Mrs.Nichols. Yes.
Mr.Griffin. Or did you remember at that time?
Mrs.Nichols. Well, he didn’t ask me about it and I didn’t think about the importance of it until this investigation or for the defense attorney asked me about that, if Jack had called me on that day, and I remembered.
Mr.Griffin. Did this investigator or one of Jack’s lawyers suggest that you ought to call the FBI and let them know about this?
Mrs.Nichols. No. I got to thinking about it myself and I thought I wanted to keep the record straight. I wanted to let the FBI know it, too.
Mr.Griffin. Did the investigator indicate to you that you might testify for Jack at the trial?
Mrs.Nichols. Well, no; he didn’t say. He didn’t tell me whether he thought they would use me.
Mr.Griffin. Did you have some idea that you might?
Mrs.Nichols. Well, after I talked, after the investigator, contacted me, I was afraid that I might be called.
Mr.Griffin. Were you ever called?
Mrs.Nichols. I didn’t attach the importance to the telephone call at the time.
Mr.Griffin. Did you testify at the trial?
Mrs.Nichols. Yes.
Mr.Griffin. Were you willing to testify?
Mrs.Nichols. I didn’t want to.
Mr.Griffin. What was your reaction when you got this telephone call from Jack shortly after the President had been shot?
Mrs.Nichols. Well, I was just, I was surprised when he—after the President had been shot?
Mr.Griffin. Yes; that Jack had called you?
Mrs.Nichols. Yes; I was surprised. We hadn’t been seeing each other and I didn’t expect to ever hear from him again, and I was—he seemed to be upset about the President’s assassination. I think everyone else was.
Mr.Griffin. Why do you think Jack called you?
Mrs.Nichols. I don’t know why he called me.
Mr.Griffin. Did you ever question his attorney about that?
Mrs.Nichols. I haven’t talked to—never did talk to his attorney.
Mr.Griffin. Have you talked with Jack since then?
Mrs.Nichols. No; I have not.
Mr.Griffin. Or any members of his family?
Mrs.Nichols. His sister-in-law has called me twice since that time.
Mr.Griffin. Would that be his sister-in-law?
Mrs.Nichols. His sister-in-law, Sam’s wife.
Mr.Griffin. Did you ever ask her why Jack called you that day?
Mrs.Nichols. No; I didn’t ask her why.
Mr.Griffin. Did she ever indicate to you why he called you?
Mrs.Nichols. No.
Mr.Griffin. When you talked with Jack, when you called him back at around about 2:15 or whenever it was, did you indicate to Jack that you were surprised to hear from him?
Mrs.Nichols. No; I didn’t say anything to him about that, being surprised.
Mr.Griffin. The FBI reports here, Mr. Sayres’ report in his interview of January 18, that Ruby was apparently calling to tell you what a terrible thing he thought it was that President Kennedy had been assassinated. Was there some question as to what Ruby really, why he really was calling?
Mrs.Nichols. Well, I was just surprised to hear from him. I don’t know why he called me.
Mr.Griffin. Do you remember what he said to you?
Mrs.Nichols. I don’t remember the exact words, but the only thing, he just talked about what a terrible thing the assassination was. It was a very short, conversation.
Mr.Griffin. Do you remember any particular thing he said?
Mrs.Nichols. No.
Mr.Griffin. Or words that he used?
Mrs.Nichols. No; I don’t remember the words, the exact words that he used.
Mr.Griffin. Would you be able to tell me if he used the word, “terrible,” there?
Mrs.Nichols. I don’t know whether he used the word, “terrible,” or not. But generally it was just, he was just upset about the assassination.
Mr.Griffin. Did he talk to you at all about the effect that the assassination would have on his business?
Mrs.Nichols. No.
Mr.Griffin. Did he say anything particularly about President Kennedy?
Mrs.Nichols. Well, he was talking about the assassination of President Kennedy.
Mr.Griffin. Did he have any, did he say anything about what effect it would have on the city of Dallas, the assassination?
Mrs.Nichols. I don’t recall him saying that.
Mr.Griffin. Now do you have a regular lunch hour?
Mrs.Nichols. Yes.
Mr.Griffin. What is your regular lunch hour?
Mrs.Nichols. From 1 to 2.
Mr.Griffin. How do you place the time of the second telephone call that Jack made to you?
Mrs.Nichols. In the evening?
Mr.Griffin. Yes.
Mrs.Nichols. Well, it wasn’t late in the evening, and I had finished dinner and had my dishes washed and I was reading the paper.
Mr.Griffin. What time do you usually eat dinner?
Mrs.Nichols. Well, I eat about 6.
Mr.Griffin. Was anybody living with you at home?
Mrs.Nichols. No; I live alone.
Mr.Griffin. About how long does it usually take you to eat dinner?
Mrs.Nichols. Well, I eat very slow in the evening. I usually listen to music and I usually spend about 30 minutes, I would say. I take my time and drink coffee and I sit at the table.
Mr.Griffin. What did he say to you when he called you?
Mrs.Nichols. Well, he just was talking again about the assassination, and he told me at that time that he was going to the synagogue.
Mr.Griffin. What did he say about the assassination on the second occasion?
Mrs.Nichols. Well, what a terrible thing it was.
Mr.Griffin. Well, weren’t you again surprised that he should call you?
Mrs.Nichols. Well, yes; I was.
Mr.Griffin. Did you ask him?
Mrs.Nichols. No; I didn’t ask him why he called me.
Mr.Griffin. Did you indicate your surprise to him in any way?
Mrs.Nichols. I didn’t indicate it, no.
Mr.Griffin. Did he indicate that he would like to see you sometime?
Mrs.Nichols. No, he never; I can’t recall him asking how I had been or anything personal. He didn’t say anything.
Mr.Griffin. Did he ask you how you felt about the assassination?
Mrs.Nichols. Well, I told him I thought it was terrible, too, and I was quite upset about it.
Mr.Griffin. Did he ask you for any advice of any sort?
Mrs.Nichols. No; he didn’t.
Mr.Griffin. You can’t think of any reason why Jack should have called you?
Mrs.Nichols. No.
Mr.Griffin. The second time that he called you, did you have any indication of where he was calling from?
Mrs.Nichols. No; I have no idea where he was calling from.
Mr.Griffin. Did you hear any voices in the background?
Mrs.Nichols. No.
Mr.Griffin. Television set on?
Mrs.Nichols. No; I don’t remember hearing any noise.
Mr.Griffin. Did he tell you how soon he was going to the synagogue?
Mrs.Nichols. No; he didn’t tell me.
Mr.Griffin. Did he tell you which synagogue he was going to?
Mrs.Nichols. I don’t believe he did. I assumed it was Shearith Israel because that is where he went.
Mr.Griffin. When you dated Jack, did Jack have any dogs?
Mrs.Nichols. He got his dog shortly before we stopped going together.
Mr.Griffin. But up until then, he had never owned a dog?
Mrs.Nichols. No.
Mr.Griffin. How did he happen to buy the dog?
Mrs.Nichols. I think the first dog was given to him by someone.
Mr.Griffin. Do you recall who gave it to him?
Mrs.Nichols. No, I don’t know whether he told me or not. Or whether it was anyone that I know. I just remembered where he got the dog, and it was killed. It was run over a short while after he got it, so he got another one right after that.
Mr.Griffin. What kind of dog was given to him?
Mrs.Nichols. It was a dachshund.
Mr.Griffin. Was the next dog that he got also a dachshund?
Mrs.Nichols. Yes.
Mr.Griffin. Up until the time that his dog was given to him, had he expressed any interests in dogs?
Mrs.Nichols. His sister had a little dog that he—I don’t know whether he—I believe it seemed like he had taken care of it some for her.
Mr.Griffin. Is that Eva Grant?
Mrs.Nichols. Yes; she had a dog.
Mr.Griffin. Did you know a man by the name of Abe Kleinman?
Mrs.Nichols. Yes; I believe he was a CPA or a bookkeeper. I believe he kept Jack’s books, for a period of time.
Mr.Griffin. How about Floyd Turman, do you know him?
Mrs.Nichols. No.
Mr.Griffin. Did you know any police officers with whom Jack was friendly?
Mrs.Nichols. No; I have seen police officers out there in the club, but I never knew one in particular.
Mr.Griffin. Did you know any of the women that he was friendly with besides yourself?
Mrs.Nichols. I don’t know who else he dated.
Mr.Griffin. How about women that he saw in a business connection? Did you see any women in the business? Did he see any women in a business connection?
Mrs.Nichols. Not that I know of. I don’t know of any.
Mr.Griffin. Can you think of anything else that we haven’t talked about here today that you haven’t already told the FBI, that you think would be of importance to the Commission?
Mrs.Nichols. No; I can’t think of anything that would be of importance.
Mr.Griffin. Let me ask you if, as time passes here, and if anything does come to your attention which you think might be helpful to us, if you would contact somebody in the Commission or contact the FBI or the Secret Service and let them know?
Mrs.Nichols. I will be glad to.
Mr.Griffin. We also ask you, other than the interviews that Mr. Sayres had with you, have you been interviewed by any member of this staff?
Mrs.Nichols. Of this staff?
Mr.Griffin. Yes.
Mrs.Nichols. No.
Mr.Griffin. Prior to having your deposition taken here, did you and I have any interview?
Mrs.Nichols. No.
Mr.Griffin. I don’t think I have any more questions to ask you.
I want to thank you for coming here and taking all this time to do it, and I realize that you are a working woman and it is an inconvenience to you.
Mrs.Nichols. That is quite all right.
Mr.Griffin. But it was quite nice of you to spend all of this time.
Mrs.Nichols. I am glad to help in any way I can.
Mr.Griffin. Thank you very much.