Report of the President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F. KennedyUnited States. Warren Commission
History
Report of the President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy
United States. Warren Commission
Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963 -- Assassination; Oswald, Lee Harvey
During the period between 2:30 p.m. on Friday afternoon and 11:15 a.m.
Sunday morning, Oswald was interrogated for a total of approximately 12
hours.[C5-30] Though subject to intermittent questioning for more than
7 hours on Friday, Oswald was given 8 to 9 hours to rest that night.
On Saturday he was questioned for a total of only 3 hours during three
interrogation sessions, and on Sunday he was questioned for less than 2
hours.[C5-31] (These interrogations are discussed in ch. IV.)
Captain Fritz’ office, within which the interrogations took place,
was a small room, 14 feet by 9½ feet in size.[C5-32] In addition to
the policemen guarding the prisoner, those present usually included
Dallas detectives, investigators from the FBI and the Secret Service,
and occasionally other officials, particularly a post office inspector
and the U.S. marshal. (See statements in app. XI.) As many as seven
or eight people crowded into the small office.[C5-33] In all, more
than 25 different persons participated in or were present at some
time during interrogations. Captain Fritz, who conducted most of
the interrogations, was frequently called from the room. He said,
“I don’t believe there was any time when I went through a very long
period without having to step to the door, or step outside, to get
a report from some pair of officers, or to give them additional
assignments.”[C5-34] In his absence, others present would occasionally
question Oswald.[C5-35]
The interrogators differ on whether the confusion prevailing in the
main third floor corridor penetrated Fritz’ office and affected the
atmosphere within.[C5-36] Oswald’s processions through the third floor
corridor, described more fully below, tended, in Fritz’ opinion,
to keep Oswald upset, and the remarks and questions of newsmen
sometimes caused him to become annoyed. Despite the confusion that
frequently prevailed, Oswald remained calm most of the time during the
interrogations.[C5-37] According to Captain Fritz:
You know I didn’t have trouble with him. If we would just
talk to him quietly like we are talking right now, we talked
all right until I asked him a question that meant something,
every time I asked him a question that meant something, that
would produce evidence he immediately told me he wouldn’t tell
me about it and he seemed to anticipate what I was going to
ask.[C5-38]
Special Agent James W. Bookhout, who represented the FBI at most of the
interrogations, stated, “I think generally you might say anytime that
you asked a question that would be pertinent to the investigation, that
would be the type of question he would refuse to discuss.”[C5-39]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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