Mr. Ford. Well, yes; I think he was erratic enough in his behavior throughout his whole life to indicate that. Of course, I have read a lot about his life since the assassination, so it is not all opinion I formed prior to the assassination.
It is hard for me to distinguish which things I thought before the assassination from those I have thought about since the assassination.
Mr. Liebeler. In that respect let me ask you this question: Were you surprised when you heard that Oswald had been charged with the assassination?
Mr. Ford. Yes, I was.
Mr. Liebeler. Did you think on the basis of your knowledge of him before the assassination that he would have been capable of such a thing?
Mr. Ford. No; I wouldn't have thought so prior to the assassination and when I first heard he was picked up, I first thought, well, as I said to my wife, "This nut has gone down and got himself mixed up just to get some publicity."
Representative Ford. You said that to your wife?
Mr. Ford. Yes; that was my first opinion. When I heard that Lee Oswald was the man arrested, and I said I think I said, "This idiot has got himself arrested and got himself mixed up to get some publicity".
Mr. Liebeler. What made you say that?
Mr. Ford. Again, I considered him to be erratic and unpredictable, I don't know how to explain the things that he would do.