22-12-2009, 05:23 PM
Charles Drago Wrote:Jack White Wrote:Jim...I think you misspoke about Prouty endorsing Mainman as Conein
I think. Fletch died before this identification came up, as I recall.
But Fletch DID SAY Conein was in DP, but misidentified him as
being on Elm Street. PLEASE CORRECT ME IF MY MEMORY IS WRONG.
I could be misrembering. If Prouty identified Mainman as Conein,
I would be absolutely convinced. Fletch knew him well!
Jack
Ladies and Gentlemen,
If my assignment were to counter efforts to expose, via discovery of photographic images, the presence of intelligence assets in Dealey Plaza on 11/22/63, I would find and/or create false matches, encourage their discovery and endorsement by honorable, influential investigators, and then make certain that valid, quantifiable counter-claims were promoted.
The "Mainman" episode* stands as an example of just such an operation.
Given the rancorous public exchanges here and elsewhere among some of the most respected and important JFK assassination scholars regarding the identity of "Mainman," how do you think the discovery of actual views of the historic Conein would be received by the general public and within our own community?
_____________________________
* I ask again: Jack (and/or anyone else), can you offer comparisons of Shane O'Sullivan's views of a David Sanchez Morales candidate at the Ambassador Hotel and the Dealey Plaza figure identified as DSM? Do they depict the same individual?
I ask again: Can anyone post comparisons of the earliest known -- which is to say, pre-Conein ID -- copies of the "Mainman" photograph and the version from which the ID initially was made? Are they identical?
Charles...I am not familiar with the Ambassador Hotel photos, so have
no opinion.
Let me remind everyone that the two people who first brought to our
attention all the doppelgangers in Dealey Plaza were James Richards
and Allan Eaglesham. I agreed with many of the studies by both of
them and disagreed with a few. It was Allan who first proposed that
Mainman was Conein, based on a photo of Conein which he discovered
in a book. He promoted his discovery for several years until someone
showed him a photo of Adams, which caused him to reverse his opinion.
I admit that there is a close resemblance of Mainman, Adams, and
Conein...enough that it should be investigated. However, there is
no proof that I would yet say is conclusive to identify the man in
the photos.
I am swayed toward Conein for these reasons:
1. The apparent presence in the plaza of many of the chief suspects
(or doppelgangers). Richards and Eaglesham have pointed out more
than a half dozen. Prouty named two. I believe Hunt and Harrelson
were there. Let's say there were TEN. What are the odds of ten high
agency personnel or lookalikes being there in a crowd of 500? The
odds are astronomical! I believe the plotters were there to see the
end result of their plot, and gloat. They thought they would not be
recognized, and they were not...until researchers poring over photos
found them many years later.
2. Adams is a latecomer to the lookalike list. For 40+ years he was
a nobody, so far as being identified. Then suddenly, though now dead,
he becomes a Dealey celebrity. I find that suspicious, knowing the
lengths the agency goes to to float false stories. I could easily accept
Adams being there if there were strong contemporaneous reports.
But all we have is a suspicious framed altered newspaper clipping
that "identifies" him. Had I been him, I would have told family, friends,
acquaintances and maybe news media about seeing the president,
hearing shots, watching the motorcade, crossing to the plaza, etc.
etc. But what do we have? A framed clipping, a widow's word.
It does not ring true. Show me more proof.
3. We lack high quality photos of Adams and Conein in 1963. All we
have are UNDATED photos of questionable quality. Photos of both
seem to be at different ages than Mainman.
4. Scant material is available about Adams. Just who was he? What
connections did he have? Are there friends, co-workers, family or
others that he told his story to years ago? Was there more to his
story than just "standing on the corner"?
If I were called to testify tomorrow, I would have to say "Based on
available evidence, conclusive identification is not possible; however,
based on the same evidence, I would say that I believe Conein was
present in Dallas*, and the man in the photos closely resembles him."
(*I am highly swayed by Fletcher Prouty telling me that Conein was
in Dealey Plaza; Prouty had inside sources.)
Jack