STATE OF LOUISIANA

PARISH OF ORLEANS

AFFIDAVIT

BEFORE ME, personally came and appeared

JOHN MANCHESTER

Town Marshall

Clinton, Louisiana

Who, after being duly sworn, deposed and said:

During the time of the Civil Rights [sic] demonstrations, I can remember that my attention was called to a Cadillac that was parked close to the Voter Registrar's Office. I don't remember exactly how my attention was called to the car, and I don't remember exactly where it was parked, but it was in the vicinity of the Registrar's office. I don't remember exactly how, but I remember finding out some way the car was from the International Trade Mart in New Orleans. It is possible that I could have checked it out through our Sheriff's office or I may have gone up and talked to the people in the car and got the information from them. It is hard for me to remember exactly how. I do remember mentioning to someone, but I don't know exactly who, that the Cadillac was from the International Trade Mart in New Orleans. I also remember the joke being said that they were selling bananas, but I don't know whether I said it or someone else said it. There was always a bunch of people around and I don't know who could have been around at the time. There were always people coming and going and stopping and talking and looking.

I can remember there were two people in the car and both were in the front seat. The one on the driver's side was well dressed with a white shirt and tie. He was neat. The main thing I remember about the man was that he had gray hair. It was a good bit of hair and it wasn't thin. He did not have a hat on. He looked tall and well built from what I could tell from seeing him in the car. Possibly 6 feet or better. I don't remember much about his complexion. I would say that from pictures I have seen in the paper of CLAY SHAW that he resembled CLAY SHAW quite a bit. I would say this mostly from his build and his hair. They are the main things I remember about him. I feel that I must have walked up to the car and talked to the man on the driver's side, but I can't be sure and I really can't be certain. I feel that Henry Earl Palmer must have told me to check it out, and I must have walked up to the car and talked to the man and he told me that he was from the International Trade Mart in New Orleans, but I can't be sure. I don't believe that a 1028 (vehicle registration check) was run on the car so the info must have been given to me by the man in the car. I only would have talked to the man behind the wheel and not to the other man on the passenger's side. All I can remember about the man on the passenger side is that he was not as well dressed as the man on the driver's side. I can't remember about him because I would not have been interested in him at all unless the driver did not check out.

On the day that the Cadillac was here I don't remember anything about the registration lines that day. I knew ESTES [sic] MORGAN, but I can't remember seeing him in the registration line at a particular time. PALMER told me about him coming up to the Registrar's office, but I can't remember exactly when. I had no set time to get there or leave so I can't remember exactly when the Cadillac came to my attention. I feel like it was before dinner and it was the first time I had seen HENRY EARL that day.

QUESTION BY MR. SCIAMBRA:

Mr. MANCHESTER, Lieutenant Fruge and I have talked to HENRY EARL PALMER and HENRY EARL has told us that he feels that on that particular day, after the Cadillac was called to his attention, he told you to get a 1028 on the Cadillac and he went into the coffee shop for coffee. He feels that about 10 minutes later he came out of the coffee shop and that you told him "Don't worry about the Cadillac. They are not from the Justice Department, they are from the International Trade Mart in New Orleans." He then asked you what were they doing up here and you said they were selling bananas.

ANSWER BY MR. MANCHESTER:

I feel that HENRY EARL's account of what happened is exactly what happened but it was a long time ago.

If I would have called for a 1028 in [sic] the car, I would have had to get it over my radio and from the best I can remember I would not have been sitting in my car in the hot sun. A radio check on a car can take anywhere from 2 minutes to 24 hours and you can never tell how fast you could get one back.

I was asked to hang around the Registrar's Office as much as possible during the demonstrations and I was around there a lot during that time. I don't remember seeing the car leave or anyone going around the car.

(not signed)

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[typed] JOHN MANCHESTER

SWORN TO AND SUBSCRIBED BEFORE ME

THIS _______ DAY OF ________________, 1967 [not dated]

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NOTARY PUBLIC [not signed]