WNEW 1130 AM RADIO NEWS
55 minutes of PEERLES LIVE COVERAGE BY WNEW RADIO (11:30 AM) on November 24, 1963 COVERING THE ASSASSINATION OF LEE HARVEY OSWALD BY JACK RUBY (Reporter Ike Pappas COMPLETE NON-EDITED coverage on audio tape at the scene)
2:14pm (EST). WNEW TV Channel 5. “SPECIAL BULLETIN REPORT FROM THE WNEW CHANNEL 5 NEWSROOMS. “LEE OSWALD IS DEAD.”
2:15pm (EST) WNEW 1130 AM RADIO.
2 hours and 54 minutes after Jack Ruby shot Lee Harvey Oswald, on air anchor Jim Van Sickle states, “As reporter Ike Pappas, on the scene, described earlier most vividly, police are now holding night club owner Jack Ruby with the killing of Lee Harvey Oswald who was denying to the last minute his involvement killing the President. Police had checked out everybody including Jack Ruby.”
Jim Van Sickle then reminds his listening audience, “By way of a tape recording, reporter Ike Pappas describes the moment Oswald was shot. He was standing just 6 feet from Oswald when Ruby fired his pistol. In fact, he wondered himself whether he had been shot. Pappas called in to WNEW immediately and relayed his report.”
Jim Van Sickle replays the entire tape recording that Ike Pappas had made which was originally played earlier in the broadcast.
IKE PAPPAS:
“We have a prisoner wearing a black sweater. He has changed from his T-Shirt. He’s being brought out toward an armored car, being led out by Captain John Fritz.”
As Oswald nears Pappas IKE PAPPAS moves his right hand holding his microphone and asks LEE HARVEY OSWALD,
“Do you have anything to say in defense?”
IMMEDIATELY, A SHOT RINGS OUT as JACK RUBY shoots Oswald. Pappas continues to roll tape and we hear him describe the chaotic scene. “Oswald has been shot. There is a great deal of confusion at the moment. One of the wildest scenes I have ever seen,” exclaims, Ike Pappas.
*NOTE: ON THE INTERNET ONE CAN HEAR 4 minutes and 47 seconds of this riveting account of the shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald by Jack Ruby as tape recorded by Ike Pappas on David von Pein’s exceptional JFK Channel on You Tube. On this Archival Television Audio, Inc. air check there exists an additional peerless 8 additional minutes of coverage.
After the recording is rebroadcast, Jim Van Sickle goes live to Dallas and converses on WNEW AM with Ike Pappas who is still at the scene at the Dallas County Jail at 2:25pm
(EST)just a little over two hours since Jack Ruby shot Lee Harvey Oswald.
IKE PAPPAS live telephone conversation from Dallas Texas to New York with WNEW Radio anchor, Jim Van Sickle.
IKE PAPPAS:
“Just after learning that Oswald had died Jack Ruby is being held in the 4th floor jail under extremely heavy guard. Latest development has been C.A. Droby, Jack Ruby’s attorney has arrived. He states that Ruby has been brooding and emotional ever since the President was shot. More and more he has been thinking about avenging the death of the president. Detective C.H. “Billy’ Combest stood opposite Ruby and saw the gun come out of the jacket of Ruby and saw the TV lights against the gun. Combest screamed, “JACK YOU S.O.B. DON’T DO IT.”
Pappas further reports “At the moment a press briefing is being held. In retrospect since Friday night Jack Ruby has had total access at headquarters here. An incredible thing for a man who is not a policeman.”
Ike Pappas continues to tell Jim Van Sickle, “Attorney C.A. Droby’s wife received a phone call from a man with a foreign accent and stated that he will be the next one shot.” Police chief Jesse Curray is following up on all leads whether this assassination is an organized plot or a one-man act? “
Back at the WNEW 1130 radio studio, anchor Jim Van Sickle states, “Ike Pappas reporting from Dallas Texas doing a magnificent job.”
WNEW radio report is heard from science editor Earl Ubell who states that Jack Ruby shot Oswald with a 38-caliber gun. Also stated, “…frenetic efforts of surgeon and doctors to save Oswald’s life at any cost. However, the bullet penetrated the aorta and Oswald had no chance of surviving.”
NOTE:
In 1993 a 49-minute CD, narrated by Reid Collins of WNEW Radio News, was released containing highlights of media broadcast coverage related to the JFK assassination and additional news coverage Nov. 22 -25, 1963. Included in the ten different clips are a 6:34 audio tape recording (edited version) of Ike Pappas audio tape coverage at the scene as Jack Ruby shoots Lee Harvey Oswald. Included, and peerless, in this ATA air check is over one and half additional minutes of original audio coverage by Ike Pappas and additional on the air live post commentary and reporting by Pappas communicated back to Jim Van Sickle anchoring at station WNEW 1130 AM in New York.
WNEW 1130 AM RADIO: LIVE Report from Ike Pappas on Jack Ruby’s past infractions going back to 1959. Captain John Fritz states that Lee Harvey Oswald was the only shooter of President John F. Kennedy.
WNEW AM RADIO - CONTINUED COVERAGE
Jim Van Sickle summarizes the events of the day, including how Jack Ruby entered the police precinct. Again, a replay of Ike Pappas’ tape recorder continuing to record the assassination and aftermath. Pappas states that since 1953 Jack Ruby has had a police record. Pappas interview with police at a press conference, Captain John Fritz confirms to Pappas that Oswald alone assassinated the President of the United States, John F. Kennedy. Asked if Oswald said anything before his own assassination, Fritz says, “No.”
IKE PAPPAS communicates with anchor Jim Van Sickle. He states that on Friday night (November 23rd) he met Jack Ruby who befriended him and gave him his card. Ruby told Pappas that if he had any trouble getting news out of the police to just call him.
Jim Van Stickle states that:
“ Ike Pappas, who almost got in the way of that bullet directed at shooting Oswald was on the wire to WNEW within minutes of the shooting. At that point Ruby had been hustled off into the courthouse to be questioned. The police had not yet officially divulged the name of the shooter and in proper fashion Pappas had refrained in telling us just who it was and what kind of man he was. Here in New York, we had received a FLASH that it was Jack Ruby. I told Pappas, ‘Ike, we just received word that they have named the killer.’ ‘What is his name asked Pappas?’ “Jack Ruby,” I said. And, then Ike Pappas said this:
“Now I have just reached into my pocket when you said Jack Ruby, and I pull out a card called the Carousel Club. Now is this official, Jim, from the police department here?”
Van Sickle responds, “Yes, this has been reported here.”
Ike Pappas, “OK, on the basis of that I will continue. The Carousel Club located at 131 &1/2 Commerce Street; Dallas Texas is a club which puts on continuous shows. Glamourous Girls, Girls, Girls. And at the bottom of the card, it says ‘Your Host Jack Ruby.’ Apparently, this man, Jack Ruby, that you just told me about, and I was reluctant to release his name because it did not come out officially, runs this night club the Carousel Club. Now, the other night as I said, it struck me as extremely unusual to have this man, who is not a policeman, come up to me after the brief press conference we had with Oswald, who mumbled that he had not killed the President, and the police on Friday. This man, Jack Ruby had straight black hair with a bald spot on the top of his head. He is angular thin. He has a dark thick beard. He speaks in short, fleeting sentences. He knows the police very well here. Apparently, some of his best friends are on the police force. And, he had access to that room. He was running freely. As a matter of fact, when I wanted to talk to the District Attorney of Dallas, the equivalent of Louis Lefkowitz, the State attorney General of New York State, this man Jack Ruby went over, and he talked to him and told him this reporter wants to talk to you. And Jack Ruby brought this District Attorney over to me and got him on the phone. So, here as you tell us, Jack Ruby who I didn’t want to mention to you apparently has shot Lee Oswald.”
Further tape recording on the scene reporting by Ike Pappas is played.
Ike Pappas interviews policeman who was in the corridor when Jack Rugby is led by police after questioning him on the third floor.
Reid Collins of WNEW reports the days events from the Capital in Washington D.C. We hear “Hail to the Chief” music as the president lies in state. We hear a speaker giving a sermon, “We Must Become A Nation of Reason and Law.”
WNEW’s Jim Van Sickle continues to review the days events at approximately 6:30pm (EST) and other news this day, Viet Nam, Soviet Union updates…three-way tie in the NFL, first place New York Giants vs Cleveland Browns results, Vatican news.
Back to the assassination today of Lee Harvey Oswald, Van Sickle reports John Connally comments including those including his grief over the assassination of the President, Jack Ruby, other.
In summing up Jim Van Sickle addresses the topic “WHO NOTICED TODAY?”
He signs off, “JIM VAN SICKLE, WNEW RADIO NEWS.”
NOTE: WNEW Channel 5 Television News historic timeline:
WNEW Channel 5 Television News
May 9, 1960- February 3, 1961 (five minutes 11:00-11:05pm)
February 6, 1961 - March 10, 1967 (ten minutes 11:00-11:10pm)
March 13, 1967 (30 minutes prime time 10:-10:30pm with anchor Bill Jorgensen.
