(Testimony of Mrs. Marguerite Oswald Resumed)
Mrs. Oswald.
I am glad you are bringing these points up. My rights have been invaded and my son's.
I make that statement for the record.
Now, we shall go to Lee's childhood.
The Chairman.
Yes.
Mrs. Oswald.
Now, Chief Justice Warren, I have pictures of my son that Mr. Jenner would like this Commission to have, because it shows Lee at age 15 and 16, and myself, which was supposed to be a life of psychiatric treatment. And I am more than happy--I volunteered to help my country in every way possible--to let the Commission have everything that I have. But you must understand that these are very valuable pictures, sir. I am having people wanting rights to a book, and these pictures are very, very valuable to me. And 1 would not want any of these pictures lost. Financially they are valuable, and to my story, sir. And they are the only pictures in existence.
I have sold a few pictures in order to live.
But the way I have done it--the photographer had this picture in particular--have come to my home and copied the pictures and gave it to me back in my hand. I cannot afford to have any of these pictures lost, sir. It is my story that some day I hope to write.
So I was told that if I continue with the life history of Lee as a child and show the pictures, then they would have to be admitted for the record.
Am I correct, sir?
The Chairman.
That is our way of proceeding, yes.
Mrs. Oswald.
So now when I show the pictures, will you personally give me assurance that these pictures will in no way be used?
The Chairman.
No, I cannot do that. The Commission cannot do it. If you have something that you consider your personal property, that you do not want to give to the Commission, you may withhold it.
Mrs. Oswald.
I did not say, sir, I did not want to give it to the Commission.
The Chairman.
Just a minute. I do not believe they bear directly on the matter we are investigating. They might be helpful. They might not be helpful. But you may have the choice of determining whether you want to introduce them or not.
But if you do introduce them, the Commission cannot put any limitation upon the use that it might make of them.
Now, I don't mean by that that we are going to necessarily distribute them or anything of that kind. But the Commission cannot limit itself in the reception of its evidence. It must have the power to do with it whatever is necessary to develop the facts.
Mrs. Oswald.
Well, I give you that power. And I voluntarily would like for you to have everything I have, including pictures. But I just wanted assurance that these pictures would not be exploited in any way. For some reason or other--I am not putting it into words--but these are my personal pictures. And I want the Commission to have them. And it is pertinent to the story, I understand, Mr. Doyle, is that correct--because it shows Lee smiling, and his life and my life in New Orleans, which, I understand that the Commission is very interested in.
Am I not correct, Mr. Doyle?
Mr. Doyle.
Mrs. Oswald, as the situation has developed here, the introduction of the pictures into evidence, of course, must necessarily involve their physical copying, and the retention of the copies in the file. The Commission itself has stated that it can give you no assurance whatsoever concerning the use of these papers.
I would, myself, be of the view that the pictures introduced into the record here would be certainly used for the purposes of the investigation and the purposes of the Commission as established by the Executive order.
But they can give you no blanket--or have not chosen to give you any blanket assurance of the use of the pictures, and have given you completely the choice that if you have any concern about it whatsoever, that you retain the pictures yourself.
The choice they have given you is if you wish to have to present the pictures to the Commission in the course of your testimony, they will be glad to receive
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