Texas Theatre Theatrics

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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. 

Distance from Hardy's to TT



But Lee did buy a pair of Hardy shoes, and supposedly from Brewer as that's how he recognized him 




Cheers, Ed

Ray Hawkins let it slip, know we know!

A tip from a clerk was called into police of a suspicious looking man in a shoe store along West Jefferson Blvd. Before police showed up, the man left the shoe store and slipped into the Texas Theatre as it was showing “War is Hell”. That’s where a small army of officers headed, including a young Ray Hawkins. It wasn’t long before the theater was “raining police”, as he described the scene. “I don’t know how the word got back there,” he said,


Cheers! Ed

Nice how all the cop cars at the theater did not park in front of the entrance, so what did they save a spot for the special cruiser? Pre planning?

Brewer's starting to smell! Must be his shoes.

Thanks Ed,

Very nice work.

You started this ED! 
Now you force me to post those wicked Reed photos you managed to pay 90 bucks for 

My pleasure Bart.
I knew theyd come in handy some day. :-p

Question is did Brewer have a description, a description of his own sighting or just took one off the radio and went fishing at The Texas.

Brewer said he did know Lee, recognizes him from having to fetch evey pair of shoes in the store to let him try on... then he doesnt buy anything. Sounds like he disliked Lee. So why not give a description of this guy you know?
Could Lee have been in the store, and tried on every shoe, then went to the TT.
Was this that day or previous time?

Would the description of Tippit suspect with wavy black hair, white jacket, etc.fit Oswald??? Nah

If Brewer saw a guy he waited on for an hour previously coming into the store I can imagine his relief when Lee left the entry. Why risk it and follow him?

if the time was about 1:05 then Lee was just going into the theater.

Sirens for Tippit ambulance could be this early, as we have established changes in death or doa times.
Not too early to be about a cop killed on Tenth n Patton...
but a long haul from T&P to TT to be anywhere near the theater at 1:05 see pic attached.https://i.servimg.com/u/f62/17/60/28/90/jfklho10.jpg

That is a long way to duck n dodge!! 

Plus look at the path the WC says Lee took, there on Crawford the lines nearly meet. So why wouldnt Lee take same route back to safety of rooming house...? So he runs down Jefferson Blvd a main street for blocks and blocks???? Seen by all,,, ahhh no.

Only Brewer sees a 'suspect' and gets Postal to agree!

Sounds a lot like Buell Frazier and Linnie Mae's bag tale. 
Okay,
Once the real suspect ran towards Jefferson from Tenth and Patton he dissapeared.
He was seen by Brock at the gas station and that is it. Gone.
... a jacket, possibly the murderers though not tested for residue or blood spatter, was found at a Jefferson Blvd.Texaco station parking lot.

This suspect would now be wearing only a white t-shirt if previous descriptions are correct.
but suspect is not seen again. 
Time by 'Warren Commission' estimates is a minute or so after 1:15pm


Call is made for search of abandoned house, a furniture storage building and finally a church, oddly Gerald Hill asked for the church search, oddly Gerald Hill has a witness? or someone who can id the suspect with him in the car, oddly Hill was driving around Southwest of these locations across South of Jefferson Blvd.

Hill asked for more info on the suspect in the balcony, perhaps he instigated 

a call and was expecting a gun to be included, when it wasnt included that detail was shared somehow, without a current recording of its broadcast, what Ron Reiland described as a "report" of a man with a shotgun over his arm entering theater.

Could this be Hill stopping back at Tenth n Patton scene giving a report???


If Brewer knows Lee and sees Lee after he got off a Beckley bus at Jefferson and walks past his stores windows to go to watch a movie,  add later Brewer hears cops are looking for a suspect, cops give a description, Brewer knows all the details he says, or listened to all the details on 'the radio'...

If Brewer knew Lee he would have said this to Postal, like hey did you see my pal just go in, little guy brown shirt with the tail hanging out, thin brown hair...

Postal claims at 1:30 or later she is in the box office, she hears JFK is dead, hears a siren and cop goes by, THEN says a man ducked into the theater as cop went by, Callahan leaves, she then steps out to sidewalk, looks West for some reason and suddenly Brewer is behind her.

So if she Did Not See Brewer walk up how could she see anyone in front of Brewer slip in to the theater. 

She asks Brewer to see if he can spot the man. Brewer checks theater returns and says no. 

So 24 patrons and Brewer cant spot his 'suspect'!! Postal srnds back in Burroughs and Brewer to look real good for the man... (what man is Burroughs looking for???) a man described by Brewer? Nope. 

Brewer claims he hears a "pop" of a seat, as if someone had gotten up but sees no one, hmm this sounds like the snap of a pistol later claimed by McDonald.

And if you saw no one standing up it means that seat snaps or pops when a person sits.
But Brewer did not say to Postal where he was when pop was heard ..  balcony?
On this info of not seeing anyone only hearing a seat pop Postal decides to call police and THEN has Brewer Burroughs CHECK and stand by at exits.

Postal talks to a woman whom transfers her call to a man, he asks her questions about man, like did he buy a ticket? And what made her so sure he was still in the theater, she said "because he couldn't have gotten by me." (now isnt that just silly!!!)

Postal tells police man she heard about JFK murder and doesnt know if this man is connected.
The police man on the phone asked her if the man fit the description of the suspect.
Postal says she does not know as she had not heard that description. (but what about Brewer????)
So Postal gives a description of the man. Not one she got from Brewer.
She says the cops show up a minute later, motors, cars, marked and unmarked cruisers and cops rush in with pistols and shotguns out.
10 minutes later they brought out the man. She saw nothing in the theater of the search or arrest. 


Only then does she hear about Tippit and the man being a suspected cop killer... to her it was a man involved in killing the President.

This all comes from her Dec 4th affidavit.

Postal says she cant identify the police that were there as there was so much confusion, and doubted she would recognize them if she saw them again.
So how likely is she to recognize a man she didnt see sneak passed her...?


Brewer's actions and statements is not key in Postals decision to call, but he put it in her head that there was a man, a man who did sneak past her, and why if she saw the man sneak past did she not tell:

Callahan,

Burroughs, 

Projectionist, 

House manager(?)

Nope, she walks out to see what all the excitement was about... (hmm sounds familiar) and doesn't ask Brewer... but is asked BY Brewer about a man.

Now what stops someone from popping out to see what the sirens were, I mean Postal did!!! Couldn't a movie patron ducked back in?
Could it have been Oswald, on his way to buy popcorn steps out AGAIN to see the excitement.

So what was Postals suspect description given to police????


Calvin Brewer or Johnny hears same radio reports of Jfk death, but also of murder of Tippit.
About 1:30 he sees man in front of store in a brown shirt.
Says police car came down Jefferson heading West turned around at Zangs and headed East.
How on earth did Brewer see this from inside the store while standing behind the counter, its nearly impossible to see Zangs intersection and a car travelling West turn around, especially from inside Hardy's behind the counter.
Sounds like Brewer was out on the sidewalk not in his store,,, probably feeding the parking meter!!!

Plus this cop cars actions does not fit what Postal described. She looked West. Thus "allowing" Brewer to sneak up on her.
Brewer tells us the man walked up Jefferson after the police car driving on Jefferson heading West, u-turns and then went by heading East on Jefferson.
What Brewer is saying is this cop car came from down near the Tippit murder heading West towards Zangs, as it gets to Zangs it turns around and goes away from Brewer and never went in front of his store or the man in the alcove. See Map of area. So why was Postal looking West when the car turned around and went East?

Then Brewer followed him. Nothing about locking up the store, or who was also in the store.
Brewer claims in his affidavit that both Postal and Burroughs said that they were busy, listening to the radio or stocking candy, to notice such a man. (Brown shirt? Or 5' 8" or 5'9")

Brewer has Burroughs help him check exits, seeing nothing Brewer goes and tells Postal to call police.
Odd, both Postal and Brewer claim it was they who decided to call.
Brewer claims he watched the movie stop, lights came on, a man at the back stood up, police man approached him and there was a scuffle, the cops took man outside the theater.

No mention of pointing out a suspect or giving description to anyone.

Says it was same man as in front of shoe store, and that the man he saw was nervous thats why he noticed him as possibly a suspect from police mans shooting.
Gee what a psychic!!! He has nothing to go on yet tails a man... they should make Brewer sheriff. Amazing police work by a shoe store manager, or its all garbage, a lie cobbled together to cover the obvious. Lee was in the theater when Tippit was murdered.
A bloody pack of lies, perhaps Lee was to be caught or killed in a shoe store not a theater.

Brewer gets off without any hard questions.
Brewer did not even have to compare suspects description with Postal or Burroughs.

When you look at the statements from them you have to ask why the theatrics with finding a man in a nearly empty theater. 

Was it that they didnt know who they were looking for till he was 'found?'

Warren Burroughs claims he started work at 12noon selling consessions and taking tickets. Tells WC he did not see man come in, must have went up to balcony, says "Yes sir, First, i think he was up there" 

At first, so Butch knows he came down, and to come down and go to main floor this man would need to pass Butch as he explained in his testimony. So how did a man in the balcony get passed Butch to sit on the main floor? Why would he not query his ticket if he did see him later? 

Here Butch states he only saw one police man enter from the rear exit.

Mr. BALL. And were the police out at the exit doors? 
Mr. BURROUGHS. They came on----somehow they came in----one came in through the back and the rest of them came in through the front. 
Mr. BALL. Did you see them come in through the back when you were back there? 
Mr. BURROUGHS. I saw one of them. 

Was this Nick, most likely.

Again time delays, what is going on that Butch eventually gives up and walks away from the exit he was watching.

Mr. BALL. Did you see any struggle or fight between this man and any police officer? 
Mr. BURROUGHS. No; not exactly, because I just had one door open and that was the middle door, and I couldn't see them----that was the main thing. 
Mr. BALL. Where were you? 
Mr. BURROUGHS. I was back behind the concession. 
Mr. BALL. How do you get from the exit door in the rear of the theatre to behind the concession? 
Mr. BURROUGHS. Well, the concession is right here [indicating] and the doors are right here, and the theatre is inside, and exit door No. I is straight down this way and another one is straight down this way. 
Mr. BALL. Tell me what you did after you went to the exit door with the shoe salesman; what did you do? 
Mr. BURROUGHS. Well, he went down to this door and I stayed at this door. 
Mr. BALL. You mean at the rear of the theatre? 
Mr. BURROUGHS. Yes----he went down to the rear of the theatre, and I stayed at this door in case he went out one of the exit doors. 
Mr. BALL. You stayed there, did you? 
Mr. BURROUGHS. I stayed there for about 5 minutes and I came back out to the concession. 
Mr. BALL. Down the main aisle? 
Mr. BURROUGHS. Yes. 
Mr. BALL. Were there police in there at that time? 
Mr. BURROUGHS. They were in there checking to see where he was. 

For 5 minutes???? WTH?

Mick this theater tale is ripe with inconsistency and surprises at every juncture.

Now Butch is not asked nor offers the supposed description that Brewer has given to Postal and Burroughs, a Man in Brown shirt, tail out. 

That is not discussed by Ball except that one bit by Butch I put in quotes.

Mr. BALL. Later on, did somebody point out a man in the theatre to you? 
Mr. BURROUGHS. No----I got information that a man----the police were cruising up and down Jefferson hunting for Oswald, and he ran to a shoestore and then came out and came on up to the Texas, and the man came in and

 "told me that a man fitting that description" 

came in the show and he wanted me to help him find him.
What was Brewers description?
Lets let him tell Eddie Barker of CBS 
https://youtu.be/mv5vemBcjok

5' 8" OR 5' 9" 150 lbs 
Not much to go on was it.

Cheers Ed

WARREN "BUTCH" BURROUGHS


Hidden under label for the Jacket is the Abundant Life Temple, the church Hill asked to be searched.


JOHNNY CALVIN BREWER

Brewer Calvin (Johnny)

Remembers:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkKo29TRTCc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNHETzAtGb4

Ed. Ledoux wrote:A stellar bit of info,

Great find. And yes Stellar is the word.

Ed. Ledoux wrote:Brewer Did not actually see the man go into the theater!

WOW!!

Agreed Brewer did not see a man go into the theatre, why else would he ask Postal if she had seen anyone duck or sneak in there. Outstanding!

Mick Purdy wrote:Brewer Calvin (Johnny) Remembers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkKo29TRTCc

"matched description of someone who had just shot Oak Cliff police officer JD Tippit blocks away"

"Mostly it was his action,trying to avoid what everyone else was trying to see."~Brewer
"As soon as all the police cars went by he looked over his shoulder"~ Brewer

"I saw him walk in, somethings not right here"~Brewer 
"Mr Brewer actually met Oswald months before the shooting when he sold him the black shoes he was wearing that day" 

Brewer is trying to stay on story... fails.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNHETzAtGb4

Jack? Brewer.

10 feet from Lee.
Hair somewhat messed up. 
Police cars were West bound on Jefferson
Made uturn on Jefferson went Eastbound.
I stepped out from my store and stood on the sidewalk and watched him walk up towards the Texas Theater
and saw him enter
I was still in front of my store

Brewer tells a well rehearsed tale as best he can.
So much to pick apart. Thx Mick
Cheers, Ed

Brewer at 1:04 - 1:25

CBS interview:

Brewer states in the interview that the Suspect ( Oswald ) stood in the lobby facing toward the street looking at the shoes. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mv5vemBcjok&feature=youtu.be

Brewer: 1:04  "stood there looking at the shoes"

He goes onto say: Oswald then turned and went out up to the theatre.

No running, no ducking, no hiding, not scared, just looking at the shoes.

..............................................................................................................................................

Then there's a very different description by Brewer of Oswald inside the lobby of the shoe store given years later at the Mock Trial: Lee Harvey Oswald

2:30

Brewer: "Well the fact he was standing and facing me with his back to the street while all the commotion was -ahh- going on outside, I thought that was quite unusual"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNHETzAtGb4

Just goes to show 180 degrees can mean so much

Affidavit: Brewer.
sworn on the 6/12/63

Julia Postal Affidavit: Sworn 4/12/63

Nice work Ed, Mick, and Barto. Agree that Brewer appears to be putting Oswald outside of the theater going in, when he was already in.

So many inconsistencies and gaps! You've also set me straight on a number of important facts I was not up on. Thanks. Brilliant stuff.

Just a couple of little observations:

1) Remember the very first thing Julia Postal told the WC:

Mr. BALL. And after you saw the police car go west with its siren on, why at the time the police car went west with its siren on, did you see the man that ducked? This man that you were----
Mrs. POSTAL. This man, yes; he ducked into the box office...

a) you can't see the box office door from the street.
b) she allowed someone to duck into the box office where the money was kept, and didn't do anything about it.

2) The call about the library diverted attention away from the search of the houses and church. How legitimate was that library call anyway? C.T. Walker said he called it in based on him seeing someone run in the library from over a block away.

At 1:32, the Dispatcher puts it over the air that the suspect was last seen running west from 10th and Patton in the alley between 10th and Jefferson.

At 1:33, the Dispatcher put out this description:
White male, thirty, height five foot eight, very slender build, black hair, a white jacket, white shirt and dark slacks. 1:33.

http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/russ/testimony/walker_c.htm
Mr. WALKER. I started up cruising the area, and I went up the street that runs north and south and faces the, runs into the library at Jefferson and Marsalis, and I saw a white male running east across the lawn of the library. I was still approximately three - fourths of the block from Jefferson, and he was even south of Jefferson.
Mr. BELIN. How far would he have been from you then when you saw him?
Mr. WALKER. He was over a block.
Mr. BELIN. All right. Mr. WALKER. I put out a broadcast on the air that there was a person fitting the description on the air that was seen running in front of the library, and I gave the location and said I will be around at the back. I ran around to the back of the library and other squads then surrounded the library.
Mr. BELIN. You were not the one that put out the first description of the suspect they sought?
Mr. WALKER. I didn't. The newspaperman was still with me at that time.
Mr. BELIN. What was the description, if you remember, over the radio as to what you were looking for?
Mr. WALKER. A white male, slender build, and had on a light - colored coat or shirt, and that is the best I can recall.
Mr. BELIN. All right.
Mr. WALKER. About 30 years old, I think he said.

a) Why is Walker cruising the area searching for an armed gunman with a newspaper man in the car?
b) is that a legitimate assumption about the suspect to put out a general "calling all cars"?

Wasn't the person seen running into the library a teenager?

Steve Thomas

The are from The Lost Bullet docu

Who Was LHO Docu.

Oswald's Ghost

Steve,

Good eye. Yes she did change the story from her affidavit of being in the box office when man ducked in, Callahan leaves, she steps out of box office to look West and then Brewer is suddenly behind her.

For all we know BREWER ducked in, and then goosed her by coming up behind her.

For a person to duck into the box office would be considered attempted robbery, if everything went with Callahan(receipts, cash) and nothing was taken.
Another charge could have been leveled at Lee had the theater stories any merit whatsoever.

Perhaps Postal misspoke, but she had plenty of time to prep and should know, with her experience, precise theater nomenclature.

The library incident shows just how closely they were looking for anything that moved.
Teenager vs 30yr old.
Yet we are to believe Super Lee made it from Tenth n Patton to The Texas by running down Jefferson Boulevard at mid-day and only Johnny Calvin Brewer sees this.
Amazing duck dodging capabilities of Lee!



Bart, Those pics and diagram show Brewer was full of it, box office is not flush with other buildings, but sets back in the entryway. JCB said he could see box office from sidewalk as he approached... yeah sure he did.
Thanks for all of the pics!!!



Can anyone decipher the part about the center door?
I read Burroughs talk about not being able to see the fight as only center door was opened.

seems he could see Lee in his seat from the consessions stand or with very little effort
He should have spotted Lee easily in his seat.
Here is a view showing its impossible to miss a man 5th seat in on third aisle.



Then there is Postal saying that she asked Brewer that the center door be opened so she could see in and watch the consessions.
There are three doors for entry to lobby.
But how would these doors prevent Burroughs from seeing the main floor (arrest) from the consessions stand?
There are no doors between lobby and theater (aisles)

Cheers, Ed