Warren Commission (15 of 26): Hearings Vol. XV (of 15)United States. Warren Commission
History
Warren Commission (15 of 26): Hearings Vol. XV (of 15)
United States. Warren Commission
Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963 -- Assassination; Oswald, Lee Harvey
Mr. GRIFFIN. I will try to explain the diagram to you.
Mr. KANTOR. I think I am beginning to understand. This is a rampway
here and a rampway here, is it not?
Mr. GRIFFIN. You have got the sides right. Here is the Main Street;
here is Commerce Street. Now, the ramp is at this point where it says
down ramp--that is the Main Street ramp. And at the base of the Main
Street ramp, there are some designations as to footage across the ramp.
And then in the portion of the map which is closest to you there is a
diagram of the jail office and the hallway that leads from the Harwood
Street side of the jail into the ramp area.
Mr. KANTOR. Yes; I see.
Mr. GRIFFIN. And to refresh your recollection, the jail elevator which
is shown on the map is the elevator that Oswald was brought out of, and
he was led around in front of the dotted lines which are shown in the
diagram, and then over to a door which is also shown. Now, why don’t
you again take a pencil and indicate on the map where you were standing
at the time Oswald was shot. Why don’t you just cut a “K” there for
yourself.
Mr. KANTOR. All right.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Now, you indicated that you were standing right at what
would be the entranceway to the parking area of the garage on the west
side of the ramps that lead through the basement.
Mr. KANTOR. That is right.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Now, you mention in your statement to the FBI that you saw
Detective Combest in the basement. Did you know Combest before----
Mr. KANTOR. No; the first time I talked to him was upstairs outside
Chief Curry’s office following the shooting.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Can you show us on the diagram here where Combest was
standing, to your recollection?
Mr. KANTOR. Right here.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Marked with an X. Now, can you put a mark on the map where
Ruby was when you first saw him?
Mr. KANTOR. He was on the floor, having shot Lee Harvey Oswald, in
approximately the same place where I designated where Billy Combest was
standing.
Mr. GRIFFIN. I see. So when you say all you saw was an arm and a gun,
you didn’t even notice him before the shooting?
Mr. KANTOR. No; I thought it was an officer who shot Oswald. That was
my first reaction.
Mr. GRIFFIN. All right. Now, you indicated in your statement to the FBI
that you heard Combest say something. Did you actually hear that, or
did Combest tell you that?
Mr. KANTOR. No; I heard the words and did not know who uttered them.
Mr. GRIFFIN. I see. And is it fair to say--well, let me ask you this:
The words that you heard, could you tell if they came from one person
or more than one person? Or was the confusion so great and things
moving so quickly you couldn’t really distinguish?
Mr. KANTOR. It was one man definitely saying, “You son of a bitch.”
Mr. GRIFFIN. That is your memory?
Mr. KANTOR. Yes.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Now, I think you also indicated that you heard somebody
yell “Jack”. Do you have any recollection of that now? Somebody saying
“Jack”.
Mr. KANTOR. I am not as positive about that.
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