Monday morning—shall I continue?
Mr. Stern. Yes.
Mr. Hosty. On Monday morning, I made a pretext telephone call to the Texas School Book Depository. I called up and asked for the personnel department, asked if a Lee Oswald was employed there. They said yes, he was. I said what address does he show? They said 2515 West Fifth Street, Irving, Tex., which I knew not to be his correct address.
I then sent a communication, airmail communication to the New Orleans office advising them—and to the headquarters of the FBI advising them—and then instructing the New Orleans office to make the Dallas office the office of origin. We were now assuming control, because he had now been verified in our division.
Representative Ford. When you say you made several other checks on the way to the office, did this involve——
Mr. Hosty. Not in this case; other cases. I run anywhere from 25 to 40 cases any one time. I have to work them all, fit them in as I go.
Representative Ford. These other checks did not involve this case?
Mr. Hosty. No; other cases I was working on.
Mr. Stern. Mr. Hosty, at your interview on November 1 with Mrs. Paine, do you recall whether you asked her whether there was any telephone number that she knew of where Lee Harvey Oswald could be reached?
Mr. Hosty. No, sir; I didn't ask her about a telephone number; no, sir.