Warren Commission (12 of 26): Hearings Vol. XII (of 15)United States. Warren Commission
History
Warren Commission (12 of 26): Hearings Vol. XII (of 15)
United States. Warren Commission
Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963 -- Assassination; Oswald, Lee Harvey
Mr. GRIFFIN. Do you know whether there were any men at all of the
reserve officers assigned to the area of the Texas School Book
Depository?
Mr. ARNETT. I don't recall any.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Now, the fact that you don't recall; would you have been
made aware of that?
Mr. ARNETT. I had a list of it.
Mr. GRIFFIN. You did. And did that list show the areas where they were
assigned?
Mr. ARNETT. Yes, sir.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Do you still have a copy of that list?
Mr. ARNETT. Captain Solomon does.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Now, on this list did it show where each particular man
was to stand, was to be placed?
Mr. ARNETT. They would either be on the west side of Harwood or they
would be on the east side of Harwood, between block so-and-so; Main the
same way.
Mr. GRIFFIN. But would it show Charles O. Arnett, corner of Main and
Harwood?
Mr. ARNETT. I was working at large.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Well, would it show, if I were working there, would it
show Burt W. Griffin, corner of Main and Harwood?
Mr. ARNETT. Yes, sir.
Mr. GRIFFIN. All right. What did you do when you heard that the
President had been shot?
Mr. ARNETT. Had an aunt that was to be buried at 2 o'clock that
afternoon, and the President's parade was later than it had been
predicted, and when it was over with, prior to the President's arrival
at the--between Harwood and Pacific on Main, a young lady in her
twenties, maybe 30 years old, came up to me and said, "There is some
kids right down there that's got a gun and some toy handcuffs and a
knife." I said, "Would you show them to me?" She said "Well, I rather
not." So I went and got Earl Sawyer, a police officer that was working
the corner of Harwood and Main, and told him of it. He and I went back
to the lady and he asked her. She said, "Oh, it's just a toy pistol."
But some little girls there with us told us where they were, about
where they were standing, and we walked up to them, asked them about
the gun and stuff. They said the boy with the gun had walked off, but
one of them give us a pair of handcuffs and a knife, and I taken him,
and Sawyer went with me, and we carried him to the juvenile department
up on the third floor.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Was that a real knife that the kid had?
Mr. ARNETT. Yes, sir. The gun turned out to be a blank, like they
shoot--oh, at starting races or something like that, you know. When the
parade was past us, one of these smaller boys that was in the group
come up to me and asked me when his buddy would be turned loose. I
said, "I don't know, son, but I will go up there with you to try to
find out where he is." So we went up there on the third floor of the
juvenile department. While I was in there someone rushed in and said,
"The President has been shot."
Mr. GRIFFIN. Who was up there with you at that time in the juvenile
department; do you recall any of the officers that were there?
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