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  » Volume XV
Warren Commission Hearings: Vol. XV - Page 440« Previous | Next »

(Testimony of Kenneth Lawry Dowe)

Mr. Hansen.
down this street at that time, that was one of your streets where you got your characters. If they were out, they was on that street.
We worked that pretty heavy, and naturally you worked all the beer joints and these places and dancehalls, and you get a little action up and down there.
And I had occasion to go in there and check those places from the 400 block all the way out to Forest Avenue, and it just happened Jack Ruby's place was in there. We checked him just like everybody, and that is when I first come in contact with Jack Ruby. I don't even recall when he bought the place, but that is the first time I ever knew him.
Mr. Griffin.
Since then over the years, have you had occasion to see him from time to time?
Mr. Hansen.
Oh, yes; I have seen him pass me on the street and he speaks to me.
Mr. Griffin.
And you recognize him?
Mr. Hansen.
Oh, yes; I knew him.
Mr. Griffin.
Is there anybody else that you know or have seen around Dallas who resembles Jack Ruby?
Mr. Hansen.
I imagine there is, but--
Mr. Griffin.
That you know of.
Mr. Hansen.
No; not that I could say looked just exactly like him. I am sure that somebody looks like him, but I don't know anybody personally that looks just like Jack Ruby.
Mr. Griffin.
Of course, knowing him over the years, were there some incidents in which you came to learn that Jack Ruby had a finger bitten off?
Mr. Hansen.
Yes. I answered the call the night he got in a beef down there with some fellows.
Mr. Griffin.
What club was that?
Mr. Hansen.
That was at the Silver Spur, the same one I referred to awhile ago. We answered the call, and there was a pretty good skirmish on the sidewalk in front. I can't think of this fellow's name, its been so long. There would be a record. The boy got a load, and I believe it was this one or this one [pointing to fingers].
Mr. Griffin.
Either the second or third finger on his right hand?
Mr. Hansen.
I don't recall just exactly which. I believe it was the left hand, come to think about it. I believe I remember I was shaking that hand, and I know it was hurting. The boy bit his finger and spit it out in the street.
Mr. Griffin.
Did you actually see the boy bite it off?
Mr. Hansen.
No. I got there after he did it.
Mr. Griffin.
Did you see Jack with part of the finger missing?
Mr. Hansen.
Part of it missing, and the other part just hide hanging down. And I run this old boy down the street that was the one that was supposed to bite it off, and I finally caught him. We had a fight and I got him handcuffed. That's been so long ago, I don't recall his name, but I do remember his waving that finger and blood running, and he had a pretty chewed up finger. It was just stumpy.
Mr. Griffin.
Did you ever come to find out what the fight was all about that provoked that?
Mr. Hansen.
Never paid much attention to that. We had stuff like that that went on all the time. It was sort of customary. If it wasn't a finger, it was an ear or something.
Mr. Griffin.
After Jack opened up the Carousel Club, how often did you have occasion to visit the Carousel Club?
Mr. Hansen.
Well, I never visited the Carousel Club regular or anything. I have been up there, and I would say during the time he had the Carousel Club up there, to my knowledge, maybe I went up there 9 or 10 or 12 times, I don't know, just if I had somebody come to town I knew, or some boy I had known when I was younger, we would go up there and watch the girls dance and maybe drink a beer, and have a drink or something.
Mr. Griffin.
In your acquantance with Ruby, did you have any occasion to notice any kindnesses that he bestowed on people?
Mr. Hansen.
I did. Yes sir; I sure did.
Mr. Griffin.
Can you tell us about some of the things you recall him doing?
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