Warren Commission (02 of 26): Hearings Vol. II (of 15)United States. Warren Commission
History
Warren Commission (02 of 26): Hearings Vol. II (of 15)
United States. Warren Commission
Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963 -- Assassination; Oswald, Lee Harvey
Mr. Rowland, I show you a picture marked Commission Exhibit No. 356 and
ask you if you can identify what that represents?
Mr. ROWLAND. That is Houston, Elm running in front of this building.
This is the school book depository building.
Mr. SPECTER. Were you familiar with that building prior to November 22,
1963?
Mr. ROWLAND. Yes; I have been in there on occasion.
Mr. SPECTER. You have been in the building?
Mr. ROWLAND. Yes, to purchase books.
Mr. SPECTER. When were you in the building most recently prior to
November 22, 1963?
Mr. ROWLAND. Within the first week of November. This was to buy a
physics notebook.
Mr. SPECTER. What part of the building were you in at that time?
Mr. ROWLAND. Just inside the door of the main lobby.
Mr. SPECTER. On the first floor?
Mr. ROWLAND. Yes.
Mr. SPECTER. Had you ever had occasion at any time to be on any floor
other than the first floor?
Mr. ROWLAND. No.
Mr. SPECTER. While you were standing on Houston Street in the various
positions which you have described, did you have occasion at any time
to observe the Texas School Book Depository Building?
Mr. ROWLAND. Yes. When we returned to position "V" we stayed there,
we began looking around. My wife and I were discussing the security
precautions that were taken in view of the event when Mr. Stevenson was
there.
Mr. SPECTER. Before you go on, let me ask you at which time was this on
your return to position "V"?
Mr. ROWLAND. This was 12:15.
Mr. SPECTER. All right; proceed to tell us what you saw and heard at
about that time?
Mr. ROWLAND. We were discussing, as I stated, the different security
precautions, I mean it was a very important person who was coming
and we were aware of the policemen around everywhere, and especially
in positions where they would be able to watch crowds. We talked
momentarily of the incidents with Mr. Stevenson, and the one before
that with Mr. Johnson, and this being in mind we were more or less
security conscious. We looked and at that time I noticed on the sixth
floor of the building that there was a man back from the window, not
hanging out the window.
He was standing and holding a rifle. This appeared to me to be a fairly
high-powered rifle because of the scope and the relative proportion of
the scope to the rifle, you can tell about what type of rifle it is.
You can tell it isn't a .22, you know, and we thought momentarily that
maybe we should tell someone but then the thought came to us that it is
a security agent.
We had seen in the movies before where they have security men up in
windows and places like that with rifles to watch the crowds, and we
brushed it aside as that, at that time, and thought nothing else about
it until after the event happened.
Mr. SPECTER. Now, by referring to the photograph on this Commission
Exhibit No. 356, will you point to the window where you observed this
man?
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