Clinton Watchman May 13, 1966
Henry Earl Palmer told Andrew Sciambra that Judge John Rarick might have been there when the black Cadillac was seen in Clinton. Here is an excerpt from an undated Garrison report:
Excerpt from a January 29, 1968 memo from Andrew Sciambra to Jim Garrison about his trip to Clinton and Jackson.
Was Judge Rarick there?
Don Carpenter, author of the magisterial biography of Clay Shaw, Man of a Million Fragments, sent an email in April 2007 to John Rarick and asked him whether he was there.
Here is Rarick's reply:
So, Rarick says that he WAS there.
There was a Cadillac with three outside agitators. Rarick writes that John Manchester had the three men get out of the car, had them spread eagle over the side, and checked their licenses and identities.
Money quote:
I thought nothing of it until later when the flap about Oswald, Shaw and Ferrie became a talking event.
Rarick "thought nothing of it" until 1967 when Shaw and Ferrie were in the news.
By the way, Palmer said nothing about Rarick being there in his testimony in the Clay Shaw trial or in his deposition with the HSCA.
Once again, because of the lack of discovery in Louisiana courts, Clay Shaw's attorneys did not know that Rarick might have some important information. He could have blown up the whole scenario. On the other hand, he probably would have just kept his mouth shut about the whole affair. Rarick's friends grafted Oswald, Shaw and Ferrie onto an incident that did happen, and you don't want to tell on racist fellow travelers.
The Series on the Clinton/Jackson Witnesses
Part One: The witnesses testify at the trial of Clay Shaw.
Part Two: A response to the allegations made by the Clinton/Jackson witnesses.
Part Three: A look at racism and the politics of the early 1960s.
Part Four: Many of the witnesses were either members of the KKK or sympathizers.
Part Five: None of the Clinton/Jackson witnesses came forward in 1963-1964.
Part Six: Just where did the Clinton/Jackson witnesses come from?
Part Seven: Dischler was an investigator for Garrison who was teamed up with Lt. Francis Fruge of the Louisiana State Police.
Part Eight: The evidence that David Ferrie was in Clinton is poor.
Part Nine: Lee McGehee, the barber in Jackson, claimed that the racist newspaper The Councilor wrote about the Clinton/Jackson witnesses in 1966. No one has been able to find the article.
Part Ten: Corrie Collins continually changed his story about what happened in Clinton.
Part Eleven: Reeves Morgan claimed he called the FBI right after the JFK assassination. But did he really?
Part Twelve: Henry Earl Palmer told a ridiculous story about Oswald claiming he was living with a doctor in Jackson.
Part Thirteen: All the physical evidence that could corroborate the Clinton/Jackson witnesses has vanished. I wonder why.
Previous Relevant Blog Posts on the Clinton/Jackson Witnesses
Three case studies on how Garrison was less than inquisitive, including the possible check of the Cadillac in Clinton.
Why didn't Garrison check out whether the Trade Mart in New Orleans had leased a Cadillac?
An interview with Weisberg in which he discusses the Clinton witnesses.
Two of the Clinton witnesses claimed they were intimidated. But were they really?
Some background material on Clinton.
William Dunn initially said that Thomas Beckham was with Shaw and Oswald.
Andrew Dunn said Jack Ruby was in Clinton.
None of Garrison's witnesses, including the witnesses from Clinton/Jackson, came forward in 1963 -1964.