The Tribune

‘NEWS of the attack on President Kennedy and of his death half an hour after he was shot struck Nassau like a cold chill this afternoon.’

That was how The Tribune of Friday, November 22, 1963, led its piece on the reaction in the Bahamas to the death of John F Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, who was assassinated fifty years ago today in Dallas, Texas.

Small groups of people gathered around radio sets in the Straw Market listening to the story, we reported, while Stafford L Sands was the first to telephone The Tribune for confirmation of the news.

Flags were flown at half-mast on many buildings in Nassau including the US Consulate General’s Office.

“I hope they catch whoever it is and whoever is with them, and if they won’t talk, shoot them,” one Bahamian fisherman told the Tribune.

A Requiem High Mass for Kennedy was offered in St Francis Xavier’s Cathedral that evening, while the Right Rev Bernard Markham held a Requiem at Christ Church Cathedral the next day.

Sir Robert Stapledon, the Bahamas Governor, led a two-minute silence at an event he was attending at St Augustine’s College.

On Saturday, November 23, 1963, a Tribune special had photographs from the shooting, underneath the headline ‘A moment separates happiness from tragedy,’ and there were sympathy messages from the Governor and the Consul General.

Sir Robert recalled that Kennedy had visited the Bahamas just eleven months before, to sign a treaty with British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan and had been the first US President to land at Nassau.

“We in the Bahamas share with our American friends the terrible shock and great sorrow which has so cruelly come upon their great country,” said Stapledon.

John Barnard, US Consul General, said: “The tragic death of President Kennedy has shocked the world. On behalf of all Americans I would like to thank those who have expressed their sympathy in our moment of loss.”

There were similar messages from Rev Harold Slater, chairman of the Methodist Church in the Bahamas and from the Very Rev Cornelius Osendorf, Vicar General of the Diocese of Nassau on behalf of bishop the Right Rev Leonard Hagarty.

The Tribune’s editorial concluded that Kennedy’s death had not been in vain if those ‘who preach racial and religious hatred, who turn brother against brother and neighbour against neighbour would stop and think and like him learn to love humanity without distinction. Let this man’s life and death be a lesson to all.’

President Kennedy was assassinated at 12.30pm Central Standard Time, while on a political trip to Texas. He was shot once in the throat and once in the upper back, with the fatal shot hitting him in the head.

Kennedy was taken to a local hospital for treatment, but was pronounced dead at 1pm.

At 46, President Kennedy died younger than any US president to date. He had married Jacqueline Bouvier on September 12, 1953.

Lee Harvey Oswald, an employee of the Texas School Book Depository from which the shots were suspected to have been fired, was arrested on charges for the murder of a local police officer, but was never subsequently charged with the assassination of Kennedy.

He denied shooting anyone but was killed by Jack Ruby on November 24. Ruby was arrested and convicted for the murder of Oswald. Ruby successfully appealed his conviction and death sentence but became ill and died of cancer on January 3, 1967, awaiting a trial date.

A Requiem Mass was held for Kennedy in Washington on November 25, 1963. Afterwards, his body was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

US President Lyndon Johnson created the Warren Commission to investigate Kennedy’s assassination, which concluded that Oswald was the lone assassin.