Texan Claims His Father Fired Shots That by Hugh Aynesworth THE
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es 4$' CHICO * TUESDAY, AUGUST 7, 1990 / PAGE.,0 ••=mm4z2e,4,191•3111.11MMENEarmigg NATION MORE NATIONAL NEW5 ON PAGE B6 Texan claims his father fired shots that By Hugh Aynesworth THE WASHINGTON TIMES DALLAS — A 29-year-old Mid- land, lbxas, man charged here yes- terday that his father, a former Dal- las policeman, was a CIA hit man who fired the shots that killed Pres- ident Ktymedy in 1963. Ricky White, an unemployed oil equipment salesman who has been trying to peddle the story for at least a year through several =named lbxas businessmen, told a packed news conference here that his father, Roscoe White — who died in a 1971 fire — joined the Dallas Police De- partment shortly-before the assassi- nation just to handle the job. Mn White said yesterday that his father, shooting from the infamous "grassy knoll" area ahead of the presidential motorcade, fired two of three shots that hit Kennedy on Nov 22, 1963. He said his father also killed Dallas policeman J.D. Tippitt as he and Lee Harvey Oswald were rushing to Red Bird Airport in Mr Tippitt's car to leave town. He claimed that Oswald fired no shots at all and that Oswald and Of- ficer Tippitt were "patsies." Ricky White also named two other "shooters," code-named "Saul" and "Lebanon," who he said had fired at Ricky White with a photo of the , AP Kennedy. Roscoe White's code was presidential motorcade before claiming yesterday that his father killed John Kennday. "Mandarin;' he said. Saul and Leba- non were CIA operatives stationed in the Texas School Book Depository Building and the County Records Building overlooking Dealey Plaia,' he said. He added that his mother, Geneva White, overheard a plot to kill Ken- nedy while.viorkingas a barmaid at Jack Rubyt- nightclub a few weeks Ricky White said he diseti red k-42 before the assassination. She told no- his .father's,,role in the body, he said, because Ruby threat- years ago and had difficulty accept- ened to kill her if she did. editor that he was not interested - Ricky White said his mother "has that he did not believe the story. had four shock treatments and can- Since the discussions with The not be questioned." Times, Ricky White has come up The Rev-Jack Shaw of suburban with further documentation and al- Richardson also was at the news con- legations, including: ference, held at the JFK Assassina-i • That he had read his father's tion Information Bureau, which sells diary and understoOd what it meant, conspiracy materials about the trag- but that an FBI agent had taken it edy, and said Mrs. White had told and he has not seen it since. Pre- him what she overheard. viously, the only reference to the FBI "These allegations— that this was having any materials of his was done on CIA orders, that this guy when he said an agent had read some worked for us and that CIA had any notes and he could not find them role in the assassination of President later. Nothing was ever mentioned Kennedy — are ludicrous," CIA about a diary, nothing remotely spokesman Mark Mansfield said in touching on admissions about killing Washington. Officer Tippitt, or Oswald not even Roscoe White never worked for firing a shot. the CIA, Mr. Mansfield said. "Nor- • That Mrs. White heard a plot daily, we never confirm nor deny with Ruby saying, "I will take care employment, but these allegations of Oswald," and her husband reply- are so outrageous that we felt it nec- ing, "I will take care of the president essary and appropriate to respond," , and I will take care of .Tippitt." he said. • That he had additional informa- The FBI said in a brief statement tion linking his father to the CIA. - that it had received the same infor- The Times reporter was told by mation in 1988 but "determined that AP Ricky White the only thing that The late Roscoe White In a 1963 caused his belief his father • was a this information is not credible." photo. His son says he was a CIA The Warren Commission con- CIA agent was a friend living like a agent when he shot President "barricaded hermit" in a West Texas cluded that Oswald, acting alone, Kennedy. fired the shots that killed Kennedy town, who is no longer mentioned. and wounded John Connally, then There appear to he many holes in Ilexes governor. Despite the find- ing it — particularly, he explained, the latest scenario, including: ings, conspiracy theories have because Officer Tippitt and his fa- • Officer Tippitt was known to abounded since the assassination. ther were close friends. have been farther away from the city Ricky White showed reporters Earlier this year, Ricky White and and was pulled in closer by his dis- documents that he said would-but- his agent, Chuck Neighbors of San patcher as police searched for the tress his claims. Among those items Antonio, met with The Washington assassin. He could not have been were embarcation slips showing that Times for several hours at the behest downtown, hurrying Oswald and of a New York publishing house, Roscoe White out to an airport. both Roscoe White and Oswald had which had been contacted by Mr. • When Ricky White said his fa- left on the same ship for Marine duty Neighbors. ther fired two telling shots, includ- in Japan on Aug. 22, 1957. He sub- The New York editor urged a ing one to Kennedy's throat, he was mitted three faded messages he writer for The Times to "examine parroting several conspiracy theo- claimed were sent by U.S. intelli- the validity of what Mr. White rists, but most forensic experts say gence officials ordering the killing claims" and determine if he wanted there was no shot from the front. of Kennedy. to write a book with Ricky White Woody Specht, an FBI spokesman , But Bobby Ray Inman, former about the charges. in Dallas who has dealt with the Ken- CIA deputy director, said after ex- _This Times reporter — who has nedy case for nearly a decade, said amining the "messages" that they written about the Kennedy assassi- simply: "You really need to evaluate are not legitimate. "My reaction is nation since the day he witnessed it the source on these types of things." that its a forgery of some kind, or — investigated several of the White • This article is based in part on invalid," he told the Austin claims and then told the New York wire service reports. American-Statesman lett week. .