FRIEND QUIZZED, OSWALD IN NEW ORLEANS STATES -ITEM VOL. 91—NO. 268 THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 1968 PRICE 10c DOUBTS CONSPIRACY By JACK DEMPSEY peared before the Orleans Parish Grand Jury today as it A close friend of Lee Harvey Oswald and his wife said pressed District Attorney Jim Garrison's assassination here today she believes Oswald did not decide to shoot probe. President John F. Kennedy until the day before the assas- sination, Garrison contends there was a conspiracy—based in New Mrs. Ruth Paine said she does not think there could have Orleans—to commit the assassination and has expressed been a conspiracy to kill the President "because I honestly doubt that Oswald was the triggerman. believe Oswald did not make up his mind to shoot the Presi- LEE OSWALD'S WIFE MARINA was living with Mrs. dent until the day before." Paine at the time of the assassination on Nov. 22, 1913. MRS. PAINE, OF IRVING TEX., a Dallas suburb, ap- See PROBE—Page 16A

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Mrs. Paine went before the jury today in response to a subpena issued by Garrison's office, though she said she doubted she could add any- during the period when he thing to the probe. would visit Marina at the Paine residence. Asked if she Mrs. Paine spent an hour regarded Oswald as "violent," before the jury this morning she said she did not or she and was scheduled to return would not have let him be this afternoon. near her children. Mrs. Paine, chicly dressed SHE SAID SHE knew noth- in a blue suit with white ing of the incident in which gloves and white shoes, tint- Oswald allegedly shut at Gen. ed freely with newsmen be- Edwin Walker until after the fore her grand jury appear- assassination. ance. Most of what she said On the question of a con- corresponded closely to her spiracy, she said that if Os- testimony four years ago in wald had plotted the slaying Washington, D.C., before the in advance "it is my belief Warren Commission investi- he would have come to the gating the president's death. house (for the gun) a few days earlier, instead of wait- THE COMMISSION report ing until the last minute when concluded that "Ruth and .something could go wrong." Michael Paine (her husband) (According to the Warren were not involved in any way Commission, Oswald picked with the assassination of Pres- up the ,gun the morning of sident John F. Kennedy." the slaying and took it to Mrs. Paine said she met the Dallas in a brown paper bag.) Oswalds at a party in Dallas in February, 1963, and was at- "BUT I COULD be wrong," tracted to them because she Mrs. Paine added. was studying the Russian The attractive, 35-year-old language at the time and blonde said she never heard Marina is Russian. the names of Clay L. Shaw, Clay Bertrand, Jack Ruby or In September, 1963, Mrs David William Ferrie men- Paine transported Marina and tioned before the assassina- the Oswald house hold gear tion. from New Orleans to Irving in her station wagon. In the Garrison charges that Shaw subpena for Mrs. Paine, Gar- —who, the DA claims, used rison alleged that the rifle the allas Bertrand — con- with which the Warren Com- spired with Lee Oswald and Pha la mission says Oswald shot Ferrie to kill Kennedy. Ruby MRS. RUTH PAINE Kennedy was among the be- shot Oswald to death two longings. days after the assassination. Mrs. Paine, now a kinder- MRS. PAINE told newsmen garten teacher, clutched a today the gun could have been book on teaching methods in the car but "I did not see which she carried to pass the one." Until the day after the time while waiting to testify. assassination, "I did not even know he had a rifle," she said. She said police came to her house after the slaying and asked about the rifle. She said Marina told them it was in the garage wrapped in a blanket. They inspected the blanket and found no gun. Mrs. Paine said she never saw Oswald with any weapon