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Warren Commission Hearings: Vol. IV - Page 212« Previous | Next »

(Testimony of J. W. Fritz)

Mr. Fritz.
.38, cartridges for a .38 pistol.
Mr. Mccloy.
Pistol?
Mr. Fritz.
Yes, pistol cartridges.
Mr. Ball.
You had a showup that afternoon?
Mr. Fritz.
That first showup was for a lady who was an eye witness and we were trying to get that showup as soon as we could because she was beginning to faint and getting sick.
In fact, I had to leave the office and carry some ammonia across the hall, they were about to send her to the hospital or something and we needed that identification real quickly, and she got to feeling all right after using this ammonia.
Mr. Ball.
Do you remember her name?
Mr. Fritz.
I have her name here.
Mr. Ball.
Was that Mrs. Markham?
Mr. Fritz.
Yes, Helen Markham.
Mr. Ball.
That was the first showup, was it?
Mr. Fritz.
Yes, sir.
Mr. Ball.
Were you there?
Mr. Fritz.
Yes, sir.
Mr. Ball.
With her?
Mr. Fritz.
Yes, sir.
Mr. Ball.
Will you tell me what happened there?
Mr. Fritz.
She looked at these people very carefully, and she picked him out and made the positive identification.
Mr. Ball.
What did she say?
Mr. Fritz.
She said that is the man that I saw shoot the officer.
Mr. Ball.
Who did she point out?
Mr. Fritz.
She pointed out Oswald; yes, sir.
Mr. Ball.
In your showup room you have the prisoners separated from the visitors?
Mr. Fritz.
There is a screen. They are on a stage with numbers over their heads for identification, and measurements to show their height, and this is lighted back there so the people can see them plainly, and the people who are looking at them usually sit at desks out some distance, probably as far as here from that window from the showup screen.
Mr. Ball.
Near the window, you mean about 15, 20 feet.
Mr. Fritz.
Yes; about that far.
Mr. Ball.
And then, now in this showup there were two officers of the vice squad and an officer and a clerk from the jail that were in the showup with Oswald?
Mr. Fritz.
That is true. I borrowed those officers, I was a little bit afraid some prisoner might hurt him, there was a lot of excitement and a lot of feeling fight about that time so we didn't have an officer in my office the right size to show with him so I asked two of the special service officers if they would help me and they said they would be glad to, so they took off their coats and neckties and fixed themselves where they would look like prisoners and they were good enough to stand on each side of him in the showup and we used a man who works in the jail office, a civilian employee as a third man.
Mr. Ball.
Now, were they dressed a little better than Oswald, do you think, these three people?
Mr. Fritz.
Well, I don't think there was a great deal of difference. They had on their regular working clothes and after they opened their shirts and took off their ties, why they looked very much like anyone else.
Mr. Ball.
They were all handcuffed together, were they?
Mr. Fritz.
I am not sure, I don't remember for sure if they were all handcuffed together or not. They probably did. I couldn't be positive about that.
Mr. Ball.
Now, after you had had the showup with Helen Markham, did you question Oswald again?
Mr. Fritz.
Yes, sir.
Mr. Ball.
In your office?
Mr. Fritz.
Yes, sir.
Mr. Ball.
Go directly from the showup room up there?
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