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Warren Commission Hearings: Vol. VIII - Page 23« Previous | Next »

(Testimony of Mrs. Bennierita Smith)

Mrs. Smith.
Bobby Newman.
Mr. Liebeler.
Bobby Newman?
Mrs. Smith.
But he was, I guess, the studious type. Well, it seemed to me. He was always studying, you know, reading books, and that is as far as--I don't know what his grades were, but as far as him mixing with other people, he didn't. You know, like when you go to school, more or less everybody has their own group. Well, there wasn't anybody he hung around with, except, like I said, Edward Voebel.
Mr. Liebeler.
How well do you know Mr. Voebel?
Mrs. Smith.
Not well at all, I mean just from seeing him in school. I knew his parents had owned the Quality Florists on Canal Street. Well, I knew his sisters.
Mr. Liebeler.
You knew Voebel's sister?
Mrs. Smith.
Yes; he has got two, they are twins, Doris--and they call the other one Teddy. I don't know what her real name was.
Mr. Liebeler.
Did you ever hear what this fight was all about, the one you described in which Oswald had his lip cut?
Mrs. Smith.
No; I really didn't. I just saw people standing around and knew there was a fight, and, you know, went over to see.
Mr. Liebeler.
Did you get the impression that Oswald started the fight or that the other guy started the fight?
Mrs. Smith.
I really don't know. I didn't know what happened. Well, I know this boy was, I guess, a kind of a smart alec, this guy he had the fight with, this Robin Riley. Well, he was always hanging around school but he didn't go there, you know, he just----
Mr. Liebeler.
Was this Riley boy older, do you know, or about the same age as the rest of the students?
Mrs. Smith.
I think he was older, because he had a sister that went to Warren Easton with me and she was older, she was a grade ahead of me, and I am almost sure he was older than her.
Mr. Liebeler.
This fellow didn't go to Beauregard Junior High School?
Mrs. Smith.
No.
Mr. Liebeler.
Do you know if he went to school somewhere else?
Mrs. Smith.
No; I sure don't.
Mr. Liebeler.
Is that the only fight that you can recall in which Oswald was involved?
Mrs. Smith.
That is all.
Mr. Liebeler.
Did you see the television program that was played over WDSU shortly after the assassination in which Voebel appeared?
Mrs. Smith.
Yes; I did see that. Larry Lala and Bob Jones had come to my house. Well, I knew Larry. He knew I went to Beauregard, and he called me up and asked me if I had remembered Lee Oswald, and when I thought about him, you know, things started coming back. It had been such a long time. And he asked me if they could come over, that they were writing this story on him, and I told him to come over if he wanted but I didn't think I could really help him, because it wasn't anything I knew about him.
Mr. Liebeler.
This person that called you was a newspaper reporter?
Mrs. Smith.
Well, he works for WWL. He takes the news films for them. And when he came in the house, I thought he would come with a pad and pencil, and he walks in with cameras and lights. He picked up one of my girl friends, he brought her over, and this other girl I went to school with, she was at my house, she had, spent the day with me. It just so happened she was there. And then they just asked us questions, but I told Larry about that fight. Well, he had remembered the same incident.
Mr. Liebeler.
Did you appear in the television program?
Mrs. Smith.
Yes, sir.
Mr. Liebeler.
You did?
Mrs. Smith.
Yes, sir; the three of us.
Mr. Liebeler.
Three of you would be yourself---and what were the names of the other two girls?
Mrs. Smith.
Anna Alexander Langlois and Peggy Murphy Zimmerman.
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