife had asked him not to come because Michael Paine, with whom Oswald did not get along, would be there to celebrate his daughter’s birthday. Also, she felt that because he had stayed for 3 days the preceding weekend, he would abuse Mrs. Paine’s hospitality if he returned so soon. Oswald telephoned Marina on Saturday afternoon and said that he had returned to the drivers’ license examining station that morning but had not waited because there was a long line.[A13-1265]
On Sunday, November 17, at Marina’s request, Ruth Paine telephoned Oswald at the Beckley Avenue number, which he had given to Marina. When she asked for him, she was told that no one by that name lived at the address, which greatly surprised her. On the next day, Oswald telephoned his wife. When she indicated that she had been upset by the fact that there had been no Lee Oswald at the number which she had asked Mrs. Paine to call, Oswald became angry; he said that he was using a fictitious name and that she should not have called the Beckley Avenue number.[A13-1266] He did not telephone on the following day, which was unusual.[A13-1267]
On the morning of Thursday, November 21, Oswald asked Frazier to take him to Irving when he went home that evening, saying that he wanted to pick up some curtain rods.[A13-1268] His arrival was a surprise because he generally asked Mrs. Paine’s permission before arriving for a visit.[A13-1269] The women thought that he had come to Irving because he felt badly about arguing with his wife about the use of the fictitious name.[A13-1270] He said that he was lonely, because he had not come the preceding weekend, and told Marina that he “wanted to make his peace” with her.[A13-1271] He spent the time before dinner on the lawn playing with his daughter.[A13-1272] However, when he attempted to talk to his wife she would not answer, which upset him. He asked her to live with him in Dallas, and she refused.[A13-1273] After supper, Oswald watched television while the women cleaned the house and prepared their children for bed.[A13-1274] He retired early in the evening at about 9.[A13-1275]
APPENDIX XIV
Analysis of Lee Harvey Oswald’s Finances
From June 13, 1962,
Through November 22, 1963
The following analysis of Lee Harvey Oswald’s receipts and expenditures for the period June 13, 1962, through November 22, 1963, contains a complete record of all funds that he and his wife are reported to have received and disbursed from all known sources. It also contains an estimate for food, clothing, and incidental expenses, which include telephone calls, money order and check cashing fees, postage, local transportation costs, personal care goods and services, local newspapers, and similar small items. Oswald’s expenditures for food, clothing, and incidentals were estimated at $100 per month, except for those months in which his wife and children resided with relatives or acquaintances. The estimate reflects Oswald’s frugal living habits during this period, as described in chapter VI of this report. The Commission has been advised by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor that this estimate is a little higher than would be normal for a family in Oswald’s income class residing in the southern region of the United States. (See Commission Exhibit No. 1169.)
Lee Harvey Oswald Receipts and Expenditures
June 13, 1962, to Nov. 22, 1963
| Receipts | Expenditures | Balance | |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 1962: | |||
| On hand on arrival, New York City[A14-1] | $63.00 | ||
| Received from Robert Oswald[A14-2] | 200.00 | ||
| Received from Marguerite Oswald[A14-3] | 10.00 | ||
| Transportation in New York City[A14-4] | $10.35 | ||
| Plane fare, New York City to Dallas, including luggage[A14-5] | 201.04 | ||
| Hotel bill, New York City[A14-6] | 15.21 | ||
| Estimated cost of food, clothing, and incidental expenses[A14-7] | 5.00 | ||
| Public stenographer[A14-8] | 10.00 | ||
| Estimated repayment, Robert Oswald[A14-9] | 30.00 | ||
| Total | 273.00 | 271.60 | |
| Cash on hand, June 30, 1962 | $1.40 | ||
| July 1962: | |||
| Net salary[A14-10] | 46.82 | ||
| Estimated repayment, Robert Oswald[A14-11] | 10.00 | ||
| Subscription for Time magazine[A14-12] | 3.87 | ||
| Total | 46.82 | 13.87 | |
| Cash on hand, July 31, 1962 | 34.35 | ||
| August 1962: | |||
| Net salary[A14-13] | $207.31 | ||
| Repayment, State Department loan[A14-14] | $10.00 | ||
| Estimated repayment, Robert Oswald[A14-15] | 50.00 | ||
| Rent and utilities[A14-16] | 71.50 | ||
| Subscription for the Worker[A14-17] | 2.00 | ||
| Estimated cost of food, clothing, and incidental expenses[A14-18] | 75.00 | ||
| Total | 207.31 | 208.50 | |
| Cash on hand, Aug. 31, 1962 | $33.16 | ||
| September 1962: | |||
| Net salary[A14-19] | 187.59 | ||
| Received from Paul Gregory[A14-20] | 35.00 | ||
| Rent and utilities[A14-21] | 71.50 | ||
| Repayment, State Department loan[A14-22] | 9.71 | ||
| Estimated repayment, Robert Oswald[A14-23] | 50.00 | ||
| Subscription for the Russian humor magazine “Krokodil”[A14-24] | 2.20 | ||
| Estimated cost of food, clothing, and incidental expenses | 100.00 | ||
| Total | 222.59 | 233.41 | |
| Cash on hand, Sept. 30, 1962 | 22.34 | ||
| October 1962: | |||
| Net salary[A14-25] | 228.22 | ||
| Received from George Bouhe[A14-26] | 5.00 | ||
| Repayment, State Department loan[A14-27] | 10.00 | ||
| Rent, room in YMCA[A14-28] | 9.00 | ||
| Post office box rental[A14-29] | 4.50 | ||
| Estimated repayment, Robert Oswald[A14-30] | 60.00 | ||
| Estimated cost of food, clothing, and incidental expenses[A14-31] | 50.00 | ||
| Total | 233.22 | 133.50 | |
| Cash on hand, Oct. 31, 1962 | 122.06 | ||
| November 1962: | |||
| Net salary[A14-32] | 315.71 | ||
| Rent[A14-33] | 73.00 | ||
| Rental of U-Haul Trailer[A14-34] | 5.00 | ||
| Repayment, State Department loan[A14-35] | 10.00 | ||
| Bus fare, Dallas to Fort Worth and return[A14-36] | 4.60 | ||
| Estimated cost of food, clothing, and incidental expenses[A14-37] | 50.00 | ||
| Total | 315.71 | 142.60 | |
| Cash on hand, Nov. 30, 1962 | 295.17 | ||
| December 1962: | |||
| Net salary[A14-38] | $243.13 | ||
| Rent[A14-39] | $68.00 | ||
| Post office box rental[A14-40] | 4.50 | ||
| Repayment, State Department loan[A14-41] | 190.00 | ||
| Subscription for the Militant[A14-42] | 1.00 | ||
| Estimated cost of food, clothing, and incidental expenses | 100.00 | ||
| Total | 243.13 | 363.50 | |
| Cash on hand, Dec 31, 1962 | $174.80 | ||
| January 1963: | |||
| Net salary[A14-43] | 247.12 | ||
| Rent and utilities[A14-44] | 75.13 | ||
| Repayment, State Department loan[A14-45] | 206.00 | ||
| Deposit, Smith & Wesson revolver[A14-46] | 10.00 | ||
| Fee paid Crozier Tech High School[A14-47] | 9.00 | ||
| Subscription for Ogonek, Agitator, Sovetskaya Belorussiya[A14-48] | 13.20 | ||
| Estimated cost of food, clothing, and incidental expenses | 100.00 | ||
| Total | 247.12 | 413.33 | |
| Cash on hand, Jan. 31, 1963 | 8.59 | ||
| February 1963: | |||
| Net salary[A14-49] | 256.95 | ||
| Rent and utilities[A14-50] | 71.64 | ||
| Subscription for the Worker[A14-51] | 7.00 | ||
| Estimated cost of food, clothing, and incidental expenses | 100.00 | ||
| Total | 256.95 | 178.64 | |
| Cash on hand, Feb. 28, 1963 | 86.90 | ||
| March 1963: | |||
| Net salary[A14-52] | 327.55 | ||
| Rent and utilities[A14-53] | 78.76 | ||
| Post office box rental[A14-54] | 4.50 | ||
| Cost of rifle[A14-55] | 21.45 | ||
| Subscription for Time magazine[A14-56] | 3.82 | ||
| Balance due on revolver and freight charge[A14-57] | 21.22 | ||
| Estimated cost of food, clothing, and incidental expenses | 100.00 | ||
| Total | 327.55 | 229.75 | |
| Cash on hand, Mar. 31, 1963 | 184.70 | ||
| April 1963: | |||
| Net salary[A14-58] | $108.86 | ||
| Income Tax refund[A14-59] | 57.40 | ||
| Rent and utilities[A14-60] | $62.97 | ||
| Bus fare from Dallas to New Orleans[A14-61] | 13.85 | ||
| Estimated cost of food, clothing, and incidental expenses[A14-62] | 100.00 | ||
| Total | 166.26 | 176.82 | |
| Cash on hand, Apr. 30, 1963 | $174.14 | ||
| May 1963: | |||
| Net salary[A14-63] | 107.44 | ||
| Unemployment compensation check[A14-64] | 33.00 | ||
| Rent and utilities[A14-65] | 75.00 | ||
| Subscription for the Militant[A14-66] | 1.00 | ||
| Dues and printing—Fair Play for Cuba[A14-67] | 9.00 | ||
| Estimated cost of food, clothing, and incidental expenses[A14-68] | 100.00 | ||
| Total | 140.44 | 185.00 | |
| Cash on hand, May 31, 1963 | 129.58 | ||
| June 1963: | |||
| Net salary[A14-69] | 216.00 | ||
| Rent and utilities[A14-70] | 67.85 | ||
| Post office box rental[A14-71] | 4.00 | ||
| Printing—Fair Play for Cuba[A14-72] | 15.23 | ||
| New alien registration card[A14-73] | 5.00 | ||
| Estimated cost of food, clothing, and incidental expenses | 100.00 | ||
| Total | 216.00 | 192.08 | |
| Cash on hand, June 30, 1963 | 153.50 | ||
| July 1963: | |||
| Net salary[A14-74] | 224.97 | ||
| Rent and utilities[A14-75] | 72.22 | ||
| Printing—Fair Play for Cuba[A14-76] | 3.50 | ||
| Estimated cost of food, clothing, and incidental expenses | 100.00 | ||
| Total | 224.97 | 175.72 | |
| Cash on hand, July 31, 1963 | 202.75 | ||
| August 1963: | |||
| Unemployment compensation payments[A14-77] | 165.00 | ||
| Rent and utilities[A14-78] | 73.54 | ||
| Fine[A14-79] | 10.00 | ||
| Distribution, Fair play for Cuba circulars[A14-80] | 2.00 | ||
| Estimated cost of food, clothing, and incidental expenses | 100.00 | ||
| Total | 165.00 | 185.54 | |
| Cash on hand, Aug. 31, 1963 | 182.21 | ||
| Sept. 1-24, 1963: | |||
| Unemployment compensation payments[A14-81] | $132.00 | ||
| Estimated cost of food, clothing, and incidental expenses[A14-82] | $100.00 | ||
| Total | 132.00 | 100.00 | |
| Cash on hand, Sept. 24, 1963 | [A14-83]$214.21 | ||
| Sept. 25-Oct. 2, 1963: | |||
| Mexican trip: | |||
| Estimated transportation cost[A14-84] | 50.55 | ||
| Hotel plus estimated food cost[A14-85] | 18.70 | ||
| Estimated cost of entertainment and miscellaneous items[A14-86] | 15.20 | ||
| Total | 84.45 | ||
| Cash on hand, Oct. 2, 1963 | [A14-87]129.76 | ||
| Oct. 3-31, 1963: | |||
| Unemployment compensation payments[A14-88] | 39.00 | ||
| Net salary[A14-89] | 104.41 | ||
| Rent, rooms and YMCA[A14-90] | 33.25 | ||
| Estimated cost of food, clothing, and incidental expenses[A14-91] | 75.00 | ||
| Total | 143.41 | 108.25 | |
| Cash on hand, Oct. 31, 1963 | 164.92 | ||
| Nov. 1-22, 1963: | |||
| Net salary[A14-92] | 104.41 | ||
| Room rent[A14-93] | 24.00 | ||
| Post office box rental[A14-94] | 3.00 | ||
| American Civil Liberties Union dues[A14-95] | 2.00 | ||
| Bus and taxi fares Nov. 22, 1963[A14-96] | 1.23 | ||
| Estimated cost of food, clothing, and incidental expenses[A14-97] | 75.00 | ||
| Total | 104.41 | 105.23 | |
| Cash on hand, Nov. 22, 1963 | 164.10 | ||
| Grand total, June 13, 1962-Nov. 22, 1963 | 3,665.89 | 3,501.79 | 164.10 |
| Contents of Oswald’s wallet | 170.00 | ||
| Cash taken from Oswald when arrested | 13.87 | ||
| Total | [A14-98]183.87 |
APPENDIX XV
Transactions Between Lee Harvey Oswald and Marina Oswald, and the U.S. Department of State and the Immigration and Naturalization Service of the U.S. Department of Justice
From September 4, 1959, when he applied for his first passport, until shortly before the assassination, Lee Harvey Oswald had numerous dealings with the U.S. Department of State in Washington and with the American Embassy in Moscow. In connection with Marina Oswald’s entry into the United States, the dealings also extended to the Immigration and Naturalization Service of the Department of Justice. During the course of these dealings, the Department of State and the Immigration and Naturalization Service were called upon to decide a series of legal and administrative questions which arose under the laws of this country. In order to determine whether Lee Harvey Oswald or his wife received any treatment not accorded others in similar positions, the Commission has examined the manner in which the transactions with the Oswalds were handled and the manner in which the relevant legal questions were resolved. In light of the facts then available and the applicable statutes, regulations, and practices in force at the time, the Commission has found no indication that the treatment accorded the Oswalds was illegal or different in any respect from the treatment that other persons similarly situated would have received.