man gave you?
Mrs. Oswald. No, not even yet.
Mr. Rankin. All right.
Mrs. Oswald. So I signed for the food. I called the operator and I asked the operator what name the room was registered under. She said, "Well, this is an unusual request. Don't you know what room—what name?"
I said, "Frankly, I don't. We are three couples. I don't know which name they used."
So she told me that the room was registered under Mrs. Allen Grant, which is the name of the Life representative. So I charged and signed. And they would have that for proof—Mrs. Allen Grant, on the food.
Mr. Rankin. Why did you say three couples?
Mrs. Oswald. I just said that to the operator, because I had to give her a reason why I didn't know which name the room was registered under.
So I just wanted to elaborate a little bit—let her know. I didn't want to give my name. Because I was by this time a little concerned about the situation.
During the night I thought—"We are in a position here, I am in a position with a Russian girl and two babies, and I just don't know what to do."
I had no contact with Robert. Robert was trying to get an attorney. And I didn't know if Robert knew where we were. And I did not want to call Mrs. Paine. I wanted to stay clear of Mrs. Paine.
So this is a very unusual coincidence.
Now, I have to go back a little bit. But, believe me, gentlemen, the story will get together for you to understand.
About 1 month prior to this, there was an ad in a Fort Worth paper that the public library was going to have language lessons, and one was Russian classes.
Well, I then, as I told you—I was employed for the 3 to 11 shift. And I was getting a day off. And this would have been a steady job because this woman was not that sick, just an invalid.
So I decided on my day off I wanted to do something. So I decided I would call up about it, and on my day off—make Tuesday my day off and take up Russian in case—because I had always hoped in my heart that Marina and Lee would contact me some day. After all, I am a mother first.
So I went to the library. And Mr. Peter Gregory was the instructor.
Now, you must remember—I did not know that he knew Marina and Lee. This is public notice for the Russian language.
So Mr. Peter Gregory is the instructor.
I went to the second class. My car broke down just one block from the library, and I had to have it towed, and I went to the class. And Mr. Peter Gregory was there, and several of the women waiting for his classes to start. I said I don't imagine I will learn anything, because my car has broken down and I am pretty upset. And Mr. Gregory said, "Where do you live, Mrs. Oswald? Maybe I could help you and take you home." And the other couple said, "We would be happy."
And I said I live in Arlington Heights. And he happens to live about 10 blocks away.
Now, I have to go back.
The point I am going to make is this: Mr. Peter Gregory is the engineer who knew my son Robert, who was friends with Lee and Marina. Yet when I registered for a class, and the librarian had come back down before the class, and read off the names of the people that were going to take the Spanish lesson, isn't it peculiar that Mr. Gregory did not remember me as the mother of Lee—didn't acknowledge me as the mother of Lee? I find that very peculiar.
Even the second lesson, there was no acknowledgment.
So I went home with Mr. Peter Gregory. And there was still no acknowledgment.
So we were talking about the Russian language, that is is very hard to learn. And I said, "I am sure I will never master it." And I thought I think I will tell him why I want to take lessons is because of my Russian daughter-in-law, and my son speaks Russian. But I didn't do it.
But I am going to point out again that Mr. Gregory did not acknowledge me.
I am going to give and take. Maybe he didn't connect me. But it would seem very odd—Mrs. Marguerite Oswald was the name—that he didn't connect as Marina's mother-in-law and Lee's mother, when he was such a friend with them.
Mr. Rankin. I am not clear as to what lessons you were taking.
Mrs. Oswald. Russian lessons at the public library in Fort Worth, Tex., and Mr. Gregory was the teacher.
Mr. Rankin. You said something about Spanish.
Mrs. Oswald. Oh, did I? I am sorry. No, sir, the Russian language.
The Chairman. What days were these?
Mr. Rankin. What days were these that you talked to Mr. Gregory?
Mrs. Oswald. You mean the Russian language?
Mr. Rankin. Yes.
Mrs. Oswald. I do not have this information. But I can get it for you from the public library, because there was a public notice in the paper.
Mr. Rankin. Can you tell us approximately?
Mrs. Oswald. Yes, it was just right before the assassination. I had taken two lessons. Yes, I had taken two lessons, and then I didn't go for the third lesson, because this was on a Friday—the lessons were on a Tuesday. So I had taken two lessons, the two Tuesdays prior to the assassination.
Mr. Rankin. I see.
So it would be around a little over 3 weeks before the assassination?
Mrs. Oswald. Yes, sir. Two Tuesdays before, and then my next lesson would have been the Tuesday after the Friday of the assassination.
Yes, sir, that is the time.
So then I thought of Mr. Gregory.
Now, believe me, gentlemen—and I will swear again, if you want me to—nothing was said about Mr. Gregory and Marina being friends. But I do have a guardian angel. And, as I go along, some of the things I know have been from this guardian angel.
This was just a coincidence.
I thought of calling Mr. Peter Gregory. I have no friends in Fort Worth. I never—I live a very lonely life. I am not lonely. But I live to myself. I am kept very busy. I had my work, 24 hour duty. So really I have no friends. And because of Lee's defection, I didn't make any new friends.
So I am racking my mind who can I call for help. And I think of Mr. Peter Gregory. So I call Mr. Peter Gregory at 6:30 in the morning, Sunday, the 24th—Sunday morning the 24th.
And I didn't want the hotel operator to know who I was. So I gave a fictitious name. He said, "I am sorry,"—I said, "I can't tell you who I am, Mr. Gregory."
I am ahead of my story.
Marina, when I said, "Marina, we need help, honey. I am going to call a Mr. Gregory."
And I told her about me taking Russian lessons.
"Oh,
