Author Topic: Clean Towel and Linen Service Company (Read 4573 times)

Paul J Cummings · « **on:** May 21, 2022, 02:02:55 AM »

I'm new to this board but not the JFK Assassination and have spent over 40 years looking over different aspects of the case. There's one thing that has annoyed, bugged and looks out of place and it's that van photographed on the corner of Elm and Houston. Two months ago I decided to investigate the Clean Towel and Linen Service Company. This lead was generated by Gary Mack who responded to a poster over at the JFK Assassination debate and identified the company. I believe the person who owned this company was WJ Newell. I've gone through the Tarrant County (Fort Worth Texas) deeds and titles and his name appears as President of the company. I have these documents but don't know how to insert them in this thread. Newell did several industrial developments in Fort Worth Texas.

It appears back in June/July of 1958 Newell bought lots 1-3 in Block 15 of what's called the "Weisenberger Addition" in the City of Fort Worth for a total of $35,000 (U.S.) from a Clarence Whiteside. Trying to find out more information about him has been challenging but did find a few items. WJ Newell's brother in-law was none other than Byron Nelson. Yes the famous golfer Byron Nelson. I did locate where he was buried (findagrave.com) but his grave doesn't appear to show any military service. I also found him in the 1940 U.S. Census but having a hell'va time locating him for 1950 U.S. Census. I've tried his name incorporating his first and last name even family members but cannot find him in the latter census. He did have a son David Robert Newell who passed away in 2013. Part of David's obit read "from 1959-1963 he proudly served his country in the U.S. Navy and as part of his tour, he was on a guided missile frigate at the Bay of Pigs."

Last night while searching National Archives under Presidential Libraries I typed up his name and came up with this doozy of a document. https://www.jfklibrary.org/asset-viewer/archives/JFKCAMP1960/1020/JFKCAMP1960-1020-006. I'm hoping to do more in this area but that van at the corner of Elm and Houston has never looked like it belongs there.

JFK Assassination Forum · « **on:** May 21, 2022, 02:02:55 AM »

Walt Cakebread · « **Reply #1 on:** May 21, 2022, 02:47:33 AM »

Quote from: Paul J Cummings on May 21, 2022, 02:02:55 AM

I'm new to this board but not the JFK Assassination and have spent over 40 years looking over different aspects of the case. There's one thing that has annoyed, bugged and looks out of place and it's that van photographed on the corner of Elm and Houston. Two months ago I decided to investigate the Clean Towel and Linen Service Company. This lead was generated by Gary Mack who responded to a poster over at the JFK Assassination debate and identified the company. I believe the person who owned this company was WJ Newell. I've gone through the Tarrant County (Fort Worth Texas) deeds and titles and his name appears as President of the company. I have these documents but don't know how to insert them in this thread. Newell did several industrial developments in Fort Worth Texas.

It appears back in June/July of 1958 Newell bought lots 1-3 in Block 15 of what's called the "Weisenberger Addition" in the City of Fort Worth for a total of $35,000 (U.S.) from a Clarence Whiteside. Trying to find out more information about him has been challenging but did find a few items. WJ Newell's brother in-law was none other than Byron Nelson. Yes the famous golfer Byron Nelson. I did locate where he was buried (findagrave.com) but his grave doesn't appear to show any military service. I also found him in the 1940 U.S. Census but having a hell'va time locating him for 1950 U.S. Census. I've tried his name incorporating his first and last name even family members but cannot find him in the latter census. He did have a son David Robert Newell who passed away in 2013. Part of David's obit read "from 1959-1963 he proudly served his country in the U.S. Navy and as part of his tour, he was on a guided missile frigate at the Bay of Pigs."

Last night while searching National Archives under Presidential Libraries I typed up his name and came up with this doozy of a document. https://www.jfklibrary.org/asset-viewer/archives/JFKCAMP1960/1020/JFKCAMP1960-1020-006. I'm hoping to do more in this area but that van at the corner of Elm and Houston has never looked like it belongs there.

Hello Paul, I'm thrilled that you've taken interest in the laundry truck..... It's common knowledge that the big city gangsters commonly used laundry trucks to transport illegal booze during prohibition. The mobsters learned that laundry trucks were excellent transport vehicles for many other illegal activities. Mr Jack Ruby was well versed in the use of laundry trucks ( The Carousel Club was next door to a laundry....of convenient for a gun and weapons smuggler ) There are reports that Ruby provided the laundry truck ( he drove it ) that was used as the transport vehicle for the stolen arms and munitions when the munitions were removed from a bunker on a US.Navy base at Houma La. There's a long story about WHO owned the munitions.

I've long believed that the laundry truck that was parked in the traffic lane on Elm street at Houston, during the coup d'etat was actually the hiding place for one of the assassins who was using a silencer equipped gun.

Paul J Cummings · « **Reply #2 on:** May 21, 2022, 03:30:33 AM »

Yes but I'm going to let the facts and evidence lead the direction. There's some other documents I've uncovered in the titles and deeds which shows WJ Newell being in partnerships with others in his industrial development. Byron Nelson (his brother in-law) had business dealings with Newell. His wife and Nelson's spouse were sisters. From what I can gather Nelson and Newell appear to be very religious which the link demonstrates. That being said the one thing about the JFK Assassination is the consistency of duplicity of people and events. One of the documents I found dates back to June of 1949 in Tarrant County, Texas. Newell was involved with Mark A. Sutphen (later listed as registered agent in the 1958 transaction in buying Clean Towel) along with Buford Z. Walling. I believe it was Walling, who If I remember correctly, listed his occupation in the 1950 U.S. Census as a "Projectionist." Don't believe I will find out to which theater he was at.

JFK Assassination Forum · « **Reply #2 on:** May 21, 2022, 03:30:33 AM »

Jake Maxwell · « **Reply #3 on:** May 30, 2022, 02:26:07 AM »

Quote from: Walt Cakebread on May 21, 2022, 02:47:33 AM

Hello Paul, I'm thrilled that you've taken interest in the laundry truck..... It's common knowledge that the big city gangsters commonly used laundry trucks to transport illegal booze during prohibition. The mobsters learned that laundry trucks were excellent transport vehicles for many other illegal activities. Mr Jack Ruby was well versed in the use of laundry trucks ( The Carousel Club was next door to a laundry....of convenient for a gun and weapons smuggler ) There are reports that Ruby provided the laundry truck ( he drove it ) that was used as the transport vehicle for the stolen arms and munitions when the munitions were removed from a bunker on a US.Navy base at Houma La. There's a long story about WHO owned the munitions.

I've long believed that the laundry truck that was parked in the traffic lane on Elm street at Houston, during the coup d'etat was actually the hiding place for one of the assassins who was using a silencer equipped gun.

I’ve always thought the laundry truck was part of the assassination because of various images in photos...
Below is one of my favorite... found in Zapruder... This is from the HSCA copy...