JFK Assassination Forum
JFK Assassination Discussion & Debate => JFK Assassination Discussion & Debate => Topic started by: Tom Scully on June 18, 2019, 12:36:44 AM
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His name was Attorney Charles W. Tessmer, in criminal defense practice with his younger associate Attorney Frank Wright.
https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/good-time-charlie-6396762
Good time Charlie
MARK DONALD | DECEMBER 23, 1999 |
...He was the whole package, a master magician both at trial and on appeal. He tried more than 1,000 cases; he represented more than 175 people facing the death penalty and never lost a client to the executioner; more than 160 appellate court opinions list him as attorney of record; at one point in the early '70s, he appealed 28 state convictions and won 14 reversals; he argued three cases to the U.S. Supreme Court, winning two of them. As president of the Dallas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association and later the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, he attempted to bring integrity to a profession that was often accused of being as criminal as its clients...
Tessmer or his associate Wright just happened to receive a call from Eva Grant within hours of the successful attempt against the life of
Oswald. David Cherry of Nancy Perrin Rich WC testimony, Kenneth Porter in the aftermath of an incident with a revolver in a marital dispute
with new spouse Marina,( Link (http://jfk.hood.edu/Collection/White%20Materials/White%20Assassination%20Clippings%20Folders/Oswald%20Family%20Folders/Oswald%20Marina%20N/MNO%20110.pdf) ) and John Liggett were all Tessmer / Wright clients.
LBJ: From Mastermind to “The Colossus” - Google Books Result
https://books.google.com/books?isbn=1629140260 (https://books.google.com/books?id=k7VfBgAAQBAJ&pg=PT518&lpg=PT518&dq=liggett+tessmer&source=bl&ots=3LO09FcPdB&sig=ACfU3U37p947EMGPqV0WW_S0xNXqKMRWTw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjiuvqk1PHiAhVMR60KHZkiAc0Q6AEwAnoECAkQAQ#v=onepage&q=liggett%20tessmer&f=false)
Phillip F. Nelson - 2014 - History
One of the most distinguished, and expensive, criminal lawyers in Dallas, Charles Tessmer, was recruited to come to John Liggett's defense. It appears that he had been selected by others...
Finished by April, 1964, the Larry Buchanan film titled "The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald" (http://jfk.hood.edu/Collection/White%20Materials/White%20Assassination%20Clippings%20Folders/Miscellaneous%20Folders/Miscellaneous%20Film%20Etc/Film%20022.pdf) features the film's technical consultant
Attorney Tessmer, delivering the epilogue comprising the final 100 seconds of the 93 minute film. View the entire film or the Tessmer
epilogue here.:
http://dvp-video-audio-archive.blogspot.com/2012/03/trial-of-lee-harvey-oswald-1964.html
Weissberg Archive file .pdf page 4 (http://jfk.hood.edu/Collection/Weisberg-Commission%20Documents/Lardner%20George%20Record%20Copies%20On%20Return%20To/Lardner%2009.pdf)
(http://jfkforum.com/images/RubyPerrinTessmerWright_1.jpg)
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My musing is that Oswald never asked for Mr. Abt, but asked for Mr. Abbott, an alias for David Atlee Phillips. This may have got him killed.
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My musing is that Oswald never asked for Mr. Abt, but asked for Mr. Abbott, an alias for David Atlee Phillips. This may have got him killed.
Most big name attorneys work for big money. Oswald didn’t have that kind of money. Whoever might have been willing to represent him would most likely be doing it pro bono.
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My musing is that Oswald never asked for Mr. Abt, but asked for Mr. Abbott, an alias for David Atlee Phillips. This may have got him killed.
John Abt testified that to his knowledge, Oswald never contacted his office. Abt said he learned from press reports by
Saturday that Oswald was seeking his legal representation. Abt testimony:
http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/russ/testimony/abt.htm
Most big name attorneys work for big money. Oswald didn’t have that kind of money. Whoever might have been willing to represent him would most likely be doing it pro bono.
Granted, this is anecdotal but does seem to directly quote Tessmer. From the 1999 Dallas Observer article linked in the OP.:
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"The only thing that Charlie missed in his career was that national case that could have made him a national figure. He never got that chance again."
Tessmer seemed more comfortable "chasing the bubble of fame" -- as he says -- in Texas. While other high-flying lawyers would take their acts on the road and try cases wherever the money brought them, Tessmer was more of a homeboy.
Yet at home, in front of the nation's toughest juries, he was worth every penny you paid him, particularly since he set his fees at Depression-era prices. "I never did charge properly," he says. "Where I came from, $25 was a lot of money for getting whores out of jail."...
Tessmer represented John Eli Stone, on or about 2 July, 1963:
https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=78794&search=tessmer_and+stone#relPageId=7&tab=page
Tessmer represented R.D. Matthews in 1976.:
https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=114499&relPageId=4&search="frank_s%20wright"
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Most big name attorneys work for big money. Oswald didn’t have that kind of money. Whoever might have been willing to represent him would most likely be doing it pro bono.
And Abt was known to take cases pro bono.
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What difference does it make and how could anyone know who Oswald might have ultimately decided to be his attorney had he gone to trial? He likely wanted to start with Abt because Oswald viewed himself as some type of revolutionary figure and wanted to portray himself at trial as the victim of political persecution. Oswald knew that Abt had represented such clients. In all likelihood, attorneys would have come out of the woodwork to represent Oswald for the publicity.
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What difference does it make and how could anyone know who Oswald might have ultimately decided to be his attorney had he gone to trial? He likely wanted to start with Abt because Oswald viewed himself as some type of revolutionary figure and wanted to portray himself at trial as the victim of political persecution. Oswald knew that Abt had represented such clients. In all likelihood, attorneys would have come out of the woodwork to represent Oswald for the publicity.
In this issue,
Texas Monthly May 1986 pg. 210 (https://books.google.com/books?id=AiwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA210&lpg=PA210&dq=dallas+harold+hoffman+film+producer&source=bl&ots=cKlNiSgjHk&sig=ACfU3U1_ym5PLRjJtJCGY2cQJp_wfgoP2w&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjDopnMy_PiAhVBba0KHaRqDHsQ6AEwC3oECAkQAQ#v=onepage&q=collins%20radio&f=false)
....I learned from the May, 1986 article linked above that Harold Hoffman partnered with Larry Buchanan to make the 1964 Trial of Oswald film relying on the legal expertise of Attorney Charles Tessmer. Oh! I almost forgot....the 1986 article also describes Hoffman as the Adman at
Collins Radio in 1961 when he hired Buchanan to work in the audio visual department. Both men were directed by their employer Collins in 1963 to decide whether to continue working for Collins or leave to pursue movie production.
Buchanan is the subject of a wikipedia page.: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Buchanan
Curiouser and curiouser......could Hoffman have worked for more fabled (suspect) local businesses than Magnolia Petroleum and Collins Radio?
If I find a way to verify the authenticity of this, presented as a brief autobiography, I will update this with other supporting sources.:
http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~chousmith/school-alumni/page15.htm
HAROLD WAYNE HOFFMAN, Frisco, TX. I am semi-retired as an oil painter and ad man. My wife, Helen Louise, and I have two children, Kimberly Jean and Harold.
I attended Compton Junior College in 1950 and B.J.U. in Oklahoma in 1955. I was Public Relations Supervisor for Magnolia Petroleum Company, Dallas, 1955-60; advertising manager of Collins Radio Company, Dallas, TX, 1960-63; president of Falcon International Corporation, Dallas, 1962-66; account executive, Bloom Agency, Dallas, 1966-68; vice president of Albert Frank-Guenther Law, Dallas, 1968-72; owner, operator Hoffman Agency, Dallas, 1972-. Theatrical film producer, writer, director as president, treasurer of Falcon International Corporation: Free, White and 21, Under Age, Trail of Oswald, The Black Cat, Story of Life; Author of Professional Portrait Tips. Writer of motion picture script 2880 for TV and others. Composer tide song for movies, Under, The Other Side of Bonnie and Clyde and I am a professional photographer. I was the recipient of the National 1St Award, Civic Portfolio Jaycees and Producer's Award Box.
John H. Boyle, Collins Radio:
Signals: Volume 24, Issues 1-12; Volume 24, Issues 1-12
books.google.comArmed Forces Communications Association (https://books.google.com/books?id=R1gbAQAAMAAJ&q=boyle+fighter+pilot+communications+europe+collins+radio&dq=boyle+fighter+pilot+communications+europe+collins+radio&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiP7qzy1PPiAhVNIqwKHaqqDOcQ6AEIKDAA), Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (U.S.), Armed Forces Communications Association - 1969 - Snippet view
...Now, 28 years later, he holds the title, Vice President, International Region for Collins Radio Company in Dallas. The years between that bridge the gap began when Mr. Boyle became a fighter pilot during World War II and served in ....In June 1952, Mr. Boyle joined Collins as Dallas Division Representative residing in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Since that time, he has served in numerous capacities with Collins, and in 1962 was elected a Vice President of the company. In 1965 he advanced to Vice President, Corporate Marketing, and in 1969 assumed his current position.....
Collins V.P. John H Boyle sold his Dallas residence to Col. Sam Kail.
https://blockshopper.com/tx/dallas-county/dallas/property/00000352252000000/4722-cherokee-trail
4722 Cherokee Trail
Dallas County, Dallas, TX 75209
....Seller Anne M Kail, Mary Kail, Robert G Kail, Samue G Kail, Samuel G Kail
Who's who in Commerce and Industry - Volume 15 - Page 153
https://books.google.com/books?id=F9G7AAAAIAAJ (https://books.google.com/books?id=F9G7AAAAIAAJ&dq=boyle+4722+Cherokee+Trail+dallas&focus=searchwithinvolume&q="boyle%2C+john")
Boyle, John Hartford
1968 - Snippet view - More editions
European operations Pan Am. World Airways, 1949-52; v.p. corporate marketing Collins Radio Co., Dallas, 1952—. Served to maj. USAAF, 1941-46. Home: 4722 Cherokee Trail, Dallas 75209. Office: Collins Radio Co., Dallas 75207. B
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/68562583/samuel-goodhue-kail
Col Samuel Goodhue Kail
BIRTH 7 Jun 1915
DEATH 16 Jun 1992 (aged 77)
BURIAL
Grove Hill Memorial Park
Dallas, Dallas County, Texas, USA.....
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My musing is that Oswald never asked for Mr. Abt, but asked for Mr. Abbott, an alias for David Atlee Phillips. This may have got him killed.
When Oswald was being moved for a lineup in the DPD headquarters he shouted out to the press that he wanted John Abt to represent him. That's how the press learned about it and tried to contact Abt.
Oswald: "I didn't shoot anyone. I want to get in touch with a lawyer, Mr. Abt, in New York City."
And according to Lou Nichols, head of the Dallas Bar Association, Oswald repeatedly asked for Abt to represent him.
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When Oswald was being moved for a lineup in the DPD headquarters he shouted out to the press that he wanted John Abt to represent him. That's how the press learned about it and tried to contact Abt.
Oswald: "I didn't shoot anyone. I want to get in touch with a lawyer, Mr. Abt, in New York City."
And according to Lou Nichols, head of the Dallas Bar Association, Oswald repeatedly asked for Abt to represent him.
Is that recorded, and available? I would certainly like to see some solid proof of that. I can’t imagine that multiple reporters could have missed that with cameras and recorders.
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What difference does it make and how could anyone know who Oswald might have ultimately decided to be his attorney had he gone to trial? He likely wanted to start with Abt because Oswald viewed himself as some type of revolutionary figure and wanted to portray himself at trial as the victim of political persecution. Oswald knew that Abt had represented such clients. In all likelihood, attorneys would have come out of the woodwork to represent Oswald for the publicity.
The radical lawyer William Kunstler wrote in his book ("My Life as a Radical Lawyer") that he was getting ready on the Sunday morning after the assassination to fly to Dallas to offer representation to Oswald when Ruby shot him. Kunstler was working for the ACLU at the time and wrote that the ACLU's legal director, Melvin Wulff, asked him if he would represent Oswald. He agreed and was headed to Dallas before Oswald was killed.
The problem wasn't that there weren't people willing to represent Oswald; the problem was that Oswald only wanted people that satisfied him.
He wrote:
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Is that recorded, and available? I would certainly like to see some solid proof of that. I can’t imagine that multiple reporters could have missed that with cameras and recorders.
As I noted, it wasn't missed by the press. If was after this incident that they called Abt's office to try and contact him. He was, he said, on vacation at the time and didn't have a phone at his lodgings.
It's on Youtube. If you do a search, it'll come up. It's one of the tapes when Oswald was being moved from a office to a police lineup.
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As I noted, it wasn't missed by the press. If was after this incident that they called Abt's office to try and contact him. He was, he said, on vacation at the time and didn't have a phone at his lodgings.
It's on Youtube. If you do a search, it'll come up. It's one of the tapes when Oswald was being moved from a office to a police lineup.
How would Marsh, for example, react to your innocent mistake? IOW, I am comparing, after already posting the link, on this barely two pages long thread,
what you posted vs what the WC represented John Abt said.
…Mr. RANKIN - You have been informed, I am sure, that Lee Harvey Oswald, after his arrest, tried to reach you to request that you act as his counsel. I don't know how you were informed, but I have seen it in the newspapers. When did it first come to your attention?
Mr. ABT - May I tell you the story, Mr. Rankin? Perhaps that is the simplest way.
Mr. RANKIN - Yes.
Mr. ABT - On Friday evening, the 22d, my wife and I left the city to spend the weekend at a little cabin we have up in the Connecticut woods. Sometime on Saturday, several people phoned me to say that they had heard on the radio that Oswald had asked that I represent him, and then shortly after that the press--both the press, radio, and TV reporters began to call me up there. I may say we have a radio but we have no TV there. And in the interim I turned on the radio and heard the same report.
I informed them--and these calls kept on all day and night Saturday and again Sunday morning--I informed all of the reporters with whom I spoke that I had received no request either from Oswald or from anyone on his behalf to represent him, and hence I was in no position to give any definitive answer to any such proposal if, as and when it came. I told them, however, that if I were requested to represent him, I felt that it would probably be difficult, if not impossible, for me to do so because of my commitments to other clients. I never had any communication, either directly from Oswald or from anyone on his behalf, and all of my information about the whole matter to this day came from what the press told me in those telephone conversations and what I subsequently read in the newspapers. ..
John Abt testified that to his knowledge, Oswald never contacted his office. Abt said he learned from press reports by
Saturday that Oswald was seeking his legal representation. Abt testimony:
http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/russ/testimony/abt.htm
….
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It's on Youtube. If you do a search, it'll come up. It's one of the tapes when Oswald was being moved from a office to a police lineup.
I know of no existing footage of Oswald making this alleged statement.
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As I noted, it wasn't missed by the press. If was after this incident that they called Abt's office to try and contact him. He was, he said, on vacation at the time and didn't have a phone at his lodgings.
It's on Youtube. If you do a search, it'll come up. It's one of the tapes when Oswald was being moved from a office to a police lineup.
Do you have any evidence that a newspaperman heard Ozzy say this? Can you point to one newsman who said he heard it come from LHO?
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I know of no existing footage of Oswald making this alleged statement.
OTOH.....
https://jfkassassinationdocumentaries.wordpress.com/
…1:07:15 to 1:08:57: Dallas Police H.Q. on Saturday evening
1:07:15: H. Louis Nichols of the Dallas Bar Association talking
1:07:31: Lawyer John Abt’s photo is seen
1:07:40: Back to Nichols
1:07:51: Henry Wade is talking about conducting the trial against Oswald
1:08:13: Curry is asked about security and threats against Oswald
1:08:35: Oswald back in the corridor
1:08:37: Possibly Ruby seen in the corridor from the back..
…1:09:34: Dallas, Sunday, November 24, 9:50AM. Preparing for Oswald transfer
.
Text of NY Times 24 November article : http://jfk.hood.edu/Collection/ (Top of Page 2) (http://jfk.hood.edu/Collection/White%20Materials/White%20Assassination%20Clippings%20Folders/Chronology/Chron%20025.pdf)
(http://jfkforum.com/images/OswaldJohnAbtNYtimesPgtwoNov24.jpg)
....and Michael, I anticipate from reading your Ed Forum posts, you are reasonably considering the volume of uniform public statements
and testimony supporting those public statements (and contemporary press reports) you have to overcome to get to this.:
My musing is that Oswald never asked for Mr. Abt, but asked for Mr. Abbott, an alias for David Atlee Phillips. This may have got him killed.
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John Apt was chief counsel to Communism USA party. Oswald no doubt knew that.
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OTOH.....
(http://jfkforum.com/images/OswaldJohnAbtNYtimesPgtwoNov24.jpg)
....and Michael, I anticipate from reading your Ed Forum posts, you are reasonably considering the volume of uniform public statements
and testimony supporting those public statements (and contemporary press reports) you have to overcome to get to this.:
Thanks Tom. I am not wedded to it. I was just aware that I never had heard him say it in a video or on a recording. I am interested in whittling this edpisode down, however, to the best and closest accounts. I doesn’t make much sense to me that LHO would turn away assistance in favor of such a long shot. When you can’t trust the police or the newspapers, you have a lot of latitude in trying to explain swiftness with which the hammer came down on LHO, and the utter fear that took hold in Dallas in those days.
Thanks again.
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Thanks Tom. I am not wedded to it. I was just aware that I never had heard him say it in a video or on a recording. I am interested in whittling this edpisode down, however, to the best and closest accounts. I doesn’t make much sense to me that LHO would turn away assistance in favor of such a long shot. When you can’t trust the police or the newspapers, you have a lot of latitude in trying to explain swiftness with which the hammer came down on LHO, and the utter fear that took hold in Dallas in those days.
Thanks again.
Hi Michael, there's really no doubt Oswald did turn down legal assistance in favour of waiting for Abt. Here's a link to the testimony of Louis Nicholes of The Dallas Bar Association; http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/russ/testimony/nichol_h.htm
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Thanks Tom. I am not wedded to it. I was just aware that I never had heard him say it in a video or on a recording. I am interested in whittling this edpisode down, however, to the best and closest accounts. I doesn’t make much sense to me that LHO would turn away assistance in favor of such a long shot. When you can’t trust the police or the newspapers, you have a lot of latitude in trying to explain swiftness with which the hammer came down on LHO, and the utter fear that took hold in Dallas in those days.
Thanks again.
That is what I thought. I apologize for stating the obvious, to you. The PM "movement" fascinates me because those attracted to it do
not seem to have a goal of actually settling the question definitively to the extent that is even possible in these times of competing alternate
universes talking past each other. The testimonial record supporting the conclusion no one at TSBD acquainted with Oswald observed him on
the steps in the proximity of Frazier, Lovelady, etc. cannot be CONVINCINGLY overcome. This is a reasonable conclusion of informed, reasonable
people. Other people actually expect image evidence will emerge to impeach the testimonial record, but in the next breath assert the BYP are
altered, unreliable. Practically speaking, we all have better things to do with our time.
Led out to transport out of the DPD basement, Oswald was evidently not close enough to be captured on camera requesting John Abt legal representation.
My next question is why all of the games? Hunt and fellow rightists were smarting from the radical reception JFK had received in Dallas. Why weren't these
highly resourceful anti-communist zealots of extreme wealth and influence not media savvy enough to sponsor Charles Tessmer as Oswald's criminal defense
attorney in the interests of regional publc relations and reputation, i.e., their own best interests?
Full article:http://jfk.hood.edu/...... (http://jfk.hood.edu/Collection/White%20Materials/White%20Assassination%20Clippings%20Folders/Miscellaneous%20Folders/Miscellaneous%20II%20Radical%20Right/Misc%20RR-141.pdf)
Article excerpt:
(http://jfkforum.com/images/OswaldCharlesTessmerHunt.jpg)
https://archive.org/stream/nsia-ForemanPercyFBIRecordsDisclosed5-2-86/nsia-ForemanPercyFBIRecordsDisclosed5-2-86/Foreman%20Records%2044_djvu.txt
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
V.
NELSON BUNKER HUNT
W. HERBERT HUNT
RALPH SHANK
CHARLES TESSMER
B. H. TIMMINS, JR.
EDWARD J. HUDSON
PERCY FOREMAN
1. From on or about January 16, 1970, to and until on
or about February 28, 1973, in the Northern District of Texas and
elsewhere, NELSON BUNKER HUNT, W. HERBERT HUNT, RALPH SHANK,
CHARLES TESSMER, B. H. TIMMINS, JR., EDWARD J. HUDSON, and PERCY'
FOREMAN did unlawfully, knowingly, and willfully combine, conspire,
confederate, and agree together and with each other to commit
t * ___
offenses against the United States; to wit, to obstruct justice
in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1503, ….
NELSON HUNT FINED IN WIRETAP CASE - The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/1976/04/20/archives/nelson-hunt-fined-in-wiretap-case.html
Apr 20, 1976 - DALLAS, April 19 (AP) Nelson Bunker Hunt, son of the late billionaire H. L. Hunt, pleaded no contest today to a reduced charge in his wiretap coverup trial. All charges were dropped against Nelson's brother. W. Herbert Hunt.
Two other defendants, Charles Tessmer and B. H. Timmins, prominent Dallas lawyers, also pleaded no contest to reduced charges.
Nelson Hunt, Mr. Tessmer and Mr. Timmins were fined $1,000 each.
Government prosecutors dropped charges of obstruction of justice against all four men..
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http://www.whokilledjfk.net/oswald_refused_legal_counsel.htm (http://www.whokilledjfk.net/oswald_refused_legal_counsel.htm)