THREE SIDELIGHTS OF THE INVESTIGATION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75B00380R000800140030-0
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: November 17, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 17, 2000
• Sequence Number: 30
• Content Type: MAGAZINE

Approved For Release 2000MWQ`LLJ]WR BBEl 8DRQ ,0 4'01 "ZINE
THREE SIDELIGHTS OF THE INVESTIGATION
Since the first news story of District Attorney James Garri-
son's investigation into the assassination of john F. Kennedy,
there have been thousands of words written and spoken by
every communications medium the world over. Most of these
words have been devoted to straight news reports, speculation,
or (-onjecture.
At. NEW ORLEANS MAGAZINE, we felt that in all t.hcsc
words, significant aspects of the story went without coverage.
For instance, no matter what the outcome of the investigation.
which at this writing cannot even be predicted-t.liree stories
stand out: One concerns the very beginning of the investiga-
tion. On page 8, you will read an exclusive article prepared
from interviews with Senator Russell Long and Mr. Joseph
Rault, Jr., prominent businessman and long-time friend of
Garrison. Both men participated in the conversation which
first inspired Garrison to dig deeper into circumstances sur-
rounding the assassination.
Another story is that of Mrs. Garrison, trying to main-
tain a normal home life for herself and five children while
her husband stood in the center of international controversy.
Page 10.
The third concerns the press itself. Daily, we watched
forty or more representatives of the world press lounge in
the hall outside Garrison's office, waiting for something-any-
thing-to happen. Because the press exerts so much influence
on public opinion, it automatically becomes a part of any
story it pursues-particularly one in which the answers are
Approved For Release 2000008 -lle CIALRDP OO380ROOO8O c*4iDm4Q)age 12.
Now turn the page for three investigation stories you have
n a? 1-111 before.
 Edff PPP Y."IY)t5Fam FW9~AAPPb7fiW9s'ive
interviews with U.S. Senator Russell B. Long of Louisi-
ana, Senate Majority Whip;'and Mr. Joseph M. Rault, Jr.,
president of Rauft Petroleum Corporation of New Or-
leans. Both Senator Long and Mr. Rault are close
friends of District Attorney Jim Garrison, and partici-
pated in conversations which ultimately led to Mr. Gar-
rison's investigation into the assassination of President
John F. Kennedy. This article is copyrighted 401967 by
Flambeaux Publishing Company, and may not be repro-
duced in whole or in part without the express written
permission of Flambeaux Publishing Company.
CIA-RDP75B00380R000800140030-0
The Garrison In vestiga Lion: How and why it began
In November, 1966, three friends sat squeezed into
tourist class seats of an Eastern Airlines jet six miles
above the earth. The three-a U. S. senator, a district
attorney, and a prominent businessman-managed some
degree of comfort in the cramped area next to the gal-
ley, as they tried to talk above the whistling engines and
the occasional rattling of trays. The district attorney
was More uncomfortable than the others, but he didn't
mind-because 6-foot, 6-inch Big Jim Garrison was ab-
sorbed in the conversation. He could not know it then,
but this conversation was to put him on the front pages
of the world and was to result in perhaps the decade's
most historically significant criminal investigation.
His companions were Senator Russell B. Long of
Louisiana and Joseph M. Rault, Jr., president of Rault
Petroleum Corporation in New Orleans. The three were
bound for an American Petroleum Institute convention
in New York, where Mr. Rault and Henry lac Carter,
Sr., president of Avondale Shipyard, Inc., of New Or-
leans, were to host a luncheon in the senator's honor,
But the conversation had nothing to do with oil or
conventions or luncheons. The subject was the assas-
sination of President John F. Kennedy, and more spe-
cifically, The Warren Commission Report.
It was only a week or so earlier that Senator Long
was in New Orleans with Governor McKeithen and
was interviewed by a television newsman. At this time,
Senator Long said lie doubted the findings of the War-
ren Commission.
It was about these doubts that Garrison questioned
the senator on the flight to New York, When Garrison
broached the subject, the mood became very serious.
As ideas were exchanged among the three, considerable
doubts were thrown on The Warren Commission Re-
port, and several other theories were advanced..
Perhaps Senator Long's theory was the most dra-
-natic of those put forward. He said there were areas
which The. Warren Commission Report did
"It just doesn't make sense," he said. "The first
shot should be a rifleman's best shot. In this case it
wasn't. I believe three shots were fired. The first was
mediocre, the second was no good at all, and the third
was perfect.
"The third shot would do credit to an expert rifle-
man, and Oswald was not that good a rifleman. Further-
more, there was hardly enough time for a than to get
off two shots from a bolt-action rifle, much less three."
"What's a possible answer then?" asked Garrison.
"If more than one roan were to be involved," Sena-
tor Long continued, "then the assassins would need a
fall guy. They knew that when Oswald fired a shot or
shots from the school book depository window, every-
one-secret service nien, the crowds, the police-would
look in that direction. I think the assassins knew Iwo-
plc world look at Oswald's gun while another nian fired
the fatal shot. In other words, Oswald was a decoy."
"Did Oswald hit anyone?"
''Remember that Oswald said over and over he did
not kill John Kennedy? Despite many hours of rigorous
interrogation, more than most criminals could with-
stand, he insisted to the end that he killed no one. I
think he knew someone else did."
Recalling the plane trip several months later, Rault
said, "We all expressed our own opinions, which I
believe are also shared by millions of other Americans,
that it would be almost preposterous to believe that
one man, an individual such as Oswald, could have
been the only one involved in this thing."
The question then, as now, was "who else was in-
volved and why?" Garrison asked it somewhat that
way, and somewhat rhetorically.
The senator speculated, "I think if I were investi-
gating I'd find the hundred best riflemen in the world
and find the ones who were in Dallas that day. 't'hen
I think I'd be on the right track."
"But what about a motive?"
quately cover or did not cover at all, Ile added that "Forget the motive. Find the man!"
there was a doubt in his mind that the theory set forth garrison then related to Senator Long that in 1963,
i-,A wrosnRele>$6,2aeo/a8(,2voo1, RD1 s5B0Oa8>1ROGQ8QOI40030iOested and subse-
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THE GARRISON INVESTIGA TION continued from page 8
unusual type of person who made a it was during this week that Garri-
very curious trip at a very curious time son indicated to Sciiator Long and
about the (fate of the assassination." Rault that lie intended to open an in-
Garrison became more serious , and vestigation on his own. But he died not
mused tluot he might want to now go specify any information beyond that.
back into some of those events. At the end of the conversation, Sena-
(Editor's note: 'I'bis appears to be for Long and Rault left for other busi-
a reference to Ferric, the airplane ncss in Atlantic City and Miami. Garri-
pilot who died under suspicious cir- son returned to New Orleans.
cumstances at a crucial point after "Shortly after that trip, Jim was hard
Garrison's probe was made public: to find," said Rault. "We couldn't find
lust a few weeks. ago. him even for lunch. Jim claimed he was
As the conversation paused, a steward- `t '- ' ? """"""'
ess offered cocktails, and Garrison and problems connected with his work that
Ratilt accepted. The senator preferred would not. free hire. Of course we now
wine, but it wasn't available, so he set- know what he was doing."
fled fora glass of water. "They sat quiet- Garrison was still using his "office act-
ly. Both Garrison and Rauh felt that ministrative problems" as an excuse
even in late January when he could not
the sentor's theories were quite paral- show up for the Washington Mardi Gras
Icl, if not exactly the same, as their own. Ball at which he was to be especially
"ib'e had discussed the subject soberly, selected and honored from among the
full),, intelligently, and at length, and 1 more than 2,500 celebrities. tic and Mrs.
think w c all felt then that if three capa- Garrison were supposed to go as guests
ble proplc-in this case a U. S. senator, a of Senator and Mrs. Long and Mr. and
district attorney, and a businessman - Mrs. Rault. But Mr. Garrison pleaded
could have this couch doubt about the that lie couldn't make it; he was too
conclusions of The lVarren. Report, then busy with his office,
the Report itself must be inadrquatr," In retrospect, many New Orleanians
liarrlt said h-trr, and several newsmen felt that Raultwas
'I'In-oughout the convention in New involved in the investigation all the way.
York, the assassination and The Warren "I was not.," he said. "I am not a
Rrpnrt were the principal topics of con- criminal lawyer and ant not a member
versation among the three. It was at this of Garrison's staff. It would have been
time that several national magazines improper for me to be involved. Jim
carried feature stories oil the assassina- did not even discuss the investigation
Lion, and several newspapers and synth- probe with me."
sates printed their own versions. Rault says that it was only after the
In fact, during that convention week, local press broke the investigation story
The New York Times printed a c:onfus- in mid-February that he had any direct
ing photograph supposedly taken at the knowledge of the probe.
time ]'resident Kennedy was shot. To 'Tree clays after that, Rault went to
some people, it looked like a man with the financial aid of Garrison. He ex-
a rifle on top of a station wagon. The plained why:
experts, though, according to Scnator "After the press released information
Long's recollection of the accompanying about Mr. Garrison's then incomplete
news story, said what appeared to be a investigation and made such a point of
"man with a rifle" could just as well scrutinizing the expenditure of the pub-
have been a white-faced steer in the 1ic funds that had been used, it became
background behind the station wagon. very obvious to me and a number of
After the picture appeared, Garrison other businessmen that it would be vcry
brought rep the question of simple proba- difficult., if not impossible, for him to
bilitics: Is it more likely that, at the continue his investigation in a goldfish
time the President was shot, there was bowl.
an armed man lying on top of a station "I read in the newspapers over the
wagon rot that there was a white-faced weekend that he might have to resort
steer in downtown Dallas?" to his own private funds, or even a bank
"1)urin, our New }'orh ronvention loan, so I called him and offered help."
stay, tlrr topic of thr day was the assns- 'I'hc offer was accepted, and Rault,
.sinatimr and The Warren Cornrnissiou along with Willard Robertson and Cecil
Report," said Rault. "Consistent with Shilstonc, organized their now-famous
th
e
o
w
a
s"'FrutIi and Consequences" group. 'I'licy
tther things we were doing, thiis
o
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~
~
~
{
,,,A1"'pC } IdiufrtPrfKsel'l s8rrt 00r/ V0t'(>; f11M t' I l`N4 M[ir ll`
highball or a meal, whenever we had and explained the problem. '1'hcy then'
the ehanre to get together." suggested that these husinescrrrcn con-
tribute S100 a month for a minimum
of three months.
"'I he response was overwhelming. On
short notice citizens from all ranks,
walks, and quarters , . ." joined Rault,
Robertson, and Shilstonc. They included
the distinguished attorney Col. Eberhard
Deutsch, real estate executive Harold
E. Cook, aviation board member and
attorney John Mmahat, homestead presi-
dent and attorney Edmond G. Mirulnc,
bank president Lawrence ]slerrigan, and
many others.
All of its simply believed in Jim's
sincerity and ability. We wanted to ex-
press our confidence and our belief in
his integrity and in the integrity of his
office. As members of the coninnutity
that put him in that officc, we warned
to offer our help in a non-political, non-
partisan manner so that he could con-
t.inuc and complete his investigation un-
hampered," Rault stated. "Wc had no
idea what. his evidence was. Wc, of
course, did not know who was involved
and in fact were quite surprised to learn
some of the names and identities that
were made public. It was our under-
standing with Jim that his office was
running his investigation and that we
had nothing to do with it and shared
no special knowledge in it., except to
make funds available. It was a civic ef-
fort all the way."
Q
Pictured here are Cecil Shilstone (left)
and Willard Robertson, two New Orleans
businessmen who, with Joseph Rault,
formed "Truth and Consequences."
Rault has been supporting Garrison
throughout a friendship spanning eigh-
teen years since they were contcmpora.
rics at Tulane Law School. Rault. also
a graduate of Massachusctts Institute of
I-echnology, is a lawyer and engineer.
"No matter what the outcome of this
investigation," Rault has said many
times, "I have confidence in Jim and 1
know that lie is pursuing this tiling in
the interest of truth and justice and not
as a big publicity move. If anything. the
publicity, particularly in anticipation
0rf~}{yll}tK;,,Le- (ipe
Senu.s. may have hurt
MMato1 ~rr Long is also strong in his sup-
port of Garrisons and the probe. "Jim is
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pursuing the theory he and I discussed
ntd lie is filling in the gaps, And he is
doing it against tremendous odds. Sev-
rral powerful elements of the press, and
rsrn sonic people in government have
tried to discredit hint.
?"I'ltcy should stop trying to discredit
hitn. As a matter of fact, the federal
kovernment probably does not have
Jurisdiction in the case, because the as-
sassinatiou of a President was not made
,t federal offense until after Air. Ken-
nedy's death.,'
At this wrrltng, Clay ,Shaer s pre-
lirninary bcaring has just ended,
nerd Mr. Shaw is awaiting trial. A
rely signifiranl art of the lhree-
jndgre, panel-perhaps as historical-
ly significant as the hearing itself
-ryas to di.salloru The ii'arren
Connnission Report as (Videnre!
Also as we go to press, Jefferson
Parish attorney !lean Andrews has
been inrlirted for perjury by the
orlrans Parish Grand Jury, and
Mr. garrison has pronriced other
pnhllr rlevelopmcnls.
NEW ORLEANS MAGAZINE asked Senator
Long to venture an opinion on the out-
ronrc of Garrison's full investigation.
llc said, ",Jim is a great district at-
torney, but his staff is, of course, limited.
I think he has some good evidence. I
doubt that lie has enough evidence at
this time to convict anyone of murder.
lo do so would require him to prove
and establish beyond a reasonable doubt
certain facts, whereas his evidence as of
this date would appear to be purely cir-
cumstantial; and he might not be able
to obtain other information that could
he in existence somewhere.
On the other hand, it is my guess
that Jim Garrison will produce enough
cvidencc to overcome The Warren Rc-
port, and this should encourage the
with its thousands of agents, to
iceutcr the case. When they do. I hc-
licvc that the additional evidence un-
rovcrcd by the 1 .R.1. will make it pos-
sible to solve the case and perhaps
convict guilty people who have escaped
up to this point."
'I he senator then added, parcuthcti-
rally. ?'I know one thing: Jim Garrison
has caused almost everyone in this
country to stop and think. For instance,
the other night, I asked the ticket agent
at the Baltimore Friendship Airport:
'flow many Americans today believe
that tlssvald {~
ut ou o ld Fotr,o1,gerite
Abo t 11)S
so a month ago.' he quickly replied. ^ ' '
1
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lll I I I II iI'll
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A $6 Million, Seven Story Addition
to the City's Changing Skyline
In 1883 Poydras Street and the telephone company
joined hands and since that date the intersection of
Poydras and Baronne Streets has been the nerve
center of telephone service in the metropolitan area.
Today, rising from the ground and beginning to take
form is the largest single Southern Bell installation
ever undertaken in downtown New Orleans.
Early in 1969 this advanced telephone exchange
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Southern Bell
se 2000/08/27 : WORDP75B00380R000800140030-0