(Testimony of Philip Eugene Vinson)
Mr. Liebeler.
told the boy myself that if he wanted to play, he had to finish practice with a sprint, just like the others."
"He gave me the same answer. I told him to hand in his cleats."
The answer refers to a statement that Oswald is reported to have made to Ruggieri that he, Oswald, would not sprint with the other boys, saying that this was a free country and he didn't have to run if he didn't want to.
Did you ever discuss this subject with Ruggieri?
Mr. Vinson.
No; I didn't. I don't know if he was just being evasive and didn't want to answer me, or what. But like I say, I didn't press him for any direct information about Oswald, but I just casually asked if he knew him. I believe I didn't even ask him anything specifically about Oswald.
I called him and told him who I was and that Life Magazine asked me to try to .locate some pictures for them of Oswald, and I asked him did he know of any existing that I might be able to make arrangements for Life to get ahold of, and I think he just volunteered that he didn't remember much about Oswald, and I didn't press it.
But apparently Jackson talked to him and he was a little more free to speak with Jackson than he was with me.
Mr. Liebeler.
Has the FBI ever talked to you?
Mr. Vinson.
No.
Mr. Liebeler.
Secret Service?
Mr. Vinson.
The only time the Secret Service talked to me was last night when he called and asked me to come over here.
Mr. Liebeler.
Can you think of anything else that we haven't covered that you think would be helpful to the Commission's work as far as your knowledge of Oswald is concerned, or your discussions with others about Oswald?
Mr. Vinson.
The only thing that I can think of offhand, this has probably been brought to your attention, I don't know--I feel sure it has--of the allegation by another magazine that this picture on the cover of Life is a composite picture and is not really the actual thing, that they somehow acquired the picture of somebody else holding the rifle and somehow got ahold of the picture of his head and glued it on. I didn't read this. This was in Newsweek. I didn't read it. I was told about it.
Mr. Liebeler.
Yes; that matter has already come to the attention of the Commission.
Mr. Vinson.
There was one other thing that I noticed also. Maybe I am wrong and I should possibly go back and reread this before I make any statements but I notice in the picture there is a scope on the rifle, and it was my understanding that the rifle came to him without a scope, and he didn't buy a scope until the fall of 1963, and it says in the magazine this picture was made in the spring of 1963, apparently shortly after he bought the rifle. I think it says he bought it in March.
Mr. Liebeler.
Where did you learn that the rifle did not have a scope on it when he bought it?
Mr. Vinson.
I think this just was something that came out in my discussion with some other reporters, or just in casual conversation just---somebody just made the observation.
Mr. Liebeler.
Have you seen a newspaper report to the effect that a telescopic sight was mounted on the rifle for somebody by the name of Oswald by the Irving Sports Shop?
Mr. Vinson.
No. The only one I know about was the place in Grand Prairie, unless I got my facts all crossed up. I was thinking the only scope I knew about was mounted, I thought was mounted at the range out in Grand Prairie. Is that correct? Was there one mounted there?
Mr. Liebeler.
Not as far as anybody else knows.
Mr. Vinson.
Maybe I am confused. I guess I am confused about it, but I think there was something in this article that mentioned him having the scope mounted on his rifle at a specific time, which I thought was in the fall of '63.
Mr. Liebeler.
There may well be something to that effect, but that doesn't necessarily make it so.
Mr. Vinson.
I know.
Mr. Liebeler.
But you have no direct knowledge, you haven't talked to
|
