Oswald in the doorway: the blog of the Oswald Innocence Campaign, by Ralph Cinque

You remember the Thomas Beckham affair. For about 10 days, I supported David Josephs in claiming that Bill Shelley was on the sidewalk with Oswald when he was distributing pro-Castro leaflets in front of the Trade Mart in New Orleans. 

That turned out to be Thomas Beckham, the 21 year old drifter, con man, and sometimes priest who was one of Guy Bannister's lackeys that summer. He had pompadour hair- very much like Bill Shelley's. He wore a suit like Shelley's. He was slim like Shelley. He was Shelley's height. It was a reasonable mistake- but still a mistake. 

And the problem was that Beckham gained a lot of weight afterwards, and he must have given up the Brylcream. He got arrested in Mississippi nine years later for some fraud or con.

But, it wasn't until I found this picture of him that I was really satisfied that it was him. 

But, something good came out of this: I got to speak to Thomas Beckham's son. His father was in the room, but he wouldn't come to the phone. And one of the things I asked the two of them was whether Beckham recalls Judyth Baker being around and one of the gang that summer. And the answer I got was: no, that he had no memory of Judyth Baker being involved- at all.

It's only fair to point out that in Farewell to Justice by Joan Mellen, she paints Beckham as a flim-flam artist and known liar. And she is not the only one who says that.  However, I don't know why he would want to lie about Judyth Baker. And, I don't know why he would want to lie to his own son. Surely, he would have been honest with him about her. 

Back in 1968 with Garrison, Beckham claimed to know nothing about Oswald, but by the time of the HSCA, he had a manuscript 300 pages long all about that summer of love. But, we know for sure that he was in the Trade Mart footage because we can see him there; so he was definitely there.  Even if he denied being there, we would know that he was there. But, he doesn't deny it. He said that he and Oswald went and got Cokes afterwards. 

Of course, this was not the time that Oswald got arrested. It was a week after that.   

If you watch the footage, you can see that Beckham tries to avoid the camera. He's covering up his face and stepping back; he seems nervous. 

One thing that surprises me is that all the pedestrians take the flier from Oswald. Do you? If someone tries to hand me a flier, I shake my head and say no.  Of course, the footage was taken by the CIA, and lots of people have said that. But, I have to wonder if some of the passers-by were plants. They seem awfully cooperative. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1F_G5ku7KM

Also, who is the guy helping Oswald distribute the fliers?