Warren Commission (13 of 26): Hearings Vol. XIII (of 15)United States. Warren Commission
History
Warren Commission (13 of 26): Hearings Vol. XIII (of 15)
United States. Warren Commission
Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963 -- Assassination; Oswald, Lee Harvey
Mr. LEAVELLE. That’s right.
Mr. HUBERT. But, that those agents told you that that was not important?
Mr. LEAVELLE. They didn’t need it for that particular form.
Mr. HUBERT. I see.
Mr. LEAVELLE. To the best of my knowledge, of course, my reason for
double-crossing--my reasons for wanting to handle it the other way,
I thought it would be done quicker and easier and I was fed up to my
chin, in a way, with these news people, and they--as soon as we could
get rid of them the better, was my sentiments, and I didn’t have any
desire to parade through them with the prisoner in tow. However, I can
understand why the chief wanted to let them take the pictures.
Mr. HUBERT. Had it been your decision you wouldn’t have done it that
way, is that it?
Mr. LEAVELLE. Either as I suggested, or at a different hour.
Mr. HUBERT. Say move him in the morning early?
Mr. LEAVELLE. Yes, I brought Ruby down in safety and I don’t think
there was any--as long as it was successful, I don’t think you can
argue with success.
Mr. HUBERT. Did you transfer Ruby?
Mr. LEAVELLE. Yes, I did.
Mr. HUBERT. It was done at an unannounced hour?
Mr. LEAVELLE. Well, sir; it was so unannounced that the chief didn’t
know about it and neither did Sheriff Decker. I don’t know whether they
will admit that or not, but no one knew it but Captain Fritz and myself
and three or four officers directly involved.
Mr. HUBERT. You all just decided to do it, and that was it?
Mr. LEAVELLE. Well, the captain called me and asked me about it and
told me what he was thinking about doing and he wanted to know if I
thought it would work and I said, “Yes, I think it will the way it has
been set up,” and he said, “I haven’t asked the chief about it,” and I
said, “All you can do is get a bawling out, but a bawling out is better
than losing a prisoner.”
Mr. HUBERT. Did you get bawled out about it?
Mr. LEAVELLE. I didn’t. I did not know whether he did or not. I
doubt it. Because I am sure the chief was relieved to be rid of the
responsibility.
Mr. HUBERT. How was Ruby removed, then, just for the record?
Mr. LEAVELLE. Well, this would be on Monday morning, I guess, the
next Monday morning around 11, around the same hour that Oswald was
transferred. The captain had not showed up and I--he called on the
telephone and asked for me and his secretary called me to the phone,
and I was in the squad room where several officers were, and asked
me if I was in a position where I could talk, and I said, “No, not
really,” and he said, “Well--” told me to go into his office and
take the phone in there, which I did, and he said, “I am down at the
Greyhound Bus Station, and I have Officers Graves and Montgomery with
me.”
He had run into them on the street. Said, “We have cased the jail and
it looks clear. I am going to make a suggestion to you, and if you
don’t think it will work I want you to tell me.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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