Report of the President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy

CAPÍTULO VIII. She did not then know Oswald’s address in Dallas.[C6-367]

This chapter details Jack Ruby’s activities on the morning of November 24, 1963, leading up to his fatal shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald in the Dallas Police Department basement, alongside evaluations of Ruby’s conduct surrounding the John F. Kennedy assassination and assessments of unsubstantiated rumors that Ruby and Oswald were previously acquainted.

Sunday Morning Activities

Ruby’s Sunday morning activities are the subject of conflicting testimony. Ruby and his roommate George Senator maintained he did not leave their apartment until shortly before 11 a.m., supported by two other witnesses, while three WBAP-TV technicians claimed to have seen Ruby near the Police and Courts Building between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. These technician identifications are largely discredited: none had prior familiarity with Ruby, made only brief observations, and gave inconsistent descriptions of Ruby’s appearance that conflict with verified details of his attire that morning. Testimony also indicates Ruby received a confused, seemingly distraught phone call from his cleaning lady Elnora Pitts between 8:30 and 9 a.m., and after breakfast he paced the apartment, mumbled unintelligibly, and spoke with his entertainer Karen Carlin at 10:19 a.m. to arrange sending her $25 via telegraph, mentioning he would be downtown that day.

Sunday Morning Trip to Police Department

Leaving his apartment a few minutes before 11 a.m. with his dachshund Sheba and a portable radio, Ruby drove downtown, passing Dealey Plaza and noting crowds outside the county jail (which he assumed meant Oswald had already been transferred) and the Police and Courts Building. He parked his car across from the Western Union office, left his keys and billfold in the trunk (containing approximately $1,000 in cash) and the trunk key in the glove compartment, and did not lock his car doors. He then walked to the Western Union office, where he completed a $25 telegraph money order for Carlin at 11:17 a.m. CST, retaining a time-stamped receipt. After the transaction, Ruby walked toward the police department, entered the basement via the auto ramp, and stood behind newsmen and police awaiting Oswald’s transfer. When Oswald emerged from a basement office at approximately 11:21 a.m., Ruby moved forward and fired a single fatal shot into Oswald’s abdomen before being subdued by officers.

Evaluation of Ruby’s Activities

An examination of Ruby’s conduct in the days surrounding President Kennedy’s assassination found no evidence he was involved in the assassination itself. His pre-assassination activities were routine, and his public expressions of grief and shock were consistent with his known character, as were his concerns about the impact of the assassination on his businesses. Ruby’s obsession with the “Impeach Earl Warren” sign and Bernard Weissman ad was openly expressed, and no links between Ruby and any political organization were found. Larry Crafard’s sudden departure from Dallas on November 23, which raised initial conspiracy speculation, was determined to be innocent: Crafard had planned to leave Ruby’s employ prior to the assassination, had a minor argument with Ruby the morning of November 23, and had longstanding ties to family in Michigan that motivated his hitchhiking trip, with no connections to the assassination or Oswald’s shooting. Allegations that Ruby’s Saturday night phone calls to friends Ralph Paul and Breck Wall discussed shooting Oswald were unsubstantiated: phone records showed no suspicious activity, both men had no known subversive ties, and the sole source of the claim (Wanda Helmick) had delayed reporting it for months, with no corroborating witnesses. An investigation into Ruby’s 10:19 a.m. call with Carlin also found no evidence it was prearranged to provide Ruby an excuse to be near the police department or convey information about Oswald’s transfer.

Ruby and Oswald Were Not Acquainted

Rumors that Ruby and Oswald were previously acquainted, fueled by claims that Oswald appeared to recognize Ruby as he approached in the police basement, were investigated and found to have no merit. Review of television tapes and film of the shooting found no facial expression from Oswald indicating recognition, and Oswald’s view of Ruby would have been obstructed by the bright flash of camera lights as he walked from a dark corridor into the basement. All specific allegations that Oswald was seen at Ruby’s Carousel Club or in his company prior to November 22 were investigated, and none were credible: in most cases, the original source of the claim denied making it or admitted there was no basis for it, sources were often individuals with erratic memory or poor mental stability, and unsubstantiated rumors had no identifiable sources or corroborating witnesses.