United States Department of Justice
Federal Bureau of Investigation

Synopsis: Mrs. MARIE LORETTA HYDE, Port Angeles, Washington, visited Minsk, USSR. On 8/10/61, she was in company of Miss RITA NAMAN and Mrs. MONIKA KRAMER in Minsk and has made available a picture taken in Central Square, Minsk, Russia, "about 6:00 p.m." Mrs. HYDE believes that the man in the plaid shirt in her photograph as well as in the enlargement from Mrs. KRAMER's picture, resembles LEE HARVEY OSWALD. She recalls speaking in English to two young men "who were definitely Americans." The three ladies departed from Minsk on the following morning.

Details: Mrs. MARIE LORETTA HYDE, 401 East Front Street, Port Angeles, Washington, advised that she was a housewife; that her husband was a semi-retired Merchant Marine Captain by the name of LORING HYDE. She advised that she was 74 years of age and had been able to do some extensive world-wide travelling.

  She advised that she took a trip to Russia, Poland and other countries, leaving Port Angeles, Washington on June 14, 1961, and returning to her residence on November of 1961.

  She advised that on or about August 5, 1961, she had become separated from her tourist group and was residing at the National Hotel in Moscow, USSR which faces directly on Red Square. She became acquainted while at the hotel with a Miss RITA NAMAN and a Mrs. MONIKA KRAMER, both of whom were California, USA residents.

  Mrs. HYDE stated that she "invited myself" with certain financial arrangements, to ride "out of Russia" in a small car purchased by Miss NAMAN in London. It was Mrs. HYDE's desire to ride to Warsaw, Poland, with them in order to see the countryside.

  Mrs. HYDE, who consulted her notes during the interview, stated that they left Moscow at 4:00 p.m. on the day of the parade in Red Square for Cosmonaut TITOV and that night the three of them arrived in Smolensk at somewhere about 10:00 p.m. She believes that would have been on August 9, 1961. Therefore, on the following morning, August 10, 1961, the three of them drove to Minsk arriving in that city around 5:00 p.m. She recalls very distinctly that the three of them went directly to a hotel (the name is not recalled) and upon arrival they were shown to their rooms. Mrs. HYDE occupied one room while Miss NAMAN and Mrs. KRAMER were in another. She recalled that immediately after arriving in her bedroom she received a telephone call from Miss NAMAN, who stated that she had been called by the hotel manager for an interview. In the telephone conversation, Miss NAMAN stated that an Intourist guide was meeting to take the three of them for a tour of the city.

Mrs. HYDE stated that she was quite tired from the long ride of the day and thought it unusual that they should have to leave so immediately for a tour. She recalled meeting Mrs. KRAMER and Miss NAMAN in the lobby of the hotel and being introduced to an Intourist guide whose name she does not recall but who she thought was about 19 years of age, had beautiful blonde hair, and spoke English very well. The four of them started a tour of Minsk in Miss NAMAN's car.

   Mrs. HYDE said that she thought it was quite unusual and a different procedure on the part of this Intourist guide that they were shown through "depressed areas of the city" and later through a "good section" and finally Central Square where is located the Palace of Culture.

   In a reconstruction of the time element, she is quite certain that the time of arrival at Central Square was "about 6:00 p.m." It was her recollection that the reason for stopping and getting out 

of the car at Central Square was the desire on the part of Mrs. HYDE to take a picture of some part of Minsk. Mrs. HYDE took a picture, she believes, with Mrs. KRAMER's camera showing the Intourist guide at the left, Mrs. KRAMER, the automobile, a young boy, an older man and two young men. Thereafter, Miss NAMAN was given Mrs. HYDE's camera and asked to take a picture which would include Mrs. HYDE with background of the Palace of Culture and the same individuals in the picture as was taken with Mrs. KRAMER's camera. It was her recollection that the party did not spend any more than 15 minutes at this particular location in Central Square.

   Mrs. HYDE looked very intently at the enlargement of the picture taken by Mrs. KRAMER and then also of her own color transparency; and after an intense period of concentration she stated that she was beginning to recall some of the events of that particular time; and in looking at the picture of the young man in the plaid shirt to the right of the automobile, she stated that she thought this man certainly resembles LEE HARVEY OSWALD. She said that she was most surprised at the picture of this man in her own snapshot, that since her return from the trip she had had no opportunity to catalog her pictures and this was the first opportunity that she had had of seeing the pictures since they were taken.

   With regard to the few minutes spent at Central Square, she recalls that the little boy shown in the back of the automobile was the son of the older man and that this information was learned by Mrs. HYDE from the young man in the picture "who was definitely American." She recalled she had been intrigued with the constant talking of the little boy in Russian and his interest in the automobile and that the conversation also took place between Miss NAMAN and the two younger men. She stated that she could not recall any conversation with the two young men relative to anything in the United States, that it was commonplace to get into discussions with Americans in foreign countries relative to their residence or the type of trips they were taking for the purpose of finding out points of interest in the foreign countries which should not be missed; but she could not recall any conversation with either the man in the plaid shirt or the other man which would in any way ascertain the residence or location or activity in which he was engaged. She had no specific information in this regard. She was of the opinion that they had undoubtedly asked where the car was bought and to whom the car belonged and that the conversation centered very much around this automobile.

   She recalled further that Central Square was very much deserted at this time of day and was under the impression that it was because of the particular time when people would be in their residences. She did not believe that there was anyone else in the Square at the time and felt that the attraction of the English car would have brought more people into the picture.

  Mrs. HYDE stated that she does not recall having seen the man in the plaid shirt prior to taking of the picture or after. She recalls that the young man did not get into the car to look inside or any of the mechanics of the car.

   She is also under the impression that Miss NAMAN may have been very much disturbed as a result of the interview that she had previously undergone with the hotel manager who was very brusque with her and wanted to know why she was in Russia. She also made an observation that Miss NAMAN was younger and at times "rattle brained"; that Mrs. Kramer was a very stable person.

   She stated that they returned to the hotel and departed from Minsk at 9:00 a.m. on August 11, 1961.

 She advised that her photograph would be made available for the use of the FBI.