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Warren Commission Hearings: Vol. I - Page 80« Previous | Next »

(Testimony of Mrs. Lee Harvey Oswald Resumed)

Mrs. Oswald.
Mr. Heitman and Bogoslav, who was an interpreter for the FBI.
Mr. Rankin.
You understand that you do not have to tell this Commission in order to stay in this country, don't you, now?
Mrs. Oswald.
Yes.
Mr. Rankin.
You are not under any compulsion to tell the Commission here in order to be able to stay in the country.
Mrs. Oswald.
I understand that.
Mr. Rankin.
And you have come here because you want to tell us what you could about this matter, is that right?
Mrs. Oswald.
This is my voluntary wish, and no one forced me to do this.
Mr. Rankin.
Did these various people from the police and the Secret Service and the FBI treat you courteously when they asked you about the matters that they did, concerning the assassination and things leading up to it?
Mrs. Oswald.
I have a very good opinion about the Secret Service, and the people in the police department treated me very well. But the FBI agents were somehow polite and gruff. Sometimes they would mask a gruff question in a polite form.
Mr. Rankin.
Did you see anyone from the Immigration Service during this period of time?
Mrs. Oswald.
Yes.
Mr. Rankin.
Do you know who that was?
Mrs. Oswald.
I don't remember the name. I think he is the chairman of that office. At least he was a representative of that office.
Mr. Rankin.
By "that office" you mean the one at Dallas?
Mrs. Oswald.
I was told that he had especially come from New York, it seems to me.
Mr. Rankin.
What did he say to you?
Mrs. Oswald.
That if I was not guilty of anything, if I had not committed any crime against this Government, then I had every right to live in this country. This was a type of introduction before the questioning by the FBI. He even said that it would be better for me if I were to help them.
Mr. Rankin.
Did he explain to you what he meant by being better for you?
Mrs. Oswald.
In the sense that I would have more rights in this country. I understood it that way.
Mr. Rankin.
Did you understand that you were being threatened with deportation if you didn't answer these questions?
Mrs. Oswald.
No, I did not understand it that way.
You see, it was presented in such a delicate form, but there was a clear implication that it would be better if I were to help.
Mr. Rankin.
Did you----
Mrs. Oswald.
This was only felt. It wasn't said in actual words.
Mr. Rankin.
Did you feel that it was a threat?
Mrs. Oswald.
This was not quite a threat--it was not a threat. But it was their great desire that I be in contact, in touch with the FBI. I sensed that.
Mr. Rankin.
But you did not consider it to be a threat to you?
Mrs. Oswald.
No.
Mr. Rankin.
Did anyone indicate that it would affect your ability to work in this country if you cooperated?
Mrs. Oswald.
Excuse me. No.
Mr. Rankin.
Is there anything else about your treatment by law enforcement officials during this period that you would like to tell the Commission about?
Mrs. Oswald.
I think that the FBI agents knew that I was afraid that after everything that had happened I could not remain to live in this country, and they somewhat exploited that for their own purposes, in a very polite form, so that you could not say anything after that. They cannot be accused of anything. They approached it in a very clever, contrived way.
Mr. Rankin.
Was there anyone else of the law enforcement officials that you felt treated you in that manner?
Mrs. Oswald.
No. As for the rest, I was quite content. Everyone was very attentive towards me.
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