Oswald and Paine Weekend Timeline, October-November, 1963

You can learn a lot from studying timelines in a case, any case. It allows for a linear approach to events that’s similar to standing on the highest mountain and looking down. Everything regarding unfolding events is made clearer.

So what follows is the timeline of Lee Oswald’s weekends at Ruth Paine’s home from October to the last weekend before the assassination. It was chosen as there were so many sightings of Oswald at various locations, mainly the shooting range, on the weekends when Ruth Paine is maintaining that Lee was at her house on those days except for the last weekend before the assassination when he stayed at the rooming house. Perhaps she was not lying at all, if there is an impersonator in play. Warren Commission lawyers knew there were problems in Ruth’s testimony as so many people were seeing Lee at the Sports Drome Rifle Range when he wasn’t supposed to have been there. Eventually, they just had to let it all be.

Please note that on those days or weekends that Ruth Paine maintains that Lee was at her house, he is not supposed to be seen anywhere else, especially at night. Yet witnesses reported seeing Oswald at various locations from Dallas to New Orleans.

October 6 - Sunday (p. 713)

At Ruth Paine’s home all day Sunday. Spent the nights of the 4th, 5th and 6th at the Paine home. (According to her Testimony.)

Activities for Saturday unknown but he did write a letter to The Worker stating he had attended an ACLU meeting the evening of the 5th. 

Mrs. Lovell Penn reports seeing men shoot in her pasture. She is worried about her cows getting shot. She warns them and gets a nasty reply from one of the men. She threatens to call the police if they do not stop shooting. Later, Mrs. Penn ID’s Lee Oswald as the man that was rude to her in her pasture.

October 12-13 - Saturday and Sunday (p. 722-723)

At Ruth Paine’s home.

Oswald spent the weekend at Paine’s home. Not seen elsewhere.

October 18-19-20 - Friday, Saturday and Sunday (p. 730)

At Ruth Paine’s home. (According to her Testimony.)

October 18. According to Wesley Frasier, drove Lee Oswald to Paine's home for his birthday that evening.

October 19. Doorman for The Count of Two Sisters Restaurant in New Orleans, Leander D’Avy, reports seeing Lee Oswald, David Ferrie, his boss Gene Davis, and four other unidentified men in the storeroom, converted to an apartment. NOTE:Gene Davis is an FBI informant starting in October of 1961.

October 20. At the Paine home. Not seen elsewhere. Daughter Rachael was born at 10:41 PM that night. He was not present at the hospital for the birth.

October 26-27 - Saturday and Sunday (p. 736)

At Ruth Paine’s home both days. (According to her Testimony.)

First known trip by Lee Oswald to the Sports Drome Rifle Range. Arrives at dusk and seen by employe Malcom Price. Seen driving himself to the range. Also noticed by the owner, Floyd Davis.

October 27. Seen at the Paine home in the yard by a neighbor.

November 2-3 - Saturday and Sunday (p. 744)

At Ruth Paine’s home. (According to her Testimony.)

Lee Oswald is seen test driving a red Mercury at the Downtown Lincoln-Mercury Dealership. Later that day seen at Morgan’s Gun Shop in Fort Worth.

Spent Sunday, November 3, at the Paine Home. Not seen elsewhere.

November 9-10 - Saturday and Sunday (p. 758-763)

At Ruth Paine’s home, both days. (According to her Testimony.)

Saturday seen shooting a rifle at the Sports Drome Rifle Range.

Sunday, test fired rifle at the Sports Drome Rifle Range and seen by Malcom Price and Garland Slack. Later, witnessed by Harvey Wade at the Carousel Club at 11 PM that night. Oswald was seen with two unidentified men.

November 16-17 - Saturday and Sunday (p. 770-773)

Lee Oswald spent the last weekend before the assassination at the rooming house on Beckley street in Dallas. Oswald was not seen anywhere on Saturday.

November 17, Sunday. Seen at the Sports Drome Rifle Range, noticed by Dr. Homer Wood and teenage son, Sterling. Later, Garland Slack complains to the owner that Oswald shot at his target. Afterward, seen at Jack’s Bar in Dallas by witness Vern Davis.

Returns to the Paine home on Thursday, the 21st, for the final night. 

Sources

Harvey and Lee by John Armstrong. All page numbers referenced are from his book.

Ruth Paine Warren Commission testimony HERE.