The testimony of Assistant Chief Charles Batchelor was taken at 8:30
p.m., on March 23, 1964, in the office of the U.S. attorney, 301 Post
Office Building, Bryan and Ervay Streets, Dallas, Tex., by Mr. Burt W.
Griffin, assistant counsel of the President's Commission.
Mr. GRIFFIN. My name is Burt Griffin. I am a member of the advisory
staff of the general counsel of the President's Commission. Under the
provisions of Executive Order 11130, dated November 29, 1963, and the
rules of procedure adopted by the Commission in conformance with the
Executive order and the joint resolution, I have been authorized to
take a sworn deposition from you, Chief Batchelor.
I state to you now that the general nature of the Commission's inquiry
is to ascertain, evaluate, and report upon the facts relating to the
assassination of President Kennedy and the subsequent violent death of
Lee Harvey Oswald. In particular as to you, Chief Batchelor, the nature
of the inquiry today is to determine what facts you know about the
security surrounding the protection of Lee Harvey Oswald and any other
pertinent facts that you may know about the general inquiry having to
do with the death of President Kennedy.
Chief Batchelor, you have appeared here today by virtue of a general
request made by the general counsel of the staff of the President's
Commission. Under the rules adopted by the Commission, you are entitled
to a 3-day written notice prior to the taking of this deposition. But
the rules adopted by the Commission also provide that any witness may
waive this notice. Do you now waive this notice?
Chief BATCHELOR. Yes.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Would you raise your right hand and be sworn?
Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing
but the truth, so help you God?
Chief BATCHELOR. I do.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Will you state your name for the record?
Chief BATCHELOR. Charles Batchelor.
Mr. GRIFFIN. What is your age?
Chief BATCHELOR. Fifty-eight.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Where do you live, Mr. Batchelor?
Chief BATCHELOR. 1022 Franklin Avenue, Dallas, Tex.
Mr. GRIFFIN. What is your occupation?
Chief BATCHELOR. I am assistant chief of police of the Dallas Police
Department.
Mr. GRIFFIN. How long have you been with the Dallas Police Department?
Chief BATCHELOR. Since May 1, 1936.
Mr. GRIFFIN. How long have you been assistant chief?
Chief BATCHELOR. Since January 20, 1960.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Of course you and I have spoken at some length earlier
this afternoon. In that conversation, we discussed your activities from
the time that you learned that President Kennedy was shot on November
22 until Saturday, November 23, when you first heard something about
the movement of Lee Harvey Oswald from the Dallas City Jail to the
Dallas County Jail. I believe you told me that sometime on Saturday
night you were confronted by some newspaper reporters with respect to
the movement of Lee Harvey Oswald?
Chief BATCHELOR. Yes, sir.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Would you tell us, Chief Batchelor, about what time of the
night these reporters approached you?
Chief BATCHELOR. This must have been somewhere around 7:30 or 8 o'clock
at night.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Where were you?
Chief BATCHELOR. I was in the administrative offices of the police
department at headquarters.
Mr. GRIFFIN. That is on the third floor? On the third floor of the
police and----
Chief BATCHELOR. Yes, sir.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Were you inside your own office?
Chief BATCHELOR. No; I was out in the outer office of the
administrative offices where the secretaries are.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Do you recall how many reporters confronted you?
Chief BATCHELOR. There were two of them.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Do you recall who they were?
Chief BATCHELOR. No; I don't recall who they were now. It was a rather
casual request. They asked, or they said, rather, that they were hungry
and hadn't had anything to eat and they wanted to go out to dinner,
and they didn't want to miss anything if we were going to move the
prisoner. And I told them I had no idea when they were going to move
the prisoner.
About that time Chief Curry came up and he told them, he said, "Oh, I
think if you fellows are back here by 10 o'clock in the morning you
won't miss anything."
So they left with that and went to eat.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Were there any other reporters around at that time?
Chief BATCHELOR. No, sir. Then later, just a very few minutes later,
Chief Curry decided, well, he might tell the rest of the people out in
the hall so they won't be hanging around, because they were apparently
doing nothing, just waiting. So he went out and told them that if they
would come back by 10 o'clock in the morning, they were not going to
move the prisoner in the meantime.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Did you talk with Chief Curry after he first spoke to
these two newspaper reporters?
Chief BATCHELOR. You mean with reference to the movement of the
prisoner?
Mr. GRIFFIN. Yes.
Chief BATCHELOR. He told me that he didn't know exactly when they
would move him, but he thought homicide bureau was about through with
questioning him, but he knew that Captain Fritz wanted to question him
again in the morning, and that after he had questioned him, why, we
would move him.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Where did that conversation take place?
Chief BATCHELOR. In the administrative offices. One thing I think I
omitted. From the time that he told these reporters that if they were
to come back by 10 o'clock in the morning, he didn't think they would
miss anything, he went in and discussed it with Captain Fritz as to how
he was progressing with the interrogation and whether or not he thought
he would be through with him in the morning.