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Warren Commission Hearings: Vol. XII - Page 46« Previous | Next »

(Testimony of Sheriff J. E. (Bill) Decker)

Mr. Decker.
Day in and day out. We have a paddy wagon for that purpose and a driver for the purpose and uniforms and insignias and all on it.
Mr. Hubert.
Now, when did you make any efforts to take custody of Oswald ?
Mr. Decker.
I can't tell you that as to when--the homicide occurred and the boy was taken in custody in the afternoon and that was on a Friday--I'm not going to tell you for certain because there was so much and on Friday afternoon we were taking statements in my office you know--this thing happened, occurred just across the street from my office and we moved all the witnesses when we were on the ground there at the scene, all the witnesses we could locate I was working there and I had Inspector Sawyer, who is there with me, and also Heitman of the FBI and my assistant chief deputy, and every witness, just as we picked up a witness that had any information at all, we sent him directly across the street to my office and reduced his statement to writing. Then, I talked to Fritz after he arrived.
We had by then located the gun and the ammunition, my officers had located it in the building, and was awaiting the arrival of the scene searchers and also the arrival of my scene searchers and Fritz arrived and then I talked to Fritz and then we went across the street and he phoned and that's when I learned Oswald had been formerly employed there at that building.
And, Fritz went to the city--now, here's something I'm uncertain about--whether I talked to him that afternoon or the next day about this removal, I cannot tell you because there was so much happening and so much press in our hair, I couldn't say, but I did discuss with him and advise with that I wished to be notified when he started to move this boy, so that I would have my security in shape to receive him when he arrived there.
Mr. Hubert.
You think that was no later than Saturday, the 23d ?
Mr. Decker.
Oh, no; it wasn't. I don't think it was any later than that--no.
Mr. Hubert.
In other words, as I understood you, you couldn't tell whether it was on Friday or Saturday, but it could not have been Sunday?
Mr. Decker.
No; it wasn't Sunday. I remember there were different conversations on Sunday, different conversations on Saturday and different conversations on Saturday night.
Mr. Hubert.
Well, now, perhaps if you can, you can tell us about these various conversations, if you remember them- -who they were with and about what time?
Mr. Decker.
Well, on Saturday, the homicide, I believe, if I'm correct--now, the date of the homicide of Oswald was what?
Mr. Hubert.
It was Sunday the 24th.
Mr. Decker.
The 24th--Sunday. Friday, after we had completed our investigation and gotten our files together to some extent, we then closed shop, shall we say, and went back into our routine work, and on Saturday arrival at our office we then again, I'm reasonably sure that was the day, we talked about moving Oswald but I just don't remember. That's one of those- 'things you just don't remember the date.
Mr. Hubert.
But you talked to Fritz?
Mr. Decker.
That's when I talked to Fritz.
Mr. Hubert.
What did Fritz tell you, do you know?
Mr. Decker.
He said he would notify me when he was ready to move.
Mr. Hubert.
He wasn't ready at that time?
Mr. Decker.
He wasn't ready at that time, witnesses were being brought in, he was still interviewing witnesses. Now, then, later that afternoon the rumor was out that they were going to bring him down---of course, we had rumors, rumors, rumors all the day, because we had worldwide press and they were in the city hall, you couldn't get in the city hall for them and they were running back and forth down to our pressroom, and this word was here that they were coming, so late that afternoon, on Saturday, Jim Kerr was the first man that brought me the date of the 10 o'clock transfer Sunday morning. Jim Kerr is associated with channel 5, and there were several of the pressmen in my office and members of my staff and we were discussing it and later in the evening, later about 9 o'clock it was getting on to be, and he notified us they were going to move in and I think I then confirmed that with someone in the
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