Mrs. MURRET. St. Louis University, the coach there wouldn't let him play baseball, and baseball was his love. He was a very good basketball player too, but he loved to play ball. He even played with the St. Louis Cardinals on a farm team, but he saw he would never really get anywhere as an outfielder, so he quit.
Mr. JENNER. But he was good enough to play on one of the St. Louis Cardinals farm teams; is that right?
Mrs. MURRET. Yes. He was a good athlete. He was good at ball, baseball and basketball, and in fact, he went to Murray, Ky. He was one of the boys selected from the South. They had a North and South game, and he was selected from the southern section. It was an all-star game of some kind. He just won a trip to Rome with the Swift Co.
Mr. JENNER. He works for the Swift Co. now?
Mrs. MURRET. Yes. He and his wife are leaving this Saturday.
Mrs. MURRET. He earned it. I mean, he didn't win it; he earned it.
Mr. JENNER. Now, you say that while Marguerite was in Covington with the three boys in the summer of 1946, that Mr. Ekdahl continued in his travels in connection with his business?
Mrs. MURRET. I assume he did; that's what he said. I don't know.
Mr. JENNER. At least he wasn't there with her and the boys?
Mr. JENNER. That was your information, that she had her boys at Covington in the summer of 1946, during vacation, but that her husband Mr. Ekdahl was not in Covington that summer; is that right?
Mrs. MURRET. I don't think he was. I can't say whether he was or not, because I don't know, but she said he wasn't. I assume he was on one of these trips he made in his business, and that's why she was over there with the boys, but I don't know any of that myself. I don't think I even knew she was in Covington until I met her 1 day in town.
Mr. JENNER. And was that during that summer vacation period?
Mr. JENNER. And she told you then that they were in Covington?
Mr. JENNER. Had she not tried to reach you in the meantime?
Mrs. MURRET. Oh, about 100-some-odd miles. It isn't very far away.
Mr. JENNER. Did she say anything to you at that time as to how she was getting along with her husband?
Mrs. MURRET. Nothing. She just mentioned the boys being on vacation over there, and Lee becoming of school age, and she thought she would just stay there while he went to school.