Mrs. Anne Boudreaux, 831 Pauline Street, New Orleans, La., after first
being duly sworn, testified as follows:
Mr. JENNER. You are Mrs. Anne Boudreaux, is that right?
Mrs. Boudreaux. Yes, sir.
Mr. Jenner. And your husband's name is Edward?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX. That's right.
Mr. JENNER. Mrs. Boudreaux, you received a letter from the general counsel of the
Commission, did you not?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX. Yes, I did.
Mr. JENNER. In which was enclosed a copy of Senate Joint Resolution 137, which
authorized the creation of the Commission to investigate the assassination
of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, is that right?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX. Yes; I have the letter with me.
Mr. JENNER. And the order of Lyndon B. Johnson, the President of the United States,
bringing the Commission into existence and fixing its powers and
duties?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX. Yes.
Mr. JENNER. And a copy of our rules and regulations under which we take testimony
before the Commission and also by way of deposition, such as this one?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX. Yes, sir.
Mr. JENNER. All right. I therefore take it you understand from those documents that
the Commission was authorized and appointed to investigate all the facts
and circumstances surrounding the assassination of President John
Fitzgerald Kennedy on the 22d of November 1963?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX. Yes.
Mr. JENNER. I am Albert E. Jenner, Jr., member of the legal staff, of the
Commission, and I would like to inquire of you a little bit to see if you
can't give us some information that will help the Commission in its
investigation.
Mrs. BOUDREAUX. Yes, sir.
Mr. JENNER. We are seeking to elicit from those who came into contact with Lee
Harvey Oswald and his brothers and his mother and others, information that
may be helpful to the Commission in its work, and the Commission very much
appreciates your coming down here today, because these are always a little
inconvenient, of course.
Mrs. BOUDREAUX. Yes, sir.
Mr. JENNER. All right. Now, Mrs. Boudreaux, you live at 831 Pauline Street, is that
right?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX. Yes, sir.
Mr. JENNER. How long have you lived at 831 Pauline?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX. Since 1932--no, I beg your pardon, 1942; since June 15, 1942.
Mr. JENNER. 1942, rather than 1932?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX. Yes, that's right. I wasn't thinking right.
Mr. JENNER. By the way, are you a native of this part of the country?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX. Yes, I am.
Mr. JENNER. You were born here and reared here?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX. I was born in Louisiana, yes.
Mr. JENNER. And your husband?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX. My husband too.
Mr. JENNER. And you have a family?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX. Yes, I do.
Mr. JENNER. How many children?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX. I have five children.
Mr. JENNER. What are their ages, Mrs. Boudreaux?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX. 22, 17, two 16's, and one 11.
Mr. JENNER. Two 16's?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX. That's right.
Mr. JENNER. Now, who was the previous occupant of your home, if you know?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX. Mrs. Oswald.
Mr. JENNER. That's Mrs. Marguerite Oswald?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX. Yes, Marguerite Oswald.
Mr. JENNER. Did you become acquainted with her?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX. No, I did not.
Mr. JENNER. You did not?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX. No, sir.
Mr. JENNER. Do you know to where she moved when you took over that house?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX. No, I do not.
Mr. JENNER. That home is a single family dwelling, is it not?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX. It's a double house.
Mr. JENNER. A double house?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX. Yes, sir.
Mr. JENNER. Is that up and down, or side by side?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
Two sides.
Mr. JENNER.
Side by side with a common party wall, I suppose?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
Yes, sir.
Mr. JENNER.
Who occupies the other house?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
On the other side?
Mr. JENNER.
Yes.
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
It's a Mr. Russo.
Mr. JENNER.
Mr. Russo?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
Him and his wife, but they were living there when I moved in.
Mr. JENNER.
When you moved in?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
Yes, sir; they were there already.
Mr. JENNER.
Did you learn of any particular circumstances which brought about or
played a part in Mrs. Oswald's leaving those premises?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
No; I didn't. I didn't hear anything like that.
Mr. JENNER.
Did you become acquainted with someone who in turn had some experiences
with Lee Oswald?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
Yes, sir; like I told the detective that came to see me, that was Mrs.
Roach; she's dead now.
Mr. JENNER.
Mrs. Roach?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
Yes.
Mr. JENNER.
Where did she live?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
She lived with them for about 2 weeks. She was their babysitter.
Mr. JENNER.
Oh, babysitter for Mrs. Oswald?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
Yes, sir; for the baby.
Mr. JENNER.
She baby-sat for Lee Oswald then, is that right?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
Yes.
Mr. JENNER.
Did she live in that neighborhood?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
Yes. She used to live on Lesseps Street.
Mr. JENNER.
That is where with respect to your home; about how far away?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
Well, about 6 blocks, I guess. It's right about a block from the Port
of Embarkation.
Mr. JENNER.
And she would come over and babysit for Lee, is that right?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
Well, she stayed with Mrs. Oswald for 2 weeks.
Mr. JENNER.
She actually moved into the home?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
Yes, for 2 weeks she moved in.
Mr. JENNER.
When was that?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
Well, that was right before Mrs. Oswald moved out, and I moved in.
Mr. JENNER.
Shortly before that?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
Yes, it wasn't long before that. In fact, it was through her that I
knew the house was going to be empty.
Mr. JENNER.
Through Mrs. Roach?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
Yes.
Mr. JENNER.
You had been acquainted with her for some time?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
Mrs. Roach?
Mr. JENNER.
Yes.
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
Oh, yes. I had known Mrs. Roach since I was a little bitty girl. She
was in the Oswald home either in the early part of June or the latter part
of May 1942.
Mr. JENNER.
She was?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
Yes.
Mr. JENNER.
Did you have some conversations with her. at the time with respect to
Lee's conduct?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
Who, Mrs. Roach?
Mr. JENNER.
Yes; with respect to Lee's conduct while she was babysitting?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
Yes; she usually talked about things like that, you know, and she said
the reason why she had to leave was because he .was bad, and he wouldn't
listen, and things like that.
Mr. JENNER.
The reason why Mrs. Roach had to leave?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
Yes, sir; she said she just couldn't take it any more.
Mr. JENNER.
Lee then would have been about 2 1/2 years old, is that right?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
Yes.
Mr. JENNER.
A little more than that?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
Yes. She said she just couldn't take it any longer.
Mr. JENNER.
Tell me as best you can what Mrs. Roach recalled in that conversation
with you.
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
Well, she said he wouldn't listen, and he was bad. She said he had a
little toy gun, and he threw it at her and broke the chandelier in the
bedroom, and things like that.
Mr. JENNER.
Of course, at that age he wouldn't know whether it was a gun or not, or
what a gun was, would he?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
No, but you know, she said it was just a little toy gun, but he threw
it at her when he got mad, and she had an awful time with him.
Mr. JENNER.
She thought he exhibited fits of temper?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
Yes. She said he was a, I mean, a bad child; that's what she said.
Mr. JENNER.
Did she say anything about the other two boys.
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
No, she didn't. In fact, I didn't even know about the other boys until
the man told me who he was. I didn't know she had other boys.
Mr. JENNER.
That man who told you that, was he from the FBI or the Secret
Service?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
Yes; he came out three times to see me.
Mr. JENNER.
When you moved into that home, what was the reputation in the
neighborhood or community with respect to Mrs. Oswald?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
Well, nobody ever talked about her. You know, neighbors sort of keep to
themselves. I mean, that's a neighborhood that whoever moves in they keep
to themselves. They don't make up to you too quickly, I mean.
Mr. JENNER.
But as far as the general reputation is concerned, what was her
reputation for truth and veracity, for example?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
Well, they have never spoken about that, at least to me, I mean, the
neighbors.
Mr. JENNER.
You never heard anything bad about her?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
No, I never did, and as far as her being a good mother to her children,
well, I have never heard anything other than good. I have never heard
anything spoken about her.
Mr. JENNER.
When her son Lee was 2 1/2 years old, was she working at that time?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
I think she was.
Mr. JENNER.
Is that why she had to have a babysitter?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
Yes; that's why she had had the babysitter. I mean, the lady that could
tell you all about that, she's dead--Mrs. Roach. She's deceased. She could
have told you a lot more about all that.
Mr. JENNER.
What did you learn as to how long she had been living there?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
Well, I don't know how long she had been living there when I moved
in.
Mr. JENNER.
Where is 831 Pauline Street with respect to 1012 Bartholomew?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
That would be about 4 blocks, I would say, from where I live.
Mr. JENNER.
From 1012 Bartholomew to where you live would be about 4 blocks?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
Yes.
Mr. JENNER.
Did you learn that she lived at one time at 1010 Bartholomew?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
No; I didn't. I don't know where she lived after she left there.
Mr. JENNER.
Were these rented homes, or could you purchase them?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
The one where I was living?
Mr. JENNER.
Yes.
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
They were rented, but now I own my home.
Mr. JENNER.
But they were being rented at that time?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
Yes.
Mr. JENNER.
The former landlady, is she alive?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
No; she's not.
Mr. JENNER.
She's dead?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
Yes; she's dead.
Mr. JENNER.
Until this tragic event occurred last fall, had you heard of any of the
Oswalds from the time they moved away?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
No; I didn't know until the FBI man told me until he got to questioning
me, that it was the boy who lived in that house. I didn't realize that
until he told me. The only other contact I had--I don't know if it's
important or not----
Mr. JENNER.
Well, you let us decide what is important and what isn't. We want to
get all the information we can possibly get as to the facts and
circumstances surrounding this matter; so you go right ahead.
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
Well, I bought the boy's baby bed, and I gave Mrs. Roach the money to
pay for it, and she left the bed in the house, and then they never came
back for the money, I don't think.
Mr. JENNER.
In advance of moving in, you purchased their baby bed?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
Yes; I bought the bed, which I sail have, and I raised all my children
with it.
Mr. JENNER.
Is that right?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
Yes; I raised my five children with it, and I intend to give it to them
even though this happened. Like I say, it wasn't concerning them at
all.
Mr. JENNER.
Now, these depositions will be written up by the court reporter, and
you have the privilege, if you wish, of reading your deposition and signing
it, but you can waive that if you want so as to avoid the inconvenience of
coming down here again, but if you wish to read it and sign it, that's
your privilege. If you decide to waive the reading and signing of the
deposition, the court reporter will transcribe it, and it will be sent by
the U.S. attorney to Washington to be read by the members of the Commission
conducting this investigation.
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
I don't need to sign it. All I was saying was the truth, and that's all
I can do.
Mr. JENNER.
Then I take it you would just as soon waive the necessity of reading
and signing the deposition?
Mrs. BOUDREAUX.
Yes, sir.
Mr. JENNER.
Very well; thank you very much for appearing here voluntarily and
giving us your statement.