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

I am going to present some testimony by Harold Weisberg to Jim Garrison on April 28, 1967 at his deposition in New Orleans. And it is VERY important testimony because it establishes Harold's strong conviction about Oswald being the Doorway Man but also because of the date.  1967 was one year after the first citing of Gorilla Lovelady in the so-called Martin film. I say "so-called" because it was in the DCA compilation where that 6 second clip of Lovelady was reportedly found- not the Martin film. There are NO extant versions of the Martin film which contain the Gorilla Man clip, and I have that straight from mouth of Gary Mack. 

So, did the Lovelady clip really come from the Martin film? Who knows, and I have my doubts. 

But, the most important thing is that this was both a sighting and a citing of Lovelady from 11/22/63 that wasn't recognized UNTIL 3 YEARS AFTER THE ASSASSINATION. 

Why?  Why the hell? It's because it wasn't until 1966 that Harold Weisberg started making a major stink about Lovelady having worn a short-sleeved striped shirt and told as much to the FBI and posed for them for pictures in that shirt- unbuttoned- just like Doorman. Why would Lovelady do that unless it was the same shirt?

So, it was shortly after that that, lo and behold, that an image of Lovelady from 11/22/63 finally surfaced- for the first time. It was shot at the front entrance of the Depository AFTER the police had set up a checkpoint, where they were controlling ingress and egress from the building. How long did it take them to get that set up? From my reading of the evidence, I would say at least 15 minutes. 

But, Lovelady was DEFINITELY not standing out in front at that time. By then, he was inside guarding the freight elevator with Bill Shelley, as per instructions from Roy Truly.  

But, if Gorilla Man was really Lovelady, why wasn't he noticed before 1966? How did the Warren Commission miss it? Didn't they have access to the films? How come the clip of Gorilla Man only surfaced after Harold Weisberg started brandishing the FBI letter in which they stated that Lovelady said he wore a short-sleeved striped shirt? Doesn't that smell awfully bad? 

But, I'll tell you what's really on my mind, and it's the reason I am bringing this up: When, in 1966, Harold Weisberg was approached about this "discovery" of Lovelady milling around outside the TSBD post-assassination, and wearing a long-sleeved plaid shirt, what did Harold think? Did he think the guy was really Lovelady?

I say no. I say that Harold knew better and must have known that it was a hoax. And I have evidence, and it's from that 1967 deposition. 

Harold Weisberg: I do think the facts are self-evident that the FBI said Lovelady said he was wearing a red and white striped shirt at the time. I don't think there is any doubt that Lovelady said this, and the FBI, including Hoover, and the WC, including everybody on the staff of the Commission, had to know that the question (about which shirt Lovelady wore) had to be asked, but it wasn't. I don't think there is any question about Lovelady not being the MITD, and I am satisfied it is Oswald. (Then he goes into the Carolyn Arnold testimony.) And Oswald said that he saw Junior Jarman walk past, and there is Junior Jarman's testimony that he walked exactly where Oswald said he saw him walk. I think all these things and other things prove that it was Oswald in the doorway. That certainly is his shirt.

Jim Garrison: Do you think Lovelady was lying?

Harold Weisberg: Yes, I think there is no question about it. I think everyone involved knew he was lying. And note that no who one who was present at the Feb 29 interview and photo shoot of Lovelady was called to testify. 

Jim Garrison: What implication, what importance, why is Lovelady lying?

Harold Weisberg: First, I am satisfied that he lied and that he is a liar, but all kind of strange things happened to some of these people. 

Jim Garrison: Do you think Lovelady was part of the plot?

Harold Weisberg: I don't know. I think, from what I've heard of Dallas, that a lot of people live in fear there. I think Lovelady just wanted to stay out of trouble and stay alive. 


I admit to doing some paraphrasing above. It was not the kind of file I could cut and paste. But, I'll give you the link:

http://www.aarclibrary.org/publib/jfk/garr/grandjury/pdf/Weisberg.pdf

Anyway, the point is that Harold Weisberg said all these things and more in 1967 AFTER having been shown  in 1966 the Gorilla Man clip of Lovelady standing outside the TSBD, supposedly in his plaid shirt. But obviously, from this testimony, Harold Weisberg did NOT buy it. He did NOT believe it.  He did NOT accept that guy was Lovelady. And the statements that he made in 1967 under oath prove it. 

The fact that Weisberg was STILL making the same claims AFTER having learned about Gorilla Man proves that he didn't think that guy was Lovelady. And, it is perfectly understandable because Gorilla Man most certainly was not Lovelady.