O. H. LEE

[Howard Gee]

Saint Patsy tells Fritz he's renting a room at 1026 Beckley.

Fritz orders some men to go search Saint Patsy's room.

The cops arrive and tell Earlene Roberts and Mrs. Johnson they're looking for Lee Harvey Oswald's room.

Johnson and Roberts tell the officers there is no such boarder.

It's not until Saint Patsy's mug is shown on TV that they realize the boarder that registered as O. H. LEE is actually Lee Harvey Oswald, the man the whose room the cops want to search.

Upon seeing Saint Patsy on TV they exclaim 'There's O.H. LEE, no wonder we didn't know who Lee Oswald was', and direct the cops to his room.

Or so the story goes.

Questions: At some point in time Oswald must have had some conversation, no matter how perfunctory, with Johnson, Roberts and the other boarders.

Did they not know his first name ?

Was he just known to them as Mr. Lee ?

Is there testimony regarding this question ?

The story about Roberts and Johnson not knowing O H LEE was actually Lee Oswald until they saw him on on TV rings true but being unaware of his real first name doesn't.

Supposedly Fritz asked Saint Patsy why Johnson knew him as O. H. LEE, and Oswald responded that Johnson made a mistake.

[Dillon Rankine]

Does it matter? He could?ve said his name was Oliver, or O. Harvey or something like that.

[Jon Banks]

Why did Lee decide to move into a rooming house under an alias, not his real name?

If he liked using aliases, why didn?t he use Alec Hiddell?

[Howard Gee]

Does it matter? He could?ve said his name was Oliver, or O. Harvey or something like that.

In the grand context of things it really doesn't matter.

Saint Patsy is guity as hell.

Just curious whether Saint Patsy was using a different alias besides Hidell.

[Jerry Organ]

Why did Lee decide to move into a rooming house under an alias, not his real name?

If he liked using aliases, why didn?t he use Alec Hiddell?

I believe Oswald claimed he gave the housekeeper his real name, but she got wrong.

I can picture her getting the "Lee" part, then asking him to repeat it.

    "My name is Oswald ... Lee."
    "How's that, Mr. Lee?"
    "Oswald [expecting her to take this to be his surname] .... Harvey."

Landlady unsure how to spell Oswald [thinks it's his first name] and writes down O.H. No problem, since she figures she got his last name right. Oswald likes Secret Agent shows, so he's happy he got an innocent "alias"; will throw off the "notorious FBI".

[Richard Smith]

Why did Lee decide to move into a rooming house under an alias, not his real name?

If he liked using aliases, why didn?t he use Alec Hiddell?

Oswald wasn't big on small talk.  He likely thought himself more intelligent than the masses who he had a certain amount of contempt.  It's a leitmotif of his personality when you read the accounts of people who dealt with him.  Didn't say much or engage much with others.  Sometimes wouldn't even acknowledge a greeting.  He also knew the FBI was keeping tabs on him.   So whether by intent or honest mistake, he likely didn't care much that no one there knew his real name.  If anything, it was to his benefit.

[Jon Banks]

In the grand context of things it really doesn't matter.

Saint Patsy is guity as hell.

Just curious whether Saint Patsy was using a different alias besides Hidell.

No unsolved mysteries in the Kennedy assassination matter because Oswald is Guilty.

If you really believe that, you wouldn?t be curious

[Richard Smith]

No unsolved mysteries in the Kennedy assassination matter because Oswald is Guilty.

If you really believe that, you wouldn?t be curious

There are things that only Oswald can know with certainty.  Like why he used an alias or a certain name.  We can make logical inferences from the facts about that, but no one can make a case that is 100% conclusive of the issue.  That isn't to be confused, however, with creating any doubt of his guilt.  Oswald could have used any name including his own and it creates no doubt whatsoever of his guilt in the JFK assassination.  If he had used his own name, CTers could argue that was suspicious since he knew the FBI was keeping tabs on him and a false name would make it difficult to track him.   Even if you find it strange or improbable that he used an alias, it does not create doubt of his guilt.  Oswald was an odd duck who did some odd things from the perspective of a normal person.  Agonizing over those details doesn't move the needle as to his guilt.   Until someone provides a reasonable explanation for his rifle being found on the 6th floor, the basic fact of his guilt is established.