Lee Harvey Oswald was furious on Friday evening, 8 November when his wife Marina told him that FBI Special Agent Jim Hosty had stopped by earlier in the week to talk with Ruth Paine. The next morning, 9 November, Oswald asked Ruth if he could use her typewriter. She said sure but whenever she would pass by, she noticed that Oswald would go out of his way to cover up what it was that he was working on.
On Sunday morning, 10 November, Ruth was up before the others. She noticed what appeared to be the handwritten draft of what Oswald had typed. She furtively read it and was shocked to find it was to the Soviet Embassy in Washington DC. Ruth learned for the first time that Oswald had gone to visit the Soviet Embassy in Mexico City in late September although both Oswald and Marina had told her that he was in Houston looking for work. Fearing the she might be harboring a spy in her home, Ruth took notes from Oswald’s draft and resolved to give them to the FBI.
Monday, 11 November, was Veteran’s Day so Oswald was off from work. He kept working at the typewriter. We know his completed letter to the Soviet Embassy was postmarked “Irving, 12 November” because the FBI in Washington read and recorded it as they did with all mail to the Soviet Embassy.
During his lunch break on 12 November, Oswald walked over to the FBI/Dallas which was located just a few blocks away from the Texas School Book Depository. Oswald identified himself to the FBI receptionist and asked to meet with Special Agent Hosty. When the receptionist advised that Hosty was out of the office, Oswald handed her a note to pass to him. The receptionist read the note which threatened that if Hosty did not cease harassing him and his wife, Oswald would blow up the Dallas FBI office.
As as matter of established procedure, this written threat of violence against the US Government should have been reported to the Secret Service Advance Team that had just arrived to prepare for President Kennedy’s visit in ten days. Out of tragic negligence, it was not. Had it been, the Secret Service would have asked the FBI or the Dallas Police to take action to neutralize any potential threat to the President from Oswald.