HARVEY & LEE

 Part 3-The Handwriting is on the Wall

By W. Tracy Parnell Ó 2002

John Armstrong’s theory of "Harvey and Lee" has garnered a great deal of attention recently from the JFK research community. Armstrong is known to be working on a book that will presumably tie his work to a larger theory of what happened on November 22, 1963. When I began to study Armstrong’s work, I found it to be based in no small part on eyewitness accounts. This makes it difficult for researchers to "pin down" certain aspects of John Armstrong's scenario. For example, Armstrong lists many persons who claim to have witnessed Lee Harvey Oswald driving a car. These observers can be countered by Warren Commission witnesses such as Ruth and Michael Paine who knew Oswald well and would be in a position to know if he drove or not. However, it is not an easy matter to prove a group of witnesses either right or wrong conclusively.

Fortunately, not all areas of study relating to the "Harvey and Lee" theory are so ambiguous. One such area that I looked at recently is that of physical evidence such as handwriting. There are many known examples of LHO's handwriting contained in documents examined by the Warren Commission (WC) and House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA).

The questions I wanted to answer were these:

1. Could certain examples of LHO's handwriting be positively attributed to either "Harvey" or "Lee" as they are described in Armstrong's work?
2. Did either the WC or HSCA perform an analysis on these samples?
3. Can the samples in question be attributed to only one person and thereby cast doubt on Armstrong's analysis?

HSCA Handwriting Analysis

It turns out that the HSCA did the definitive work in the area of handwriting analysis. [1]The HSCA's work was tailor-made for my study of Armstrong's theories because it was done specifically to dispute the earlier double-Oswald ideas of Richard Popkin and other critics. While the Warren Commission had simply dismissed multiple sightings of LHO by saying that he was elsewhere at the time, the HSCA wanted to show that most of the writings of LHO could be attributed to one individual and therefore it was likely there was only one Oswald. [2]

In an effort to find a panel of experts best qualified for the task of reviewing the documents, the HSCA asked the president of the American Society of Questioned Document Examiners for recommendations on the leading experts in the field of questioned document examination, specifically handwritten documents. They then asked each of the people he recommended for their suggestions. Three names appeared consistently, Joseph P. McNally, David J. Purtell, and Charles C. Scott, all of whom belonged to the American Society of Questioned Document Examiners. [3]

The samples chosen for examination were taken from numerous documents purportedly written and signed by LHO in the last 7 years of his life, numbering 63 in all. They were organized according to five significant periods:

1.      October 1956 through September 1959, when Oswald was in the Marines.

2.      October 1959 through June 1962, when Oswald was in the Soviet Union.

3.      July 1962 to September 1963, when Oswald lived in Dallas and then in New Orleans.

4.      The final week of September 1963, when Oswald visited Mexico.

5.      From the end of September 1963 to the day of the assassination, when Oswald lived in Dallas.

The panel was asked to determine if the handwriting on the documents was that of one person. [4] Their general conclusion was, "With the restrictions and reservations stated in each panel member's final report, * the members conclude, generally, that the signatures and handwriting purported to be by Oswald are consistently that of one person." [5] I wanted to take a closer look and make sure that the "restrictions and reservations" the panel members may have had wouldn't disprove my thesis.

The HSCA Analysis as it Pertains to "Harvey & Lee"

Using the HSCA handwriting report and list of documents they examined, I looked for examples of "Harvey" and "Lee". I discovered there were many more examples of "Harvey" to be found, but enough of "Lee" to make a comparison. I especially wanted to select original documents if possible, since it is standard practice among questioned document examiners to make definitive conclusions on originals only. After careful consideration, I selected three samples of "Lee" and three of "Harvey". The HSCA documents [6] I chose for my analysis were:

Table One: Selected HSCA Handwriting Samples

Lee

HSCA #           Date and Title                          

1. 10/24/56 USMC Contract

8. 5/8/58 Japan Military ID

9. 9/10/59 US Passport

Harvey

HSCA #           Date and Title                          

11. 9/11/59 USMC Document

17. 11/3/59 Revocation of US Citizenship

43. TSBD Employment Application

 

A Closer Look at the Selected Samples

Document 1 is LHO's USMC (serial # 1653230) enlistment contract and record dated October 24, 1956. According to "Denial # 2", a compilation of Armstrong's November in Dallas '97 material by Jerry Robertson, “Lee” would have signed this. On page 13 of the Appendix is the infamous "13 inch head" photo of LHO in front of a height chart. The caption states, "Lee taken shortly after entering the Marines". Following the cross-reference to page 12 we read. "After boot camp and ITR training, Harvey Oswald left for Jacksonville, Florida. Lee Oswald also joined the Marines in October 1956. This photo of Lee, found in a Naval Intelligence file at the National Archives, was taken in December 1956." [7] Document 1, according to Armstrong, is definitely "Lee".

Document 8 is described as Identification Card (# 00646 according to WC Exhibit 1989) US Forces, Japan and issued May 8, 1958. This has to be "Lee" because according to Armstrong, "Lee" went to Japan not "Harvey" (see chart on page 8 of the Appendix to H&L '97).

There can be no questioning who signed Document 9, which is US Passport # 1733242. Jim Hargrove, an associate of Armstrong, uses the photo from this passport on his web site [8] as an example of what "Lee" looked like. Therefore, I chose this for my final sample of “Lee”.

Document 11 is the first example of "Harvey's" writing. It is the USMC notice of obligated service dated September 11, 1959. For confirmation that this is "Harvey", we turn again to the timeline chart in H&L '97. According to the chart, "Harvey" is at El Toro, CA and would be the one who signed the document. "Lee" is in New Orleans at this time on a series of "adventures", according to Armstrong.

I next chose Document 17, a November 3, 1959 declaration requesting revocation of US citizenship signed by "Harvey", the Oswald who goes to Russia. There is no question about this, according to Armstrong.

Finally, I selected Document 43, LHO's employment application for the Texas School Book Depository. Again, there is no question that this is "Harvey", according to the theory.

The Bottom Line

What did the HSCA's Handwriting Panel say about the samples I selected? The Panel found that the same person wrote all of my "Harvey and Lee" samples.

The report of Joseph McNally stated, "Virtually all the Lee H. Oswald and Lee Harvey Oswald signatures are by the same person". The only documents McNally had a problem with were # 47 (Hunt Note) and 52 (salary receipt). [9]

David Purtell's report summed up his findings quickly and unequivocally: "One person wrote the signatures, Lee Harvey Oswald, Lee H. Oswald, and Lee Oswald on documents 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 15, 17, 22, 25, 27, 31, 32, 33, 34, 36, 38, 43, 45, and 55" (emphasis added). [10]

Charles Scott did not examine Document # 8 and obviously could not comment on that item. On the other five items he did not waiver: "After very careful examination and comparison of the documents provided, I am of the opinion that, on the following original documents, Oswald's purported signatures and other writings are all in the same handwriting and were all written by one and the same person. (89) Item l …Item 9… Item 11… Item 17… Item 43…". [11]

In conclusion, the HSCA Handwriting Analysis casts much doubt on the theory of "Harvey and Lee". These six strong examples from the committee's work when compared to Armstrong's "Oswalds" make a strong case for one and only one Lee Harvey Oswald.

Table Two: Analysis of HSCA Handwriting Samples and “Harvey & Lee”

Author’s Note: This table lists all relevant samples used by the HSCA in their analysis. Samples were identified as “Harvey” or “Lee” using timelines and other information from Armstrong’s “Harvey and Lee ‘97”. Some HSCA samples were undated and therefore marked “Unclear”.

 

HSCA #	DESCRIPTION	HARVEY OR LEE	MCNALLY	PURTELL	SCOTT
1	10/24/56 USMC Contract	Lee	Y	Y	Y
2	Copy of 1	Lee	Y	N-O	Y
3	10/24/56 Loyalty Cert.	Lee	P	N-O	Y
4	10/24/56 USMC Examination	Lee	Y	Y	Y
5	10/24/56 Emergency Data	Lee	Y	Y	Y
6	10/24/56 USMC Fingerpnt Crd	Lee	P	Y	Y
7	10/25/56 USMC Misc. Info	Lee	Y	Y	Y
8	5/8/58 Military ID (Japan)	Lee	P	Y	N-O
9	9/10/59 LA Passport	Lee	P	Y	Y
10	9/10/59 LA Passport Photo	Lee	P	N-O	Y
11	9/11/59 USMC Ob. Service	Harvey	Y	Y	Y
12	9/11/59 USMC Security Term.	Harvey	Y	Y	Y
13	9/11/59 Discharge Report	Harvey	P	N-O	P
14	9/14/59 Draft Card	Harvey	P	N-O	N-O
15	9/14/59 SS Certificate	Harvey	P	Y	Y
16	Historic Diary	Harvey	Y	N-O	Y
17	11/3/59 Revocation US Cit.	Harvey	Y	Y	Y
18	11/15/59 Mosby Int. Account	Harvey	Y	N-O	P
19	1960 Political Discussion	Harvey	Y	Y	Y
20	1962 Self-questionnaire	Harvey	Y	Y	N-O
21	Copy of 20	Harvey	Y	N-O	P
22	1/17/62 Affidavit of Support	Harvey	Y	Y	Y
23	2/20/62 Letter Alek to Marina	Harvey	Y	N-O	N-O
25	6/10/69? Letter to The Worker	Harvey	Y	Y	Y
26	7/13/62 Letter-Leslie Welding	Harvey	Y	N-O	Y
27	10/9/69? PO Box 2915	Harvey	Y	Y	Y
29	3/12/63 Klein's Money Order	Harvey	Y	P	Y
30	3/12/63 Microfilm of 29	Harvey	Y	N-O	Y
31	5/4/63 Backyard Photo	Harvey	P	Y	Y
32	5/26/63 Letter-FPCC	Harvey	P	Y	Y
33	6/15/63 FPCC Card	Harvey	P	Y	N-O
34	6/24/63 NO Passport	Harvey	P	Y	Y
35	6/24/63 NO Passport Photo	Harvey	N-O	N-O	Y
36	8/9/63 Fingerprint Card	Harvey	P	Y	Y
37	Copy of 36	Harvey	P	N-O	P
38	8/28/63 Letter-Communist Pty.	Harvey	Y	P	Y
39	9/27/63 Hotel Register	Unclear	P	N-O	P
40	9/27/63 Mexico Visa App.	Unclear	P	N-O	N-O
41	Copy 0f 40	Unclear	P	N-O	N-O
42	10/63 Letter-Russian Embassy	Harvey	Y	N-O	N-O
43	10/15/63 Employment App.	Harvey	Y	Y	Y
44	10/16/63 W-4 Form	Harvey	P	N-O	Y
45	11/1/63 PO Box 6225 App.	Harvey	Y	Y	Y
46	11/1/63 PO Box Key Receipt	Harvey	Y	N-O	Y
47	11/8/63 "Hunt Letter"	Probably Fake	N	N-O	P
48	11/9/63 Letter-Russian Emb.	Harvey	Y	Y	P
50	Copy of 48	Harvey	Y	N-O	P
51	Speech	Unclear	Y	Y	Y
52	TSBD Salary Receipts	Harvey	N	N-O	N-O
55	Dallas Library Card	Unclear	P	Y	N-O
56	Note-Alek	Harvey	Y	N-O	N-O
57	Walker Note	Harvey	Y	N-O	N-O
58	MC Cert. Of Service	Unclear	N-O	N-O	N-O
59	SS Card	Unclear	N-O	N-O	N-O
60	GA-Joen Kanko Hotel Card	Unclear	N-O	N	N-O
61	Photo-Camp Pendleton	Unclear	N-O	Y	N-O
62	Piece of Paper	Unclear	N-O	N-O	N-O
63	11/22/63 Fingerprint Form	Harvey	N-O	N-O	N-O
		Y=Written by the Same Individual
		N=Not Written by the Same Individual
		P=Probably Written by the Same Individual
		N-O=No Opinion or Did Not Study Document