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Warren Commission Hearings: Vol. XII - Page 102« Previous | Next »

(Testimony of M. W. Stevenson)

Mr. Hubert.
How many people can you estimate could stand abreast along there?
Mr. Stevenson.
It is 12 feet and 6 inches wide, the ramp is. I would say 5 people could stand in there side by side.
Mr. Hubert.
It actually is a little wider, is it not?
Mr. Stevenson.
It is down here. That is why I was looking for another little map I had there. It is 15 and 2 here.
Mr. Hubert.
Well, roughly speaking, how many people did you see abreast there, and how many ranks of such people were there?
Mr. Stevenson.
I don't know how many ranks there were. I would say there were, counting the officers and the detectives, and that is what I would have to go by, because we had detectives ranging that whole area. I would say they were 6 or 7 or 8 deep.
Mr. Hubert.
And about 5 or 6 across ?
Mr. Stevenson.
Yes.
Mr. Hubert.
So that somewhere between 40 and 50 people?
Mr. Stevenson.
Possibly; yes, sir.
Mr. Hubert.
Now, in the basement area itself, in, and particularly that portion which faces into the jail corridor, how many people were there?
Mr. Stevenson.
I would say, counting police officers and everybody, and again that is what I'd have to go by, I would say there were at least 50 in this area in here.
Mr. Hubert.
When you say this area in here, you are describing a semicircle ?
Mr. Stevenson.
From the two spaces which were cleared in the parking area proper back to--
Mr. Hubert.
Just draw a line.
Mr. Stevenson.
[Compliance.]
Mr. Hubert.
Would you just mark within that line the number of people that you think were within that space?
Mr. Stevenson.
[Compliance.]
Mr. Hubert.
Now mark the same way on the-Main ramp the-number of people that were in the area on the Main ramp?
Mr. Stevenson.
[Marking] Well, it is purely a guess. I would say 40 to 50, in that area.
Mr. Hubert.
Let me see if I can recapitulate it.

On the Main ramp there were between 40 and 50 newspeople standing abreast?
Mr. Stevenson.
Not news--police and all.
Mr. Hubert.
And news people standing abreast is roughly five to six to seven to eight, perhaps?
Mr. Stevenson.
Right.
Mr. Hubert.
In this other area which you have marked with a rough semicircle, there were between 50 and 60 people?
Mr. Stevenson.
That is an estimate, estimate on it; yes, sir.
Mr. Hubert.
Now, when you came down and observed the moving of the vehicle driven by Dhority, were those people in the ramp and basement area already located there
Mr. Stevenson.
Yes, sir; they were.
Mr. Hubert.
Do you. know what security arrangements had been made with respect to checking the presence of those people ?
Mr. Stevenson.
Yes, sir; the same security arrangement we had used all the way. No one was to be permitted into the basement without being a bona fide member of the press or news media, and to our knowledge, or to my knowledge, there was no one down there except members of the press or police officers, or officers from some department, a Federal officer or sheriff's office.
Mr. Hubert.
Do you know of any instructions that had been given with reference to checking these people for identification
Mr. Stevenson.
Only what was given to them on the third floor. Now, I don't know what instructions Captain Talbert had given the men, but he told me he had instructed that no one would be permitted in there unless they had a press pass and was officially connected with the news media.
Mr. Hubert.
Did he tell you how that would be ascertained?
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