Another JFK Auction

Relics from dinner in Austin, Texas cancelled after JFK's assassination up for auction.

These relics from the fateful night in 1963 after President John F. Kennedy was killed are a haunting reminder of one of the most notorious crimes in history.

Almost 51 years ago, the aftermath of the assassination left the world in a state of shock, making this collection even more poignant at the thought of what could have been.

The people of Texas were welcoming Kennedy when the deafening sound of a firing rifle shattered the party mood along Dealey Plaza in Dallas.

The assassination meant the Texas Welcome Dinner at the Municipal Auditorium in Austin on the evening of November 22, 1963, was canceled.

The exclusive 'optional dress' event was to be held for President Kennedy and Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson and their wives at 7:30 p.m. - but JFK was pronounced dead at 1 p.m.

LosAngeles-based auctioneers Nate D. Sanders are selling 10 items from theaftermath of the doomed visit, with prices ranging from $250 to $5,500.

The most expensive items include a collection of 26 staff badges for the dinner and an invitation to the dinner is expected to sell for $500.

It reads: "In honor of John F. Kennedy and Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson.

"The State Democratic Executive Committee requests the pleasure of your company at the Texas Welcome Dinner."

Another lot is an unused press ticket for the dinner, which orders reporters to 'keep this portion of the ticket at all times,' for the balcony in the auditorium.

One of the most prized in the collection is a booklet entitled, 'The Unspoken Speech of John F. Kennedy at Dallas November 22, 1963'.

The eight-page manuscript was the speech that JFK never spoke because he was shot dead by Lee Harvey Oswald as he sat in his limousine and waved to admirers.

It was privately printed in 1964 for Stanley Marcus, the chairman of the board of luxury Dallas-based retailer Neiman Marcus, who died in 2002.

Two Dallas Morning News editions bearing the headline 'Kennedy Slain on Dallas Street' and an account of his funeral and Oswald's killing are also going under the hammer.

But perhaps the most macabre item is a piece of leather from the back seat of the Lincoln Continental JFK was a passenger in when he was shot.

The piece of ragged dark blue leather was kept by F. Vaughn Ferguson, the Technical Service Representative at the White House responsible for the presidential automobiles.

After the assassination, Ferguson was told to prepare the bloody presidential limousine for the new president Lyndon B. Johnson.

But he found the car dismantled by the FBI, who were searching for bullet fragments and evidence, and it was never used by Johnson.

The leather was later acquired Dr. John K. Lattimer, the ballistics expert consulted by the Kennedy family independently who confirmed the fatal shots were fired by Oswald.

Kennedy was the 35th President of the United States and held office from 1961 until his death.

During his brief presidency, he oversaw some key historical events like the Bay of Pigs fiasco, the Cuban Missile Crisis and Project Apollo, which led to the moon landings.

His death has caused many conspiracy theorists to speculate that he was murdered by the Mafia and even the government.

Lee Harvey Oswald, who remains the prime suspect in the assassination, was shot dead by nightclub owner Jack Ruby as he was being escorted by police days after the murder.