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  » Volume XV
Warren Commission Hearings: Vol. XV - Page 119« Previous | Next »

(Testimony of Charles Batchelor)

Mr. Hubert.
place and pulled up to the edge of the ramp, and then the other one backed his car in the place, and he had hardly stopped when they brought Oswald out.
And I was standing up toward the front of the back car, the best I remember, toward the front of the front fender, and they were still sort of jockeying these cars.
And about that time someone shouted "Here he comes", and I looked over and saw them open the door and bring him out, and I turned and started up the ramp to close the back door on the armored truck.
No one, nobody--the truck driver nor anyone up on the ramp knew of this change of plans but the detectives involved in driving these cars.
Mr. Hubert.
And yourself and Stevenson?
Chief BATCHELOR. And myself, Stevenson and Chief Lumpkin. The rest of the men in the basement were not aware of this change of plans. He whispered this to me.
Mr. Hubert.
You realized the door had to be closed?
Chief BATCHELOR. I realized the door had to be closed and we hadn't told anybody to close it, so as soon as they brought him out and I saw them bringing him out, I turned and started up the ramp to close the door on the truck, and that is when the shooting happened.
Mr. Hubert.
Do you remember having any conversation or giving any instructions with reference to the position of the press and other news media on the west side of the railing that divided the ramp from the basement?
Chief BATCHELOR. Yes.
Mr. Hubert.
That is to say, the Harwood side of the railing?
Chief BATCHELOR. I don't follow you. There is not any Harwood Street side of the railing. The railing is on the other side of the driveway.
Mr. Hubert.
That's right, but if you take the railing as a central point--I will put it this way. The jail side of the ramp, does that make sense to you?
Chief BATCHELOR. Yes.
Mr. Hubert.
Which I think is really the west side of the railing?
Chief BATCHELOR. West side of the ramp; yes, and it would also be west of the railing.
Mr. Hubert.
Were their any instructions or change of instructions with reference to the position of the press relative to the railing?
Chief BATCHELOR. Yes, sir; Chief Curry earlier, when we had come down there and looked the situation over, had instructed that we keep all the press on the inside of the railing of the ramp. That would be east of the railing.
Mr. Hubert.
On the garage side?
Chief BATCHELOR. That's right. We had also instructed that the TV camera be moved out. I had instructed that.
Mr. Hubert.
Moved out of the vestibule or corridor?
Chief BATCHELOR. Between the time Chief Curry had come down with Stevenson and me and the time I came to the basement the last time they had moved two TV cameras in behind the railing where the press was to stand.
They also had one TV camera which was on the other side of the post at the railing on the little ramp that goes down into the garage proper. This camera, as I recall it, was inoperative.
Mr. Hubert.
Wasn't connected up?
Chief BATCHELOR. Wasn't connected up. So later when I came down there, there actually was not room for the press behind that railing. It was all taken up with TV cameras. And they were scattered out along the driveway across the ramp that goes into the garage proper, the little short ramp that runs east and west into the garage.
And there wasn't enough room. Detectives were in the vestibule of the jail office coming into the basement.
It was Captain Talbert, I believe, that asked me, in view of the fact that there wasn't enough room over there, if some of these fellows could stand across there, if we kept them back and put some men to keep them back, and I said, "Yes, this would be all right." So they were across this ramp.
Mr. Hubert.
That is to say, the ramp leading up to Main Street?
Chief BATCHELOR. That's right. Across the ramp leading up to Main Street. They stood from the wall over to the nailing. Now there were none standing
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