I was satisfied in my own mind that he knew what he was doing, and
that he didn't want me or the Dallas Bar Association to do anything
right now. So, I left, and as I left the chief asked me whether or not
I wanted to make a statement to the press, and I said, "Well, I don't
know whether I do or not. I don't know whether it is the thing to do or
not." And he said, "Well, they are going to be right outside the door
there, and if you want to say anything this would be an opportunity to
do it."
He said, "Incidentally, I am very glad you came up here. We don't want
any question coming up about us refusing to let him have a lawyer. As
far as I know, he has never asked for one. He has never asked to call
one."
And I believe the chief mentioned that Mr. Abt's name, but he said, "He
has never asked us to call him."
He said, "Do you think we have an obligation?" And I said, "I don't
know."
He said, "I am glad that you came down and talked to him. At least that
takes a problem off of us about not furnishing him a lawyer."
And so, we--about that time we stepped out of the door and there was
just a whole swarm of photographers and cameramen standing right
there. Right outside the door on the third floor. They came out in the
third floor, reached back down in the third floor, and the chief told
them who I was, and what I had been up there for, and oh, for 4 or 5
minutes, what turned out to be live television interview, whether or
not--they asked me if I thought he was guilty, and if he had admitted
anything, and I told them that I didn't ask him, and he didn't tell
me, and they merely wanted to know the reason I was up here, and
that interview is something, I assume, that you have, or will be made
available. I don't remember exactly what transpired, and then--but they
asked me what his attitude was, whether he was belligerent and--or
scared, and to me, he appeared to be neither belligerent nor scared.
He appeared to be a man that was pretty calm, I thought, under the
circumstances. He appeared to me that he knew where he was and pretty
much what his rights were with regard to being represented, and he
knew apparently--at least the conversation was that if he didn't get
somebody to represent him that he wanted that he could always fall back
on the bar association, or somebody, and I had told him that I would
see him next week if he wanted me to, and I satisfied myself at least,
to the extent, that the man appeared to know what he was doing. He did
not appear to be irrational. He appeared to be calm. He turned down
my offer of help, and I felt like at that point that was all I needed
to do, and this was later Saturday afternoon, and I had no inkling
that anything else, except maybe that the next week if he didn't get a
lawyer I might hear from him, or check into it, and that's all I know
about Mr. Lee Harvey Oswald.
Mr. STERN. That's quite a complete statement. Let's just cover a few
details. What was his physical condition, as you observed it?
Mr. NICHOLS. Well, he had a little scratch, or bruise over one eye. I
have forgotten whether over the left or right, but other than that, as
I recall, there were no indication of any other injuries or marks on
him that I could tell. He was dressed, I believe, in a white T-shirt
and slacks, and appeared to me to be in normal condition. I mean, there
was nothing obviously wrong with him from a physical standpoint, as I
could observe.
Mr. STERN. Did he seem well rested, or tired?
Mr. NICHOLS. No; he seemed all right. When I went in there he was lying
on his back and he got up and he didn't--he looked like he was calm,
and was rested, and it--didn't appear to have--now this is a guess,
and my own observation, did not appear to me to have been mistreated.
I was interested in observing whether or not he--it looked like he had
been mistreated, because, as a lawyer, I anticipate perhaps that he--if
he had been mistreated, or might claim he had been mistreated it was
something I should have observed at that time, and I observed nothing
to indicate that.