The Jfk 'Conspiracy'
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District Attorney Garrison: Who were the real plotters in New Orleans? THE JFK 'CONSPIRACY' What lies behind New Orleans Dis- bums—have been hounded in more sub- trict Attorney Jim Garrison's increasingly tle ways. For most of Garrison's victims notorious investigation of a "plot" to kill are extremely vulnerable men. Some are John F. Kennedy? To find out, NEWS- already paying for their vulnerability. WEEK sent a veteran reporter, who cov- Chief among them is Clay L. Shaw, the ered the assassination and its aftermath, New Orleans businessman-socialite, who to New Orleans for five weeks. His ac- now faces trial on a charge of conspiring count follows. to kill the President. How did it all begin? by Hugh Aynesworth Garrison first became earnestly inter- im Garrison is right. There has been a ested in the Kennedy assassination when J conspiracy in New Orleans—but it is he and Louisiana Sen. Russell Long rode a plot of Garrison's own making. It is a side by side on an airplane bound for scheme to concoct a fantastic "solution" New York. Long said he had never ac- to the death of John F. Kennedy, and to tually believed the Warren commission make it stick; in this cause, the district report, that he still had doubts. Garrison attorney and his staff have been indirect later told me that he immediately de- parties to the death of one man and have cided that if such an important man humiliated, harassed and financially gut- thought there was something odd about ted several others. the case, it was time to start digging. Indeed, Garrison's tactics have been Cleanup: Garrison is known in New even more questionable than his case. I Orleans as a smart operator, a bit un- have evidence that one of the strapping orthodox, but nobody's fool. He made D.A.'s investigators offered an unwilling his name by cleaning up his old haunt— "witness" $3,000 and a job with an air- the French Quarter—and putting a tem- line—if only he would "fill in the facts" of porary halt to B-girl practices and lewd an alleged meeting to plot the death of dancing in its gaudy strip joints. Later, the President. I also know that when the he amazed the whole city by accusing D.A.'s office learned that this entire brib- eight criminal judges of taking too many ery attempt had been tape-recorded, days off and of winking at Mafia activity. two of Garrison's men returned to the But although the judges sued him for "witness" and, he says, threatened him libel, Garrison's right to criticize the ju- with physical harm. diciary was finally upheld by the U.S. Another man who spent many hours Supreme Court. Thus, when he first an- with District Attorney Garrison in a vain nounced his "conspiracy" case, most New attempt to dissuade him from his assas- Orleanians believed that "Big Jim must sination-conspiracy theory has twice been have something." threatened—once by one of the D.A.'s What Garrison had to start with was a own "witnesses," the second time by colorfully pathetic "suspect" named Da- Garrison himself. Others—Cuban exiles, vid Ferrie. A onetime airline pilot, Ferrie convicts, drug addicts, homosexuals, had been questioned shortly after the Newsweek, May 15, 1967 NATIONAL AFFAIRS assassination on the basis of a tip that he of exits," "diversionary tactics," and "tri- could help Beaubouef get a job with an was Oswald's "getaway pilot." But the angulation of cross fire." Russo offered a airline if only he would help them sub- tipster was an alcoholic who later admit- variety of unconvincing reasons why he stantiate the alleged plot. Beaubouef ted that he had made up the story. had never mentioned the meeting to told them he couldn't do anything with- Despite his clean bill of health from anyone before. out talking to his attorney. They made a the FBI and Secret Service, Ferrie be- Garrison produced another unusual date for 2:30 the next afternoon at the came the center of Garrison's investiga- "witness" at the hearing, a 27-year-old lawyer's office. tion. He was questioned for hours, Negro drug addict. Vernon Bundy said `Just Like That': One of the two in- "tailed" and subjected to polygraph that while sitting on the lakefront one vestigators, Lynn Loisel, a New Orleans tests. His acquaintances were quizzed. morning waiting to "pop" a cap of heroin policeman assigned to Garrison's office, By February, word had leaked out of he looked up and saw Oswald being showed up. What had Loisel told Beau- Garrison's office that Ferrie was soon to handed a wad of money by Shaw. Bundy bouef the night before, the attorney be arrested and charged with the con- admitted he had a four-cap-a-day habit asked? "I told him we had liberal ex- spiracy of conspiracies. Through it all at that time and had been on drugs pense money," Loisel replied. "And I Ferrie called the D.A.'s investigation a since the age of 13. One defense attor- said the boss is in a position to put him "farce" and told friends he would sue ney asked Bundy how he could support in a job, also that he would make a hero Garrison if he were arrested. But as the such a demanding heroin habit when the out of him, instead of a villain, you un- weeks wore on, Ferrie, not a strong or cost would be nearly twice his salary derstand ... I mean we can change the stable man under the best of circum- story around, you know, to positively, stances, began to show the strain. Then, beyond a shadow of a doubt .. You suddenly on Feb. 22, he died—of a mas- know, eliminate him, you know, into any sive cerebral hemorrhage. kind of a conspiracy or what have you." Suicide: Garrison crowed that Ferrie's The attorney wanted to know more about death was "an apparent suicide" and he the offer of money. Loisel answered: "I warned that same week: "We know who would venture to say . .. Well, I'm, you the rest of them are. The only way they know . .. fairly certain we could put are going to get away from us is to kill $3,000 on him." He snapped his fingers. themselves." A week after Ferrie's death, "Just like that, you know." Garrison ruefully admitted to me in his Loisel was asked about the promise of home, "Yeah, we helped kill the son of a job. "I don't know," the burly cop said. a bitch." "I'm sure he would have to go up through Shortly after Fenie's fortuitous death, the ranks, you know. The first year or Garrison proclaimed that he had "solved" two he might stay in a room in the back the President's assassination; that he with the charts or something ... I don't knew the individuals involved, the cities know. Then he advances a little farther. and other details of the "plot." Arrests Then he's a co-pilot ... Then he's a pi- would be forthcoming, and convictions lot." Beaubouef's lawyer asked if this too. "Don't bet against us," the district was Garrison's idea, if "the boss" meant attorney warned. Jim Garrison? Loisel replied that it did. Two days later, a crucial "witness" Then Loisel laid out the "conspiracy miraculously appeared. Perry Raymond plot" to which Beaubouef presumably Russo, a 25-year-old insurance salesman would testify. He discussed "cross fire" from nearby Baton Rouge, claimed that and escape routes. As Loisel "recalled" he had known David Ferrie well and it, Ferrie and Shaw had been arguing that Ferrie had once said President Ken- TJ in the apartment—or maybe it had been nedy should have been killed for his Shaw: A price for vulnerability Oswald and Shaw—the investigator bungling of the Bay of Pigs disaster. Gar- couldn't quite recall for sure. Loisel add- rison assigned former boxer Andrew J. each week. "I steal sometimes," Bundy ed: "Clay Shaw wanted some of his Sciambra, 31, one year out of law school, replied. methods used, or his thoughts, you know, to interview Russo. After his first con- After the three judges on the hearing used. But anyway, that's what we have in versation with Russo, Sciambra filed a panel agreed that the Russo and Bundy mind—along that line." 3,500-word memo in which he failed to testimony was enough "evidence" to Suggestion: "Was Al at the meeting?" mention anything about an assassina- bind Shaw over for trial, one judge told the attorney asked. Loisel said: "No, Al tion plot. a friend at the racetrack that although wasn't at the meeting." But Loisel sug- Ideal Witness: But later, after being Garrison really didn't have enough to gested that Dave Fenie had told Beau- given "truth serum" (sodium pentothal) bind the defendant over, he and his fel- bouef all about it. The attorney then and being prompted, Russo testified at low judges had been fascinated by how asked how they would explain Beau- length in a pretrial hearing about a key well Russo stuck to his story for two days. boners failure to come forward prior to "conspiracy" meeting held in Ferrie's Many hypnotists probably were not so this. "I'll tell you how we go about that apartment which also supposedly in- impressed. problem," said Loisel. "Well, Dave Fer- volved Clay Shaw and Lee Harvey Os- Garrison did not stop with Russo and rie, bless his soul, is gone.