Chief Justice WARREN. No.
Mr. RUBY. That created a tremendous emotional feeling for me, the way
he said that. Prior to all the other times, I was carried away.
Then that Saturday night, I didn't do anything but visit a little club
over here and had a Coca-Cola, because I was sort of depressed. A
fellow that owns the Pago Club, Bob Norton, and he knew something was
wrong with me in the certain mood I was in.
And I went home and that weekend, the Sunday morning, and saw a letter
to Caroline, two columns about a 16-inch area. Someone had written a
letter to Caroline. The most heartbreaking letter. I don't remember the
contents. Do you remember that?
Mr. MOORE. I think I saw it.
Mr. RUBY. Yes; and alongside that letter on the same sheet of paper was
a small comment in the newspaper that, I don't know how it was stated,
that Mrs. Kennedy may have to come back for the trial of Lee Harvey
Oswald.
That caused me to go like I did; that caused me to go like I did.
I don't know, Chief Justice, but I got so carried away. And I remember
prior to that thought, there has never been another thought in my mind;
I was never malicious toward this person. No one else requested me to
do anything.
I never spoke to anyone about attempting to do anything. No subversive
organization gave me any idea. No underworld person made any effort to
contact me. It all happened that Sunday morning.
The last thing I read was that Mrs. Kennedy may have to come back to
Dallas for trial for Lee Harvey Oswald, and I don't know what bug got
ahold of me. I don't know what it is, but I am going to tell the truth
word for word.
I am taking a pill called Preludin. It is a harmless pill, and it is
very easy to get in the drugstore. It isn't a highly prescribed pill. I
use it for dieting.
I don't partake of that much food. I think that was a stimulus to give
me an emotional feeling that suddenly I felt, which was so stupid, that
I wanted to show my love for our faith, being of the Jewish faith, and
I never used the term and I don't want to go into that--suddenly the
feeling, the emotional feeling came within me that someone owed this
debt to our beloved President to save her the ordeal of coming back. I
don't know why that came through my mind.
And I drove past Main Street, past the County Building, and there was a
crowd already gathered there. And I guess I thought I knew he was going
to be moved at 10 o'clock, I don't know. I listened to the radio; and I
passed a crowd and it looked--I am repeating myself--and I took it for
granted he had already been moved.
And I parked my car in the lot across from the Western Union. Prior
to that, I got a call from a little girl--she wanted some money--that
worked for me, and I said, "Can't you wait till payday?" And she said,
"Jack, you are going to be closed."
So my purpose was to go to the Western Union--my double purpose--but
the thought of doing, committing the act wasn't until I left my
apartment.
Sending the wire was when I had the phone call--or the money order.
I drove down Main Street--there was a little incident I left out, that
I started to go down a driveway, but I wanted to go by the wreaths, and
I saw them and started to cry again.
Then I drove, parked the car across from the Western Union, went into
the Western Union, sent the money order, whatever it was, walked the
distance from the Western Union to the ramp--I didn't sneak in. I
didn't linger in there.
I didn't crouch or hide behind anyone, unless the television camera can
make it seem that way.
There was an officer talking--I don't know what rank he had--talking to
a Sam Pease in a car parked up on the curb.
I walked down those few steps, and there was the person that--I
wouldn't say I saw red--it was a feeling I had for our beloved
President and Mrs. Kennedy, that he was insignificant to what my
purpose was.
And when I walked down the ramp--I would say there was an 8-foot
clearance--not that I wanted to be a hero, or I didn't realize that
even if the officer would have observed me, the klieg lights, but I
can't take that.
I did not mingle with the crowd. There was no one near me when I walked
down that ramp, because if you will time the time I sent the money
order, I think it was 10:17 Sunday morning.
I think the actual act was committed--I take that back--was it 11
o'clock? You should know this.
Mr. MOORE. 11:21.
Mr. RUBY. No; when Oswald was shot.
Mr. MOORE. I understood it to be 11:22.
Mr. RUBY. The clock stopped and said 11:21. I was watching on that
thing; yes. Then it must have been 11:17, closer to 18. That is the
timing when I left the Western Union to the time of the bottom of the
ramp.
You wouldn't have time enough to have any conspiracy, to be
self-saving, to mingle with the crowd, as it was told about me.
I realize it is a terrible thing I have done, and it was a stupid
thing, but I just was carried away emotionally. Do you follow that?
Chief Justice WARREN. Yes; I do indeed, every word.
Mr. RUBY. I had the gun in my right hip pocket, and impulsively, if
that is the correct word here, I saw him, and that is all I can say.
And I didn't care what happened to me.
I think I used the words, "You killed my President, you rat." The next
thing, I was down on the floor.