I can't tell you. If I was you, I wouldn't hire him." So, he didn't, but he did come out of the Marines and supposedly he had a discharge that was satisfactory but I did not ever see this discharge.

Mr. Jenner.

Was anything said in connection with your inquiries at that time about his having had a Russian language newspaper around your place of employment?

Mr. Stovall.

One of the fellows mentioned that he thought he might have, but in further discussion he was unable to pinpoint whether he was positive of this or whether he just thought it was. This fellow Ofstein--I think he made mention of it, the fact that he thought he might have seen one.

Mr. Jenner.

Well, he said not only did he see it, but that he read it. He had some command of the Russian language himself. He was a student at the Service Language School in Monterey, Calif. when he was in the service.

Mr. Stovall.

Actually, when I was talking to this fellow Padgett, I was really just shooting off my mouth, but it seemed the way it turned out, that maybe there was a little bit of rounding to it.

Mr. Jenner.

Was there anything that came to your attention about his discharge from the Marines?

Mr. Stovall.

No; I really didn't know any particulars on it until this incident happened.

Mr. Jenner.

It was subsequent to November 22, 1963?

Mr. Stovall.

No, previous to that.

Mr. Jenner.

Did it ever come to your attention of Oswald having any contact with any of your employees subsequent to the termination of his employment?

Mr. Stovall.

Not that I know of.

Mr. Jenner.

I have here Commission Exhibit 427, which purports to be the original of an employee identification questionnaire of your company, with respect to Lee Harvey Oswald, and would you look at it, please?

Mr. Stovall.

Mr. Jenner.

And are you familiar in fact with what it purports to he?

Mr. Stovall.

Yes; this is the employment card that we had on him.

Mr. Jenner.

And that is part of your original books and records of your company, kept in the usual and regular course of business?

Mr. Stovall.

Right--this was picked up by the Secret Service and somewhere I have a receipt from them, well, there is a negative I destroyed the positive.

Mr. Jenner.

Now, you are showing me a receipt and if I could read backwards, I would be able to read this.

Mr. Stovall.

If you have a mirror, you can look at it and read it.

Mr. Jenner.

Off the record.
(Discussion between Counsel Jennet and the witness, Mr. Stovall, off the records.)

Mr. Jenner.

Are you able to tell me whose handwriting that is in the extreme upper right-hand corner of Exhibit 427?

Mr. Stovall.

That is one of the personnel--in our bookkeeping and payroll department, and I could not tell you who it would be, but it would be one of three people.

Mr. Jenner.

But it is an entry by an employee of your company made in the usual and regular course of business, is it?

Mr. Stovall.

Yes.

Mr. Jenner.

And it records the date of termination of Oswald's employment?

Mr. Stovall.

Right.

Mr. Jenner.

The sixth day of April 1963?

Mr. Stovall.

He was given notice the latter part of March, and our company's procedure is to give a fellow a week or 10 days notice prior to the termination.

Mr. Jenner.

Was his termination prospectively or otherwise discussed with you prior to it?

Mr. Stovall.

Oh probably it was---I would not say for sure whether it was or wasn't I'm pretty much of a dog around there when things don't go right I'm the one that has to do all the yelling, and if a guy doesn't produce, I say, ."Let's do something," and from this basis I feel the responsibility to say that I probably had something to do with this termination, not as an individual, but only on his performance as far as the work standards were concerned.