02-06-2011, 03:51 PM
I don't think I ever mentioned "radio," but that word is in the subject line of this thread. If there is an audio-only version, I don't know about it.
At the risk of being long, over-detailed and dull, I'll relate everything I know about this entire matter.
In early May I heard that the iantique.com web site, which describes itself as a social networking site for antique enthusiasts, would be webcasting a series of JFK-themed shows each Tuesday evening during the month of May. Five shows in all. I can't remember now where I heard about it either on this site, or in an email sent around by "Tree Frog." I get stuff from him almost daily.
The highlight of these five shows would be the appearance of Mary Ann Moorman on the May 24 installment. The shows originated at a place called the Brass Armadillo Antique Mall in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, on the outskirts of Denver. This is near my home, so I contacted the mall and reserved myself a place in the audience. Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, etc etc.
I am not into antiques and had never heard of the Brass Armadillo (or iantique.com) before. The whole thing seemed incongruous: why would Mary Moorman come to the Brass Armadillo, which, as it turned out, is in a nondescript building along a cheerless frontage road running parallel to a freeway? I thought it possible she had relocated to Denver in the intervening years. No, show host Gary Stover told me by phone, she's still in Texas.
I never really satisfied myself on this point. I'm told Mary Ann Moorman's appearance has something to do with her wanting to sell the original copy of the picture. Gary Stover seems to have a genuine interest in the assassination, but it isn't real strong. "The Stover Hour" is typically devoted to antiques. No surprise there.
So I went down there on May 24, watched from the audience. Afterward I gave Stover a copy of my book.
I did have a chance to talk to Mrs. Moorman after the show. Stover had asked her about her location when she took her famous photo, but I didn't find her answer all that clear, so I got her to re-state it unambiguously. (On the curb, she told me.) And I read her a portion of Jean Hill's WC testimony about the Secret SErvice agent who, Hill testified, said "We have three wounds and we have three bullets, three shots is all that we are willing to say right now." She said she didn't recall that. But those were the only questions I was able to ask her. She had several others there demanding a bit of her time, and she looked exhausted, so I gave up the floor.
On Monday (the Memorial Day holiday in the USA) Gary Stover sent me an email asking if I would be on his show the next day, May 31. He said his original plan was to "go solo" and talk about what new info may have come from the Moorman interview 5-24, but that it might add something if I participated. I swallowed what ordinarily would be my usual self-deprecating reply and said okay.
He kept saying, "What does it add to the debate?" so I tried to emphasize that there really is no debate, a conspiracy is obvious, we shouldn't be debating this matter nearly fifty years later, let's get on with the job of fixing the country. I said that in our pre-show meeting and tried to get some of it into the actual show, but did not succeed until nearly the end. I said, when asked, that I felt the most "interesting" (I tried not to say "important") points Mary Moorman had were that 1) she stated her location when she took her picture, and 2) she stated the presidential limo slowed or stopped.
As of Thursday morning, Colorado time, this last, May 31 segment has not yet been uploaded.
**
One more thing. The following ventures into the realm of PURE SPECULATION.
For Mary Moorman's May 24 appearance, Gary Stover invited anyone who was interested to send him questions via email. I sent him some. I quoted a section of an undated document written by Shirley Martin I can't tell if it's a letter or what, because there is no salutation or other identifying header. I have scanned this document and am trying to add the pertinent paragraph to this post, so you can read it for yourself.
Mrs. Martin describes telephoning Jean Hill in January 1964. Hill, she says, told her that she and Mary Moorman had both received threatening phone calls telling them to keep quiet.
I speculate that this could be one reason why Mary Moorman has been silent all these years, and further, that it could be one reason why her recollections remain consistently different on certain points from those of Jean Hill's. (That Jean Hill seems to have embellished her story over the years is, I think, a separate issue.) Death threats, threats of bodily harm, threats against one's children, could all be enough to shut someone's mouth. It would sure as hell work on me. You might feel, late in life, that it might be safe to go public on certain small points, if that means you can sell a famous photo. But on other points you will keep you mouth shut tight.
Again, this is pure speculation delivered with all the credibility of a loud mouthed drunk down at the end of the bar.
Now I shall attempt to upload that paragraph. I got it in a huge collection of stuff from Vince Salandria about ten years ago. All marginalia, strikeovers, and so on, are in the original.
At the risk of being long, over-detailed and dull, I'll relate everything I know about this entire matter.
In early May I heard that the iantique.com web site, which describes itself as a social networking site for antique enthusiasts, would be webcasting a series of JFK-themed shows each Tuesday evening during the month of May. Five shows in all. I can't remember now where I heard about it either on this site, or in an email sent around by "Tree Frog." I get stuff from him almost daily.
The highlight of these five shows would be the appearance of Mary Ann Moorman on the May 24 installment. The shows originated at a place called the Brass Armadillo Antique Mall in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, on the outskirts of Denver. This is near my home, so I contacted the mall and reserved myself a place in the audience. Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, etc etc.
I am not into antiques and had never heard of the Brass Armadillo (or iantique.com) before. The whole thing seemed incongruous: why would Mary Moorman come to the Brass Armadillo, which, as it turned out, is in a nondescript building along a cheerless frontage road running parallel to a freeway? I thought it possible she had relocated to Denver in the intervening years. No, show host Gary Stover told me by phone, she's still in Texas.
I never really satisfied myself on this point. I'm told Mary Ann Moorman's appearance has something to do with her wanting to sell the original copy of the picture. Gary Stover seems to have a genuine interest in the assassination, but it isn't real strong. "The Stover Hour" is typically devoted to antiques. No surprise there.
So I went down there on May 24, watched from the audience. Afterward I gave Stover a copy of my book.
I did have a chance to talk to Mrs. Moorman after the show. Stover had asked her about her location when she took her famous photo, but I didn't find her answer all that clear, so I got her to re-state it unambiguously. (On the curb, she told me.) And I read her a portion of Jean Hill's WC testimony about the Secret SErvice agent who, Hill testified, said "We have three wounds and we have three bullets, three shots is all that we are willing to say right now." She said she didn't recall that. But those were the only questions I was able to ask her. She had several others there demanding a bit of her time, and she looked exhausted, so I gave up the floor.
On Monday (the Memorial Day holiday in the USA) Gary Stover sent me an email asking if I would be on his show the next day, May 31. He said his original plan was to "go solo" and talk about what new info may have come from the Moorman interview 5-24, but that it might add something if I participated. I swallowed what ordinarily would be my usual self-deprecating reply and said okay.
He kept saying, "What does it add to the debate?" so I tried to emphasize that there really is no debate, a conspiracy is obvious, we shouldn't be debating this matter nearly fifty years later, let's get on with the job of fixing the country. I said that in our pre-show meeting and tried to get some of it into the actual show, but did not succeed until nearly the end. I said, when asked, that I felt the most "interesting" (I tried not to say "important") points Mary Moorman had were that 1) she stated her location when she took her picture, and 2) she stated the presidential limo slowed or stopped.
As of Thursday morning, Colorado time, this last, May 31 segment has not yet been uploaded.
**
One more thing. The following ventures into the realm of PURE SPECULATION.
For Mary Moorman's May 24 appearance, Gary Stover invited anyone who was interested to send him questions via email. I sent him some. I quoted a section of an undated document written by Shirley Martin I can't tell if it's a letter or what, because there is no salutation or other identifying header. I have scanned this document and am trying to add the pertinent paragraph to this post, so you can read it for yourself.
Mrs. Martin describes telephoning Jean Hill in January 1964. Hill, she says, told her that she and Mary Moorman had both received threatening phone calls telling them to keep quiet.
I speculate that this could be one reason why Mary Moorman has been silent all these years, and further, that it could be one reason why her recollections remain consistently different on certain points from those of Jean Hill's. (That Jean Hill seems to have embellished her story over the years is, I think, a separate issue.) Death threats, threats of bodily harm, threats against one's children, could all be enough to shut someone's mouth. It would sure as hell work on me. You might feel, late in life, that it might be safe to go public on certain small points, if that means you can sell a famous photo. But on other points you will keep you mouth shut tight.
Again, this is pure speculation delivered with all the credibility of a loud mouthed drunk down at the end of the bar.
Now I shall attempt to upload that paragraph. I got it in a huge collection of stuff from Vince Salandria about ten years ago. All marginalia, strikeovers, and so on, are in the original.
Peter Lemkin Wrote:I didn't know she attempted to sell it on eBay. What was her reserve price? That would be the WRONG way to go with it...to just sell it to the highest bidder [who would likely be a front for the 'Borg' to make it disappear forever, or a rich right-winger who'd do the same. It needs to be accessible to researchers as, despite the years, new techniques [such as those of Wilson] and new scientific forensic techniques come along. While I'm sure through the years Jack White and others have made copy negatives of it, the original has both historical and likely forensic data. It would certainly be easy for the FBI to identify the fingerprint on it now, but they certainly would be no more interested in that, than they were in solving the case - in fact they were the primary visible blockers of any real investigation, along with the WC and many other little and big entities in the shadows.
John, I took no offense at your remarks. I was sent an email yesterday and assumed it had just taken place. Your initial post mentioned radio. Was it only broadcast earlier as audio, and more recently as video; or what? When did it originally happen and WHY was this guy able to get her to give such a long and softball interview, when she turned down so many others, before? I think the most critical questions she could have been asked about in greater depth would have been the number and timing of shots [she seemed to contradict herself], and when and how much the limo slowed [or stopped]. I would have also liked a bit more on when the ''split" between her and Hill began and why. Was anyone able to ask further questions of her off camera or off mike?
Anyone know why it was given to TSFM and then back into Mooreman's hands? Was all that at M. M.''s request or other?