Mr. BALL. What did you see?
Mr. POE. Found the squad car parked toward the curb, and a pool of
blood at the left-front wheel of the car. The ambulance had already
picked him up and the officer had left the scene when we arrived. We
had--I don't know how many people there were. Looked like 150 to 200
people around there, and Mrs. Markham, I talked to her first and we got
a description of the man that shot Tippit.
Mr. BALL. Do you know what the description was?
Mr. POE. Sir?
Mr. BALL. Do you know what the description was?
Mr. POE. White male, about 25, about 5 feet 8, brown hair, medium, and
I believe she said had on a white jacket at the time.
Mr. BALL. What did you do then?
Mr. POE. We gave the description to several of the officers at the
scene. You couldn't get on the radio at the time, there was so much
traffic on the radio, and the last--the direction he was seen leaving,
and then I talked to several more witnesses around there.
Mr. BALL. Did you ever put that description on the radio?
Mr. POE. I believe we did. But I couldn't swear to it.
Mr. BALL. And what happened after that?
Mr. POE. I talked to a Spanish man, but I don't remember his name.
Dominique, I believe.
Mr. BALL. Domingo Benavides?
Mr. POE. I believe that is correct; yes, sir.
Mr. BALL. What did he tell you?
Mr. POE. He told me, give me the same, or similar description of the
man, and told me he was running out across this lawn. He was unloading
his pistol as he ran, and he picked the shells up.
Mr. BALL. Domingo told you who was running across the lawn?
Mr. POE. A man, white man.
Mr. BALL. What was he doing?
Mr. POE. He was unloading his pistol as he run.
Mr. BALL. And what did he say?
Mr. POE. He said he picked the two hulls up.
Mr. BALL. Did he hand you the hulls?
Mr. POE. Yes, sir.
Mr. BALL. Did you put any markings on the hulls?
Mr. POE. I couldn't swear to it; no, sir.
Mr. BALL. What did you do with the hulls?
Mr. POE. I turned the hulls into the crime lab, which was at the scene.
Mr. BALL. Do you know the name of the man with the crime lab or from
the crime lab?
Mr. POE. I couldn't swear to it. I believe Pete Barnes, but I wouldn't
swear to it.
Mr. BALL. Did you talk to any people there?
Mr. POE. Yes, sir.
Mr. BALL. Who?
Mr. POE. Talked to Mrs. Markham.
Mr. BALL. Did you talk to the two Davis girls?
Mr. POE. I talked to one of them, but I can't recall talking to two
Davis girls.
Mr. BALL. Do you remember what a Detective Dhority there at the scene
did?
Mr. POE. I remember Detective Leavelle at the scene.
Mr. BALL. Leavelle?
Mr. POE. Yes, sir.
Mr. BALL. Did the Davis girls give you anything? Either one of the
Davis girls hand you anything?
Mr. POE. She give me the same general description of the suspect as
Mrs. Markham.
Mr. BALL. What was that?
Mr. POE. White male, and in his early 20's, around 5'7" or 8", about
145 pounds, and I believe she said had on a white jacket.
Mr. BALL. There is a--off the record.
(Discussion off the record.)
Mr. BALL. We have here a broadcast by Walker. Do you know Walker?
Mr. POE. Yes, sir.
Mr. BALL. Was Walker there at the scene?
Mr. POE. Yes, sir; he came by the scene after I got there.
Mr. BALL. What is his full name?
Mr. POE. I don't know. I want to say C. T., but I am not positive on
that.
Mr. BALL. At 1:22 p.m., on the transcript of the radio log, I note it
says, "Have a description of suspect on Jefferson. Last seen about
the 300 block of East Jefferson. White male, 30's; 5'8", black hair,
slender built, wearing white shirt, black slacks."
Do you know whether you gave Walker that description?
Mr. POE. I remember giving Walker a description. My partner got in the
car with Walker.
Mr. BALL. Did you give Walker a description similar to that?
Mr. POE. Yes, sir.
Mr. BALL. Well, the only difference I see between the description you
said you gave the other officer and this was that you said he was in
his 20's or 25, and this says about 30. Otherwise it is about the same.
Mr. POE. Yes, sir.
Mr. BALL. Who told you he had on a white jacket?
Mr. POE. Mrs. Markham told me first.
Mr. BALL. She did?
Mr. POE. Yes, sir; Mrs. Markham was awfully excited, and she
was--looked like about to faint, and I tried to calm her down as much
as I could at first and get as much as I could out of her.
Mr. BALL. How many cartridges, or empty cartridges or shells were given
to you?
Mr. POE. There were two in an empty Winston cigarette package.
Mr. BALL. Did you save the Winston cigarette package?
Mr. POE. I turned it in with the two cartridges.
Mr. BALL. To the crime lab?
Mr. POE. Yes, sir.
Mr. BALL. Now, I have here a package which has been marked "Q"--FBI
lab. Q-74 to Q-77. Would you look those over and see if there is any
identification on there by you to indicate that those were the hulls
given to you by Benavides?
Mr. POE. I want to say these two are mine, but I couldn't swear to it.
Mr. BALL. Did you make a mark?
Mr. POE. I can't swear to it; no, sir.
Mr. BALL. But there is a mark on two of these?
Mr. POE. There is a mark. I believe I put on them, but I couldn't swear
to it, I couldn't make them out any more.
Mr. BALL. Now, the ones you said you made a mark on are--you think it
is these two? Q-77 and Q-75?
Mr. POE. Yes, sir; those two there.
Mr. BALL. Both marked Western Special? They both are marked Western
Special. How long did you stay there?
Mr. POE. At the scene?
Mr. BALL. Uh-huh.
Mr. POE. I stayed there until Leavelle and his partner from the crime
lab got there.
Mr. BALL. Then you left?
Mr. POE. Yes, sir; I got out and helped try to find the suspect.
Mr. BALL. Were you at the Texas Theatre?
Mr. POE. Yes, sir.
Mr. BALL. Did you see him apprehended?
Mr. POE. No, sir; I didn't.
Mr. BALL. You were out?
Mr. POE. At the back.
Mr. BALL. At the back?
Mr. POE. Yes, sir.
Mr. BALL. I think that is all, Mr. Poe.
This will be written up and submitted to you for your signature, and
you can sign it if you wish, or waive your signature.
Which do you prefer?
Mr. POE. Well, sir; I don't have anything to hide. I will tell the
truth.
Mr. BALL. Do you want to give your signature?
Mr. POE. I will sign it.
Mr. BALL. Okay. We'll do that. We can notify you and you can come up
here and sign it.
Mr. POE. All right.