Mr. BALL. At any time did you see an officer, while the officers were
struggling, with Oswald, did you see an officer strike Oswald with the
butt of a shotgun?
Mr. GIBSON. No, sir; I didn't.
Mr. BALL. Did you see a shotgun in the hands of any of the officers who
were struggling with Oswald?
Mr. GIBSON. No, sir; I didn't.
Mr. BALL. Did you see any officer in possession of a shotgun in the
theatre?
Mr. GIBSON. Oh--yes, yes; I saw quite a few in possession of a shotgun.
Mr. BALL. Were there any officers with shotguns near Oswald when he was
struggling with these other officers?
Mr. GIBSON. Gee, I don't know--that, I couldn't say--because like I
say, when they took him down to the floor, all I could--or I should say
down--I turned around and went back to the front.
Mr. BALL. Did you see the police talk to the other patrons of the
theatre?
Mr. GIBSON. Well, as I said, the only thing that they said to me--the
first policeman that I saw in the theatre was right after the lights
came on and he asked me if there was anyone upstairs, but I can't
definitely say I saw them talking to anybody.
Mr. BALL. Well, did any officers talk to you afterwards and get your
name and address?
Mr. GIBSON. No.
Mr. BALL. Did you see them take the name and address of anybody else?
Mr. GIBSON. No, sir; right after they put Lee Oswald in the police car
and drove off, I walked outside and went back over to the store.
Mr. BALL. I understood that one group of the police headed for Oswald?
Mr. GIBSON. Well, I don't believe they really headed for him--I believe
they just started down through the theatre. From what the boy told
me--Johnny Pardis told me, he followed him into the theatre and he went
upstairs, and I believe this is why all the policemen went upstairs. I
don't think they really headed for him. I mean, they just evidently,
as I said, all of them went upstairs, with the exception of a small
majority, say 6 or 8, maybe 12 downstairs and inside the theatre there.
Mr. BALL. Did they pass you on their way?
Mr. GIBSON. You mean up the stairs?
Mr. BALL. No; the smaller party that was downstairs.
Mr. GIBSON. No; I was standing on this far side right next to the wall.
Mr. BALL. And they were in an aisle over there?
Mr. GIBSON. Well, actually, they were two or three aisles over--there's
two big main aisles, and then there's another small aisle that runs
down the wall.
Mr. BALL. Was there any other patron of the theatre along the way that
they went?
Mr. GIBSON. I don't know this, as I said, for a fact--this is what a
lady at the show told me. She sent Butch, the head usher up on the
stage to guard the exit back there and where he come from I don't know,
because as I said, when they took him to the floor, then I turned
around and walked out into the lobby and one officer hollered, "Lock
the doors," and Butch came through there to the doors.
Mr. BALL. But you didn't see other officers go up to any other patrons
of the theatre over there on their way to Oswald?
Mr. GIBSON. No.
Mr. BALL. As they went along--they finally walked up and outside?
Mr. GIBSON. No; they were just looking in general it appeared to me.
Mr. BALL. Was there anyone who was sitting closer to them than Oswald
was?
Mr. GIBSON. Gosh--I don't know--it's hard to remember, when you try.
Mr. BALL. You don't know why they went up to him and not someone else?
Mr. GIBSON. Well, as I said--I don't think they went up to him. As I
said, the first time I saw him in the theatre definitely was when he
was standing in the aisle with a gun in his hand. Now, somebody told me
that Oswald jumped up and whirled around and said, "This is it," but
this is something I don't know, so this is hearsay.
Mr. BALL. But would you think he stood up first before any police
officer got to him? Or that near him?
Mr. GIBSON. He had to, because they took him from a standing position
to the floor and he was standing up.
Mr. BALL. Did you see them before they came up to him?
Mr. GIBSON. Yes; I was watching them there, I was just standing in the
corner--as I said, just looking around the corner--there is a chance
you can see in the corner and I was looking around it and as I said,
I don't know whether he got up and whirled around or what he did, but
when I saw him he was facing the police with a gun in his hand.
Mr. BALL. The first you saw him he was standing?
Mr. GIBSON. He was standing.
Mr. BALL. And you didn't hear him say anything except on his way out?
Mr. GIBSON. Except on his way out--is the only thing I heard him say.
Mr. BALL. This will be written up and you can come down and sign it if
you want to, or you can waive your signature. What would you like to do?
Mr. GIBSON. Well, I said it, I might as well sign it.
Mr. BALL. Okay. You will be called in to come down and sign it.
Mr. GIBSON. Thanks very much.
Mr. BALL. Thank you.