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Warren Commission Hearings: Vol. IV - Page 205« Previous | Next »

(Testimony of J. W. Fritz)

Mr. Mccloy.
Thought who was in the building?
Mr. Fritz.
The man who did the shooting was in the building. So, we, of course, took our shotguns and immediately entered the building and searched the building to see if we could find him.
Mr. Ball.
Were there guards on the doors of the building at that time?
Mr. Fritz.
I am not sure, but I don't--there has been some question about that, but the reason I don't think that--this may differ with someone else, but I am going to tell you what I know.
Mr. Ball.
All right.
Mr. Mccloy.
By all means.
Mr. Fritz.
After I arrived one of the officers asked me if I would like to have the building sealed and I told him I would.
Mr. Ball.
What officer was that?
Mr. Fritz.
That is a uniformed officer, but I don't know what his name was, he was outside, of course, I went upstairs and I don't know whether he did because I couldn't watch him.
Mr. Ball.
Then what did you do?
Mr. Fritz.
We began searching the floors, looking for anyone with a gun or looked suspicious, and we searched through hurriedly through most all the floors.
Mr. Mccloy.
Which floor did you start with?
Mr. Fritz.
We started at the bottom; yes, sir. And, of course, and I think we went up probably to the top.
Different people would call me when they would find something that looked like something I should know about and I ran back and forth from floor to floor as we were searching, and it wasn't very long until someone called me and told me they wanted me to come to the front window, the corner window, they had found some empty cartridges.
Mr. Ball.
That was on the sixth floor?
Mr. Fritz.
That is right; the sixth floor, corner window.
Mr. Ball.
What did you do?
Mr. Fritz.
I told them not to move the cartridges, not to touch anything until we could get the crime lab to take pictures of them just as they were lying there and I left an officer assigned there to see that that was done, and the crime lab came almost immediately, and took pictures, and dusted the shelfs for prints.
Mr. Ball.
Which officers, which officer did you leave there?
Mr. Fritz.
Carl Day was the man I talked to about taking pictures.
Mr. Ball.
Day?
Mr. Fritz.
Lieutenant Day; yes, sir.
Mr. Ball.
Do you know whether he took the pictures or not?
Mr. Fritz.
I feel like he did but I don't know because I didn't stay to see whether he could.
Mr. Ball.
You didn't know whether he took the pictures?
Mr. Fritz.
I went on searching the building. I just told them to preserve that evidence and I went right ahead.
Mr. Ball.
What happened after that?
Mr. Fritz.
A few minutes later some officer called me and said they had found the rifle over near the back stairway and I told them same thing, not to move it, not to touch it, not to move any of the boxes until we could get pictures, and as soon as Lieutenant Day could get over there he made pictures of that.
Mr. Ball.
After the pictures had been taken of the rifle what happened then?
Mr. Fritz.
After the pictures had been made then I ejected a live shell, a live cartridge from the rifle.
Mr. Ball.
And who did you give that to?
Mr. Fritz.
I believe that I kept that at that time myself. Later I gave it to the crime lab who, in turn, turned it over to the FBI.
Mr. Ball.
Did you put any marking of yours on the empty cartridge?
Mr. Fritz.
On that loaded cartridge?
Mr. Ball.
On that loaded cartridge.
Mr. Fritz.
I don't know, I am not sure, I don't think so.
Mr. Ball.
Was there any conversation you heard that this rifle was a Mauser?
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