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Warren Commission Hearings: Vol. XIII - Page 274« Previous | Next »

(Testimony of Vernon S. Smart)

Mr. Smart.
thumbed through, maybe stacks of them that high, a lot of cards to his club. That was mostly what the stuff was in the trunk.
Mr. Griffin.
Now, if these keys were placed where you found them and one had been driving that car, would the motion- -were they placed in such a way that the motion of the car or bumps and whatnot would move these about?
Mr. Smart.
I would think they would probably have scooted under papers or something, would have been my guess, possibly.
Mr. Griffin.
Now, is there anything that you saw or that you have learned that would indicate to you how long those keys might have been in the back of that trunk prior to the time that you opened it?
Mr. Smart.
You want my thought?
Mr. Griffin.
Yes; I do.
Mr. Smart.
My thought, when I found things like they were, that Jack Ruby had purposely put his billfold in the glove compartment and purposely put his keys in the trunk compartment and locked it up and purposely left his trunk key in the glove compartment so he could get to it. That was my thought. I wondered why he left his billfold with all of his identification in it in his glove compartment.
Mr. Griffin.
I would like to have your opinion as a trained investigator, anything else that led you to believe this or why, other than simply the placement that we have just discussed,. that would have led you to think that he had done what you mentioned?
Mr. Smart.
Because, when he left the car on the lot, there was no attendant there, I guess was the main reason. He parked it in an odd place and up on an incline deal on the lot.
Mr. Griffin.
How was it an odd place?
Mr. Smart.
Well, the lot is kind of uneven, and it was pretty close out to the center of the lot. It was where an old building had been torn down and left some concrete in one place, you know, like this.
Mr. Griffin.
Yes; would you--I am going to interrupt this just one second here while I get this exhibit marked, and I am going to ask you, while I mark this exhibit, would you draw on this piece of paper the intersection there, the intersection of Commerce, Main and Pearl, and then would you draw the parking lot where Ruby's car was found?
Mr. Smart.
These are two parking lots. They are all together but separately operated.
Mr. Griffin.
Would you put the two streets in there so we would know which is Main and which is Pearl? Now, which is Commerce?
Mr. Smart.
This is south.
Mr. Griffin.
All right, now. Let mee ask you. Start over again here on another sheet of paper. I want to get more detail on here.
Mr. Smart.
Oh, I see.
Mr. Griffin.
It would probably be easiest if you would draw the block, Commerce, Harwood, Pearl and Main, and indicate the location of the police department, the Western Union office and the parking lots on the corner of Main and Pearl, and then show us which parking lot Jack's car was in.
Mr. Smart.
I am not a very good artist, now.
Mr. Griffin.
That is okay. It that the parking lot?
Mr. Smart.
Uh-huh.
Mr. Griffin.
All right.
Mr. Smart.
Roughly about there.
Mr. Griffin.
All right. Now, we will go on the record. Now, you have drawn a diagram here, which I am going to mark, "Dallas, Texas, Lieutenant Smart, 3-25-64, Exhibit 5023," and that appears to be a diagram of the intersection of Main and Pearl with the Western Union marked and parking lot designated on the northwest corner of Main and Pearl and an automobile marked out there. Is that pencil mark of an automobile your best estimate of where you found Ruby's car?
Mr. Smart.
That is approximately about where the car was parked.
Mr. Griffin.
Were there any other cars in the parking lot at that time?
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