Rather than my usual quick summary of WC testimony, I’m going to take the WC testimony of Robert Alan Surrey more slowly. I'll present his testimony almost verbatim, while striving to remove redundancy and superfluity. I’ll present his testimony in two sections, according to the division by Chief Justice Earl Warren. Here is the first of two sections of the WC testimony of Robert Alan Surrey, given on June 16, 1964 in Washington DC.
Those present included The CHAIRMAN (Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren), Senator John Cooper, Congressman Hale Boggs, attorney J. Lee Rankin and attorney Albert Jenner. (I'll emphasize the words of The CHAIRMAN by using bold italics):
The CHAIRMAN: Mr. Surrey, we have asked you to come here to testify concerning two things.
1. The printing of a handbill, "Wanted for Treason" that appeared in Dallas, November 22, 1963
2. The home of General Walker in connection with an attempt made on his life in April 1963.
Mr. SURREY: I do not wish to testify concerning the "Wanted for Treason" poster. I believe that my answers would tend to incriminate me under the 5th amendment.
Rep. BOGGS. In order that you may exercise your rights, I will question you first about the handbill, after taking your preliminary answers as to your name and particulars.
Mr. SURREY. My name is Robert Alan Surrey. I've lived in Dallas for eight years. I'm 38. I was born in late 1925 in Oak Park, Illinois. I was 4 years in the Navy in World War II. I'm a college graduate; Northwestern U., Evanston, Illinois, class of 1948. I first moved to Texas in 1948, and then left 1951-1953, and then moved back. For the past seven years I've been a printing salesman for Johnson Printing Company in Dallas. We do commercial printing, advertising, club news and so on. I'm also president of the American Eagle Publishing Company.
I published the book, The Assassination Story, in December, 1963 which consists of newspaper clippings from Dallas newspapers on the weekend of the JFK Assassination. The only thing that I wrote was the back cover. On that back cover I had used the word "muzzle" to refer to the Warren Commission, because of what happened with General Walker at the Ole Miss riots in late 1962. The US Government had printed only lies, so I cannot believe anything that I read in the national newspapers. Now, the local papers in Dallas -- I lack the time to read them -- they may have had some Truth. But not the national news media.
Senator COOPER: Who selected the clippings that were in the book?
Mr. SURREY. A couple named Osburn from Dallas. I don't know their first names or their addresses.
The CHAIRMAN: How did you happen to be associated with them?
Mr. SURREY. Mrs. Osburn volunteers at Walker's office.
Rep. BOGGS. I request, Mr. Chairman, that this book be made a part of the record of this Commission.
The CHAIRMAN: Will you supply us with a copy of the book?
Mr. SURREY. If I have one, sir. They are out of print. We sold 1,000 and gave away 2,000 and that was the entire first edition. We were going to reprint, but the Times Herald filed a cease and desist.
The CHAIRMAN: Is this company that published them a corporation?
Mr. SURREY. No; it is a partnership. General Walker and I are the only partners.
Rep. BOGGS. Was this "Treason" pamphlet (CE 996) that you printed included in that book?
Mr. SURREY. No. I did not make it a part of the record.
Rep. BOGGS. About the company you work for; Johnson Printing Company -- did they publish this?
Mr. SURREY. No.
Rep. BOGGS. Who printed it?
Mr. SURREY. ***** I TAKE THE 5TH.
Rep. BOGGS. Mr. Chairman, this is the only witness out of hundreds who has pleaded the 5th amendment!
Mr. JENNER. Does the American Eagle Publishing Company [hereafter AEPC] have a bookstore, subsidiary or outlet?
Mr. SURREY. No; we do not. There is no American Eagle Book Store.
The CHAIRMAN: Do you have a headquarters?
Mr. SURREY. No, sir.
The CHAIRMAN: Do you have a telephone?
Mr. SURREY. No. sir.
The CHAIRMAN. Are you listed with the local authorities under a fictitious name?
Mr. SURREY. Yes -- doing business as -- filed with the County Clerk in Dallas.
Mr. JENNER. Do you know a Robert G. Krause?
Mr. SURREY. ***** I TAKE THE 5TH.
Mr. JENNER. Was he not formerly employed by Johnson Printing Co.?
Mr. SURREY. ***** I TAKE THE 5TH.
Mr. JENNER. Do you know of a printing company, Lettercraft Printing Co.?
Mr. SURREY. ***** I TAKE THE 5TH.
Mr. JENNER. Did you prepare the copy for CE 996, the WANTED FOR TREASON item?
Mr. SURREY. ***** I TAKE THE 5TH.
Mr. JENNER. Did you give that item to Robert Krause of Lettercraft Printing, for reproduction?
Mr. SURREY. ***** I TAKE THE 5TH.
Mr. JENNER. On CE 996 are 'mug shots' of JFK. Did you give those to Robert Krause for reproduction?
Mr. SURREY. ***** I TAKE THE 5TH.
Mr. JENNER. Did you pay Robert Krause and his wife for printing 5,000 to 10,000 of these handbills?
Mr. SURREY. ***** I TAKE THE 5TH.
Mr. JENNER. Did you yourself, distribute copies of CE 996 around Dallas on November 22 and earlier?
Mr. SURREY. ***** I TAKE THE 5TH.
Mr. JENNER. Do you know Mrs. Clifford Mercer, or Dorothy Mercer?
Mr. SURREY. ***** I TAKE THE 5TH.
Mr. JENNER. Do you know Mr. Clifford Mercer?
Mr. SURREY. ***** I TAKE THE 5TH.
Mr. JENNER. Do you know a photoengraving company in Dallas named Monks Brothers?
Mr. SURREY. ***** I TAKE THE 5TH.
Mr. JENNER. Do you know J.T. Monk or J. T. Monk, Jr.?
Mr. SURREY. ***** I TAKE THE 5TH.
Mr. JENNER. Did you have one of the printing workmen, at Johnson Printing Co., set type for CE 996?
Mr. SURREY. ***** I TAKE THE 5TH.
Mr. JENNER. And after that type was set, did you have photos made of that type?
Mr. SURREY. ***** I TAKE THE 5TH.
Mr. JENNER. Do you know Bernard Weissman?
Mr. SURREY. ***** I TAKE THE 5TH.
Mr. JENNER. Have you had any business relations with a man by the name of Bernard Weissman?
Mr. SURREY. I TAKE THE 5TH.
Rep. BOGGS. Was anyone associated with you in the publication of this leaflet?
Mr. SURREY. ***** I TAKE THE 5TH.
The CHAIRMAN: Did General Walker have anything to do with it?
Mr. SURREY. ***** I TAKE THE 5TH
The CHAIRMAN: For how much did you sell a copy of your book?
Mr. SURREY. They were $5 a copy; we made about $5,000, which was put into the AEPC account.
The CHAIRMAN: Do you have a regular bookkeeping system, with sales figures available?
Mr. SURREY. Yes, sir.
Rep. BOGGS. This presubscription list, how many people on that?
Mr. SURREY. Between 700, 800.
Rep. BOGGS. What do you publish besides this book?
Mr. SURREY. Pamphlets.
Mr. JENNER. Do you receive income from the AEPC?
Mr. SURREY. No; I do not. I do serve as president, but I receive no compensation for that.
Mr. JENNER. What is the address of the AEPC?
Mr. SURREY. PO Box 750, Dallas 21. Johnson Printing has the same PO Box. But AEPC warehouses its pamphlets and books at 4011 Turtle Creek Boulevard -- Mr. Walker's residence. I have an office there.
The CHAIRMAN: Who owns the Johnson Printing Co.?
Mr. SURREY. The stock is split between six different people, including me. We are a commercial corporation. All six names are public.
The CHAIRMAN: Is General Walker connected with it?
Mr. SURREY. No; he is not.
Mr. JENNER. Did you tell all your partners at Johnson Printing about CE 996 or Lettercraft Printing?
Mr. SURREY. ***** I TAKE THE 5TH
Mr. JENNER. Did you tell any of your partners?
Mr. SURREY. ***** I TAKE THE 5TH
Mr. JENNER. How many employees do you have at Johnson Printing who operate a linotype or a Ludlow?
Mr. SURREY. Probably 10 or 15 work on our Ludlow.
Mr. JENNER. Are these lines on CE 996 Ludlow productions?
Mr. SURREY. ***** I TAKE THE 5TH
Mr. JENNER. Name the Johnson operators of the Ludlow machines during the first 22 days of November 1963.
Mr. SURREY. ***** I TAKE THE 5TH
Mr. JENNER. Name the Johnson operators of the linotypes during the first 22 days of November 1963.
Mr. SURREY. ***** I TAKE THE 5TH
Mr. JENNER. Where did you buy the paper used for CE 996?
Mr. SURREY. ***** I TAKE THE 5TH
Mr. JENNER. Did you see another reproduction of CE 996 at any time during the month of November 1963?
Mr. SURREY. ***** I TAKE THE 5TH …
Mr. JENNER. How long have you been associated with General Walker?
Mr. SURREY. Since the beginning of his campaign for Governor of Texas; the spring of 1962 -- going on 3 years now.
Mr. JENNER. And what are your duties in your association with General Walker?
Mr. SURREY. I'm just a volunteer helper, whatever he needed volunteer help in doing, I would help.
Mr. JENNER. Are you compensated?
Mr. SURREY. No; I am not. I have never received any compensation.
Mr. JENNER. You have never received any compensation from the publishing company we have identified that published that book?
Mr. SURREY. No, sir.
The CHAIRMAN: Do you handle any funds for General Walker?
Mr. SURREY. No, sir. Except what comes to AEPC, which is in fact, I guess, technically his funds.
The CHAIRMAN: Well, what funds do come to AEPC?
Mr. SURREY. Funds for purchasing of materials, and some donations. That is it.
The CHAIRMAN: Outside of donations, how do you get your funds for publishing?
Mr. SURREY. From the sale of materials.
The CHAIRMAN: And the rest of it is all donations?
Mr. SURREY. Donations are extremely small, as a matter of fact, yes. We operate on the sale of materials.
The CHAIRMAN: How much in the aggregate of donations have you had to AEPC?
Mr. SURREY. I would say $100 over 2 years or 2 1/2 years.
The CHAIRMAN: Where did you get the money to publish your book?
Mr. SURREY. At the beginning of AEPC, we started with a backlog of books which had been used in the campaign. This was Mr. Walker's contribution to the AEPC.
The CHAIRMAN: Did General Walker sell his campaign books?
Mr. SURREY. From the sale of the books which were turned over to AEPC at its inception, we have accumulated funds to go on with others.
The CHAIRMAN: At its inception, where did you get the money to publish? You have to have some capital of some kind.
Mr. SURREY. The capital was raised from the sale of a book called "Walker Speaks Unmuzzled" which sells for 35 cents. We started with that.
The CHAIRMAN: Who published that?
Mr. SURREY. I believe General Walker did.
The CHAIRMAN: How much money have you handled for that company in the last--since it has been established?
Mr. SURREY. Oh, as a rough estimate, $10,000 to $15,000.
The CHAIRMAN: And only $100 of that was contributions from outsiders?
Mr. SURREY. I would say that would be it.
The CHAIRMAN: And was there any of that $10,000 or $15,000 that came from any individual other than from people who purchased the books?
Mr. SURREY. Yes; at one time the General put some more money into the company.
The CHAIRMAN: How much money did he put into it?
Mr. SURREY. I believe $1,000.
The CHAIRMAN: That is all?
Mr. SURREY. Yes.
The CHAIRMAN: Anybody else put any money into it?
Mr. SURREY. No, sir.
The CHAIRMAN: Did you?
Mr. SURREY. No, sir.
Mr. JENNER. I revert to the pamphlet; were any funds of AEPC contributions sales used for CE 996?
Mr. SURREY. ***** I TAKE THE 5TH
And that, dear readers, is the substance of the first part of the questioning of Robert Alan Surrey by the Warren Commission. Surrey pleaded the 5th Amendment twenty-seven times in this first section, because an honest answer would have tended to incriminate him. Surrey was the only one of 488 Warren Commission witnesses to ever take the 5th Amendment. Chief Justice Earl Warren (The CHAIRMAN) himself asked Robert Alan Surrey twenty-nine questions.
(to be continued)
--Paul Trejo