Texas Governor’s Life Threatened

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30395, 20 March 1964, Page 11

Texas Governor’s Life Threatened

(N.Z. Press Association —Copyright? AUSTIN (Texas),March 19. Two women have been arrested on charges in connexion with threats made to Governor John Connally after the Jack Ruby trial, the F. 8.1. said yesterday.

Mr J. M. Cole, special agent in charge of the San Antonio office of the said the women were charged with violation of the Federal Extortion Statute. They were Christine Burke, aged 34, and Norma June McGriff, aged 38, both of Nashville, Tennessee. The two women were arrested in Nashville, yesterday. They were released on 2500 dollars bonds, each after waiving a hearing. The complaint filed by the F. 8.1. said the women “did wilfully and knowingly transmit in interstate commerce from Nashville to Austin a telephone call on March 14 containing a threat to injure the person of Governor John Connally, in violation of the Federal Extortion Statute.” The announcement gave no other details.

In Dallas, Governor Connally said that some letters he had received from outside the State had been extremely rough and “very vile” since the Ruby verdict. Some had threatened his life. The Governor did not give any examples. There have been frequent unverified reports around the State capital recently that extra security precautions have been taken to protect the Governor.

Neither the F. 8.1. nor Mr Connally’s office would say what type of “threat” was made.

“Just a threat on his life is all we can say,” said a Governor’s aide.

In Washington, it is reported that a Texas couple, Mr and Mrs Michael Paine, who befriended Lee Harvey Oswald and his Russian-born wife after their return from the Soviet Union, appeared yesterday before the Warren commission.