(Testimony of William Kirk Stuckey)
Mr. Jenner.
Excuse me identify Mr. Bringuier.
Mr. Stuckey.
Mr. Bringuier at that time was the New Orleans delegate to the Revolutionary Student Directorate which was an anti-Castro group with headquarters in Miami. He also ran a clothing store called Casa Roca. He was an attorney in Havana before the Revolution, the Cuban Revolution of 1958, and had been very active ever since I had known him in New Orleans in anti-Castro activity. I had interviewed him on a number of occasions in connection with Cuban current events. Mr. Bringuier ran into me in the bank, and I spoke to him and he said that a representative of the Fair Play for Cuba Committee had appeared in New Orleans and that he had had an encounter with him shortly before.
Mr. Jenner.
That interested you?
Mr. Stuckey.
Yes, very much, very much, because I knew something of the reputation of this group. I regarded them as being about the leading pro-Castro organization in this country, a propaganda organ for the Castro forces, and I had done a considerable amount of reading of congressional testimony, articles, and this sort of thing about their activities. Mr. Bringuier said he had had an encounter with a young man who was representing the Fair Play for Cuba Committee in New Orleans.
Mr. Jenner.
Excuse me you had known Bringuier and you had had contact with him; had he ever been on your program up to this moment that you speak of?
Mr. Stuckey.
No; he had never been on my program, but, as a newspaperman, I had contacted him quite frequently for information.
Mr. Jenner.
Proceed.
Mr. Stuckey.
He told me that--this is in the bank--a few days before, I don't recall exactly--
Mr. Jenner.
This was a chance meeting?
Mr. Stuckey.
This was a chance meeting with Mr. Bringuier. I was cashing my paycheck and Bringuier told me a few days before he had run into this fellow in his store, this Casa Roca--this young man had approached him.
Mr. Jenner.
A young man had come in?
Mr. Stuckey.
A young man. At the time he had mentioned no name. If he had, it wouldn't have made any difference to me because the name meant nothing.
He said a young man came in, introduced himself and said he was a veteran of the Marine Corps, he had just gotten out, and that he was very disturbed by this Cuban situation and he wanted to do something about hurting Castro, or trying to change the regime. He, in some way--
Mr. Jenner.
This was something this up-to-the-moment unnamed young man had said to Mr. Bringuier?
Mr. Stuckey.
Had said to Mr. Bringuier as Bringuier recounted it to me later. I am telling you Bringuier's story now.
Mr. Jenner.
Yes; I wanted to make clear that you were.
Mr. Stuckey.
Right. Now, this young man said somehow he knew Bringuier was connected with the Revolutionary Student Directorate, how, I don't know. But, at any race, as I said, he offered his services.
Then he presented a Marine Corps Handbook to Bringuier. He said, "This might help you out in your guerrilla activities and such. This is my own personal Marine Corps Handbook", which Bringuier accepted. That was the gist of the conversation. Bringuier told me that sometime after that, I don't recall exactly how long it was, he was walking on Canal Street, the main street of New Orleans, about a block away from his store, and he ran into this young man again. This time he was distributing literature, handbills, and the hand bills said, "Hands Off Cuba", and on the handbill it said, "Join the Fair Play for Cuba Committee in New Orleans, Charter Member Branch".
It was this same young man. Bringuier, who was a rather excitable fellow, and he couldn't understand why this fellow was now distributing pro-Castro literature whereas a short time before he had posed as an anti- Castro man. So Bringuier got into a shouting match with him on the street corner, and I think some blows were exchanged, I am not sure.
Mr. Jenner.
Bringuier is again telling you this?
Mr. Stuckey.
This is what Bringuier is telling me, because I did not witness
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