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Warren Commission Hearings: Vol. VI - Page 287« Previous | Next »

(Testimony of Lee E. , Jr. Bowers)

Mr. BOWERS. I heard three shots. One, then a slight pause, then two very close together. Also reverberation from the shots.

Mr. Belin.
And were you able to form an opinion as to the source of the sound or what direction it came from, I mean?
Mr. Bowers.
The sounds came either from up against the School Depository Building or near the mouth of the triple underpass.
Mr. Ball.
Were you able to tell which?
Mr. Bowers.
No; I could not.
Mr. BALL. Well, now, had you had any experience before being in the tower as to sounds coming from those various places ?
Mr. BOWERS. Yes; I had worked this same tower for some 10 or 12 years, and was there during the time they were renovating the School Depository Building, and had noticed at that time the similarity of sounds occurring in either of those two locations.
Mr. BALL Can you tell me now whether or not it came, the sounds you heard, the three shots came from the direction of the Depository Building or the triple underpass?
Mr. Bowers.
No; I could not.
Mr. BALL. From your experience there, previous experience there in hearing sounds that originated at the Texas School Book Depository Building, did you notice that sometimes those sounds seem to come from the triple underpass? Is that what you told me a moment ago?
Mr. BOWERS. There is a similarity of sound, because there is a reverberation which takes place from either location.
Mr. Ball.
Had you heard sounds originating near the triple underpass before?
Mr. Bowers.
Yes; quite often. Because trucks backfire and various occurrences.
Mr. BALL. And you had heard noises originating from the Texas School Depository when they were building there?
Mr. Bowers.
They were renovating. I---did carpenter work as well as sandblasted the outside of the building.
Mr. BALL. Now, were there any people standing on the high side---high ground between your tower and where Elm Street goes down under the underpass toward the mouth of the underpass?
Mr. BOWERS. Directly in line, towards the mouth of the underpass, there were two men. One man, middle-aged, or slightly older, fairly heavy-set, in a white shirt, fairly dark trousers. Another younger man, about midtwenties, in either a plaid shirt or plaid coat or jacket.
Mr. Ball.
. Were they standing together or standing separately?
Mr. Bowers.
They were standing within 10 or 15 feet of each other, and gave no appearance of being together, as far as I knew.
Mr. Ball.
In what direction were they facing?

Mr. BOWERS. They were facing and looking up towards Main and Houston, and following the caravan as it came down.
Mr. Ball.
Did you see anyone standing on the triple underpass?
Mr. BOWERS. On the triple underpass, there were two policemen. One facing each direction, both east and west. There was one railroad employee, a signal man there with the Union Terminal Co., and two welders that worked for the Fort Worth Welding firm, and there was also a laborer's assistant furnished by the railroad to these welders.
Mr. Ball.
You saw those before the President came by, you saw those people?
Mr. Bowers.
Yes; they were there before 'and after.
Mr. Ball.
And were they standing on the triple underpass?

Mr. BOWERS. Yes; they were standing on top of it facing towards Houston Street, all except, of course, the one policeman on the west side.
Mr. Ball.
. Did you see any other people up on this high ground ?
Mr. Bowers.
There were one or two people in the area. Not in this same vicinity. One of them was a parking lot attendant that operates a parking lot there. One or two. Each had uniforms similar to those custodians at the courthouse. But they were some distance back, just a slight distance back.
Mr. BALL. When you heard the sound, which way were you looking?
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