Nov. 26, 1963 | Police Chief Curry Remarks on Oswald Evidence

Nov. 26, 1963 - Dallas police gave the FBI three large packages of evidence against Lee Harvey Oswald in the assassination of President Kennedy today after the Dallas County grand jury indicted Jack Ruby in the murder of Oswald. The packages were a large blue suitcase and two large cardboard boxes. Dallas Police Chief Jesse Curry had announced earlier that the evidence would be given to the FBI. Inspector J.H. Sawyer said today the police had no intention of releasing the evidence to the news media. The indictment against Ruby, 52-year-old Dallas nightclub operator, specified murder with malice, punishable by death. District Attorney Henry Wade set Dec. 9 as a trial date. Ruby, who shot Communist sympathizer Oswald before a horde of news reporters and police officers as Oswald was being transferred to county authorities Sunday morning, is expected to plead temporary insanity. Tom Howard, Ruby’s attorney, visited him at the county jail after the indictment and told reporters: “He was much more calm than he was yesterday. He talked in more normal tones, but he is still an excitable person when he talks normally.” Speaking of Ruby’s concern over the Kennedy assassination, Howard went on: “On one occasion, he mentioned seeing the picture of Jackie with blood on her dress. Tears came into his eyes. Ruby showed tremendous concern for the Kennedys.” Howard said the nightclub owner stopped off at the scene of the President’s assassination while on his way to the Dallas Municipal building Sunday on his self-appointed mission of execution. The lawyer quoted Ruby as saying: “I had driven to the place three or four times before and, at one time, had gotten out. I had not put flowers on the spot, but I intended to.” In response to questions by reporters, Howard declared: “I can state unqualifiedly, as far as I know, there is no connection between Ruby and Oswald. Ruby says the first time he saw Oswald was when Oswald was brought into the press conference the night of the killing of President Kennedy.” Ruby, with a wide acquaintance among Dallas police officer, had no difficulty gaining entry to the building with newsmen, and it was from their ranks that he stepped forward Sunday to shoot Oswald.

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