Deceptions and Errors of Fact: 1947

1947

Note that 1947 was the year that the CIA commenced.

In the summer of 1947, while Marguerite Ekdahl (Oswald) and her son LEE were living on 8th Avenue in Ft. Worth, another Marguerite Oswald and a young boy ("HARVEY Oswald") were living in Benbrook, a suburb of Ft. Worth. In June, 1947, Georgia Bell and her husband, Walter, purchased a property in Benbrook and began building their home directly across the street from a house in which Mrs. Oswald and the young boy were living (101 San Saba). Georgia, who lived at 100 San Saba for the next 50 years, remembered that Marguerite Oswald and the young boy lived at 101 San Saba from May through Thanksgiving, 1947. Tarrant County land records confirm that Walter and Georgia Bell purchased their property in June, 1947.

Marguerite purchased the San Saba property after her divorce settlement in mid 1948, not in 1947. She lived there with all three sons -  a fact that  Georgia Bell confirmed to the FBI, not just Lee.

Armstrong is once again relying on a favored MO - using decades old witness "memories" instead of what the extant records actually show. 

Armstrong has added the superfluous information at the end about Tarrant County records because it makes it look like his research has some depth. It is nothing but smoke and mirrors. When the Bell's bought their house has no bearing on when Marguerite bought hers.

Tarrant County land records also confirm that Marguerite C. Ekdahl purchased 101 San Saba on July 7, 1947. Shortly after purchasing this property, the short, heavy-set Marguerite Oswald impostor and young HARVEY moved in and stayed until Thanksgiving. According to Otis Carleton, who later purchased this house, young Oswald (HARVEY) attended  first grade at the Benbrook Common School (located at the intersection of Old Benbrook Rd. and Winscott Rd.) where Carleton's daughter taught the 5th and 6th grades. At the same time LEE Oswald was enrolled in the second grade at the Lilly Clayton Elementary in Ft. Worth. Carleton said the Oswald's moved in either 1946 or 1947. Mr. Cartwright, a supervisor with the Benbrook Water Department, recalled that the Oswald's lived in the house next door to where the water department eventually located.

If the Tarrant County records actually showed the purchase date July 7, 1947 and not a year later, I'll hand in my doppelganger-busting badge. Did Armstrong publish this document? Not as far as I can tell. 

Even John Pic puts the purchase as being AFTER the 1948 divorce

Mr. PIC - After the divorce she bought the house in Benbrook, Tex., and then she was either working at or just got the job at Leonard Bros., Fort Worth, department store, Fort Worth, Tex.

The inference to draw is that she used the settlement money for the purchase. 

The information on the other former neighbor is likewise wrong on key points

• His name in the records is Otis Carlton
  
• His daughter taught first grade, not fifth or sixth. It was Oitis himself who taught those grades
  
• Lee Oswald attended first grade at Benbrook in 1945 when the family lived on Granbury Rd - not in 1948 when living on San Saba. Lee never attended school while living on San Saba because they only lived there during summer break
  

After the M.O. impostor and young HARVEY Oswald moved out of 101 San Saba, Marguerite C. Ekdahl rented out this property for the next four and a half years. On November 6, 1951 she sold this property to Otis Carleton. Nine days later (November 15, 1951) she purchased a small home at 4833 Birchman in Ft. Worth, rented it out for a year and a half, and then sold it on April 27, 1953 while she was living in New York. The WC thoroughly researched the addresses where the Oswald family lived and the properties owned by Mrs. Oswald. But for some unknown reason they never reported, or intentionally failed to report, that Mrs. Oswald owned 4833 Birchman.

I am unable to assess the claim about Marguerite buying 4833 Birchman, but we know by now that any Harvey and Lee claims need to be thoroughly checked before accepting. Did Armstrong publish any official county records in support of this purchase? Does the ownership of this property have any effect on either the official history or the alternative H & L history? Or is this just more pablum to add to the mix to give it the appearance of depth?

The claim that Carlton bought the San Saba house in 1951 may or may not be true. This is because in his 1963 interview with the FBI, he recalled that Marguerite lived at 100 San Saba. She didn't. It was 101. The Bell's lived at 100. He also stated in that FBI interview that he was in the habit of buying property to rent out. So it is at least feasible that he actually bought the Bell property in 1951. The FBI report from 1963 on the Carlton interview meanwhile does support the purchase from Marguerite in 1948. 

The tall, nice-looking Marguerite C. Ekdahl purchased 101 San Saba in July, 1947, but she may have never lived at this address. I showed Georgia a photo of the "Marguerite Oswald" impostor standing in front of a kitchen sink. Georgia said, "That's her, short and fat just like I remember her. She was not a very nice person." I then showed Georgia a photo of tall, nice-looking Marguerite Oswald standing next to Edwin Ekdahl on their wedding day, taken only two years earlier. She replied, "I don't know who that is." Georgia remembered buying groceries for the short, fat, Mrs. Oswald, taking her to the store, and remembered that the young boy played with neighborhood children. She remembered that a neighbor, Lucille Hubbard, drove Mrs. Oswald to pick up some clothes from another house when she got a job as a nurse. Mrs. Hubbard confided to Georgia that Marguerite had furniture and lots of clothes stored at this house which was located "across from Stripling School." We shall soon see that this may be the same house in which 15 year old HARVEY and Marguerite were living in the fall of 1954, while HARVEY was attending Stripling Junior High. This was also the house where the short, fat Marguerite Oswald impostor was living on November 22, 1963.

Here we see another favored MO - steering the witnesses to your own bent. 

Marguerite did not need anyone to buy her groceries for her, or to be driven anywhere to pick up belongings. This is because she had her own car.

Mr. JENNER - The witness has now handed me two pictures, Pic Exhibits Nos. 54 and 55 one of which shows a young boy with a black-and-white dog, and the other shows--with a house in the background. The Other shows a house in the background and a black-and-white dog in front and an automobile. Could you decipher, referring to the exhibit numbers, the handwriting appearing at the top of each of those? You are looking at Exhibit what now?
Mr. PIC - Exhibit No. 55, sir, shows Lee's dog and the family car- This car belonged to us, that is why I brought it. The house in the background was the one and only grocery store, groceteria, whatever you want to call it, and laundromat in the area. This is where we did all of our food buying.

This testimony is in reference to the time period in question. From what I gather, Benbrook at that time was a very small place and remote from most shops and services. You cannot live in such places without your own transport. Benbrook was not even incorporated as a village until 1949 - the year after Marguerite left.

The summer and fall of 1947 is the earliest known confirmation that two different Oswald families were living at two different locations at the same time. Robert Oswald discussed family matters in detail during his WC testimony, but when asked about the summer of 1947 commission member Allen Dulles, former Director of the CIA, asked for an adjournment. Dulles was likely concerned that Robert, like John Pic, would say that his family was living at 1505 8th avenue during the summer of 1947, which would conflict with a 2nd Oswald family living at 101 San Saba at the same time. Dulles' request for an adjournment strongly suggests that he had intimate, detailed knowledge about the backgrounds of HARVEY and LEE. When Robert Oswald's testimony resumed he was questioned about events that occurred beginning in the fall of 1948. No further questions were asked about the summer of 1947.

And there it is. "Proof" of 2 Oswalds based on lies, distortions and interviews of witnesses decades after the events in question - interviews that indeed conflict in very telling ways from their original statements.  

Pic's 1964 statements conflict with the 1990s statements of former neighbors, which also conflict with their own 1963 statements... so Pic must be covering up! At least according to Armstrong.

Meanwhile, "Project Oswald" insider Dulles is actively steering "Project Oswald" insider Robert away from 1947 testimony. 

Wouldn't it have been easier for Dulles just to have a quick word to Robert prior to the testimony being taken?

Something like

Dulles: Robert, don't forget. Do not mention anything about 1947. I accidentally mentioned 1947 yesterday, but I think I got away with it. 

Earlier today I found where the Fez had posted 2 documents back in March at the 13" head forum which it is claimed support the date of 7/7/47 as the date Marguerite purchased the San Saba home while also supporting the 11/6/51 sale to neighbor Otis Carlton (Carleton).

The Fez was also under the false impression that Marguerite and Edwin divorced in May, 1947. But it was actually June, 1948. 

In posting the documents, Fezzo has cut some of the information and dates off.




I originally only saw the top document and spoke to Ed about it to help interpret it. It was after that when I found the second document.

Between what Ed said, and now taking into account the second document... I have come up with this. I have no idea if it makes sense, let alone if it is correct.

On 7/7/48, Marguerite purchased the property off Burton Ellis and his wife for $1500 cash. She got it at this bargain basement price because the Ellis' had defaulted on payments owed to Susie Ole Denman and her husband. This arrangement saw the Ellis's agree to pay the principle owing to the Denmans at the rate $50 a month - so the total amount listed under consideration is $3,950 (Marguerite's $1500 to the Ellis's and the $2450 principle). I also believe (although the documents do not show it) that part of the agreement with the Ellis's was to allow them to continue living there free for 12 months. If the Ellis's were experiencing financial stress, this is an arrangement that would help them out of it, while Marge gets a house for nearly half of its real value.

John Pic...  was told by her that she was contesting the divorce so that he would still support her. She lost, he won. The divorce was granted. I was also told that there was a settlement of about $1,200 and she stated that just about all of this went to the lawyer. Right after this is when she purchased the house in Ben-brook, Tex., the little house.

The settlement was actually $1500 and only about $200 of that went to her lawyer. At the time of the purchase (July, 1947), Marguerite and Edwin were having an off and on relationship. How was that amount arrived at? Perhaps it was reimbursement for the Benbrook purchase?

As for the purchase date by Otis Carlton/Carleton being 11/6/51... that is also not true/ He was quite clear to the FBI that he negotiated the purchase with Marguerite whilst Marguerite was still living at the address. The 1951 date would represent the date of his last repayment to Marguerite. Over 3 years, he would be paying between $75 to $80 per month to Marguerite (or a bank) plus any interest. This would have been manageable for him as he was an empty nester school teacher with a portfolio of rental properties. 

So the timeline would be 

January 23, 1947: The Ekdahls reunite and move to Eighth Street in Fort Worth.

January 27, 1947: LHO enters Lily B. Clayton Elementary School.

Summer, 1947: Marguerite discovers Ekdahl is having an affair and confronts him in Fort Worth.

July 7 1947: Marguerite buys the San Saba (at time under a different name) property at a bargain price due to the owner's defaulting. Part of the agreement is that the owners stay in the property for 12 months. 

June 24, 1948: Marguerite and Edwin divorce. Marguerite is reimbursed the cost of the San Saba property as part of the settlement.

July, 1948: Marguerite and the three boys move to the San Saba property,

End of Summer 1948: Marguerite harasses Otis Carleton into purchasing her place as she has a job to go to in Fort Worth. Otis agrees to pay $2750 for it (see link to his FBI report in OP). He finishes paying for it in November, 1951.


If anyone is actually familiar with the types of documents posted and can explain them with confidence, please do! This at least makes sense of the official timeline and Pic's testimony, as well as the amounts shown on those docs, as opposed to what was stated in other reports.

Kudos Greg for exposing the holes and deception in Armstrong's hoax. Hope the people at EF are reading it too.

What is good about the EF threads is that the behavior of the cultists seems to have drawn in more critics than converts.

Here is another, pointing out that Armstrong has used a 1955 Beauregard photo claiming it is of "HARVEY" and taken in 1954. Can't be 1955 because that knocks HARVEY out of Stripling.
http://educationforum.ipbhost.com/topic/26658-hl-the-harvey-row/

And that reminds me of another point.

"HARVEY" was supposed to be the bookish, non-sporty shy boy. Yet the so-called Stripling witnesses have him shooting baskets, watching games of touch football, and hanging out with other kids.  Sounds more like their "LEE" to me.

But that's the trouble with doppelgangers. Not even professional Doppelthologists can always tell them apart. Only their fake moms can.