American Notes MEMORABILIA

Shoes, belt, a gray felt hat and a dark suit, still neatly pressed after 25 years, all rest in the Dallas office of lawyer Jules Mayer, a kind of macabre shrine to his former client Jack Ruby. Missing from this memento mori: the .38-cal. Colt Cobra that killed Lee Harvey Oswald. This bizarre souvenir of the assassination may be worth as much as $250,000 at auction. At least that's what Mayer claims as he squabbles with Ruby's two brothers and two sisters over who has rights to the gun.

Ruby, who died of cancer more than three years after shooting Oswald, left two disputed wills: one names Mayer executor of his estate. According to Jack's brother Earl Ruby, another will, written in the hospital but unsigned because Ruby died ten minutes before the witness arrived, leaves the weapon to his family. Whoever gets the gun will sell it, but the proceeds could be quickly eaten up. Taxes owed to Texas and the IRS top $100,000, says Mayer, and he claims he is owed $60,000.