The Unsinkable Marguerite Oswald

by Harold Feldman The Realist, Issue Number 53 - e!t" #$%& - !!" #'-#&"
I( the )o)ksure rogues who !lanned to )ondemn *ee Har+ey Oswald as the lone assassin o(
,resident -ennedy had known his mother better, things would ha+e been di((erent" .ertainly
they would ha+e taken !ause and, !erha!s, looked around (or another /!atsy"0 Now they ha+e
her on their trail, and they snarl at her (rom all sides with mali)e and mena)e" Their literary
agents )annot write three lines about her without suggesting that the only !ro!er !la)e (or this
aging 1ntigone who )ries (or 2usti)e (or her murdered son is an asylum or a gra+e" 3es, there
is a tou)h o( the !rima donna about Marguerite Oswald as she garners some egoisti) )om(ort
(rom her isolation" Here and there she res!onds to the i)y dea(ness o( the dominations and
!owers with e4tra+agant sus!i)ion and s!e)ulation" 5ut i( Ibsen is right and the strongest is
the one who stands alone (or integrity and honor, then Marguerite Oswald is the strongest
woman in 1meri)a" One thing is sure (or anyone who knows about her li(e and knows her6
she is a bra+e, bold and good woman" I (irst saw her in a)tion on aturday morning, 7une '8" I
arri+ed in 9allas with two (riends the day be(ore to re+iew the histori)al landmarks o( the
-ennedy assassination, and a brie( tele!hone )all to *ee Har+ey Oswald:s mother in Fort
;orth brought an in+itation to guide us on a tour o( Oak .li((" That is the se)tion o( 9allas
where her son is said to ha+e killed ,atrolman 7" 9" Ti!!it, where be was )a!tured three
<uarters o( an hour a(ter the !oli)eman:s death, an hour and a hal( a(ter sni!er bullets had
blasted the ,resident" The (irst sur!rise was her +oi)e" =+en I, who was ske!ti)al o( the
go+ernment re!orts about the 9allas mayhem (rom the start, was led by news!a!er a))ounts
to e4!e)t a gru(( !aranoid harridan"
;hat I heard instead was a !leasant ladylike wel)ome6not a tra)e o( )autious ambiguity, not
a se)ond o( hesitation in the warm )ourtesy that )arried within in it only a (aint suggestion o(
loneliness" Marguerite Oswald is 5% years old but there is hardly a wrinkle on her round !ink-
)heeked (a)e" hort, !lum!, e+en dum!y, her a+oirdu!ois only indi)ates what Norman Mailer
)alls /ha!!y (at"0 Her (a)e and (igure are li+ely sou+enirs o( what must ha+e been a !retty
+i+a)ious girlhood, and the added weight, horn-rimmed bi(o)als, and salt-and-!e!!er hair
!ulled ba)k into a knot ha+e only turned it into an agreeable matronliness" Mrs" Oswald was a
>#?-a-day !ra)ti)al nurse when the ,resident:s murder turned her into the (ighting de(ender o(
the Oswald (amily honor @she was (ired a (ew days laterAB it is easy to imagine her busy about
a si)k room, )a2oling, )om(orting, )hatting, and standing (or no nonsense about taking one:s
nu4 +omi)a" The !art o( Oak .li(( where *ee Oswald li+ed and 7" 9" Ti!!it died is a
deteriorating neighborhood whose large houses ha+e turned into so many rooms (or low rent"
Our tour )ame se+eral days a(ter the news!a!ers re!orted how Oswald was !re+ented (rom
starting a homi)idal )areer with Ci)hard Ni4on only by his wi(e lo)king him in his room" ;e
went to the rooming house near Dth and Neely where *ee and Marina li+ed at the time"
Marguerite was admitted with sym!atheti) de(eren)e and she went (orm room to room,
!ointing out that none o( the doors had e+er had lo)ks on them"
*i(e Eoes to a 9arkroom
5e(ore we le(t, she !hotogra!hed the (en)e against whi)h *ee was su!!osed to be standing
when he had his !i)ture taken (or (uture re(eren)e, holding a ri(le, a gun, and a 5olshe+ik
news!a!er" /*ook here,0 she said, and !ointed to the bottom o( the (en)e, ob+iously +ery
di((erent (rom what a!!eared on the dubious )o+er o( Life" 1(ter we lo)ated the s!ot on ="
#?th t" where Ti!!it was (ound dead, we walked about a blo)k and a hal( to the home o(
Helen *ouise Markham" he is the one who, the re!orts say, was the lone witness to that
shooting" Oak .li(( almost be)omes a slum there" Mrs" Markham li+es in a small a!artment
abo+e a barber sho! and she was !a)ing ba)k and (orth, her in(ant grand-daughter in her arms,
when we arri+ed" No, she )ould not talk to us now, she had to mind the baby" ;e o((ered to
!ay (or a baby-sitter" No again, but )ould we return at 'F#5 when her husband would be home
and we )ould talk (reely" Helen Markham is still young6but shabby, beaten, and s!iritless,
Mrs" Oswald s!ontaneously rea)hed (or the baby and held her (or a moment" 1t 'F#5 we
!lowed through the Turkish-bath a(ternoon Te4as heat, )arrying si4-!a)ks o( .oke against the
an4ious hour we (oresaw in the hot stale air o( the Markham a!artment" 1s we a!!roa)hed
3'DG =" $th where the Markhams li+e, we noti)ed two 9allas !oli)e station wagons !arked
outside, and 2ust as we turned the )orner o( $th and ,atton we saw them !ull away" Mrs"
Oswald guessed what the !oli)e were there (or" U! the stairs she )harged, and there we met
the most !iti(ul s!e)ta)le in our e4!erien)e" Mr" Markham stood in the doorway, and behind
him the alleged witness to the Ti!!it murder )owered to one side" The man was a <ui+ering
wre)k" =+ery mus)le in his lean (rame was a-tremble, his mouth twit)hed un)ontrollably, and
his teeth were a)tually )hattering (rom (right"
/,lease go away,0 he groaned like a whi!!ed !u!!y, /,lease go away and don:t )ome ba)k"0
/3ou:+e been threatened, ha+en:t youH0 Mrs" Oswald asked" /3es" ,lease go away"0
Outside, Mrs" Oswald:s eyes grew red (ighting ba)k the tears that welled u!" /That !oor
manI0 she ke!t re!eating" he wanted to go to ;ashington at on)e to re!ort the in)ident to the
;arren .ommission" /9id you gee himH0 she said" /He was (rightened to death" ;hat right
do they ha+e to threaten himH This is still 1meri)a, by Eod,0 she )ried" /;e:re going to see i(
they )an get away with this"0 5ill Markham, the '?-year-old son o( Helen Markham, (ollowed
us outside" His mother and ste!(ather, be said, were too s)ared o( the !oli)e and e)ret
er+i)e to talk to us but he wasn:t" He would meet us outside the !ubli) library some three
blo)ks away" He s!oke to us in Mrs" Oswald:s )ar, and unutterable )ontem!t (or his !arents
showed in e+ery word" 1lso )lear was his des!erate need o( money" ;ould we !ay (or
in(ormation about the Ti!!it killingH It only takes an hour o( inde!endent work on the Oswald
)ase to make one )ir)ums!e)t and guarded" ;e might be )harged later with bribing a witness,
and then how did we know that the boy was not e+ery bit o( the liar he said his mother was"
The sullen boy with the handsome tanned (a)e to!!ed with bla)k )urls admitted he had a
!oli)e re)ord, that the !oli)e had gotten him (ired (rom se+eral 2obs by so-)alled !arole )he)k-
u!s" He was not working and what be wanted more than anything else right now was money"
/I need it, ma:am,0 he said slowly, /and I:m going to get mysel( some"0 3es the e)ret
er+i)e had told his !arents that /there would be trouble0 i( they talked to outsiders" /5ut, I:m
not a(raid, ma:am" I need money and i( I don:t get some one way, I:ll get it another"0
;hy not go away to another state and start again )lean, Mrs, Oswald !leaded with him" /The
!oli)e:ll be a(ter me anyway, ma:am, and I )an:t a((ord a lawyer" I )an:t a((ord anything"0
/,lease take )are,0 she told him" /Oh *ord, !oor !eo!le are so hel!less" I( you were middle
)lass you wouldn:t ha+e these !roblems" 1nd don:t be so sure you )an win against the !oli)e"
My *ee was so sure"0 1s he was lea+ing the )ar, she took his hand" /Take )are o( yoursel(,0
she said, /and i( you get into trouble and need hel!, !lease get in tou)h with me" I:ll (ind some
way to hel! you"0 Two days later Marguerite )alled us to )ome o+er (ast" he greeted us,
holding u! a news!a!er in her hand" The Markham boy had been !i)ked u! (or burglary and
!arole +iolation" It re)alled the similar arrest a (ew weeks be(ore o( 1braham 5olden, the (irst
Negro e)ret er+i)e man assigned to the ,residential bodyguard, on )harges o( )oo!erating
with )ounter(eiters" There, too, the )harge was entirely based on the testimony o( two
witnesses who themsel+es were under !oli)e )harges"
/I kee! thinking, maybe talking to us got the boy arrested,0 Mrs" Oswald said" /;e:+e got to
hel! him" ;e ga+e him our word"0
1nd (or se+en hours Marguerite Oswald was on the !hone trying to get young Markham a
lawyer" he )alled Mark *ane in New 3ork, )alled Ereg Olds o( the 9allas .i+il *iberties
Union @who made +ague, un(ul(illed !ledgesA, )alled the *awyers Ce(erral er+i)e, )alled si4
attorneys in Fort ;orth who all begged o((" O+er and o+er she asked (or a lawyer to +isit the
boy in 2ail to make sure he was re!resented by )ounsel" hadow images )rossed her mind o(
the boy being killed in 2ail as her son was" he o((ered to !ay the legal e4!enses but it was no
go" he got !romises, re)ommendations, a!ologies, but no lawyer" Mark *ane (inally
managed to !ersuade a relu)tant )olleague in 9allas to see young Markham" Mrs" ?swald is
unem!loyed" No 2ob has materialiJed, (or her sin)e the assassination" Her in)ome now is
based almost solely on the sale o( do)uments to the !ress" Life bought a !i)ture o( her and
Marina (or a thousand dollars and Esquire !aid >&??? (or si4teen letters *ee had written her
during his stay in Cussia" ome (oreign re!orters !aid her (or inter+iews, he li+es in a one-
(loor three-room house @rentF >3? a monthA, she s!ends little (or (ood, her wardrobe is rather
bare, and air-)onditioning is beyond her budget"
;hat other money she has, she s!ends on the de(ense o( *ee Oswald, ;hat a shar! )ontrast
the negle)t o( this mother makes to the (antasti) )on)ern that go+ernment and )hur)h ha+e
shown (or the alleged assassin:s wi(e, Marina" The Cussian girl, whom *ee married a(ter he
had already de)ided to return to 1meri)a, has re)ei+ed some >85,??? in )ontributions and
)om!ensation" he is the ob2e)t o( e+ery tender soli)itude, !ubli) and domesti), (rom the
e)ret er+i)e" ;hen the Fort ;orth .oun)il o( .hur)hes started a (und (or the Oswalds,
they soon made it )lear that none o( their )harity was meant (or the mother who was so
unmotherly as to de(end her son" .he)ks donated (or the relie( o( Marguerite were returned to
the senders" The reason (or this dis)rimination, the la+ish a))e!tan)e o( Marina, the hostile
ostra)ism o( Marguerite, is ob+ious enough" Marina )oo!erates" he makes the !ro!er noises
(or the e)ret er+i)e and the F5I"
1(ter (irst !rotesting his inno)en)e, she now hardly lets a week go by without adding to the
monstrous list o( her husband:s intended +i)tims" Marguerite Oswald, on the other hand" is
in(le4ible in de(ense o( her son:s inno)en)e, at least until he is !ro+en guilty" /The money it
running out,0 she says, /but I:+e learned not to worry"0 *ike Mi)awber, she is sure something
will turn u!" 1lmost e+ery day she +isits *ee:s gra+e in Cosehill .emetery, 2ust outside o(
Fort ;orth" he re!la)es the (lowers taken by sou+enir hunters, weeds the grass and tends the
sa!ling that rises o+er his gra+e" In her )ar she )arries a garden hose whi)h she atta)hes to the
s!igot at the gra+eside and waters the gra+e"
1 tar Is 5orn
The area around the gra+e has been trodden into a hard brown walk by the daily +isitors, and
the need to kee! (a)e be(ore hundreds o( )urious wat)hers e+ery day has made her a bit o( a
showo((" =+ery in)h o( her bearing is a !olite de(ian)e o( her isolation and an awareness o(
history" he is !roud, i( not o( her son, )ertainly o( hersel(" Mrs" Oswald is a *utheran and a
white outherner" *ike Madame 9rey(us 8? years ago, nothing but her !osition as the +i)tim
o( an o((i)ial (rame-u! @Madame 9rey(us always )alled it a /2udi)ial error0A would ha+e e+er
!ut her in )onta)t with the hand(ul o( radi)als who take u! her )ause" 1 !aro)hial Te4an, Mrs"
Oswald" is not altogether )om(ortable with the +oluminous sym!athy she re)ei+es (rom
=uro!e" he is a bit uneasy about Mark *ane:s )rusade (or 2usti)e (or *ee in ,aris, Come,
5uda!est and *ondon" he would like the )ase (ought out in 1meri)a by 1meri)ans6but
sometimes, des!air gri!s her heart, and she wonders whether she hersel( will not wind u! in
=uro!ean e4ile"he was born and grew u! in New Orleans" he raised her (amily in Fort
;orth" The word /nigger0 )omes naturally to her li!s @2ust as it did to her son:s e+en a(ter he
was su!!osed to be a .ommunist in CussiaA, but the least in2usti)e against Negroes, Me4i)ans
or Indians, starts her indignation tank boiling again" ;hene+er we e4!ressed doubt about her
!ros!e)ts, she would re!ly, /This is 1meri)a0 or /This is Te4as06something we
)osmo!olitans (rom ,hiladel!hia )ould not be e4!e)ted to )om!rehend" 5e)ause /this is
1meri)a,0 Mrs" Oswald wa+ed aside our o!inion that the ;arren .ommission would not
+indi)ate her son and hersel(" he glories in the (a)t that all o( her sons ser+ed in the Marines,
and *ee, she says o+er and o+er, was a)ting (or the United tates go+ernment (rom the day he
2oined the Marines in #$5% to the day he was hand)u((ed and shot in a 9allas 2ail" Her oldest
son, 7ohn =dward ,i), born o( her (irst marriage, has !assed & years in uni(orm and is now an
1ir For)e sergeant" Cobert =" *ee Oswald 7r", her se)ond boy, was *ee Har+ey:s /big
brother"0 he remembers *ee in his early teens studying the !rint o(( o( Cobert:s Marine
manual" One day she (ound *ee !uJJling o+er the manual and beside it was a !a!erbound
.ommunist !am!hlet" It was this bro)hure whi)h was !added and in(lated in the !ost-
assassination !ress until it )ould be !assed o(( as Das Kapital, no less, always mentioned with
the Eerman title, mind you" ,robably it was the !am!hlet about the Cosenbergs whi)h *ee
told 1line Mosby about in Mos)ow" He <uit 1rlington Heights High )hool in the #?th grade
to 2oin the Marines, and his mother belie+es that e+en then *ee was )ontem!lating under)o+er
work (or Un)le am among the Ceds"
9og!at)h 9ogmatism
*ee Har+ey Oswald ne+er be)ame a .ommunist and his mother is )ertainly not one" 5ut,
)oe4isting with )on+entional !atriotism in both o( them, is a s!ontaneously radi)al !oint o(
+iew burgeoning out o( a li(elong war with de!ri+ation and !o+erty" Marguerite Oswald
knows in her bones that the !oor are a beaten and harassed (lo)k and that the !olite e<uality o(
the law is usually a boon (or the ri)h and a rawhide whi! (or the !oor"
/I( my son had been wealthy, he might be ali+e today,0 she says" /*ee was denied the right to
ha+e a lawyer be)ause he didn:t ha+e any money"0 In one !art o( her heart she is a stalwart
who belie+es, like *i:l 1bner, in the (lag, the F5I and the .a!itol in ;ashington" In the other,
she understands that this is a land where money and !restige rule the roost" 1nd i( Marguerite
Oswald is !oor and keenly aware o( the meaning, o( !o+erty, her !o+erty is ne+ertheless sel(-
)ons)iously genteel" /;e were down and out many times,0 she says, /but we were ne+er
trash"0 ;hen they were new)omers in New 3ork and *ee, age #&, was !la)ed in a
re(ormatory (or being absent without lea+e (rom s)hool (or #8 days, he )ried out, /3ou:+e got
to get me out o( here, mother" They ha+e real )riminals here, kids who ha+e stabbed !eo!le
and killed !eo!le with gunsI0 he ke!t her )hildren )lean and neat, they ate their !ork and
beans, na!kin in hand, and her home, howe+er bare, always mani(ested a middle-)lass taste"
he was !lainly elated when *ee:s landlady in 9allas told her that *ee was the only tenant in
the !la)e who washed the tub out a(ter he took a bath" The Oswalds were (rugal, !aid their
debts, li+ed on sandwi)hes when they bad to, and sa+ed their s)ra!ings" One day she saw her
nursing home em!loyer browbeat and abuse an old !atient and she <uit her 2ob in a hel!less
rage" /I didn:t know where my ne4t meal was )oming (rom,0 she told 7a)k *angguth o( the
N.Y. Times, /but I ha+e !rin)i!les and I:+e learned not to worry"0 *ee was se)reti+e she notes,
/but he ne+er lied to me"0 he re)alled the day in New 3ork, #$5', when he +olunteered that
he bad not been going to s)hool but was s!ending the time riding the subways and +isiting the
Joo" ;hen *ee returned (rom Cussia and was ha+ing a hard time o( it kee!ing a wi(e and
)hild on >#"'5-an-hour 2obs or unem!loyment )om!ensation, Mrs, Oswald asked him why he
le(t Cussia, where his 2ob was easy and the !ay regular, to )ome home to li(e as a +irtual
dereli)t"
/Not e+en Marina knows that,0 was his answer"
;hat Mrs" Oswald insists on in the )ase as mu)h as his inno)en)e is her )on+i)tion that *ee
was an 1meri)an se)ret agent" 9ay a(ter day she studies the !hotogra!hs and re!orts o( the
assassination" /1nalyJing,0 she )alls it, and her inter!retations e+iden)e a shar! intelligen)e" I
saw her dri+e around Fort ;orth and 9allas to (ind and <uestion !otential witnesses" I
wat)hed her on the !hone tormenting *iebler, Cedli)h and Cankin o( the ;arren .ommission
with a )alm dignity" ;hen *ee:s Cussian /diary0 was leaked to the Dallas Morning News, I
wat)hed =d 5arker o( -C*9-TK inter+iew her about the break" he held (orth like a dowager
<ueen in )ourt" =4!ressing gratitude (or the !ubli)ation o( her son:s notes, she serenely
!ro)eeded to <uote and analyJe" /They !ro+e, you see, what I ha+e always maintained,0 she
said6/that *ee was an 1meri)an agent"0 5e(ore we le(t, she !ointed out how Federal agents
had re!eatedly +iolated the laws o( Te4as by doing away with e+iden)e that may ha+e !ro+ed
her son:s inno)en)eF /First, they took the ,resident:s body out o( Te4as" The 9allas do)tors
thought the bullets )ame (rom the (ront, but the Federal men had a se)ret auto!sy in 5ethesda,
Maryland, when it should ha+e been done here and be)ome !art o( the )ourt re)ord" Then they
took the ,resident:s limousine out o( the state, rushed it o((" This was a most im!ortant item
o( e+iden)e but they dismantled it and rebuilt it be(ore anyone here )ould e4amine it (or bullet
holes"0
=stablishment =thi)s
The 2ournalists who earn their daily bourbon on assignment (rom Life, Time, and the news
networks ha+e ne+er sto!!ed !ortraying Marguerite Oswald as a sel(-)entered, domineering,
!aranoia) showo(( with (re<uent delusions o( !erse)ution" It reminds me o( Freud:s remark
that there would be no su)h thing as a !erse)ution )om!le4 i( there were not real !erse)ution"
Mrs" Oswald does not !lay ball with the authorities" he is there(ore authoritarian" he insists
on all her rights and is dee!ly )on)erned about the !la)e o( her (amily in the histori)al re)ord"
he is )onse<uently an e4hibitionist" he has de+oted e+ery day sin)e No+ember '', #$%3, to
un)o+ering what she belie+es and millions belie+e is a real )ons!ira)y in whi)h her youngest
son was the (all guy" 1s a result, she is held u! to s)orn as a bitter old woman who sees snares
and !lots e+erywhere" 1(ter her son was arrested and she (a)ed her lone u!hill way, she said,
/They turned their ba)ks on me be(ore and they will turn their ba)ks on me again, but my
(aith will see me through"0 Marguerite Oswald is unbreakable" That is why the !owers are
o((ended" Is Marguerite Oswald /emotional0 and /unstable,0 as the Maedchen fuer Alle o( the
!ress sayH ;e s!ent 5 days in her house and wat)hed her under high !ressure" I( she is,
emotional, then Molly ,it)her was a hysteri)" I( she is unstable, then Mount Cushmore is
!utty"
Ce)olle)tions by Kin)ent alandria @Mar)h '?#3AF
On aturday, No+ember '3rd, #$%3, Harold Feldman, my then brother-n-law, met with me in
my home" ;e de)ided that we would reser+e 2udgment on the Oswald as assassin news
a))ounts until the weekend was o+er" ;e said that i( Oswald was guilty, no inno)ent
go+ernment would !ermit anything to ha!!en to him o+er the weekend" ;e also !osited that
i( Oswald was inno)ent, then he would be killed o+er the weekend to !reser+e him as the
go+ernment:s !atsy (or the state )rime o( killing -ennedy, ;e de)ided that i( he was killed,
the go+ernment would seek to )on)eal the truth, and that it would be the task o( !ri+ate
)itiJens to undertake to learn the truth" Finally we de)ided, i( Oswald was killed by a 7ew,
then the le(t, (earing a !ogrom against the le(t, whi)h was largely 7ewish, would not undertake
the task o( learning the truth about the assassination" ;hen Cuby shot Oswald, I was wat)hing
TK" I told my guest that the assassin would turn out to be 7ewish" Harold, his wi(e, Irma, and
I went to 9allas in the summer o( #$%&"
On arri+al in 9allas, I )alled the 1.*U o((i)e and ad+ised them that we were in+estigating
the -ennedy assassination and would like to be able to )all u!on them i( we ran into
!roblems" ;e were assured that the 9allas !oli)e would not be any !roblem" I s!ent (our
days slee!ing o+er at Marguerite Oswald:s a!artment" he told me about her +isit to the tate
9e!artment a(ter *ee de(e)ted to the o+iet Union" he said that she got red-)ar!et treatment
and was assured that she need not worry about him" he (elt that her son, *ee, was a U""
intelligen)e agent" ;e made a )all to Helen Markham:s home and told her we were going to
+isit her with Mrs" Oswald" ;hen we got to the her home, a 9allas !oli)e )ar was lea+ing"
;e met with Mrs" Markham and her husband" They a!!eared terri(ied" Their teeth were
literally )hattering, making sounds as their terror re(le)ted itsel(" ;e got nothing (rom them"
1 !erson who identi(ied himsel( as their son met with us as we le(t and o((ered to tell us his
mother:s story (or money" ;e re(used to !ay (or thein(ormation" ;ith Mrs" Oswald, we
inter+iewed 1)<uilla .lemons, a witness to the 7"9" Ti!!et killing" he said that Oswald was
not the killer" The killer who was short and sto)ky" ;e shared what we gathered in the 9allas
+isit with Mark *ane"