By Melissa B. Robinson, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) - The handwritten notes of the Dallas police captain who interrogated Lee Harvey Oswald show that Oswald denied owning a rifle or killing President Kennedy - just as the Warren Commission was told more than 30 years ago.

"Says nothing against Pres. ... denies shooting Pres,'' wrote former Capt. J.W. "Will'' Fritz, Oswald's primary interrogator while Oswald was in police custody from Nov. 22, 1963, when Kennedy was assassinated, until the morning of Nov. 24, 1963, when Oswald was killed by Jack Ruby.

Five pages of Fritz's notes were released Thursday, two days before the 34th anniversary of the assassination, by the Assassination Records Review Board.

Fritz, who died in 1984, told the Warren Commission in 1964 that he made no notes during the interrogation; these notes came "several days later.''

"They are historically valuable because there was no tape recorder and there was no stenographer,'' said Tom Samoluk, the board's deputy director.

Overall, the notes - mostly abbreviations and snippets of Oswald's responses to police - supported key points in Fritz's testimony before the commission.

Fritz told the commission that Oswald, during police questioning, denied assassinating Kennedy, denied owning a rifle and claimed a photograph of him holding a rifle in his Dallas backyard was a forgery.

"Didn't own rifle ... says nothing against Pres does not want to talk further,'' Fritz wrote in the notes. "Shows photo of gun. Would not discuss photo. ... Says I made picture super imposed.''

The notes are only the second set of original, handwritten notes taken on the interrogation that have surfaced in 34 years. Earlier this year, the board released notes made by former FBI agent James P. Hosty Jr., who also questioned Oswald.

Beyond denials about the rifle and the assassination, Oswald misrepresented his military record to police, the notes showed.

'' ... school in Ft W. - to Marines says got usual medals,'' they said. In fact, Oswald was court-martialed twice by the Marine Corps, which changed his honorable discharge to an "undesirable'' discharge after he defected to Russia in 1959.

Oswald, who espoused a pro-communist philosophy, also gave conflicting information about his politics. For instance, he told police he had no political beliefs but also supported Fidel Castro's communist revolution in Cuba, the notes showed.

'' ... says lived Russia 3 yrs. ... claims no political belief ... says supports Castro Rev. ... speaks Russian ... denies belonging to Com party,'' Fritz wrote.

The notes were discovered among some of Fritz's belongings, which were donated to the board. Samoluk said the board would not reveal the donor's identity because the person wanted to remain anonymous.

The notes will be included in a public record of Kennedy assassination materials compiled at the National Archives in College Park, Md.

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