They were not interested--and to me it seems very strange that they
were not interested in my conversation at the jail with my son. They
did not even ask if we saw Lee. Yet they knew we left the Adolphus
Hotel in order to go see Lee. But they did not even ask if we saw Lee.
And I have often wondered about that.
So when I told him that we expected to stay there, he said, "Well, Mrs.
Oswald, the reporters will be coming in flocks, they know where you
are. Just a minute."
He got on the telephone. Mr. Allen Grant--they had a Life--the Life
representatives had a room on the ninth floor where they had a lot of
men working on this case, and we were on the 11th, I believe. So Mr.
Allen Grant came down from the ninth floor with another man--I do not
know his name--because the baby's diapers had to be changed and things
of this sort. He said, "Mrs. Oswald"--they left. Tommy Thompson said,
"Mrs. Oswald, what we are going to do is get you on the outskirts of
town, so the reporters won't know where you are, and here is some money
for your expenses in case you need anything."
Well, I took the bill, and I put it in my uniform pocket without
looking at it. That may sound strange to you gentlemen, but this is
confusion. I knew it was money, and I just put it in my uniform pocket.
So Mr. Allen Grant escorted my daughter-in-law and I out of the hotel,
the Adolphus Hotel, and took us to the Executive Inn, which is on the
outskirts of Dallas. We sat in the car. He went in and came out, then,
and said, "Mrs. Oswald, I have arranged for you all to stay here for
2 or 3 days. I have to be back in San Francisco. Anything you want
you have your cash that Mr. Tommy Thompson gave you. And he will be in
touch with you."
Well, I didn't think too much of it. He escorted us with a porter up to
our room.
We had two beautiful suites--two, not one--completed rooms and baths,
adjoining, at the Executive Inn. And that was the last time I had seen
either representative. I was stranded with a Russian girl and two
babies. I didn't realize in the beginning. But then it was time for
food, and I had to order food. I told Marina to stay aside and that I
would let the man in. She stayed in her room. I let this man in with
the food, and then I became uneasy, that he might know who we were is
what I was uneasy about, because I didn't realize the danger actually
Marina and I were in.
I sensed we were alone. And there I was with a Russian girl. And I
didn't want anybody to know who we were, because I knew my son had been
picked up.
So this is where the picture comes in.
While there, Marina--there is an ashtray on the dressing table. And
Marina comes with bits of paper, and puts them in the ashtray and
strikes a match to it. And this is the picture of the gun that Marina
tore up into bits of paper, and struck a match to it.
Now, that didn't burn completely, because it was heavy--not
cardboard--what is the name for it--a photographic picture. So the
match didn't take it completely.
Mr. RANKIN. Had you said anything to her about burning it before that?
Mrs. OSWALD. No, sir. The last time I had seen the picture was in
Marina's shoe when she was trying to tell me that the picture was
in her shoe. I state here now that Marina meant for me to have that
picture, from the very beginning, in Mrs. Paine's home. She said--I
testified before--"Mamma, you keep picture."
And then she showed it to me in the courthouse. And when I refused it,
then she decided to get rid of the picture.
She tore up the picture and struck a match to it. Then I took it and
flushed it down the toilet.
Mr. RANKIN. And what time was this?
Mrs. OSWALD. This--now, just a minute, gentlemen, because this I know
is very important to me and to you, too.
We had been in the jail. This was an evening. Well, this, then, would
be approximately 5:30 or 6 in the evening.
Mr. RANKIN. What day?
Mrs. OSWALD. On Saturday, November 23. Now, I flushed the torn bits and
the half-burned thing down the commode. And nothing was said. There was
nothing said.
Mr. RANKIN. That was at the Executive Inn?
Mrs. OSWALD. At the Executive Inn.
Now, Mr. Hart Odum, the same FBI agent, that insisted upon my
daughter-in-law going with him from the Adolphus Hotel, knocked on the
door at the Executive Inn. I had had my robe and slippers on, and I
pushed the curtain aside when he knocked. He said, "This is Mr. Odum."
So, I opened the door. This is very important. I would like to not talk
about it. I would like to show you what I did. This is so important.
I opened the door just a little, because I had the robe off and I
didn't want anybody to come in. The door is just ajar. I am going to
take my shoes off, gentlemen, because I have this worked out. This is
my height. He said, "Mrs. Oswald, we would like to see Marina."
I said, "Mr. Odum, I stated yesterday you are not going to see Marina.
We are awful tired."
"Well, we just want to ask her one question."
"Mr. Odum, I am not calling my daughter. As a matter of fact, she is
taking a bath."
She wasn't.