Mr. LIEBELER. De Mohrenschildt?
Mrs. MELLER. De Mohrenschildt, thank you very much, and I heard from
the other people that the De Mohrenschildt's called to Mr. and Mrs.
Ford and asked if he can bring with him people, Marina and Oswald. They
are all lost by themselves, have no place to go or something and he
brought them with.
Mr. LIEBELER. Did you see Oswald come with De Mohrenschildt?
Mrs. MELLER. I did not see exactly walking in but I heard then that he
brought them there.
Mr. LIEBELER. Did you see Oswald that night at all?
Mrs. MELLER. Yes; I saw him; he was strange acting and strange looking,
cold, not very talkative. It was a certain Japanese girl, don't know
her name, he was all evening with this girl and Marina was left all
by herself going with one group of people or another and when finally
somebody play with piano, I see her sitting, trying to catch some songs
singing and I saw her try to smile, try to make her face human. I did
not remember seeing her and him together this evening. He was all time
with different girl which we met first time and I do not recognize her
name.
Mr. LIEBELER. Have you ever seen the Japanese girl since?
Mrs. MELLER. Never saw before or after.
Mr. LIEBELER. Do you know how we can get her name?
Mrs. MELLER. Do not recall name or anything, sir; I am very sorry. I
would like to help you.
Mr. LIEBELER. Did you talk to Oswald that evening?
Mrs. MELLER. Do not remember anything; my memory--don't know.
Mr. LIEBELER. Did Oswald drink at the party at all; did you notice?
Mrs. MELLER. Do not remember seeing him.
Mr. LIEBELER. Do you know whether Oswald ever drank very much?
Mrs. MELLER. Never saw him drink; do not recall. I saw Marina eating
pretty much; looks like she was real hungry. Some our friends notice
and we had pity for the girl maybe she did not have at home anything to
eat.
Mr. LIEBELER. Did you see Oswald leave the party?
Mrs. MELLER. Do not recall.
Mr. LIEBELER. Do you recall any discussion about Oswald after he left
the party? Did you overhear any conversation about him and Marina?
Mrs. MELLER. No; do not recall; I heard something from the people
talking in a group and it was certain person by the name of, oh, my
goodness, excuse me just a second my husband help me with the name--Lev
Aronson, and I heard later that he talked to Lee Oswald and says that
he is a poor idiot and completely crazy man.
Mr. LIEBELER. Did he tell you why he thought that?
Mrs. MELLER. No; I did not talk to him. I heard that conversation, you
know, going with a group of people and it was just----
Mr. LIEBELER. Did you have a party at your house some time following
the party at the Ford residence?
Mrs. MELLER. After Ford party?
Mr. LIEBELER. Yes.
Mrs. MELLER. No.
Mr. LIEBELER. Did you have an open house on the day following?
Mrs. MELLER. No; you mean 29 of December?
Mr. LIEBELER. Yes; approximately.
Mrs. MELLER. Just a second, sir.
Mr. LIEBELER. Or the next day--within a few days following the Ford
party?
Mrs. MELLER. I could not recall really, but if I had, I never had
Oswalds over to my house.
Mr. LIEBELER. Do you know Charles Edward Harris from Georgetown, Tex.?
Mrs. MELLER. Charles Edward Harris, yes; I met him one time or two.
Mr. LIEBELER. Was he at the Ford party; do you remember?
Mrs. MELLER. I do not think so.
Mr. LIEBELER. Was there any discussion as far as you can recall either
at the Ford party or at your place or anywhere during this period of
time where the question of whether Lee Oswald was a Russian agent was
discussed?
Mrs. MELLER. No.
Mr. LIEBELER. Did you ever discuss that question with anybody?
Mrs. MELLER. No; never.
Mr. LIEBELER. Did you ever hear anybody discuss it?
Mrs. MELLER. No.
Mr. LIEBELER. Did it ever occur to you that Oswald might be an agent of
the Soviet Union?
Mrs. MELLER. Could not say; can be but I cannot say.
Mr. LIEBELER. You do not remember talking about that?
Mrs. MELLER. No; we never talked about that; I remember exactly.
Mr. LIEBELER. Now, have you told us everything that you can remember
about your meetings with Oswald and Marina that you think the
Commission would be interested in; can you think of anything else?
Mrs. MELLER. I am thinking and seems to be that's all.
Mr. LIEBELER. How well do you know De Mohrenschildt?
Mrs. MELLER. How long?
Mr. LIEBELER. Yes.
Mrs. MELLER. Oh, I know him about 6 years, probably; met him very
seldom and we were never friends, real close, never.
Mr. LIEBELER. Was he friendly with Oswald, do you know?
Mrs. MELLER. Try to help, I think was--try to help as much as we
did. He had a car; he took them, I think to Anna Ray house and tried
to bring some of her dresses and things belonging. If he was later
together with Lee Oswald, I do not have any idea.
Mr. LIEBELER. Were you surprised when you heard that Oswald had been
arrested in connection with the assassination?
Mrs. MELLER. I do not--if I say surprised or was shocked when President
Kennedy was assassinated: I was shocked. I was in such sorrow that I
could not explain to you. I do not have enough English words in my
vocabulary to describe what shock it was and later, when I find out
it was Lee Harvey, I was completely shocked. I was completely out of
my place and afraid for what a person, if he really did that, what it
could happen to us. It was terrible shock; I could not explain to you.
We could not believe at first at all.
Mr. LIEBELER. You were very surprised when you heard it was Lee Oswald?
Mrs. MELLER. We could not believe he will do things like that.
Mr. LIEBELER. Do you remember being interviewed by the FBI?
Mrs. MELLER. Yes, sir; three times.
Mr. LIEBELER. Three times?
Mrs. MELLER. Yes, sir--oh, I mean from FBI one time; Secret Service
another time, and third time it was from police. I cannot recall name
but it was three times together.
Mr. LIEBELER. As far as you can remember the FBI only interviewed you
once?
Mrs. MELLER. Yes; once FBI, once Secret Service, and once Dallas group.
Mr. LIEBELER. Was it the Dallas police force?
Mrs. MELLER. Yes.
Mr. LIEBELER. Dallas police officers?
Mrs. MELLER. Yes, yes.
Mr. LIEBELER. Did you ever form an opinion as to who was responsible
for these marital difficulties the Oswalds were having? Did you think
it was mostly Lee Harvey's fault or did you think it was partly her
fault, or what?
Mrs. MELLER. It was not easy to judge but I think since we do not
know them very close and very long, let's say this way but it seems
to me again that Lee Oswald was not normal because later I heard from
somebody that he beat Marina and he did one time, I think even Marina
told to me that when they moved in apartment the bulb is burned through
and she has to put new lamp in it. He demanded when the master is home
the bathtub supposed to be full with water so he can take bath before
he sit down to eat and one time he come home and it was dark and she
has to put lamp in the room, she did not have time to put water in the
tub and he find tub was without water and he beat her.
Mr. LIEBELER. Marina told you that?
Mrs. MELLER. I think she told me that or somebody from our group; I do
not recall who, but I remember that and I was shocked. I thought that
something must be wrong with man if he is every time running to beat
her.
Mr. LIEBELER. You never saw or talked to either Oswald or Marina at
anytime after the party at the Ford residence around Christmas time,
1962?
Mrs. MELLER. No, never.
Mr. LIEBELER. Is that right?
Mrs. MELLER. No, sir; never and probably passed 1 year and 2 months
since we did not hear or did not know from them anything. When it
happened--when the assassination happened, it passed 12 to 14 months.
Mr. LIEBELER. You did not hear that they had moved from Dallas to New
Orleans and back to Dallas?
Mrs. MELLER. Nothing; not a word, not a telephone call, or nothing. It
was the last time at Ford's family.
Mr. LIEBELER. I don't have any more questions, Mrs. Meller. If you can
think of anything else that you would like to add, just go right ahead.
Mrs. MELLER. Would love if I remember but so far I try to think if I
did not forget anything. I do not think so.
Mr. LIEBELER. Then we shall terminate the deposition at this time. I
want to thank you very much for being so cooperative and coming down
and giving us the testimony you have and the Commission appreciates it
very much. You have been a very good and gracious witness; thank you
very much.
Mrs. MELLER. Thank you very much.