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Warren Commission Hearings: Vol. V - Page 209« Previous | Next »

(Testimony of Mr. Jack Ruby)

Mr. Ruby.
Mr. Moore, you seem to have known more about my interrogation than anybody else, right?
Mr. Moore.
I think you have told us about everything you told me.
Mr. Rankin.
It isn't entirely clear how you feel that your family and you yourself are threatened by your telling what you have to the Commission.
How do you come to the conclusion that they might be killed? Will you tell us a little bit more about that, if you can?
Mr. Ruby.
Well, assuming that, as I stated before, some persons are accusing me falsely of being part of the plot naturally, in all the time from over months ago, my family has been so interested in helping me.
Mr. Rankin.
By that, you mean a party to the plot of Oswald?
Mr. Ruby.
That I was party to a plot to silence Oswald.
All right now, when your family believes you and knows your mannerisms and your thoughts, and knows your sincerity, they have lived with you all your life and know your emotional feelings and your patriotism---on the surface, they see me only as the guilty assailant of Oswald, and by helping me like they have, going all out.
My brother who has a successful business, I know he is going to be killed. And I haven't seen him in years. And suddenly he feels that he wants to help me, because he believes that I couldn't be any further involved than the actual----
When I told him I did it because of Mrs. Kennedy, that is all he had to hear, because I would never involve my family or involve him in a conspiracy.
Everyone haven't let me down. Because they read the newspapers away from Dallas that stated certain facts about me, but they are untrue, because they wouldn't come out and put those things in the newspapers that they should be putting in; and people outside of Dallas read the Dallas newspapers and are all in sympathy with me, as far as the country itself.
That they felt, well, Jack did it. They probably felt they would do the same thing.
That sympathy isn't going to help me, because the people that have the power here, they have a different verdict. They already have me as the accused assassin of our beloved President.
Now if I sound screwy telling you this, then I must be screwy.
Chief Justice WARREN. Mr. Ruby, I think you are entitled to a statement to this effect, because you have been frank with us and have told us your story.
I think I can say to you that there has been no witness before this Commission out of the hundreds we have questioned who has claimed to have any personal knowledge that you were a party to any conspiracy to kill our President.
Mr. Ruby.
Yes; but you don't know this area here.
Chief Justice WARREN. No; I don't vouch for anything except that I think I am correct in that, am I not?
Mr. Rankin.
That is correct.
Chief Justice WARREN. I just wanted to tell you before our own Commission, and I might say to you also that we have explored the situation.
Mr. Ruby.
I know, but I want to say this to you. If certain people have the means and want to gain something by propagandizing something to their own use, they will make ways to present certain things that I do look guilty.
Chief Justice WARREN. Well, I will make this additional statement to you, that if any witness should testify before the Commission that you were, to their knowledge, a party to any conspiracy to assassinate the President, I assure you that we will give you the opportunity to deny it and to take any tests that you may desire to so disprove it.
I don't anticipate that there will be any such testimony, but should there be, we will give you that opportunity.
Does that seem fair?
Mr. Ruby.
No; that isn't going to save my family.
Chief Justice WARREN. Well, we can't do everything at once.
Mr. Ruby.
I am in a tough spot, and I don't know what the solution can be to save me.
And I know our wonderful President, Lyndon Johnson, as soon as he was the
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