THE WASHINGTON POST AROUND THE NATION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75B00380R000800140015-7
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: November 17, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 17, 2000
• Sequence Number: 15
• Publication Date: June 9, 1967
• Content Type: NSPR

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:AS
Friday, Juneit9, 1967 THE WASHINGTON POST
Around the Nation
Court Orders data
K - V-3
I L *robe Fund
NEW ORLEANS-Law-
yers for the man accused of
plotting to assassinate Presi-
dent Kennedy won their
fight yesterday to publicize
donors to the private fund
behind the probe of District
Attorney Jim Garrison.
Criminal Court Judge Ed-
ward A. Haggerty, signed a
subpoena ordering a group
of businessmen financing
the investigation to produce
its membership rolls and
money records at. a hearing
Monday. The group is called
Truth and Consequences.
Defense attorneys wanted
the records in time for the
hearing on their motions to
quash the indictment charg-
ing New Orleans business
executive Clay L. Shaw with
conspiring to murder Presi-
dent Kennedy,.who was shot
from ambush in Dallas Nov.
22, 1963.
The judge also ordered
Garrison to relinquish to the
court records of receipts and
disbursements of the pri-
vately donated funds.
In another development,
Gordon Novel withdrew his
$50 million damage suit
against Garrison and others
rather than return here to-
day and make a deposition
in connection with the case.
Garrison has sought without
success since March to have
Novel, 29, extradited from
Ohio for questioning as a
ma torio1 Wltlless in the Ken-
nedy assinatlon probe.
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i. k) C i Cl ~d~ 1 t VV S V:-I C', y
I7EY AIDE RESIGNS
1M1ONINUIRY
Investigator Quits in Fight
Over Assassination Case
By GENE ROBERTS i
Special to The New York Times
NEW ORLEANS, June 26-
The chief investigator for Dis-
trict Attorney Jim Garrison
quit his job today in the midst
of a dispute over the way the
Kennedy assassination inquiry
is being conducted.
The resignation of William
H. Gurvich came only minutes
after one of Mr. Garrison's
aides barred him from the dis-
trict attorney's office.
Mr. Gurvich had appeared at
the office to tell Mr. Garrison
that he should "re-evaluate"
his investigation and drop con-
spiracy charges against Clay L.
Shaw, the only person Mr. Gar-
rison has arrested during his
nine-month inquiry.
But he arrived to find Mr.
Garrison and his staff angry
over statements he had made
during the weekend to The New
York Times.
Mr. Gurvicle told a Times re-
porter he had "grave misgiv-
ings" about the Investigation
and planned to tell Mr. Garri-
son as much at a conference
today.
Mr. Garrison refused to parti-
cipate in the conference, how-
ever, and released a statement
calling Mr. Gurvich's comments
"the latest move from the East-
ern headquarters of the Estab-
lishment to attempt to discred-
it our investigation..."
"It becomes increasingly ap-
parent," the statement contin
ued," that elements of the Fed-
eral Government are absolutely
desperate in their attempts to
prevent the people of this coun-
try from finding out what real
ly happened in Dallas."
Blocked by'Another Aide
When Mr. Gurvich attempted
to walk past a guard rail today
and enter Mr. Garrison's office,
his path was blocked by Louis
W. Ivon, an Investigator who
had worked with both Mr. Gur-
vich and the district attorney.
"Have I been fired?" Mr.
"I don't know anything about
that." Mr. Ivon sn id.
":17ay I come In ?" Mr. Gur-
vich asked.
"No, you can't, Mr. Ivon told
hint. "The boss wanted you to
wait outside."
Soon after this exchange,
James Alcock, assistant district
attorney, showed Mr. Gurvich to
a back office. But Mr. Gurvich
returned to the guard rail with-
in 15 minutes and announced
he was not going to wait any
longer for the district attorney.
"I don't wait for anyone long-
er than a half hour," he said.
Mr. Gurvich did not explain
why he felt that the assassina-
tion investigation should be re-
evaluated, or why he thought
the conspiracy charges against
Mr. Shaw should be dropped.
His only comment on Mr.
Shaw came when a newsman
asked him if he felt the charges
should be dropped.
"At this time, yes, I do,"
he said.
Yesterday, Mr. Gurvich told
a Times reporter that lie would
"like to see more extensive and
thorough searches made in the
gathering of evidence to clarify
questions that develop" in the
assassination investigation.
"Up until now," he said, "this
standard and professional
method of criminal Investiga-
tion was not always used in all
phases of this investigation."
Mr. Garrison contends that
his investigation has revealed
a conspiracy to kill President
Kennedy that originated in New
Orleans. Mr. Shaw, a 54-year-
old retired businessman, has
been bound over for trial after
a preliminary hearing at whcih
Mr. Garrison alleged that Mr.
Shaw, Lee Harvey Oswald and
the late David W. Ferric had
plotted to kill the President.
The Warren Commission con-
eluded that Oswald was the lone
assassin and said it could find
no evidence of a conspiracy.
Although Mr. Garrison. pub-
licly corigratualted Mr. Gurvich
in February for his work on
the assassination case and al-
lowed him to announced the
Shaw arrest four months ago,
he denied today that Mr. Gur-
vich was his chief investigator
or had ever been on his office's
payroll.
Garrison Statement
"Some months ago Mr. Gur-
vich, who operates a night watch
man service, appeared out of
the blue and offered his as-
sistance to our investigation,"
Mr. Garrison said. "After a few
months, he just as quickly dis-
appeared from view."
"One of Mr. Gurvich's In-
creasing complaints, however,
was that he felt that he was
not being given enough in-
formation about the Investiga-
tion Itself," Mr. Garrison said.
He went on:
"One of the reasons we did
not give him all of our informa-
tion w.s that we soon learned
that he was having meetings i
with Mr. Walter Sheridan, a
former Federal investigator
now working for the National
Broadcasting Company. From
that time on, Mr. Gurvich's as-
signments were limited to
photography, chauffering and
other technical work of a limit-
ed nature until he faded out of
view about six weeks ago."
Mr. Gurvich, who operates a
private detective agency, has
worked for Mr, Garrison for
several years as a "dollar-a.-
year" man. Mr. Gurvich told
reporters that Mr. Garrison
made him chief Investigator at
the outset of the Kennedy In-
vestigation and told him that
lie would be placed on salary.
But, he said, he never received
any salary.
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CURVICH BLASTS
NEW ORLEANS TI PICAYUNE
In the investigation and flow wit-F- DIDN'T SHOW UP __ suspended Jefferson Parish as-
nesses were collected."
CA I ROBE
Will Try to Fore DA to'
i' Abandon Case
By BOB USSERY
Private detective W 1111 a in
Gurvich told The Times-Pica-
yune Tuesday he intends to
'force District Attorney Jim
,Garrison to abandon his con-
spiracy case against Clay L.
Shaw and levelled a new bar-
ragq of charges against Garri-
son.
One day after quitting Gar-
rison's Kennedy assassination
probe, the private Investiga-
tor who has been closely asso-
elated with Garrison for a
. number of months said he will.
attempt' Wednesday to have
the grand jury rescind its con-
spiracy Indictment , against
I Shaw. I
Some main points of Gur-
vich's statements were:
-Garrison planned a raid on
the local offices of the Federal
;Bureau of Investigation,
-Garrison earmarked a num-
ber of New Orleans citizens,
some of them prominent, for
arrest as-accessories after the
.fact in an alleged assassination
conspiracy.
-Garrison ordered two news-
men arrested and beaten.
-There was no conspiracy to
kill President John F. Kennedy.
-Garrison is incapable of
proving a conspiracy.
-Garrison has no other evi-
dence against. Shaw except the
testimony of Baton Rouge in-
suraneeman Perry Raymond
Russo.
-Garrison was "responsible"
for the death of former airline
pilot David W. Ferrie.
-Garrison should be forced to
drop his case against Shaw.
Garrison denied Tuesday night
that he had used any illegal
methods in his investigation.
He said that although Gur-
vich's statements would not "at
all" harm his basic case against
Shaw, the allegations would ad-
versely affect potentlel jarors
CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS
Gurvich said his testimony
will concern "mainly civil
rights, constitutional rights of a
human being living in America.
I saw it, I heard it." number of other New Oriean
fans as accessories after the,
k
A
h
t h
h
d
s
e
w
a
e
as seen and
heard, Gurvich replied, "flow fact. Gurvich said he did not!
to Intimidate and coerce wit- actually see 'the names written
nesses, to forcibly extract in- on a piece of paper in list form.!
formation that would support But maintained that Garrison
his (Garrison's] theories, re- had mentioned the names.
gardless of the truthfulness "That was the way he ex.
of this information." plained it to dozens of peo-
In a lengthy interview Gur- ple," he said. '
vich admitted that Garrison, Gurvich said the names in-
had Shaw's name before Perry, eluded: "One of the city's leading cof-
Russo came forward with in fee importers.
formation, but said he had no "One very prominent doctor
evidence. of international reputation.
"He had absolutely nothing,' "An owner of a local hotel,
so much so that Garrison him- "Two . . . leaders of local?
self said to several people to Cuban refugee organizations.
forget Shaw- 'he has absolutely ? "A
-
.
t n
BI ?'
l
-
F
en
nothing to ao with it," Gurvich
said.
"Long, long before the date of
arrest he had been interviewed
by Garrison's staff and imme-
diately afterward Garrison
made the remarks that he
should be dropped, that he was,
in no way .involved in any-'
thing," Gurvich said.
PLAN TO RAID FBI
Gurvich charged that the pur
111; Dd1U Lilt; 1G,lVl Lt;1D UlUll4. -+'' "?U UA0411.4 GLLVlJlU' Lt LL-j
show," but said that no beatings', fied before the Warren Com-'
would have been administered mission that a Clay Bertrand
"as long as I was around." had called him after the as-)
Concerning his charge that: isassination about representing
Oswald. I
ANDREWS INDICTED I
Andrews testified before the
grand jury that he could not
say whether Shaw was Clay
Bertrand. He was indicted for
perjury.
Gurvich maintained t h a t
they are not the same. "I am-
positive of it," Gurvich said.
Asked if he knows who Ber-
trand is, Gurvich offered "no
comment."
Gurvich said that the investi-
gation "has become such an ob-
il
session with Mr. Garrison that
rationality and ethics are un-
heard of and are never em-II
ploved in the investigation."
ILL GO O
ere ere
hers
TIAL
-
--
- --- v
concluded. Will Garrison still go to trial
SHAW'S ARREST with Shaw?
He described the March 1 ar-1 "Yes, if not forced to aban-
rest of Shaw as a "retaliatory; don it, he will go to trial with
act against the local newspa Clay Shaw. This he must do toe
pers" on Garrison's part. . satisfy his ego," Gurvich said.
"The newspaper comes out ,I Gurvich said he Is of the
In February with the story. opinion that Garrison should
You know how angry that be forced to abandon the
made him," Gurvich said, Shaw case.
and added that the publicity As to how, Gurvich ? said,
had "called his hand." "Through legal methods, if the
the local offices of the FBI was. On Feb. 17 the New Orleans grand jury drops the indict-
to seize tapes that he suspected; States-Item revealed Garrison's ment.
had been made of telephone probe to the public, Infuriating Then Gurvich asked another
conservations on office pnd Garrison and drawing world-? question: "If Mr. Shaw was 'o
residence phones of members of. wide publicity to his investiga-~Iguilty, why didn t Mr. Garrison
I his staff, tion. .take the case to the grand jury
"He was convinced that the "He said we've had the as- in the first place?"
FBI had all phones tapped. sassination solved for a long Shaw was not indicted until
"The raid was to be at mid time and it would have been after the preliminary hearing.
night when only one clerk would; over in a few weeks," Gurvich FEELS HE HAS CHANCE
be on duty at the FBI office. said. Asked if he thinks he has a
"His investigators would be I "If he had it solved, why did chance to have the grand jury
armed with 'red pepper' guns, he need Perry Russo, which ;rescind its indictment, he said,
which he described as weap- was all he had the day of the "Yes, because they are quali-
ons which would immobilize preliminary hearing," Gurvich fied men."
people without doing physical asked. Gurvich also commented on
harm," Gurvich said. RUSSO'S TESTIMONY, ? . the Metropolitan Crime Com-I .
He also said Garrison once . Russo testified at a prelim- mission, which has called for a'
instructed his staff to arrest inary criminal district court state investigation of Garrison's)
National Broadcasting Co. re- hearing which the state request- investigation.
porter Walter Sheridan and ed before bringing Shaw's case "The Metropolitan C rim e
WDSU-TV r e p o r t e r. Richard I Commission can't do it. You've
Townley, before the grand jury. Shaw;
got to get somebody who was `
was ord
red b
d
f
e
oun
over
or
,"He wanted them arrested., trial. I there. I was there and I
He said to put them in hand-; "Perry Raymond Russo was
cuffs, beat them physically, and; 'his entire evidence," Gurvich
drag them into the police sta-i sale " ,,,_ onl
,,
reason ,,,
e
y
i
id
t
lea sa
Mesa
ns
U1:L1V11D
on his witnesses. cause his first name was Clay
Gurvich, who ere a as he ant tOtKb 3v 129~ -~~ ch sap
was hvestigative the jury "the t'ruththe ,trict attorney's
a wiofficetness to go which to. Garrison~~claimed h that Shaw and "explain to them what un-, Tn?mle,, nnA RharlAan eg,,,r t- used the alias of "Clay Ber
watched.
"It has gotten to the point.
that I have enough and I'm
going to use it against Jim,"
Gurvich said.
ha*
the idea of hurting Garrison. - ;'j
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.
4rorward until
Q.:tor lea, fl~s.lnvestlgatl~n be Gul'vich also discussed tl come orward unti the last
cause he said he will.prove that day of the hearing. ltie (Gar-
cou ave one o aY fled at the hearing, did not
ments of the CIA a empting Shaw
"
Gurvich said he had doubts
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that he admitted he discussed
, Gurvich added.
it t'
`SERIOUS THING'
"I never intended to hurt Mr. He said if Garrison even en-
jGarrison. Mr. Garrison has hurt, as early as January. "They tertained such an idea, that
himself by his own practices,", were weak doubts," he added.';"then it is a serious thing."
Gurvich said. ~ When did-they become bigger. , Gurvich described the idea
"The day the preliminary hear-'of a conspiracy in the presiden-
Garrison said Tuesday sight ing ended," he answered. t1al assassination as "ridicu-
that he has never had a case re- Asked if there was any jus-'lous," and added:
versed for using improper meth- tification for Garrison's suspici-' "There was no conspiracy, no
ods and if anyone on his staff ons of David Ferrie, whom Gar- indication that there was ever
used such methods he (the 2s-;risgn had under surveillance be- a conspiracy anywhere. It t wsistant) d) wouldn't have a job the More his Feb. 22 death, Gurvichais (Garrisons) own little was
next day. said, "none whatsoever." "H
that e district attorney said case , He has no case, there was no
GARRISON BLAMED
,when a prosecutor has no case conspiracy. Jim Garrison isn't
brans capable of finding one," he add-
against a defendent, the defend- hemorrhage from "Mr. Ferrirom died of a extreme an
ant is *cquitted -? "that's ticipation tion of arrest, settled in the trial." But, he;cquiv, and I un - Getting back to Shaw's pre-
added, there are "certain ele-;quivocally blame District At- liminary hearing, Gurvich said:
ments" that don't want the torney Garrison for this. "He had the world believing
He didn't want to be dragged
Shaw case to come to trial. that, certainly, he must have
He claimed Gurvich has been the wayrheflooked.+ashamed of had more than he had at the
In contact ,with those elements l Gurvich added: preliminary hearing, w h e n in
and called ills former aide's de- "Garrison built up so.much truth that was all he had."
fection "primarily an economic fear in him the man died. G u r v i c h maintained that
,matter." Garrison caused it and he Vernon Bundy, a Negro nar-
Garrison said certain ele-- id h d 't t Cl eotics addict who also testi-
cently I was a key member.'
of Mr. Garrison's investiga-
tion, I was to conduct frangi-
ble bullet tests by June 3
and I was to give the results
to a local newspaper report-
er."
He explained that frangible'
bullets are the type made to,
disintegrate upon impact. He',
was commissioned to make the
tests about the middle of May,,
he said.
Garrison "believes Kennedy
was killed with frangible bul-'
lets," Gurvich said.
"The frangible bullet theory",
developed the day he received
an anonymous letter saying
the writer believed that the
assassination was done with
frangible bullets," Gurvich
said.
"That was another of Garri-.
son's wild and woolly theories,',
he said.
Asked if he feared "physical
retaliation" from Garrison, Gur:
vich replied, "I don't fear it but
? wouldn't be sur rued " ,;
l;l1616U W1111:11 LUSILLV W1lIJUbb rison)
,persons connecte dwith the C him," hadn't even heard of
were involved in the assassGordon Novel made against him," Gurvich said.
,Garrison, and which involved
Bund Ferrie, and Oswald testified
on the saw
New Or-
The DA said the groups op- Novel has said Garrison sug- leans lakefront in 1963.
posed to him will be unsuccess-
take Gurvich said he interviewed
gun Ferr
' ful in their attempts to stop him With a, atranquili erhoot
and that Shaw will go to trial. him somewhere, and torture Bundy for Garrison on the third
More arrests will be made, he day of S h a w 's hearing, buti
added. him by ripping off his false eye- would not comment on whether
Garrison said Gurvich didn't; rows and hair.. he thinks the man was truthful.
so much resign as ."drift away' Gurvich said he knew: Garr,- -:"I'll save that for the grand:
about six weeks ago" and that'son and Novel discussed the jury," Gurvich said.
since that time the former aid 'Plot' RECENT ACTIVITY
has been in contact with N "When I asked about It he Gurvich also said that he has
newsman Walter Sheridan. (Garrison) said, 'Hell, that recently been active in Garri-`
DAY OF ARREST was Gordon's idea,; " Gurvich son's investigation and gave an
said. example:......
He said he had no idea of "The dangerous ;thing (hero is ,,{'As an example of how re
commenting on the investigation; --
"until I saw what was done on
the day of Shaw's arrest and the:
list of others earmarked for ar-i
rest as accessories after the