should have not been admitted or spoken to unless they had obtained clearance?
Captain KING. I don't think it would have been possible from a practical point of view--I don't think it could have been done.

Mr. Hubert.

Would you tell us why?
Captain KING. "Why" has to include the atmosphere that existed over there, the tremendous pressures that existed, the fact that telephones were ringing constantly, that there were droves of people in there; it would also have to include the fact that the method by which you postively identify someone it doesn't mean--it's not easy. If someone comes into us with a letter from the New York Times on their letterhead stating that this man is an employee of the New York Times, "Will you please furnish him with identification?", we haven't any way of knowing that actually this letter did come from the New York Times and that it was not on a forged or stolen letterhead.

Mr. Hubert.

Normally you would not issue a card to such an individual without a checkout, as it were?
Captain KING. That's true.

Mr. Hubert.

And your thought was that checkouts were just simply impossible?
Captain KING. They were.

Mr. Hubert.

Was any attempt made to set up a system whereby only positively identified news people would be admitted to the areas near Oswald?
Captain KING. I'm not sure I understand your question, sir.

Mr. Hubert.

After the death of the President, when you say that this atmosphere and this condition developed with the press where there were mobs of people and so forth, was there any effort made by anyone to clear out the place, as it were, and then readmit only those who were known to be accredited or definitely identified?
Captain KING. There were officers assigned to the area there primarily the third floor where the homicide office is located and where most of the news-men were, and they did screen the newsmen and other people who came in there. I was not the person who assigned them out there and I don't actually know what instructions they were given and I don't know actually the procedures by which they screened them. I was inside of my office most of the time with telephones ringing.

Mr. Hubert.

Would it normally have been your duty to screen them or to see that they had identification?
Captain KING. No, actually it wouldn't--I think normally it would be the duty of the officer who was working the incident to check the identification.

Mr. Hubert.

Do you know if anyone suggested that something should be done to correct the conditions which you have described?
Captain KING. I understand that Chief Batchelor on his arrival at the station ordered some more men assigned up there and tightened up to a certain extent the security that was up there, but I was not present when this was done.

Mr. Hubert.

Do you know if anyone suggested that the whole place be cleared out completely and then readmit only those definitely accredited individuals?
Captain KING. I don't know of anything like that.

Mr. Hubert.

Do you know of anyone who suggested that at all?
Captain KING. I don't recall anyone having suggested that--no, sir.

Mr. Hubert.

I gather from what you are telling me that the presence of the press and under the conditions that they were present would be considered by you at least as a serious disruption of the normal methods of interrogation of a prisoner?
Captain KING. I would say that nothing really that was going on there at that time was normal.

Mr. Hubert.

Is it your opinion that the presence of the press as they were, particularly on the third floor, when Captain Fritz was interrogating Oswald did interfere with the investigation?
Captain KING. I think it must have yes, sir.

Mr. Hubert.

Can you give us any examples of how it did?
Captain KING. Well, the hallways were full--actually with men and officers. I was out on occasion in the hallway and officers tried to keep an aisle or pathway cleared in the hall so people who had business in the other bureaus on that end of the floor and people who were working out of the homicide and

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