Mr. Waldo.

it. This is a thing that happens in circumstances like this. A reporter picks out a man, tries him out, and if he finds that he's cooperative the first time, he tries to stick to him, because by that time the official recognizes his face.

Mr. Hubert.

Did you find that other officials were not so cooperative?

Mr. Waldo.

I would say, yes, to that with reference to the 22d and part of the 23d. By Saturday afternoon, the 23d, everybody seemed to be pretty ac- cessible and pretty willing to answer questions. What I wanted to say about Lieutenant Butler was that this almost stolid poise, or perhaps phlegmatic poise is a better word, that I had noticed all through even the most hectic times of the 22d and the 23d, appeared t.o have deserted him completely on the morn-
ing of the 24th. He was an extremely nervous man, so nervous that when I was standing asking him a question after I had entered the ramp and gotten down to the basement area, just moments before Oswald was brought down, he was standing profile to me and I noticed his lips trembling as he listened and waited for my answer. It was simply a physical characteristic. I had by then spent enough hours talking to this man so that it struck me as something totally out of character. Now, he may merely have had a bad night.

Mr. Hubert.

At that time, had the movement of Oswald begun or was it known

that he was coming?

Mr. Waldo.

It was imminent at that time it was imminent.

Mr. Hubert.

The words, "Here he comes"--those famous words--had not yet been uttered ?

Mr. Waldo.

No, sir.

Mr. Hubert.

How long prior to the time Oswald was brought down did Butler
invite you into the basement?

Mr. WALDO. I'd say the time lapse there was 20 to 25 minutes.

Mr. Hubert.

Did he indicate to you that the time was getting imminent and
that you must come in?

Mr. Waldo.

That we could come in, that we should come in.

Mr. Hubert.

What did he say to you by way of indicating that the movement

was about to take place?

Mr. Waldo.

As I recall, when he stuck his head out and around the vehicle and
looked to see who was there, he just said, "Come on down now."

Mr. Hubert.

He didn't say that it was imminent, but you construed it as
such ?

Mr. Waldo.

Well, after we had passed the scrutiny at the ramp entrance and
continued on down, I followed my custom and immediately sought him out and
asked him, "Are they just about ready to move him?" and he said, "I under-
stand he'll be brought down shortly, you'll have notice." By the way, I recall
one other minor discrepancy that exists in that report. At this particular time
and thought we're talking about now, I believe it even states in that report
that when I entered the ramp, there were several police vehicles parked; is
that in there?

Mr. Hubert.

Yes; I think it does say that.

Mr. Waldo.

That is incorrect.

Mr. Hubert.

On page 3, the last paragraph says, "Waldo said he noticed in

the ramp three police cars were parked in a straight line, one behind each other,
facing toward Commerce Street."

Mr. Waldo.

Yes; that is some misunderstanding on the part of the gentleman
who took the transcript. There was no vehicle in the ramp at the time that I entered except the armored vehicle which had been parked right at the mouth of the ramp.

Mr. Hubert.

And behind the armored vehicle, there were none when you went in?

Mr. Waldo.

When I first went down. It was approximately 8 to 10 minutes
after I had been down in the ramp area, and there were then a hundred or more representatives of news media in that area.
Behind us, and now let me see if I can get this straight--the ramp of course
goes from north to south, from Main to Commerce, and for perhaps half its length, one quarter at each end, there is nothing but blank wall on each side of the ramp. For the other half, the middle half, and on the don't take this down and toll me the direction ?