Lee Oswald, Double Wallet Man

“It is in the region of ignorance that tyranny begins.”

Benjamin Franklin

The most obvious indication that Lee Oswald was being framed for the murder's of JFK and J.D. Tippit is the pairing of evidence. There were two rifles, two revolvers, two jackets, two bags to carry the rifle, two shoe stores, two CIA files and even two Oswalds. All of these could be claimed as coincidence or ignored by the Warren Commission via omission.[1] However, two wallets with two sets of ID in them was the biggest blunder of the conspirators.

Although newsmen photographed DPD officers holding a wallet found at the Tippit murder scene, it was pretty much forgotten once an identical wallet was found on Oswald's person. That is until James Hosty described the event in his book, Assignment Oswald.

Hosty wrote:

“Captain Westbrook and the Dallas police were in charge, but Barrett set about inspecting the crime scene. Near the puddle of blood where Tippit's body had lain, Westbrook had found a man's leather wallet.[2] In it, he discovered identification for Lee Oswald, as well as other identification for Alek J. Hidell.Westbrook called Barrett over and showed him the wallet and identifications. Westbrook asked Barrett if the FBI knew anything about Oswald or Hidell. Barrett shook his head. Westbrook took the wallet into his custody so that it could be placed into police property later. Barrett told me that if I (Hosty) had been at the scene with Westbrook, I would have immediately known who Oswald was.

Although official police reports would later state that Oswald's wallet and identification were found on Oswald's person, when he was arrested in the movie theater, Barrett insists that Westbrook found them near where Tippit was slain. I have to speculate that at the theater, Westbrook had handed the wallet to a lower-ranking officer and in the confusion, it was assumed the wallet had been retrieved from Oswald's person. The FBI decided to go with the official police version, even though Barrett's version was further proof that Oswald had in fact gunned Officer Tippit down.As Barrett said, the case against Oswald for killing Tippit was a 'slam dunk.'”

Oswald's official wallet and IDs being taken out of his back pocket after his arrest by Officer Paul Bentley, meant there were two identical wallets with the Oswald and Hidell IDs, and even two pictures of Oswald's daughter. Or more likely, one wallet planted and one authentic.

Hosty was wrong about the wallet. It wasn't found by Westbrook. An unidentified man (anonymous?) handed it to Dallas Police Sergeant Kenneth H. Croy, the first officer on the scene.[3] Who was this unidentified man?? But why, if the wallet was found at the Tippit murder scene, did the FBI let the official version that it was taken from Oswald's person by Officer Bentley when he was arrested at the Texas Theater, stand unchallenged for thirty years? Why was the other wallet kept secret? What happened to it? Even more suspicious is the anonymous pedestrian that handed the wallet to a police officer (Croy[4]) at the scene of Tippit's murder. Who was this guy and where did he get the wallet? Was he an undercover CIA agent or Mafioso bag man planting incriminating evidence at the crime scene to frame Oswald? No one asked his identity or where he found the wallet? He just walked away?

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1 Warren Omission as labeled by Walt Brown.

2 Assignment Oswald, James P. Hosty Jr., p62

3 Bill Simpich, JFK Facts, April 24, 2014.

The only explanation that makes sense is that someone created the second wallet by copying everything in Oswald's real wallet down to a T. Who, in 1963, had the ability to professionally forge documents? The CIA and FBI come to mind. The Mafia could certainly obtain a forger or counter-fitter to do the job as well. How about Roscoe White? He was skilled in photography as a Marine and worked in that capacity as a member of the Dalllas police department. Whoever duplicated the contents of Oswald's wallet did so as part of a premeditated plan to frame Oswald as Tippit's assassin in particular. The link to the JFK murder would follow as one by insinuation.

When Tippit was killed there was no way to know if Oswald would be immediately caught. Therefore he needed to be identified as the perp in case he got away or more likely was killed. There is little doubt that he was to be eliminated before he could talk. But had he been killed before he could be linked to the assassination, there would be problems. The search for the real assassins or accomplices would continue. But his death would end the investigation.

Planting his identification, and more importantly Hidell's at the scene of Tippit's death sealed Oswald's fate for both crimes by linking the weapons to Oswald. Had Lee managed to escape Dallas, I'm sure the wallet and ID found on 10th Street would have been trumpeted as proof of Oswald's guilt in the Tippit slaying.[5] The fact that he was caught evidently made it more convenient to find this damaging evidence on him. Could this be why he said, "You know as much about that as I do," when asked about the ID's? Why was it more convenient to obtain the ID on Oswald's person?Easy--what idiot would murder a policeman, and then drop his wallet with complete identification linking him to two murders where they would do the most damage?It is certainly strange that Barrett didn't mention the wallet to anyone until 1995 when he told Hosty. It is, of course,possible that Tippit asked his shooter for I.D. and became suspicious, exited the car, was shot, and fell on the wallet. However, the shooter would certainly not leave without getting it back. The wallet identified him and him alone as the as the assailant. [6]

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4 After being given the wallet by an anonymous person, Croy handed to Sergeant Calvin Owens. Eventually it ended up with Captain Pinky Westbrook who was seen handling it in the news film.

5 Ironically, Hosty slips up in a later chapter by sharing with us that in FBI jargon anagent whohastwo identities is known as a double-wallet man. Certainly sounds like Oswald. But why would the ID's be together on one wallet and not completely separate?

Croy goes to bat for Ruby

Sergeant Kenneth Hudson Croy was a Reserve Officer. Citizens who occasionally work for the police as volunteers were called Reserve Officers.He had been a professional rodeo cowboy since he was fifteen-years-old and in August, 1959, he became a reserve Dallas police officer. By 1963, he held the rank of sergeant. In addition to being at the scene of the Tippit shooting on Friday the 22nd, Croy was present at DPD on Sunday the 24th when Ruby shot Oswald.

The Warren Commission believed that Ruby entered the basement of the police station via the Main Street ramp to the parking garage. The officer assigned with guarding the ramp was Roy Vaughn. Vaughn swore he did not see Ruby enter the building. Police Inspector Revill was part of the internal commission of inquiry that investigated the incident. Revill stated “I am satisfied that Roy Vaughn did not see jack Ruby nor did he knowingly permit him to enter the basement.” Another officer present near the ramp, Napoleon Daniels, agreed with Vaughn. When Vaughn asked for his corroboration, Daniels agreed with Vaughn's version saying; “No, definitely not; there was nobody (entering the ramp).” However, four days later Daniels changed his story and said someone did go down the ramp. His story evolved once again three weeks after that. By that time he was accusing Vaughn of knowingly letting Ruby slip into the building.

The Warren Commission's main source of the ramp story was Sgt. Patrick Dean, who reported a conversation he supposedly had with Ruby in which Ruby told him he had entered by the Main Street ramp. Special Agent Sorrels of the Secret Service, who witnessed the conversation between Dean and Ruby formally denied Ruby had said anything.

Dean managed to get a few of his cohorts to support his story. Officers McMillon and Clardy seemed to back him up. Commission lawyer Burt Griffin questioned them but had his doubts about their veracity. McMillon in particular was less than creditable due to his stammering. Dean soon recruited two others. Both were Reserve Officers. Officer William Newman said he saw Ruby coming into the building just after Oswald's arrival was announced.[7] However, photo evidence shows that Ruby was already in place when the announcement occurred. The final supporter of Dean was none other than Officer Kenneth Croy.

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6 It is interesting that on 9-11, no trace of aircraft, hijackers or even the “black box” survived the fire. Yet we are to believe that one of the perpetrators passports was found on the sidewalk in “pristine” (shades of the magic bullet-CE399) condition. I'm surprised that that one didn't have an Oswald/Hidell I.D..

7 “Here he comes!”

However, when Croy said that; “Ruby ran past him, burst through the line in front of him and shot Oswald,” he contradicted his earlier statement that he had seen nothing. It is, of course, obvious in video footage that Ruby was standing quietly among a group of reporters for several seconds before he lurched forward and shot Oswald.

Summary

Contrary to the WC's version of events, the murder of J.D. Tippit was not a spur of the moment occurrence. It was an execution. The killer went out of his way to shoot the officer in the head after he was probably already dead. This is an indication that Tippit was somehow involved in the scheme of things. Likely his job was to eliminate Oswald. If so, it is likely that Jack Ruby was behind this assignment. At least that's what Tippit believed. But it could be that he was duped. A patsy, like the man he was assigned to kill. The real plan was to set Tippit up to be killed and not only link Oswald to the assassination, but insure his death at the hands of the police. The Dallas police cared little about JFK's murder. Many members of the force at that time were Birchers and Klansmen. Racism was part of their southern upbringing and Kennedy's death was little more than what they would call a “nigger killing.”[8] However, if a fellow police officer were to be killed, there would be no stone left unturned to achieve revenge. Could it be that Tippit's death was meant to serve that purpose? Perhaps he was lured to his death not only to prove Oswald's capacity for violence, thus linking him to the killing of JFK, but also to ensure Oswald's quick demise by Tippit's fraternal legions.

It has long been suspected that members of DPD were in the know and helped make the assassination of JFK possible. Assassinating a president is easy to do if he is not protected. He becomes a sitting duck. Both the Secret Service and DPD failed miserably in their duty in all respects. Furthermore, the Dallas Police dropped the ball again in their pathetic efforts to protect Oswald, allowing him to be killed in the police station surrounded by guards. Their shameful ineptitude in both of these slayings cannot be due to complete incompetence. It had to be intentional.

Jack Ruby is a key link to DPD involvement. In 1963 the force was steeped in corruption. Ruby was a bag man and a payoff conduit to the Dallas men in blue. Payoffs enabled the Marcello[9] crime syndicate to have a free reign in dealing drugs, prostitution and gambling in Big D. Many cops were on the take. Ruby could not have gotten access to Oswald without their help. Prime suspects in his accessibility were Officers Butler and Dean.

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8 Racism and regarding JFK with disdain are further evident in a statement by Roy Truly, Oswald's boss at the TSBD, who when asked about his 'roll call,' ...“doubted that half my boys would have goneoutside to see the parade if it hadn't been lunch time....except for my niggers, the boys are conservative, like me—like most Texans.”--Dealy Plaza Echo, Vol. 11, No.2, July 20, 2007.

Once in captivity, Oswald had to die. It was the last chance to get him before he could tell what he knew in a trial. The police could no longer seek revenge openly without suspicion. Oswald was now under their protection. However, in a reversal of roles, they had a tool in their friend and good old boy, Jack Ruby, to carry out the deed. That is, with a little help from his police friends. Since Jack had been unsuccessful in this task after stalking Oswald for two days, his back was to the wall. The police could no longer be his tool so he had to be theirs and do the deed himself. The police could still play a role by setting up a transfer of Oswald in order to make him accessible, delaying the transfer until Jack was in place, and helping him get into the basement. A very complimentary plan emerged. It might have gone like this....“Jack, you'll be a hero! You'll get off with a light sentence. Everybody wants that cop killer dead. We can't do it, but you can do it for us.” It was do or die for Sparky. His last chance to carry out his orders. Failure to do so would mean his own death at the hand of Marcello's minions.

In a Nutshell

Tippit was killed to provide a link to frame Oswald in the assassination. The copied wallet was planted to provide that link. But Oswald didn't escape and even worse, survived to be arrested. The real wallet was found on his person. The copied wallet wasn't needed and disappeared. Just like magic the police forgot about it. Their memories conveniently devoid of the whole event. Then Hosty wrote his book.

Bibliography

Assignment: Oswald, James P. Hosty Jr., Arcade Publishing, 1996

Into The Nightmare, Joseph McBride, Hightower Press, 2013

The Lee Harvey Oswald Files, Flip De Mey, Lannoo Publishers, 2015

The Other Oswald, A Wilderness of Mirrors, Gary Hill, 2020

With Malice, Lee Harvey Oswald and the murdeer of Officer J.D. Tippit, Dale K. Myers, Oak Cliff Press, 1998

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9Through his Dallas capo's, Joe Civello and Ruby's goombah, Joseph Campisi.