Mrs. Ford.

Yes; she did.
I don't exactly know why she married him. But she said she met him at a dance, and soon after that, I don't know the reason why he was in the hospital but he was in a hospital, and she called on him, and I don't know how long he stayed there, either, and she liked the man, I think, and she bought him an Easter Egg, that was during Easter sometime and he was very surprised that such a thing could be done in Russia.
I think it rather pleased him very well. She said somehow she felt sorry for the man because none of her friends liked him, and mistrusted him, and she felt sort of like she was on the defensive, she wanted to, she felt sorry for him in a way.

Representative Ford.

Did she tell you why her friends didn't trust him?

Mrs. Ford.

Yes; she said they were thinking that he was an American spy or something like that, that is what they were trying to tell her. "Maybe he is a spy, and how can you trust a man like that?"
She told me the other day, she says no one trusted him, but she says, "I wasn't afraid of him," that is how she put it.

Representative Ford.

Did Marina indicate to you whether she thought or had any reason to believe that Oswald was a spy?

Mrs. Ford.

No; she didn't. She didn't think so. She never said that, I mean.

Representative Ford.

Did Marina ever indicate to you or did you gather that one of the reasons that Marina married Lee Oswald was she had the possibility of leaving the Soviet Union in mind?

Mrs. Ford.

Yes. She never did go out directly and say that but I think I got an impression that was her reason. She was telling me that way before she met Oswald she was dreaming of coming over here, and that is, I mean gathering by that later I thought that she wanted to come over, and he was, I suppose he was a reason.

Mr. Liebeler.

In this connection, I wanted to ask you whether you ever had any contact with any newspaper reporters from the Dallas newspapers about this, did they ask you about this at any time?

Mrs. Ford.

About this I don't remember if they asked me. I don't remember. But a couple of reporters came to my house soon after the assassination and talked to me.

Mr. Liebeler.

I represent to you that there was a story in the November 27, 1963, issue of the Dallas Times Herald which told about some Russian-born woman in Dallas to whom Marina had supposedly confided some of the most intimate secrets of her stormy marriage, in the words of the newspaper article.
Do you have any knowledge whether that would be you or somebody else?

Mrs. Ford.

I think that would be me.

Mr. Liebeler.

Did you tell the reporters that Marina had told you that Marina had felt sorry for Oswald because everybody hated him even in Russia?

Mrs. Ford.

Yes; I might have said that.

Mr. Liebeler.

Marina did say that to you?

Mrs. Ford.

Yes; she did.

Mr. Liebeler.

Did Marina tell you anything at this time about their trip back to the United States and the difficulties that they encountered, or how they did it, that sort of thing?

Mrs. Ford.

No; I never talked with her about that.

Mr. Liebeler.

Was there any conversation while Marina stayed with you during that week in November 1962, about the possibility of a divorce, of her divorcing Lee Oswald?

Mrs. Ford.

The possibility--I know she didn't want to go back to him at the time she stayed with me.

Mr. Liebeler.

But you don't remember any specific conversation?

Mrs. Ford.

No; I don't remember any specific conversation.

Mr. Liebeler.

About divorce?

Mrs. Ford.

Frankly, there was talk about it, she didn't want to go back and I just told her, I felt that Marina wasn't really the domestic type she could stand very long being a help at home, not that I think she is not capable of taking care of her own house. I see now since she has got even her own place