The testimony of Manning C. Clements was taken at 10:15 a.m., on April
8, 1964, in the office of the U.S. attorney, 301 Post Office Building,
Bryan and Ervay Streets, Dallas, Tex., by Mr. Samuel A. Stern,
assistant counsel of the President's Commission.
Mr. STERN. Good morning, Mr. Clements. Will you rise and raise your
right hand, please.
Do you 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. CLEMENTS. I do.
Mr. STERN. Would you please sit down. State your name and address.
Mr. CLEMENTS. Manning C. Clements, 5542 Montrose [spelling]
M-o-n-t-r-o-s-e Drive, Dallas, Tex.
Mr. STERN. What is your occupation, Mr. Clements?
Mr. CLEMENTS. I'm a special agent of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation.
Mr. STERN. How long have you been a member of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation?
Mr. CLEMENTS. Twenty-three years and approximately 4 months.
Mr. STERN. How long have you been assigned to the Dallas office?
Mr. CLEMENTS. Since April 1952.
Mr. STERN. On November 22, 1963, were you on duty as a special agent?
Mr. CLEMENTS. I was.
Mr. STERN. Did your duties that morning before noon concern the visit
of the President?
Mr. CLEMENTS. No.
Mr. STERN. Will you relate to us what happened when you first heard the
news of the shooting of the President?
Mr. CLEMENTS. I arrived at the office following lunch and shortly
thereafter heard of the shooting at the motorcade, and my superior
instructed me to go to the office of the chief of police. I was to
offer the services of the Federal Bureau of Investigation for whatever
use the police might find them of benefit.
Mr. STERN. What did you do then?
Mr. CLEMENTS. I went to the police station, arriving there at
approximately 1 o'clock. I immediately contacted the office of the
chief. I found that he was out. I contacted Capt. Glen King, his
administrative assistant, and Captain Lunday, who was also on duty
in the chief's office. Contacted Art Hammet, the public relations
representative, who was occupying the desk in the outer office of the
chief. I informed each of them as to the reason for my presence and
that any requests that they might have for FBI assistance, information
or otherwise, could be given to me and I would in turn, relay their
request to our Dallas office.
Mr. STERN. What occurred next?
Mr. CLEMENTS. During the course of the next several hours I was
in occasional contact with various representatives of the police
department, in contact with my own office by telephone. Served more or
less as a liaison officer to relay instructions to any other FBI agents
who were on the premises.
Mr. STERN. When did you first hear of the arrest of Lee Harvey Oswald?
Mr. CLEMENTS. I can't fix the exact time. I am certain that I heard
almost immediately after the arrest, because I learned from police
personnel of the shooting of Officer Tippit, and thereafter, when they
received radio reports, I was generally aware of such report. So,
I became aware of the arrest of Oswald, I would say, approximately
coincidentally with the front office, or with the police department
learning of the arrest.
Mr. STERN. At that time his name meant nothing?
Mr. CLEMENTS. Repeat that.
Mr. STERN. His name meant nothing to you?
Mr. CLEMENTS. No.
Mr. STERN. Were you present when he was brought into the police
headquarters?
Mr. CLEMENTS. No.
Mr. STERN. When did you first see Oswald?
Mr. CLEMENTS. I am, at this moment, uncertain of whether I saw him
prior to personally interrogating him. I don't believe that I did.
Mr. STERN. Did you know that he was being interrogated, and that other
special agents of the FBI were present?
Mr. CLEMENTS. It was my understanding that he was being questioned and
that FBI agents were participating.
Mr. STERN. You were, then, pursuing other functions?
Mr. CLEMENTS. Yes.
Mr. STERN. And they were, again, liaison activities?
Mr. CLEMENTS. Liaison--primarily.
Mr. STERN. Were you, Mr. Clements, the conduit for any information that
the FBI had concerning Oswald, to the Dallas Police Department?
Mr. CLEMENTS. No.
Mr. STERN. I understand that you participated in an interrogation of
Oswald. Would you tell me about that?
Mr. CLEMENTS. Sometime during the evening I did go to the homicide
bureau office for some purpose I don't immediately recall, and there
I saw one of our other agents, James Bookhout, and I asked him if
anyone had, to his knowledge, taken a detailed physical description
and detailed background information from Oswald. He told me that such
description and background data had not been obtained, and suggested
that I do it. I learned from Bookhout, as I recall, that Oswald was, at
the time, in a small office, the door of which was closed.
I sought out Captain Fritz, in charge of the homicide bureau, or one
of his ranking officers and asked if there was any objection to my
interviewing Oswald in the regard mentioned.
I was told there was no objection. I entered this room and found
that Oswald was in the room, and being guarded by two officers who I
presumed to be members of the Dallas Police Department, but whom I did
not personally know.
Mr. STERN. They were not interrogating him?
Mr. CLEMENTS. No; they were apparently just sitting on guard duty.
Mr. STERN. Then what happened?
Mr. CLEMENTS. I introduced myself to the officers whose names I do not
believe that I got, and also introduced myself to Oswald. Exhibited
my credentials and told him that I would like to obtain from him some
physical description, background, biographical data. He was agreeable,
and I began my interview with him.
Mr. STERN. Can you approximate the time of day that this
occurred--roughly?
Mr. CLEMENTS. I would say the interview began roughly at 10 p.m.
Mr. STERN. How long did it last? And was it interrupted?
Mr. CLEMENTS. I estimate the overall interview was approximately 30 or
35 minutes. I was interrupted twice, perhaps, during the interview,
being informed that he was being taken out for a lineup. While he was
gone I examined the contents of his wallet which was there on the desk,
and identified to me as Oswald's wallet. When he returned I continued
the interview.
Mr. STERN. Approximately how long was he gone?
Mr. CLEMENTS. I would estimate 10 or 15 minutes.
Mr. STERN. So, that the total amount of time that you spent with him
was something like 20 minutes?
Mr. CLEMENTS. That would be a rough estimate.
Mr. STERN. Did you see him again after that interview?
Mr. CLEMENTS. Yes; I saw him next at a time which I estimate was 11:30
p.m., the 22d. It was at a time when he was being taken to the basement
of the city hall to a press conference. I saw him as he was being taken
to the third floor from the offices of the homicide bureau, and I went
to the basement myself arriving there before he did, and I saw him as
he was being brought into the room where the press conference was held,
and during the course of the press conference.
Mr. STERN. Did you see him again at any time after that press
conference?
Mr. CLEMENTS. No.
Mr. STERN. What was his physical condition, as you observed it when
you----