The testimony of Helen Markham was taken at 10 a.m., on July 23, 1364,
in the office of the U.S. attorney, 301 Post Office Building, Bryan
and Ervay Streets, Dallas, Tex., by Mr. Wesley J. Liebeler, assistant
counsel of the President's Commission.
Mr. LIEBELER. Will you stand and take the oath, please? Do you solemnly
swear the testimony you are about to give will be the truth, the whole
truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
Mrs. MARKHAM. I do.
Mr. LIEBELER. My name is Wesley J. Liebeler [spelling] L-i-e-b-e-l-e-r.
I am an attorney on the staff of the President's Commission
investigating the assassination of President Kennedy. I have been
authorized to take your testimony for the Commission pursuant to
authority granted it by the President in Executive Order No. 11130,
dated November 29, 1963, and joint resolution of Congress No. 137. I
think you are somewhat familiar with the proceedings of the Commission
because you have already testified before the Commission in Washington;
is that right?
Mrs. MARKHAM. Yes; but you know, I don't know nothing about the
Kennedys--President Kennedy.
Mr. LIEBELER. I understand you were there when Oswald shot Officer
Tippit?
Mrs. MARKHAM. Yes; that's right.
Mr. LIEBELER. Since you are familiar with the Commission's procedure,
I'll just go right into your testimony. I wanted to ask you some
questions about some of the things you told the Commission when you
appeared before it on March 26, 1964, when Mr. Ball took your testimony
before the Commission.
Mrs. MARKHAM. Yes.
Mr. LIEBELER. Do you remember at that time that Mr. Ball asked you the
question, "Did you ever talk to a New York lawyer who said he was from
New York?" And that you answered, "No, sir." Mr. Ball then asked you,
"Did you ever talk to a lawyer who was investigating the case on behalf
of the deceased man, Lee Oswald?" Your answer was, "No, sir." Mr. Ball
asked, "Did you ever talk to a man who said he was representing the
mother of Lee Oswald?" And you answered, "No, sir." And then Mr. Ball
asked you, "You don't remember ever talking to a man named Mark Lane?"
And then you answered, No, sir."
Mrs. MARKHAM. Right.
Mr. LIEBELER. Do you remember giving that testimony at that time?
Mrs. MARKHAM. Yes, sir.
Mr. LIEBELER. Have you ever talked to Mark Lane?
Mrs. MARKHAM. No; I haven't--I haven't never seen the man in my life.
Mr. LIEBELER. Have you ever talk to Mark Lane on the telephone?
Mrs. MARKHAM. No.
Mr. LIEBELER. And you remember that Congressman Ford specifically, and
Mr. Dulles, asked you whether or not you had talked to Mark Lane on the
telephone and you told them at that time that you had not talked to
Mark Lane?
Mrs. MARKHAM. No, sir; I have never seen the man. If he was to come in
here, I wouldn't know who he was.
Mr. LIEBELER. Now, aside from the fact you have never seen the man, you
also told the Commission when you were in Washington that you had never
talked to him over the telephone?
Mrs. MARKHAM. Right.
Mr. LIEBELER. Have you talked to Mark Lane over the telephone since you
were in Washington, before today?
Mrs. MARKHAM. No, sir.
Mr. LIEBELER. You have never talked to Mark Lane over the telephone?
Mrs. MARKHAM. No, sir; no, sir. Now, the old lady, and they told me
they were reporters, came to my house.
Mr. LIEBELER. Right, but you have no recollection of ever talking to
him yourself?
Mrs. MARKHAM. I never even talked to her even.
Mr. LIEBELER. Well, now, I'll tell you very frankly, that we have a
tape recording of a conversation that purports to be a conversation
between you and Mark Lane on the telephone and I have a transcript
which we will mark as Markham Exhibit No. 1----