(Testimony of Mrs. Arthur Carl (Gladys J.) Johnson)
Mrs. Johnson.
Yes; my husband and I; that's our home.
Mr. Ball.
Anyone else live there with you?
Mrs. Johnson.
I had a housekeeper.
Mr. Ball.
What is her name?
Mrs. Johnson.
Earlene Roberts.
Mr. Ball.
Anyone else live there?
Mrs. Johnson.
That's all except tenants.
Mr. Ball.
Then you rented out rooms?
Mrs. Johnson.
Yes; I rent out bedrooms, don't give board, just bedroom and living room privileges.
Mr. Ball.
How many tenants did you have in October last year?
Mrs. Johnson.
You know, I'm sorry I didn't bring my register. I couldn't tell you exactly; I imagine I had about 10 or 12.
Mr. Ball.
Was it full?
Mrs. Johnson.
No; I don't--I most always have vacancies.
Mrs. Johnson.
I have had more even since this happened.
Mr. Ball.
Oh, you have?
Mrs. Johnson.
Yes; I have; people are funny about things like that, you know----
Mr. Ball.
Well, now, you knew Lee Oswald, didn't you?
Mrs. Johnson.
Well, I just knew him when I seen him. I knew him as a renter, that's all.
Mr. Ball.
Where was he when you first met him, at what place?
Mrs. Johnson.
At my home I was between serving hours and I come home for relaxation and to kind of help out. I cooperate in keeping the house and seeing after it, too, and I had returned home that afternoon and he room for rent Sign--the first time that he came by, I happened to have just rented the last room that one time. Occasionally, I will have them full and then they Just go vacant; people just come in and out, stay a week and then are gone, anyway, at that time, I didn't have a room.
Mr. Ball.
The first time he came to see you?
Mrs. Johnson.
Yes; that's something about 3 weeks before he came back.
Mr. Ball.
This was 1026 North Beckley?
Mrs. Johnson.
Yes.
Mr. Ball.
He talked to you?
Mrs. Johnson.
Yes ; the first time and the last time; the first time, he told me he wanted a room and I told him I was very sorry, I Just rented the last room and he said he was very sorry, he wanted to get near his work and he didn't have a car and it being on the bus line, he was sorry he missed it. I 'said, "You noticed the sign." I hadn't had time to take the told him, "I will take the sign up and if you notice the sign up again, you might stop by and I will have a room" and sure enough, he came by this second time and so this tiny, little room--it was at one time my library; that's what It was built for, and he-came by and I said I only have this small room at the present time. I run an ad, it seems like, at that time, and I said I only have the small room and he looked at it and said, "I will take this room with the understanding I can have a larger room at the time you have one go vacant" and I said to him that's agreeable, so, at the time, I had other vacancies which in just 2 or 3 days I had two or three more accommodations go vacant, so I told him I had other accommodations that are larger and he said, "I find this room to be light and comfortable." It was four windows on the outside wall; it was all light. He said, "I find it to be light and comfortable and worth the money, you don't mind, I will remain in this room," so he didn't even look at the other rooms. He just remained in that. room, what I I utilized it into a bedroom, my father-in-law lived with a family of people on a farm and they went to Arkansas to live and he was getting old and he didn't want to be that far away from his son, so he wanted to come and make his home with us and I fixed this little library room--it was off and private from -the other roomers ---for "Pappy" to sleep in and the living room for him to sit in and he was---that's about 9 years before he was deceased.
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