Mr. Liebeler.

So that would place the date of your seeing this letter as approximately shortly after the weekend of November 8, 9, and 10?

Mr. Paine.

That is correct.

Mr. Liebeler.

I show you Commission Exhibit 103 and ask you if you ever saw the original of this letter and if you did to tell us the circumstances surrounding that event.

Mr. Paine.

Yes; I saw this letter. I remembered most of the contents. I apparently didn't remember that he didn't use his real name, I was reading something else at the time and Ruth handed me this letter and it took a while I didn't read it as thoroughly as I could have.

Mr. Dulles.

Could you tell us just briefly the contents of this letter just for the record?

Mr. Liebeler.

Yes, sir; apparently it is a draft of a letter that Oswald wrote in his own hand. The Commission does have a copy of the actual letter, and it was a letter to the Russian Embassy, I believe in Washington.

Mr. Dulles.

The Russian Embassy in Washington?

Mr. Liebeler.

Yes, sir; in which he tells them about his trip to Mexico and his political activity on behalf of the Fair Play for Cuba Committee. I believe it includes the words "notorious FBI," which is no longer interested in his political activity in Texas.

Mr. Dulles.

Was this letter ever sent?

Mr. Liebeler.

I believe it was.

Mr. Dulles.

There was a letter sent like this? You said you had the original?

Mr. Rankin.

It is in evidence.

Mr. Dulles.

What was sent, a letter like this?

Mr. Rankin.

A redraft.

Mr. Dulles.

A redraft

Mr. Paine.

Typewritten copy.

Mr. Liebeler.

This letter refers to the fact that Oswald had been in Mexico, does it not?

Mr. Paine.

Yes; it tells of his visit to the Cuban Consul and the Soviet Embassy there.

Mr. Liebeler.

Did your wife call that to your attention when she showed you this letter?

Mr. Paine.

We took it, she took it, and I likewise took it as somewhat of a fabricated story, I didn't suppose he had been down to Mexico. I read "Dear Sirs" there, I read "Dear Lisa." I thought he was writing to a friend, and Ruth pointed out to me after I had given the letter back to her, Ruth was somewhat irked that I didn't take more interest in the thing. I think I might have no, I don't know as I might have since I might have dismissed it as a lie but anyway Ruth was irked and didn't show it to me again and I asked her now what was in that letter that I didn't see and she didn't tell me.

Mr. Liebeler.

This was all prior to the assassination?

Mr. Paine.

Yes.

Mr. Liebeler.

What did she say to you?

Mr. Paine.

Ruth was quite bothered by that letter, and apparently had--apparently I hadn't really taken it in. I said, "The heck with it. Yes; it a fantastic lie, isn't that amazing that he will fabricate such stories here."

Mr. Liebeler.

What did she say?

Mr. Paine.

No; she said--she approached me and said, "I never realized how much he could lie" or that he was a liar or something like that, and "I want you to read this letter." So I put aside the thing I was reading in which I was more interested and read most of the letter, not the latter part about having used another name.
And then I thought it was too personal, "Dear Lisa," so I thought he was telling her, being rather braggadocio telling about his exploits which were rather imaginary and I put it out of my mind. Then later Ruth asked me what did I think about it.

Mr. Liebeler.

This was before the assassination that she asked you this?

Mr. Paine.

I think so.

Mr. Liebeler.

Was it later the same day?

Mr. Paine.

No; I think it probably was another day but I don't remember.