Post by Arjan Hut on Sept 13, 2020 9:54:14 GMT -5
Some more information / background on the notebook
(original post: 119 George De Mohrenschildt's address book)
From Edward J. Epstein's diary, March 29, 1977:
I asked whether he had any proof the inscribed photograph existed. He offered to make the photograph available to men through his lawyer, Pat Russell, and I could verify the handwriting of Oswald's and Marina's. He then opened up his thick black address book and wrote out Russell's phone number.
It was now 1:30 p.m. and we decided to break for lunch. We agreed to meet again at 3 p.m. Just after De Mohrenschildt left the room I noticed that he had left his address book on the couch and mentioned it to Nancy. A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door. I realized he had returned for his address book which I handed back to him. It was the last time I saw him.
David Bludworth, The State's Attorney, was a folksy, charming and savvy interrogator. He began by telling me that De Mohrenschildt had put a shotgun in his mouth and killed himself at 3:45 p.m. There were no witnesses— and no one home at the time of the shooting. The precise time of his death was established by a tape-recorder, left running that afternoon to record the soap operas for the absent Mrs. Tilton, and which recorded a single set of footfalls in the room and the blast of the shotgun, which was found on the Persian carpet next to him. No suicide note or other clue was found. He said I was probably the last person to talk to him. Then, he asked whether I had in my possession De Mohrenschildt's black address book. I replied "No." He politely rephrased the question, and asked me again--about a half-dozen times, whether I had the black book. (I wondered whether this line of questioning proceeded from De Mohrenschildt having told someone else that he had left his book in my room— or, even somehow my remark that he had left his book had been overheard.)
Gradually, the questioning became more relaxed and Nancy and went for a drink with Bludworth. He then told us that De Mohrenschildt's sudden death had caused "havoc" in Washington. The House Select Committee on Assassinations believed that De Mohrenschildt was a "crucial witness" and, for the past week, had the FBI search for him in three countries. Just that day, after locating him in Palm Beach, the Committee had dispatched one of its investigators to subpoena him. Bludworth knew this, he continued, because that investigator's card had been found at the Tilton mansion. Bludworth's theory was that De Mohrenschildt returned from his interview with me, saw the card, realized he was going to have to testify on this subject, and, not being able to face that ordeal, killed himself with the shotgun.
I asked at this point why he was concerned about the missing black book.
"Don't worry about that," he answered.
The banner headline of the New York Post that night was "KEY JFK WITNESS KILLS HIMSELF."
More on DeMohrenschildt:
284 George DeMohrenschildt's address book (2)
373 DeMohrenschildt suïcide tape recording
(original post: 119 George De Mohrenschildt's address book)
From Edward J. Epstein's diary, March 29, 1977:
I asked whether he had any proof the inscribed photograph existed. He offered to make the photograph available to men through his lawyer, Pat Russell, and I could verify the handwriting of Oswald's and Marina's. He then opened up his thick black address book and wrote out Russell's phone number.
It was now 1:30 p.m. and we decided to break for lunch. We agreed to meet again at 3 p.m. Just after De Mohrenschildt left the room I noticed that he had left his address book on the couch and mentioned it to Nancy. A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door. I realized he had returned for his address book which I handed back to him. It was the last time I saw him.
David Bludworth, The State's Attorney, was a folksy, charming and savvy interrogator. He began by telling me that De Mohrenschildt had put a shotgun in his mouth and killed himself at 3:45 p.m. There were no witnesses— and no one home at the time of the shooting. The precise time of his death was established by a tape-recorder, left running that afternoon to record the soap operas for the absent Mrs. Tilton, and which recorded a single set of footfalls in the room and the blast of the shotgun, which was found on the Persian carpet next to him. No suicide note or other clue was found. He said I was probably the last person to talk to him. Then, he asked whether I had in my possession De Mohrenschildt's black address book. I replied "No." He politely rephrased the question, and asked me again--about a half-dozen times, whether I had the black book. (I wondered whether this line of questioning proceeded from De Mohrenschildt having told someone else that he had left his book in my room— or, even somehow my remark that he had left his book had been overheard.)
Gradually, the questioning became more relaxed and Nancy and went for a drink with Bludworth. He then told us that De Mohrenschildt's sudden death had caused "havoc" in Washington. The House Select Committee on Assassinations believed that De Mohrenschildt was a "crucial witness" and, for the past week, had the FBI search for him in three countries. Just that day, after locating him in Palm Beach, the Committee had dispatched one of its investigators to subpoena him. Bludworth knew this, he continued, because that investigator's card had been found at the Tilton mansion. Bludworth's theory was that De Mohrenschildt returned from his interview with me, saw the card, realized he was going to have to testify on this subject, and, not being able to face that ordeal, killed himself with the shotgun.
I asked at this point why he was concerned about the missing black book.
"Don't worry about that," he answered.
The banner headline of the New York Post that night was "KEY JFK WITNESS KILLS HIMSELF."
More on DeMohrenschildt:
284 George DeMohrenschildt's address book (2)
373 DeMohrenschildt suïcide tape recording