(Testimony of Mrs. Eva Grant Resumed)
Mrs. Grant.
Jack; he don't know that he made them, he don't know that he made that many. I got the letter that he made them from Eileen at home.
Mr. Hubert.
He is allowed to make phone calls though?
Mrs. Grant.
Well. sometimes--I think he annoys them a little bit--those who sympathize with him and they figure he's pretty screwy, you know he is really gone he makes these collect calls to Chicago and they let him and there are one or two guards that aren't as nice I think they are not as tolerant.
Mr. Burleson.
Let's go off the record just a second, so that I can give Mr. Hubert some information.
(Discussion between counsel and the witness off the record.)
Mr. Burleson.
They have a pay phone out there in the jail, do they not? Let's go off the record just a second to give Mr. Hubert some information.
(Discussion between counsel off the record.)
Mr. Hubert.
I have to explain what went on while we were off the record. Let the record show that while we were off the record Mr. Burleson was explaining to me the circumstances used in the jail for allowing prisoners, especially those who are under a death sentence to use the pay phone in the jail, and that was the substance of the conversation off the record.
Now, do you have any more questions, Mr. Burleson? Are you through?
Mr. Burleson.
Yes.
Mr. Hubert.
I wanted to get into the matter of the financing of the defense of your brother, Jack--I suppose we should start with the selection of the attorneys originally in this case. Now, we know that Mr. Tom Howard apparently took the first affirmative action on behalf of Jack Ruby in the afternoon of November 24.
Mrs. Grant.
On the 24th.
Mr. Hubert.
And I want to ask you if you know by whose authority he took this action?
Mrs. Grant.
Ralph Paul, who knows nothing about lawyers---only knew Howard and they called them thinking they could get back on bond. Now, I didn't know Oswald died until later in the afternoon. I was hysterical over this shooting and being sick and the President's assassination--in fact, my television was on but it was turned down.
Mr. Hubert.
In other words, it was Ralph Paul that called Mr. Howard for the initial step?
When it came to the charge of the matter which ultimately followed, did you have anything to do with the selection of the attorneys who would defend your brother Jack?
Mrs. Grant.
Let me put it this way--there was Daugherty and Sullivan and Jim Martin, and one guy was threatened and one fellow's wife didn't want him in, Tom Howard pushed Jim Martin out of the case. I was panicky here. I had asked Tom to call Fred Brunner, Charles Tessmer--what is the name of this Erisman?
Mr. Burleson.
Fred Erisman.
Mrs. Grant.
Erisman or something like that and also Percy Foreman to get another lawyer--you know, a super lawyer that I felt--I didn't know too much about Tom, but talking to Chicago and people telling me here and everything., anyway, Tom remained in the case and I understand he didn't contact these people as quickly as he should and Earl was panicky up in Detroit.
Mr. Hubert.
Didn't Earl come down here as a result of that?
Mrs. Grant.
Not that day.
Mr. Hubert.
Not that day?
Mrs. Grant.
I don't know how many days later he did come, but we were on the phone constantly. He went to the west coast and he went to see one of the names there, Mike Shore who knows Frank Sinatra there and we figured that they would know somebody and that's how Belli came into the picture. Now, that is that part of the picture. Now, we didn't have any money.
Mr. Hubert.
What about Tonahill, how did he get in?
Mrs. Grant.
Oh; he was a friend of Belli's--Belli invited him in--as much as I know.
Mr. Hubert.
In other words, Tonahill came in after Belli did; is that correct?
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