Representative BOGGS. "Wanted for Treason"?
Mr. JENNER. Commission Exhibit No. 996.
Mr. SURREY. No.
Representative BOGGS. That was not included?
Mr. SURREY. No.
Representative BOGGS. You didn't make that a part of the record of the
events surrounding the assassination of President Kennedy?
Mr. SURREY. I did not make it a part of the record?
Representative BOGGS. In this record that you published.
Mr. SURREY. I had nothing to do with making it a part of the record.
Representative BOGGS. You published the book, didn't you?
Mr. SURREY. Yes; but these were newspaper reprints.
Representative BOGGS. You published this, too, didn't you?
Mr. SURREY. No, sir.
Representative BOGGS. You didn't publish it?
Mr. SURREY. No, sir.
The CHAIRMAN. You are speaking of the book now?
Representative BOGGS. I am talking about your printing company.
Mr. SURREY. You are talking about my printing company?
Representative BOGGS. The company you work for.
Mr. SURREY. Yes, Johnson Printing Co.
Representative BOGGS. Didn't you publish this?
Mr. SURREY. No.
Representative BOGGS. Who printed it?
Mr. SURREY. I decline to answer on the grounds it may tend to
incriminate me.
Representative BOGGS. Mr. Chairman, I, of course, fully appreciate
the right of the witness to plead the fifth amendment. But I would
simply like to make the observation that this is the only witness out
of hundreds who has pled the fifth amendment, and that obviously if
each witness had done this, then the charge of being muzzled would be
something that we would really be confronted with. I would simply like
to make that observation.
The CHAIRMAN. You may proceed, Mr. Jenner.
Mr. JENNER. Thank you. Does the American Eagle Publishing Co. have a
bookstore subsidiary or outlet?
Mr. SURREY. No; we do not.
Mr. JENNER. What is the American Eagle Book Store?
Mr. SURREY. There is no American Eagle Book Store.
The CHAIRMAN. Do you have a headquarters?
Mr. SURREY. No, sir.
The CHAIRMAN. Do you have a telephone?
Mr. SURREY. No, sir.
The CHAIRMAN. Are you listed with the local authorities under a
fictitious or assumed name?
Mr. SURREY. Yes--doing business as?
The CHAIRMAN. Doing business as, yes.
Mr. SURREY. Yes.
The CHAIRMAN. And the names given are yourself and General Walker?
Mr. SURREY. Yes, sir.
The CHAIRMAN. Where is that filed--with your county clerk?
Mr. SURREY. County clerk in Dallas.
Mr. JENNER. We have talked about General Walker. That is General Edwin
A. Walker, now resigned?
Mr. SURREY. Yes, sir.
Mr. JENNER. And do you know a Robert G. Krause?
Mr. SURREY. I refuse to answer on the grounds the answer may tend to
incriminate me.
Mr. JENNER. Was he not formerly employed by Johnson Printing Co.?
Mr. SURREY. I refuse to answer for the same reason.
Representative BOGGS. Excuse me. Mr. Chief Justice--we will have
testimony from Mr. Krause, I presume?
Mr. JENNER. Yes; do you know of a company, a printing company,
Lettercraft Printing Co.?
Mr. SURREY. I refuse to answer--same reason.
The CHAIRMAN. For the reason it would tend to incriminate you?
Mr. SURREY. Yes, sir.
Mr. JENNER. Did you not prepare the copy for Commission Exhibit No. 996?
Mr. SURREY. I decline to answer on the same reason; that it would tend
to incriminate me.
Mr. JENNER. And, in turn, turn that copy over to Robert G. Krause, of
the Lettercraft Printing Co. for reproduction?
Mr. SURREY. I decline to answer, same reason.
(The document referred to was marked Commission Exhibit No. 996 for
identification.)
Mr. JENNER. Exhibiting again Exhibit No.--Commission Exhibit No. 996 to
you, you will notice a front and profile view of President Kennedy. Did
you bring to Robert Krause photographs of which this is a reproduction?
Mr. SURREY. I decline to answer on the grounds it may incriminate me.
Mr. JENNER. In fact, did you not bring to Robert G. Krause two slick
paper magazine photographs of President Kennedy and request and engage
him to make photographs of the slick paper magazine photos for the
purpose of reproduction?
Mr. SURREY. I decline to answer; same reason.
Mr. JENNER. And did you not pay Robert G. Krause and his wife for
printing some 5,000 to 10,000 of these handbills, of which Commission
Exhibit No. 996 is a copy?
Mr. SURREY. I decline to answer on the grounds it may incriminate me.
Mr. JENNER. Did you thereafter--did you not in fact thereafter,
yourself--well, I will ask you first--yourself, distribute duplicates
of Exhibit No. 996 in and about the streets of Dallas, Tex., on
November 22 and days preceding?
Mr. SURREY. Point of order. Can I ask a question? If I now answer one
or two in through here, does this----
The CHAIRMAN. Well, this is connected with the entire situation--the
publication, the distribution of it is one and the same subject matter,
I would think.
Mr. SURREY. I decline to answer on the grounds it may incriminate me.
Mr. JENNER. Mr. Chief Justice, I might bring this out. Having received
the rules and regulations of the Commission with respect to the taking
of testimony, you are aware of the fact that you are entitled to have
counsel present?
Mr. SURREY. Yes; I am, sir.
Mr. JENNER. And you appear without counsel?
Mr. SURREY. I cannot afford to bring counsel.
Mr. JENNER. But you do appear without counsel?
Mr. SURREY. Yes; I do.
Representative BOGGS. I think, Mr. Chief Justice, the record should
show if this man requested counsel he would be entitled to counsel,
would he not?
Mr. JENNER. He certainly would. And he has not requested it.
Representative BOGGS. I just want the record to show that.
The CHAIRMAN. Yes.
Senator COOPER. Did you request counsel?
Mr. SURREY. From whom, sir?
Senator COOPER. Did you request the Commission to appoint counsel for
you?
Mr. SURREY. No; I did not. I did not know this was available.
Representative BOGGS. I might say it is still available.
Mr. SURREY. Would this be a court-appointed?
The CHAIRMAN. Beg pardon?
Mr. SURREY. Would this be a court-appointed attorney?
The CHAIRMAN. No; it would be an attorney appointed by the Commission.
Mr. SURREY. Thank you.
The CHAIRMAN. Proceed, Mr. Jenner.
Representative BOGGS. You prefer not to have an attorney appointed by
the Commission?
Mr. SURREY. Yes, sir.
Representative BOGGS. We might let the record show at this point, also,
that the American Bar Association has been closely associated with the
Commission.
Mr. SURREY. What does that mean? I mean what is the purpose of that
remark?
Representative BOGGS. To show that the attorneys appointed are
completely objective.
Mr. SURREY. I did not imply they were not, sir.
Mr. JENNER. Do you know Mrs. Clifford Mercer, Dorothy Mercer?
Mr. SURREY. I decline to answer on the grounds it may incriminate me.
Mr. JENNER. Do you know Mr. Clifford Mercer?
Mr. SURREY. I decline to answer; same reason.
Mr. JENNER. Do you know of a photoengraving company in Dallas, 2027
Young Street, Monks Bros.?
Mr. SURREY. I decline to answer on the grounds it may incriminate me.
Mr. JENNER. Do you know J. T. Monk or J. T. Monk, Jr.?
Mr. SURREY. I decline to answer, same grounds.
Mr. JENNER. Did you have one of the workmen, printing workmen, at
Johnson Printing Co., set type for the copy which appears on Commission
Exhibit No. 996?
Mr. SURREY. I decline to answer on the grounds it may tend to
incriminate me.
Mr. JENNER. And thereafter, after that type was set, have photographs
made of that type?
Mr. SURREY. I decline to answer; same reason.
Mr. JENNER. Do you know Mr. Bernard Weissman?
Mr. SURREY. No. We are in another field now, I gather.
Mr. JENNER. Well, I don't want to represent to you that it is.
Mr. SURREY. I decline to answer on the ground it may tend to
incriminate me.
Mr. JENNER. Have you had any business relations with a man by the name
of Bernard Weissman?
Mr. SURREY. If this is in your opinion still part of the
other--concerning these leaflets, then I will plead the fifth amendment.
Mr. JENNER. Mr. Chief Justice, with the policy of the Commission to be
fully fair to all witnesses, may I respond to the witness and say to
him there is that possibility.
The CHAIRMAN. There is that possibility; yes--that is a sufficient
statement.
Mr. JENNER. And being that possibility, do you wish to decline to
answer the question on the ground an answer may tend to incriminate you?
Mr. SURREY. Yes, sir.
Mr. JENNER. Mr. Chief Justice, unless you or other members of the
Commission have some questions on this line of examination, I will not
ask further questions with respect to it--unless you gentlemen desire
to ask questions.
The CHAIRMAN. Any further questions, Congressman Boggs?
Representative BOGGS. Was anyone associated with you in the publication
of this leaflet?
Mr. SURREY. I decline to answer on the ground it may tend to
incriminate me.
The CHAIRMAN. Did General Walker have anything to do with it?
Mr. SURREY. I decline to answer on the ground it may tend to
incriminate me--but, no.
The CHAIRMAN. What? Now you have opened that up, sir--if you say--was
your answer no, or is your answer that you claim the privilege?
Mr. SURREY. My answer is that I claim the privilege, sir.
The CHAIRMAN. That is different.
Senator COOPER. May I just ask one question? To return for a moment
to this book that you printed with newspaper clippings--what was your
purpose in printing it?
Mr. SURREY. As a memento, primarily.
Senator COOPER. You had no other purpose?
Mr. SURREY. No, sir.
Senator COOPER. Didn't you really have the purpose of impugning the
work of this Commission and giving the implication that it would not go
fully and thoroughly into all questions?
Mr. SURREY. No, sir. This was not the intent; no.
Representative BOGGS. What was the allegation in the cease and desist
order which was issued against you by the Dallas newspaper?
Mr. SURREY. That this would be in competition to a book which they
were going to promote--I believe the AP. At the time--the Osburns had
this, and they were gathering it together, and they brought it over
one day, and it looked like a real good idea. Other people had stacks
and stacks of papers. And this was a compilation of clippings of the
paper. And everybody thought it was such a good idea that we thought we
would publish it. So I got it into brownline form, which is a proof, a
preliminary proof--silver prints, you may call them in Washington.
The CHAIRMAN. For how much did you sell these books a copy?
Mr. SURREY. We gave them free to our presubscriber list.
The CHAIRMAN. I didn't ask you that.
Mr. SURREY. They were $5 per copy.
The CHAIRMAN. And how many did you say you sold?
Mr. SURREY. About 900 to a 1,000.
The CHAIRMAN. What happened to the money?
Mr. SURREY. It was put into the American Eagle Publishing Co. account.
The CHAIRMAN. Do you have a regular bookkeeping system?
Mr. SURREY. Yes, sir.
The CHAIRMAN. And those figures would be available, showing how many
you had sold, would they?
Mr. SURREY. Yes, sir.
The CHAIRMAN. In your books?
Mr. SURREY. Yes, sir.
Representative BOGGS. Is the American Eagle Publishing Co. an
incorporated company?
Mr. SURREY. No.
Representative BOGGS. What is it?
Mr. SURREY. Partnership, sir.
Representative BOGGS. Who are the partners?
Mr. SURREY. Myself and General Walker.
Representative BOGGS. And this presubscription list, how many people on
that?
Mr. SURREY. I would say 700, 800.
Representative BOGGS. You publish a newspaper?
Mr. SURREY. No; we don't.
Representative BOGGS. What do you publish besides this book?
Mr. SURREY. Pamphlets--pamphlets.
Mr. JENNER. You receive part of your income from the American Eagle
Publishing Co.?
Mr. SURREY. No; I do not.
Mr. JENNER. You serve as president, but you receive no compensation for
that?
Mr. SURREY. That is true.
Mr. JENNER. Would you tell us, please, the address of the American
Eagle Publishing Co.?
Mr. SURREY. P.O. Box 750, Dallas 21.
Mr. JENNER. It has no physical office itself--just the post office
address?
Mr. SURREY. That is correct. That mail comes to my desk at Johnson
Printing Co. That is the same post office box as Johnson Printing Co.
Mr. JENNER. I see. And where do you keep--where does American
Publishing Co. warehouse or keep or store its pamphlets and books?
Mr. SURREY. 4011 Turtle Creek Boulevard, Mr. Walker's residence. I have
a room.
Mr. JENNER. That is General Walker's residence?
Mr. SURREY. Yes.
The CHAIRMAN. That is General Walker's residence?
Mr. SURREY. Yes; it is.
The CHAIRMAN. Who owns the Johnson Printing Co.?
Mr. SURREY. It is--the stock is split, four or five different people.
The CHAIRMAN. A corporation?
Mr. SURREY. Yes; it is.
The CHAIRMAN. Who are they?
Mr. SURREY. Mr. Bryan Snyder is chairman of the board. Mr. Emil Borak
is president, and Mr. Lewis C. Owens is treasurer. I believe some stock
is held by Oliver Snyder, and I have some stock. And Mr. Fallon Snyder.
The CHAIRMAN. It is a commercial company?
Mr. SURREY. Yes; it is.
The CHAIRMAN. Is General Walker connected with it?
Mr. SURREY. No; he is not.
The CHAIRMAN. Or with the other people, as far as you know?
Mr. SURREY. No, sir.
Mr. JENNER. Is Mr. Borak the general manager of the plant itself?
Mr. SURREY. No; he is president of the company.
Mr. JENNER. I see. Who is the general manager of the plant?
Mr. SURREY. Mr. Owens.
Mr. JENNER. Mr. Owens.
Did you acquaint Mr. Owens or Mr. Borak, either of them, with the fact
that you had Commission Exhibit No. 996 printed at the Lettercraft
Printing Co.?
Mr. SURREY. I decline to answer on the ground it may tend to
incriminate me.
Mr. JENNER. Did you make either or both of them aware of the fact that
some of the copy or all of the copy with respect to Commission Exhibit
No. 996 was prepared by way of printing at Johnson Printing Co.?
Mr. SURREY. I decline to answer on the ground it may tend to
incriminate me.
Mr. JENNER. How many printers do you have at Johnson Printing Co.?
Mr. SURREY. How many employees?
Mr. JENNER. No--that operate linotypes or operate these machines that
produce these slugs--what is the name of that kind of machine?
Mr. SURREY. Well, it would be a monotype or a linotype or a Ludlow.
Mr. JENNER. Are these lines on Exhibit No. 996 Ludlow productions?
Mr. SURREY. I decline to answer on the ground it may tend to
incriminate me.
Mr. JENNER. Who are the Ludlow machine operators at Johnson Printing
Co.?
Mr. SURREY. Oh, I would say there are probably 10 or 15 that operate
the Ludlow machine.
Mr. JENNER. Does your recollection serve you to name those who operated
the Ludlow machines any time during the first 22 days of November 1963?
If so, name them.
Mr. SURREY. I decline to answer on the ground it may tend to
incriminate me.
Mr. JENNER. Are you able to name any of the linotype operators who were
employed during the first 22 days of November 1963?
Mr. SURREY. Who were employed at Johnson Printing Co.?
Mr. JENNER. Yes, sir.
Mr. SURREY. Well, I gather this has nothing to do with this. So may I
answer?
Mr. JENNER. I don't want to lead you to believe it doesn't, sir.
Mr. SURREY. I decline to answer on the ground it may incriminate me.
Mr. JENNER. From whom was the paper purchased on which appears the
imprinting on the exhibit identified here as Commission Exhibit No. 996.
Mr. SURREY. I decline to answer on the same grounds.
Mr. JENNER. Did you see another reproduction of Commission Exhibit No.
996 at any time from the 1st of November 1963 to and including the 22d
of November 1963?
Mr. SURREY. I decline to answer on the grounds it may incriminate me.
Mr. JENNER. Mr. Chief Justice, I will now depart from this particular
phase, if that is permissible.
The CHAIRMAN. Very well.
Mr. JENNER. I am now going to turn, Mr. Surrey, to the attempt on the
life of General Walker.
First I would like to have you examine a series of photographs which
purport to be photographs of the area of the Walker house.
Mr. Chief Justice, may I approach the witness for this purpose?
The CHAIRMAN. Yes.
Mr. JENNER. I show the witness Commission Exhibit No. 2, Item No. 7,
and subdivision item No. P-2. Do you see that, sir?
Mr. SURREY. Yes; I do.
Mr. JENNER. Examining the subitem, P-2, is the area depicted in that
photograph familiar to you?
Mr. SURREY. Yes; it is. It is the alley in behind Mr. Walker's
residence, looking west.
Mr. JENNER. Looking west?
Mr. SURREY. Yes.
Mr. JENNER. Would you be able to help us as to an estimate, perhaps
from the nature of the foliage, and your familiarity with the Walker
premises, as to when that photograph might have been taken, as to
season of the year?
Mr. SURREY. I would say late fall.
Mr. JENNER. Could it have been the early spring, mid-March, for
example? 1st of March, along in there?
Mr. SURREY. It could have been; yes.
Mr. JENNER. Either in the fall, when there is a deleafing or lack of
foliage on trees, or the early spring?
Mr. SURREY. Yes, sir.
Mr. JENNER. I show you what purports to be the same thing, also
marked--it is a larger photograph--Commission Exhibit No. 2, Item
No. 7. Directing your attention to the subdivision P-2 you have just
testified about, are they photographs----
Mr. SURREY. Basically the same thing. It looks like this one was taken
a little closer to the ground.
Mr. JENNER. When you say this one, you mean the larger of the two?
Mr. SURREY. Yes.
Mr. JENNER. On Commission Exhibit No. 3, Item 14, subitem P-1,
directing your attention to that, you recognize that?
Mr. SURREY. That is a picture of the back of the residence of 4011
Turtle Creek.
Mr. JENNER. General Edwin Walker's home?
Mr. SURREY. Yes.
Mr. JENNER. I perhaps should have asked you this: You are familiar with
the area surrounding General Walker's home?
Mr. SURREY. Yes, I am.
Mr. JENNER. You have been there a good many times, have you?
Mr. SURREY. Yes, I have.
Mr. JENNER. On all sides of the home?
Mr. SURREY. Yes.
Mr. JENNER. And are you familiar with the inside of the home?
Mr. SURREY. Yes; I am.
Mr. JENNER. And have you worked there from time to time over the years?
Mr. SURREY. Yes.
Mr. JENNER. How long have you been associated with General Walker?
Mr. SURREY. Since the beginning of his campaign, when that was--I think
the spring--about 3 years now.
The CHAIRMAN. What campaign is that?
Mr. SURREY. When he ran for Governor of Texas.
Mr. JENNER. That initiated your association with him?
Mr. SURREY. Yes, sir.
Mr. JENNER. And what are your duties in your association with General
Walker?
Mr. SURREY. I am just a volunteer helper, whatever he needed, volunteer
help in doing, I would help.
Mr. JENNER. Are you compensated?
Mr. SURREY. No; I am not.
Mr. JENNER. You have never received any compensation?
Mr. SURREY. No; I haven't.
Mr. JENNER. You have never received any compensation from the
publishing company we have identified that published that book?
Mr. SURREY. No, sir.
The CHAIRMAN. Do you handle any funds for General Walker?
Mr. SURREY. Of General Walker's fund?
The CHAIRMAN. Yes.
Mr. SURREY. No, sir.