Jada Hits TI Employee 10:50 AM 11/22/63

At 10:50 AM on November 22, 1963, while driving her Cadillac in Dallas, Janet "Jada" Conforto hit a pedestrian - a Texas Instruments employee who was not injured seriously. Jada went in the TI building and called "Jack" asking him to come the scene to help her. A man in a new Cadillac arrived and took the injured man to a nearby medical clinic. 

At the time, Jada was quoted as saying she was on her way to New Orleans and that "the club would be closed that night." 

Although she had not worked at Jack Ruby's Carousel Club since early November, her remark was said to imply that Ruby's Carousel Club would not be open that night. 

As expressed in the letter from TI official to FBI, and there might be a plausible explanation, how did Jada know before noon on the day of the assassination that Ruby's club would be closed that evening? 

http://jfk.ci.dallas.tx.us/box7.htm

Box 7 File 7 #8

City of Dallas

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

November 28, 1963

Deputy Chief M.W. Stevenson

Criminal Investigative Division

On Wednesday, November 27^th, Mr. Bill Walsh, Personnel Director, Texas Instruments called and gave the following information:

On Friday, November 22^nd at about 10:45 A.M. one of their employees, Charles Burns ran across Atwell Street to the entrance of Texas Instruments and was struck by a white Cadillac, Louisiana license number 941985. Mr. Burns was not injured sufficiently to call the police but the driver of the Cadillac, a women who gave the name of Conforto or Contorto came to the office to use the telephone to call an unknown man who arrived in a few minutes to take Mr. Burns to a doctor for examination. The women driver of the car gave the impression of being in show business and stated to the man who came to get her, “Let’s hurry up and get this over with, I have got to get to New Orleans.

It is unknown if this has any significance in the Oswald case.

http://jfk.hood.edu/Collection/Weisberg Subject Index Files/T Disk/Texas Instuments/Item 01.pdf

Texas Instruments

Incorporated

Corporate Office North Building 13500 North Central Expressway Dallas Texas

10 March 1967

Mr. J. Gordon Shanklin
Special Agent in Charge

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Mercantile Continental Building

1810 Commerce Street

Dallas, Texas 95201

Dear Gordon:

I am enclosing attachments concerning an accident which occurred at 10:50 AM on 22 November 1963 involving TI employee, Charles E. Burns, and a Miss Janet Conforto (Componto) or “Jada” Conforto, who is alleged to have been a “stripper” for jack Ruby’s night club during 1963.

This information was supposed to have been furnished to one of your agents, name not now recalled, by telephone on 25 or 26 November 1963 by William V. Walsh who was, at the time, Security Administrator for the Apparatus Division then located at 6000 Lemmon Avenue. I am bringing this to your attention for the following reasons:

1)      Indications are tht the New Orleans DA has been, or soon will be, in touch with Mr. Burns.

2)      A statement attributed to Miss Conforto by Mr. Walsh which, if exactly as recalled, should probably have been closely checked out as a result of Mr. Walsh furnishing this information over the telephone. Indeed it may have been adequately recorded and checked but in view of 1.) above you may have an interest in re-examining your file.

The attached official TI documents reflect that Charles E. Burns was struck on his left hip by an automobile driven by Miss Conforto at 10:50 AM on 22 November 1963. Mr. Burns was crossing Atwell Street from a TI leased building on the north side of Atwell to TI’s 6000 Lemmon Avenue facility. Miss Conforto was driving west on Atwell at a speed of 15-20 MPH. The accident was witnessed by a Bob Starsny of 321 Lakeside, Irving, Texas. Miss Conforto was driving a 1962 or 1963 Cadillac bearing Louisiana license plate 941-985. Miss Conforto stopped and rendered aid and Mr. Burns was taken to the TI health center in 6000 Lemmon Avenue and also taken to Launey Clinic at 9528 Webbs Chapel Road where he was treated. You will note the attached documents have typographical discrepancies concering:

1.)    Date of accident – shown is December 9 letter to Mr. Charles E. Way as 21 November. The originator of the letter, Mr. E. F. Aubel, states this is in error and the date was 22 November.

2.)    Spelling of Miss Conforto’s name – in same letter name is spelled “Conponto.” Mr. Aubel says his original notes show “Conforto.”

3.)    Time of accident – shown on Supervisor’s Investigation Report prepared on December 16 as 10:50 PM. Mr. Aubel, Mr. Walsh and Mr. E. L. Shearer all state it was 10:50 AM.

All the above states, and attached documents attempt to prove, is that Miss Conforto was involved in an accident shortly before 11 Am on the day of the assassination and was driving a 1962 or 1963 Cadillac with Louisiana license plate 941-985. The rest of the information set forth below is not documented in writing unless it was written up by your office as a result of Mr. Walsh’s call on 25 or 26 November 1963. It was not brought to my attention until March 9, 1967.

Mr. Walsh and Mr. H. L. “Doc” Shearer, a TI guard assigned to Lemmon Avenue on this date, remembers the accident well. They recall Miss Conforto was most agitated and nervous after the accident and Mr. Walsh does not attribute this excitement to the accident so much as to her reported statements that, while she wanted to straighten out the accident, she had to leave town immediately for New Orleans and would handle all the accident details later. They say that she called a gentleman friend to come to TI and he came up in a green Cadillac. They do not now recall his name but Mr. Walsh, an early day pro football player himself, remembers this man boasted of playing pro football. Mr. Walsh checked this man with Tom Landry a few days later and Mr. Walsh remembers Mr. Landry knew the man and knew he drove a Cadillac. Mr. Walsh states Mr. Landry told him this man was from a small Eastern school which had never “furnished” a player to pro football but that the man was “telling this story all over Dallas.” It is interesting to note that everyone has described this individual as large, dark and heavy set. Mr. Burns thinks he had an “Italian-sounding” name, with possibly “Nick” as the first name.

Miss Conforto entered the TI building at 3709 Atwell to make a telephone call, presumably to the gentleman described above. Patsy F. Foster was the girl assigned to receptionist duty in this building. Mrs. Foster states that Miss Conforto asked “how to get outside” and, after being told, dialed a number and said, “Jack, I’ve just hit a man. Come and get me.” Mrs. Foster said she believed the man’s name used was “Jack” but she has frequently questioned her recollection and wondered if she associated the name “Jack” with this call only after she learned of Miss Conforto’s relationship with Jack Ruby. She stated she was positive the man who drove up in a Cadillac in just a few minutes was not Ruby. Mrs. Foster said she recalled one Cadillac had Louisiana plates (note the car of Miss Conforto had La. Plates 941-985) and the other had Texas plates. She believed the Cadillacs were the same, year, color and model but observed “All Cadillacs look the same to me.” She believed the color was tan.

TI Guard J. B. Mithell has advised he passed the accident scene shortly after it happened but did not speak to the TIer involved or the women who hit him. Mr. Mitchell did say he talked to Mrs. Foster at the scene and quotes Mr. Foster as saying the women placed a call and said “Jack, get the hell over here quick. I’ve just hit somebody.” Mr. Mitchell was pressed as to when he heard Mrs. Foster say “Jack” was called and he was firm in saying it was at the scene of the accident. Mr. Mitchell did not see “Jack.”

All of the foregoing is actually only by way of introduction and description of events and, in my estimation, means very little except that Mr. Walsh advised me on March 9, 1967 that during his conversation with Miss Conforto prior to 11:30 A.M. on 22 November 1963, Miss Conforto stated she was employed in Dallas but that she was going to New Orleans as “we will not be open tonight.” (Quotes and underling supplied for emphasis only – see Mr. Walsh for exact quote as he may recall it.)

To my mind the only unexplainable aspect of this incident is, if Mr. Walsh’s recollection is correct, how did Miss Conforto know prior to 11:30 AM on 22 November 1963 that Jack Ruby would close his club that night?

I am well aware of many possible, or even probable, explanations but, in view of Mr. Garrison’s indicated interest, I thought it would be well to bring this matter to your attention. If Mr. Walsh’s earlier information was recorded when he reported this data, it may be that comparison of that information with this is all that will be required.

Signed

Lloyd E. Purvis