Mr. RUBY. With Hy, you mean.
Mr. GRIFFIN. With Hy, yes—did you discuss any contacts that Hyman had
had with Jack over the weekend?
Mr. RUBY. I don’t remember.
Mr. GRIFFIN. How long did you remain in Chicago on the 24th?
Mr. RUBY. I just remained overnight and went back to Detroit, because
my wife called me late at night, I don’t know what time it was, very
late anyhow, and she said, “You had better come home. The reporters are
just driving me crazy.” She was terribly upset. So the next morning I
flew back.
Mr. GRIFFIN. While you were in Chicago, did you make any plans with
respect to obtaining an attorney for your brother?
Mr. RUBY. While I was there for that little while?
Mr. GRIFFIN. Yes.
Mr. RUBY. No; but I think if I recall correctly Tom Howard was already
in the picture. I heard his name. I didn’t talk to him, but as far as
I know I heard his name on the air, that he was representing Jack, or
something to that effect. At least I think so. But I don’t know if that
was before I left for Detroit or not.
Mr. GRIFFIN. What was the nature of your meeting with your brothers and
sisters in Chicago?
Mr. RUBY. Well, they were upset and they suggested I come there. So I
came there.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Did you have any discussion as to what you could do for
Jack?
Mr. RUBY. We probably did, but there was nothing definite made, no
definite arrangements. I know that I called, I think, Tom Howard. He
was the first attorney, if you remember, to represent Jack, Monday
morning after I arrived back home, because when I arrived there we had
police at the house already, and the chief of police and my wife came
down to meet me at the plane, and en route back my wife was telling me
how the newspaper reporters were bothering her, they wouldn’t let her
sleep. They were there until 2 o’clock in the morning and whatnot, you
know. So I didn’t know what to do. So I asked the chief of police—his
name is Sackett—a very nice man—what would he suggest. They all wanted
information, a press conference or what. He said, “If I were you,
the only way you are going to get rid of them is give them a press
conference.” But I didn’t know if that was the correct thing to do, so
I am quite sure I called Tom Howard and told him who I was and told him
that all these news people wanted a press conference and what should I
do. And I told him what the sheriff, the police chief, had suggested,
and he says, “Well, there is no harm. You might as well do it and get
it over with.”
So we called a press conference, I think it was, for 2 o’clock in the
afternoon, something like that, and our rabbi came over, Rabbi Adler,
and then I think right after that, I think some special agents called
and came in or came over, and I think there were some there in the
evening. Again, I think they came. And that ended that day. That was
Monday. And then we started talking about attorneys and what to do and
who to use.
Mr. GRIFFIN. You say, “we started talking about it.” Who was this?
Mr. RUBY. I talked to the family, and I talked to—we talked back and
forth so many times. I am talking about Chicago, you know.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Yes.
Mr. RUBY. And I think they were in touch with Dallas. I think Eva and
Sam, they were talking back and forth, more or less continually.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Did you have anything to do with getting Mr. Tonahill into
the case?
Mr. RUBY. Indirectly; yes.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Let me ask you who you directly got into the case, if
anybody?
Mr. RUBY. Belli.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Would you tell us how Mr. Belli came to get into the case?
Mr. RUBY. Jack called. They let him use the phone down there. He talked
to me or someone. Anyhow, we were talking about a lawyer then. We
were all excited about getting the right lawyer. And he mentioned—I
am trying to get it straight in my mind here. Oh, yes; he mentioned
somebody wanted some information on his life or something, a life story
or something, something to that effect, and he said to contact Mike
Shore in California, in Los Angeles, who is a friend of ours, and he
was a pretty well known publicity man.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Did you know Mike Shore before you called?
Mr. RUBY. Oh, yes.
Mr. GRIFFIN. How did you happen to know Mike Shore?
Mr. RUBY. Well, actually, I know him since high school days in Chicago.
He originally lived in Chicago.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Was he a classmate of yours in high school?
Mr. RUBY. No; but he went to the same school, if I remember, and I
really didn’t get acquainted with him until after we got out of school.
Mr. GRIFFIN. What was your acquaintance with Mike Shore after you got
out of school?
Mr. RUBY. Just on a general hello and how are you basis, nothing real
close.
Mr. GRIFFIN. But in what connection would you see him?