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

Karen Carlin’s Request for Money

At 9:30 p.m., Ruby was back at his apartment when he received a call from striptease dancer Karen Bennett Carlin, who had been driven to Dallas from Fort Worth with her husband by fellow dancer Nancy Powell; the trio had stopped at the competing Colony Club earlier. Carlin testified she called Ruby to ask if the Carousel would be open that night and to request part of her salary. Ruby became angry at the suggestion the Carousel might be open for business, but said he would come to the club in about an hour. After waiting a long time for Ruby, the Carlins returned to the Nichols Garage, where Mr. Carlin called Ruby to say they needed money to return to Fort Worth. Ruby agreed to advance a small sum, asked to speak to Mrs. Carlin, and told her to call him on Sunday if she needed more money. At Ruby’s request, garage attendant Huey Reeves gave Mrs. Carlin $5, and she signed a receipt under her stage name “Little Lynn” timestamped 10:33 p.m. November 23.

Ruby’s Call to Lawrence Meyers

After the call with Carlin, Ruby called his sister Eva Grant in a depressed mood, and she suggested he visit a friend. In response, Ruby called Lawrence Meyers, a friend from Chicago he had visited two nights prior. Meyers testified Ruby asked what he thought of the “terrible thing” (the assassination), then criticized his competitors Abe and Barney Weinstein for failing to close their clubs on Saturday night, saying “I’ve got to do something about this.” Meyers initially thought the remark referred to the Weinsteins, but after Oswald was shot, he was unsure if Ruby was referring to his competitors or the assassination, as Ruby had also spoken at length about Mrs. Kennedy, repeatedly saying “those poor people, those poor people.” Meyers declined Ruby’s invitation for coffee but invited him to his motel; when Ruby also declined, the two agreed to meet for dinner the following evening.