after Lee's defection. I read where the Secret Service were investigating the family background, and I mistook it for the FBI. So I called the FBI and he came to my home. And he is the agent who recommended me to talk to Jim Wright and Sam Rayburn as a friend, and to write the letters.
Now, the one point I am going to bring out is this. When Lee returned from Russia and was at Robert's home, Mr. Fain—in the meantime he had come over to Robert and talked to him several times, and to me, supposedly as a friend—he said he was not on the case. I do not know this. But he came to Robert's home and said to Lee—my daughter-in-law is a witness there—"Lee, I am not on the case, but I would like you voluntarily to come to the office at your convenience and tell me your story, because I am interested in your case. Your mother was the one who contacted me. And I have been to see Robert. And I am quite interested in a young boy going to Russia. And you must have a story."
So Lee voluntarily went with Mr. Fain to the FBI office.
Then when Lee returned, his remark was "Well, he didn't believe me. He wanted me to take a lie detector test, which I refused."
Now, Mr. John Fain may have the story we are looking for, you see—because Lee went and gave the story.
And I want to make sure you know where he is now.
I have information from Senator Mike Monroney that in March—I am ahead of my story.
The FBI agents now in Fort Worth have told me they do not know Mr. John Fain. I said I happen to know that is his name.
"Well, Mrs. Oswald, I worked in this office 9 years, and there has never been such a person as Mr. John Fain."
So I have investigated. And Senator Mike Monroney gave this information. He did work in the Fort Worth office from March 1949 to October 1962, and then he retired in January 15, 1963. He is not a man to retire as far as age, as far as I am concerned. I don't think Mr. John Fain is that old.
The Chairman. We will check that out.
Mrs. Oswald. I have his last address in Houston, if you don't have it.
All right. Fine.
Now, one thing about Lee being an agent I read.
The neighbors that were interviewed in Fort Worth, Tex., by the FBI—this is from newspaper accounts—said that Lee always walked a few feet in front of his wife when they went walking, and they wondered about that, because it was very strange that he should walk ahead. I am speculating maybe, but maybe there is a reason that Lee would walk ahead to protect his wife.
That is my reasoning—as an agent.
The letter that is missing—and Mr. Doyle can verify this—the first letter to Lee is missing, that Lee wrote to me, rather, from Russia. And this letter stated—and it seemed to me, Mr. Rankin, I have seen it in one of the magazines—as I have stated I have sold several of Lee's letters. And maybe in the rush the letter got lost or stolen, I don't know.
But his first letter, he told me not to send him any money.
"I repeat, do not send any money as it is not necessary for you to pay me back. You could send reading matter. I am lonesome to read. Also, send a can of Rise Shaving Cream, a Gillette Razor," and there was a book he wanted to read, I believe it was 1984.
Mr. Rankin. What date was this you sent that?
Mrs. Oswald. This is a letter Lee sent to me that is missing—the first letter that Lee sent to me. And why I sent the money—because I had used his income tax return, which was $33, because Lee was lost—and I was destitute, and I knew Lee would never prosecute his mother for using his money, because Lee would help me.
Mr. Rankin. You mean that was a refund.
Mrs. Oswald. A refund. And I got the refund and used it, sir. And I also used Lee's first check that came from the Marines. And I had no way of knowing where Lee was. And I used it. And so I offered to pay Lee back. And this letter has been printed. I have seen it. But I do not have it. So that is very important.
Mr. Doyle. As you had mentioned, you and I went through the papers that you had brought with you from your home in Texas to Washington, and we did not find such a letter among those papers.
Mrs. Oswald. That is right. I have those letters laminated, and I didn't give a list, and if it was taken I don't know what became of the letter.
Mr. Rankin. Mr. Liebeler said he had seen references to the letter.
Mrs. Oswald. References. And I am sure it was probably one of the letters I had sold, as I told you.
Yes, sir, you are correct there.
Now, there is another thing that we have skipped.
While in Dallas 2 weeks ago I had a press conference, and I called Jaggars-Chiles-Stovall Inc., 522 Browder, in Dallas.
Now, this is a printing shop, where Lee worked.
Now, this is another thing.
Mr. Rankin. That was the photoengraving place that you talked about, wasn't it, in your testimony?
Mrs. Oswald. Photoengraving place. I talked to Mr. Stovall. Now, Lee was employed there, he informs me, from October 12th to April 6th, and I asked him about the young couple coming to the house, if he was the father of the girl, or if he knew of a couple who had a Russian—the girl had a Russian father, the grandfather, as I testified.
Mr. Rankin. What did he say about that?
Mrs. Oswald. No, sir, he said, no. And he didn't know about that. He said—this is the part—that Lee had worked at a place prior to his place. That is not so, and I can prove it. I was on an OB case for Mrs. Rosenthal. We will have to get a 1962 calendar. October 12th, or thereabouts, is when I was released from this OB case. And this was the Sunday that I asked to get off an hour or two, and went to Lee's house, and saw this couple.
Mr. Rankin. October 12th was a Friday.
Mrs. Oswald. Was a Friday. All right.
Now, so, let's see where I am.
This woman would not give me the information, of her last check to me. I tried and tried, and told her how important it was. It was a Friday. So then it would have to be, then, Mr. Rankin, the week before—the Sunday of the week before then.
Mr. Rankin. That would be October 7, 1962.
Mrs. Oswald. I am still going to try to investigate this thoroughly, because it is very important.
He claimed that Lee worked another place first.
Now, do you know if Lee——
The Chairman. Let's don't—we will go into those things.
Mrs. Oswald. But if you don't know, Chief Justice Warren, how will you go into it?
The Chairman. Please don't turn this into examining the Commission. We will go into those things very thoroughly.
Just go ahead with your story.
Mrs. Oswald. Well, this is a lie, and I want to know about this lie.
