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. BEATY. The best I remember, most of the people that moved out of
this area moved into this area here. Then they moved over here. It
looked like there might have been as many here, or more, as there were
over here. There must have been a hundred all together all scattered
out all in the basement, and they wouldn't stay still. They would mill
around as long as they didn't get past this line here, and we weren't
too concerned with them, because they had uniform officers out here in
the basement and they brought those down earlier and shook down all the
cars a time or two, and I don't know what was going on out here.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Now, how many uniformed officers did you see stationed
back here in the basement area?
Mr. BEATY. Earlier?
Mr. GRIFFIN. No; at the time Oswald came out.
Mr. BEATY. I didn't see any.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Is it possible that there might not have been officers
there?
Mr. BEATY. No; there were some earlier, about 50.
Mr. GRIFFIN. About 50 in there? Did you see them search the basement?
Mr. BEATY. Yes, sir.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Did they search the basement, can you remember, before or
after you got the instructions from Captain Jones?
Mr. BEATY. I couldn't remember. I don't know.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Were you down in the basement?
Mr. BEATY. What do you call the basement now, this or this?
Mr. GRIFFIN. I am talking about the whole bottom area, all the way from
the elevators that come down from the upstairs.
Mr. BEATY. After the instructions, because I wouldn't be out here.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Were you, prior to the time that your friends planned to
go out for coffee, down in the basement at all?
Mr. BEATY. No, sir.
Mr. GRIFFIN. But you were down in the basement at the time the search
of the basement was conducted?
Mr. BEATY. This was a good hour and a half or something like that,
later on.
Mr. GRIFFIN. The basement was searched substantially after you got down
there?
Mr. BEATY. Yes. And I understand that this was the second time it
happened.
In other words, well, I heard somebody say we have swept the basement
out twice already and I don't remember who said this. This is to
indicate that they searched the cars.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Do you recall who was in charge of the search that you saw
take place?
Mr. BEATY. I would assume that since it was uniformed officers, it
would be Captain Talbert, because they were all uniform officers.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Do you remember whether or not Sergeant Dean was in charge
of that search?
Mr. BEATY. No; Sergeant Dean was there and so was Sergeant Putnam, and
I don't think you could say one was in charge or the other one was in
charge. It was a joint operation. I would say Captain Talbert was in
charge. And, actually, he wasn't down there. He would drop by and leave
a few instructions, some for Dean and some for Putnam and the like.
Mr. GRIFFIN. During the period that you were down in the basement, did
you see cars going in and out, coming up and down the ramp?
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