Does Truly's Roll Call Suggest He Was Part Of The Evil, Evil Plot?

[Thomas Graves]

Seeing as how Roy Truly, probably not having a list of everyone working in the TSBD, was only concerned with his own twelve or-so employees, was he unjustified in reporting Oswald missing, but not Charles Givens?

Would you have reported Oswald missing if you were him?

Just wondering -- Since Truly knew Oswald had recently been a marine (and that every marine is a good shot with a rifle), did that factor into the calculus of his decision?

Also, did he think his Black laborers were too "liberal" to shoot Kennedy?

--  MWT 

[Charles Collins]

He did the right thing.

[Jerry Freeman]

DAVID VON PEIN SAID:

Dex,

I tend to think Buell Wesley Frazier's memory was, indeed, "incorrect"
about a few of the things he discussed with Gary Mack in that 2002
interview -- particularly Buell's recollection of having seen Lee Oswald
walking down Houston Street five to ten minutes after the assassination
had taken place. That observation is totally at odds with what Frazier
said in his 11/22/63 affidavit.

So, yes, I think it's a good idea to take some of Buell's 39-year-old
remembrances with a grain of salt. But, with that caveat in mind, he still
did say there definitely was a "roll call" of the TSBD warehouse workers.

Whether Frazier was relying on something that was said by someone else
regarding there being an official "roll call", or whether he (in June of
2002) had a firm independent recollection of his own of there being a roll
call of the employees, is something I guess we could debate until the cows
come home.

We'll probably never really know for sure, because a 39-year-old memory
can result in some hazy and strange recollections -- like seeing Oswald
out on the street at 12:35 or 12:40 on November 22nd, even though Frazier
specifically said this in his first-day affidavit: "I did not see Lee
anymore after about 11:00 AM today."

But you'll have to admit that this quote below is rather interesting,
don't you think? ....

"They read names off and you had to answer." -- Buell Frazier; 6/21/02

Those words should make at least a few conspiracy theorists stop and
wonder: Well, gee, I wonder if there perhaps was a roll call after all.

I know I'm wondering.

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/alt.assassination.jfk/blTI3m15Uns/4KZYt5TpCgAJ

What employees said that there was this roll call and what employees said there wasn't?

[Walt Cakebread]

Seeing as how Roy Truly, probably not having a list of everyone working in the TSBD, was only concerned with his own twelve or-so employees (and probably especially with the male laborers), was he unjustified in reporting Oswald missing, but not Charles Givens?

Would you have reported Oswald missing if you were him?

Just wondering -- Since Truly knew Oswald had recently been a marine (and that every marine is a good shot with a rifle), did that factor into the calculus of his decision?

Also, did he think his Black laborers were too "liberal" to shoot Kennedy?

--  MWT 

Would you have reported Oswald missing if you were him?

Good Question.....    I believe that most intelligent folks with an iota of commonsense would probably  NOT have reported Lee Oswald missing.....

The reasons being...  A)   There was no reason to believe that Lee was a ruthless violent killer....  He had never caused any friction or dissent among his fellow workers.  He was a model employee, and frequently responded to fellow workers and supervisors with  a "Yes, Sir" or "No, Sir" answer.  But the major reason I wouldn't have reported his absence if I was Roy Truly, was because I had just seen him, and talked to him  just SECONDS after the shooting and he was not at all afraid or suspicious acting....he was completely normal.   

The fact that Truly went out of his way to alert the police to Lee's absence is far more suspicious of Truly's participation in the murder than Lee's role. 

[Richard Smith]

Seeing as how Roy Truly, probably not having a list of everyone working in the TSBD, was only concerned with his own twelve or-so employees (and probably especially with the male laborers), was he unjustified in reporting Oswald missing, but not Charles Givens?

Would you have reported Oswald missing if you were him?

Just wondering -- Since Truly knew Oswald had recently been a marine (and that every marine is a good shot with a rifle), did that factor into the calculus of his decision?

Also, did he think his Black laborers were too "liberal" to shoot Kennedy?

--  MWT 

Roll call or no roll call, I think Oswald came to mind because Truly knew through the lunch room encounter that Oswald wasn't on the street like many of his co-workers and that he had been in building.  He then disappeared.  Not many others fell into those categories.  That would have been enough reason to report even if Truly had no specific reason to believe Oswald had anything to do with the crime.  Oswald is the guy they encounter when they enter the building.  A cop pulls a gun on him.  And then he is no longer there.  A bit odd.  Truly reports it likely believing it will amount to nothing.

[Bill Chapman]

Baker had the right instinct initially. Truly reacted normally, both in letting his employee off the hook and later noting that the little prick had since disappeared (a real forehead-slapper for Truly right there).

Oswald undoubtedly kicked up his heels (so-to-speak) at this unexpected stroke-of-luck... he wasn't going to get mowed down after all. Whew. However, he really had no choice but to high-tail it. Might as well rub their noses in it.

Run, Lee... RUN!

[Walt Cakebread]

Roll call or no roll call, I think Oswald came to mind because Truly knew through the lunch room encounter that Oswald wasn't on the street like many of his co-workers and that he had been in building.  He then disappeared.  Not many others fell into those categories.  That would have been enough reason to report even if Truly had no specific reason to believe Oswald had anything to do with the crime.  Oswald is the guy they encounter when they enter the building.  A cop pulls a gun on him.  And then he is no longer there.  A bit odd.  Truly reports it likely believing it will amount to nothing.

I think Oswald came to mind because Truly knew through the lunch room encounter that Oswald wasn't on the street like many of his co-workers and that he had been in building.

You're completely omitting the fact that Truly knew that the lunchroom encounter had occurred just seconds AFTER the shooting, and Lee exhibited no sign of any abnormal behavior.   When Truly saw Lee was was holding a coke in his hand and was a bit startled at the sudden appearance of a motorcycle cop with his revolver in his hand.   So even if Lee was in the building he was far removed from the SE corner of the sixth floor.....   Using your reasoning Truly should have reported Jack Dougherty, who was in the building and on the 5th floor and much closer to the alleged "sniper's nest" than Lee Oswald.....  Or Eddie Piper who was also in the building at the time.

[Thomas Graves]

Would you have reported Oswald missing if you were him?

Good Question.....    I believe that most intelligent folks with an iota of commonsense would probably  NOT have reported Lee Oswald missing.....

The reasons being...  A)   There was no reason to believe that Lee was a ruthless violent killer....  He had never caused any friction or dissent among his fellow workers.  He was a model employee, and frequently responded to fellow workers and supervisors with  a "Yes, Sir" or "No, Sir" answer.  But the major reason I wouldn't have reported his absence if I was Roy Truly, was because I had just seen him, and talked to him  just SECONDS after the shooting and he was not at all afraid or suspicious acting....he was completely normal.   

The fact that Truly went out of his way to alert the police to Lee's absence is far more suspicious of Truly's participation in the murder than Lee's role.

Walter,

Not all premeditated murders are committed by people who come across as sociopaths beforehand.

Regardless of Oswald's tendency to say "Yes Sir" / "No Sir", etc, didn't  several people at the TSBD describe him as being a bit of an odd duck -- always keeping to his superior Cassius-like self?

Maybe the juxtaposition of former-marine Oswald's "appearing normal" 90 seconds after the assassination with his suddenly disappearing after that (while all the other "Texas Redneck" white laborers had stayed behind) was what made an impression on Truly and seemed to warrant his notifying Fritz about it.

--  MWT