(Testimony of Thomas Stewart Palmer)
Mr. Palmer.
screened carefully, and he was very careful to see that it was not--it could have been risque, but not filthy. In other words, he ran a very close cheek on certain types of profanity. On the other hand, he was very free in permitting a master of ceremonies his choice of material.
Mr. Griffin.
How did you happen to learn about this?
Mr. Palmer.
Well, now, not myself first hand. It was by Earl Norman who complained to me one day that he had been telling this joke in Jack's establishment for several weeks, and apparently Jack had not heard it, and asked him to delete it from his routine. Of course, this was a blow to Earl in two ways. First of all, being told what material to choose, and secondly, that he hadn't been heard for 2 weeks.
Mr. Griffin.
Do you remember what the joke was?
Mr. Palmer.
I cannot. I have been trying to think what it was. It was an innocuous thing to me.
Mr. Griffin.
Was it a religious joke or a racial joke? Or was it a sexual joke?
Mr. Palmer.
I cannot honestly recall. It was an unimportant thing at the time to me. I talked to Jack about his censoring Earl in this particular instance, but as I recall, the joke wasn't mentioned.
Mr. Griffin.
Did you ever or did anybody ever tell you prior to the time that President Kennedy was assassinated that Jack didn't permit them to tell jokes about the Kennedy family?
Mr. Palmer.
On the contrary, I heard jokes about the Kennedy family and most other political figures in his establishment by Wally Weston. I don't know whether--it was not a large part of his routine, but I believe I did hear him use them.
Mr. Griffin.
Did any of his employees ever complain to you about Jack having physically abused them?
Mr. Palmer.
Yes.
Mr. Griffin.
Which employees, or which employee?
Mr. Palmer.
Well, it was not what would constitute a complaint against the employer, so I couldn't follow it up from an AGVA or union standpoint. But I know that he did strike Earl Norman on occasion and call him a drunk and was detrimental to his career by calling other establishments where Earl was employed, and indicating that he was an inebriate.
Mr. Griffin.
Did Earl tell you this?
Mr. Palmer.
Earl told me this, and our booking agent, Pappy Dolson, indicated that he was having difficulty booking Earl because of things that were being said, and he didn't say that Jack had said them. Later Jack admitted to me that he was the one that had said these things, and he said he was sorry for them. And I believe at later date he did take Earl back to work for him.
Mr. Griffin.
Was this instance sometime before the President came to Dallas?
Mr. Palmer.
Yes. I think he struck Jada on occasion, or as she put it, "shoved me around."
Several of the other girls had been manhandled by Jack for various reasons. I am not certain what they all are. Jack has a tendency to be frugal to a point of not always being honest on occasion. The girls would draw money in advance, and sometimes his bookkeeping was too much in his favor for a very small amount. On the other hand, he was quick to give them money if they needed it for anything. To buy a radio, he would give them $40, but come payday, it might be $42 he thought he gave, and it would take moments of understanding before he coughed up the other $2.
Mr. Griffin.
Do you remember the circumstances under which Jada quit working for Jack?
Mr. Palmer.
Partially.
Mr. Griffin.
Did she tell you about them, or did Jack?
Mr. Palmer.
Yes; as a matter of fact, she filed a complaint with me and he filed a complaint with me. Evidently, I believe the police were called in by an agent to get it straightened out. Jack maintained, after she had been there quite some time, that her act which originally was not suitable for Dallas however, it did pass the vice squad critic---or claimed that she had reverted hack to a New Orleans type of dancing, which included front bumps and a
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