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

 The Jack Ruby narrative, written with the editorial help of William Reed Woodfield, was published in the Chicago Tribune in a series, from late January to early February 1964. That was before Ruby's trial. It used to be online. I was afraid that it would be taken down, and it was, but fortunately, I was able to download it first. So, I've got it.

Ruby talked about the Midnight Press Conference. He said that Will Fritz and District Attorney Henry Wade brought Oswald out. But, that's not what happened. The detectives brought Oswald out.

This is David Von Pein's video of the MPC. And by the way, I would appreciate it if someone would get the word to him that I want to debate the JFK assassination with him on November 22, this being 60th anniversary. We can each give an opening statement, lasting for 15 minutes each. Then we can cross-examine each other for 15 minutes each. And then, the audience can direct questions at either of us for 15 minutes. That would make it an hour and fifteen minute program. And I'm willing to travel to do it. And if Von Pein doesn't want to, I'll try for someone else, such as John McAdams. But, that's how I would like to spend the 60th, if some known LN has the courage.

But, this really is ridiculous. It starts by making it seem like the reporters arranged the whole thing, with one of them yelling out, "How about the Assembly room?" and everyone responding to that. Do you buy that?

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

Then, it goes to the MPC, and there are the ridiculous sound effects that were added. All this noise and racket and rattling and slamming, like someone is moving furniture. Then, there's all this chatter, including a guy who yells, "At ease!" which is the last command at a firing squad after the person has been shot. It's just ridiculous. Why did they add all that? It's because Oswald sounded so sane and lucid and intelligent. It was to diminish him; to make it seem that nobody was listening; that they were all distracted.

And you can see that it was the detectives who led him out, his usual escorts: Webb, Sims, and Hall.

Well, in his narrative, Ruby said that Will Fritz and Henry Wade, the DA, led Oswald out. That didn't happen. What happened was that after Oswald was taken away (he only spoke for 1 minute) then Henry Wade came forward and held his press conference. The way the narrative is written, Henry Wade led Oswald out and that in Oswald's presence, he started saying that the chances were 23 out of 24 that Oswald would be electrocuted. Of course, that didn't happen.

So, what is the explanation? Ruby said that during the MPC he got up on a table so that he would be out of the way. If we take that as true, what about the images of Ruby huddled with reporters? I wouldn't go into here, but I will say that all the images of Ruby at the MPC are suspect. We don't have an image of Ruby up on a table. There is one very suspicious image of Ruby in the back of the room leaning forward, but it appears to be a still image that was added. The camera is moving, and you only see him for a fraction of a second.

But, Ruby added that he had his gun in his pocket, that he had no tought whatsoever of shooting Oswald, not the slightest inkling, that he believed in the lega process and the right to a trial. He even said: innocent until proven guilty. So, why should he have felt any different on Sunday morning, just a day and a half later?