The testimony of Richard L. Clark was taken at 9:15 a.m., on April 9,
1964, in the office of the U.S. attorney, 301 Post Office Building,
Bryan and Ervay Streets, Dallas, Tex., by Mr. Joseph A. Ball, assistant
counsel of the President's Commission.
Mr. BALL. Will you stand up and be sworn, please.
Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you are about to give will be
the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
Mr. CLARK. I do.
Mr. BALL. Will you state your name, please.
Mr. CLARK. Richard L. Clark.
Mr. BALL. What is your address, please, your home address?
Mr. CLARK. 4928 Live Oak.
Mr. BALL. What is your business or occupation?
Mr. CLARK. Detective for the Dallas Police Department.
Mr. BALL. How long have you been in the Dallas Police Department?
Mr. CLARK. Eleven years.
Mr. BALL. Where were you born and raised?
Mr. CLARK. Dallas, Tex.
Mr. BALL. Go through school here?
Mr. CLARK. Went to school in Irving.
Mr. BALL. What did you do after that?
Mr. CLARK. After I went to school?
Mr. BALL. Yes, sir.
Mr. CLARK. I went to work.
Mr. BALL. Where? Let me explain to you that as the Commission isn't
going to see you personally, they ask us to find out something about
you and where you were born and your early education, what you have
done most of your life, try to get some idea of who is giving the
testimony.
Mr. CLARK. Worked for Merchants Retail Credit Association before the
police department.
Mr. BALL. What kind of work do you do on the police department?
Mr. CLARK. Vice squad detective.
Mr. BALL. On the 22d of November 1963, you took part in some showup of
the police department, did you?
Mr. CLARK. Yes.
Mr. BALL. How many?
Mr. CLARK. Two.
Mr. BALL. Do you remember what time these showups were?
Mr. CLARK. They were in the late afternoon but I don't remember the
exact time.
Mr. BALL. Well, let's take the first showup of which you were a part.
That was in the afternoon of the 22d of November 1963, wasn't it?
Mr. CLARK. Yes, sir.
Mr. BALL. Who asked you to take part in that showup?
Mr. CLARK. Captain Fritz called down to our office and wanted a couple
of men to come up and make a showup with Oswald.
Mr. BALL. And where did you go then?
Mr. CLARK. Went up to the third floor, to Captain Fritz' office.
Mr. BALL. Who went with you?
Mr. CLARK. My partner.
Mr. BALL. What is his name?
Mr. CLARK. W. E. Perry.
Mr. BALL. Who was in Captain Fritz' office when you got there?
Mr. CLARK. Everybody that was in there.
Mr. BALL. Were there a good many people in there?
Mr. CLARK. Bunch of people in there.
Mr. BALL. Was Oswald in there?
Mr. CLARK. Oswald was there.
Mr. BALL. Do you know the names of the other people?
Mr. CLARK. Homicide detectives, Texas Rangers, FBI. Everybody.
Mr. BALL. What was said at that time?
Mr. CLARK. They told us just to wait right there, that they wanted us
to make a showup with them.
Mr. BALL. Did you wait there very long?
Mr. CLARK. I'd say we waited in the office maybe 15 minutes or less.
Mr. BALL. Anything said while you were there?
Mr. CLARK. No, sir.
Mr. BALL. Then what did you do?
Mr. CLARK. We took off our coats, ties. I put on a little--I believe it
was a red vest, went on down to the jail office.
Mr. BALL. Where did you get the vest?
Mr. CLARK. At homicide.