TESTIMONY OF JOSEPH ALEXANDER PETERSON

The testimony of Joseph Alexander Peterson was taken at 3:45 p.m., on August 5, 1964, at the U.S. Post Office Building, 301 Stewart Street, Las Vegas, Nev., by Mr. Arlen Specter, assistant counsel of the President's Commission.
Mr. SPECTER. May the record show present at this time is Mr. Joseph Peterson. Mr. Peterson, the President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy has asked you to appear so the we may take your deposition concerning any knowledge you have of Mr. Jack Ruby, his activities during the period around the assassination of President Kennedy, and any of his associates. With that preliminary statement of purpose, would you stand up and raise your right hand, please?
Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you shall give in this proceeding before the President's Commission shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
Mr. PETERSON. I do.
Mr. SPECTER. Would you state your full name?
Mr. PETERSON. Joseph Alexander Peterson.
Mr. SPECTER. Have you ever been known by any other name?
Mr. PETERSON. Joseph Jablonka.
Mr. SPECTER. Was that the name under which you were born, sir?
Mr. PETERSON. Yes, sir.
Mr. SPECTER. You say that has been legally changed?
Mr. PETERSON. Legally changed. My stepfather's name is Walter Peterson.
Mr. SPECTER. When was your name changed from Jablonka to Peterson?
Mr. PETERSON. November 1965. I remember that well because that was when I was married.
Mr. SPECTER. November of what?
Mr. PETERSON. 19 excuse me, 1946.
Mr. SPECTER. What is your birthday?
Mr. PETERSON. February 14, 1924.
Mr. SPECTER. Where were you born?
Mr. PETERSON. Brooklyn, N.Y.
Mr. SPECTER. Where have you lived since the time you were born?
Mr. PETERSON. Let's see, now. I have lived in Flatbush, Rogers Avenue, 649 Rogers Avenue, and----
Mr. SPECTER. Until when?
Mr. PETERSON. Wait a minute. Before that, 280 19th Street, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Mr. SPECTER. How long did you live in Brooklyn altogether?
Mr. PETERSON. The family; all our lives. Me, I went in the service, came out, went to Jacksonville, Fla.

615

Mr. SPECTER. Did you live in Brooklyn until you went into the service?
Mr. PETERSON. Right.
Mr. SPECTER. When did you go into the service?
Mr. PETERSON. 1941.
Mr. SPECTER. How long were you in the service?
Mr. PETERSON. 1945.
Mr. SPECTER. Where did you live after leaving the service?
Mr. PETERSON. 1946 I went to--back home.
Mr. SPECTER. Brooklyn?
Mr. PETERSON. Right.
Mr. SPECTER. How long did you live in Brooklyn after 1946?
Mr. PETERSON. Let's see. I guess a period about up until 1950.
Mr. SPECTER. Where did you live after 1950?
Mr. PETERSON. New Orleans.
Mr. SPECTER. How long did you live in New Orleans?
Mr. PETERSON. Three years.
Mr. SPECTER. Where did you live after that?
Mr. PETERSON. Jacksonville, Fla. No; wait a minute. I didn't go to Jacksonville, Fla. I visited Jacksonville, went to New Orleans, then from New Orleans, Dallas.
Mr. SPECTER. When?
Mr. PETERSON. 1950, 1951, 1952.
Mr. SPECTER. Let's go back to 1950. You were living in Brooklyn at that time?
Mr. PETERSON. Just before that.
Mr. SPECTER. Where did you go then in 1950?
Mr. PETERSON. To New Orleans. Now, approximately--probably it was the end of 1950 because 1951 was so close.
Mr. SPECTER. How long did you live in New Orleans?
Mr. PETERSON. Two and a half to three years, and then I went to Dallas, Tex. I lived there ever since.
Mr. SPECTER. In what year did you move to Dallas?
Mr. PETERSON. About the end of 1953 or 1954.
Mr. SPECTER. How long did you live thereafter in Dallas, Tex.?
Mr. PETERSON. Up to now. I went to--let's see, now. I went to Houston with the show last February. Up until last February I was in Dallas, Tex. I was in the show in Houston, February, March, April, May, June--January, February, March, then came here.
Mr. SPECTER. What is your occupation at the present time?
Mr. PETERSON. Producer.
Mr. SPECTER. Of what?
Mr. PETERSON. Coproducer of musical shows with Breck Wall.
Mr. SPECTER. Where are you employed right now?
Mr. PETERSON. Castaways Casino.
Mr. SPECTER. Here in Las Vegas?
Mr. PETERSON. Right. In Las Vegas.
Mr. SPECTER. How long have you been in show business?
Mr. PETERSON. Since about 1959.
Mr. SPECTER. How long have you known Mr. Breck Wall?
Mr. PETERSON. Since 1959.
Mr. SPECTER. How long, if at all, did you know Jack Ruby ?
Mr. PETERSON. I knew Jack Ruby--let me think, now. Probably it was the last part of 1961 and we did one show there at his club. I believe it was 1961. I'm trying to figure. We went back to the Adolphus in 1962. It was probably in 1961.
Mr. SPECTER. When you say "one show," what do you mean by that?
Mr. PETERSON. Did a musical revue called Sticks and Stones there.
Mr. SPECTER. How long did that last?
Mr. PETERSON. Lasted about 2 or 3 months, I guess. We had problems.
Mr. SPECTER. What problems did you have?
Mr. PETERSON. Well, a lot of disagreements. At the time Jack was changing the club from a--he was reopening it. It was called the Sovereign. He was

616

making it into a private club. He wanted to do something different. We were successful across the street with our revue. He talked to us about putting the show up there, going 50-50 on a business basis with the club which we never received anything about.
Mr. SPECTER. Did you ever enter into an agreement with Jack Ruby wherein you were to have a 50-50 interest in it?
Mr. PETERSON. Yes; this was written up with Vic Victorson, his attorney.
Mr. SPECTER. Victorson?
Mr. PETERSON. Yes; Victor Victorson.
Mr. SPECTER. How do you spell that?
Mr. PETERSON. Victorson.
Mr. SPECTER. V-i-c-t-o-r-s-o-n?
Mr. PETERSON. Yes; the agreement was with him. It never held up though. We got nothing.
Mr. SPECTER. You never received any interest in the club?
Mr. PETERSON. Not a thing.
Mr. SPECTER. Did you ever endeavor to enforce that agreement?
Mr. PETERSON. Yes; the only thing we ever got out of it was through a loan. I think Brock borrowed $300 to go to New York on a business trip. That is all the money we received out of it.
Mr. SPECTER. Did you ever try to make Jack Ruby live up to the agreement in any other way?
Mr. PETERSON. There was no use. Jack Ruby, in spite of our disagreements, he was kind of good natured in a way. The best thing to do was to bow out quietly.
Mr. SPECTER. Did you first meet Jack Ruby in approximately September 1961, when you played "Sticks and Stones"?
Mr. PETERSON. About that time; a little before that he came up to visit us at the club.
Mr. SPECTER. When was that?
Mr. PETERSON. September of 1960. Sometime around in there. He came up like a lot of club owners do. I think when we reopened the club he came up and visited us. We were introduced to him as Jack Ruby. That was all.
Mr. SPECTER. After you terminated your business relationship with him when the show "Sticks and Stones" ended, how frequently, if at all, did you see him thereafter?
Mr. PETERSON. He came and visited us quite a lot at the Century Room. He would come in when he had guests, big-shot type of thing, wanted to be recognized. He was very nice.
Mr. SPECTER. Did you have a cordial relationship notwithstanding your prior difficulties?
Mr. PETERSON. Right; right. Like I say, it was best to keep everything on a hello-goodbye basis.
Mr. SPECTER. How frequently did you see him after 1962?
Mr. PETERSON. Well, normally, like bump into him. It was only across the street. We were living at the Adolphus. Back and forth. It's hard to tell how many times.
Mr. SPECTER. Did you ever have any more business dealings with him?
Mr. PETERSON. No; once we went into bankruptcy, Brock and I, and like when all friendship failed we went to Jack Ruby and he came through. He was real fine. Loaned us money. We paid him back.
Mr. SPECTER. How much money did he loan you?
Mr. PETERSON. It wasn't exactly a loan. It was a thing, holding on costumes we had for the show. It was $400.
Mr. SPECTER. To your knowledge did Jack Ruby have any association with any of the criminal elements?
Mr. PETERSON. Well, if you want to go by hearsay, yes; but actually I don't know of any. In fact he was in thicker with the police in Dallas than anybody else I knew of because they were always in his place.
Mr. SPECTER. What hearsay are you referring to?
Mr. PETERSON. I am talking about any hearsay. Because of his character automatically people would take him as a thug.

617

Mr. SPECTER. What aspect of his character would cause people to do that?
Mr. PETERSON. Outward appearance.
Mr. SPECTER. Anything besides outward appearance?
Mr. PETERSON. No; Jack, in spite of our differences, he was a nice, a good man.
Mr. SPECTER. Did you ever see him associate with any of the criminal element personally?
Mr. PETERSON. No; no.
Mr. SPECTER. To your knowledge was Jack Ruby a member of any organization which advocated the forceful overthrow of the U.S. Government?
Mr. PETERSON. No.
Mr. SPECTER. To your knowledge was any member of his family a member of any such organization?
Mr. PETERSON. I know nothing about his family except I had met his sister.
Mr. SPECTER. To your knowledge were any of his friends or associates members of any subversive organization?
Mr. PETERSON. No; not to my knowledge.
Mr. SPECTER. When did you see Jack Ruby most recently prior to November 22, 1963?
Mr. PETERSON. I guess it was before we went to Galveston. Sometime before then. I couldn't peg it down. I'm sure we saw him. Like I say, we saw him on the street there. Next thing was the call and that was it.
Mr. SPECTER. You don't recall seeing him specifically on any special date prior to the day of the assassination?
Mr. PETERSON. No; I don't.
Mr. SPECTER. But you do think, in a general way, you must have seen him because he was in the area?
Mr. PETERSON. Right.
Mr. SPECTER. Do you recall the day of the assassination?
Mr. PETERSON. Oh, yes.
Mr. SPECTER. Tell me as specifically as you can recollect what you did on that day?
Mr. PETERSON. Well, there was going to be the parade. We went down and stood on the marquee of the Adolphus Hotel. We were there with some newspaper people we knew and everybody at the hotel. The President passed by. We came back in the lobby. Next thing we knew we heard on the television he had been shot. That was it.
Mr. SPECTER. What did you do next; if anything?
Mr. PETERSON. As well as I can remember either we called or went upstairs, told the rest of the kids in the cast, those that weren't out. Just astonishment. Everybody was in the lobby just moving around.
Mr. SPECTER. Did you leave the hotel on that day?
Mr. PETERSON. No.
Mr. SPECTER. What time did you go to sleep that night, if you recall?
Mr. PETERSON. Well, that night we didn't have a show. I don't believe we had a show. No; we didn't have a show that night. They canceled it for three nights. That is when we went to Galveston.
Mr. SPECTER. When did you go to Galveston specifically?
Mr. PETERSON. Let me think. When was the 22d? What day was that?
Mr. SPECTER. The 22d was a Friday.
Mr. PETERSON. It was that night.
Mr. SPECTER. Did you go to Galveston Friday or Saturday?
Mr. PETERSON. I'm not sure whether it was Friday or Saturday because they canceled the show. I think it might have been the next day. I don't know. I could not be sure.
Mr. SPECTER. Do you recollect what you did next day before you went to Galveston; if in fact it was that day you went to Galveston?
Mr. PETERSON. The next day before we went to Galveston?
Mr. SPECTER. Yes you have told me--let's go back to Friday. You told me you stayed around the hotel the balance of that day.
Mr. PETERSON. Yes.

618

Mr. SPECTER. Then you say you went to Galveston either Friday or Saturday?
Mr. PETERSON. Yes.
Mr. SPECTER. Tell me, to the best of your recollection, everything that you did before you went to Galveston from the time of the assassination on.
Mr. PETERSON. Well, we stayed at the hotel, found out if they were going to have a show; that is why I think it was Friday now, asking Andy Anderson. I think we picked up and left that night.
Mr. SPECTER. Did you make any telephone calls that day?
Mr. PETERSON. Breck might have called his mother in Galveston. I don't know.
Mr. SPECTER. What are the names of the people you refer to as his mother and father?
Mr. PETERSON. Mr. and Mrs. Tom McKenna.
Mr. SPECTER. They are not his real parents though?
Mr. PETERSON. No; they raised him.
Mr. SPECTER. Did you make a phone call to Emerson 1-4534 on the day of the assassination?
Mr. PETERSON. Emerson 1-4534. Who was it? I don't remember the number.
Mr. SPECTER. I am not able to give that to you, Mr. Peterson.
Mr. PETERSON. Well, then I can't remember that.
Mr. SPECTER. How about Riverside 2-6811?
Mr. PETERSON. Riverside 2-6811? I don't know that number either.
Mr. SPECTER. Do you recall any telephone calls which you made on November 22 or 23?
Mr. PETERSON. No; like I say, the only calls I probably made were around the hotel.
Mr. SPECTER. What time did you arrive at Galveston; to the best of your recollection?
Mr. PETERSON. If we left Friday it takes 4 hours. We probably left about, maybe 5, 6. Got there about 11 or 12.
Mr. SPECTER. What did you do after arriving in Galveston?
Mr. PETERSON. Made ourselves at home like we always do.
Mr. SPECTER. Who was there when you arrived?
Mr. PETERSON. Mr. and Mrs. McKenna; the family.
Mr. SPECTER. Anybody besides Mr. and Mrs. McKenna?
Mr. PETERSON. No; I don't think so. I don't remember.
Mr. SPECTER. Did you make any telephone calls from Galveston?
Mr. PETERSON. I don't think so.
Mr. SPECTER. Did Mr. Wall make any telephone calls?
Mr. PETERSON. Somebody called us, newspaper people, I think, out of Washington, some magazine wanted to know some stuff, I think.
Mr. SPECTER. What magazine was that?
Mr. PETERSON. I have no idea. Some newspaper.
Mr. SPECTER. Do you recall specifically the name of the man who called you?
Mr. PETERSON. No.
Mr. SPECTER. Did you talk to him?
Mr. PETERSON. I think I did. Yes; I did talk to him. That is why I remember. I'm trying to think.
Mr. SPECTER. To the best of your recollection tell me specifically what you said to him and what he said to you?
Mr. PETERSON. Well, just wanted to know--let me see. Was it there or was it at the hotel? They wanted a--Time, I think it was Time, or Life, because the man in Life is located in Dallas. He just wanted to know if we had any pictures with Jack Ruby or anything we had done for a story. I told him we did not have anything. Didn't bother with it.
Mr. SPECTER. While you were in Galveston did you receive any other telephone calls?
Mr. PETERSON. Yes; I'm trying to think. Somebody from some newspaper; I believe it was in Washington. Some magazine or some newspaper. Breck probably will remember better than I do. He has a better memory. They wanted some information on Jack Ruby. I couldn't give them any.

619

Mr. SPECTER Aside from that call, did Breck Wall receive any telephone call while you were in Galveston?
Mr. PETERSON. I think he did.
Mr. SPECTER. From whom?
Mr. PETERSON. Well, the only one was from Jack Ruby.
Mr. SPECTER. Tell me about that call?
Mr. PETERSON. Jack was very upset about----
Mr. SPECTER. When did it come in?
Mr. PETERSON. It was in the evening some time.
Mr. SPECTER. What day?
Mr. PETERSON. On the day before.
Mr. SPECTER. Before what?
Mr. PETERSON. Assassination.
Mr. SPECTER. Before the assassination or before the shooting of Oswald?
Mr. PETERSON. Before the shooting of Oswald. I'm getting them both mixed up. It was the day before Oswald's assassination, or murder, whatever you want to call it. Jack called and was very upset about the assassination.
Mr. SPECTER. Did you talk to Ruby on that?
Mr. PETERSON. I don't think I did. I think Breck did.
Mr. SPECTER. Did Breck Wall relate to you what that conversation was about?
Mr. PETERSON. The call would have been Saturday. We went down there Friday. That is when it was.
Mr. SPECTER. What was that telephone conversation between Jack Ruby and Breck Wall all about?
Mr. PETERSON. What I just told you. Breck kind of soothed him a little bit. Nothing you could do. All this baloney. Well, it happened, you know.
Mr. SPECTER. Do you know whether Ruby said anything about intending to do anything?
Mr. PETERSON. No; not to my knowledge. He didn't relate that to me. Just he was very upset. Very sick; crying and all of that. That was it.
Mr. SPECTER. Was there any other subject discussed between Ruby and Breck Wall?
Mr. PETERSON. No; Jack was very close to us. He made himself close to us, you know. We were always in the headlines. Always in the newspapers. We were very good friends with a lot of people in Dallas. He kind of tried to keep up with us, you know; close. Anytime he had any problems or things like that he always came to talk to us about it, or ideas for the club. He came to bug us about that, you know. We were more or less successful in Dallas. Like I say; the best thing to do was just be nice and kind of stay away as much as possible.
Mr. SPECTER. Were there any other telephone calls which you made or which you received while you were in Galveston?
Mr. PETERSON. Not--I can't remember right now. I just don't remember.
Mr. SPECTER. Were there any other telephone calls which Breck Wall made or received while the two of you were in Galveston?
Mr. PETERSON. He probably talked to Tony Zoppi.
Mr. SPECTER. Zoppi?
Mr. PETERSON. Zoppi; he is the amusement critic on the Dallas Morning News. We are very close friends. He probably talked to him about that.
Mr. SPECTER. You don't recall specifically? You presume that might have have happened?
Mr. PETERSON. Yes.
Mr. SPECTER. Are there any other calls you know about while you were in Galveston?
Mr. PETERSON. No.
Mr. SPECTER. When did you go back to Dallas?
Mr. PETERSON, Probably Tuesday. I think we went back Tuesday. We had a show Tuesday. Ordinarily do. The show is closed for the weekend. It was Tuesday when we went back; I'm pretty sure.
Mr. SPECTER. Have you ever talked to Jack Ruby after the day of the shooting of Oswald?
Mr. PETERSON. No; I got a little, letters from him, note when he was in jail.

620

Mr. SPECTER. When did you receive that note?
Mr. PETERSON. It was a few days after the FBI questioned us. He wrote me a little thank you note because I spoke up for him. Like I am telling you, he was all right in spite of him being no good, too.
Mr. SPECTER. When did the FBI question you?
Mr. PETERSON. When we were in Dallas. When we were working at the hotel.
Mr. SPECTER. Do you recall the approximate date when they talked to you?
Mr. PETERSON. Possibly a week, 2 weeks after the Oswald----
Mr. SPECTER. Where were you then?
Mr. PETERSON. Living at the hotel.
Mr. SPECTER. Was the interview with the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted at your hotel?
Mr. PETERSON. Yes; it was at the hotel.
Mr. SPECTER. Who was present at that time?
Mr. PETERSON. I think it was Mr.--who is the head of the FBI in Dallas? He was the one. Griffin. Griffith. I believe it was Griffith.
Mr. SPECTER. Was anybody with him?
Mr. PETERSON. There was somebody else sitting at the table. I'm not sure who it was. Tony Zoppi; I believe.
Mr. SPECTER. Mr. Zoppi was present at the time of the interview?
Mr. PETERSON. I believe; he was either there before, after. Tony always has breakfast there. We were all sitting at the table. Mr. Griffith came over.
Mr. SPECTER. The special agent in charge there is Gordon Shanklin.
Mr. PETERSON. This was Mr. Griffith.
Mr. SPECTER. Was Mr. Shanklin present?
Mr. PETERSON. I don't know.
Mr. SPECTER. Was Mr. Wall present at the time Mr. Griffith talked to you?
Mr. PETERSON. I don't know; he might have been. Seems to me three people were at the table. I'm trying to recollect. Breck might have been there. We eat breakfast together there usually. It was either breakfast or lunch. I'm never sure which it is because we always get up around 11 or 12.
Mr. SPECTER. When Mr. Griffith or Griffin interviewed you, did you tell him about the telephone call that Jack Ruby made to Breck Wall?
Mr. PETERSON. Yes; we told him all that. In fact this is a little clearer than that. Everything is a little fresher in my mind.
Mr. SPECTER. Are you sure you told him of that telephone call?
Mr. PETERSON. I don't know if I did; I'm sure Breck did.
Mr. SPECTER. Were you present when Breck Wall talked to the FBI?
Mr. PETERSON. No; I don't think so.
Mr. SPECTER. How can you say you are sure Breck Wall told him of the telephone call?
Mr. PETERSON. Because Breck is very much in the habit of doing the right thing.
Mr. SPECTER. So that would be your presumption he did?
Mr. PETERSON. Yes.
Mr. SPECTER. You actually weren't there when Breck Wall talked to the FBI man?
Mr. PETERSON. I'm pretty sure I wasn't.
Mr. SPECTER. Do you recall whether or not you personally told the agent from the FBI about the telephone call from Ruby in Galveston?
Mr. PETERSON. I'm pretty sure I did.
Mr. SPECTER. Were you interviewed by the FBI more than once or once?
Mr. PETERSON. Just the once, although I felt like it was more than once talking to them going up and down in the elevators, there were a hundred of them there. Couldn't miss them.
Mr. SPECTER. Do you know how Ruby knew how to call you in Galveston?
Mr. PETERSON. What he probably did was call the hotel and ask where we were because we always left a telephone call where we were at.
Mr. SPECTER. Why do you do that?
Mr. PETERSON. It was our policy to do that. If they wanted to start the show they had to know where we were at.
Mr. SPECTER. When did you find out Ruby had shot Oswald?

621

Mr. PETERSON. When we were watching TV.
Mr. SPECTER. Where?
Mr. PETERSON. Galveston; in McKennas' home.
Mr. SPECTER. Did you recognize Ruby then?
Mr. PETERSON. Oh, yes.
Mr. SPECTER. You could recognize Ruby?
Mr. PETERSON. Couldn't miss it.
Mr. SPECTER. What was your reaction on that?
Mr. PETERSON. Shock. Unbelievable, really.
Mr. SPECTER. Do you know whether Breck Wall called Phil Burleson from Galveston that day?
Mr. PETERSON. I think he did.
Mr. SPECTER. What was the purpose of that call?
Mr. PETERSON. I have no idea.
Mr. SPECTER. Did he discuss it with you before he made the call?
Mr. PETERSON. No.
Mr. SPECTER. Do you know whether he called Nancy Austin?
Mr. PETERSON. He probably called everybody up when that happened.
Mr. SPECTER. Do you know specifically whether the call was to Nancy Austin?
Mr. PETERSON. I think probably. Because of what he saw on the TV and about the show.
Mr. SPECTER. Do you know Eddie Parker?
Mr. PETERSON. Oh, yes; he used to work for us backstage at the Adolphus.
Mr. SPECTER. Did he ever call him up?
Mr. PETERSON. Probably. In reference to the show because he had connection with Tressler in the show.
Mr. SPECTER. Did Mr. Breck Wall call him up?
Mr. PETERSON. He probably did.
Mr. SPECTER. What was his purpose?
Mr. PETERSON. In regards to the show.
Mr. SPECTER. Do you know a Patricia Farmer?
Mr. PETERSON. No.
Mr. SPECTER. Do you know a Clarence Vought?
Mr. PETERSON. A lot of these people I might know when I see them. Breck knows. He is good on names.
Mr. SPECTER. The name Clarence Vought doesn't mean anything to you?
Mr. PETERSON. No.
Mr. SPECTER. What relatives, if any, does Tom McKenna have in Dallas?
Mr. PETERSON. I don't know anything about them.
Mr. SPECTER. Do you know R. D. Matthews?
Mr. PETERSON. No; I don't remember. I might.
Mr. SPECTER, Do you know anything about Jack Ruby's trip to Cuba?
Mr. PETERSON. Nothing. Only thing I know about that is when I read later in the papers.
Mr. SPECTER. Did you know a man by the name of Henry Atcheson?
Mr. PETERSON. No.
Mr. SPECTER. Or Henry Acteson?
Mr. PETERSON. No. I am saying no to a lot of these. I may know them.
Mr. SPECTER. Do you know anything about a telephone call to Mr. Atcheson or Mr. Acteson in Canada back in March of 1964?
Mr. PETERSON. That I made?
Mr. SPECTER. Did you ever make such a call?
Mr. PETERSON. Not that I remember.
Mr. SPECTER. Did Breck Wall ever make such a call to your knowledge?
Mr. PETERSON. He might have. I don't know. Canada? Only one thing we had to do, that was a man who wanted to buy the show for one night and fly us up there.
Mr. SPECTER. What was his name?
Mr. PETERSON. Wohl, W-o-h-l. He got in touch with us about a show.
Mr. SPECTER. What part of Canada was he from?
Mr. PETERSON. I don't recollect right now.
Mr. SPECTER. What was his first name?

622

Mr. PETERSON. I think it was Jack.
Mr. SPECTER. Was he in Calgary, Alberta, Canada?
Mr. PETERSON. That is it. Calgary. Some organization. He was trying to get us hooked for this, whatever it was, that they celebrate.
Mr. SPECTER. Was his name Wall, W-a-l-l?
Mr. PETERSON. No; Breck Wall is my partner. This other was Wohl, W-o-h-l.
Mr. SPECTER. Wall?
Mr. PETERSON. Maybe I'm spelling it wrong.
Mr. SPECTER. Was he with you in the Adolphus Hotel?
Mr. PETERSON. He comes to our hotel quite a lot.
Mr. SPECTER. Was he with you in March of 1964?
Mr. PETERSON. Well, he stayed there at the hotel. He saw a show two or three times. He talked to us about the chance of booking a show in Canada. He would get in touch with this organization he was with and let us know, which he did by letter.
Mr. SPECTER. Did you ever work that deal out?
Mr. PETERSON. No.
Mr. SPECTER. Why not?
Mr. PETERSON. Well, it just never materialized.
Mr. SPECTER. How did he pronounce his name again?
Mr. PETERSON. Wohl, I believe it is.
Mr. SPECTER. Phonetically it sounds the same as W-a-l-l?
Mr. PETERSON. Right.
Mr. SPECTER. He was from Calgary, Alberta, Canada?
Mr. PETERSON. Yes. I'm pretty sure that is it. In fact I think we still got that letter. I know it is W-o-h-l because I remarked on it, about Breck Wall.
Mr. SPECTER. You say you still do have that letter?
Mr. PETERSON. I'm pretty sure.
Mr. SPECTER Could you look for that and send it to me?
Mr. PETERSON. Sure. Sure.
Mr. SPECTER. Let me write my name and address down for you so you can do that.
Mr. PETERSON. Fine. If I don't have the letter we could get in touch with the hotel. He always stays there. I'm sure they have records.
Mr. SPECTER. His first name was Jack?
Mr. PETERSON. I'm sure it was Jack; yes.
Mr. SPECTER. Here is my name and address in Washington.
Mr. PETERSON. He was connected with a big oil company.
Mr. SPECTER If you can find that letter and send it to me, I would be much obliged to you.
Mr. PETERSON. Sure.
Mr. SPECTER. What did you do immediately after the assassination, if you recall?
Mr. PETERSON. Well, we checked the hotel about the show.
Mr. SPECTER. Did you go down to the Texas School Book Depository Building?
Mr. PETERSON. I think we did; ran down to take a look.
Mr. SPECTER What was the purpose of that?
Mr. PETERSON. Curiosity.
Mr. SPECTER. Was that the only purpose?
Mr. PETERSON. Yes; along with a couple of thousand other people.
Mr. SPECTER. Do you recall what your reaction was when Breck Wall received some telephone calls in Galveston from the Washington Post and from the Dallas Morning News and the Dallas Times Herald?
Mr. PETERSON. That is it. Washington Post. Well, I got a little angry, told him not to say anything over the phone until we got back home.
Mr. SPECTER Why did you tell him not to say anything over the phone until you got back home?
Mr. PETERSON. Well, you don't know who you are talking to over the phone.
Mr. SPECTER. Did you have any other reason in mind besides that?
Mr. PETERSON. No; not at all. The only one I could recognize was the Dallas

623

Morning News people we knew. That was fine, but anybody else, I don't know who we were talking to. A lot of nuts would be calling you up.
Mr. SPECTER. Did you know anything about Mr. Ruby's troubles with the American Guild of Variety Artists?
Mr. PETERSON. Jack had all kinds of problems and troubles with unions and everybody else. Jack was like every other struggling nightclub owner who was trying to get along the cheapest way he could. That was it.
Mr. SPECTER. Does the telephone number Riverside 8-1434 in Dallas mean anything to you?
Mr. PETERSON. Let me see. No, I don't know. Probably does, but I don't remember.
Mr. SPECTER. Do you have anything to add which you think would be helpful to the President's Commission in any way?
Mr. PETERSON. No.
Mr. SPECTER. Prior to the time when we went on the record here, Mr. Peterson, did you and I have a very brief conversation concerning your knowledge of Jack Ruby?
Mr. PETERSON. Yes; we did.
Mr. SPECTER. Have I covered those questions and a number of others during the course of the deposition on the record?
Mr. PETERSON. Yes.
Mr. SPECTER. And is the information which you gave to me on the record the same as what you told me off the record earlier?
Mr. PETERSON. Yes; what I could remember--wait a minute, now. You said "before"----
Mr. SPECTER. We have covered, have we not----
Mr. PETERSON. Right.
Mr. SPECTER. Everything on the record which we covered before?
Mr. PETERSON. Right.
Mr. SPECTER. Under the rules of the President's Commission, Mr. Peterson, you have a right to read and to sign this deposition if you want to. Do you want to do that or would you be willing to waive that reading and signing?
Mr. PETERSON. Well, what does--do you want me to sign it? I will sign it.
Mr. SPECTER. Do you have any special interest in reading it and signing it?
Mr. PETERSON. Well, I'd like to read it, then I will sign it. I have no objection to signing it but I'd like to read what I'm signing.
Mr. SPECTER. That is fair enough. You did receive a letter from the Commission?
Mr. PETERSON. Yes.
Mr. SPECTER. Informing you you had a right to counsel if you wanted one here today?
Mr. PETERSON. Right. Right.
Mr. SPECTER. And the other rules and regulations concerning the proceedings in depositions before the President's Commission, did you not?
Mr. PETERSON. Right.
Mr. SPECTER. And appearing here today was satisfactory with you as you have appeared and testified without the representation of counsel?
Mr. PETERSON. Right.
Mr. SPECTER. All right.. That concludes the deposition, then, Mr. Peterson. We shall make available a copy of the transcript for you to read and sign.