The testimony of Mr. Gary E. Taylor was taken at 2 p.m. on March 25,
1964, in the office of the U.S. Attorney, 301 Post Office Building,
Bryan and Ervay Streets, Dallas, Tex., by Mr. Albert E. Jenner, Jr.,
assistant counsel of the President's Commission. Robert T. Davis,
assistant attorney general of Texas, was also present.
Mr. JENNER. Mr. Taylor, will you stand and be sworn please?
In your testimony which you are about to give, do you solemnly swear to
tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you
God?
Mr. TAYLOR. I do.
Mr. JENNER. Mr. Taylor, did you receive recently--I guess it was
last week--a letter from J. Lee Rankin, the general counsel for the
Presidential Assassination Commission----
Mr. TAYLOR. Yes, sir.
Mr. JENNER. Asking if you would appear for the taking of your
deposition?
Mr. TAYLOR. That's true.
Mr. JENNER. And was there included with that letter a copy of the
Executive Order of President Lyndon B. Johnson, No. 11130 of November
29, 1963, in which he appoints and authorizes the Commission and
directs that it prescribe its procedures----
Mr. TAYLOR. Yes.
Mr. JENNER. Together with a copy of the Senate Joint Resolution No.
137 of the 88th Congress, first session, legislatively authorizing the
creation of the Commission?
Mr. TAYLOR. Yes; there was.
Mr. JENNER. Pursuant to that Executive Order and the Senate joint
resolution, the Presidential Assassination Commission is investigating
all the facts and circumstances that it thinks are pertinent to the
assassination of the President and all the facts and circumstances
surrounding it and what led up to it or might have led up to it.
We have, from information which you have voluntarily furnished, and
from other sources, knowledge that you had contacts with the Oswalds
and with persons who, in turn, also had contacts with the Oswalds and
that you might be able to furnish some information which we think might
be helpful.
I am a member of the legal staff of the Commission which, you will
notice from the rules, a staff member is authorized to take depositions
here in Dallas and conduct the examination.
And you appear here voluntarily?
Mr. TAYLOR. Yes.
Mr. JENNER. Now, your full name is Gary--[spelling] G-a-r-y E. Taylor?
Mr. TAYLOR. That's correct.
Mr. JENNER. What's your middle name?
Mr. TAYLOR. Edward.
Mr. JENNER. And you live in Fort Worth--is that correct, sir?
Mr. TAYLOR. No; I live in Dallas.
Mr. JENNER. Dallas? And your address in Dallas?
Mr. TAYLOR. 3948 Orlando Court, apartment 111.
Mr. JENNER. Are you a married man?
Mr. TAYLOR. Yes.
Mr. JENNER. Family?
Mr. TAYLOR. Yes.
Mr. JENNER. How many children?
Mr. TAYLOR. One.
Mr. JENNER. And what is your age?
Mr. TAYLOR. Twenty-three.
Mr. JENNER. You are an American citizen?
Mr. TAYLOR. Yes.
Mr. JENNER. Born here?
Mr. TAYLOR. Yes.
Mr. JENNER. Your wife is an American citizen?
Mr. TAYLOR. Yes.
Mr. JENNER. Born here?
Mr. TAYLOR. Yes.
Mr. JENNER. Your children born here?
Mr. TAYLOR. Yes.
Mr. JENNER. Are you a native of this area of the country?
Mr. TAYLOR. I am a native of Wichita, Kans. I've been in Dallas since
1951.
Mr. JENNER. Did your profession or avocation or vocation or work bring
you to Dallas?
Mr. TAYLOR. No; I moved here with my parents.
Mr. JENNER. Your parents came here. All right. And what is your
business or occupation or profession?
Mr. TAYLOR. I'm a recording engineer for the Sellers Co.
Mr. JENNER. And what is the Sellers Co?
Mr. TAYLOR. A recording company whose primary function is the recording
of radio and television commercials.
Mr. JENNER. And how long have you been in that business?
Mr. TAYLOR. I went to work for them in September.
Mr. JENNER. 1963?
Mr. TAYLOR. Prior to that, I was in the Motion Picture Industry. Yes.
Mr. JENNER. Give me your occupations back through, let us say, 1961.
Mr. TAYLOR. Uh--prior to joining the Sellers Co. in September last, I
was self-employed in the Motion Picture Industry in Dallas as a grip
and assistant cameraman. Before that, I worked at various part-time
jobs and attended college at Arlington State.
Mr. JENNER. Are you a graduate of Arlington State?
Mr. TAYLOR. No; I'm not. I'm a 3-year student.
Mr. JENNER. So, you've had elementary and high school education and 3
years at Arlington State?
Mr. TAYLOR. That's right.
Mr. JENNER. Are you attending there at night--is that a night school?
Mr. TAYLOR. They hold night classes. I'm not attending.
Mr. JENNER. During the time you had your interest, which you still may
have, in--what did you say--photographing?
Mr. TAYLOR. Yes.
Mr. JENNER. What was the nature of that?
Mr. TAYLOR. Oh--it was motion picture work primarily centered around
television commercials.
Mr. JENNER. Are you an amateur camera fan?
Mr. TAYLOR. Just a little bit. I try to carry it on as best I can.
Mr. JENNER. Did you at any time become acquainted with or meet either
Marina or Lee Oswald?
Mr. TAYLOR. Yes.
Mr. JENNER. Which of the two did you meet first?
Mr. TAYLOR. I don't actually remember. I met both of them on the same
day in their home.
Mr. JENNER. On the same occasion?
Mr. TAYLOR. Yes.
Mr. JENNER. Had you had any information about them prior to the time
you met them?
Mr. TAYLOR. Yes; I had.
Mr. JENNER. Now, when was it you met them?
Mr. TAYLOR. I believe it was in September 1962.
Mr. JENNER. Was this a prearranged meeting, an accidental meeting, or
was it a purposeful meeting?
Mr. JENNER. It was prearranged.
Mr. JENNER. Prearranged. All right. We'll get to the purpose in a
moment, if we can defer that for a bit.
Would you tell us the circumstances, persons involved also, that led to
your becoming acquainted in advance with something about the Oswalds
and which led up to the occasion when you met them, as you have now
indicated?
Mr. TAYLOR. All right.
Mr. JENNER. In other words, how did it come about--from the beginning
of the world to the present?
Mr. TAYLOR. Uh--about a week before I met them, uh--my wife was told of
them by either her father or stepmother. That would be either Mr. or
Mrs. George De Mohrenschildt [spelling] D-e M-o-h-r-e-n-s-c-h-i-l-d-t.
Mr. JENNER. Yes. And the first name is George. And do you know the
present Mrs. De Mohrenschildt's first name--given name?
Mr. TAYLOR. It is pronounced Zhon [phonetic].
Mr. JENNER. Pronounced as though it's spelled J-o-n?
Mr. TAYLOR. Yes--uh--it is pronounced as the Dutch would say it--Zhon.
I believe that she uses the French spelling of the name, although I'm
not familiar with it.
Mr. JENNER. Is she sometimes called Jeanne [spelling] J-e-a-n-n-e?
Mr. TAYLOR. Yes. I'm not sure of the "e" on the end of it.
Mr. JENNER. I'd like to back up a moment. Your wife--what was her
maiden name?