Mr. Ruby.

Let me go off the record. This is going to be ad libbing, Miss, so can you hold it off on this? Can you hold it off or do you have to put it down?
Court REPORTER. Mr. Ruby, you have to ask that man over there--Mr. Specter.

Mr. Ruby.

All right.

Mr. Specter.

Do you want to go off the record, Mr. Ruby?

Mr. Ruby.

Yes.

Mr. Specter.

All right, off the record at this point.
(Explanation by Mr. Ruby at this point regarding the $2,200 cash item previously mentioned---off the record.)

Mr. Specter.

Back on the record. Mr. Ruby, that's a perfectly good explanation, and I think it would be better if we put that on the record as to this point, if it's all right with you.

Mr. Ruby.

Yes; but it's too crazy, mixed up, the way I was saying it.

Mr. Specter.

Well, essentially what you're saying makes good sense. What you're saying is that you don't want to have it in a condition where somebody can levy on it and get ahold of it before your creditors got it.

Mr. Ruby.

Well, I had the total cash for both clubs, but then, this was Friday night. Now, knowing my payroll at the Carousel runs to $1,600 or $1,400 on a Sunday night, and the Vegas Club on Saturday night because we close Sunday, consequently that money would be absorbed completely in another night or two.

Mr. Specter.

Mr. Ruby, that makes good sense. I think that in view of what your answer has been, it is preferable for us to put it on the record rather than to have any suggestion that anything that has been off the record is in anyway damaging or that we're keeping anything off the record that ought to be on the record.

Mr. Ruby.

Do you want me to go through that again, now? Do you want me to go through what I said to you now?

Mr. Specter.

That's right. Now, Miss Odell Oliver, will you go on the record with Mr. Ruby now, and since Mr. Ruby has made a brief explanation with regard to the last question, and at my suggestion he is willing to put it on the record, and he will now repeat the substance of what he has previously said.

Mr. Ruby.

All right. Due to my sister being ill and away from running the Vegas Club, I had in my possession for both clubs for operation, for payrolls and everything else, et cetera, et cetera.
Just a week prior to that I had purchased a safe which I knew it was necessary to have, and we already had--my maintenance man had built the forms for the safe, and we wanted further information as to where to place this safe in the club where it would be safest where burglars couldn't get at it. We called a Mr. Joe Cody of the police department to advise us where to place the thing. Consequently the safe had not been placed in cement as yet, and I had been carrying the total amount of cash for both clubs, the total capital, which include my purchases if there were to be any made, and the payroll for both clubs, and any accumulated excise tax money from the beginning of the last quarter for both clubs. So, hence, that money belonged solely to the operation of the Vegas Club and the Carousel.

Mr. Specter.

Mr. Ruby, then we will rephrase that question to this and simply state"Have you now told the truth about why you carried $2,200 in cash?

Mr. Ruby.

Yes; but you have a reason for asking me that--whether that was somebody else's money or something---yes. All that money is specifically in relationship to the operation of both clubs.

Mr. Specter.

Well, we could rephrase it, "Have you now told the truth concerning why you carried around $2,200 in cash?" and we will cover the substance of the matter in that question.

Mr. Ruby.

In other words, you don't want to leave it in your apartment because somebody might break in, but you feel it's safe, especially if I'm armed anyway, not that I can handle a gun that well, or whatever it may be, but somehow you feel--it's true I had the safe installed because I thought that would be safer to put any of my possessions in. In other words, it's a cash operation. In other words, $2,200 in one week is a good return anyway.

Mr. Herndon.

I'll proceed, Mr. Ruby, if you are ready?

Mr. Ruby.

All right.