Miss MURRET. I mean the one at the Reily Coffee Co.
Mr. LIEBELER. Did he tell you why he came to New Orleans to look for a
job?
Miss MURRET. He had said that Marina wanted to be near the sea, and she
thought she would like New Orleans. He didn't tell me that; he told my
mother.
Mr. LIEBELER. You knew at this time that he had been to the Soviet
Union, did you not?
Miss MURRET. Yes.
Mr. LIEBELER. Did you talk to him about his experiences in Russia?
Miss MURRET. I asked him how he liked it, and he showed me a few
photographs, my mother and I, of where he lived. And that is when he
said about the family, that people were very family conscious----
Mr. LIEBELER. In Russia?
Miss MURRET. Yes; I don't know--I think he was citing one experience
where he was traveling, or something, and there were some people who
had less than he had, and invited him in, which they would probably do
here, but just never had occasion to, and they had very little, but
what they had they shared with him. That is when he said that he was
very embarrassed because when they asked him what descent he was, he
said he didn't know, didn't know nothing at all about his family, and
that is why he was determined to locate his various relatives here.
Mr. LIEBELER. Did you ask him why he went to Russia in the first place?
Miss MURRET. No; I was away when he left, and I didn't even know he
left actually, and my mother didn't tell me anything, to worry me, and
I saw his brother, John. And my sister had written me a letter just
before that and said that Marguerite had not heard from Lee, and that
she had sent some money and the envelope was returned. I didn't know
where he had gone, and I guess they just assumed that I knew. My mother
didn't want to worry me probably, because all the scandal was brewing
in all the papers, and everything. I went to visit John, and his wife
told me at that time----
Mr. LIEBELER. Where was John living at that time?
Miss MURRET. In Japan.
Mr. LIEBELER. You were in Japan at that time?
Miss MURRET. Yes.
Mr. LIEBELER. What were you doing in Japan?
Miss MURRET. I taught school over there.
Mr. LIEBELER. In an English speaking school?
Miss MURRET. Yes.
Mr. LIEBELER. Did John tell you that Lee had gone to Russia?
Miss MURRET. He didn't tell me--his wife told me. So I didn't bring
the subject up at all with John. I mean we weren't invading anybody's
privacy at all, and if he wanted to say something, he would say. And I
know that she said that they were very upset because this put him over
the barrel, and he has a family, and he was very embarrassed.
Mr. LIEBELER. John was?
Miss MURRET. Of course, and they had three children, and I mean it was
in Stars and Stripes.
Mr. LIEBELER. John was in the Air Force at that time?
Miss MURRET. Yes.
Mr. LIEBELER. You didn't bring the subject up of Lee at all as to why
he went?
Miss MURRET. No, sir.
Mr. LIEBELER. Did he indicate anything about his experiences in Russia
other than what you have already told us?
Miss MURRET. The only thing he said was--I just didn't know any of
this would happen, and I didn't know he would be leaving and I thought
that he would say what he wanted to say, because I don't believe in
bombarding somebody with questions, I really don't, and what they want
to say, they say, and what they don't want to say, they don't say. So,
anyway, he said that he had better quarters than the average person
because he was an American, and they wanted to create a good impression
on him. Other than about the family and showing me a few photographs,
that is all he said. And he said that he had met Marina at this dance,
and he worked in the factory.
Mr. LIEBELER. Did he tell you what kind of factory?
Miss MURRET. No; he didn't.
Mr. LIEBELER. Did he tell you what he did?
Miss MURRET. No.
Mr. LIEBELER. Did he tell you how much he was paid?
Miss MURRET. No; maybe he did, but I wouldn't know what it was, anyway.
Mr. LIEBELER. Did he tell you about any travels that he had in the
Soviet Union?
Miss MURRET. Well, just that he said, and I don't know where he was
going or where he was when he said it, that these people let him spend
the night there and that they had less than he had. So if that was on
the outskirts, or where it was, I don't really know.
Mr. LIEBELER. Do you speak Russian?
Miss MURRET. No.
Mr. LIEBELER. Do you speak any foreign language?
Miss MURRET. I studied French and Spanish, but was hopeless.
Mr. LIEBELER. Did he tell you about any school that he might have gone
to when he was in Russia, any training that he might have gotten?
Miss MURRET. No sir; he didn't say anything at all about any kind of
training. When he first came out, I couldn't understand how he had
gotten out, in the first place.
Mr. LIEBELER. How he had gotten out of Russia to come back, you mean?
Miss MURRET. With a Russian wife, and he did say her father was--was he
a Russian officer? Anyway----