robbery bureau could get in and out, and this was a constant battle because of the number of newsmen who were there. They would move back into the aisleway that had been cleared. They interfered with the movement of people who had to be there.
The door from the elevator, the jail elevator--the ones used for the transportation of prisoners--is south of the doorway of the homicide and robbery bureau where the interrogations were conducted, and whenever Oswald was brought down from the jail or taken back from homicide and robbery to the jail, he had to pass through this area. There was noise out there--a considerable amount of noise out there, and I think this must have been a disquieting thing.

Mr. Hubert.

And you mentioned that your general policy about the cooperation of the press had an exception, and that is, when it would interfere with an investigation, and you have, I think, demonstrated now that in your opinion there was interference with the investigation?
Captain KING. Yes.

Mr. Hubert.

Do you know of any effort made by anyone to invoke the exception to the general rule?
Captain KING. I think no effort was made. I think that the decision was made without ever having been stated, actually, that this was certainly not a normal circumstance; that the newsmen should be allowed to remain in there.
The news cameramen first arrived--I don't recall the time it was--it was a short time after the death of the President or the shooting, and Chief Lunday, as I recall, is our traffic division chief. He was the only chief officer in the department who had returned. We checked--they wanted to bring their cameras up to the third floor, and we checked with Chief Lunday to see if it was permissible, and I was told it would be.

Mr. Hubert.

You did that yourself?
Captain KING. Yes. I am thinking it was Chief Lunday--it was either Chief Lunday or Chief Lumpkin, and did receive permission for them to bring their cables through the windows. Of course, the number of newsmen in the beginning was less than it later became, and more and more came in.

Mr. Hubert.

At the time you checked the matter with Chief Lunday or perhaps it was Lumpkin, your thought was that at that time the presence of the press would not constitute interference?
Captain KING. We didn't--I didn't have any idea at that time that we would have the number that we had.

Mr. Hubert.

Well, did it occur to you at any later time that the number had increased to the point that something ought to be done about it?
Captain KING. The obvious answer is "yes", but it didn't actually. The newsmen out there, I guess you become accustomed to them out there, or accustomed to the idea of them being out there, once you have decided that they are going to be permitted to be there, and it was the obvious policy of the department at that time that they would be permitted to be there and so far as my ever mentioning to anyone else or recommending to anyone else or suggesting to anyone else that they should be removed--I did not.

Mr. Hubert.

Did you hear anyone else suggest that the situation was getting out of hand, if it was, in fact, sir?
Captain KING. I don't recall having done so.

Mr. Hubert.

Now, of course, a large part of that was due, I take it, to the fact that Oswald was being interrogated on the third floor in Captain Fritz' office, which is the normal place where a person charged with murder would be interrogated?
Captain KING. Yes.

Mr. Hubert.

But, do you know if anyone thought of removing Oswald to another place and thus avoid the press in the room?
Captain KING. That, I do not know, sir.

Mr. Hubert.

You had not heard that discussed?
Captain KING. I don't recall having heard it discussed.

Mr. Hubert.

Did it occur to you. that that might be one way to get around this situation which you found?
Captain KING. No; actually it did not.

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