Warren Commission (05 of 26): Hearings Vol. V (of 15)United States. Warren Commission
History
Warren Commission (05 of 26): Hearings Vol. V (of 15)
United States. Warren Commission
Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963 -- Assassination; Oswald, Lee Harvey
If the case had been in the hands of the FBI none of that information
would have been given out. Because of the publicity you had to face the
charge that the prejudice of the community would require a change of
venue. With the publicity, I don't know where you could have changed
the venue to, since newspapers all over the State covered it. I think
a Houston reporter was the first one who wrote that Oswald was an
informant of the FBI. We went to the newspaper reporter. He refused to
tell us his source. He said he had also heard it from other persons.
We asked him the names of these persons and we interviewed them but
none of them would provide the source. In other words, I was trying
to nail down where this lie started. That, of course, is always the
result where you are daily giving out press interviews because the
press wants stories desperately. We have always adopted the policy in
the Bureau of no comment until we have the warrant and make the arrest.
Then a release is prepared briefly stating what the facts are, what
the written complaint says, the fact. The complaint was filed with the
Commissioner, and that ends it. We don't try to run it out for a week
or 10 days. It is up to the U.S. attorney thereafter and the court to
try the case.
I was concerned about the demand for change of venue, because all the
evidence was being given out. At that time, of course, we didn't know
that Oswald was going to be killed, and there was a possibility that
he might be confronted with some of this evidence. If it had been kept
secret and used in the interrogation of him, just confronting him
with what was found, such as his picture with the gun might have been
helpful.
A small thing can often make a man break and come forward with a full
confession. If he knows in advance that you have certain evidence he
will be on guard against answering questions. Of course, he is always
advised of his rights and that he can have an attorney. We always
make a point of this. We generally have a reputable physician of
the community present in our office while the prisoner is there, to
administer to him and be able to testify that he has not been subjected
to third degree methods. He is examined when he comes in and he is
examined before we take him to the commissioner. Taking him before the
commissioner in a case like Oswald's would probably have been done
within 4 or 5 hours. Generally we try to arraign a prisoner within an
hour.
That makes it more difficult; you have to work faster. But again I say
I am in favor of having the procedures of law enforcement officers as
tightly bound down as we can, with due respect for the interests of
society.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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