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(Testimony of Mrs. Marguerite Oswald Resumed)
Mrs. Oswald.
Mr. Boster came out and said, "Mrs. Oswald, I am awfully glad you came early, because we are going to have a terrible snow storm, and we have orders to leave early in order to get home."
So he called Mr. Stanfield--the arrangements had been made now, the other man--I don't have that name here for you, Mr. Rankin.
Mr. Rankin.
Is it Mr. Hickey?
Mrs. Oswald.
Yes, Mr. Hickey. You are correct.
So then we were in conference. So I showed the papers, like I am showing here. And I said, "Now, I know you are not going to answer me, gentlemen, but I am under the impression that my son is an agent." "Do you mean a Russian agent?" I said, "No, working for our Government, a U.S. agent. And I want to say this: That if he is, I don't appreciate it too much, because I am destitute, and just getting over a sickness," on that order.
I had the audacity to say that. I had gone through all of this without medical, without money, without compensation. I am a desperate woman. So I said that.
Mr. Rankin.
What did they say to you?
Mrs. Oswald.
They did not answer that. I even said to them, "No, you won't tell me." So I didn't expect them to answer that.
The Chairman.
Did you mean you were seeking money from them?
Mrs. Oswald.
No, sir. I didn't think that my son should have gone in a foreign country, and me being alone. What I was saying was that I think my son should be home with me, is really what I implied.
The Chairman.
Did you tell them that?
Mrs. Oswald.
In the words that I said before I didn't come out and say I want my son home. But I implied that if he was an agent, that I thought that he needed to be home.
Mr. Rankin.
Did you say anything about believing that your son might know full well what he was doing in trying to defect to the Soviet Union, he might like it better there than he did here?
Mrs. Oswald.
I do not remember saying this. I know what I did say, and they agreed with me. I said--because I remember this distinctly. I said, "Now, he has been exploited all through the paper as a defector. If he is a defector"-because as we stated before, I don't know he is an agent, sir--and if he is a defector, that is his privilege, as an individual.
And they said, "Mrs. Oswald, we want you to know that we feel the same way about it." That was their answer.
Mr. Rankin.
Did you say anything about possibly he liked the Soviet way of life better than ours?
Mrs. Oswald.
I may have. I do not remember, sir. Honestly. I may have said that. I recall that they agreed with me, and they said, "We want him also to do what he wants to do."
So now this is January 2, 1961, is my trip to Washington. Approximately 8 weeks later, on March 22, 1961--which is 8 weeks--I received a letter from the State Department informing me of my son's address.
Mr. Rankin.
Do you recall that they assured you there was no evidence he was an agent?
Mrs. Oswald.
No, sir, there was no comment to that effect.
Mr. Rankin.
And they told you to dismiss any such ideas from your mind?
Mrs. Oswald.
No, sir.
Mr. Rankin.
You are sure they didn't tell you that?
Mrs. Oswald.
I am positive. I said to them, "Of course, I don't expect you to answer me." No, sir, there was nothing mentioned about the agent at all. And in fact, I would think, just as a layman, that the State Department would not even consider discussing that with me. But I mean it was not discussed. I am positive of that.
Mr. Rankin.
If they recorded in a memorandum as of that date that they did say that to you, that would be incorrect?
Mrs. Oswald.
That is incorrect, emphatically incorrect. That is incorrect. Because I said, "I don't expect you to tell me. But if he is an agent," I didn't think it was the thing to do.
Well, on January 21 was my trip to Washington, 1961. Approximately 8
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