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. HUBERT. Now were you present when Chief Curry spoke to Sheriff
Decker?
Chief BATCHELOR. I was in his office; yes, sir. I believe I was the
only one in the office with him at that time.
Mr. HUBERT. Therefore you remember that it was then that the decision
was made that the police department would move him?
Chief BATCHELOR. Yes, sir; of course I could only understand one side
of the conversation, but from the way Chief Curry was talking to the
sheriff, I gathered that the sheriff had asked him if he would move
him. The general procedure is for the sheriff to move prisoners.
Mr. HUBERT. But as I understand it, it is not extraordinary for you all
to do it on certain occasions?
Chief BATCHELOR. No; we occasionally do it.
Mr. HUBERT. All right now, when that was learned, as I understand it,
it was then that plans began to be made for your transfer of Oswald?
Chief BATCHELOR. Yes, sir.
Mr. HUBERT. And I suppose it is correct to say then that previous to
that time there had been no consideration made of any transfer plans
since you didn’t know actually that you were going to do it?
Chief BATCHELOR. We hadn’t made any definite plans the night before,
if that is what you mean. It was on that morning around 6:30 in the
morning when I received a call at home to the effect that an anonymous
call had come in threatening to take the prisoner away from us. This
was when we really began to be concerned about some extraordinary
procedures in moving him.
Mr. HUBERT. Was it your thought that you all were better equipped to
handle it?
Chief BATCHELOR. We had more manpower than the sheriff would have.
Mr. HUBERT. Well, would you tell us just how the plans developed from
that time then after the Decker call about transferring him, that you
know of?
Chief BATCHELOR. This is when Chief Curry and I discussed the
possibility of getting an armored truck in which to move him, and we
discussed this between ourselves and decided this would probably be a
safe measure.
Mr. HUBERT. Was it just you and he, or was somebody else there?
Chief BATCHELOR. I believe Chief Lumpkin came in the office at the time
this discussion was going on, and I went into my office and called Mr.
Fleming at his home. I had to do a little search in the city directory
to see who was in charge of the Armored Motor Car Service. I called him
at his home.
Mr. HUBERT. Do you know what time that was?
Chief BATCHELOR. It must have been around 9 o’clock or shortly after.
Mr. HUBERT. Did you tell him what time you wanted the equipment on hand?
Chief BATCHELOR. No; it was actually close to 10:30 when he finally
called me back and said he had the equipment ready and was bringing it
downtown, but I didn’t tell him any definite time, that I recall. In
other words, I didn’t say we are going to move him at a certain hour. I
told him we were ready to move.
Mr. HUBERT. In other words, you told him to get the equipment there and
would use it when you had occasion to use it?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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