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Memorandum TO : Mr. J. Lee Rankin, General Counsel.

President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy

FROM

Mr. James J. Rowley, Chief United States Secret Service

suispcssassination of President Kennedy - Dallas

. •

• CIPTIOALL FOAM 140 10 1010.101 MIST 1141 E01110111 GSA LEN. 11E0.140.

UNITED STATES GOVERNML.NT

" • Lle13.03.9., • :1.10 • 44

U. S; SECRET SERVICE CO-2-34,030 DATE: . February 26, 1964

There is forwarded herewith the report of ATSAIC Leon L. Gopadze of our Los Angeles Office concerning his contacts with Marina Oswald as they relate to her contractual agree-ments with James Martin, John Thorn and Robert Oswald.

Att.

0

—

Chief

ta5:%)..0 Leon L. Copad;:e Loa An3eles

U. S. SP.CRII.:T StRVICE CO*2-34,030

Pcbruary'26, 1964 • • " .

V S

Assassination of President Kennedy .• Dallas . . •

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• Th1.3 mezorandum is cubratted upon the request of Irma for ' Tho,-.71as .1.4.1.1ey for the purpose of ascertaining whether . the questioning of Marina Ozavald by. the R47,-:rortinz, Agent, tiez:• n.: ever conducted in the presence of James Martin, her Duel.- •

. ness Faneser. Inspector Kelley also requested the--iteportirig Agent to relate any conversations, in vhich he participated .

'••• as tranalator, occurring between Marina Oswald, JEtnea Martin. • - • an. it Attorney John Thorn, relative to arty business trans- -

•-• actions. •-• "• • . •

The first time the Reporting .Agent met ilzunes Martin was on .., the at:terms= of Novat6:er 21, 1963, at the Six Plage Inn;

• Arlington, Tares. At this time Marina .Cstfald was beinz . questioned by 711I Special Iv.tents ilosty and Bram.. The Lcpa:tins gent participated as translator only. The meet- - in,s was very brief and no coriveratiemoccUrred between the •

ort ins Lguat and I;lartin, otter than Narti-a stated that he was sorry for Na_riaa Ozwald and that he was doing everythinz

- .to Lanka her coefortablo at the Inn, The Colloraing day,wilich • was `.0.1anksgivinz; Day, the ileportin3 Agent translated comer-

• antions .betvenn. !Farina 0.7..zald and Martin in connection with -the Thrnitte,,,,,ivinz, Ley dinner givep. by „the 11"e--xtinl,:.; at their ` residmce for tiarina Oswald. The •Reporting Ageut was not

- at the dinner. • • :•- .L - . !A

On november 29, 1963, the Reporting-Agent interviewed Ilarina at eno Inn concerning Leo Orz-mt..1d. Follm-

ing this ir.tOrvies7 thc.: acpar.tiuz; Agent tranalated to klarina . Crs-,;ald varicus Cutzsostit.-::4a made by E.obert Osvald cl-td &trues

Herein col-lac:min? the request of the. nosehill Cemetery officicis for the runoval.of the body of Lea Oswald from his grave. Thio request vaa made by the officials .because of

e 2

Chief

threats received by than coar.,t.ernisr, the .disintement and • destruetion of the boy of. Lee Oswald. tiarinn. Oswald re-- • lutztr.stly c!!7.-.cf.K1 to the. cre:::ation c Ozwald t z.., body prcr,rified-the cemetet7 ofilcials would.assume the et:pease:, ineurredv .,:_ including t43 urn azd .03.1 subsequent e-.4..pc.uses •

.00rtnoeted therewith.. Duriu this interview II:Irina Oswald rcquetted the Rt....porting ALF,.-±...xt to trm.-1.1:ilate to .,Taaes

_hor• Ftpprecintion of the Thanksgivinz Day dinner 'at the - • liartin hem. She also asfmd the Reporting Air,,,-ent to e.:prese

her gracitUde. for their .1zitl.d.7.sess mtd hospitality and further wished to lays if the Iltxtin Emily liked her. Apparcetly

previous offer had been rukde• by . the Li:ex-tines to hta.rina• '-- Osweld to r.,.c-Are into their Ta=e and 1-.x.eame a pert of their.,

•:- household, Apparently IlExina Oswald hr.d accepted this invitaticra at a preViOuS ,Thes B.epartiun k;ent was not .present tho title the convanation concerning her living Frith the Wirtin's took place.. Marina Ornw...114, after lee rhin3 frens the Repartiw; Agent's tfunslati6n e ilk'. z:nxtints • asst./ram:se that his family liked ham., then .r.ziched to knou

lort3 she might with the 11rxtints and under whist • • conditions.. James Eartin stated that she could stay with • - - ,•them as low; as she wir,hed, that they wished no• compensation frog her other tilza helping around the house. Althou.:711

• arrange:11E3.4s had 1,,eten mf.Ale t o uzove her into the heusehold that ni 77.ht, ILuxine Oswald requested this be post poned until the iollemina 'day. •

At the conclusion of the emversatioa betveaull.nri5sa Oswald, Oavald and Robert Ozwald told the .

--..Reportia5 Agent of 1113 pertoar-- dislike of Iluth Paine. Robert Gsveld cllso mentioned his mother's dislike of Ruth Paine and stated that they did not with Marina to have any.. thin.z further to do with iwth Faine. he did not elaborate

- en his rcesons, stotin5 that Itz-s. Parse eras a bad lierina.. At ttlis portieuicr time Vtarins. indicated

,t h t rise would do anyth.in-:.: Lcbert wished. her to do .and. stated that Else trusted Robert contpletely. •

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.• •

• • •

Chief

. • On December 4 while inten.7ieving Marina at the Tiartin /toms. ci.:Acoir.-ning r.c-ore her Occ C:al3ed burl and' minht taws clone r.ce-le rifle practice, /fr. at the • house with an individual v;hcEa he introduced to the Reporting tc.,,ent as Attorney J,c,-1-zn M.. Thorn, v.Jho r.a.inta•L--ted oii!ices

• Cr and Prniries -t1r. Martin Stated that he had 1:nrwn for sortetime and that Mx.' Thera was willing to _

handle leg:7.1 affairs.. Mr. Thor* is ea seked thn 1',.sportin.3 Ascw.t. tale Lher Marina Osvald, had. be involved in any criminal actitnas with hex husband cu he, Thorn, was not a criminal Lowyos. • Mr.' Thorn stated he was willing._ to re-.. present Otp-Jald only in cemlaction. xiith her personal..:.

-;. - .business aftairs. 'The Ro?otting.t.zont told Mri Thorn that insofar as Marina wae_concerr,.ed at present there were no indications that she had involved in her husband's • .

acf.masin.atior.: of Praaident Ken y. lIcmcver, the ..- ::Reportizts tvalt stated that it was entirely Up to 1-ir."-Tb-Qrft:t..-. whether he chose to accept Marina Oswald as his client.-

•

. ,••• Mr. Thorn stated that he could not represent Marina witheut

- compensation and 43.$0 sag ,se at that tiny that Mr. James Martin be ,,:polated by Viarina as her Business Mancger. Marina Onwald ev.r..;,...tell to bzve lir. Thorn act as her repro.scotative lnal natters and also agrecd to have Hr. Martin es her- .•' Iusiness i f1ti3,.4er : uton It3r Tbornss additional miggestim Ake -further avreed that alqzropriate contracts should be clrairn by

T11 for the, purpose c2 binding this agree:a-ant. At 'this ties no mention. was mile relative to .the matter_ of ci pensation and .ices. . -

- . Uzt avec-la-bor. 6,. 1963; while intorviceeinv; OLvald at the • Martin reciecnce concerning the attovted assacoination of

Co...xeral Walker and ot.i-mr matters, Mr. Mzirtir.a toloi-ehoned the razideneo and asted to ri...selP. with the i1..portir,3 `aLent~ In the ensuing telophonat coLiveraa.z.:ion te,tii the l',.o.porting Azerit,

Nartizt asked if this .Asent had read the contracts Crraza up by Attorney Thorn. The Reporting 4,7:ont st:Ltted ha had' net...

.I:ix. Martin stated that the tez.vas, of the contracts provitied for 102, c Marina 0=aldts ineame to 0 to Mr. Thorn for attorne-y' a feen; 10% of her 1.riaotae to z,:o to Rf.-Zert Orarad as her ad-visor; and 15% to go to lam. Martin as her Businass.•-

.. •

, . . 1373-COR '22

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lianeger. Martin stated that he actUally wanted only 107, •an hie fee tni the addition-m:1 1V23 to bs considered as incidental e.~.,penses in connection w-ith 'writers for

liar.ines s stories, etc. Mr. Martin was s4ted. by thc Report- Ascut. t7.o abeve pereenta.za fees were based g..%n monies

received by Ittrina 0:717eld from Narions'colitritwcico. end dakitil.en.s fmn people throo.tthout. the United States. /Ir. Martin

.: stated that cArcal thauz.).1 the contracts erm-a up by I r. Thorn seemed to indicate this would be the case, that it could be -s.pccifice.2.1y statecl In the cc:entreats that the contracts did npt refer to monies recc:3xe5.1 as donations and contribug. Lions, and it would be a sis:•:pIe matter to co correct the

:cent:roots.; The Reporting Agemt stated that it was not hie duty nor within the sphere of his work to become involved • is itarina permoal atf,airS Cr affairs of a busig• • pans nature:. The Reporting Age:;:lt further stated that this telephone conversation would be related in fall to Lierina Oswald. Men the above infort.,;:ation was reported to Mari to Otruald,- she stated that she had in the contracts. but that she had mg: understood them. Ilow4.-..vor„ t tams as reisted to her Were agreeable a to the sho felt •that if - the partios involv•-:d could rae.f.e money for •themnelves, it . rould for her o too. Agar,. the Re.porting As:at suz;3estod sh::: obtain the sorvicea of an interpreter. or tranzle.terIran mo.a2- her Runninn.f.-riends to assist her . in acing over the contracts before she Gizued then., She stated that Lite trunted both. lir. Martin and Mr. Thorn - implicitly..

On Pecer.lber 10, 1963) Marina C. advised the Revortin:!, ..• 4,ent that she had ci;:lned the contracts the previous evening. -

She stated that cite sitned on the aformentioned terms the cuatracts between her cad kit:. • Thorn, Mr. liartin end P.c.lhort Or:veld for a period of ten years,. and that Robert Oswald had

.read and appro:rod the contracts, also.

Oa'ec‘.--,aber.11,.1963, ttaria..1 van se-on by the Roportinz tent and other 42ents at• the rarkland Llospite.1 where she and her . • chiliirezt wage -driven by Mr.- Martin for check-up exarainations.

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.lagiiaaaaaaah41-*.a on, ak• „_

• * • 0.

Chief

. There.3:113 no coavarsatioatwithltarSitt 0.scale 1.1r. 11r.xtin. rt...FArcans buzirienn ramr,toze. Tha Rc2ortin,(21. Azlat translated.

Ver.cioua tz-,ztters pext7ir.1112; to 1,...;er to tikes hospital. •

latt the Roportinl Acttnt 2=7 liarine Otrgald, Grid' lir. Thorn in Dallas was on. Dccez.batr 12 VaCIA the

ti.3sier.ed Sconcler.Pnd ii.:•;:fverrend Foot of the Protestnnt aeirchc3 in. Fort tforth,

• latin to-Nzrina tere7ard her. 'and covverv.-1.- ton relz.,,tive to voi.71cus omtributi{m4 recelvoti by thix-1 to help het in. esttailiahirtg hcr life in imewica. There veto a lengthy cornter.*:•eticrit betcdeal Leveroad 84tweders Reverend• -

- .•-rot,•:,.Kr. T11.= axtd 1.-:;.-xtins, relative to Vita Ltand11...-gt..• of the contributio-as -but tha Reportins Anent did not per-

:ticipate itt the taircuzmion. -•.., • .••••,•,:- "

It oheuld be stated in this Import that the Reporting As-:;,:ot hoard no other cov:vorsatic.7.1.a, eithe.r directly or indirectly, bottzeza. tiarine 15-f'_' `e, The--r .221.1843 Other thrtn., herein stAte.e.t. Fr...rtiaer, it. vas the r.,,";,:er- vat:ton tho P.Qportiaz, attZ,E!at timt durinz, titay i 1:z..1.1as

thkere Dt:CCI;:(1 to bra - ploasa-.tt ond afnblo rolcticxas between tho pertiaz invoivercl.

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Dictated by ASAIC Bogas• frca notes of Gopacize 2-26-64

Texan by tolophme

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