Mr. Griffin.

long before you arrived did they know you were coming? In other words, how many days elapsed between your conversation with Shore and your airplane trip out there?

Mr. Ruby.

Gee, only a day or so, I think.

Mr. Griffin.

Now, had Shore mentioned Belli to you on the telephone in that first conversation?

Mr. Ruby.

I think so, but I am not sure I think so, but I am not sure, because I think in our conversation in the car that we had makes me think they mentioned it before now, because the conversation went like this: I must have mentioned before I haven't heard of Belli. He says, "I know I haven't mentioned Belli and I don't want to push him too much," but then they started to tell me how good he is, so we must have talked about him on the phone. My remark was, "But Mike, I never heard of him."
So, anyhow, they said, the conversation got around that he is in town, and, "Would you care to see him?"
I says, "Well, I've got nothing to lose."
In the meantime, they are telling me how great he is, of course.

Mr. Hubert.

Were you under the impression that they had asked Belli to come to Los Angeles?

Mr. Ruby.

I don't know.

Mr. Hubert.

Do you think it was a coincidence? Is there anything factual that happened that might suggest to you that----

Mr. Ruby.

Yes; I think that they probably did. I shouldn't say did, probably could have. I don't want to make the statement that they did, because Woodfield later told me that Belli promised him that he would write Belli's version of the trial or whatever you call it, for making the contact to represent my brother, words to that effect.

Mr. Griffin.

Woodfield said this?

Mr. Ruby.

Yes.

Mr. Griffin.

And you heard Woodfield say it or this is something that somebody else told you Woodfield said?

Mr. Ruby.

No; I heard Woodfield say that.

Mr. Hubert.

Wood field told that to you?

Mr. Ruby.

Yes; sure.

Mr. Griffin.

When did he tell you that?

Mr. Ruby.

That was later on when he learned--this was weeks later when he learned he wasn't going to do the story. Somebody else---Belli brought in a fellow by the name of A1 Moscow to do the story.

Mr. Griffin.

The story of your brother?

Mr. Ruby.

No.

Mr. Griffin.

The story of Belli?

Mr. Ruby.

Belli--Belli's book on the trial.

Mr. Griffin.

Now, was this before----

Mr. Ruby.

Wait, we have got to clarify something else. We are getting ahead of ourselves.

Mr. Griffin.

Let me just pinpoint time here. Was your conversation with Woodfield about Woodfield not being able to write the Belli story, did that conversation occur before, during, or after the trial of your brother?

Mr. Ruby.

During, I would say.

Mr. Griffin.

You indicate by your tone of voice and your words that you are not certain as to when this took place. Could you try to think of what the surrounding circumstances were of this conversation and other things to pin-point the time?

Mr. Ruby.

It wasn't after, I know. Whether or not it was before, it could have been just before, because I don't remember when A1 Moscow came down the first time.
Oh, well, we can know exactly. It was published all over the country that Belli had signed a contract to do a story on Jack Ruby and the trial and all that stuff, and it was all over the country, with A1 Moscow to do the writing. So we can pinpoint that. I don't remember the date.

Mr. Griffin.

Now, I took you off the track. Get back on your track.

Mr. Ruby.

Where was I?