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

This treatment by John Armstrong proves beyond any doubt that Mary Bledsoe's testimony establishes that Oswald did not change his shirt, but only his pants. 

Bus passenger Mary Bledsoe was Oswald's landlady in Oak Cliff, from October 7 to October 14. Oswald rented 1 of 3 rooms in her home and she saw him every day. He constantly used the telephone, in an attempt to find work, which interrupted her naps in the afternoon. After 5 days she told Oswald that she “was not going to rent to him any more....I didn't like his attitude....I didn't like him....Just didn't want him around me.” Even though Mrs. Bledsoe was 67 years old, divorced, and had recently suffered a stroke, her memory of events concerning Oswald seems very clear.

NOTE: Before her WC testimony Bledsoe prepared notes, at the suggestion of SS Agent Forrest Sorrels, in order to refresh her memory. Reading from notes to refresh a witnesses testimony is, as any lawyer knows, not uncommon in courtroom proceedings. It is allowed in all state and federal court proceedings (Federal Rules of Evidence --- Rule 612 and Rule 803-S).

On 11/22/63 Mrs. Bledsoe saw Oswald get on McWatters bus, and discussed her experience with WC attorney Joseph Ball.

Mrs. Bledsoe. “After we to past Akard, at Murphy....Oswald got on....He looks like a maniac. His sleeve was out here. His shirt was undone....Was a hole in it, hole, and he was dirty, and I didn't look at him.” while Bledsoe said he was wearing “a brown shirt with holes in the elbows” and “ragged grey work pants.”

Mr. Ball. Where did he sit?

Mrs. Bledsoe. He sat about half way back down....On the same side I was on....He had on a brown shirt....Hole in the sleeve right here.

Mr. Ball. Which elbow of the sleeve.

Mrs. Bledsoe. Right....Yes, all of the buttons torn off.

Mr. Ball. Was the shirt tucked beneath the belt in his pants, or outside the belt?

Mrs. Bledsoe. No. It was tucked in.

NOTE: at this point Mr. Ball had not yet shown CE 150 (the shirt Oswald was wearing when arrested) to Mrs. Bledsoe. Oswald's shirt (below), when tucked in below the belt, would look like all of the buttons were “torn off.” This shirt also had a hole in the sleeve at the right elbow. If Mrs. Bledsoe's memory was correct, then the shirt she saw Oswald wearing on the bus is the same shirt he was wearing when arrested at the Texas Theater—dark brown long-sleeve, buttons above the belt missing, hole in the right sleeve near the elbow.

Mrs. Bledsoe (and Roy Milton Jones) said the man she saw on McWatters' bus was wearing grey pants. Oswald changed his grey pants to a pair of very dark (black) pants in his room, prior to going to the Texas Theater. When arrested Oswald was wearing very dark pants. Bledsoe (and Roy Milton Jones) could only have known Oswald was wearing “grey pants” if she (they) had personally seen him on the bus.

Mr. Ball. Notice the color of his pants?

Mrs. Bledsoe. Yes, they were grey.