The Unsinkable Marguerite Oswald

8/12/2019 The Unsinkable Marguerite Oswald

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The Unsinkable Marguerite Oswald

by Harold Feldman The Realist,Issue Number 53- e!t" #$%& - !!" #'-#&"

I( the )o)ksure rogues who !lanned to )ondemn *ee Har+ey Oswald as the lone assassin o(resident ennedy had known his mother better, things would ha+e been di((erent" .ertainlythey would ha+e taken !ause and, !erha!s, looked around (or another /!atsy"0 Now they ha+eher on their trail, and they snarl at her (rom all sides with mali)e and mena)e" Their literaryagents )annot write three lines about her without suggesting that the only !ro!er !la)e (or thisaging 1ntigone who )ries (or 2usti)e (or her murdered son is an asylum or a gra+e" es, thereis a tou)h o( the !rima donna about Marguerite Oswald as she garners some egoisti) )om(ort(rom her isolation" Here and there she res!onds to the i)y dea(ness o( the dominations and

!owers with e4tra+agant sus!i)ion and s!e)ulation" ut i( Ibsen is right and the strongest is

the one who stands alone (or integrity and honor, then Marguerite Oswald is the strongestwoman in 1meri)a" One thing is sure (or anyone who knows about her li(e and knows her6she is a bra+e, bold and good woman" I (irst saw her in a)tion on aturday morning, 7une '8" Iarri+ed in 9allas with two (riends the day be(ore to re+iew the histori)al landmarks o( theennedy assassination, and a brie( tele!hone )all to *ee Har+ey Oswald:s mother in Fort;orth brought an in+itation to guide us on a tour o( Oak .li((" That is the se)tion o( 9allaswhere her son is said to ha+e killed atrolman 7" 9" Ti!!it, where be was )a!tured three#?-a-day !ra)ti)al nurse when the resident:s murder turned her into the (ighting de(ender o(the Oswald (amily honor @she was (ired a (ew days laterAB it is easy to imagine her busy abouta si)k room, )a2oling, )om(orting, )hatting, and standing (or no nonsense about taking one:snu4 +omi)a" The !art o( Oak .li(( where *ee Oswald li+ed and 7" 9" Ti!!it died is adeteriorating neighborhood whose large houses ha+e turned into so many rooms (or low rent"Our tour )ame se+eral days a(ter the news!a!ers re!orted how Oswald was !re+ented (romstarting a homi)idal )areer with Ci)hard Ni4on only by his wi(e lo)king him in his room" ;ewent to the rooming house near Dth and Neely where *ee and Marina li+ed at the time"Marguerite was admitted with sym!atheti) de(eren)e and she went (orm room to room,

!ointing out that none o( the doors had e+er had lo)ks on them"
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*i(e Eoes to a 9arkroom

e(ore we le(t, she !hotogra!hed the (en)e against whi)h *ee was su!!osed to be standingwhen he had his !i)ture taken (or (uture re(eren)e, holding a ri(le, a gun, and a olshe+iknews!a!er" /*ook here,0 she said, and !ointed to the bottom o( the (en)e, ob+iously +ery

di((erent (rom what a!!eared on the dubious )o+er o( Life" 1(ter we lo)ated the s!ot on ="#?th t" where Ti!!it was (ound dead, we walked about a blo)k and a hal( to the home o(Helen *ouise Markham" he is the one who, the re!orts say, was the lone witness to thatshooting" Oak .li(( almost be)omes a slum there" Mrs" Markham li+es in a small a!artmentabo+e a barber sho! and she was !a)ing ba)k and (orth, her in(ant grand-daughter in her arms,when we arri+ed" No, she )ould not talk to us now, she had to mind the baby" ;e o((ered to

!ay (or a baby-sitter" No again, but )ould we return at '#5 when her husband would be homeand we )ould talk (reely" Helen Markham is still young6but shabby, beaten, and s!iritless,Mrs" Oswald s!ontaneously rea)hed (or the baby and held her (or a moment" 1t '#5 we

!lowed through the Turkish-bath a(ternoon Te4as heat, )arrying si4-!a)ks o( .oke against thean4ious hour we (oresaw in the hot stale air o( the Markham a!artment" 1s we a!!roa)hed

3'DG =" $th where the Markhams li+e, we noti)ed two 9allas !oli)e station wagons !arkedoutside, and 2ust as we turned the )orner o( $th and atton we saw them !ull away" Mrs"Oswald guessed what the !oli)e were there (or" U! the stairs she )harged, and there we metthe most !iti(ul s!e)ta)le in our e4!erien)e" Mr" Markham stood in the doorway, and behindhim the alleged witness to the Ti!!it murder )owered to one side" The man was a


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My *ee was so sure"0 1s he was lea+ing the )ar, she took his hand" /Take )are o( yoursel(,0she said, /and i( you get into trouble and need hel!, !lease get in tou)h with me" I:ll (ind someway to hel! you"0 Two days later Marguerite )alled us to )ome o+er (ast" he greeted us,holding u! a news!a!er in her hand" The Markham boy had been !i)ked u! (or burglary and

!arole +iolation" It re)alled the similar arrest a (ew weeks be(ore o( 1braham olden, the (irst

Negro e)ret er+i)e man assigned to the residential bodyguard, on )harges o( )oo!eratingwith )ounter(eiters" There, too, the )harge was entirely based on the testimony o( twowitnesses who themsel+es were under !oli)e )harges"

/I kee! thinking, maybe talking to us got the boy arrested,0 Mrs" Oswald said" /;e:+e got tohel! him" ;e ga+e him our word"0

1nd (or se+en hours Marguerite Oswald was on the !hone trying to get young Markham alawyer" he )alled Mark *ane in New ork, )alled Ereg Olds o( the 9allas .i+il *ibertiesUnion @who made +ague, un(ul(illed !ledgesA, )alled the *awyers Ce(erral er+i)e, )alled si4attorneys in Fort ;orth who all begged o((" O+er and o+er she asked (or a lawyer to +isit the

boy in 2ail to make sure he was re!resented by )ounsel" hadow images )rossed her mind o(the boy being killed in 2ail as her son was" he o((ered to !ay the legal e4!enses but it was nogo" he got !romises, re)ommendations, a!ologies, but no lawyer" Mark *ane (inallymanaged to !ersuade a relu)tant )olleague in 9allas to see young Markham" Mrs" ?swald isunem!loyed" No 2ob has materialiJed, (or her sin)e the assassination" Her in)ome now is

based almost solely on the sale o( do)uments to the !ress" Lifebought a !i)ture o( her andMarina (or a thousand dollars andEsquire!aid >&??? (or si4teen letters *ee had written herduring his stay in Cussia" ome (oreign re!orters !aid her (or inter+iews, he li+es in a one-(loor three-room house @rent >3? a monthA, she s!ends little (or (ood, her wardrobe is rather

bare, and air-)onditioning is beyond her budget"

;hat other money she has, she s!ends on the de(ense o( *ee Oswald, ;hat a shar! )ontrastthe negle)t o( this mother makes to the (antasti) )on)ern that go+ernment and )hur)h ha+eshown (or the alleged assassin:s wi(e, Marina" The Cussian girl, whom *ee married a(ter hehad already de)ided to return to 1meri)a, has re)ei+ed some >85,??? in )ontributions and)om!ensation" he is the ob2e)t o( e+ery tender soli)itude, !ubli) and domesti), (rom thee)ret er+i)e" ;hen the Fort ;orth .oun)il o( .hur)hes started a (und (or the Oswalds,they soon made it )lear that none o( their )harity was meant (or the mother who was sounmotherly as to de(end her son" .he)ks donated (or the relie( o( Marguerite were returned tothe senders" The reason (or this dis)rimination, the la+ish a))e!tan)e o( Marina, the hostileostra)ism o( Marguerite, is ob+ious enough" Marina )oo!erates" he makes the !ro!er noises

(or the e)ret er+i)e and the FI"

1(ter (irst !rotesting his inno)en)e, she now hardly lets a week go by without adding to themonstrous list o( her husband:s intended +i)tims" Marguerite Oswald, on the other hand" isin(le4ible in de(ense o( her son:s inno)en)e, at least until he is !ro+en guilty" /The money itrunning out,0 she says, /but I:+e learned not to worry"0 *ike Mi)awber, she is sure somethingwill turn u!" 1lmost e+ery day she +isits *ee:s gra+e in Cosehill .emetery, 2ust outside o(Fort ;orth" he re!la)es the (lowers taken by sou+enir hunters, weeds the grass and tends thesa!ling that rises o+er his gra+e" In her )ar she )arries a garden hose whi)h she atta)hes to thes!igot at the gra+eside and waters the gra+e"


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1 tar Is orn

The area around the gra+e has been trodden into a hard brown walk by the daily +isitors, and

the need to kee! (a)e be(ore hundreds o( )urious wat)hers e+ery day has made her a bit o( ashowo((" =+ery in)h o( her bearing is a !olite de(ian)e o( her isolation and an awareness o(history" he is !roud, i( not o( her son, )ertainly o( hersel(" Mrs" Oswald is a *utheran and awhite outherner" *ike Madame 9rey(us 8? years ago, nothing but her !osition as the +i)timo( an o((i)ial (rame-u! @Madame 9rey(us always )alled it a /2udi)ial error0A would ha+e e+er

!ut her in )onta)t with the hand(ul o( radi)als who take u! her )ause" 1 !aro)hial Te4an, Mrs"Oswald" is not altogether )om(ortable with the +oluminous sym!athy she re)ei+es (rom=uro!e" he is a bit uneasy about Mark *ane:s )rusade (or 2usti)e (or *ee in aris, Come,uda!est and *ondon" he would like the )ase (ought out in 1meri)a by 1meri)ans6butsometimes, des!air gri!s her heart, and she wonders whether she hersel( will not wind u! in=uro!ean e4ile"he was born and grew u! in New Orleans" he raised her (amily in Fort

;orth" The word /nigger0 )omes naturally to her li!s @2ust as it did to her son:s e+en a(ter hewas su!!osed to be a .ommunist in CussiaA, but the least in2usti)e against Negroes, Me4i)ansor Indians, starts her indignation tank boiling again" ;hene+er we e4!ressed doubt about her

!ros!e)ts, she would re!ly, /This is 1meri)a0 or /This is Te4as06something we)osmo!olitans (rom hiladel!hia )ould not be e4!e)ted to )om!rehend" e)ause /this is1meri)a,0 Mrs" Oswald wa+ed aside our o!inion that the ;arren .ommission would not+indi)ate her son and hersel(" he glories in the (a)t that all o( her sons ser+ed in the Marines,and *ee, she says o+er and o+er, was a)ting (or the United tates go+ernment (rom the day he

2oined the Marines in #$5% to the day he was hand)u((ed and shot in a 9allas 2ail" Her oldestson, 7ohn =dward i), born o( her (irst marriage, has !assed & years in uni(orm and is now an1ir For)e sergeant" Cobert =" *ee Oswald 7r", her se)ond boy, was *ee Har+ey:s /big

brother"0 he remembers *ee in his early teens studying the !rint o(( o( Cobert:s Marinemanual" One day she (ound *ee !uJJling o+er the manual and beside it was a !a!erbound.ommunist !am!hlet" It was this bro)hure whi)h was !added and in(lated in the !ost-assassination !ress until it )ould be !assed o(( asDas Kapital, no less, always mentioned withthe Eerman title, mind you" robably it was the !am!hlet about the Cosenbergs whi)h *eetold 1line Mosby about in Mos)ow" He


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trash"0 ;hen they were new)omers in New ork and *ee, age #&, was !la)ed in are(ormatory (or being absent without lea+e (rom s)hool (or #8 days, he )ried out, /ou:+e gotto get me out o( here, mother" They ha+e real )riminals here, kids who ha+e stabbed !eo!leand killed !eo!le with guns0 he ke!t her )hildren )lean and neat, they ate their !ork and

beans, na!kin in hand, and her home, howe+er bare, always mani(ested a middle-)lass taste"

he was !lainly elated when *ee:s landlady in 9allas told her that *ee was the only tenant inthe !la)e who washed the tub out a(ter he took a bath" The Oswalds were (rugal, !aid theirdebts, li+ed on sandwi)hes when they bad to, and sa+ed their s)ra!ings" One day she saw hernursing home em!loyer browbeat and abuse an old !atient and she #"'5-an-hour 2obs or unem!loyment )om!ensation, Mrs, Oswald asked him why hele(t Cussia, where his 2ob was easy and the !ay regular, to )ome home to li(e as a +irtual

dereli)t"

/Not e+en Marina knows that,0 was his answer"

;hat Mrs" Oswald insists on in the )ase as mu)h as his inno)en)e is her )on+i)tion that *eewas an 1meri)an se)ret agent" 9ay a(ter day she studies the !hotogra!hs and re!orts o( theassassination" /1nalyJing,0 she )alls it, and her inter!retations e+iden)e a shar! intelligen)e" Isaw her dri+e around Fort ;orth and 9allas to (ind and


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/They turned their ba)ks on me be(ore and they will turn their ba)ks on me again, but my(aith will see me through"0 Marguerite Oswald is unbreakable" That is why the !owers areo((ended" Is Marguerite Oswald /emotional0 and /unstable,0 as theMaedchen fuer Alleo( the

!ress say ;e s!ent 5 days in her house and wat)hed her under high !ressure" I( she is,emotional, then Molly it)her was a hysteri)" I( she is unstable, then Mount Cushmore is

!utty"

Ce)olle)tions by Kin)ent alandria @Mar)h '?#3A

On aturday, No+ember '3rd, #$%3, Harold Feldman, my then brother-n-law, met with me inmy home" ;e de)ided that we would reser+e 2udgment on the Oswald as assassin newsa))ounts until the weekend was o+er" ;e said that i( Oswald was guilty, no inno)entgo+ernment would !ermit anything to ha!!en to him o+er the weekend" ;e also !osited thati( Oswald was inno)ent, then he would be killed o+er the weekend to !reser+e him as thego+ernment:s !atsy (or the state )rime o( killing ennedy, ;e de)ided that i( he was killed,the go+ernment would seek to )on)eal the truth, and that it would be the task o( !ri+ate

)itiJens to undertake to learn the truth" Finally we de)ided, i( Oswald was killed by a 7ew,then the le(t, (earing a !ogrom against the le(t, whi)h was largely 7ewish, would not undertakethe task o( learning the truth about the assassination" ;hen Cuby shot Oswald, I was wat)hingTK" I told my guest that the assassin would turn out to be 7ewish" Harold, his wi(e, Irma, andI went to 9allas in the summer o( #$%&"

On arri+al in 9allas, I )alled the 1.*U o((i)e and ad+ised them that we were in+estigatingthe ennedy assassination and would like to be able to )all u!on them i( we ran into

!roblems" ;e were assured that the 9allas !oli)e would not be any !roblem" I s!ent (ourdays slee!ing o+er at Marguerite Oswald:s a!artment" he told me about her +isit to the tate9e!artment a(ter *ee de(e)ted to the o+iet Union" he said that she got red-)ar!et treatmentand was assured that she need not worry about him" he (elt that her son, *ee, was a U""intelligen)e agent" ;e made a )all to Helen Markham:s home and told her we were going to+isit her with Mrs" Oswald" ;hen we got to the her home, a 9allas !oli)e )ar was lea+ing";e met with Mrs" Markham and her husband" They a!!eared terri(ied" Their teeth wereliterally )hattering, making sounds as their terror re(le)ted itsel(" ;e got nothing (rom them"1 !erson who identi(ied himsel( as their son met with us as we le(t and o((ered to tell us hismother:s story (or money" ;e re(used to !ay (or thein(ormation" ;ith Mrs" Oswald, weinter+iewed 1)

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The Unsinkable Marguerite Oswald