Texas Theatre Theatrics

First topic message reminder :

Ed Ledoux wrote:




When police were called to the Texas Theater the description was of a man sneaking into the theater with a shotgun.
This was broadcast by the Dallas Police Department dispatcher. 
Why else would police descend upon the TT in such force? Dozens of armed cops for a kid sneaking into the balcony? 
So,,,Whom gave Julia Postal this description? Since she claims not to have actually seen the individual whom Brewer asked her about.
Brewer claims he is responsible for that description since he followed the person from down the street. Wouldn't Julia tell police this?
Surely she did not tell them she saw the person, so she had to rely on Brewer for this. Yet where did a shotgun get introduced if not by Postal. 

Progress slow and steady.
Great work Tom!

Someone went through the trouble today of sending me a non-automated email and assigning a tracking number to my request for new pistol pictures. I’m sure it’s just standard procedure and more bureaucracy - sending a reply, after the automated reply, to let me know I’ll be getting an actual reply - but hey it’s more progress and better than someone just saying this isn’t worth their time and I’m shit out of luck. Someone here mentioned it took some pressure to get NARA to take photos of the shells, so it might be worth a shot to contact the FOIA office if anyone gets bored and wants to pester the American government. Anything that might increase the chance of this actually happening could be worth it, whether it’s making a similar request or just calling/emailing and agreeing that new photos are necessary. Here’s the info:

My original email:

“I have a question about the catalog photographs of Warren Commission Exhibit 143, Oswald’s .38 Cal revolver; ARC Identifier 305138. Dallas Police Officers Nick McDonald, Gerald Hill, and Bob Carroll, all testified to signing their initials on the metal strip running along the inside and outside of the the pistol grip. This area is not visible in the archive catalog photos, and I think it is essential that researchers be able to examine these initials without having to make a request with NARA to see the physical exhibit. The initials are the only way to verify the chain of custody of the gun; and clear, high resolution photographs taken lengthwise of the inside and outside of the pistol grip would go a long way to prevent the spread of misinformation. Is it at all possible for new photographs to be taken of this exhibit?

I asked this same question as part of a record reproduction request, and was referred here by Gene Morris of the Archives II Textual Reference Branch. New photographs of CE 143 would be a massive help to researchers, and any information you can provide on the procedure for approving this sort of thing would be greatly appreciated.”

NARA contact info:

specialaccess_foia@nara.gov, or 301-837-3190.

If anyone wants to make a request via email the Archivist Mr. Morris told me to use Warren Commission Exhibit 143 as the subject line. I know it’s a long shot but they really do need to take new photos, and the more people bugging them about it the better in my opinion.

I think this may have actually worked! Official reply from NARA that they cc'd to the entire special access branch:

NARA wrote:Good morning Mr. Gram - 

This is Steven Hamilton from the Special Access and FOIA program.  I am responding to your request regarding CE 143.  

I have looked at CE 143, and I have confirmed that there are markings consistent with chain-of-evidence markings around and near where you claim them to be. Having confirmed the markings, I understand your request is for additional official photography of these markings.  

To that end, we have begun the process to produce additional official photography of the markings on the revolver. We do not have a date for this as yet, but it is being coordinated with our in-house photography department.

Thank you for your request, and we appreciate your patience with our limited ability to respond earlier due to the exacting circumstances of the COVID pandemic.

Regards,

STEVEN L. HAMILTON

I'll email this guy or call NARA every now and then for updates, cause I'm sure it's gonna take a while, but shit. Not at all what I expected.

Excellent reply.
Pressure must be working.

We'll all belive it when we all get to see it!

Mahalo for getting ball rolling!!

Ed.Ledoux wrote:Excellent reply.
Pressure must be working.

We'll all belive it when we all get to see it!

Mahalo for getting ball rolling!!

 
Oh for sure. I’ll believe it when I see it too, but it definitely seems promising. We now have NARA on the record saying they are going to take new official photos of the revolver, so if nothing happens in the next few months that’s pretty solid ammo to bombard them with more calls and emails. I’ll ask for an update in thirty days or so and report back.

I asked for an update on the revolver photos, and nothing has really changed but I did get a prompt and somewhat encouraging reply. At least they haven’t backed out or anything, and appear to be working to make it happen:

Good morning Mr. Gram -

We are currently waiting for our photographic section to schedule a session for photography. I will update you as it comes up.

Regards,

STEVEN L. HAMILTON
Special Access and FOIA Program
National Archives and Records Administration

Again he CC’d his reply to the entire Special Access Branch. Things seem to be moving pretty slowly at NARA. I also asked for an update on my rifle documents that I’ve been waiting literally 90 days for and they said they are still backed up due to Covid… -_-

JFK_FNG wrote:I asked for an update on the revolver photos, and nothing has really changed but I did get a prompt and somewhat encouraging reply. At least they haven’t backed out or anything, and appear to be working to make it happen:

Good morning Mr. Gram -

We are currently waiting for our photographic section to schedule a session for photography.  I will update you as it comes up.

Regards,

STEVEN L. HAMILTON
Special Access and FOIA Program
National Archives and Records Administration

Again he CC’d his reply to the entire Special Access Branch. Things seem to be moving pretty slowly at NARA. I also asked for an update on my rifle documents that I’ve been waiting literally 90 days for and they said they are still backed up due to Covid… -_-

That is at least encouraging. Any progress in this case at all is a bonus.

@lanceman
Bookhout recorded Craig’s entrance in Room 317 at 17:18.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KcvBjuYGbMmocWhkFhe90zarrqiVnDnr/view?usp=drivesdk

Thanks to Malcolm Blunt.

Theatrics indeedy