The Fourth Batch
Released October 19, 1995
by Joseph Backes
On October 19, 1995 the Review Board released 11 of the 16 FBI documents that the FBI was fighting against releasing. Originally the Review Board voted on July 17 and 18, 1995 to release them in their entirety. The Board reconsidered and agreed to sustain the FBI’s objection and did not release the numerical portion of the informant symbol number.
The 11 FBI documents relate to Jack Ruby’s shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald, the Communist Party U.S.A.’s reaction to the assassination of President Kennedy, and Oswald’s trip to Mexico City before the assassination.
Document # 124-10006-1342 is a three page document. It is a report from the SAC in Cincinnati, Ohio, dated December 13, 1963. It refers you to FBI 105-82555-648. Copies were given to Dallas, New York, Cleveland and Pittsburgh. Two CI’s advised SA Emil E. Hopkins that Arnold Johnson, Public Relations Director, CP USA presided at CP meeting at the home of Gene Kuhn, Chairman, Lower Ohio Valley section CP. Wheeling Island, West Virginia, on December 8, 1963. They talked about the assassination of President Kennedy. Arnold Johnson was asking people whether people were blaming assassination on Marxism or right wing activity. At first, Marxism but after Ruby shot Oswald, right wing activity and southern civil rights groups (supposedly those opposed to civil rights). Johnson stated several times that Marxists were not to blame as assassination did not follow Marxist philosophy. Johnson said Oswald was agent of someone. Johnson said Oswald had written to the party and that he, Johnson answered them. He does not recollect the particular letters. Johnson also said he does not sign his letters “Yours Truly” but on a more personal basis.
Is this a clue to more forgery of Oswald documents?
Johnson said that Soviet Russia turned over its files on Oswald but that he does not know what is in these files. Informants believed that Johnson was trying to get over the point that Oswald was someone’s agent when he went to Russia. Johnson said Oswald first tried to train men to fight in Cuba and then turned around and became involved in Fair Play for Cuba organization. Johnson discredited Oswald as a Marxist.
Please see my article on the ARRB at the OAH in Chicago for some interesting information on this document.
Document # 124-10035-10065 is a copy of the above.
Document 3 124-10070-10354 is a two page report CI (confidential informant), had a phone conversation with Mary Ann McCall, hostess of The Batchelor-S Club in Dallas on November 25, 1963. She is reported to be a “fixer” and “pay-off” contact between the Dallas Police and Criminal element. CI asked her if shooting of Oswald was an accident. McCall responded, “No, I don’t think so.” Asked to elaborate McCall responded, “You know how it works.” CI will again contact McCall on Nov. 27 or 28. Houston will follow and report results of contact.
“Informant states McCall will not cooperate with Bureau and will deny any knowledge of incident.” What incident? Is this phone call an incident?
Document # 124-10108-10142 is a copy of the above.
Document # 124-10119-10078 is a one page memorandum from SA’s Charles T. Brown and Arthur E. Carter to SAC, Dallas.
During an interview with Carl A. “Pappy” Dolsen, 3930 Shorecrest Drive, Dallas, Texas, on 11/24/63 Dolsen advised on this date he received a long-distance telephone call from the manager of the King’s Club in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, whom he did not identify, in which call he was advised that Hubert Gibson, described by Dolsen as an outstanding attorney, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, wants to represent Ruby in his forthcoming trial for the murder of Lee Harvey Oswald, free of charge. Dolsen was requested to contact relatives of Ruby and advise them of this offer of Gibson’s services in representing Ruby.
Document # 124-10170-10064 is a copy of document # 124-10006-1342.
Document # 124-10184-10256 has 6 pages. It has 9 postponements, all informant symbol numbers. The first part is a two page airtel. It is from SAC, Cincinnati to SAC’s Dallas, New York, Cleveland and Pittsburgh. It says it encloses 8 copies for the Bureau and for the field offices 2 copies each of an LHM covering visits of Arnold Johnson to the Ohio Valley Area. The field offices will be provided with the informants’ reports. This airtell tells us there were three informants.
On December 2, 1963 informant advised that on November 20, 1963 Gene Kuhn, stated that Anthony Krchmarek, head of the CP in Ohio and an Arnold, last name not given, [presumably Johnson] had recently visited her.
This makes no sense. Gene Kuhn is telling the source that people visited her?
This is what the document says when you remove a lot of commas. Is Kuhn trying to get an alibi for his friends, “Hey, source, if anybody asks Krchmarek and ‘last name not given’ if they were at your place last night say okay, okay?”, or is the writer of this report an idiot?
“She did not give the date of this visit.” Well, how could she if had to be told what happened in her house by Kuhn?
She stated that Krchmarek and Arnold, last name not given, spoke to a group of students at Bethany College and that after the meeting they were invited to a cocktail party where Socialism was discussed until the small hours of the morning.
Also on December 2, 1963 another source dated the Bethany College event as occurring on November 15, 1963. Johnson and Krchmarek had stopped in Steubenville, Ohio, again on November 18, 1963 to arrange for a meeting “down the river” on December 8, 1963 and to postpone a meeting scheduled for November 22, 1963 to December 13, 1963.
The report then repeats the information from document # 124-10006-1342.
Additionally the report states that Arnold Johnson gave an opinion of President Johnson, that LBJ would follow Kennedy’s policies but insert many of his own. Also that LBJ would replace many in the cabinet.
What a completely useless document. Didn’t we learn a lot about the assassination from it?
Document # 124-10232-10345 is a copy of document # 124-10006-1342.
Document # 124-10243-10367 is another copy of document # 124-10006-1342.
Document # 124-10244-10077 is another copy of document # 124-10006-1342.
Document # 124-10230-10425 is a one page document. from M.D. Crawford Jr. Actually, it is received by him. It is a cover sheet for an informant report. The actual report is not included. It is received from Mexi-118.
The date of the report is 11/6/63. It states, “No INFO LOCATED RE LEE HARVEY OSWALD-Gobernacion.” Under remarks there is listed “1 – 105-3702 L H Oswald (PECK)”. I do not know what that means.