that Lee was attending school in Benbrook.
Mr. Jenner. Up to this point what were the relationships between yourself and your brother John? Cordial and normal brother relationships?
Mr. Oswald. I might say then as now they were cordial. We always got along. He was a little bit older than I was, of course. He had his group of friends, I had mine. We got along just fine.
Mr. Jenner. And the relationship of your brother John and yourself on the one hand, and Lee on the other—let us take the 6- to 7- to 8-year-old period.
Mr. Oswald. John and I both, I feel, especially from my side, that we were his big brothers, and when we were around Lee we took care of him. We played together, to some extent, anyway. Perhaps our interests were a little bit different than Lee's at that early age of his life—a spread of 5 years between Lee and I and 7 years between Lee and John.
Mr. Jenner. Yes. That is quite a gap.
A boy 6 years old who has a brother 11 years old—that would be you—and a brother 13 years old, that would be John—at that age, that is quite a gap.
Did you spend much time with him, for example, when you were home during the summer vacations?
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir; I would say we did spend quite a bit of time—both John and I—with Lee.
I recall going fishing, things like that. But mostly I recall staying at the house at Benbrook, the native stone home, out there, and staying within the confines out there, and playing, and staying out there most of the time.
I do recall on a number of occasions that Mr. Ekdahl, my mother, and all three of us would drive into Fort Worth and go to the movie theater, which at that time was the closest one coming in from Benbrook into Fort Worth. I recall going there quite a few times.
Mr. Jenner. Would you relate for us as you recall now the relationships between you and John—between you boys and your mother? Was that a pleasant one? Were there any difficulties that you now recall? Personality-wise, for example.
Mr. Oswald. None that I recall. At that time, I do recall one instance out there at the house, stone house there in Benbrook—my mother was a little upset with Mr. Ekdahl over the fact that—this was, I am sure, the second Christmas we were there from military school.
Mr. Jenner. That would be 1947?
Mr. Oswald. That would be 1947, Christmas 1946. He was showering us with candies, cokes, and so forth. And mother thought that he was overdoing it. And we argued the other way. We was on Mr. Ekdahl's side.
Mr. Jenner. But your relations with your mother, as you recall them now, during this period were pleasant, normal, and you were having no difficulties with her?
Mr. Oswald. No, sir; pleasant memories to me.
Mr. Jenner. Anything other than the difficulties two lively boys have when they are naughty?
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir.
Mr. Dulles. Were you conscious at that time of the growing difficulty between your mother and Mr. Ekdahl? Was that apparent at that time? Or did that only come later?
Mr. Oswald. No, sir. At that time, it was not apparent to me.
Mr. Dulles. At no time was that a factor in your life, particularly?
Mr. Oswald. No, sir. I would say at no time it was. In moving up perhaps there to the time of the divorce and everything, I don't remember when Mr. Ekdahl moved out of the house. At that time we were living on Eighth Avenue in Fort Worth. This was during a summer period there. And I think this was the summer after the second year that we attended there—this would be the summer of 1947.
Mr. Dulles. If it is agreeable, I think we will adjourn for just a minute. It is now 11 o'clock.
Representative Ford. Mr. Dulles, may I suggest that we get what the law was in Texas at the time, as to when children mandatorily had to attend school? I think that can be checked out very simply and put in the record.
Mr. Dulles. Yes. I think that should be in the record.
(Brief recess.)
Mr. Dulles. The Commission will come to order. We will resume, Mr. Jenner, with your questions.
Mr. Jenner. Thank you.
It may well be, Mr. Chairman, that the Exhibits 272 through 275, which although already admitted in evidence, may play some part in these proceedings at some future date. And may I further qualify the exhibits.
Mr. Dulles. Certainly.
Mr. Jenner. Mr. McKenzie, would you be good enough to hand them to the witness?
Would you turn to the second page of Exhibit No. 272, Mr. Oswald? Are you familiar with the signatures on the second page of that exhibit?
Mr. Oswald. Yes, I am.
Mr. Jenner. And would you identify them, please, in the order in which they appear, and state whether or not they are the signatures of the persons who purported to have signed?
Mr. Oswald. My signature, Robert L. Oswald, I signed it. Witnessed by Henry Baer, Joan Connelly, and Pete White. And they are known to me.
Mr. Jenner. Did they affix those signatures in your presence?
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir; they did.
Mr. Jenner. And they are persons known to you?
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir.
Mr. Jenner. Would you identify them for the record?
Mr. Oswald. Mr. Henry Baer is a partner in William A. McKenzie's law firm, in Dallas, Tex.
Mr. Jenner. He is Mr. McKenzie's partner?
Mr. Oswald. Yes.
Miss Joan Connelly is the secretary in that firm.
And Mr. Pete White is an associate partner in the law firm of Mr. McKenzie.
Mr. Jenner. I take it, then, that that document was executed in Mr. McKenzie's office.
Mr. Oswald. That is correct.
Mr. McKenzie. Now, Mr. Jenner, may I interrupt at this point? I would like to add for the record that I was not present at the time that this letter was executed or witnessed. However, I did dictate it in the presence of Mr. Oswald and, of course, to my secretary, and, of course, to my partner, Henry Baer.
Mr. Jenner. Is Miss Connelly your secretary?
Mr. McKenzie. Yes, sir.
Mr. Jenner. Now, would you take the second letter in that group, and give me the exhibit number—turn to the exhibit page and identify the situation similarly, if you are acquainted with them, and state whether it was signed in your presence and where.
Mr. Oswald. Commission Exhibit No. 273—I was not present when this letter was signed.
Mr. Jenner. Does the letter bear your signature?
Mr.
