Ever since Nov. 24, 1963, when Dallas nightclub owner Jack Ruby shot and soon be looking for help from Baker. killed Lee Harvey Oswald, various critics By June 8, a Saturday, a large group of the Warren Commission have won- of Chicago racketeers began to show up dered about Ruby's possible involvement at Ruby's Carousel and at two other in a conspiracy to assassinate President nearby strip-show clubs, according to a John F. Kennedy. Seth Kantor, who confidential report to Dallas Police recently joined the Washington bureau of Chief Jesse E. C. Robert L. May, Jr., the Atlanta Constitution and a longtime who had been head of the vice squad. North American Newspaper Alliance cor- By Sunday, June 9, May said, one of respondent, knew Ruby in Dallas, spoke the nation's top vice lords was flown in with him at Parkland Memorial Hospital for the meetings, landing in a private the day Kennedy was shot and was subse- plane at a small airport south of Dallas. quently questioned by the Warren Com- Ruby placed phone calls on June 10 mission. In 1974, using the Freedom of and 13 to a restaurant between Dallas Information Act, Kantor began to look for and Fort Worth, where some of the the answers to the Jack Ruby puzzle The hoods were meeting. If they were going Part 4 of a series to rearrange any of the action in Dallas, result— WHO WAS JACK RUBY?, pub- lished this month by Everest House. It is a he would want a piece of it. book which Publisher's Weekly says WHO WAS On June 10, Ruby placed a 16- 'rears to shreds' the commission's portrait minute phone call to Edna, Texas, to of Ruby. Following is the fourth article in JACK RUBY ? Juanita Slusher Dale Phillips Sahakian a seven-part serialization of Kantor's (stage name: Candy Barr), who had book. been paroled from the Texas state excise and income taxes. prison in April on a marijuana-posses- By SETH KANTOR There is ample evidence that Ruby sion sentence she had been serving The Warren Commission said it turned to the mob for financial help since 1959. Candy Barr was 28 and could "not establish a significant link and had it lined up by November 19 — separated from her third husband. between (Jack) Ruby and organized only two days before Kennedy arrived RUBY HAD BEEN CONTACTING her crime." in Texas. On November 19, Ruby sud- steadily since April—five phone calls The commission acknowledged that denly told his tax attorney that "a and a personal visit—but not to get her when Ruby moved to Dallas from friend," never identified, would pro- to resume her once-meteoric stripping Chicago in 1947, he was linked with vide him money to settle the long- career. She was under strict parole pro- Paul Rowland Jones, the Chicago standing tax debts. visions not to strip again, at least until crime syndicate's payoff man to the The mob was Ruby's "friend." And 1974, andie could not even visit Dallas police. Ruby could well have been paying off "But Ruby has • disclaimed that he an IOU the day he was "used" to kill was associated with organized-crime Lee Harvey Oswald. As Ruby ex- activities," said the Warren Report, pressed it to Chief Justice Warren in "and law enforcement agencies have their June 7, 1964, session: "I have confirmed that denial." been used for a purpose." It would not A far more accurate picture of Jack have been hard for the mob to Ruby in the six months before he maneuver Ruby through the ranks of a pulled the trigger is one that shows him few negotiable police. having private, hotline phone conver- Paul Rowland Jones, according to an sations with the underworld at two cru- FBI report, said that "from his cial intervals. acquaintance with Ruby he doubted The first was in June 1963, when a that (Ruby) would have become emo- group of Chicago gangsters held a clan- tionally upset and killed Oswald on the destine council in Dallas to plan the spur of the moment. He felt Ruby takeover of local gambling and would have done it for money ... " prdstitution operations. On June 6, an official in the Dallas Dallas under the terms of her release. The second covered the 11 days just district Internal Revenue Service office Ruby had reason to be interested in before President Kennedy's assassina- entered a notation on Jack Ruby's underworld connections Candy Barr tion, when Ruby abruptly signed a records that Ruby's tax attorney, had made in prison, especially her West power of attorney, giving up certain Graham R.E. Koch, had telephoned to Coast contact. California mobster rights to control his own money. He report that Ruby would settle his three- Mickey Cohen, king of the West Coast also suddenly bought and installed a and-a-half-year-old accumulation of rackets, had been her boyfriend in a safe for the first time in his 16 years as $39,129 in federal tax debts "as soon tempestuous affair before she had gone a Dallas nightclub operator, to store as arrangements can be made to bor- behind the walls. extra amounts of money. row money .. . (and) will contact this Later that day, June 10, Ruby office not later than June 14." ACTUALLY, DURING telephoned the unlisted West Coast those critical On June 7, Chicago tough-guy months before the Kennedy assassina- number of convicted extortionist Ruby Robert "Barney" Baker was paroled tion, Ruby was heavily in debt. He had Eichenbaum. They talked for 20 from Sandstone Prison. He was a grown desperate for money. His debts minutes, according to phone company massive henchman who pushed people to the federal government alone had records. Eichenbaum had served his around for James Riddle Hoffa, head risen to more than $39,000 in owed of the Teamsters Union. Ruby would
Matula, whom Hoffa had installed as a a as installed had Hoffa whom Matula,
arrested a number of times and con- and times of number a arrested in Los Angeles and running with Frank Frank with running and Angeles Los in
reamsters official shortly after Matula Matula after shortly official reamsters
Gruber was using several aliases, was was aliases, several using was Gruber
victed as a grand-larcenist. grand-larcenist. a as victed
together in their Chicago days, when when days, Chicago their in together
Barrier Baker. Baker. Barrier
Alexander Philip Gruber in Dallas. Dallas. in Gruber Philip Alexander Alex Gruber and Ruby had boarded boarded had Ruby and Gruber Alex
sadistic, 370-pound professional bully, bully, professional 370-pound sadistic,
November 11, Ruby's financial picture picture financial Ruby's 11, November
Chicago and talked with Jimmy Hoffa's Hoffa's Jimmy with talked and Chicago had grown more bleak. bleak. more grown had
about it. it. about
dollar. The IRS said it would think think would it said IRS The dollar.
Ruby's debts at about 8 cents on the the on cents 8 about at debts Ruby's
Ruby set aside plans to borrow from from borrow to plans aside set Ruby
provided by the U.S. government. So So government. U.S. the by provided
instance, the penalty was a lot more more lot a was penalty the instance,
the mob. Instead, his tax lawyer con- lawyer tax his Instead, mob. the tacted the IRS with a proposal to settle settle to proposal a with IRS the tacted
Ruby. If he defaulted on payments, for for payments, on defaulted he If Ruby.
swift and painful than the penalties penalties the than painful and swift
high barbed-wire fence and ferocious ferocious and fence barbed-wire high
settle his IRS debts. debts. IRS his settle
dogs. Ruby was looking for a way to to way a for looking was Ruby dogs.
book and from a house protected by a a by protected house a from and book
listed business number in the phone phone the in number business listed
Francisco area—with no employees, no no employees, no area—with Francisco
ments and loan business loan and ments
time and now was running an invest- an running was now and time
GRUBER WAS SELLING scrap metal metal scrap SELLING WAS GRUBER
Also that same day, Ruby met with with met Ruby day, same that Also
On November 11, Ruby telephoned telephoned Ruby 11, November On
By the start of the second interval, interval, second the of start the By
But mob terms were too stiff for for stiff too were terms mob But
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in the San San the in
reported trip made by Ruby to Las Las to Ruby by made trip reported
sence in Las Vegas. Vegas. Las in sence
Vegas, even though the FBI spoke to to spoke FBI the though even Vegas,
day, November 17, failed to include a a include to failed 17, November day, witnesses who confirmed Ruby's pre- Ruby's confirmed who witnesses
chronicle of Ruby's activities for Sun- for activities Ruby's of chronicle
in several gangland killings. killings. gangland several in
Ruby's sister, Eva Grant. Grant. Eva sister, Ruby's times on suspicion of being triggerman triggerman being of suspicion on times
victed bank robber, arrested numerous numerous arrested robber, bank victed
tein, Jack Ruby's brother, and from from and brother, Ruby's Jack tein, sion received from Hyman Rubens- Hyman from received sion
to information the Warren Commis- Warren the information to
Chicago thug Lenny Patrick, according according Patrick, Lenny thug Chicago
Ruby "since Dallas, Texas, was about about was Texas, Dallas, "since Ruby
distance is 360 miles. miles. 360 is distance
one-hundred miles from Joplin." The The Joplin." from miles one-hundred
FBI he was in Joplin, Mo., in Novem- in Mo., Joplin, in was he FBI
Ruby moved to Dallas. Gruber told the the told Gruber Dallas. to moved Ruby
ber 1963 and just decided to drop in on on in drop to decided just and 1963 ber
hadn't conferred since 1947, the year year the 1947, since conferred hadn't
mingham, Ala. Ala. mingham,
showed up coincidentally from Bir- from coincidentally up showed with Ruby and with Gruber. The three three The Gruber. with and Ruby with
That same day, Paul Rowland Jones Jones Rowland Paul day, same That
pastime, Candy Barr, and talked to her her to talked and Barr, Candy pastime,
for 14 minutes at her home in Edna. Edna. in home her at minutes 14 for
telephoned Cohen's favorite Texas Texas favorite Cohen's telephoned
nections with hoodlums who worked worked who hoodlums with nections
with racketeer Mickey Cohen. Cohen. Mickey racketeer with
got out of jail on perjury charges. charges. perjury on jail of out got
THE WARREN COMMISSION'S COMMISSION'S WARREN THE
Patrick was really bad news—a con- news—a bad really was Patrick
At about this lime, Ruby telephoned telephoned Ruby lime, this about At
On November 12 and 13, Jones met met Jones 13, and 12 November On
The next day, November 12, Ruby Ruby 12, November day, next The
Gruber also maintained known con- known maintained also Gruber
out of the bank so there could be no no be could there so bank the of out
Ruby didn't want his club employees to to employees club his want didn't Ruby
know when he slipped out of town, in in town, of out slipped he when know
watch on the extent and use of his his of use and extent the on watch
Commission Ruby could be very secre- very be could Ruby Commission
for Ruby, who kept most of his money money his of most kept who Ruby, for
tive about his comings and goings. goings. and comings his about tive
financial dealings with the government. government. the with dealings financial Ruby signed a power-of-attorney form form power-of-attorney a signed Ruby in Koch's office, which entitled the the entitled which office, Koch's in
lawyer to control much of Ruby's Ruby's of much control to lawyer
associate of Ruby's, told the Warren Warren the told Ruby's, of associate
Ralph Paul, a back-room business business back-room a Paul, Ralph
government tax problems. In turn, turn, In problems. tax government
Ruby turned up in attorney Koch's Koch's attorney in up turned Ruby money to settle his long-standing long-standing his settle to money
a connection who would supply him him supply would who connection a office on November 19 and said he had had he said and 19 November on office
Vegas mission to become known and and known become to mission Vegas
Ray Brantley. Brantley. Ray profits, Paul said. said. Paul profits,
ing to the records of Dallas gun dealer dealer gun Dallas of records the to ing order to keep them from stealing his his stealing from them keep to order
revolver shipped to McWillie, accord- McWillie, to shipped revolver
caliber Smith and Wesson Centennial Centennial Wesson and Smith caliber
Las Vegas as pit boss at the Thunder- the at boss pit as Vegas Las
bird casino. casino. bird
hoodlum empire and was installed in in installed was and empire hoodlum
closely associated with Meyer Lansky's Lansky's Meyer with associated closely
calls in 1963 to McWillie, who was was who McWillie, to 1963 in calls
1959. Ruby made a series of phone phone of series a made Ruby 1959.
was Lewis McWillie, the syndicate syndicate the McWillie, Lewis was
_gambler Ruby had visited in Cuba in in Cuba in visited had Ruby _gambler
The transaction was extraordinary extraordinary was transaction The
Ruby didn't want his personal Las Las personal his want didn't Ruby
Two days after the Las Vegas trip, trip, Vegas Las the after days Two
On May 10, 1963, Ruby had a .38 .38 a had Ruby 1963, 10, May On
Ruby's special Las Vegas connection connection Vegas Las special Ruby's
ing the $7,000 in the bank, where the the where bank, the in $7,000 the ing
federal government could get it. it. get could government federal
noon. noon.
No. 2744, which he carried that after- that carried he which 2744, No.
loaded, snub-nosed revolver, serial serial revolver, snub-nosed loaded,
where he could protect himself with the the with himself protect could he where
would happen out there on the street, street, the on there out happen would day, carrying all the cash on him." him." on cash the all carrying day,
tion. He and I talked, and I warned him him warned I and talked, I and He tion.
that he'd be knocked in the head one one head the in knocked be he'd that cash on him the day of the assassina-' assassina-' the of day the him on cash
he had about seven-thousand dollars in in dollars seven-thousand about had he
nedy was slain. slain. was nedy
line at a teller's cage on the afternoon` afternoon` the on cage teller's a at line of November 22, after President Ken- President after 22, November of
just come into the bank to make: make: to bank the into come just
change for the club," said Cox, who: who: Cox, said club," the for change
loan officer at the bank. "He would.. would.. "He bank. the at officer loan
vividly remembers Ruby standing in in standing Ruby remembers vividly
cash," remembers 'Bill Cox, then the- the- then Cox, 'Bill remembers cash,"
of what the account usually had in it. it. in had usually account the what of
in the Merchants State Bank stood at at stood Bank State Merchants the in
$246.65, which was within a few dollars dollars few a within was which $246.65, Carousel Club that day, November 19, 19, November day, that Club Carousel
owed. owed.
account to obtain the tax money he he money tax the obtain to account
ment would place liens on his bank bank his on liens place would ment
funds. Ruby said he feared the govern- the feared he said Ruby funds.
What he was worried about was leav- was about worried was he What
But Ruby wasn't worried about what what about worried wasn't Ruby But
"Jack was standing there crying and crying there standing was "Jack
"Jack always carried a large roll of of roll large a carried always "Jack
Ruby's checking account for his his for account checking Ruby's
NEXT: The Cuba Connection Connection Cuba The NEXT:
*187E1. *187E1.
by SETH KANTOR KANTOR SETH by
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