A Stenotype Machine Used During JFK Assassination Hearings, Attributed to the Warren Commission

A La Salle Stenotype Machine attributed to have been used during the Warren Commission hearings and testimonies, and part of the important collection of Ron Hoskins. Stenotype machines record spoken word into written copy, doing this fast via a process known as chording or stroking whereby multiple keys are pressed simultaneously. This vintage La Salle Machine still has the original paper ribbon, now brown with age, the original warranty card showing it is serial No. 518037, and the original case. The case is 9" x 11" x 5", and in near fine condition with a working clasp. The case handle bears a small paper tag showing the same serial number as the warrantee card, and the note of "Feb 69 / Mama used during hearings / Warren Commission / Keep Safe". Although untested in full, the stenograph appears to still be in working condition. Provenance: From the collection of Ron Hoskins, assassinologist.

The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy, commonly known as the Warren Commission, was created by President Lyndon Johnson and chaired by Chief Justice Earl Warren to investigate President Kennedy's assassination. The commission began on November 29, 1963 and its 888-page final report was presented to President Johnson on September 24, 1964, and made public three days later. The Commission also released 26 hearing volumes on November 23, 1964 comprised of testimonies from 550 witnesses and evidence.

The hearings were closed to the public unless the witness appearing before the Commission requested an open hearing. No witness except one...requested an open hearing. Although the hearings (except one) were conducted in private, they were not secret. In a secret hearing, the witness is instructed not to disclose his testimony to any third party, and the hearing testimony is not published for public consumption. The witnesses who appeared before the Commission were free to repeat what they said to anyone they pleased, and all of their testimony was subsequently published in the first fifteen volumes put out by the Warren Commission.

Four of the seven members of the commission, Boggs, Cooper, McCloy, and Russell, had serious doubts regarding the conclusions of the commission that the President and Governor Connally were both wounded by the "magic bullet" and regarding the view that Oswald had acted alone.

This machine and the stenographer who used the device to record during the Warren Commission hearings, no doubt heard intriguing testimony, However it is unclear as to how many pages of the hearing, or even which days or parts were recorded with this machine.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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