Gus Rose’s HSCA Deposition


 

Moriarty: How many photographs and negatives did you find?

Rose: We found quite, several photographs.

Moriarty: I mean of him.

Rose: Oh, of this particular, I don't recall but the one photograph and the negative. I don't recall seeing more than that but there may have been two. We looked through a lot of property and of course, we confiscated it, brought it in along with a whole lot of other property. All of the property we recovered from the residence, I initialed it, Stovall and I initialed it and dated it for evidence. Among the property we found a little Minnox miniture camera and on checking it, it did have a little roll of film in it. Anyway, all of this property was later released to the F.B.I. All of it was released after Oswald was killed.

Moriarty: Does that about cover it?

Rose: That's just about it.

(Break)

Moriarty: I think we last talked about a Minnox camera and some film in it being among the property.

Rose: We found this camera and of course, we brought it and a whole lot of other property in, as possible evidence in the case. And uh, while we were marking the evidence for later identification by us to be used in evidence we did, Stowall and I, did take a close look at this Minnox minature camera and it did have a roll of film in it. As time passed and after the Warren Commission was appointed, uh, a couple of F.B.I. agents made three different trips to our office to talk to me about this camera. They said that after they had received all the property they found that I had made a mistake, and that that really wasn't a camera, it was a Minnox light meter. However, as I told them at the time, I was sure that I had not made a mistake, it definitely was a camera and definitely did have film in it. However, they wanted me to change that in our property invoice to read Minnox light meter and not read Minnox camera. We never did change it. Uh, Captain Fritz instructed me if I was sure I was right not to make any changes in any reports, to stay with what was right.

 

NON-MINOX TESTIMONY DELETED

 

Moriarty: This Minnox camera. Was that with Ruth Paine's camera equipment?

Rose: No, it was in the sea bag.

Moriarty: Oh, in the sea bag.

Rose: Ruth Paine explained to me, she stood, she stood right there while we searched. And she explained that everything in that sea bag and a couple of boxes that were there was Oswald's and she never had any objection to any search of that. The only time she objected was when we searched her bedroom where a lot of her camera equipment was. She did not object when we searched Marina Oswald's bedroom, the one she used.

Moriarty: Did Ruth Paine happen to see you take the Minnox camera out of the sea bag? Did she make any comment about that?

Rose: No, she never commented on it and I doubt that she remembers the specific items because there was a great number of items that we took out of there. We never made any mention of it at the time. The only thing we did make specific mention of was the photograph of Oswald where he was wearing a pistol and holding a rifle and newspaper.

Moriarty: My bottom line question is if there was a consent search form, I'd like to see a copy of it or.

Rose: Yeah, we did not have this form.

Moriarty: O.k. I didn't think so but I wanted to check with you. Let's see. You're quite sure that this Minnox camera was a camera. Did you open it up and see film in it, or. . (pause) This is a little, I'm not up on cameras myself. This is a little camera isn't it, the Minnox?

Rose: Very small. It's not any bigger than a half pack of cigarettes.

Moriarty: Ok. I think I've seen pictures of it.

Rose: And you kind of push it together to make it snap. It's not any bigger than a pack of cigarettes. And in this particular one, it did have a roll of film in it. And there's no question absolutely that it was a Minnox minature camera.

Moriarty: And you initialed it.

Rose: Yes I did.

Moriarty: Do you remember where or how?

Rose: Somewhere on the base of the camera I scratched my initials. So did Stowall.

Moriarty: Very good. I assume that was all part of the property that was turned over to the F.B.I.

Rose: Yes, it was. Now they later did come back and request that I change that on the invoice to read Minnox light meter, but it definitely wasn't a light meter, it was a camera.

Moriarty: Was that described as a Minor camera with film? As you recall?

Rose: I don't recall.

Moriarty: I may have a list here someplace in my briefcase. Hold on just a minute while I dig it out. I'll shut this off temporarily to save some tape.

(Break.)

Moriarty: No, this is another list. So, if you'll just continue on this camera. Uh, either you described it with or without film on the list that we still need.

Rose: Right. It will be listed as a Minnox minature camera, but I don't recall whether it mentioned whether or not it had film in it.

Moriarty: But you did initial it.

Rose: Stowall and I both. I put GFR and he put his initials, RS Stowall. Then all the property was initialed, including the paper property, letters, pictures, and all the property, we did initital it. It took several hours to initial all of it.

Moriarty: Ok. Very good. Now, uh, do you recall the particular agents' names that visited you requesting that you change the description of this particular item?

Rose: No, I don't. There were a lot of new agents in town at that time and these were some that I did not know, and I don't recall their names.

 

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