Description:

Jack Ruby
[Dallas, TX], October 19, 1953
Jack Ruby PSA Signed Check With Ervay Theatre Connection
DS

A check signed by Jack Ruby (1911-1967), the Dallas entrepreneur who shot and killed suspected presidential assassin Lee Harvey Oswald, as "Jack Ruby" on the signature line. October 19, 1953. [Dallas, Texas.] Encapsulated and PSA/DNA certified authentic. Check No. 326 directed cashiers at the Mercantile National Bank at Dallas to pay $49.45 to Marshall E. Rose from the account of the Ervay Theatre, where Ruby worked as the manager. Ruby has engrossed the front of the check. Mathematical notations appear in a box at lower left. Endorsed by the recipient verso. Expected wear including a central vertical flattened fold and clerical perforations at center. The upper right corner is slightly cropped. Else near fine. The actual size of the check is 7.875" x 3.125" while the slab measures 12.375" x 5.5."

This check probably represents a weekly pay check for Marshall E. Rose, since another Jack Ruby signed check authorizing payment to him dated six days earlier, on October 12, 1953, was recently offered at auction. The mathematical notations "W.H. S.S." suggests an amount withheld for Social Security. Rose's exact position at the Ervay Theatre is unknown, but it might have been entry-level; a weekly paycheck of $49.50 in 1953 imputes a $600-a-week paycheck in 2025 money.

The Ervay Theatre - still open for corporate events and wedding rentals today - is located at 1707 South Ervay Street in the Cedars neighborhood on the outskirts of downtown Dallas, Texas. Jack Ruby moved to a hotel on South Ervay Street in 1947 just a few doors down from the Singapore Supper Club, a restaurant run by his older sister Eva Rubenstein Grant (1909-1992). Soon after, Ruby purchased the supper club from his sister, renamed it the Silver Spur Club, and transformed it into a dance hall. Ruby expanded his real estate and business empire to include several night clubs and burlesque venues, but by 1952, he was exhausted by the various responsibilities. In 1953, Ruby became the manager of the nearby Ervay Theatre, which exhibited full-length motion pictures and cartoon shorts.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: slabbed: 12.375" x 5.5"
  • Medium: DS

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November 19, 2025 10:00 AM EST
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University Archives

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000