Merriman Smith

Merriman Smith  link NNDB Spartacus (Journalist, JFK/Assassination/Premature death)
File:Merriman Smith.jpg
Born	February 10, 1913
Died	April 13, 1970 Washington
Cause of death	Gunshot
Victim of	premature death
Put the first story about the JFK Assassination on the UPI newswire. Supposedly shot himself.

Merriman Smith was the journalist who put the first story about the JFK Assassination on the UPI newswire, 5 minutes before API.

Career

JFK Assassination

{{#subobject: |Has superobject=Merriman Smith |Has objectClass=Quotation |Has author=|+sep=, |Has text=“Reporters struggled to find pay phones or other phones so they could get out the story. A few, like UPI reporter Merriman Smith — an unparalleled hustler — had amazing access to the scene. Smith got right next to the blood-spattered presidential limousine outside Parkland Hospital even before Kennedy was taken to the emergency room, and later witnessed Lyndon Johnson's historic swearing-in aboard Air Force One.” |Is about=Merriman Smith,Merriman Smith, JFK/Assassination/Cover-up, Operation Mockingbird|+sep=, |Has wikipediaPage= |Has location=|+sep=, |Has publicationDate= |Sourced from= |Has sourceDetails= |Has sourceTitle= |Has sourceName= |Has sourceURL=

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“Reporters struggled to find pay phones or other phones so they could get out the story. A few, like UPI reporter Merriman Smith — an unparalleled hustler — had amazing access to the scene. Smith got right next to the blood-spattered presidential limousine outside Parkland Hospital even before Kennedy was taken to the emergency room, and later witnessed Lyndon Johnson's historic swearing-in aboard Air Force One.”
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In 1964, Smith was given the Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of the assassination of US President John F. Kennedy. He was the first to use the term "grassy knoll" regarding the assassination. Mort Sahl reports {{#subobject: |Has superobject=Merriman Smith |Has objectClass=Quotation |Has author=Mort Sahl|+sep=, |Has text=“that he [Merriman Smith] was riding under the underpass when he heard the shots that killed our young president, which is interesting since he was two cars behind Kennedy and Kennedy never reached the underpass, he was killed while ahead of it, and possibly from it.” |Is about=Merriman Smith,Merriman Smith, JFK/Assassination|+sep=, |Has wikipediaPage= |Has location=|+sep=, |Has publicationDate= |Sourced from=YouTube |Has sourceDetails= |Has sourceTitle= |Has sourceName=YouTube |Has sourceURL=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bimrN5NCdJk }}“that he [Merriman Smith] was riding under the underpass when he heard the shots that killed our young president, which is interesting since he was two cars behind Kennedy and Kennedy never reached the underpass, he was killed while ahead of it, and possibly from it.” However, Smith's original report does nor mention the underpass.

In 1967 LBJ gave Smith the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Criticism of Jim Garrison

In the Oakland Tribune of 19 August 1969 he published "a gratuitous story praising Warren Rogers, Jr.'s LOOK piece on Shaw, he claims District Attorney told him early in 1967 that he hoped to nail at least one member of a downtown private club to which he did not have access and at least one management man on the New Orleans papers as pals, cronies or accomplices of Shaw. Paints the whole show as fantasy based on spurious charges by dubious characters."

Premature death

Merriman Smith was found dead at his home in Washington from a gunshot wound on 13th April, 1970. The New York Times headlined their report Merriman Smith Is Dead at 57, an Apparent Suicide. He was granted burial in Section 32 of Arlington National Cemetery (next to his son) by special permission by the Commanding General of the Military District of Washington."

References