Send Lawyers Guns & Money Pt2

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Professor Charles ("Chuck") Webster
Very little can be gleaned from the Warren Commission volumes about Charles Webster except that he had been at police head-quarters most of the day following the assassination; that he was a law professor at the Southern Methodist University (SMU); that he gave assurances to the DCLU delegation about Oswald's civil rights; that he had taken this delegation to Captain King for further assurances; that he may himself have been involved with the DCLU; and that he very likely attended a meeting with various officials regarding the upcoming arraignment. However, there is one document of no little interest in the HSCA subject files. It is a FBI memo regarding the American GI Forum and is dated June 20, 1960. This indicates that Bill Lowery had attended a meeting of a committee which had formed to support Webtser's run for Congress. The committee members were mainly CPUSA members or past members.[6] Lowery had been a founding member of the Dallas branch of the American GI Forum along with TSBD employee, Joe Molina. He had also been an FBI informant/infiltration agent since 1945. Another of those founding members was Felix Bartello (also an informant). Bartello was later to become a member of a Minutemen splinter group which had formed in support of Edwin Walker's efforts at Oxford. One of the other members, Ashland Burchwell, had been caught en-route to Mississippi with a car load of weapons.

In 1963, Lowery testified against a suspected communist named John Stafford before the Subversive Activities Control Board (SACB) in Washington. Stafford is also mentioned in the above document. The case drew headlines when RFK asked Texas state authorities to refrain from taking action on Stafford until the Feds were through with him. Further controversy arose when Lowery's status as informant was blown when, at the hearings, he admitted he had infiltrated the GI Forum and other reputable groups for the FBI. The FBI predictably denied he was acting for anyone other than the CPUSA - a lie exposed through the release of files.

As a sidebar, it may well be the Stafford case that gave Edwin Walker the idea to allege RFK had intervened in having Oswald released from police custody after being arrested for the Apr 10 so-called assassination attempt. Prof. Webster seems to have had a very cozy relationship with the Dallas DPD for someone of so pink a hue.

Grier & Louise Raggio timeline
1938: Louise Ballerstedt joins the American Friends Service Committee and spends that summer working in Galena, Illinois for the Society of Friends

1939: Louise graduates from the University of Texas and is awarded a Rockefeller Foundation grant for a one-year internship at the White House. Here, she meets the likes of Eleanor Roosevelt, befriends LBJ and dates John Connally. While in Washington, she also works for the National Youth Administration (NYA)

1940: Louise returns to Austin still with the NYA, working under Jake Pickle.[7] April 19, 1941: Grier Raggio and Louise Ballerstedt marry after a short courtship. Grier, a lawyer, is working for the Department of Agriculture investigating misuse of food stamps for purchase of alcohol and other illegal substances

December 7, 1941: Pearl Harbor is attacked by the Japanese resulting in the US entering WWII and Grier is drafted

March, 1942: Grier is sent to Pacific Theater after initially being sent to New Orleans to attend Officer's Training School for Intelligence where he is rejected on security grounds. He serves with the 386th Air Service Group. During the course of the war he would send letters home highly critical of the US army

August 6, 1942: First son Grier, Jr is born

September, 1945: Grier returns from the war and works for the Veteran's Administration Board

1946: Second son Tom is born

1947: At the insistence of Grier, Louise enrols in Southern Methodist University law School

1947: Third son Kenneth is born. Louise drops out of law school

1948: Grier is relieved of duties while answering 8 charges of "Un-American activities" including; being a member of the Communist Party; a member of the American Spanish Aid Committee; a member of the American Civil Rights Union; that he had advocated and praised the Russian system of government to co-workers and; that on another occasion had advocated the overthrow of the government by force. He and Louise travel to Washington where Grier appears before the Veterans Administrations Loyalty Board. He denies all charges except one - telling a fellow worker that “there is no difference between Stalin forcing Communism on the countries of Europe and the US forcing democracy on them”. This statement he asserts, had been taken out of context. He is cleared by the board and returns to work. Throughout this period and perhaps beyond, the Raggio's claim their phone is tapped and that they are under constant surveillance

1949: Louise and Grier join the Unitarian Church

1950: Louise returns to law school

1952: Louise graduates and does volunteer work for the League of Women Voters and the Women’s Alliance of the Unitarian Church while practicing law part-time from home. Meanwhile, Grier is again the focus of government interest in his activities

1953: Louise obtains a job as an assistant DA under Henry Wade through the help of friend and mentor, Judge Sarah T Hughes. Judge Hughes would, after the assassination of JFK, administer the oath of office to LBJ

March 1, 1954: Grier is guest speaker at a meeting of the Peace and World Relations Group of the Temple Emanu-El Sisterhood. His subject is, "Are We in Danger of Losing Our Civil Rights and Liberties?"

1955: Grier Raggio opens a law office in the Rio Grande Building in Dallas [8]

April, 1956: Louise quits DA's office to join her husband's law practice. Firm is now known as Raggio & Raggio and specializes in divorce cases

1957: Louise's former employer, Jake Pickle, becomes director of the Texas State Democratic Executive Committee. Holds that position until 1960

1960: Louise serves on the newly organized Family Law Section of the State Bar

1961: Jake Pickle becomes a member of the Texas Employment Commission

1961: Sarah Hughes becomes a Federal District Judge

January 27, 1963: Grier debates Wyatt W Lipscomb, city attorney in Garland for the Soroptimist Club of Dallas at the Baker Hotel. Subject of debate is "Does Membership in the United Nations Serve the Best interests of the United States?" Louise is a club member

November 13, 1963: Ruth Paine files a petition for divorce stating she separated from Michael on September 1, 1962, and that for 6 months prior to
separation, she had suffered a course of "unkind, cruel harsh and tyrannical treatment and conduct" at the hands of her husband. Ruth's attorney in this filing was Louise Raggio.[9] Recall that the Paine's and Raggio's attend the same church

November 22, 1963 Morning: Grier and Louise are at the Trade Mart for the luncheon [10]

November 22, 1963 Evening: Grier gets a call either from an ACLU member in Austin (according Greg Olds) or from Washington (according to Louise) concerning either finding out if Oswald was being denied counsel (according to Olds) or asking that he witness Oswald's arraignment (according to Louise). Grier phones Olds about this. In turn, Olds phones police, then calls Grier back. Grier suggests they go down and check out the situation

November 22, 1963, 11:15 PM: Olds, Raggio and 2 other DCLU members meet across from City Hall at Plaza Hotel, then try to talk to Earl Cabell without success before speaking with Prof. Charles Webster outside the office of Captain Fritz

November 22, 1963, 11:40 PM: Webster takes delegation to Captain King

November 22, 1963, 11:50 PM: According to Wade, Grier Raggio and Charles Webster are both at a meeting just prior to the midnight press conference regarding the arraignment in the JFK case. David Johnston however, only named himself, Curry, Fritz, Wade and 2 or 3 assistant DAs as being present

Midnight: According to Olds, the others in the delegation go home at the time he goes down to watch the press conference [11]

1970: Grier and Louise's eldest son, Grier, Jr starts up a journal called "The New Democrat" which he edits with Stephen Schlesinger, son of JFK aide and historian, Arthur

October 26, 1970: Conservative journalist, John Chamberlain writes widely published article, "Where else Can Democrats Go?" predicts that Raggio (whom Chamberlain describes as a Mayor John Lindsay functionary) and Schlesinger are "sewing the dragon's teeth" through their support of McGovern which he states will lead to problems at the '72 convention unless the Left gets its way

1972: Gary Allen, a John Birch Society propagandist and author of "None Dare Call it Conspiracy" publishes "Richard Nixon: The Man Behind the Mask" which quotes from the Chamberlain article, suggesting that Nixon and some of the Left in the Democratic Party are "part of the same conspiracy".

According to Allen, the Left, with Raggio and chlesinger playing prominent roles, will split the party, ensuring an easy win for Nixon

guns & money
There are two other people named Raggio who turn up in the records. Any connection to Grier Raggio is unknown, and they are mentioned here only for the benefit of anyone who might have an interest in genealogy. The first is David L Raggio originally of Natchitoches, Louisiana. He was a WWII veteran who served with the 879th Airborne Engineers.

Raggio, in 1963 and by now a geologist, entered into a partnership with Richard Davis and Gus de la Barre. The business which resulted was known as the Guatemalan Lumber & Mineral Corp. In actuality however, it was a front for training Cuban exiles at camps in the area around Lake Pontchartrain.

The second is William Raggio. As Washoe County District Attorney and friend of Frank Sinatra, he was heavily involved in the investigation into the December 8, 1963 kidnapping of Sinatra's son, Frank Jr. In March, 1968, New Orleans played host to the National Convention of District Attorneys. An awards banquet was planned as part of the convention with Hubert Humphrey originally slated as guest speaker. When Humphrey withdrew after hearing how Garrison was criticizing LBJ over various aspects of the Shaw case, as well as the original investigation of the assassination, Garrison placed himself into the guest speaker role.

The organizing committee, fretting over what Garrison might say, requested a meeting with him. The meeting culminated in barbed exchanges between Garrison and Raggio - who had attempted to warn Garrison to leave out any mention of the assassination in his speech. Garrison reacted by cancelling the banquet and shipping all the catered food to an orphanage.

In 1970, Richard Nixon hatched plans to recapture a hostile senate for the Republicans at the Nov 3rd elections. To this end, he hand-picked 9 candidates. Among them was William Raggio. Raggio failed in his bid.

In 1972, he did win a seat in the Nevada state senate, and has held it ever since.


ENDNOTES
[1] Commission Exhibit 987 is a letter from Greg Olds to J Lee Rankin. It is on DCLU letterhead which lists all board members and other office holders within the organization.

[2] Also according to Louise Raggio, her husband had called Olds at the insistence of someone from the Washington Office - not Austin.

[3] Commission Document 87, p 549

[4] Treasure-Hunting in the National Archives, The Third Decade, vol 2, # 2 by Sylvia Meagher, January 1986. The document cited by Meagher in the article is found in Commission Document 5, p 400

[5] The 1:35 Arraignment and the Rewriting of History, The Third Decade, vol 3, # 4 by Timothy Cwiek, May, 1987

[6] NARA Record Number: 124-90010-10040

[7] Pickle bio: 1938; United States Navy, served three and a half years; area director, National Youth Administration, 1938-1941; radio business; public relations executive; director of Texas state Democratic Executive Committee, 1957-1960; member of Texas Employment Commission, 1961-1963). He had also been a political aide to LBJ and in Nov 1963 was the Democratic Nominee in the 10th District run-off with Republican Jim Dobbs. He was hated by the liberal faction of his own party who had got Kennedy over the line in Texas in 1960. In fact, one of those Kennedy supporters, Jack Ritter appeared on TV, Nov 21 urging those who had previously supported him to now support Dobbs, indicating that Pickle was not an acceptable candidate for the Democrats, and had been "less than forthright" during debates. Kennedy was due in Austin after the Dallas visit.

[8] The 112th MIG also had an office in the Rio Grande Building, as did the Immigration & Naturalization Service. The latter was listed in Oswald's address book

[9] Warren Commission Document 849, p33. As no further action was taken within 6 months of filing, the case was automatically dismissed

[10] November 22 - The Day Remembered by Morning News Staff, Dallas, p136

[11] Unless otherwise stated, background information on Louise and Grier Raggio has been sourced from the roster of the 386th Air Service Group; Louise Raggio's autobiography, Texas Tornado; Louise Raggio profile from the Texas State Bar; article published by the Texas Women Lawyers Association, "Louise B Raggio: Handing the Torch to Today's Generation" and; The Dallas Morning News archives

Abt in center, testifies at LeopoldandLoeb trial.

Here is a proper scan of the article pointed out on page 3 .of this thread of the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin,thanks to Mr Terry Martin

greg parker wrote:

Ed. Ledoux wrote:Never rule out the paint sniffs.

Sorry if Greg or anyone had posted about the founder of the ACLU and founding member of the DCLU
Brannin.

There may be something you might not have connected...

https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fbrbn


During a three-month trip to Mexico in 1922 Brannin began what became a long-time association with the Federated Press, a labor news service. In the San Francisco area he worked for a while as assistant editor of Labor Unity. In 1925 the Brannins toured Europe and the Soviet Union, making contact with radicals wherever they went. Afterwards the couple returned once more to Seattle, where Brannin became director of Seattle Labor College. In 1933 they moved with their adopted son, Robert, to Dallas. There they continued for the next several decades to involve themselves on a grass-roots level with causes and politics. They joined the Socialist party, and in 1936 Brannin was the party's unsuccessful nominee for governor. He became state secretary of the party and was involved especially in efforts to organize labor. In 1938 he resigned this post; thereafter the Brannins aligned themselves with the liberal side of the Democratic party in Texas.

The Brannins joined the First Unitarian Church in Dallas in 1947. During the 1950s and 1960s their attention turned more and more to the civil rights movement. Brannin became a member of the executive committee of the local National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. The couple participated in efforts in Dallas to desegregate various facilities, often joining picket lines when they were in their seventies.

According to an old Ed Forum thread, Brannin at best was a co-founder of DCLU. He was the secretary.  Seems nearly everyone associated with it was in the Unitarian Church.

i should read more carefully!

Founder of ACLU and FOUNDING MEMBER Of DCLU.

You had it. Thanks Ed.

No worries Greg, its a cluster of titles, even "Organizer of DCLU" is acceptable. 
Basically with Schatzki they unionize the land.

Here they are as board members at LCLU in Lubbock 1971 first meeting with our favorite Texan, Sam Houston Clinton

From '61 to 62 the aclu added four new chapters.
3 in Texas and 1 in Washington DC

Also Id like to point out the Aclu and Gerald Pate case;
ask yourself if it applies,

ACLU warns of illegal police practices, and of illegally obtained material, search warrant must Specify Materials.

Greg I do not know how well the Lichten stuff was covered, but it seems he would be a key player.

Biographical Note

Robert Lyon Lichten served as vice president of the Texas Civil Liberties Union and president of the Dallas Civil Liberties Union. Born in Texas in 1921, Lichten worked on the development of the tilt-rotor aircraft as an engineer for Bell Helicopter until his death in 1971.

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/utarl/02451/arl-02451.html

Cheers, Ed

Ruth Paine claimed her husband only worked for Bell Helicopter for six
or seven years: "He got the job because of his stepfather. Michael is
not somebody who likes the military-industrial complex." Michael Paine
was questioned about his association with Bell Helicopter: "The
company was not like that. Personally, I went out there quite
independent of that. My stepfather invented the Bell Helicopter. Larry
Bell from Bell Aircraft in Buffalo saw it and bought the idea. They
got a license around the same time Sikorsky did in 1941. Then I came
along - my mother married Arthur in 1946. Arthur engaged me to make
models and another friend of his, a Vice President of Bell Helicopter
and I were invited to go to Dallas. I stayed for ten years. Union
regulations made it very difficult for an engineer to handle a tool. I
worked on the 'convertaplane' that eventually became the Osprey. Bell
Helicopter was largely a commercial company and it wasn't until the
Vietnam war - maybe they used helicopters in Korea - but it was during
the Vietnam War that Bell Helicopter made 40% of the aircraft that
were used. So it was a vital part of the Vietnam War. I was president
of the Committee for Peaceful Solutions in Vietnam. Bell allowed me to
show a movie by a CBS correspondent which looked favorably on Ho Chi
Minh. Another high officer there named Bob Licten, the promotor of the
XB-3, was President of the Dallas American Civil Liberties Union. He
died in an automobile accident. Bell was more liberal than many other
companies that made the major part of it's income from military
sales."

Robert Lichten an ex-Platt-LePage engineer went to Bell Helicopter and developed the Tilt-Rotor idea into the
XV-3 , an examination of the original patent by Haviland Platt shows a remarkable similarity between the two ideas, and Bell Aircraft eventually paid Haviland Platt for the use of his patent.
http://www.helis.com/pioneers/f_plp.php

Transcendental Aircraft Corporation

Formed in October 1946, by ex Kellett Aircraft employees Mario A. Guerrieri and Robert L. Lichten, to investigate tilt rotor aircraft.

CHAMBERS further was quoted
as stating he did not know of a single Marxist in
the literal sense in the SMU chapter although the
article noted that the previous day's article bad
quoted CHAMBERS as stating there were Marxists in the
Dallas SDS group. He characterized the SMU group of
SDS as "just a small group of concerned students”
numbering about 15.
https://archive.org/stream/StudentNonviolentCoordinatingCommittee/sncc6b_djvu.txt


Robert L. Lichten, 50, of Dallas was killed Saturday when his car overturned on interstate 35 about 16 miles south of Waco. Lichten was an engineer at Bell Helicopter in Hurst.

https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/81098594/

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Texas Jewish Post (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 24, No. 13, Ed. 1 Thursday, March 26, 1970 Page: 2 of 16.

 
Carl Philip Brannin

http://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=118951

A year after the wedding, Carl accepted the position of organizer and publicist for the Plumb Plan League, an organization who advocated public ownership of railroads. In 1920, the League relocated the Brannins to the progressive city of Seattle, Washington to endorse the organizations campaign. While in Seattle, Brannin struggled to find a steady job because of the skyrocketing unemployment rates caused by the economic depression. Despite his failed jobs, Brannin became acquainted with the radical communities within the city. In their spare time, the couple took part in political activism, such as rallies and strikes across Seattle. After two years of unsuccessful job-hunting, Brannin received good news from Texas - oil had been discovered on a small farm that had been passed down to Carl from his aunt. This discovery provided the couple with a steady income that allowed them to travel within the nation and abroad. 

After extensive traveling, the Brannins returned to Seattle in 1925 and adopted a son, Robert Brannin. Following the couple’s return, Carl turned his attention to the labor and radical movements within the city. He became involved in the Seattle Labor College, a school that educated workers on current issues of economics and the working-class, advocated better working conditions for laborers and created solidarity among workers. (Eigner). Brannin participation at the Labor College included holding lectures and debates. Eventually, he became director of the college’s Open Forum and, ultimately, the director of the college. In January 1930, the Seattle Labor College began publishing The Vanguard, a progressive newspaper that became an educational instrument for, and the voice of, unemployed workers. The Vanguard, which Brannin founded and edited, was used as a platform for the Seattle Labor College, the United Citizens League and the local Socialist Party (Eigner). In 1931, Brannin played a key role in developing a Washington chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, which was founded to defend the constitutional rights of citizens. 

In addition to his work for the Seattle Labor College and ACLU, Brannin also co-founded the Unemployed Citizens League of King County with J.F. Cronnin and Hulet M. Wells, friends and fellow activists. The League worked to achieve political representation and relief for unemployed citizens from local governments and promoted self-help among members. In 1933, the UCL, in collaboration with other organizations, organized several marches to Olympia, Washington to demand relief for the starving, unemployment insurance and free utilities. The marches proved successful. After gaining national attention and becoming a powerful political force, the UCL began to segregate into a Socialist and Communist faction. In response to this political rivalry within the organization, Brannin gave his resignation as executive secretary of the United Citizens League of Seattle in 1932. 

Carl and Laura Brannin’s life in Seattle came to an end in March of 1933; the family decided to return to Dallas, Texas.

Dear Members and :Friend.s·: The Board of the Lubbock Civil Liberties Union is meeting. at 8:00 p.m. at the Unitarian Chuch on Tuesday, October 27. If you're free we'd like .you to join us. Wayne Oakes., the executive Secretary of the Texas Civil Liberties Union, will be with us. Wayne is ~ coming prepared to make a formal presentation, but he is coming to share with us some of the concerns of the ACLU at the national and state levels. Some of the concerns will include: the serious financial crisis of the A.C.L.U., - coordinating legal services around the state, - the threat of "no-knock" legislation, - A.C.L.U. action preventing H.I.S.C .. from reporting on speakers at universities, - etc. You may have other questions and issues to raise. Come-and do so. Wayne will be interested in getting a feeling for issues that exist here. Your insights will be helpful to him. If you're free, please plan to join us.
Sincerely, Don Coleman Lubbock Civil Liberties Union.

Dallas, Oct 25th 1963 ACLU showed a film called "SUSPECT"


...if the purpose of the film being shown to marksmen Oswald was to acquaint... 

DALLAS LAWYER NOTES ACTIVITY Oswald Attended Liberties Meet Month Before Slaying 
I DALLAS
Oswald, President Kennedy'saccused assassin attended as I meeting of the American Civil Liberties Union less than a month before the President was shot a Dallas lawyer said Wednesday. i Rubin Ginsberg, Dallas attorney Ginsberg said he did not know ney and director here of the Oswald at the time of the meet- \CLl\ said Oswald was among them but recognized him after his about <>t) persons attending the picture appeared in connection Oct. 25 meeting on the of Southern Methodist University. Ginsberg said Oswald brought to the meeting Michael Paine a Bell Engineer and husband of Mrs. Ruth Paine, the young woman with whom Oswald's wife and children stayed for two months
wife had once been a member and another man sat apart from the rest of the people at the campus Did Not Mingle Paine
opposition disclosed that his post office box application as the “Fair Play for Cuba Committee" and American Civil Liberties Union organization".. , , ... Ginsberg said a film. Suspect,” was shwon at the meeting, he said concerned a three- term member of the Washington State legislature who was de- The attorney said he was ifpated in 1962 after right-wing ¡moderator of the meeting Oswald attended. He said Oswald| Of the Communist Party. ,  U1)h the Kennedy assassination. 1 nivor' Film Shown 
Oswald had applied for ACLU membership, but officials of the group said it had not been granted Ginsberg said he of understood, is a member IACI A\  the ¡gathering. The meeting was the night for Debate FROM PAGE ONE 
Oswald, as far as he remembers, Ginsberg added, asked no questions in a question-and-answer period after the showing of the film.



LAWYER CLAIMS Oswald Visited ACLU Meeting
DALLAS (AP)-Lee Harvey Oswald DraciAant , Ifannosllr'e President Kennedy's moderator of the meeting Os assassin ; attended a Oswald attended. He said Oswald shot, a Dallas Wednesday. lawyer said Rubin Ginsberg, Dallas attorney and director here of the ACLU, said Oswald was among; Oswald, meeting 'of the American Civil and another man sat apart from Liberties Union; less than a the rest of the people at the month before : the President was

 The meeting was the night following United Nations Ambassador'Adlai Stevenson's tumultous appearance at Dallas' Memoria Auditorium. Stevenson -, was Day speech. Ginsberg said he did not know Oswald at the time of the meet- picture appeared in connection with the Kennedy assassination. Oswald had applied for ACLU membership, but officials of the group said it had not been grant- id. A post office box application by Oswald listed his "firm or organization" as the "Fair Play for Cuba Committee" and American Civil Liberties Union. Ginsberg said a film, "Suspect," was shown at the meeting. He said it dealt with a four term member of the Washington State Legislature who was defeated in 1962 after right-wing opposition disclosed that his wife had once been a member of the Communist Parly. Oswald, as far as he remembers, Ginsberg added asked no
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/45885995/


A copy of this paper would give us a better idea if Oswald sat apart from the others, and it seems someones wife was a member of the communist party, Marina?
Seems Oswald said nothing according to Ginsberg.
As opposed to Helligas and Michael claiming he spoke???

Cheers, Ed

Harvey Louis Nichols and The Little Stork Club;

Supreme Court of Texas.
October 4, 1950.
Rehearing Denied November 8, 1950.
Carrington, Gowan, Johnson & Walker, and Hubert D. Johnson, all of Dallas, for petitioners.
H. Louis Nichols, Dallas, for respondents.
SHARP, Justice.
Joe O. Blackwell and David H. Baker, operators of the Little Stork Club, a night club in the City of Dallas, brought suit against L-M-S Incorporated and Henger Construction Company for damages to their business in the nature of lost profits. They alleged that their loss had resulted from *287 the conduct of petitioners in obstructing the sidewalk and a portion of the street adjacent to the premises where they were carrying on their business. The case was submitted to the jury on special issues, and based upon the answers of the jury to the special issues the trial court rendered judgment for respondents in the sum of $4200.00. The Court of Civil Appeals affirmed the judgment of the trial court. 227 S.W.2d 593.
From November, 1947, until August 19, 1948, respondents operated a night club, known as the Little Stork Club, at 1715 Commerce Street in the City of Dallas. L-M-S Incorporated did not own the premises known as 1709-1715 Commerce Street, in the City of Dallas, but was lessee from W. M. Alexander and others of the premises known as 1709-1713 Commerce Street under a 99-year lease, dated August 1, 1947, and was lessee from Harry K. Foster of the premises known as 1715 Commerce Street under a 99-year lease dated August 1, 1947. The rights of respondents were derived from a 5-year lease from Harry K. Foster in July of 1946 on the ground floor of the premises known as 1715 Commerce Street, and they had no lease from L-M-S Incorporated.
In the fall of 1947 petitioners secured from the City of Dallas a permit to erect a 15-story office building, to be known as the Mercantile Securities Building, on the premises situated from 1709 to 1713 Commerce Street. 



1967 The National Commission on Urban Problems was appointed by
President Lyndon B. Johnson on January 12, 1967. He charged the
Commission with seeking ways to increase the supply of decent hous-
ing for low-income families.


STATEMENT BY H. LOUIS NICHOLS

Mr. Nichols: Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen: I am happy to
be here and have the opportunity to visit with you. I am not sure I
fit into the ideas that have already been pronounced here. I am neither
a planner nor an architect nor social worker, and am not particularly
interested in those problems, to be frank with you.

I am a lawyer. I serve as City Attorney and my job as lawyer is to
help a city do what it desires to do in a legal manner, if possible. And
if not possible to do it in a legal manner, to try to change the law
so as to make what they want to do legal.

I know this is a commission on urban problems. I am not even sure
I know what your problems are, gentlemen. What may be your prob-
lems, or the problem of one man, are not necessarily a problem to
another. As a result, I don’t start off with answers to your problems
until I find out what your problems are.

For instance, this morning, apparently, the gentleman who spoke
has a great problem insofar as billboard signs are concerned. Maybe
Senator Douglas objects to neon signs. I don’t care a bit about those.
I don’t care how many signs you have. My job, at least part of my



^ Former city attorney for the City of Dallas; member of firm specializing in
municipal law, serving as city attorney for 14 cities and towns in Dallas County.
Former president of Junior and Senior Bar Associations of Dallas County.
job, is and has been to advise cities. I am in private practice, too, and
I have tried to leave myself open where I can be employed on either
side of the controversy without having prejudged it too early.

But my basic job as City Attorney is to help a city do what it wants
to do. If the planners decide, and the City Council decides, something
should be done, or they decide what sort of city they want, then I try
to help them write an ordinance that will carry out their objectives
and help to fight for it if we get into court. And we have done both
for probably 1 5 years.


Was Harvey Louis Nichols a city attorney and or working for any function for Dallas or Dallas County in '63 ... or was he rewarded after?

Ed. Ledoux wrote:DALLAS LAWYER NOTES ACTIVITY Oswald Attended Liberties Meet Month Before Slaying 
I DALLAS
Oswald, President Kennedy'saccused assassin attended as I meeting of the American Civil Liberties Union less than a month before the President was shot a Dallas lawyer said Wednesday. i Rubin Ginsberg, Dallas attorney Ginsberg said he did not know ney and director here of the Oswald at the time of the meet- \CLl\ said Oswald was among them but recognized him after his about <>t) persons attending the picture appeared in connection Oct. 25 meeting on the of Southern Methodist University. Ginsberg said Oswald brought to the meeting Michael Paine a Bell Engineer and husband of Mrs. Ruth Paine, the young woman with whom Oswald's wife and children stayed for two months
wife had once been a member and another man sat apart from the rest of the people at the campus Did Not Mingle Paine
opposition disclosed that his post office box application as the “Fair Play for Cuba Committee" and American Civil Liberties Union organization".. , , ... Ginsberg said a film. Suspect,” was shwon at the meeting, he said concerned a three- term member of the Washington State legislature who was de- The attorney said he was ifpated in 1962 after right-wing ¡moderator of the meeting Oswald attended. He said Oswald| Of the Communist Party. ,  U1)h the Kennedy assassination. 1 nivor' Film Shown 
Oswald had applied for ACLU membership, but officials of the group said it had not been granted Ginsberg said he of understood, is a member IACI A\  the ¡gathering. The meeting was the night for Debate FROM PAGE ONE 
Oswald, as far as he remembers, Ginsberg added, asked no questions in a question-and-answer period after the showing of the film.



LAWYER CLAIMS Oswald Visited ACLU Meeting
DALLAS (AP)-Lee Harvey Oswald DraciAant , Ifannosllr'e President Kennedy's moderator of the meeting Os assassin ; attended a Oswald attended. He said Oswald shot, a Dallas Wednesday. lawyer said Rubin Ginsberg, Dallas attorney and director here of the ACLU, said Oswald was among; Oswald, meeting 'of the American Civil and another man sat apart from Liberties Union; less than a the rest of the people at the month before : the President was

 The meeting was the night following United Nations Ambassador'Adlai Stevenson's tumultous appearance at Dallas' Memoria Auditorium. Stevenson -, was Day speech. Ginsberg said he did not know Oswald at the time of the meet- picture appeared in connection with the Kennedy assassination. Oswald had applied for ACLU membership, but officials of the group said it had not been grant- id. A post office box application by Oswald listed his "firm or organization" as the "Fair Play for Cuba Committee" and American Civil Liberties Union. Ginsberg said a film, "Suspect," was shown at the meeting. He said it dealt with a four term member of the Washington State Legislature who was defeated in 1962 after right-wing opposition disclosed that his wife had once been a member of the Communist Parly. Oswald, as far as he remembers, Ginsberg added asked no
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/45885995/


A copy of this paper would give us a better idea if Oswald sat apart from the others, and it seems someones wife was a member of the communist party, Marina?
Seems Oswald said nothing according to Ginsberg.
As opposed to Helligas and Michael claiming he spoke???

Cheers, Ed

Ed, I think the wife who was a  communist was the wife of the person who was the subject of the movie shown.

The only people who say Oswald stood up and spoke were Michael and his friend Krystinik. Helligas said Oswald only spoke to him privately while coffee was being served and all he talked about was the workings of the projector. 
https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=10672&relPageId=706&search="barry_cohen"

Olds didn't remember Oswald being there at all, and another member, Barry Cohen,who wasn't present, but did investigate Oswald bring there, said Lee had attended with MRS Paine. 
https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=10673&search=helligas#relPageId=212&tab=page

https://www.oyez.org/cases/1984/83-1170

Hear a country lawyer take on the Supreme Court

Go to 27:35

H. (Harvey) Louis Nichols

Biography

Assistant City Attorney, Dallas, Texas, 1940; 1946-1947. First Assistant City Attorney, Dallas, 1949-1952. Research Fellow, Southwestern Legal Foundation.

Southwestern Legal Foundation. Member: Dallas Junior (President, 1947), Dallas (Vice President, 1948; President, 1963) and American Bar Associations; State Bar of Texas; Dallas Junior Bar Association (President, 1947). Fellow: Texas Bar Foundation; American Bar Foundation. Research Fellow, Southwestern Legal Foundation.

Nichols asked a specific question of a criminal lawyer about State Law and appointments of lawyers by the court after Indictments by Grand Jury. 
It was a loaded question. 
He then gets the DA to agree to this very specific question...but look what he included at the end! 

"OR MADE AVAILABLE TO HIM."

Hoover visits newly-elected President Nixon, briefed him on Johnson's wiretapping of political targets, including Nixon. Nixon, in his "Memoirs," points out that Hoover and Johnson both shared a fascination with gossip and information. It was under Johnson that Hoover allowed the Bureau to reach it's peak of political involvement. Nixon starts "Operation Integrity," his plan to keep an eye on Illinois voting practices since he attributed his 1960 presidential defeat to vote tampering on the part of Mayor Richard Daley. H. Louis Nichols put in charge; he had worked for Schenley Distilleries, whose president had been linked to Meyer Lansky. Nixon also disliked Robert Kennedy who had forced Nixon aide Murray Chotiner to testify before the McClellan committee investigating organized crime.

H. Louis Nichols and the Little Stork

The Little Stork was a nightclub, not unlike one of Ruby's, it was dance club with bands, served beer and wine and some food.

When we talk about the Mob moving in and bribing to get easy treatment by the cops and vice unit, via the New Sheriff In Town type of dealings we might be interested in The Little Stork and its backers and building owners, leases and the like.

L M S Inc., et al. v. BLACKWELL et al. No. A 2655. Supreme Court of Texas. October 4, 1950. Rehearing Denied November 8, 1950. Carrington, Gowan, Johnson & Walker, and Hubert D. Johnson, all of Dallas, for petitioners. H. Louis Nichols, Dallas, for respondents. SHARP, Justice. Joe O. Blackwell and David H. Baker, operators of the Little Stork Club, a night club in the City of Dallas, brought suit against L M S Incorporated and Henger Construction Company for damages to their business in the nature of lost profits. They alleged that their loss had resulted from *287 the conduct of petitioners in obstructing the sidewalk and a portion of the street adjacent to the premises where they were carrying on their business. The case was submitted to the jury on special issues, and based upon the answers of the jury to the special issues the trial court rendered judgment for respondents in the sum of $4200.00. The Court of Civil Appeals affirmed the judgment of the trial court. 227 S.W.2d 593. From November, 1947, until August 19, 1948, respondents operated a night club, known as the Little Stork Club, at 1715 Commerce Street in the City of Dallas. L M S Incorporated did not own the premises known as 1709 1715 Commerce Street, in the City of Dallas, but was lessee from W. M. Alexander and others of the premises known as 1709 1713 Commerce Street under a 99 year lease, dated August 1, 1947, and was lessee from Harry K. Foster of the premises known as 1715 Commerce Street under a 99 year lease dated August 1, 1947. The rights of respondents were derived from a 5 year lease from Harry K. Foster in July of 1946 on the ground floor of the premises known as 1715 Commerce Street, and they had no lease from L M S Incorporated. In the fall of 1947 petitioners secured from the City of Dallas a permit to erect a 15 story office building, to be known as the Mercantile Securities Building, on the premises situated... enclosure. The structures were maintained and used by petitioners continuously until the completion of the building in August of 1949. The fence was erected to protect pedestrians from danger of falling objects and other building hazards during the construction of the 15 story building. The fence was situated wholly in front of petitioners' premises at 1709 1713 Commerce Street, and no part of it was in front of the building occupied by the Little Stork Club at 1715 Commerce Street. There is a 5 foot alley between the Mercantile Securities Building and the building occupied by respondents. The immovable barricade or fence in front of the building... on Commerce Street; interfered with the safety and accessibility with which the public could get to the Little Stork Club; and diverted travel and trade away from respondents' place of business; that respondents have suffered financial loss as a direct and proximate result of the erection of the fence and obstructions; that the erection and maintenance of the barricade and the construction *288 of the Mercantile Securities Building materially interfered with the use of the property occupied by respondents for the purposes it was leased to them, and that such interference proximately caused respondents to suffer damage; that respondents...
http://www.lawcitations.com/case/n/the-little-stork-club


DANCING NIGHTLY LITTLE STORK CLUB —Presenting— GEORGIE MAYER His Clarinet and Orchestra —Featuring— JUNE KNIGHT Lovely Blues Canary of Ihe South Listen to Ihe bos'* own Insplrlnr com positions such as "Naval Air Base Jump.' "Phantom Love. 1 ' "Fence Rail Boo«l and manr olhen. Orchestra starts promptly nightly at eight-thirty. Sit dining on delicious barbecue and chicken. Choice wine and beer Phone (or reierTatlona DOW. Ph. 2-MB9. (PHONE FOR RESERVATIONS 


Does anyone remember the Chalet Supper Club of the 1950s?? and Joe Blackwell. He was at least 6' 3" , about 190 , dark hair , very erect posture , always dressed to the n's and a very good looking man. He was business like at all times , never joked around but was nice to everybody at all times. We all called him Mr. Blackwell. If he's alive he would probably be around 85 or 90.
It must have been 1951 when Joanne was seeing him . She , Mickey and I all worked at the "Swiss Chalet Supper Club that he owned It was the most exclusive supper club in Dallas -had live music and dancing to a 3 piece band with a singer. It had it's own radio program which was a big deal in those days. Men had to wear a coat and tie to get in and pay an entrance fee. If they didn't have a coat , the coat check lady at the door had a rack of coats and ties for them to use .Everyone had to bring his own bottle.

Please help!! I have never met this man, Joe Blackwell who is my father I was born in1952 I would love to here from someone who new of this man and the Chalet...
Is this the Chalet which later became the Electric Circus and is now Dixie-Lakewood?
To WrReid, I understand Joe Blackwell has an adopted daughter.



H. Louis Nichols

...call from another friend of mine, and that I had made some inquiry, and at this time I did not know whether Oswald had a lawyer or was getting a lawyer, but that I was going to make some inquiry to find out about it. After talking to the second friend about it who called, I then called Mr. Henry Wade, the district attorney, to see whether or not he knew whether or not Oswald was represented by a lawyer or not. 
I did not know for sure at that time whether he was, simply because I had no way of knowing whether he was represented or not. I hadn't talked to anybody who was really informed, and I called Mr. Wade. He said he didn't know for sure whether he was or not, as far as he knew he hadn't been contacted by any lawyer who purported to represent Oswald. I asked him whether or not either he or anybody in his office had been advised that Oswald wanted a lawyer, or had made a request for a lawyer, and he said as far as he knew he had not asked for a lawyer. I asked him too, as he was going up there, and I asked him if Oswald requested a lawyer and didn't have a lawyer would he tell him that the Dallas Bar Association would get a lawyer if he needed one. 
By that time I had time to think about what I thought my obligation should be, and realizing that under the circumstances maybe some people might overlook the fact that Oswald had rights that needed to be protected at the same time, and if he didn't have a lawyer, regardless of what the legal obligation was to appoint him a lawyer, we, the bar association, ought to look into the matter. 
Mr. Wade said he was going to go up there later on in the evening and he would talk to his assistants who were in closer contact than he was, and if Oswald wanted a lawyer--asked for a lawyer or wanted a lawyer appointed--he would tell him of my conversation. I then called Glen King, and a captain on the police force that I knew. I used to work for the city attorney's office, and still represent, the city credit union and have a brother on the police force, so, I have known many of these people for many years. I called Captain King and asked him whether or not Oswald was represented by an attorney, if he knew if there was an attorney up there, or anybody who had been up there representing him, and Captain King said that as far as he knew there had been no one representing him, and as far as he knew, Oswald had not asked for a lawyer. He had not asked for the right to call a lawyer, and or had not asked that a lawyer be furnished to him---and Captain King said, "If he does, I am certainly going to call you and let you know, because we want to be sure if he wants a lawyer he gets one. We don't want it to be a situation of anybody saying that we deprived him of the right to have a lawyer." 


So Nichols is at that time representing the city, for the city credit union.

Cheers, Ed