id="pgepubid00005">EXHIBITS INTRODUCED

Hearings Before the President's Commission
on the
Assassination of President Kennedy

TESTIMONY OF EDWARD VOEBEL

The testimony of Edward Voebel was taken on April 7, 1964, at the Old Civil Courts Building, Royal and Conti Streets, New Orleans, La., by Mr. Albert E. Jenner, Jr., assistant counsel of the President's Commission.

Edward Voebel, 4916 Canal Street, New Orleans, La., after first being duly sworn, testified as follows:

Mr. Jenner. You are Edward Voebel?

Mr. Voebel. That's right.

Mr. Jenner. And you live at 4916 Canal Street in New Orleans?

Mr. Voebel. Yes, sir.

Mr. Jenner. Where is your place of business?

Mr. Voebel. At the same place.

Mr. Jenner. They are both at the same place, 4916 Canal Street?

Mr. Voebel. That's right.

Mr. Jenner. And that's here in New Orleans?

Mr. Voebel. Yes.

Mr. Jenner. And you are associated in business, I believe, with your mother and father, are you not?

Mr. Voebel. Mother, uncle, and grandmother.

Mr. Jenner. Your mother, your uncle, and your grandmother?

Mr. Voebel. That's right.

Mr. Jenner. And what is your business?

Mr. Voebel. Quality Florist Co.

Mr. Jenner. What is your age, Mr. Voebel?

Mr. Voebel. I am 23.

Mr. Jenner. You received a letter from Mr. Rankin, general counsel of the Warren Commission, did you not?

Mr. Voebel. Yes, sir.

Mr. Jenner. And enclosed with the letter were a copy of Senate Joint Resolution 137, authorizing the creation of the Commission to investigate the assassination of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy; is that right?

Mr. Voebel. Yes, sir.

Mr. Jenner. And Executive Order No. 11130, of President Lyndon B. Johnson appointing that Commission and fixing its powers and duties; is that right?

Mr. Voebel. Yes.

Mr. Jenner. And a copy of the rules and regulations under which we take testimony before the Commission and also by way of deposition, such as this one. You received that also?

Mr. Voebel. Yes, sir.

Mr. Jenner. I take it you gather from those documents that the Commission is enjoined to investigate all of the facts and circumstances surrounding and bearing upon the assassination of the late President John Fitzgerald Kennedy.

Mr. Voebel. Yes.

Mr. Jenner. I am Albert E. Jenner. Jr., member of the legal staff of the Commission, and I am here with my associate, Mr. Liebeler, taking depositions here in New Orleans, which is the birthplace of Lee Harvey Oswald, and making inquiries of those who in the ordinary course of their lives had some contact with this man, and also other aspects of the assassination. Now, it is our understanding that you did have some contact with him; is that right?

Mr. Voebel. Yes.

Mr. Jenner. I would like to ask you a few questions about that.

Mr. Voebel. Yes, sir.

Mr. Jenner. When did you first become acquainted with Lee Harvey Oswald, and under which circumstances? Just tell me generally how that came about.

Mr. Voebel. Well, it was at school.

Mr. Jenner. Is that Beauregard Junior High School?

Mr. Voebel. Yes, sir.

Mr. Jenner. Do you know what year that was?

Mr. Voebel. Let's see. I will have to figure that out. That was about 1954 or 1955.

Mr. Jenner. How did you become aware of him?

Mr. Voebel. Going to school there. Do you want me to tell you the whole story?

Mr. Jenner. Well, let's get in a few preliminary remarks first. I would like to have a little background in the record before we go into that.

Mr. Voebel. Yes, sir. I don't exactly remember when I first saw him, because I might have seen him going to school and back without knowing who it was, but I really became acquainted with him when he had this fight with this boy, and we took him back into the boy's restroom and tried to patch him up a bit.

Mr. Jenner. Were there individuals involved in this fight that you remember?

Mr. Voebel. Yes.

Mr. Jenner. Tell me the circumstances of that, please.

Mr. Voebel. Well,