And later he changed these men. He assumed that they were going down Main Street, and he changed them, I believe, to Elm Street. Sent a supervisor down the street to tell them to move over a block.
And I came down there and found security in the basement going into the jail office. That is in the records bureau section. There were guards in there. There was a guard on the stairway that leads up to the first floor.
I came into the basement and found a large number of officers in the basement. The cars were all gone. There were not over three or four cars in the entire basement.
Chief Curry's car had been pulled out and put on Commerce Street, double parked to lead the group, and I pulled my car up and parked it on Commerce Street west of the ramp.
His car was parked east of the ramp and .mine was parked west of the ramp. Now this was done prior to the time that we knew or that I knew or I think even Chief Curry knew that there was going to be any change of plans.
"We had anticipated this in terms of using the armored truck to be followed by cars of detectives and to be followed by myself and Chief Stevenson in the rear car, but of course this never developed.

Mr. Hubert.

Do you remember whether Captain Fritz or anyone else made any inquiry of you or of anyone else, to your knowledge, prior to the movement as to whether things were ready to go in the basement area before starting from the third floor?
Chief BATCHLOR. I am told that he called Lieutenant Wiggins in the basement and asked him if he was ready. He called him, I think, from the jail floor, not from his office. He called him when Oswald was up in the jail.

Mr. Hubert.

Now when the transfer party did appear, you were actually moving toward the armored car, as I recall it, then weren't you, to close the door?
Chief BATCHELOR. No; I actually saw Oswald come through the door. Someone shouted "Here he comes." I looked over and saw him come out the door, and then I turned and started up the ramp. I didn't see the shooting. I turned before.

Mr. Hubert.

Do you recall if Captain Fritz or anyone else called to find out if the situation was all right securitywise?
Chief BATCHELOR. I don't know, because I wasn't in the jail office. I was out. I am told that he called down and Lieutenant Wiggins said that almost immediately the elevator came down. And he said, "Is everything all right?" And started walking with the prisoner. And Wiggins said that he doesn't recall whether he answered him or whether--I mean it just happened so quickly, or whether he went out ahead of him.

Mr. Hubert.

Were the armored car people told of the change of plans?
Chief BATCHELOR. No, sir.

Mr. Hubert.

Do you know what was proposed to get the truck out of the way?
Chief BATCHELOR. The driver was in the truck. I would have shouted to him.

Mr. Hubert.

That was the plan, that you were to call to him?
Chief BATCHELOR. This wasn't a plan. This is what I would have done. He was there. I knew he was there. And as soon as I ran up to close the thing, why I would have shouted. But after the shooting, I didn't shout, and the truck wasn't even moved. We had to move it to let the ambulance out.

Mr. Hubert.

But your thought was that since the plans had been changed, the truck had to be gotten out of the way, and since you were the only one down there who knew other than Stevenson, you would have gotten the truck out of the way?
Chief BATCHELOR. I would have gotten the truck out, just like I would have told him to close the door and let's go.

Mr. Hubert.

Now do you recall whether immediately prior to the shooting the detectives and other police officers in the basement had side arms, pistols drawn? Did you see anybody with a drawn gun?
Chief BATCHELOR. The only person I saw with a drawn gun was after the shooting. I looked up. There was a great deal of confusion and a lot of shouting immediately after the shooting, and a group of these reporters started to run up the Main Street ramp, and the officer at the top of that ramp, I recall

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