Committee of 100

Contrary to what some may think, Jack Ruby had a reasonably high IQ. I can't recall what his score was, but it was at least in the high end of the average range. So it s plausible that Ruby knew about the Committee of 100 just like he knew about the FPCC.

The caller who warned the FBI, the Sheriff's office and the DPD that Oswald would be shot during the transfer was identified by the cop who took the call for the DPD as Ruby.

One of the statements in those calls was that he was representing a "Committee of 100".

That always struck me as odd (and therefore very Ruby-like).

But the thing of it is that the Committee of 100 was formed in London in 1960 by Bertrand Russell. It started out as a anti-nuclear weapon non-violent protest movement that branched out into protesting on various other matters including civil rights.

But much of the Committee’s initial campaigning was in opposition to the decision to locate US Polaris nuclear submarines at a base to be established at Holy Loch, 30 miles from Glasgow. 

A group by the same name was formed in the US in 1968 in regard to civil rights. This was at the same time that the British group threw in the towel and disbanded. 

I can't find any trace of a Committee of 100 in the US in 1963, despite it being cofounded by Ralph Schoenman - American husband of Joan Mellen and Russell's personal secretary.

Yet on October 30, 1963, the Paines donate $10 to the "Committee of 100". As can be seen, the name of the person it was paid to was redacted. https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=10477#relPageId=260

On the previous page, we see that the couple paid a $100 on October 28 to someone whose name has also been redacted https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=10477#relPageId=259

Those two pages also show other donations made in late October, just preceding Ruth's dealings with Jim Hosty. It also coincides with sightings of Oswald at the rifle range and Jack Ruby looking for a partner in a new club. He had even contacted someone to offer him the manager position.

Not saying all of these things are connected, though some of them may be. But things were certainly heating up. I doubt very much that all those donations were made on a regularly basis.

And was Jack trying to throw the murder of Oswald onto what was surely considered a commie front?

This is fascinating material Greg. 

I don't like too many coincidences and there's an avalanche of them in this case. If Ruby did make the call to Police HQ's about a threat to Oswald's life and did make mention of the Committee for 100 and the Paine's did donate money to the same organization then that would be some coincidence. 

As always great stuff.

Phil Hopley kindly sent me a bunch of news clippings from early 1960s which, together tend to show that the term "committee of 100" was usually a generic one for an ad hoc advisory committee or work group.  These could be associated with government, business or non-profit orgs. The British committee is one of the few times it appears to have been used as the name of an organization. 

I doubt there was any connection between the Paine donation to a "Committee of 100" and Ruby. On the other hand, it would be good to know exactly who the Paine donation went to. 

I jut refound one of the docs re the phoned in threats - the Sheriff's Office quoted the person as saying "I represent a committee of around 100 people.." But whether that is an accurate quote or not, who knows... the term "committee of 100" does seem to have been fairly widely used and one might suspect the figure is every bit as rubbery as the numbers in the NO chapter of the FPCC.  

When police were forced to stop beating confessions out of people is when the Reid Technique took over as the preferred method. It used psychology - mainly in the form of persuasive coercion. That is what was happening between Ruby and Olsen during the car park meeting. The technique was enhanced here by the use of amphetamine - possibly supplied by Bruce Carlin who was using his employment selling supplies to motels as cover for drug running. 

Side-effects from over-use can include

Mental health problems such as:
new or worsened behavior and thought problems
new or worsened bipolar illness
new or worsened aggressive behavior or hostility

It also keeps you awake.

In this state, Jack was much easier prey. 

His later paranoia was more likely well-founded fear.

Olsen would have rammed home Jack being a hero doing the deed. He would have helped organize the alibi of being over at Western Union. He would have supplied the motive (I did it for Jackie) because supplying such motives is a key element of the Reid Technique - give the person a motive that paints them in the best possible light, thus making it easier for them to confess/comply.

Olsen would also have rammed home that there was no minimum sentence for murder in Texas and if the murder was not pre-planned, he would get a very light sentence with the right judge and jury and cooperation of police and DA. He would have been told he would be a big shot in prison, that someone could run the clubs until he got out - and when he did get out, he would be a celebrity. These are all things that would normally appeal to Jack, who wanted more than anything to be in the Big Time. He may have also been promised money to help expand his club empire and move to better digs. The stick part of the equation may have been in threats to his family (which he did speak of later) and may have been made if Jack was not fully on board.

The calls were definitively made by Jack - and the cops knew it.

This doc: https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=148484#relPageId=971&search=%22Committee_of%20100%22

refers to a John Haynes Holmes as being a member of The Committee of 100, in support of the NAACP Legal and Educational Defense Fund. 

Holmes had signed a brief in 1960 in support of the CPUSA. 

An article in the November 6, 1969 issue of "The Worker" stated that Holmes sponsored a meeting in support of Martin Sobell, who was convicted of spying for Russia. 

The document has many references to members of the "Committee of 100".

greg_parker wrote:Phil Hopley kindly sent me a bunch of news clippings from early 1960s which, together tend to show that the term "committee of 100" was usually a generic one for an ad hoc advisory committee or work group.  These could be associated with government, business or non-profit orgs. The British committee is one of the few times it appears to have been used as the name of an organization. 

I doubt there was any connection between the Paine donation to a "Committee of 100" and Ruby. On the other hand, it would be good to know exactly who the Paine donation went to. 

I jut refound one of the docs re the phoned in threats - the Sheriff's Office quoted the person as saying "I represent a committee of around 100 people.." But whether that is an accurate quote or not, who knows... the term "committee of 100" does seem to have been fairly widely used and one might suspect the figure is every bit as rubbery as the numbers in the NO chapter of the FPCC.  

When police were forced to stop beating confessions out of people is when the Reid Technique took over as the preferred method. It used psychology - mainly in the form of persuasive coercion. That is what was happening between Ruby and Olsen during the car park meeting. The technique was enhanced here by the use of amphetamine - possibly supplied by Bruce Carlin who was using his employment selling supplies to motels as cover for drug running. 

Side-effects from over-use can include

Mental health problems such as:
new or worsened behavior and thought problems
new or worsened bipolar illness
new or worsened aggressive behavior or hostility

It also keeps you awake.

In this state, Jack was much easier prey. 

His later paranoia was more likely well-founded fear.

Olsen would have rammed home Jack being a hero doing the deed. He would have helped organize the alibi of being over at Western Union. He would have supplied the motive (I did it for Jackie) because supplying such motives is a key element of the Reid Technique - give the person a motive that paints them in the best possible light, thus making it easier for them to confess/comply.

Olsen would also have rammed home that there was no minimum sentence for murder in Texas and if the murder was not pre-planned, he would get a very light sentence with the right judge and jury and cooperation of police and DA. He would have been told he would be a big shot in prison, that someone could run the clubs until he got out - and when he did get out, he would be a celebrity. These are all things that would normally appeal to Jack, who wanted more than anything to be in the Big Time. He may have also been promised money to help expand his club empire and move to better digs. The stick part of the equation may have been in threats to his family (which he did speak of later) and may have been made if Jack was not fully on board.

The calls were definitively made by Jack - and the cops knew it.

Thanks for clarifying the above Greg.

MarkValenti wrote:This doc: https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=148484#relPageId=971&search=%22Committee_of%20100%22

refers to a John Haynes Holmes as being a member of The Committee of 100, in support of the NAACP Legal and Educational Defense Fund. 

Holmes had signed a brief in 1960 in support of the CPUSA. 

An article in the November 6, 1969 issue of "The Worker" stated that Holmes sponsored a meeting in support of Martin Sobell, who was convicted of spying for Russia. 

The document has many references to members of the "Committee of 100".

Thanks Mark. I somehow missed this. here is a bit more 
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/digital/collections/rbml/lehman/pdfs/0592/ldpd_leh_0592_0006.pdf

Just to take stock.

Local African-Americans rejected Ruth's help. In fact, they requested help from others in keeping her away from them. Admittedly this was a couple of years after the assassination and it is impossible to say how or if that had any bearings on their lack of trust.
https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=145639#relPageId=4

The Paines were anti-Communists. The Committee of 100 would have surely been considered a communist front. Certainly not a group that her FBI friends in Dallas would recommend. 

One of the main players in the committee was John Haynes Holmes. Holmes was a supporter of the jailed Martin Sobell.

Sobell was a NYC born and raised engineer for General Electric who allegedly became part of the Rosenberg ring. 

Edwin Ekdahl was a long-time NYC resident who worked as an engineer for EBASCO whose parent company was General Electric.

When Ekdahl was married to Marguerite and traipsing around the country with her and Lee, some of those trips were to places where the Rosenberg ring was  at that very time operating - particularly in New Mexico. 

Thanks to Phil Hopely doing some digging, we now have proof that Ekdahl was ONI at least earlier in his life - but with no reason to think that connection was ever severed. 

It is very possible he did continue some type of intelligence work - including spying and informing on fellow engineers - the main profession of the Rosenberg group. 

Skip forward to Lee's arrest. He never mentions wanting Abt until the Saturday - and even then, according to Marguerite, seems unsure of his name ("Abt, I think it is").

The one person in City Hall after Oswald's arrest who would know all about Abt was Prof. Chuck Webster. Webster is associated with FBI informant-infiltrator William Lowery who in turn was running Joe Molina of the TSBD. Webster was also a member of the American Arbitration Board whose president was one Donald B Straus. Did Webster give Oswald Abt's name and number to further "confirm" his communist allegiances? 

Donald B Straus was a member of the famous Straus family who among other things, built the immigrant apartments where the Rosenbergs lived - and also built Youth House and controlled its finances until it was taken over by the city - which I don't think happened until well after Lee's short stay. Straus had a holiday house on Naushon Island as did Michael and Ruth. In fact the island was owned by the family of Michael's mother.
https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=11086#relPageId=3