cade. He was standing catty-corner to the School Book Deposi- Deposi- Book School the to catty-corner standing was He cade.

ence and aviation editor of the the of editor aviation and ence

decided to walk over and have a look at the President's motor- President's the at look a have and over walk to decided

dred people in Dealey Plaza that day. In twenty years, there'll there'll years, twenty In day. that Plaza Dealey in people dred

be ten thousand." thousand." ten be

loony bin in Atlanta, at die time. There were about five hun- five about were There time. die at Atlanta, in bin loony

acy to kill Kennedy—only it turns out they were in jail, or in a a in or jail, in were they out turns it Kennedy—only kill to acy

were getting into it. People want to be involved in this. I've I've this. in involved be to want People it. into getting were heard five or six people confess that they were part of a conspir- a of part were they that confess people six or five heard

' from Scribble, Scribble, by Nora Ephron (197 (197 Ephron Nora by Scribble, Scribble, from '

only the most brazen kooks came out," he says, "but by the time time the by "but says, he out," came kooks brazen most the only

Jim Garrison started in in 1966 and 1967, even the timid ones ones timid the even 1967, and 1966 in in started Garrison Jim

November November worth, forty-four, has been covering the story on and off since since off and on story the covering been has forty-four, worth,

still a little amazed by the people he meets on it. But Aynes- But it. on meets he people the by amazed little a still

Kennedy was shot. He is new to the assassination beat, and he is is he and beat, assassination the to new is He shot. was Kennedy side information he claimed to have, and finally confided that that confided finally and have, to claimed he information side

high-topped sneakers had come by, whispered about some in- some about whispered by, come had sneakers high-topped

the Jews had killed President Kennedy. Kennedy. President killed had Jews the

A woman had just telephoned to say that she knew for a fact fact a for knew she that say to telephoned just had woman A

tion near the Dallas airport. The day before, a little man in in man little a before, day The airport. Dallas the near tion off the city room of of room city the off

that Jack Ruby's brain had been controlled by a television sta- television a by controlled been had brain Ruby's Jack that

running fairly normally there the day I dropped in to see them. them. see to in dropped I day the there normally fairly running

The day of the assassination, Aynesworth was working as sci- as working was Aynesworth assassination, the of day The

Dudney, twenty-five, was in the eighth grade when John F. F. John when grade eighth the in was twenty-five, Dudney,

Hugh Aynesworth and Bob Dudney work in a little office just just office little a in work Dudney Bob and Aynesworth Hugh

Reporters Reporters

The Assassination. Assassination. The

originally published in Esquire, Feb '76 '76 Feb Esquire, in published originally

22, 22,

1963, and nothing fazes him anymore. "In 1963 1963 "In anymore. him fazes nothing and 1963,

the Dallas Times Herald, Herald, Times Dallas the

Dallas Morning News, News, Morning Dallas

and things were were things and

and he he and

were twenty minutes behind the FBI. There was that little old old little that was There FBI. the behind minutes twenty were

went tearing over to the Elsbeth address, where he wasn't living living wasn't he where address, Elsbeth the to over tearing went

police station about the two addresses in Oswald's wallet. We We wallet. Oswald's in addresses two the about station police

McDonald, and the other cop jumped him from the back. back. the from him jumped cop other the and McDonald, Then we went to 1026 Beckley, where he actually lived. We We lived. actually he where Beckley, 1026 to went we Then

came up with his fist, which had a gun gun a had which fist, his with up came

—I burst in on some wino and his girl shacked up together. together. up shacked girl his and wino some on in burst —I out Oswald was downstairs. I just got there in in there got just I downstairs. was Oswald out

'Jim, you take the upstairs and I'll take the downstairs.' Turned Turned downstairs.' the take I'll and upstairs the take you 'Jim,

jail, but he got a flat tire on the way. I went over just to see what what see to just over went I way. the on tire flat a got he but jail, room, it couldn't have been more than eight by ten. The only only The ten. by eight than more been have couldn't it room,

away. I said to Ewell, 'You stay here, I'll go after that one.' He He one.' that after go I'll here, stay 'You Ewell, to said I away. stayed, and of course he saw no one. I ran off with two TV guys guys TV two with off ran I one. no saw he course of and stayed,

Texas Theater. I got there, and there was Jim Ewell, and I said, said, I and Ewell, Jim was there and there, got I Theater. Texas and a Channel Eight news car, and we go to the Tippit killing. killing. Tippit the to go we and car, news Eight Channel a and thing they left in it was a banana peel. peel. banana a was it in left they thing

Then a call came in that there was something going on at the the at on going something was there that in came call a Then

officer's been shot.' It was on Tenth Street, three or four miles miles four or three Street, Tenth on was It shot.' been officer's

This shows what had luck can do for you. There was a long-time long-time a was There you. for do can luck had what shows This and here comes a call over the radio: 'This is is 'This radio: the over call a comes here and

police reporter for the the for reporter police

ward the Depository building. "On the fifth floor we saw three three saw we floor fifth the "On building. Depository the ward black guys pointing up to the sixth-floor window. There were were There window. sixth-floor the to up pointing guys black Shots." Shots."

FBI cars and a radio car. And then a funny thing happened. happened. thing funny a then And car. radio a and cars FBI

75 75 death because she was wearing a pin a wearing was she because death

ing. There was one big black woptan who had been thrilled to to thrilled been had who woptan black big one was There ing. FBI was working up floor by floor in the Depository building, building, Depository the in floor by floor up working was FBI

Jackie Kennedy's. She threw up within five seconds of the the of seconds five within up threw She Kennedy's. Jackie

lent way. They threw their children down and started scream- started and down children their threw They way. lent ond, I knew what it was. People started reacting in a very vio- very a in reacting started People was. it what knew I ond, motorcycle backfiring," he says, but by the time I heard the sec- the heard I time the by but says, he backfiring," motorcycle

tory when he heard three shots. "I thought the first one was a a was one first the thought "I shots. three heard he when tory

"On Sunday morning, Jim Ewell had the assignment at the the at assignment the had Ewell Jim morning, Sunday "On

'Within a few minutes of that, I got a tip from someone at the the at someone from tip a got I that, of minutes few a 'Within

After a while, Aynesworth saw a group of people running to- running people of group a saw Aynesworth while, a After

The Assassination Reporters Reporters Assassination The

Dallas News News Dallas

there named Jim Ewell. The The Ewell. Jim named there

s

lt dress the same color as as color same the dress lt

in it, it, in

time. time.

a citizen, citizen, a

and slugged slugged and

Oswald Oswald an an saw it and he missed it all. He feels snakebit, I'm sure."

76 was going on and saw Ruby kill Oswald. It was pure luck that I who has spent more time on the story than any other. He is a

case. "Suddenly one night I awakened out of a nightmare," he Shaw trial that one of his dreams influenced the outcome of the Aynesworth—well, Aynesworth is still a reporter too, but he is with Jack Ruby's family. prise witness who came in "and sat down and captivated the walking compendium of names of FBI agents, New Orleans in- also an odd sort of footnote to the assassination, the journalist dream that he wrote a letter to Shaw's lawyer, urging him to formers, assistant district attorneys, bus drivers and cabbies. He was the first reporter to print Oswald's diary and he sat shivah dreamed that District Attorney James Garrison produced a sur- told James Kirkwood, author of hire a private detective to investigate one of Garrison's witnesses, a dapper man named Charles Spiesel who claimed he had heard

Shaw discuss the possibility of assassinating Kennedy. The de- lawsuit charging the New York police and a psychiatrist with tective discovered that Spiesel had filed a sixteen-million-dollar

about the assassination as some of the genuinely crazy people jury, winning the case hands down." He was so shaken by the hypnotizing him and preventing him from having normal sexual testimony. relations; the information was crucial in discrediting Spiesel's who come to see him. Unlike them, though—and unlike most of

damn fool," he says. "There's nobody on earth who'd rather the buffs—he continues to believe that John F. Kennedy was

damn thing that made me believe it." It's an odd position: inves- killed by Lee Harvey Oswald, acting alone. "I sort of feel like a

prove a conspiracy than me. I'd love to write it—if there was any

tigative reporters try to bring conspiracies to light; Aynesworth has spent much of his time knocking them down.

Today Jim Ewell is still a police reporter in Dallas, and Hugh Aynesworth became so emotionally involved in the Clay

In some way, of course, Aynesworth is probably as addled

SCRIBBLE SCRIBBLE

American Grotesque.

He had

77

agent, and in the beginning we thought Oswald was some kind informer got started," he said. "There was a note in Oswald's

papers with the name James Hosty on it. Hosty was an FBI

of a spy or paid informer. I worked the FBI stuff, and we'd run

was Hosty—she just assumed I was, and she sent them. Anyway, we couldn't put it together except for these interviews where down everything you could imagine. I even got Hosty's phone

you get phone records if you've moved?' I never actually said I records. I called the phone company and I just asked, 'How do

sent to Dallas to work on the story. He called me up all the time,

Hosty had come to see Marina. And that's where Lonnie Hud-

he would bug me and give me all these tips that were nothing. I

up and said, 'You hear anything about this FBI link with Os- kins came along.

number, don't you?' 'Yeah, yeah,' said Lonnie. I reached over on my desk, and there was a Telex number on a telegram, S. x72. I wald?' I'd just about had it. I said to him, 'You got his payroll

"Something was always coming up," he said.

it. That's the same one I've got.' Lonnie could see the moon of the lore of the assassination. coming out at high noon." The number eventually became part

just didn't want him bugging me anymore. So one day he called for think it was, and I told it to Lonnie. 'Yeah, yeah,' he said, 'that's The story would die down for a while and then crop up again.

bought the Manchester book, so

and worked with Garrison, did a lot of investigation for him. in 1966 they were digging around. They moved to New Orleans thing to counteract it. They put an investigative team on it, and

Jack Fincher, the San Francisco bureau chief, comes up with a

story about Oswald and Ruby being little fag from New Orleans, a short-order cook who told him a

lovers, and then at the YMCA in Dallas. He wove a great tale.

"Let me

'Lonnie Hudkins was on the

Aynesworth stayed on the News until 1966, did some work

Life,

The

and was on the staff of

tell you how the story about Oswald's being an FBI

Assassination Reporters

Newsweek from 1967

Houston Post,

Life

felt it had to have some-

seen

in New Orleans as

"Look

and he'd been

magazine

to 1974. 78

Fincher didn't know enough to know whether it was good, so self. He was going on and on, he'd seen them swimming, hug- said, 'It was the right leg.' He took a pause. 'No,' he said, 'it was ging and kissing, and he said they'd even tried to entice him. Fi- was no way I could break him. I was beginning to wonder my-

for him—he'd been promised a good bit of money for his story." Ruby's Ieg, that shark bite? Which leg was it on, anyway?' He Hugh thinks. they told him in New York to run it by Dallas and see what

Aynesworth joined the nally, I looked at him and said, Wasn't that a terrible scar on port, and we taped this story, and he really had it down. There he didn't have a scar on his leg.' He started crying. I felt sorry the left leg. I remember now.' I said, 'You little son of a bitch,

sination; Aynesworth and Dudney did much of the legwork and Dudney. They make an interesting pair: Aynesworth is stocky organized, Dudney is a compulsive file keeper; Aynesworth and square, Dudney is lean and long-haired; Aynesworth is dis- office in 1963, told them that five days before the assassination works the phone, Dudney writes. The Times wrote the backup stories. Their biggest story, both agree, was a "we were both extremely excited. The guy was very con- by-line of its publisher Tom Johnson, broke the story last fall of he saw a Teletype saying there would be an assassination at- nonstory that took them weeks to put together. An FBI clerk the threatening letter Oswald wrote to the FBI prior to the assas-

named William Walter, who was working in the New Orleans

vincing." "and we talked to everybody who ever knew hint."

tempt in Dallas and that no one had done anything about it.

'We got a motel room at the Executive Inn out by the air-

Last year, after working a spell as a private investigator,

"When we first talked to him on the phone," Dudney said,

"We

"We got red flags everywhere," said Dudney.

SCRIBBLE Sono BLS

interviewed him twenty-some times," said Aynesworth,

Tunes Herald

and began working with

Herald,

under the

79

got onto it. Dan Rather called and asked me what I thought. I or disproved it," said Dudney. said, 'I'm ninety percent sure he's lying, but I'm not sure.' They did some film with him, chartered a plane to get it out, and once pass it."

back with a detailed, massive study. Knocking these stories down again Dan and I were back and forth on the phone. I gave him

CBS went with it—but in a very positive manner. So we came

is no good—but you have to do it. There's a lack of willingness in this business to say that nothing is there. Especially after a the results of the polygraph—with Walter's permission. Finally, few bucks have been spent."

story that begs for hundreds of investigators, subpoena power, ing the Kennedy assassination—and that is that a lot of smart re-

lot of people are dead. Some of the ones who are alive have forensics experts, grants of immunity; its changed their stories. The whole thing is a mess. And while it's Commission report and dozens of books on the assassination_ A quires slogging through twenty-seven volumes of the Warren porters have kept as far away from it as is possible. This is a

it—that would be a little like shooting a bear with a BB gun—it's not likely that Aynesworth and Dudneylwill get to the bottom of

nice to know they are still down there in Dallas plugging away. of people my age. The emergence of the Beatles and the Viet-!1 we were talking about certain great events that shaped the lies

said it I corrected myself. Oswald's death was more an influence min war were obvious influences. And I said that I thought the assassination of Kennedy was a big influence—and as soon as I out. His death left us a legacy of suspicion and doubt that's

than Kennedy's. Had he lived, so much more would have come

turned in on everybody. Its unusual. Such a neurotic little man,

"We gave him a polygraph," said Aynesworth, "and he didn't "When we were three weeks into it,* Aynesworth said, "CBS "We never could get the one bit of information that proved it

There is a reason there are only a handful of reporters work-

"The other night I was at a party," Bob Dudney said, "andll

The Assassination Reporters

wi

I

I'

i

also a story that re-

• if 8o

who was really such a loser, you know, and he's left a very pro-

death of John Kennedy, but it hasn't recovered yet from the found influence. The country would have recovered from the death of Lee Harvey Oswald and probably never will."

SCRIBBLE SCRIBBLE

February,

1976

out to be the one day when some fascinating article will appear ing the

who bring it up that you missed it. Fortunately, this rarely hap- —you never know whether the day you skip the and leave you to spend the rest of your life explaining to friends

pens. But on Friday, November 14, story by its food writer Craig Claiborne about a four-thousand-

New York dollar meal he and his friend Pierre Franey ate at a Paris restau- only recent exception that comes to mind is one that Charlotte rant, and I think it is safe to say that no article the Times has in desperation, I went back and read it. As you undoubtedly Curtis wrote about cottage cheese.) In any case, a few days later, printed in the last year has generated as much response. (The

dinner for two at any restaurant in the world; because American

dine at a chic spot on the Right Bank called Chez Denis, and Express was footing the bill, there was a stipulation that the res- know, Claiborne had bid three hundred dollars in an auction for and nine wines. Two things taurant be on the American Express card. Claiborne chose to

I read the article: first, that the meal had been a real disap- there he and Franey managed to get through thirty-one courses

pointment, though Craig only hinted at that with a few cutting remarks about the blandness of the sorrel soup and the nothing. ness of the sweetbread parfait; and second, that the managed to give front-page play to a story that was essentially a

Every so often, I manage to get through a day without read-

That, as it happens, was the day the Times ran a page-one

The New Porn

New York Times.

Times, and I learned my lesson.

This is an extremely risky thing to do

,

were immediately clear to me

1975, I

managed to miss the

Times

Times

will turn

'when

had