Mr. LIEBELER. This would indicate that all together, he had first
issued instructions that mail should be forwarded from box 2915 in
Dallas to box 30061 in New Orleans, and this would now indicate that
mail was to be forwarded to 2515 West Fifth Street in Irving, Tex.,
and that is dated October 11, 1963. Now, there are several postmarks
appearing on this form. There is one Dallas postmark of October 16
on both sides, and there is also a postmark in New Orleans, which is
difficult to read, but it is sometime in October. Now you suggested
perhaps October 11, 1963. What do you interpret happened with regard
to this notice, Post Office Department Form 3546? Can you tell from
looking at it where, in the ordinary course of events, he would have
first prepared this form?
Mr. HOLMES. That would have been prepared in New Orleans and dropped
in the mailbox. He would have prepared that at a station, because they
have filled the front in and crossed it out. In fact, they hand these
out at the stations. He has gone into the station probably where he
had this box. In the normal course of the patron's activities he would
have gone into that station where that box is and said, "I want my mail
forwarded." All right, fill this out.
It looks like they might have filled it out for him. It doesn't look
too much like his writing. But they would have filled this out to show
that mail from this box should not be sent to New Orleans, but sent to
Irving, so the post office would send that up to Dallas where this box
is at the main office, and they would have that on file here.
Mr. LIEBELER. Box 2915, you mean? That address here?
Mr. HOLMES. Here is a photocopy of box 2915 application, and it will
show it was closed on May 14, 1963, which is this red figure up here.
So when they got that in here in Dallas, they would have put this red
mark on there for some reason to show when the box was closed, and then
they would keep this in their file as instructions until they got some
other instructions.
Mr. LIEBELER. Isn't it possible that this form which, well, do you have
a photostatic of this form we have been talking about?
Mr. HOLMES. I don't believe so.
Mr. LIEBELER. Let me mark this original one for the record then, if I
may.
Mr. HOLMES. That is all right.
Mr. LIEBELER. I have initialed this Post Office Department Form 3546,
which has been marked "Holmes Exhibit No. 3-A on deposition of July 23,
1964," and I would like to have you initial it also for the purpose of
identification.
(Mr. Holmes initials.)
Mr. LIEBELER. I want to ask you some more questions about Holmes
Exhibit No. 3, which is postmarked, as we have indicated, October 16,
in Dallas, and also bears a postmark in New Orleans which I think is
October 11.
Mr. HOLMES. My best educated guess is the 11th.
Mr. LIEBELER. Let me come bluntly to the point. My problem is this.
Oswald wasn't in New Orleans on October 11. He was in Dallas.
Mr. HOLMES. Now, he could have filled that out here. It could have been
mailed to New Orleans for forwarding the mail up from there. He could
have mailed it from some other post office, and they would have mailed
it. But they would have had to enclose it in an envelope.
Mr. LIEBELER. Yes; because it is addressed to the postmaster in Dallas,
Tex., and just as sure as anything it has a New Orleans postmark on it.
Mr. HOLMES. Yes; prior to the Dallas one, if we read the New Orleans
one correctly.
Mr. LIEBELER. The New Orleans is hard to read, but it certainly is an
October postmark.
Mr. HOLMES. That is the reason I wanted you to read the memo, because
the hours are down there and are different from that.
Mr. LIEBELER. Now the New Orleans Post Office inspector, or an
inspector in the office of New Orleans, has advised you that Oswald
filled out a form 3575?
Mr. HOLMES. That is the regular forwarding order.
Mr. LIEBELER. And he did that on September 24; is that correct? Or
September 25?
Mr. HOLMES. September 24.
Mr. LIEBELER. September 24, 1963, and his box down there was closed
on September 26, presumably pursuant to the order that was mailed to
them under postmark of September 24, 1963. Now has the Post Office
Department in New Orleans given you any advice at all, as far as you
can tell, concerning this Post Office Department Form 3546, which we
have marked Holmes Exhibit No. 3-A?
Mr. HOLMES. No; other than their postmark on there. There is no
endorsement there. But you see, Lafayette Station is in New Orleans,
and it looks like that was completed by the person at Lafayette Station.
Mr. LIEBELER. Inasmuch as that is exactly what it says.
Mr. HOLMES. If that were completed in some other post office, they
wouldn't know that box was in Lafayette Station.
Mr. LIEBELER. Let me suggest this. There is not the slightest evidence
that Oswald ever filled that form out or ever saw it?
Mr. HOLMES. No; that is right.
Mr. LIEBELER. Because it is perfectly obvious this isn't his
handwriting.
Mr. HOLMES. That is my opinion, too.
Mr. LIEBELER. So apparently somebody in the New Orleans Post Office
filled this form out?
Mr. HOLMES. They could have done it over a telephone instruction,
long-distance telephone call.
Mr. LIEBELER. Well, they could have done that from the records they
had in their possession, because he already had filled out a Post
Office Department 3575 instructing to forward mail from Post Office Box
30061 to 2515 West Fifth Street in Irving, which they had received, of
course, on September 24?
Mr. HOLMES. Yes.
Mr. LIEBELER. Well, in any event, we will add this to the pile.
Mr. HOLMES. It is an original card.
Mr. LIEBELER. Let the record show Mr. Holmes has delivered to us the
original card which has been marked as Holmes Exhibit No. 1-A.
I don't think I have any other questions. I have cleared up the basic
problems we had. Of course, you managed to raise a few more, and I
appreciate that. Thank you very much. As I understand it at this point,
Mr. Holmes, you have given to us or to the FBI, all of the papers that
you found so far in your files relating to Lee Harvey Oswald, is that
correct?
Mr. HOLMES. Yes; you have every original document or item that I have
come in contact with in this business.
Mr. LIEBELER. Between us and the FBI?
Mr. HOLMES. Yes, sir.