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
Shortly after his arrival on Sunday morning, Chief Curry issued
instructions to keep reporters and cameramen out of the jail office
and to keep television equipment behind the railing separating the
basement auto ramp from the garage. Curry observed that in other
respects Captain Talbert appeared to have security measures in hand and
allowed him to proceed on his own initiative. Batchelor and Stevenson
checked progress in the basement during the course of the morning,
and the officials were generally satisfied with the steps Talbert had
taken.[C5-115]
At about 11 a.m., Deputy Chief Stevenson requested that Capt. O. A.
Jones of the forgery bureau bring all available detectives from the
third floor offices to the basement. Jones instructed the detectives
who accompanied him to the basement to line the walls on either side
of the passageway cleared for the transfer party.[C5-116] According to
Detective T. D. McMillon,
* * * Captain Jones explained to us that, when they brought
the prisoner out, that he wanted two lines formed and we were
to keep these two lines formed, you know, a barrier on either
side of them, kind of an aisle * * * for them to walk through,
and when they came down this aisle, we were to keep this line
intact and move along with them until the man was placed in the
car.[C5-117]
With Assistant Chief Batchelor’s permission, Jones removed
photographers who had gathered once again in the basement jail office.
Jones recalled that he instructed all newsmen along the Main Street
ramp to remain behind an imaginary line extending from the southeast
corner of the jail office to the railing on the east side of the ramp;
other officers recalled that Jones directed the newsmen to move away
from the foot of the Main Street ramp and to line up against the east
railing. In any event, newsmen were allowed to congregate along the
foot of the ramp after Batchelor observed that there was insufficient
room along the east of the ramp to permit all the news representatives
to see Oswald as he was brought out.[C5-118]
By the time Oswald reached the basement, 40 to 50 newsmen and 70 to 75
police officers were assembled there. Three television cameras stood
along the railing and most of the newsmen were congregated in that
area and at the top of the adjacent decline leading into the garage.
A group of newsmen and police officers, best estimated at about 20,
stood strung across the bottom of the Main Street ramp. Along the south
wall of the passageway outside the jail office door were about eight
detectives, and three detectives lined the north wall. Two officers
stood in front of the double doors leading into the passageway from the
corridor next to the jail office.[C5-119] (See Commission Exhibit No.
2634, p. 214.)
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