Posted by John Judge July
31 2000
Bill Kelly requested that I relate
the meeting I had with a man using the name Don Norton at the University
of Dayton in Ohio
in the 1970’s. I had helped to make arrangements for researcher Mae Brussell to
speak on campus. Kelly was also going to school there at the time, and attended
her talk. After the crowd broke, I headed home with Mae and two roommates at
our off campus house. Coming out of the Student Union, I noticed a man handing
back, but following us down the hallway, and into the elevator. Mae was
surrounded by a small group, including Bill Kelly, who were asking her
questions. The man held back while she stopped outside in the dark to finish
talking to them. Then Mae, myself and my roommates began to head toward home
and stepped into the light of street laps at the edge of campus.
At this point, the man ran out of
the shadows from behind us and came up to Mae, saying, “Mae, don’t you know who
I am?” Mae turned, looked at him for a moment and said, “You look like Lee
Harvey Oswald.” And to my amazement, he did. Add ten years to his life, some
receding hairline, but the resemblance was clearly there. He looked at his feet
and said, “A lot of people tell me that. I’m Don Norton.” At this Mae became
effusive. “Oh Don, I’m so glad you come. John, this is Don Norton. He wrote to
me to say he was going to drive down from Columbus
to hear the talk. He’s the only researcher in the country who sends me money to
do my work.” Again, the man looked at his feet and said, “It’s my conscience
money.” I was still flabbergasted at his resemblance to Oswald and intrigued
about who he was, so I invited him to come down to the house and visit with Mae
and have a cup of coffee. He followed us there.
Inside, the resemblance was even clearer
to me. He looked like the round, cherubic faced Oswald who was in the Soviet
Union photos and on the passport photo, but not like the Oswald
killed in Dallas . I expected him to
ask questions of Mae, but instead he began a long recitation about Marxism and
communist ideology. Finally, Mae got up from knitting and said, “I’m going to
bed.” I offered to send my research writings to the man, and he told me to
write to him at “General Delivery, Columbus , Ohio .”
He bid goodnight to my two roommakes and myself and left.
The next day, on the way to visit
a correspondent in a state prison in Ohio ,
Mae turned to me in the car and said, “Don’t you think that was Oswald who
visited us last night?” And I said, “Well, it sure looked like Oswald,” Mae,
but Oswald is dead.”
“Not according to his mother,” Mae
responded, “she told me that the man shot in the basement of the Dallas
jail was not her son.” I was astounded. “Didn’t you notice what he was doing
last night?”
I said, “Well, I thought it strange that he didn’t ask any questions or really talk to us.”
I said, “Well, I thought it strange that he didn’t ask any questions or really talk to us.”
“He was reciting verbatim the
speech Oswald gave on the radio in New Orleans
about communism and Marxism,” she explained. I had never heard the text of the
speech, so it had not run a bell for me.
“I’m going to go home and check
his signature on his letters to me. I have a whole collection of Oswald
signatures, and they re not all the same person.” Mae said. She was clearly
excited that she had met a living Oswald.
Resemblance.
I have now repeated this story to many researchers. Jack White and others took a special interest in it and followed down leads on a Don Norton in
I later was a custodian of Mae
Brussell’s library and correspondence files for a period. I never found the
Norton letters, but they may still exist in her collection. Mae died in 1988.
Bill Kelly and my old roommates sill recall the incident, but no additional
details. Bill never saw the man calling himself Norton, he had parted from us
before the man ran up to Mae. I, of course, will never forget the incident.
Lee Harvey Oswald had been a key
in my work to understand who killed Kennedy and who set him up to take the
blame. I realized early on that there was more than one Oswald, that a “double”
operation was going on prior to the assassination. I believe the man I met was
Marguritte’s son, the real Oswald, back from the Soviet Union
at some point. But until that night, Oswald had been a ghost to me, a name and
a set of facts, not a person. Until the specials released about Oswald in the
1990s, I had never heard Oswald’s voice, save in the few stressed moments he is
interviewed in the Dallas jail, his
voice is terse and angry. Finally, he is heard in one documentary on tapes
preserved by an English speaking teacher in the Soviet Union
who befriended Lee, laughing and dramatizing a reading, and his persona comes
through in a completely different way. These two voices are not the same in my
view.
I also relayed this story to the Cuban intelligence officers who COPA arranged for researchers to meet in the
Did the “defector” Oswald stay in the
For my purposes, the case is solved,
but not yet finally proven. I point the finger at the Joint Chiefs of Staff and
at the Office of Naval Intelligence, who ran the young Marine “defector” , Lee
Harvey Oswald, and those were among the last forthcoming agencies approached by
the Review Board for the JFK assassination files. In the e early 1990s, before
Oliver Stone’s film, Bill Kelly and I started the Committee for an Open
Archives to press for the full release of the government files. We actually had
found sponsors to introduce the bills and for a full and immediate release, among
them Rep. Henry Gonzales, who had been
in the motorcade that day. Stone’s film created the groundswell of public
outcry that led to the passage of the JFK Records Act of 1992. And the
Committee for an Open Archives was one of the founding groups of the Coalition
on Political Assassinations.
DONALD P. NORTON – By William E. Kelly, Jr.
As summarized from interview notes taken by investigators
(Charles Ward/R. Billings) for the New Orleans District Attorney (NODA) and
newspaper clips, released by the NARA
under the JFK Act.
Born onJanuary 23, 1932 , a
native of Columbus , Georgia ,
Donald P. Norton was raised and educated in Georgia
before entering the U.S. Air Force in October, 1949. A musician who played the
organ and self-described TV personality, Norton enlisted with the understanding
he would play in the Air Force Band, which he did until 1952 when he was
discharged over what he described as a "personal involvement" and an
"indiscretion" that led to him being sentenced to six months in a
federal prison.
Returning toGeorgia
he continued his musical education at a conservatory where he earned a bachelor
and master degrees and in 1957 a job playing at the officers club at Fort
Benning , Columbus ,
Georgia , where he
performed for and met generals and other officers and officals. While there he
was approached by a man representing the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ),
who told him "we want to know who does what to whom," which the NODA
investigator surmised, "the obvious implication being that it would his
duty to ferret out homosexuals in high military places." The money, Norton
said, was good, $500 a month, and Norton continued what he called his
"witch hunting" assignment until 1958, when the colonel who employed
him was charged with embezzlement.
Norton then moved toAtlanta where
he performed on weekends at the officers club, whose secretary Norton was
convinced, was also a government agent, continuing to turn over information
about homosexuals, proof "based on experience."
In early 1958 he received a phone call from his contact who asked him if he would like to take a trip toCuba .
He met "Hugh Pharris" at the Easter Airline ticket counter at the Atlanta
Airport . "Pharris" gave
him a case of phonograph records, saying "it is in the jackts,"
samples of which he was to take to Carlo Media, a Cuban television personality,
who was also working for the CIA at the
time. "Pharris" was described as a man who wore sun glasses and a
very sloppy wig, who Norton is convinced was David Ferrie. A young lady was
with him, Carlotta Roth, a dancer at the Domino Lounge in Atlanta .
After traveling to Cuba ,
Norton returned to Georgia
via Miami and New
York and reported to his CIA
contact in Atlanta .
Norton said his next assignment was to infiltrate theFulton
County jail, where he was placed in
the same cell with Robert Bolling, accused of dynamiting a synagogue. Other
assignments were more his specialty, to determine the existence of homosexuals
in government jobs.
In 1960, while on a pleasure trip to New Orleans, Norton said he went to the My-O-My Club, a homosexual hangout, where he saw "Hugh Pharris" (aka David Ferrie), though he didn't break operational security and talk to him.
According to the NODA investigation report of the interview with Norton, "…it should be noted that the man's (Norton's) physical appearance and his behavior indicate at a glance his sexual nature. A man of rather delicate features, slightly overweight, he is extremely nervous, a chain smoker, which may well be explained by the fact that he is indeed frightened. On the other hand, he is a fast-talking, well rehearsed witness, although his testimony is often confusing due to his penchant for inconsequential gossip. He has a very inflated ego about his musical talents and his ability to decipher weaknesses of others. He describes himself as a passive homosexual who is really a bisexual, although the latter terminology must be considered doubtful. On observation it must be stated that it seems unlikely that a man of such homosexual tendencies would be employed by the intelligence agency, but, as he described the nature of his work, this was exactly the reason they hired him. He described the reason for going to work for the agency as two-fold. One, 'they had something on me,' he says, and two, 'the money was good.'"
Norton said he was paid on an assignment-by-assignment basis, received his orders by phone from a man who was only identified as "the Captain," and never heard the term "CIA " by
the initials used to describe the agency, and the first reference was the last
reference to the company. He was tightly insulated from other CIA
operatives and only knows of a few others who have worked for the agency.
In September, 1962, Norton said he was given the assignment of delivering $50,000 to the Hotel Yamajel, inMonterray , Mexico .
Driving in his own 1956 Buick, he registered under his own name.
According to the NODA investigator's report, "It should be noted here that Norton's knowledge of Cuban policy of this country is extremely vague. He is able to theorize as if it were some revelation that theUnited
States or CIA
was behind the overthrow of Batista, but then when Castro threw out the CIA ,
it in turn, and the U.S.
government turned against Castro. He does however say that Carlo Media, the CIA -employed
Cuban is now in a Castro prison, so he thinks. He says that after the Castro
overthrow his only assignment involving Cuba
was this courier trip to Monterray to turn over $50,000 to Harvey Lee…"
After registering at the Yamajel Hotel, Norton said he was met by "Harvey Lee" before he could even get to his room. They went into the bar and had a few beers. Norton described "Harvey Lee" as "a man of slight build who dressed casually, who appeared identical to Oswald except for the fact that his hair was not as thin as the hair of the man he saw in pictures identified as Lee Harvey Oswald."
Norton also noted that "Harvey Lee" refused to look him in the eye. When asked where he was from, Norton recalled the answer, he thinks, wasNew
Orleans . In return for the case of money, in return
Norton was given a case of documents in manila envelops, "the nature of
which he does not know."
From Monterray, Norton said he then drove toCalgary ,
Alberta , Canada ,
where he became a television personality and played at the bar of the Georgian
Terrace restaurant. "There he was met by a man he can only describe as
resembling Oral Roberts, the evangelist, and says this man came to him and used
the code identification 'the weather is very warm in Tulsa," and Norton
turned over the documents to him in the parking lot, where the man was driving
a Volkswagon.
Returning to the United States, Norton was arrested at the behest of Albert Penn of Five Points, Alabama, who Norton knew as a homosexual, and from whom he received some of his instructions. Penn accused Norton of stealing checks, but he was acquitted of the charge and released.
In 1965 Norton went toAlbany , Georgia ,
where he was contacted by "the Captain," who may be also known as
"Del Merton." In Albany
in 1966 he saw a man he now knows to be Clay Shaw with James A. Gray, an
extreme right-wing political power, talking together at the Double Gate Country
Club. Gray then offered to help establish Norton in Albany
with a $6,000 loan, which was ostensibly and surreptitiously repaid by the CIA .
Norton described Gary as a
dangerous person and moneyman behind the Continental Room, where Gordon Leonard
was the front man. Norton later crossed paths with Clay Shaw once again at the
Domino Bar in Atlanta .
InAlbany , Norton was told to
recruit the services of an ex-Marine police officer, John Stickler, and a
friend, Jack C. White, Jr., but failed to follow through on the
assignment.
In late November 1966 Norton was instructed to go toFreeport ,
Grand Bahama Island ,
where he was to get the names of the homosexuals working at the missile
tracking station on Grand Bahama , his last assignment
for the CIA . After a week he returned to Miami
where he called his contact, a "Mr. Green," who informed him that
"something was brewing in New Orleans
and…he should take a long, quiet vacation."
According to the NODA report, "Norton claims he had no idea as to the nature of theNew Orleans
development, and that he had no idea why he was being told to take this
vacation. It worried him a great deal, so he went on a long circuitous trip
attempting to find out what was happening, shy he had been summarily dismissed,
so to speak. He suspected that he had done something wrong but did not know the
nature of the misdeed. He first went o Key West
to contact a CIA friend there, but was unsuccessful.
He returned to Miami but was unable
to reach Green again. He then drove to Savannna, and by this time was really
frightened. He got in a plane and flew to Dallas
and tried to contact a man named Stanley Walsh, who he had known in Houston, a
man he describes as a former trapeze artist, a former paratrooper who had been
working for the agency…"
Flying toHonolulu , Norton
contacted a retired naval captain, a doctor then in private practice, who told
Norton to forget the problem. Another CIA
contact, Bill Rusk, came from Texas ,
an alcoholic with Mafia connections who ran a liquor store in the Pioneer
Hotel, who told him, "Join the party or get out."
From there Norton went toCanada
to hide out, but inexplicitly talked to a reporter, John Taylor of the British
Columbia Vancover Sun, requesting that Taylor
put him in contact with the New Orleans District Attorney's office. On August
5, 1967, the headline read: "AMERICAN, 'NOWHERE ELSE
TO GO' COMES HERE TO TELL FANTASTIC TALE LINKS CIA
WITH OSWALD, CLAY SHAW."
"A link between Lee Harvey Oswald, Clay Shaw, David Ferrie and the Central Intelligence Agency is claimed by a man now in Vancover. Donald P. Norton, 35, told The Sun he encountered all three while he was on the payroll of theCIA ,
the U.S. espionage agency."
"Norton has been interviewed here and in New Orleans by officials of the New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrision, whose investigation has been questioned by many sources, alleged a conspiracy between Shaw and Oswald in the assassination of former U.S. president John F. Kennedy."
"…Norton first came to see The Sun, July 8. Since then many details of Norton's story have been confirmed. But the authenticity of his central claims defy verification by normal newspaper investigation…"
BK NOTES -
Born on
Returning to
Norton then moved to
In early 1958 he received a phone call from his contact who asked him if he would like to take a trip to
Norton said his next assignment was to infiltrate the
In 1960, while on a pleasure trip to New Orleans, Norton said he went to the My-O-My Club, a homosexual hangout, where he saw "Hugh Pharris" (aka David Ferrie), though he didn't break operational security and talk to him.
According to the NODA investigation report of the interview with Norton, "…it should be noted that the man's (Norton's) physical appearance and his behavior indicate at a glance his sexual nature. A man of rather delicate features, slightly overweight, he is extremely nervous, a chain smoker, which may well be explained by the fact that he is indeed frightened. On the other hand, he is a fast-talking, well rehearsed witness, although his testimony is often confusing due to his penchant for inconsequential gossip. He has a very inflated ego about his musical talents and his ability to decipher weaknesses of others. He describes himself as a passive homosexual who is really a bisexual, although the latter terminology must be considered doubtful. On observation it must be stated that it seems unlikely that a man of such homosexual tendencies would be employed by the intelligence agency, but, as he described the nature of his work, this was exactly the reason they hired him. He described the reason for going to work for the agency as two-fold. One, 'they had something on me,' he says, and two, 'the money was good.'"
Norton said he was paid on an assignment-by-assignment basis, received his orders by phone from a man who was only identified as "the Captain," and never heard the term "
In September, 1962, Norton said he was given the assignment of delivering $50,000 to the Hotel Yamajel, in
According to the NODA investigator's report, "It should be noted here that Norton's knowledge of Cuban policy of this country is extremely vague. He is able to theorize as if it were some revelation that the
After registering at the Yamajel Hotel, Norton said he was met by "Harvey Lee" before he could even get to his room. They went into the bar and had a few beers. Norton described "Harvey Lee" as "a man of slight build who dressed casually, who appeared identical to Oswald except for the fact that his hair was not as thin as the hair of the man he saw in pictures identified as Lee Harvey Oswald."
Norton also noted that "Harvey Lee" refused to look him in the eye. When asked where he was from, Norton recalled the answer, he thinks, was
From Monterray, Norton said he then drove to
Returning to the United States, Norton was arrested at the behest of Albert Penn of Five Points, Alabama, who Norton knew as a homosexual, and from whom he received some of his instructions. Penn accused Norton of stealing checks, but he was acquitted of the charge and released.
In 1965 Norton went to
In
In late November 1966 Norton was instructed to go to
According to the NODA report, "Norton claims he had no idea as to the nature of the
Flying to
From there Norton went to
"A link between Lee Harvey Oswald, Clay Shaw, David Ferrie and the Central Intelligence Agency is claimed by a man now in Vancover. Donald P. Norton, 35, told The Sun he encountered all three while he was on the payroll of the
"Norton has been interviewed here and in New Orleans by officials of the New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrision, whose investigation has been questioned by many sources, alleged a conspiracy between Shaw and Oswald in the assassination of former U.S. president John F. Kennedy."
"…Norton first came to see The Sun, July 8. Since then many details of Norton's story have been confirmed. But the authenticity of his central claims defy verification by normal newspaper investigation…"
BK NOTES -
Donald O. Norton of Stowe , Ohio
was born in 1949
Here's a third Donald Norton.
Donald J. Norton, author of "Larry" a biography of Larry Bell, founder of Bell Aircraft, and patron of Arthur Young, designer of the Bell Helicopter.
http://www.biblio.co...8342119&aid=frg
Here's an article about Larry Bell with credit at the end to Norton, Donald J.
http://www.airportjo...Midwest/0707006
BK
Donald J. Norton, author of "Larry" a biography of Larry Bell, founder of Bell Aircraft, and patron of Arthur Young, designer of the Bell Helicopter.
http://www.biblio.co...8342119&aid=frg
Here's an article about Larry Bell with credit at the end to Norton, Donald J.
http://www.airportjo...Midwest/0707006
BK
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