(Testimony of James Herbert Martin)
Mr. Rankin.
She was getting away from that association, was she?
Mr. Martin.
Yes.
Mr. Rankin.
By going to the other city?
Mr. Martin.
Yes.
Mr. Rankin.
Do you recall any other conversation when she told you something that you don't believe?
Mr. Martin.
Oh, she remarked about people that she knew in Russia that had, we will say, lovers----
Mr. Dulles.
Did she tell anything about a letter that she wrote to a boy friend in Minsk?
Mr. Martin.
After she was here in New Orleans?
Mr. Dulles.
Yes.
Mr. Martin.
Yes.
Mr. Dulles.
What did she say about that?
Mr. Martin.
Let's see, she said she wrote the letter, and I believe what it was she told the boy that she wasn't--she wanted to come back to Russia, to him, she loved him, and the letter was returned, I believe, for lack of postage, and Oswald got hold of the letter, and he asked her about it, and I think he asked her either to read it or he would read it. I believe she read it to him. This caused quite a bit of difficulty. Now, that is when she was in New Orleans.
Mr. Rankin.
When she was telling you about these people that had lovers in Russia, you didn't believe these stories? Is that what you are saying?
Mr. Martin.
Well, of course, I know nothing about Russian life.
Mr. Rankin.
Yes.
Mr. Martin.
So I more or less took it with a grain of salt. I didn't put any credibility to it or any doubt to it. It was just something that was said and I didn't either accept it or reject it.
Mr. Rankin.
How did she happen to tell you about going to Minsk to get away from a married man in Leningrad? Tell us how that came up.
Mr. Martin.
I think she was just talking about boy friends, I guess.
Mr. Rankin.
Did she tell you she had quite a few boy friends?
Mr. Martin.
Yes.
Mr. Rankin.
Was that in Russia that she had the boy friends?
Mr. Martin.
Yes.
Mr. Rankin.
How many did she tell you about?
Mr. Martin.
Oh, boy. Well, she didn't mention any names as such, and I don't know whether different stories got confused to being two different people or-I would say 10 or 12.
Mr. Rankin.
Did she include Lee Oswald among those?
Mr. Martin.
Well, you mean as a boy friend?
Mr. Rankin.
Yes.
Mr. Martin.
No.
Mr. Rankin.
Did she tell you anything about her relations with these boy friends?
Mr. Martin.
No.
Mr. Rankin.
You say you didn't believe these stories?
Mr. Martin.
Well, I didn't have any reason to disbelieve or to believe them. They were just conversation.
Mr. Rankin.
Now, on the Nixon matter, when that came to your attention, did you tell anyone else about it?
Mr. Martin.
I discussed it with my wife, and with John Thorne.
Mr. Dulles.
Excuse me just a moment.
Mr. Martin, this is Congressman Boggs, a member of the Commission, and this is Mr. Leech, counsel for Mr. Martin.
Mr. Leech.
I know Mr. Boggs, I met him in New Orleans years ago.
Mr. Rankin.
Will you tell us about the conversation when you related this to someone else?
Mr. Martin.
It was on the telephone, and I was quite shocked at first about it and then thinking it over, it didn't sound logical.
Mr. Rankin.
You believed it at first?
Mr. Martin.
Yes. I guess I didn't see any reason for it not to be true. But
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