Nick McDonald - DPD - The man who allegedly captured Oswald

First topic message reminder :

This guy needs his own thread.
Hasan did some very valuable work on him as well.
Just found this at ebay

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Originally posted by Greg Parker

 Rule # 1 of a Gun Fight: Have a Gun (how the witnesses trump the WC)

 by greg parker on Sun 12 Sep 2010, 2:10 am

The WCR states: As McDonald started to search Oswald’s waist for a gun, he heard him say, “Well, it’s all over now.” Oswald then struck McDonald between the eyes with his left fist.; with his right hand he drew a gun from his waist. McDonald struck back with his right hand and grabbed the gun with his left hand. They both fell into the seats. Three other officers, moving toward the scuffle, grabbed Oswald from the front, rear and side.

But here is what the witnesses said: 

McDONALD 
As he said this ["Well it’s all over now"], I put my left hand on his waist and then his hand went to the waist. And this hand struck me between the eyes on the bridge of the nose. 

[and later] 
Mr. McDONALD. Well, whenever he knocked my hat off, any normal reaction was for me to go at him with this hand. 
Mr. BALL. Right hand? 
Mr. McDONALD. Yes. I went at him with this hand, and I believe I struck him on the face, but I don’t know where. And with my hand, that was on his hand over the pistol. 
Mr. BALL. Did you feel the pistol? 
Mr. McDONALD. Yes, sir. 
Mr. BALL. Which hand was—was his right hand or his left hand on the pistol? 
Mr. McDONALD. His right hand was on the pistol. 
Mr. BALL. And which of your hands? 
Mr. McDONALD. My left hand, at this point. 
Mr. BALL. And had he withdrawn the pistol. 
Mr. McDONALD. He was drawing it as I put my hand. 

Note that in McDonald’s version, he is saying that he struck Oswald - not because, Oswald is going for a gun - but because Oswald punched him first. McDonald also states that Oswald was [in the process of] drawing the gun at the time he has his own hand on Oswald’s and the pistol. This is a significant difference to the WC’s claim that Oswald had it drawn before being struck by McDonald and before McDonald got a hand on it.

Mr. HAWKINS. I remember seeing him standing beside Oswald, and when I arrived where they were, both of them were down in the seat—Oswald and McDonald had both fallen down into the seat, and very shortly after I got there, a gun was pulled, came out of Oswald’s belt and was pulled across to their right, or toward the south aisle of the theatre. 

In this version, the pistol is not drawn until after the arrival of Hawkins, at a time when McDonald and Oswald are down in the seats. He goes on to say that 'very shortly after I got there, a gun was pulled, came out of Oswald’s belt and was pulled across to their right, or toward the south aisle of the theatre. Officer McDonald grabbed the pistol, and the best I can remember, Sergeant Hill, who had gotten there, said, “I’ve got the gun,” and he took the gun and we handcuffed Oswald.' He does not say that Oswald was the one with the gun drawn... nor does he say he was unable to see who had it – but then, he  was simple never asked. 

Mr. WALKER. He put his hand up, not exactly as you would raise your hands to be searched, but more or less showing off his muscles, what I call it, kind of hunching his shoulders at the same time, and McDonald put his hand down to Oswald’s pocket, it looked like to me, and McDonald’s head was tilted slightly to the right, looking down in the right hand. 

"kind of hunching his shoulders" sounds like a description of someone hunching over and shifting their waist away from the person reaching or placing hands on that area. One reason for that, and the punch that followed it, might be that mcDonald was planting the pistol that he had carried up the aisle. This walk with the pistol is discussed further on in the post. 

Mr. BELIN. Looking in whose? 
Mr. WALKER. McDonald’s right hand as he was searching, and he felt of his pocket, and Oswald then hit him, it appeared, with his left hand first, and then with his right hand. They was scuffling .there, and Officer Hutson and I ran toward the back of Oswald and Hutson threw his arm around his neck, and I grabbed his left arm, and we threw him back over the seat. At this time I didn’t see any gun that was involved. 

Like Hawkins, Walker didn’t see any gun involved at any relevant period claimed by the WC. Later in his testimony he states Oswald is thrown against the seats after the arrival of other officers, and at that point, he sees Oswald with his hand on the handle of the pistol which is still in his waist. We pick his testimony up again from there.

Mr. WALKER. And it stayed there for a second or two. He didn’t get it out. McDonald had come forward and was holding his hand. Ray Hawkins was behind me to my left at that time, and whether or not he came at the same time we did or not, but he was there, and there was a detective. Oswald had ahold of my shirt and he practically pulled off my nameplate by gripping it with his hand, and I was bent over, and I was in an awkward position, and I could see several hands on the gun. The gun finally got out of his belt, and it was about waist high and pointed out at about a 45 degree angle. I turned around and I was holding Oswald trying to get his arm up behind him in a hammerlock, and I heard it click. I turned around and the gun was still pointing at approximately a 45 degree angle. Be pointed slightly toward the screen, what I call. Now Hawkins was in the general direction of the gun. 

Walker’s testimony is interesting for two reasons: firstly, like Hawkins, it is at wide variance with the official version, and secondly, because it so detailed. Nowhere does he say Oswald got the gun out.


Mr. BREWER. McDonald was back up. He just knocked him down for a second and he was back up. And I jumped off the stage and was walking toward that, and I saw this gun come up and—in Oswald’s hand, a gun up in the air. 

Interestingly, Bugliosi acolyte, David Von Pein relies solely on Brewer for putting the pistol in Oswald's hands. Maybe that is because he knows the cops don't do it, and the other civilian witnesses give too much information that is known to be wrong, or else points to altenative scenarios.

Mr. APPLIN. Well, the officer, I heard him say, “Here he is.” And during the proceeding of that, I guess about 5 or 10 seconds later, there was another—I think it was two officers, or one, passed me and ran down there to him. 
Mr. BALL. Did you see a gun? 
Mr. APPLIN. Well, the gun didn’t come into view until after about four or 
five officers were there. 
Mr. BALL. Then did you see a gun? 
Mr. APPLIN. Yes, sir; but only—there was one gun. The pistol. It came 
into view before any of the other officers got there. 
Mr. BALL. That is what I mean. What do you say happened about that? Who 
pulled a gun? 
Mr. APPLIN. Well, anyhow, the officer was facing this way [indicating] and 
Oswald was facing this way [indicating]. And then the gun was pointed out 
that way [indicating]. 
Mr. BALL. Wait a minute. I can’t follow you when you say it was “this way,” 
sir. You told me that this officer asked Oswald to stand up? 
Mr. APPLIN. Yes, sir. 
Mr. BALL. Did he stand up? 
Mr. APPLIN. Yes, sir; he did. 
Mr. BALL. Then did he put his hand some place on Oswald? 
Mr. APPLIN. Yes, sir; along about . . . 
Mr. BALL. Where? 
Mr. APPLIN. I guess about his hips. 
Mr. BALL. Then what did Oswald do? 
Mr. APPLIN. He took a right-hand swing at him. 
Mr. BALL. What did the officer do? 
Mr. APPLIN. The officer grabbed him then. 
Mr. BALL. Had you seen the pistol up to that time? 
Mr. APPLIN. No, sir; there was not one in view then. 
Mr. BALL. How soon after that did you see the pistol? 
Mr. APPLIN. I guess it was about—I guess it was about 2 or 3 seconds. 
Mr. BALL. Who pulled the pistol? 
Mr. APPLIN. I guess it was Oswald, because—for one reason, that he had on a short sleeve shirt, and I seen a man’s arm that was connected to the gun. 

Applin is talking about two different weapons. A shotgun (the "gun") and a pistol.  That is why Ball is so confused. He completely misses what Applin is saying and conflates "gun" and "pistol" into one weapon.

Let's break it down.

When asked if he saw a "gun", Applin replies that there was no "gun" in sight until AFTER the arrival of about 4 or 5 cops.

Asked then by Ball to confirm that is when he saw a "gun", he replies, "Yes, sir; but only—there was one gun." He then differentiates the "gun" from the "pistol" by adding, "The pistol. It came into view before any of the other officers got there." 

So... there was a pistol in view when Only McDonald was there, but when the others arrives, there was also a "gun" visible. This comports with the memory of Jim Ewell who had a birds eye view of the arrest from the balcony. Ewell recalled in a story for the Dallas Morning News that when the cops were all over Oswald, he saw the barrell of a shotgun poked down between the bodies. He clearly thought, though stopped short of outright saying, that the intent was to blow Oswald's brains out there and then. 

Mr. GIBSON. Well, I was standing there watching all this going on and then the policeman started down the aisle—I would say there was another—I don’t know, maybe six or eight—started down the aisles. . . . and then the next thing was—Oswald was standing in the aisle with a gun in his hand. 
Mr. BALL. . . . What was he doing? 
Mr. GIBSON. Well, he had this pistol in his hand. 
Mr. BALL. Was anybody near him? 
Mr. GIBSON. Just the officers. 
Mr. BALL. . . . Did they have ahold of him at the time? 
Mr. GIBSON. No; I don’t believe so. 
Mr. BALL. Did anyone have ahold of him at that time? 
Mr. GIBSON. I don’t think so. 
Mr. BALL. Did you see any officer grab hold of Oswald? 
Mr. GIBSON. Yes, sir. 

Mr. GRIFFIN. Did you arrive before he was actually taken into custody?
Mr. ROBERTSON. Yes.
Mr. GRIFFIN. What did you see the police officers doing as you got there?
Mr. ROBERTSON. It was kind of confused. He rose in his seat. and lifted his arm with his pistol just about simultaneously with the time they landed all over him.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Did you hear him say anything?
Mr. ROBERTSON. No.
Mr. GRIFFIN. How far were you from him?
Mr. ROBERTSON. About three or four rows.
Mr. GRIFFIN. How many feet would that be?
Mr. ROBERTSON. Possibly 10.

Summary of the other witnesses: CARROLL: didn’t see the pistol drawn until “everyone was there struggling with him [Oswald]”. At that point, the pistol was pointed at him [Carroll], so he reached into the melee, grabbed the pistol, then grabbed Oswald. He did not see who had the pistol. HUTSON: Stated McDonald was down in the seats and Oswald was crouched on the floor. He [Hutson] came to the rear of the seats, grabbed Oswald around the neck and pulled him back over the seat. At this point, Walker came and grabbed Oswald’s left hand. Next he has McDonald taking hold of Oswald’s right hand with both of his, but somehow, Oswald drags this hand to his waist. Then the pistol appears... in McDonald’s hand, and was being waved toward the back of the seat. HILL: was there during the struggle with the other officers, but did not see the pistol until it was handed to him in the squad car later. Of particular note is his claim that someone yelled out during the struggle, “Watch out, he’s got a gun!” This sits well alongside the fact that not one cop testified he saw it actually being drawn on McDonald - and that it only came into view during the “all-in” struggle. WESTBROOK: gave no indication that he had seen, or knew of a gun in Oswald's possession -- then out of the blue stated he recalled asking when he got to where Oswald was being arrested, "has somebody got his gun?" 

The WC however, keeping faith in McDonald has opted for his version... with one very important difference. They have replaced McDonald’s testimony that Oswald was “drawing” the gun", with “he drew the gun”. In effect, they have taken McDonald’s version and superimposed onto it Brewer’s and Gibson’s testimony of seeing Oswald with the pistol cleanly in his hand and his hand alone... completely disregarding everyone else in the process. Applin’s testimony confounded Ball, so Ball helped out with leading questions... yet in the end, the best he can do for the commission is state that he assumed it was Oswald with the pistol because the arm attached to the hand it was in, was wearing a short-sleeved shirt. Oswald however, was arrested in a long-sleeved shirt. In any case, as shown, Applin, even though no one picked up on it, is more of a witness for the defense because he shows that a second weapon was being brandished - a point later, and independently, confirmed by Ewell. 

The person who did have a pistol drawn was McDonald. He told an Associated Press reporter on 11/23 that he "went up the aisle and talked to two people sitting about in the middle… crouching low and holding my gun in case any trouble came. I wanted to be ready for it."  McDonald, it also should be noted, was far from the first officer at the Texas Theatre; nor did he have any seniority to take charge.  This begs the question: why did everyone seemingly wait for his arrival, and let him lead the way?

The facts point to an attempt to plant a pistol on Oswald as an excuse to kill him in the theater. I believe the person who attempted to plant this weapon was McDonald. Others conclude it was Hill. Regardless, that such an attempt was made is more strongly indicated by the evidence than the version of the arrest offered up by the Warren Commission who resorted to twisting McDonald's testimony, ignoring the evidence of all the other cops and falling back on civilian witnesses like Brewer. Lastly, the lack of concern and effort in tracing any of the other patrons of the theater is telling. The ones they had, seem almost hand picked for the support they lent the official version (though in Applin's case, a more thorough questioning would have revealed the threads of the attempt to murder the "suspect". Applin wasn't what they had bargained for).

greg parkerAdmin

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Officers surrounded the theater, and then entered.  When they spotted Oswald near the react, he pulled out his pistol and pulled the trigger.  It failed to go off, and the officers jumped him.
 
In the scuffle that followed, one patrolman was cut on the face before Oswald was subdued.  As they snapped the handcuffs on his wrists, Oswald was heard to say: "It's all over."  AP, 1:45 a.m. CST

https://ratical.org/ratville/JFK/SeedsOfDoubt.html

barto wrote:

In other parts of his November 24 conference, District Attorney Wade seemed so confused that we must question whether he really knew much about the evidence against Oswald at the time. As an example of his confusion, note the following exchange referring to the reported attempt by Oswald to shoot an arresting officer in the Texas Theater (taken from transcript of the news conference published in The New York Times, November 26):

Q. Why didn’t it go off?

A. It snapped. It was a misfire. Then the officers subdued him – some six officers – subdued him there in the theater, and he was brought to the police station here.

Q. Mr. Wade, why didn’t the gun fire?

A. It misfired, being on the – the shell didn’t explode. We have it where it hit it, but it didn’t explode. It didn’t fire the shell.

Q. There was one officer who said that he pulled the trigger, but he managed to put his thumb in the part before the firing pin. It didn’t . . .

A. Well . . .

Q. . . . strike the – the bullet didn’t explode. Is that it?

A. I don’t know whether it’s that or not. I know he didn’t snap the gun is all I know about it.

Now, either Wade had, as part of the evidence, the misfire bullet from the pistol, with a mark on it made by the pistol’s firing pin, or he didn’t. He didn’t seem to know whether he had it or not.

All in all, it is hard to see how the District Attorney felt able then to conclude: “I would say without any doubt he is the killer,” particularly in view of the fact that some of the evidence – such as the alleged statement by Mrs. Oswald that her husband had a rifle in their garage on the night before the assassination but that it was gone the next day – would never have been admissible in a Texas court, as the police readily admitted.

https://ratical.org/ratville/JFK/SeedsOfDoubt.html

G'day Barto mate,


This post just highlights for me at least what an absolute joke the whole 1st day investigation was regarding finding the killer/s of Tippit and JFK.

Wade cared not, when he uttered "I would say without any doubt he is the killer".

Nothing else mattered, their lies have come across over the years as confusion and some such. For me the fact that none of the various law enforcement officers and agents publically could not get their stories in unison is evidence of their deceit in framing Oswald.

As an aside, I believe once the FBI had taken control late that Friday calls would have been placed directly between the DPD Wade, Hoover and Co. They had their man!

Ft Worth Star Telegram Nov 23

Ah yes Nicky.....

Houston Post Nov 24th

Thanks Bart,

Nick himself wrote the article.
Perhaps as has been conjectured with some help, due to the introduction but never the less he is credited and it is in the first person.
Of course on Sunday he can really give his tale some journalistic license, thanks to fellow officers bungling Oswald's transfer.
But hey he can't ID Brewer a person whom claims to know him.
What was Nick doing about the call of the president being shot...
He skips to the call at 1:30 but he is already going to Oak Cliff when he gets this call to check alleys.
Then he is going after a suspect in the Library, nope, the Balcony of the Texas Theater!
Never mind the balcony.
Skip to the curtain call for the stranger, unidentified stranger.
A man sitting in the front rows (near the front) tips him off that the guy they want is back there.

So Nick shakes down two others,
not identified individuals.
Why? Oh, never mind.
And then finally goes to where a cop killer or president killer, or even a man with a shotgun per the call to police.

Never mind the fist is on the wrong side of Nick's face where he got his nick.
Never mind the dented primer and snap of the weapon are going to change to web of hand, who's hand(?) is disputed, and the bullet and another of the other brand go to FBI and are inspected seeing a microscopic defect in the area of one of these two bullets claim it was the bullet that confused Nick into thinking he had been shot and the gun misfires.
Nope not a misfire says FBI.
Nick changes tune to the hand or web of hand in the pistol, thus another nick on Nick's hand... poor nicked up Nick.
Good thing Oswald was not a suspect in a slashing or Nick would be nicked to death.
Nick is lucky he put the nick on Oswald and not the real Tippit murderer.
Lucky he got that tip.

We are lucky Brewer convinced Nick he knew him and it was him who gave the tip to Nick, or is that the nick tip to Nick?

Oh well, never mind.
Cheers, Ed

I know you don't have much faith in Roger Craig, Ed, but you might be interested to know what he said about Nick in his book When They Kill A President about the incident with Oswald at the theater. Not much love lost it seems:



Well, back to the facts? Oswald was captured by Officer McDonald, who was out cold from one blow from the suspect and woke up to find he had arrested the suspect! (Nice going, Mac).

Macca, obviously loved a bit of the limelight which resulted from his encounter with Lee Oswald in the theater. His 15 minutes of fame was inhaled by Ol' Nick like a fine cuban cigar. Couldn't lie straight in bed I'll bet. He seems to me at least like another one of the many DPD cops who felt very much at ease with the corruption of the department right from the top to the bottom. Another bottom feeder. Lies and deceit the order of the day. What a complete arse.

Yep Mick. He did enjoy the limelight. On eBay I remember seeing signed photos scribed with the claim that he was the cop who arrested Oswald. Brewer is another who does the same and even has or had a website selling his autograph. I tried to contact him via it but there was a disclaimer saying he wouldn't answer questions. I think they may have been encouraged to make some dough out of their 15 minutes or at least given the official okay. It helps sell the WC version of things and perpetrate the lies they sell.

Thanks to John Woods

Paul Francisco Paso wrote:I know you don't have much faith in Roger Craig, Ed, but you might be interested to know what he said about Nick,
...Oswald was captured by Officer McDonald, who was out cold from one blow from the suspect and woke up to find he had arrested the suspect! (Nice going, Mac).

This explains the clicking, it was the theater seats fasteners failing from Nick's girth slumping over Lee as he collapsed.

This I got from an anonymous tip.

Cheers,
Ed

An anonymous tip indeed

47) Lyndon B. Johnson: He would have been hit three times.

(48) J. Edgar Hoover: He would have been hit three times from the fifth floor of that building where we found the gun and the wrapping paper in which the gun was wrapped... and upon which we found the full fingerprints of this man Oswald. On that floor we found the three empty shells that had been fired and one shell that had not been fired... He then threw the gun aside and came down. At the entrance of the building, he was stopped by a police officer and some manager in
the building told the police officer, "Well, he's all right. He works there. You needn't hold him." They let him go... And then he got on a bus... He went out to his home and got ahold of a jacket.... and he came back downtown... and the police officer who was killed stopped him, not knowing 'who he was and not knowing whether he was the man, but just on suspicion. And he fired, of course, and killed the police officer. Then he walked.

(49) Lyndon B. Johnson: You can prove that?

(50) J. Edgar Hoover: Oh, yes, oh, yes, we can prove that. Then he walked about another two blocks and went to the theater5 and the woman at the theater window selling the tickets,6 she was so suspicious the way he was acting, she said he was carrying a gun... He went into the theater and she notified the police and the police and our man down there went in there and located this particular man. They had quite a struggle with him. He fought like a regular lion and he had to be subdued, of course, and was then brought out and... taken to the police headquarters....


transcript from dictabelt telephone recordings of President LBJ and JEHoover on 29 November

Ed. Ledoux wrote:

Paul Francisco Paso wrote:I know you don't have much faith in Roger Craig, Ed, but you might be interested to know what he said about Nick,
...Oswald was captured by Officer McDonald, who was out cold from one blow from the suspect and woke up to find he had arrested the suspect! (Nice going, Mac).

This explains the clicking, it was the theater seats fasteners failing from Nick's girth slumping over Lee as he collapsed.

This I got from an anonymous tip.

Cheers,
Ed

Those anonymous tips are always anonymous for a reason, Ed. I think the only click the cops heard that day was from McWatters bus transfer at the station by his punchmarker. Or maybe from Daryl Click who the fuck knows.

Bernice Click may have been in the clique too

More tales from Uncle Nick

The man getting off the elevator, has that been decided...Craig?
@3:29

Hmmmmmm that could be him

I would expect this has been beat to death somewhere

I say it's him.

And....go

When did Nick first use "Captor Of Assassin"?

From his obit:

In the months following [the assassination], Officer McDonald made much of his role and somewhat alienated the others who had helped wrestle the gun away. He sold interviews, wrote his memoirs, “The Arrest of Lee Harvey Oswald,” and had business cards printed: “The Man Who Captured Oswald.”


“He obviously didn’t make any friends with his self-serving attitude,” former FBI Agent Robert Gemberling said recently.


Mr. Gemberling, who handled much of the local investigation for the bureau at the time, added: “Had not at least three officers subdued Oswald as McDonald was reeling and stunned, there seems little doubt Mr. McDonald would have been a dead hero.”

And yet Nick claims he was almost killed..
So did he or his superiors file a complaint?
Attempted murder?
I must have missed it.
Was it like the "charges for murder of Jfk?"
Those kind of charges?
Seemed they had a shut case with a theater full of witnesses, cops, a pistol, a snap, gun to Nicks head, yada yada.
As with the absent questioning of Oswald about Tippit murder is absence of interest in killing Nick. Why would a guy who claimed no knowledge of Tippit killing and JFK murder, why would he then shoot Nick. And if questioned deny he had if he had attempted and failed?? Failed this murder surrounded by cops and witnesses?
Ha.
No charges thank you DPD, DA, and Papa Will Fritz,,,,
They must all agree Uncle Nick is not a victim or assaulted but just heroic
CAPTOR OF OSWALD

A participation trophy
Nick is a team player

Ed. Ledoux wrote:And yet Nick claims he was almost killed..
So did he or his superiors file a complaint?
Attempted murder?
I must have missed it.
Was it like the "charges for murder of Jfk?"
Those kind of charges?
Seemed they had a shut case with a theater full of witnesses, cops, a pistol, a snap, gun to Nicks head, yada yada.
As with the absent questioning of Oswald about Tippit murder is absence of interest in killing Nick. Why would a guy who claimed no knowledge of Tippit killing and JFK murder, why would he then shoot Nick. And if questioned deny he had if he had attempted and failed?? Failed this murder surrounded by cops and witnesses?
Ha.
No charges thank you DPD, DA, and Papa Will Fritz,,,,
They must all agree Uncle Nick is not a victim or assaulted but just heroic
CAPTOR OF OSWALD

A participation trophy
Nick is a team player

DPD's finest. Looks like he never met a pork chop he didn't like.

Mr. BALL. Which hand was -- was his right hand or his left hand on the pistol?
Mr. McDONALD. His right hand was on the pistol.
Mr. BALL. And which of your hands?
Mr. McDONALD. My left hand, at this point.
Mr. BALL. And had he withdrawn the pistol.
Mr. McDONALD. He was drawing it as I put my hand.
Mr. BALL. From his waist?
Mr. McDONALD. Yes, sir.
Mr. BALL. What happened then?
Mr. McDONALD. Well, whenever I hit him, we both fell into the seats. While we were struggling around there, with this hand on the gun --
Mr. BALL. Your left hand?
Mr. McDONALD. Yes, sir. Somehow I managed to get this hand in the action also.
Mr. BALL. Your right hand?
Mr. McDONALD. Yes, sir. Now, as we fell into the seats, I called out, "I have got him," and Officer T. A. Hutson, he came to the row behind us and grabbed Oswald around the neck. And then Officer C. T. Walker came into the row that we were in and grabbed his left arm. And Officer Ray Hawkins came to the row in front of us and grabbed him from the front.
By the time all three of these officers had got there, I had gotten my right hand on the butt of the pistol and jerked it free.

Got his hand on the butt that was in Oswald's hand?
More proof he was not telling a true statement.



Mr. BALL. And what happened then?
Mr. APPLIN. Well, when he stood up, the officer stepped over to search him down. The officer, Oswald, or the man, took a swing at him. When he did, the officer grabbed him.
Mr. BALL. Took a swing at him with his fist?
Mr. APPLIN. Yes, sir; he did.
Mr. BALL. With his left or right?
Mr. APPLIN. Right fist.
Mr. BALL. Took a swing at him and what happened then?
Mr. APPLIN. Well, the officer, I heard him say, "Here he is." And during the proceeding of that, I guess about 5 or 10 seconds later, there was another -- I think it was two officers, or one, passed me and ran down there to him.
Mr. BALL. Did you see a gun?
Mr. APPLIN. Well, the gun didn't come into view until after about four or five officers were there.
Mr. BALL. Then did you see a gun?
Mr. APPLIN. Yes, sir; but only -- there was one gun. The pistol. It came into view before any of the other officers got there.
Mr. BALL. That is what I mean. What do you say happened about that? Who pulled a gun?
Mr. APPLIN. Well, anyhow, the officer was facing this way [indicating] and Oswald was facing this way [indicating]. And then the gun was pointed out that way [indicating].
Mr. BALL. Wait a minute. I can't follow you when you say it was "this way," sir. You told me that this officer asked Oswald to stand up?
Mr. APPLIN. Yes, sir.
Mr. BALL. Did he stand up?
Mr. APPLIN. Yes, sir; he did.
Mr. BALL. Then did he put his hand some place on Oswald?
Mr. APPLIN. Yes, sir; along about . . .
Mr. BALL. Where?
Mr. APPLIN. I guess about his hips.
Mr. BALL. Then what did Oswald do?
Mr. APPLIN. He took a right-hand swing at him.
Mr. BALL What did the officer do?
Mr. APPLIN. The officer grabbed him then.
Mr. BALL. Had you seen the pistol up to that time?
Mr. APPLIN. No, sir; there was not one in view then.
Mr. BALL. How soon after that did you see the pistol?
Mr. APPLIN. I guess it was about -- I guess it was about 2 or 3 seconds.
Mr. BALL. Who pulled the pistol?
Mr. APPLIN. I guess it was Oswald, because -- for one reason, that he had on a short sleeve shirt, and I seen a man's arm that was connected to the gun.



Applin doesn't wind up on Nick's Christmas Card List.


Back to "Captor Of Oswald" for a sec,

I traced it back to 1966 for certain as his moniker in dated letters, etc.

www.bomsey-autographs.com/pictures/mcdonald1967TLS.JPG


On August 9, 1966 I received a letter from Dallas Police Detective Maurice N. McDonald. An excerpt from his letter reads as follows:

I sincerely hope that you will accept the recognition and publicity graciously and not allow the petty jealousies of others to harm you or your career. I am speaking from experience, referring to the tragedies here in Dallas on November 22, 1963.

Maurice N. McDonald
Captor of Oswald

He was so right!!
Ramiro Martinez, Retired Texas Ranger

http://towershooting.com/for-whom-the-tower-chimes/




Typed letter Signed by Officer Maurice N. McDonald.  The letter is typed by McDonald on 8 3/8" x 11" ecru paper addressed to Mr. Hugh Stack , St Petersburg, Florida, dated April 14, 1966.
Officer McDonald states in part........In May of 1964, I was honored with the appointment to the Police HALL OF FAME for capturing President Kennedy's Assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald........

A letter of PERTINENT & HISTORICAL CONTENT being sold with an original photo of Officer McDonald signed by McDonald " To Hugh Stack Best wishes M. N. McDonald (Captor of Oswald)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/JFK-ASSASINATION-MENTIONED-BY-OFFICER-M-N-McDONALD-HIS-ORIGINAL-SIGNED-PHOTO-/222516938686


Then in June of 1967 (captor of oswald) when he is a Detective!
http://www.bomsey-autographs.com/pictures/mcdonald1967TLS.JPG


I know he retired a Sergeant, but when did he make Detective? 66-67?

What else is there about Neal "Nick" McDonald we need to nail down?

The records show that Dallas police handled the cases by the book, said Senior Cpl. Rick Janich, the Dallas Police Department’s museum curator.
“They were investigating the crime of the century at that point,” he said. “There was a tremendous amount of pressure on the Police Department and the city. They had to make sure they had their bases covered.”



Oswald’s arrest
Janich showed off one document that apparently isn’t in the new collection: Officer Maurice “Nick” McDonald’s handwritten stream-of-consciousness account of Oswald’s capture.
McDonald wrote that Oswald was “staring straight ahead, watching the movie, unconcerned” when officers entered the theater. McDonald writes about how he searched other men first as a diversion before he got up to Oswald’s seat because “one small mistake could cost another life.”
He also describes how he wrestled away Oswald’s revolver.
“I clutch his weapon firmly over the cylinder and hammer with all my strength,” McDonald wrote. “I feel the hammer glide under my hand as he pulls the trigger.”

Nick, his Nick name,
really Neal, but Nick who is nicknamed Nick,
likely from all the nicks he got as a kid,
Neal or Nick gets nicked while pulling a butt of a gun out from Lee's waistband with his right hand, and scratches his own left cheek with the pistol. Pistol which is in his own right hand ...
What a boob!  ..and this is an effin fiction. 
https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth340009/m1/2/


The Tip to Officer McDonald in the Theater
    Myers attempts to explain the early account from Officer M. N. McDonald, which he gave to a journalist just two days after the slaying, that he was tipped off to Oswald's location in the Texas Theater by a man who was sitting in one of the theater's front rows.
    In the story, which was published in the DALLAS MORNING NEWS just two days after the shooting, McDonald was quoted as saying, "A man sitting near the front . . . tipped me the man I wanted was sitting on the third row from the rear on the ground floor and not in the balcony." Myers knows this account suggests Oswald might have been set up. So, he opines that McDonald was actually referring to Jimmy Brewer, and that McDonald simply didn't know Brewer's name at the time he spoke with the journalist (pp. 623-624 n 495). This is what McDonald told the WC months later. But Myers should know this explanation doesn't fit what McDonald told the journalist. Brewer was not sitting in any of the seats: He was standing near the rear door looking through the curtains that were draped around the screen. (By the way, Sylvia Meagher said McDonald signed the story that appeared in the newspaper.)
    There are other problems with the argument that McDonald's mystery tipper was Brewer. Apparently Brewer never spoke with McDonald alone, but to a group of police officers which included McDonald. When Brewer gave his description of the man whom he had followed into the theater to Captain Westbrook and the others, the lights had NOT been turned on yet. The lights only came on as McDonald and Officer Walker stepped out from behind the exit curtains. Brewer had not POINTED OUT Oswald to anyone--he merely gave his general location and a general description.
    It was AFTER this point, i.e., AFTER McDonald stepped out from behind the curtain, that McDonald, according to the news story that he signed, said a man sitting in one of the front rows tipped him to the EXACT row where Oswald was sitting. Brewer had only told the police officers that the man he had followed was sitting toward the rear of the theater and that he was wearing a brown shirt. Again, when Brewer spoke with Westbrook, McDonald, and the others, the lights hadn't been turned on yet.
    The above information is based on Myers' own treatment of the events that came just before McDonald started going up the aisle inside the theater (see WITH MALICE, p. 173). Apparently Brewer simply gave Oswald's general location and described the shirt he was wearing, but did not actually "point him out" to the policemen, possibly because it was still dark.
    As mentioned, according to the 11/24/63 news story, it was AFTER this point, after McDonald began heading up the aisle, that McDonald encountered the tipper who was sitting in one of the front rows. This man, said McDonald, told him the exact row on which Oswald was seated.




ROCHESTER DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE Sunday, Nov. 24, 1953 11A Dallas Cop Tells Of Capture t' , Dallas Toilet Tatrolman M. N. McDonald went into an Oak Clijf theater and wrestled vith Lee Harvey Oswald, the man charged with assassinating Piesident Kennedy. This is how ht remembers it. By M. N. McDONALD, Dallas Patrolman (Written for the Associated Press DALLAS, Tex. W) Yesterday (Friday) I grab this guy they say shot the President. Today (Saturday), I get two kids stealing hub caps. That makes me an ordinary cop, I guess. You want it from the start. OK. Why we believe you're better off SAVING at LINCOLN ROCHESTER Right after the police You earn interest on every dollar every day it's in the bank. Deposit by the 10th of any month, and you earn interest from the 1st. And, every dollar earns interest right up until the day you withdraw it. You can have money transferred automatically from your checking account-the sure way to build your savings balance. You can borrow against your balance at extremely low bank rates without upsetting your savings program. There is no limit on the size of your account. And, you have the convenience of saving by mail, of drive-in banking, of 29 offices in and around Rochester. In addition, you are building a bank relationship which can help you in your future. came. I wanted to be ready for it. I walked up the aisle and turned in Oswald's row. We were no more than a foot from each other when he suddenly stood up and raised both hands. "It's all over now," he told me. Then he hit me a pretty good one in the face with his fist. I saw him going for his gun and I grabbed him around the waist. We struggled and fell around the seats for a few seconds and I got my hand on the butt of his pistol. But he had his hand on the trigger. I was pulling the gun toward me and I heard the hammer click.The primer (which detonates the bullet) was dented, and it didn't fire. This might have saved me. I got the pistol out of his hand and another officer Bob Carroll reached me and took the pistol from me. I held Oswald. As we took him out of the show he calmed down. I'm sure glad that shell didn't fire. radio began carrying news of President Kennedy's being shot, the alerts in different parts of the city began jamming the radio. I was cruising toward Oak Cliff, across the river (Trinity that splits Dallas almost in half). I got my call about 1:30 p.m. The radio dispatcher, G. D. Henslee first told me to check the alleys. The next tip was that a guy that fitted the description they were giving was in a branch library out in Oak Cliff. This didn't take long to be a phony. The next one said a man acting funny was holed up in the balcony of the Texas theater. I headed that way in a hurry. The cashier at the picture show was the one who called in to say this guy was acting suspicious and hidden out in the balcony. I went in from the rear and came out through the curtains on the side of the screen. I noticed about 10 to 15 people sitting near the front, and one, I still don't know who it was, tipped me the man I wanted was sitting on the third row from the rear on the ground floor and not in the balcony. I went up the aisle, and talked to two people sitting about in the middle. I was crouching low and holding my gun in case any trouble
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/137348878/

So what did Nick do with this pistol he had out "in case any trouble"
he obviously searches two others with his gun out.

So where did Nick's gun vanish to during a scuffle... to Bob Carroll? I bet that was the gun handed about. Nicks got nicked during the scuffle by Bob or Bentley you take your pick.