06-05-2014, 02:59 AM
[ATTACH=CONFIG]5952[/ATTACH]
I had a lengthy phone conversation with John Armstrong today and I asked him to share his current thoughts about Donald O. Norton. He began by saying, "I would suggest to a group of knowledgeable people who had a serious interest about this matter to look at the facts before making a judgement or giving an opinion."
Beginning in the early 1970's a man named Donald Norton began mailing checks regularly to JFK researcher Mae Brussel. After a JFK conference at the University of Dayton in Ohio, this man appeared at night before Mae and John Judge while they were standing under a street light. He said, "Mae, don't you know who I am?" Mae said, "You look like Lee Harvey Oswald." The man looked down and said, "A lot of people tell me that......I'm Don Norton."
Mae turned to John Judge and said, "John, this is Don Norton. He wrote to me to say that he was going to drive down from Columbus to hear the talk. He's the only researcher in the country who sends me money to do my work." The man said, "It's my conscience money." John invited the man to a house where they could visit. John remembered the man looked like the man on the 1959 passport photo (LEE) but not like the Oswald killed in Dallas. The man then began a long recitation about Marxism and communism ideology. A few hours later the man left and gave his address as "General Delivery, Columbus, Ohio." The next day Mae said to John, "Don't you think that was Oswald who visited us last night?" John replied, "It sure look like Oswald, but he is dead". Mae was excited that she had met a living "Oswald."
John Armstrong continued, "Now, that was 1973. John Judge told me this story in the mid-1990's and I was very interested. I began by trying to locate a "Donald Norton" in Ohio, and I found one in Stowe, Ohio, a two hour drive north of Columbus. I soon learned that this "Donald Norton" had moved and left no forwarding address. I contacted the next door neighbor and learned that Norton was married to "Lexie Norton" and they had two children. The neighbor knew Lexie well and saw her nearly every day for years. However, she never saw much of Donald. The neighbor said that one day "movers, arrived, packed up everything, and the Norton's were suddenly gone. Lexie never said good-bye, left a forwarding address, or anything.....they just left." The neighbor said that a month later she saw Lexie at the grocery store, spoke with her, and got her new address. The following week she drove to the address and learned that the Norton's had moved a few days earlier and left no forwarding address. I wondered if the reason for the Norton's move had something to do with financial trouble, and arranged for a credit report.
The credit report showed that Donald and Lexie had filed for bankruptcy. I then obtained a copy of their bankrupcy filing and learned the names and addresses of all creditors and the amounts owed, including monies owed to automobile dealerships. I also learned the names of businesses that Norton had operated and the names of some of his employees. I contacted a few people and learned the name of a young man who had worked closely with Norton. I spoke with this young man extensively and learned that during the time that he knew Norton, he (Norton) constantly moved from motel to motel and only returned home once a month for a day or two. One of Norton's businesses was named "Antares" and was involved in selling advertising. The young man said that Norton had a younger brother named "Bill" (William), who was much shorter than the 5'11" Donald Norton. He also said that wherever Donald went, Bill always followed him.
I learned that Norton's parents had lived at the same address for decades. I checked the birth records in the state of Ohio for Donald Norton. Donald Norton has an Ohio birth certificate, but there is no record for a birth record for his brother William. I learned that Donald had attended a local high school and was able to get a class picture taken in 1966. I also checked the local library and learned that Norton had checked out nearly 100 books during his last year in Stowe, Ohio.
I knew that selling a home/residence takes time, sometimes several months to complete closing, and wondered when and where Donald and Lexie had signed the Deed to sell their property. I contacted Lawyers Title and obtained a copy of the deed transferring title to their property. The deed had been signed and notorized in Florida. I then travelled to Florida and visited the Dept of Motor Vehicles/Drivers license section. At that time, anyone could pay a small fee and obtain driving records. I got the driving records for Donald Norton, which listed his home address. I then drove to his home and saw that it was listed for sale. I drove to the nearest pay telephone, which happened to be at Bert Reynolds (the actor) ranch, contacted the real estate company, and made an appointment to look at/thru the small, modest home.
While walking thru the home I noticed there were no photographs on the walls, tables, etc. I asked the reason for the owners selling the property. The real estate agent told me the owner worked for "XXX" retirement company/village and the owner was being transferred. There were two vehicles in the driveway, both with Ohio license plates. I copied the license plate numbers and learned the vehicles were leased from a dealership in Ohio--the same dealership that Norton had listed on his bankrupcy filing. I thought it odd that a dealership would lease vehicles to a man who had recently filed bankruptcy in order to discharge his debt. I also wondered how Norton could have obtained financing for a home in Florida after recently filing bankruptcy in Ohio.
The next day I drove to the retirement village and asked to speak with Donald Norton. I was told that he was at another location and I immediately drove to that location. Norton was nowhere to be found, but I was told he "may" be at another company location. I telephoned the location and was told that he might be at a company location in Tennessee. I gave up trying to find Norton, but still wanted to know more about him. I contacted neighbors across the street, identified myself as a potential buyer, and asked questions about Norton's house. The man who I spoke with met Norton one time and said that he was "almost never home". When he was home, the man said, he would spend hours fishing at the small pond in his front yard (perhaps 25 ft wide). I then saw the two Norton children (teenage boy and girl) get into a car and drive off.
I discussed Norton with a fellow researcher who located and met him face to face in Avon, FL. This man was very direct and asked Norton why he had dyed his hair red, instead of dark brown (natural color). Norton replied that he wanted to cover his grey hair. The JFK researcher then asked Norton to smile so that he could see his teeth. Norton declined that said that all of his teeth had been removed and that he only had dentures. When Norton asked why the man was interested in his red hair and teeth, the researcher told Norton that he thought he (Norton) was Lee Harvey Oswald. Norton denied that he was LHO. But when the researcher asked him to provide a hair sample, Norton declined.
Now, what are my thoughts about Norton? As most of us know, there were two Donald Nortons (Donald P Norton and Donald O Norton). Someone named Donald Norton sent money to Mae Brussel to help her conduct research into JFK's assassination. This same man, who looked very much like LHO, met and identified himself to John Judge and Mae Brussel in 1973. Why? This same person started many businesses, none successful, but always seems able to start a new business. This man rarely visits his home, preferring to live in nearby motels. This man is able to file bankruptcy, but soon thereafter is able to lease vehicles and finance a home.
Donald Norton has lived an exceedingly strange life, first in Ohio and then in Florida. I am convinced that this "Donald Norton" is the same person who talked to John Judge and Mae Brussel in 1973. At this time Norton would have been 23-24 years old (born 1949). Unfortunately, I did not think to ask John Judge the approximate age of the man who visited with them at the University of Dayton (1973). Now, of course, that opportunity is gone.
There is something very strange about Norton's background, but there is no "proof" that he is LHO. All of my materials related to Norton should be in the Baylor collection and available to anyone and everyone. I encourage people to learn more about Norton, whoever he may be. The 50th reunion of Norton's Stowe high school senior class is coming up in a couple of years. It would be interesting to attend and ask if Norton had a brother, Norton's height, if he entered the military, and if anyone saw him after high school.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]5953[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]5954[/ATTACH]
Donald O. Norton in High School
-------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------
I had a lengthy phone conversation with John Armstrong today and I asked him to share his current thoughts about Donald O. Norton. He began by saying, "I would suggest to a group of knowledgeable people who had a serious interest about this matter to look at the facts before making a judgement or giving an opinion."
Beginning in the early 1970's a man named Donald Norton began mailing checks regularly to JFK researcher Mae Brussel. After a JFK conference at the University of Dayton in Ohio, this man appeared at night before Mae and John Judge while they were standing under a street light. He said, "Mae, don't you know who I am?" Mae said, "You look like Lee Harvey Oswald." The man looked down and said, "A lot of people tell me that......I'm Don Norton."
Mae turned to John Judge and said, "John, this is Don Norton. He wrote to me to say that he was going to drive down from Columbus to hear the talk. He's the only researcher in the country who sends me money to do my work." The man said, "It's my conscience money." John invited the man to a house where they could visit. John remembered the man looked like the man on the 1959 passport photo (LEE) but not like the Oswald killed in Dallas. The man then began a long recitation about Marxism and communism ideology. A few hours later the man left and gave his address as "General Delivery, Columbus, Ohio." The next day Mae said to John, "Don't you think that was Oswald who visited us last night?" John replied, "It sure look like Oswald, but he is dead". Mae was excited that she had met a living "Oswald."
John Armstrong continued, "Now, that was 1973. John Judge told me this story in the mid-1990's and I was very interested. I began by trying to locate a "Donald Norton" in Ohio, and I found one in Stowe, Ohio, a two hour drive north of Columbus. I soon learned that this "Donald Norton" had moved and left no forwarding address. I contacted the next door neighbor and learned that Norton was married to "Lexie Norton" and they had two children. The neighbor knew Lexie well and saw her nearly every day for years. However, she never saw much of Donald. The neighbor said that one day "movers, arrived, packed up everything, and the Norton's were suddenly gone. Lexie never said good-bye, left a forwarding address, or anything.....they just left." The neighbor said that a month later she saw Lexie at the grocery store, spoke with her, and got her new address. The following week she drove to the address and learned that the Norton's had moved a few days earlier and left no forwarding address. I wondered if the reason for the Norton's move had something to do with financial trouble, and arranged for a credit report.
The credit report showed that Donald and Lexie had filed for bankruptcy. I then obtained a copy of their bankrupcy filing and learned the names and addresses of all creditors and the amounts owed, including monies owed to automobile dealerships. I also learned the names of businesses that Norton had operated and the names of some of his employees. I contacted a few people and learned the name of a young man who had worked closely with Norton. I spoke with this young man extensively and learned that during the time that he knew Norton, he (Norton) constantly moved from motel to motel and only returned home once a month for a day or two. One of Norton's businesses was named "Antares" and was involved in selling advertising. The young man said that Norton had a younger brother named "Bill" (William), who was much shorter than the 5'11" Donald Norton. He also said that wherever Donald went, Bill always followed him.
I learned that Norton's parents had lived at the same address for decades. I checked the birth records in the state of Ohio for Donald Norton. Donald Norton has an Ohio birth certificate, but there is no record for a birth record for his brother William. I learned that Donald had attended a local high school and was able to get a class picture taken in 1966. I also checked the local library and learned that Norton had checked out nearly 100 books during his last year in Stowe, Ohio.
I knew that selling a home/residence takes time, sometimes several months to complete closing, and wondered when and where Donald and Lexie had signed the Deed to sell their property. I contacted Lawyers Title and obtained a copy of the deed transferring title to their property. The deed had been signed and notorized in Florida. I then travelled to Florida and visited the Dept of Motor Vehicles/Drivers license section. At that time, anyone could pay a small fee and obtain driving records. I got the driving records for Donald Norton, which listed his home address. I then drove to his home and saw that it was listed for sale. I drove to the nearest pay telephone, which happened to be at Bert Reynolds (the actor) ranch, contacted the real estate company, and made an appointment to look at/thru the small, modest home.
While walking thru the home I noticed there were no photographs on the walls, tables, etc. I asked the reason for the owners selling the property. The real estate agent told me the owner worked for "XXX" retirement company/village and the owner was being transferred. There were two vehicles in the driveway, both with Ohio license plates. I copied the license plate numbers and learned the vehicles were leased from a dealership in Ohio--the same dealership that Norton had listed on his bankrupcy filing. I thought it odd that a dealership would lease vehicles to a man who had recently filed bankruptcy in order to discharge his debt. I also wondered how Norton could have obtained financing for a home in Florida after recently filing bankruptcy in Ohio.
The next day I drove to the retirement village and asked to speak with Donald Norton. I was told that he was at another location and I immediately drove to that location. Norton was nowhere to be found, but I was told he "may" be at another company location. I telephoned the location and was told that he might be at a company location in Tennessee. I gave up trying to find Norton, but still wanted to know more about him. I contacted neighbors across the street, identified myself as a potential buyer, and asked questions about Norton's house. The man who I spoke with met Norton one time and said that he was "almost never home". When he was home, the man said, he would spend hours fishing at the small pond in his front yard (perhaps 25 ft wide). I then saw the two Norton children (teenage boy and girl) get into a car and drive off.
I discussed Norton with a fellow researcher who located and met him face to face in Avon, FL. This man was very direct and asked Norton why he had dyed his hair red, instead of dark brown (natural color). Norton replied that he wanted to cover his grey hair. The JFK researcher then asked Norton to smile so that he could see his teeth. Norton declined that said that all of his teeth had been removed and that he only had dentures. When Norton asked why the man was interested in his red hair and teeth, the researcher told Norton that he thought he (Norton) was Lee Harvey Oswald. Norton denied that he was LHO. But when the researcher asked him to provide a hair sample, Norton declined.
Now, what are my thoughts about Norton? As most of us know, there were two Donald Nortons (Donald P Norton and Donald O Norton). Someone named Donald Norton sent money to Mae Brussel to help her conduct research into JFK's assassination. This same man, who looked very much like LHO, met and identified himself to John Judge and Mae Brussel in 1973. Why? This same person started many businesses, none successful, but always seems able to start a new business. This man rarely visits his home, preferring to live in nearby motels. This man is able to file bankruptcy, but soon thereafter is able to lease vehicles and finance a home.
Donald Norton has lived an exceedingly strange life, first in Ohio and then in Florida. I am convinced that this "Donald Norton" is the same person who talked to John Judge and Mae Brussel in 1973. At this time Norton would have been 23-24 years old (born 1949). Unfortunately, I did not think to ask John Judge the approximate age of the man who visited with them at the University of Dayton (1973). Now, of course, that opportunity is gone.
There is something very strange about Norton's background, but there is no "proof" that he is LHO. All of my materials related to Norton should be in the Baylor collection and available to anyone and everyone. I encourage people to learn more about Norton, whoever he may be. The 50th reunion of Norton's Stowe high school senior class is coming up in a couple of years. It would be interesting to attend and ask if Norton had a brother, Norton's height, if he entered the military, and if anyone saw him after high school.
-----------------------------------------------
The complete Baylor University collection of John Armstrong documents on Donald O. Norton is available RIGHT HERE![ATTACH=CONFIG]5953[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]5954[/ATTACH]
