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Warren Commission Hearings: Vol. XII - Page 156« Previous | Next »

(Testimony of Charles Oliver Arnett)

Mr. Arnett.
and called some men to meet me out at the Baptist Church on Beckley, to work traffic for the Tippit funeral. I talked to Lieutenant Pierce. He asked me if I would get some reserves out there to help, that they was going to need some, and I said I will call and get some and go out there myself, and I did.
Mr. Griffin.
Did you talk with Pierce about the things that had happened on November 24?
Mr. Arnett.
Not that I know of now. Not that I remember about. We were talking about this one particular area.
Mr. Griffin.
Now, did you ever talk with Pierce at that time, prior to the time you wrote this statement, did you ever talk with Pierce about how Ruby got into the basement?
Mr. Arnett.
I don't know whether I did prior to that letter or not. I have heard since then that when Lieutenant Pierce drove out, that the officers stepped out to stop the traffic and that Jack Ruby said that's when he walked in. Now, when I heard that I couldn't say, the date, but I don't know, but I have heard that.
Mr. Griffin.
Before you prepared the statement, did you talk with any of the reserves or any members of the police department, about how Ruby might have got down in the basement?
Mr. Arnett.
Well, it seems that maybe some people would say, well, he must have come in with a camera or something, you know, like that. As far as just individuals talking to anybody about .it, I don't remember, you know, just particularly talking about that one thing of how he got in there. But I am confident that he wasn't in there. I am confident of that, as I am that Jack Ruby shot Oswald, and I saw that. I may be wrong about it, but now, that's just the way I feel about it, that he wasn't in that basement.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Where do you think he was?
Mr. Arnett.
Well, I don't know where he was. But as far as him being in there any length of time, I just don't believe he was.
Mr. Griffin.
Would you have seen him if he came across the railing?
Mr. Arnett.
Would I have seen him?
Mr. Griffin.
Yes.
Mr. Arnett.
Well, it seems like I would have, but I don't know that I would have.
Mr. Griffin.
Why do you think you would have?
Mr. Arnett.
Well, you know, if you are just looking off, like this, and something happens over here in 10 or 12 feet of you, you will almost
Mr. Griffin.
Wasn't your attention focused almost all the time after Pierce's car went up the ramp, wasn't your attention focused towards the Jail office?
Mr. Arnett.
Well, I would say yes, most of the time, but you can just let any-thing--you can be driving down the road and a bird or something fly by, you will get a glance of it, and I believe if he had come over that rail I would have got the glance off of it.
Mr. Griffin.
Could you see things happening over by that railing?
Mr. Arnett.
Well, I am not going to say that you could or you couldn't, but I believe if he had come over that railing, I believe I would have saw him.
Mr. Griffin.
Well now, if he had come over the railing behind the line that you were standing in you wouldn't have seen him, would you ?
Mr. Arnett.
No. Sure wouldn't have.
Mr. Griffin.
All right. If you were drawing a straight line across your shoulders--well, let's not do it that way. You have got this thing marked on the map here where the A is and where I placed the TV cameras. If you were drawing a straight line across the Main Street ramp, where would that line how far would that line have come from the TV cameras that I have placed here [indicating] ?
Mr. Arnett.
How far would it come?
Mr. Griffin.
Yes. In other words, how far up the [indicating]-
Mr. Arnett.
I would say a straight line behind the cameras would have been about like Mr. Davis from me [indicating].
Mr. Griffin.
What I am asking you here, I am asking you to tell me about how far up the Main Street ramp you were standing from the TV cameras; would
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