Mr. Ford.

Meller may have introduced him to the owner of the shop but I am not sure about it.

Mr. Liebeler.

Did you have any conversations with either Mr. Meller or Mr. Bouhe about this?

Mr. Ford.

I have had conversations with them, but it was prior to this night when Lee came to make a reconciliation with his wife.

Mr. Liebeler.

Did they tell you that they had anything to do with his getting this job?

Mr. Ford.

I don't specifically remember that they said so. I either assumed this or something they said led me to believe it.

Mr. Liebeler.

Did you have any conversations with the Rays that evening while you were taking Marina over there about the difficulties that the Oswalds had in their marriage?
Let's expand the question. Think about that, and also think about any conversations that you may have had with your wife about that after you went back, and tell us the conversations that you had with anybody at that time about the incidents of the separation, what caused it and what was the trouble between the Oswalds?

Mr. Ford.

I don't believe I had any discussion with either Mr. or Mrs. Ray about specifically the difficulties in their marriage between Marina and Lee Oswald.
The only thing I remember is frankly saying something to the effect, well, he is really a screwy nut, or something, he can't find ways to work, something to that effect.
I have not discussed their personal problems. But I have discussed it with my wife about it prior to that and after that and also after the assassination and it was my understanding when she left her husband it was because he had beat her up.

Mr. Liebeler.

Did anybody tell you any of the details about why he had done that or what the cause of the trouble was?

Mr. Ford.

Not at the time. My wife didn't tell me anything about that. Again, after the assassination, she told me more about it, but I don't know if Marina had mentioned this prior to the assassination, the year before that when she stayed at our house, or whether she mentioned it after the assassination, I don't know the exact time that these details were brought out.
My wife did mention that perhaps Marina antagonized him by arguing with him, talking back to him, or something like that whereas if she just learned to be quiet when he said something he might not have hit her.

Mr. Liebeler.

But you don't recall whether that was developed during or at the time or later

Mr. Ford.

I don't remember whether she told me that before the assassination or not. I know we have talked about it since the assassination.

Mr. Liebeler.

When was the next contact that you had with the Oswalds?

Mr. Ford.

The next contact was after Christmas 1962. Between Christmas and New Year's we gave a cocktail party and some friends of ours, George De Mohrenschildt and his wife were invited and later called my wife and asked her if it would be all right to bring Lee and Marina to the party and my wife said sure, bring them along or might have asked me if it was all right to bring them along and I said sure. It was prior to December 28.

Mr. Liebeler.

Did Oswald come with De Mohrenschildt?

Mr. Ford.

Yes, he came with De Mohrenschildt.

Mr. Liebeler.

Did you know anything about the relations between Oswald and the De Mohrenschildts?

Mr. Ford.

I knew they were friends, no more than that. How often they saw each other or what they talked about or anything they talked about I don't know.

Mr. Liebeler.

How old are the De Mohrenschildts?

Mr. Ford.

I guess George De Mohrenschildt is between 50 and 55 years old.

Mr. Liebeler.

Did it seem curious to you that a man that age would be close to Lee Oswald who was around 21 or 22 at that particular time?

Mr. Ford.

Not in the particular case.

Mr. Liebeler.

Why do you say that?