The John F. Kennedy Assassination Homepage

Navigation

  » Introduction
  » The Report
  » The Hearings

Volumes

  » Testimony Index
 
  » Volume I
  » Volume II
  » Volume III
  » Volume IV
  » Volume V
  » Volume VI
  » Volume VII
  » Volume VIII
  » Volume IX
  » Volume X
  » Volume XI
  » Volume XII
  » Volume XIII
  » Volume XIV
  » Volume XV
Warren Commission Hearings: Vol. XV - Page 80« Previous | Next »

(Testimony of Seth Kantor)

Mr. Kantor.
a story. I am not totally sure about this area. There is a parking area because I can remember buses coming in and out of this area here. But it seems to me it would be set back on the opposite side, and that this would be the throughway.
Mr. Griffin.
All right. Now, you have drawn a line perpendicular to Harry Hines Boulevard, paralleling the side of Parkland Hospital that the main entrance is on, and then to--would that be the south of that line?
Mr. Kantor.
Yes.
Mr. Griffin.
You have placed some more hashmarks, and you think there is where the general parking area was.
Mr. Kantor.
Yes; it is very vague to me.
Mr. Griffin.
We can check this ourselves. I am trying to get some idea where a man like Ruby would have parked his automobile to get to the place where you think you saw him. Well, now, what happeneed----
Mr. Kantor.
Well, excuse me. I am sorry. If that is what you are getting at. There is a parking area on the west side, also, as best I can remember, because, it seems to me that there were a great number of cars in the area where we were first let out of the station wagon.
Mr. Griffin.
I see. Now, would the parking area be in here where I am placing this line?
Mr. Kantor.
I believe so, yes.
Mr. Griffin.
I will write "Parking" on there. And I will put parking over there, just in front of the main entrance to the hospital.
Mr. Kantor.
Yes.
Mr. Griffin.
Now, can you tell us what happened when you saw Ruby--when you encountered Ruby at Parkland Hospital, what the encounter consisted of?
Mr. Kantor.
Yes; I apparently walked right past him, because the first I was aware of Jack Ruby was that as I was walking, I was stopped monentarily by a tug on the back of my jacket. And I turned and saw Jack Ruby standing there. He had his hand extended. I very well remember my first thought. I thought, well, there is Jack Ruby. I had been away from Dallas 18 months and 1 day at that time, but it seemed just perfectly normal to see Jack Ruby standing there, because he was a known goer to events. And I had my mind full of many things.
My next reaction was to just turn and continue on my way. But he did have his hand out. And I took his hand and shook hands with him. He called me by name. And I said hello to him, I said, "Hello, Jack," I guess. And he said, "Isn't this a terrible thing?" I said, "Yes"; but I also knew it was no time for small talk, and I was most anxious to continue on up the stairway, because I was standing right at the base of the stairway.
Mr. Griffin.
Were you inside the building or outside?
Mr. Kantor.
I was inside the building, just immediately inside the building.
Mr. Griffin.
Were the doors guarded?
Mr. Kantor.
If there was a guard on the door, I don't recall seeing one.
Mr. Griffin.
Now, you do recall, however, that there was a guard at the entrance to the emergency area?
Mr. Kantor.
There was at least one guard, yes--when I first got there.
Mr. Griffin.
I see. Go ahead.
Mr. Kantor.
A Dallas policeman. I am not sure how many Secret Service men or other guards there were. But I do remember this one man, because he let me in.
At any rate, Jack Ruby said, "Isn't this a terrible thing," or words to that effect. I agreed with him that it was.
And he said--and he had quite a look of consternation on his face. He looked emotional---which also seemed fitting enough for Jack Ruby.
But he asked me, curiously enough, he said, "Should I close my places for the next 3 nights, do you think?"
And I said, "Yes, I think that is a good idea."
And I excused myself. And he said he understood, and I went on. And that was the sum total of it.
Mr. Griffin.
Let me ask you this: At the time you were out at Parkland
« Previous | Next »

Found a Typo?

Click here
Copyright by www.jfk-assassination.comLast Update: Wed, 3 Aug 2016 21:56:32 CET