Novel Is 'Too Slippery to Stay Caught'
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Cot_ „4 ASSASSINATION PROBE WITNESS Novel Is ‘Too Slippery ..... • ......,....ZEIMOMMRIMEM* FIGHTS EXTRADITION to Stay Caught' By JAMES RICHARDS commit simple burglary. He is living in Columbus Of The Dispatch Staff and says, he will fight any extradition move. Gordon Novel, the 29-year-old former New Orleans Controversial New Orleani Dist. Atty. Jim Gar- night club owner wanted as a wit- rison has called the fugitive a "most important wit- ness in the Kennedy assassination ness" in the assassination probe. probe, would appear to be a man NOVEL PAINTED his own portrait as a financial in a trap. whiz kid who wheeled and dealed himself to and But, by his own description, he through several small fortunes. "I'm not lily white," is too slippery to remain caught. he frankly admitted as he devoured a small filet "I'M LIKE mercury, man. You mignon. can put your thumb on 'me but Brash and boastful, he projects an enormous ego I don't stay under." as he describes his personal exploits. Yet, there is Novel bubbled forth with the something likeable and believable in his verbal tor- story of his life Tuesday in an rent. Novel exclusive interview with The Dis- By words alone, Novel has created a minor politi- patch. He was arrested in Gahanna cal scandal in Baton Rouge, La. He has claimed he April 1 on the Louisiana charge of conspiracy to was a close confidant of Louisiana Gov. "John Mc- Z(C.aientaMig:IMMAMMTMMIMMEMIZMialataMT5efWAMMUMMASTOMMV,M.VOPM 0...ft>sma Keithen and that the governor purchased from him about three weeks ago has been "Garrison is a fraud, and his investigation is a farce." electronic bugging equipment. Novel told The Dispatch he first met Garrison THE GOVERNOR first denied knowing Nov at a party for "all the bunnies" in New Orleans' then was caught by a Baton Rouge newspaper with French Quarter during May of 1966. "We discussed matters concerning Garrison's his canceled checks showing. framing electronically of high state officials," Novel McKeithen lent credence to Novel's charges Mon- related. -day. NOVEL, through his firm of International Dy- The governor, on the pretext of discussing the namics Corp., manufactured, sold and installed elec- next governor's conference, telephoned Governor tronic bugging equipment. He- takes' great pride in Rhodes. Since Rhodes was out of the city, McKeithen describing his surveillance and anti-surveillance settled for John McElroy, administrative assistant. equipment as the "finest in the world." IN AN ALMOST unheard of move, McKeithen "I refused to work for him," Novel continued, "I asked McElroy to expedite the extradition of Novel didn't like him. During the 1966 election, I worked back to Louisiana as soon as possible. The extradition against him." has not even been officially requested. Early this year, Novel asserted he was invited to Novel's major theme since becoming a fugitive TURN to Page 4, Col 1 Continued from Page 1 dicted for conspiracy to as- by his flamboyant proclama- mainly, "I was interested in Garrison's home. At that sassinate President Kennedy. tions. 'broads.' time, Novel indicated, "I NOVEL DECLARED, "Gar- Novel believes he needs a After four high schools—"I thought he was real." rison told me, 'I'm going to public forum, He fears he didn't like discipline"—he put you in this up to your cannot get a fair hearing in was graduated from New Or- "ON AND OFF, I worked New Orleans. No court in leans' East Jefferson High for Garrison for about two ears. You've been working for the other side.' " Ohio is involved in the New in 1956. weeks." - Orleans probe. Garrison and his staff have Novel has yet to reveal, at From high school he went insisted Novel never was em- least on the public record, THE ONLY issue here is west, to Northrup Aeronauti- ployed by them. just how he can "expose" extradition on a charge of cal Institute of Technology Meanwhile, Novel admitted Garrison. However, he has conspiracy to commit simple in Englewood, Calif. he was privately working for hinted broadly that "Garri- burglary, filed by Garrison That sojurn into engineer- another New Orleans group son's plot" is bigger than any the day before Novel's arrest ing was brief . "I got to ssination plot. in Gahanna. foolin' around with a movie which was intent upon ex- ao posing Garrison.A Afie i.rhe most effective re- Novel was born in New Or- star." rainer on Novel's glib leans on Feb. 7, 1938. His fa- He moved on to the Uni- "GARRISON turned on tongue is his Columbus at- ther died when Gordon, an versity of Southern Califor- when he found out I had col- torney, Jerry Weiner. only child, was about 2. nia. lected enough evidence to ex- Novel recalled his mother pose him," he charged. WEINER WALKS his own AFTER ONE semester, he worked as a secretary in a tried motion picture directing Novel said he was chal- personal tightrope. On one prisoner-of-war camp for Ger- lenged by Garrison in a face- side is the bar association, mans in New Orleans during to-face showdown on the waiting to snip the wire if World War II.. steps of the courthouse on Weiner breaks one of the the final day of Clay Shaw's canons concerning pre-trial HE DESCRIBED his child- preliminary hearing. publicity. hood as average. He played Shaw, wealthy New Orleans On the other side is Novel, quarterback on the football businessman, has been in- the client, trapped in part team, tinkered with cars ane at the Pasadena Playhouse, "retired to Lake Tahoe (Nev.) New Orleans associates, the devices. He is most proud of meanwhile, picking up a few with an enormous bundle." Louisiana Pavilion at the his anti-bugging gadgets. extra dollars by contributing After a couple of months, New York World Fair, the A teetotaler, Novel de- "detective reports for Confi- he grinned, "We blew it play- largest commercial, pavilion signed and built a Ramparts dential magazine." ing five hands of blackjack in the extravaganza. St. supper club, the Jamaican In 1958 there was a quick at one time." During the fair, Novel be- Village. fling in New York City, still came involved in a much LATE IN 1960 he pro- publicized controversy with HE ADMITTED the night on the fringe of the theatrical club primarily was a "cover" world, then, back to New Or- duced auto shows in New Or- Robert Moses, fair director. elans, Baton Rouge and At- During this period, Novel for his other enterprises. leans. His fortunes again were on For most people, two years lanta. was riding high.' He claims his worth, on paper, ex- the rise. His divorce from the in and near the Hollywood There is in early 1961 a beauty queen concluded, he arena would have bee ceeded $1 million. On Jan. 7, brief void, a period about 1964, he married the beauty hopped to a new romance, enough excitement for a life which Novel says he cannot New Orleans Playboy Club time. Not Gordon Novel. queen. "We lived in a lavish talk. Curiously it coincides apartment in New York." "bunny" Abby Mulligan, a AGAIN HE gave college a with the first etiban crisis, 23-year-old Columbus g i r 1, try, the New Orleans campus e Bay of Pigs fiasco. THEN THE "f air ex- now living with her parents ploded," Novel angrily added. at 226 E. Oakland Ave. of Louisiana State University. Novel opened that door while testifying in a Colum- He said he lost everything— The new girlfriend sparked Then he met his future, and bus Municipal Court hearing money and wife. But, he is his trips to Columbus during now former wife, beauty about two weeks ago. But, quick to accept blame for the 1966, which led to his elec- queen Marlene Mancusco, at just as he began a statement failure of the marriage. "She tronics and restau ant-- coil._ that time Miss New Orleans. concerning "that Cuban busi- was just a young kid. She n c io s here. About a year later, his ness," Attorney Weiner shut didn't know what was going on." NOVEL, SAID he was plan- college career ended, Novel, him up. ning, with the backing of a Novel maintains that he in his words, "Got smart and HIS COMMERCIAL inter- New Orleans financial syndi- found an angle." took the rap financially and cate, a motor resort complex est of that year was involve- protected his associates in Novel teamed up with ment in the design of the fast- at Baton Rouge when Gar- Ranny Ehlinger, who since the pavilion group from a rison's ax fell. est unlimited sports car in the fraud and scandal expose. then also has been implicated world at Bonneville Salt Flats. In six short weeks, Novel by Garrison in the assassina- Broke, he went back to again has fallen to the bottom tion investigation. He took time out to accom- New Orleans, sold used cars pany Miss Mancuso, then Miss of the heap, broke, in a to keep alive and taught him- strange city, in need of a job, IN 1960, Novel and Eh- Mississippi, to the Miss' Uni- self the electronics business. linger parlayed a $500 invest- verse Contest in Miami. and his romance fading. ment in a drag racing strip By 1965, Novel was in the Novel contends Garrison A promotion scheme in has "tied up" his bank ac- in Hammond, La., into a small 1962, involving an advertis- "fulltime bugging business," fortune. eavesdropping on politicians, count and has impounded his ing balloon, marked Novel's electronic equipment.