Warren Commission (01 of 26): Hearings Vol. I (of 15)United States. Warren Commission
History
Warren Commission (01 of 26): Hearings Vol. I (of 15)
United States. Warren Commission
Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963 -- Assassination; Oswald, Lee Harvey
Mrs. OSWALD. I will have something very important to this Commission
that I would like to say, that would take up some time.
Mr. Rankin, I spoke with you, I think it was Thursday, December 6th,
and I told you that since it was publicly known I was going to appear
before the Warren Commission, that I would like to have protection, as
you recall. I did not get protection, sir. And so the next morning I
called you, approximately 9 o'clock, in the morning and told you that I
didn't have protection, and I was very concerned. And this would have
been Friday, the second call, and that I was going to the bank, to my
safety deposit vault, and get the necessary papers. And I definitely
wanted complete surveillance, because the papers were going to be with
me in my home, and the public knew I was going to testify, and I wanted
that protection.
Now, you said, you would get in touch with Mr. Sorrels, sir, and have
Mr. Sorrel's call me, which he did approximately an hour after my
request to you that I did not have protection. Mr. Sorrels called me
and said "Mrs. Oswald, I understand that you want to go to the bank
and get your important papers out of the bank, and you have requested
protection."
I said, "Yes. I thought I had protection last night. I woke up 4
o'clock in the morning with all the lights lit, getting papers together
and cleaning the house." Because the telephone started to ring
consistently.
I would have never done that if I would have known I didn't have
protection. I was leaving myself wide open.
So he said, "Well, is your attorney in town?"
I said, "No, he is not."
He said, "May I suggest this, Mrs. Oswald"--first, he said, "What do
you intend to do with the papers?"
I said, "The papers will stay with me."
He said, "Is your attorney in there?"
I said, "No, sir, he is an out of town attorney."
He said, "May I suggest this. May we get a large brown envelope and put
sealing wax on it, and you put the papers in our safety deposit vault."
I said, "No, sir, those papers do not leave my hands. I have had an
understanding with Mr. J. Lee Rankin that the papers were going to stay
with me, and that I would have complete surveillance while the papers
were in my home. Now, Mr. Sorrels, I want that surveillance. I am very
uneasy."
He said, "Mrs. Oswald"--this was approximately 10 o'clock in the
morning--"Mrs. Oswald, I will not be able to have anyone there before 1
o'clock."
I said, "That is just fine."
Mr. Mike Howard came out at 1 o'clock. We did some errands. I had to
buy some luggage, and a few little things for the trip. Then we had
supper. And at 5:30 we picked up the papers, because on Friday in Fort
Worth, Tex., the bank opens from 4 to 6--on Friday evening. So we
picked up the papers before 6 o'clock.
Now, I thought I had protection that night. I had protection that night
until 12 o'clock. And then I understand that the Fort Worth police were
circling the neighborhood.
Now, that is not complete protection.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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