Mr. Ruby. And the trip down to Cuba—I’m getting things confused now.
Mr. Alexander. Let’s let him write that.
Mr. Specter. Mr. Ruby, we have conferred with all parties here on the substance of the questions to be asked. Naturally, we have limitations in time and we can only ask them in a short series. We have conferred with Mr. Fowler, we have conferred with Mr. Wade and with Mr. Alexander here, and naturally also, the interest of the Commission is paramount, and we are doing our very best not to interfere with the State criminal proceedings. We do not wish to take sides at all nor to influence it in any way. We want to accomplish the purpose of the Commission. Those interests overlap to some extent because whenever we ask a Commission question, it has collateral bearings on a great many things, but to the extent that we can, we have conferred, as I say, with the defense counsel and the representatives of the district attorney’s office in arriving at the questions which have been asked, and I think we will cover before this examination is concluded the important areas. Now, at the end of it, if you feel that there is some other area that you would like to have covered, we would be very willing to hear your request and to accommodate you to the maximum extent possible consistent with the policy of the Commission.
Mr. Ruby. Mr. Alexander knows certain questions that he has in his mind that haven’t come out and I think I know what he’s thinking about.
Mr. Specter. Well, Mr. Alexander has talked to me about some questions that I’m sure he would prefer on the record and we have taken those into account in formulating our questions. Isn’t that so, Mr. Alexander?
Mr. Alexander. Yes, sir. I think what Jack has in mind is that he wants an opportunity to answer a question regarding any possible connection with anything in Cuba. Also, he wants a question asked that will give him an opportunity to explain that the gun which he asked Ray Brantley to mail to McWillie in Las Vegas——
Mr. Ruby. Not to Vegas, to Cuba, and all I did was to receive a phone call, and this was—I told this to the Warren Commission—and this was during the time when we were very friendly together.
Mr. Alexander. That was in 1958.
Mr. Ruby. All I did was relay the phone message to Ray Brantley, and he said, “Oh, I know Mr. McWillie very well,” and following that I never followed up or seen him. Now, this is incriminating for me because all I did—like a tool—got myself involved by relating a message that somebody else wanted. Now, this was during peacetime because he wanted protection from the foreign element coming in.
Mr. Alexander. Jack relayed the message that McWillie wanted a Smith & Wesson or some kind of a .38.