What happened to the Mauser?

[Jake Maxwell]

If Roger Craig was lying about the Mauser, what would his motivation have been?

[Matt Grantham]

 It is often claimed that Craig never said a word about the Mauser until 1968

 However In a response to David Josephs at the Education Forum last year

  Even in your article The Mauser, the Carcano & the Lt. Day Rifle," you wrote, "One of them, DPD Detective Roger CRAIG - a decorated officer, saw ?7.65? and ?MAUSER? stamped on the barrel both facing the same direction ? an extremely specific identification."

[Tim Nickerson]

***

[Tim Nickerson]

What do you think was Craig's motivation for lying about the rifle?

TIME:  8/24 1:25 PM
TO: BILL AMBROSINO
FROM: MARY FERRELL
SUBJECT: JFK-CIA EXPERTISE

I knew Roger Craig for several years before his death.  It is my belief
that Roger was a very sick young man.  He had made a name for himself as a
very promising young law enforcement officer.  When he came forward with
some of the "stories" he told following the events of that November
weekend, he believed that he would be offered a great deal of money and,
possibly, speaking engagements. I am very sorry to say that I am one of
the few conspiracy nuts who never believed Roger Craig.

When Roger made a number of speeches about the fact that "they" prevented
him from getting a job, I talked my husband into giving him a job.  Roger
did not want to work.  He wanted people to give him money because he had
"seen something or other."

I have made enemies because I have continued to say that I have never
really believed him.

Mary Ferrell

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/alt.assassination.jfk/wwrhNDD-YGQ/YLFb8HGA2pMJ

[Denis Morissette]

It is often claimed that Craig never said a word about the Mauser until 1968

 However In a response to David Josephs at the Education Forum last year

  Even in your article The Mauser, the Carcano & the Lt. Day Rifle," you wrote, "One of them, DPD Detective Roger CRAIG - a decorated officer, saw ?7.65? and ?MAUSER? stamped on the barrel both facing the same direction ? an extremely specific identification."

Regarding 1 Craig's 1968 mention of the Mauser: This false info was given by reporter Thayer Waldo to the Warren Commission. He heard it from a lady who heard it from a DPD official. Hearsay. And it looks like Craig just repeated what Penn Jones told him. Basically, Craig is not talking about first-hand information. The first time he mentioned the Mauser on the 6th floor was in 1971. He did not mention to either Garrison or Mark Lane during their multiple interviews. If he had, they would have made a big deal out of it during the Clay Shaw trial. Finally, Craig does not say if it is him who saw the Mauser stamp or if it is Weitzman telling him that. Craig was a big liar.

[Denis Morissette]

Do you realize he puts the LHO/Baker encounter on the 1st floor as he (Biffle) walks in?
and he's not exactly clear when he went up -  he went on his own  - and he says only him & Alyea are the only ones allowed

then who are these [at least 3] other guys...?

Man in the extreme left with hat is still unidentified. He is seen talking to Officer Roy Vaughn in front of the TSBD in some KRLD clips and many photos like Murray's. He is holding a trench coat. I think he is one of the men looking for evidence on the ground in the Darnell film. He's not one of Fritz' men. Probably from some federal agencies.

A man in hat appears briefly in the background at 1:47. It is Deputy Chief Lumpkin.

1:32: Deputy Sheriff John "Bill" Wiseman. I will soon publish his 1978 HSCA interview. He said that Boone was about to touch the rifle. Wiseman yelled at him, "Don't touch it!".

Of course, we have Studebaker taking photos. According to Craig, he or Day took photos of the Mauser. No such photos have ever surfaced. Of course, there was no Mauser, so no photos!!

[Jim Brazell]

I'll tell you what..I definitely am not a firearms expert. However, give me a MAGNIFYING GLASS and put a rifle in front of me and if the make and serial number are readable (and they were), I'll tell you the make and serial number. There was no timer running.Especially if I'm Will Fritz (Bonnie & Clyde fame I believe) and initially say it looks like a Mauser (Boone's testimony) when discovered between the boxes. The rifle never leaves the TSBD with an erroneous description going out over all news outlets until the next day when it is corrected BY THE FBI. You don't come off looking like Ned and the first reader. Same with Weitzman and Craig....I mean seriously how long does it take to ID a rifle with a magnifying glass ? Geez. And the first gun shown in the Alyea film seems to have a silencer on it. Keep in mind Alyea and Bittner are the only 2 newsmen there I believe.

[Matt Grantham]

Thanks for all your information Denis and the Biffle video in particular. I am not sure how important it is but his story seems a bit odd, and seems to lack anything involving the finding of the rifle That is not a criticism of its value overall Biffle says he is 8 or so cars back from JFK when he hears the first shot and gets out. Then claims he is at the Grassy Knoll, which would seemingly be 150ft approximately, and that he gets there and nothing is going on ,has time for a chat with a derelict and then gets back to the book depository right as Oswald is leaving At a minimum he says he's there when they find the shells and I believe that was pretty early.

 In regard to Craig I will defer to your understandings and concede that Craig is not on record until 1971 But why does Belin not even ask him about any sort of description or Identification of the rifle? The Warren Commission and DPD knew they had a problem with the initial statement of a Mauser, so wouldn't they being looking to clarify a glaring error?

 If anyone can weigh in on whether close up photos of the rifle on the sixth floor were taken, but are not in evidence There was an official police photographer there as well? Do we know what pictures are Aylea's and which were official? It's hard to understand why no photo would exist from the scene on whatever was stamped on that rifle