Mr. Hodge.

you can be a good citizen, but the courts won't protect you on these things. This
fellow that killed this man and woman out here if you've got a minute?

Mr. Hubert.

Yes.

Mr. Hodge.

Well, Captain Fritz' men came by with a shell, a Peters Wad Cutter, and that's this man-and woman that got killed a few days ago out here and it has no concern with this case, but anyway, I checked my book and I found where I sold that man a gun and a box of ammunition, and they couldn't find nobody else that had that particular kind of ammunition, they said, so I called Captain Fritz and gave them that information and they went out and called me back in 2 hours and they said, "Boy, you're just as right as rain," and I give them a list of all the .45 automatics I had sold, and so they went out and picked up this bloody uniform and got a confession from him and he admitted every, thing and got the gun and the amount of ammunition that they found at the scene plus what was in the box, and so I cooperate fully with them, but you stick your neck out. Some of those characters--if this man gets out on bond, what's to keep him from coming down there and killing me? But I believe it's being a good citizen if you know anything, to come forth with it and tell it.

Mr. Hubert.

Now, do you know anything other than what you've said to me or anybody else that you would like to say about this matter?

Mr. Hodge.

Everybody's got an opinion and it's talked around-of course there's pro and con, but they all seem to think that--I have heard different ones talking and they seem to think that there is a connection there between those two, Oswald and Ruby, and that probably Ruby was--I guess you know about him, that they found a bunch of money--- about $10,000 in his apartment, and people talking say it's payoff money, but I don't know nothing. That's the first time I'd seen that Jack Ruby in 4 or 5 years and it didn't dawn on me who he was, and I just thought I'd just shut him up, and when he asked me that, I just said in a low voice, "They've got me arrested," and he said, "Oh, you fellows don't have Hodge arrested, do you?"

Mr. Hubert.

No; what I was trying to get at ---is there anything you have not stated to anyone, any facts or knowledge that you have concerning Ruby or Oswald or the assassination of the President that you haven't told anybody that you want to take advantage of this occasion to say it?

Mr. Hodge.

If there is, I don't recall what it is, because I've told you just straight down the middle of what had happened.

Mr. Hubert.

Well, I didn't know what you were leading up to awhile ago and perhaps it was nothing at all, but as I Say, if there's anything you want to say, you could say it now, you know?

Mr. Hodge.

Yes; and I would, but that's it.

Mr. Hubert.

All right, thank you, sir; very much.

Mr. Hodge.

Thank you a lot. Thank you.

David L. Johnston
-----------------

Testimony of David L. Johnston

The testimony of David L. Johnston was taken at 2 p.m. on June 26, 1964, in the office of the U.S. attorney, 301 Post Office Building, Bryan and Ervay Streets, Dallas, Tex., by Mr. Leon D. Hubert, Jr., assistant counsel of the President's Commission.

Mr. Hubert.

This is the deposition of David L. Johnston.

Mr. Johnston, my name is Leon Hubert. I am a member of the advisory staff of the general counsel of the President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy. Under the provisions of Executive Order 11130 dated November 29, 1963, and the joint resolution of Congress No. 137 and the rules of procedure adopted by the Commission in conformance with the Executive order and the joint resolution, I have been authorized to take this sworn deposition from you. I state to you that the general nature of the Commission's inquiry

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