Generosity to Friends and the Need for Recognition
Although Ruby often flared up aggressively, he calmed quickly, and the record shows he was extremely generous to friends, loaning them money without much concern for repayment, offering jobs to the needy, helping acquaintances find work elsewhere, and regularly opening his apartment to friends and newcomers who had nowhere to stay. This unusual generosity appears to stem from his emotional reaction to people in distress—possibly informed by his own early familiarity with poverty—and from a strong craving to be recognized and relied upon; many acquaintances described him as a “publicity hound,” “glad hander,” and “name dropper,” always seeking the center of attention, and the “egocentrism” of his youth never left him, though he frequently sought reassurance from those he admired.
APPENDIX XVII
Appendix XVII documents Jack Ruby’s persistent efforts, beginning as early as December 1963, to be tested by a polygraph, truth serum, or other scientific device that would establish his veracity, especially regarding any conspiratorial connection between himself and Lee Harvey Oswald. It records the procedural steps taken by his defense counsel in the Texas criminal proceedings—motions filed in court and a request that the FBI administer the examination—Ruby’s reiteration of the request during a May 11, 1964 psychiatric examination, and the numerous letters written to the President’s Commission on his behalf requesting a polygraph examination.
Polygraph Examination of Jack Ruby
The polygraph examination of Jack Ruby was undertaken at his own repeated insistence and at the request of his defense counsel, who sought an objective scientific test of any conspiratorial link between Ruby and Oswald. The appendix traces Ruby’s persistent requests from December 1963 onward and the formal defense motions and FBI requests filed in support of such a test, culminating in his restated wish during a May 11, 1964 psychiatric examination and the flood of letters to the President’s Commission urging that the examination be conducted.
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