Mr. DECKER. If you can answer it, all well and good--I can't. I keep
getting information here that we are going to have you people--you
people are going to attempt to interview this prisoner that I have
now, and if that is correct, why of course I would like to make some
provisions to talk to somebody before it happens. Of course, it will
take a court order for me to move him, which of course you know is no
trouble to obtain--you know that.
Mr. HUBERT. I can't comment on that.
Mr. DECKER. Don't, if you can't, sir--it's all right, but of course
I am leaving that with you that I would like to have some advance
knowledge. You can comment on that--that you will do it if you have any
knowledge.
Mr. HUBERT. Well, I'm sure if such a decision is made by the people who
are authorized to make it, that they will cooperate with you in every
way possible.
Mr. DECKER. And, I would like to keep it out of the press also because
every time I turn around with Mr. Ruby, I am blasted with this.
Mr. HUBERT. Of course, that's another matter--that's out of my control.
Mr. DECKER. Yes.
Mr. HUBERT. I repeat that I think that if such a thing should come
about, that you would be contacted and that the various problems that
might exist in the matter would be discussed with you fully and that
the persons representing the Commission would cooperate with you.
Mr. DECKER. I'm sure they will.
Mr. HUBERT. In every way you wish them to do so, consistent, of course,
with their mission.
Mr. DECKER. It makes no difference. I'm sorry, but I don't seem to have
in this file Perry McCoy's statement. I think you have a statement from
McCoy.
Mr. HUBERT. Yes.
Mr. DECKER. He made one--stating the times that he talked to the man,
the conversations, and substantiated exactly practically what I said to
you.
Mr. HUBERT. I think we have covered the point.
Mr. DECKER. I know you have because I sent him up there to be
interviewed.
Mr. HUBERT. I have heretofore shown you two documents identified as
follows: The first being a report of an interview of you by Officer
Neeley.
Mr. DECKER. That's correct.
Mr. HUBERT. On November 27, 1963.
Mr. DECKER. That's where I told him I didn't wish to discuss the matter
any further over the telephone.
Mr. HUBERT. I have identified it by marking on the margin, "Dallas,
Texas, April 16, 1964, Exhibit 5321, Deposition of Sheriff J. E.
Decker." That consists of one page.
The second document also consists of one page. It is a report of an
interview by James W. Bookhout of you on November 28, 1963. That
document I have marked for identification as follows:
"Dallas, Texas, April 16, 1964, Exhibit 5322, Deposition of Sheriff
J. E. Decker," and I have signed my name. I think you have had an
opportunity to read these two?
Mr. DECKER. Yes.
Mr. HUBERT. I should like to ask you, sir, if these documents are fair
statements of the interviews that you had with the FBI agents indicated?
Mr. DECKER. Yes, sir.
Mr. HUBERT. Are they correct?
Mr. DECKER. Yes, sir.
Mr. HUBERT. Have you any comment to make with respect to either one of
them?
Mr. DECKER. No, sir; I think they speak for themselves, sir.
Mr. HUBERT. May I ask if you have any particular comment, sheriff, to
make with regard to the last paragraph of exhibit 5321, which reads in
part as follows:
"Sheriff Decker stated that he had no desire to discuss this matter
further and does not desire to furnish any details of the conversations
he had with the Police Department and declined to say whether he
advised the Police Department he had a preference as to the time of day
the transfer of the prisoner should be made."
Mr. DECKER. That was a telephone conversation. I had an office full of
people and that's what it was and I didn't make any statement--no more
than I made directly to you here about the call, and which McCoy made,
which is a statement which you have from McCoy in your files.
Mr. HUBERT. As I understand it, then, your explanation of the paragraph
is that you did not wish to discuss the matter further over the
telephone and in the presence of the people who were there?
Mr. DECKER. Well, I don't believe I went that far. I just said I didn't
care to discuss it any further and I got my friend Neeley off the line.
That's all there was to it. And I never had the opportunity to talk
to him afterward again until I met him several days ago, you know, he
works in north Texas and is in and out, but that's all the conversation
he and I had--what you have there.
Mr. HUBERT. Well, what I had in mind to ask you was this: On the face
of the paragraph that I have just read from Exhibit 5321, it looks like
there was an attitude on your part that you didn't wish to cooperate
with the FBI--I am just simply wanting to get the record straight from
your point of view--as to what was your intention.
Mr. DECKER. As I said at that time--I didn't care to discuss it any
further at that time. That's all there is to it.
Mr. HUBERT. Yes; I understand, but this paragraph is correct and stands
as it is?
Mr. DECKER. Yes, sir; I did not--at that time I didn't discuss it.
There was no reason to go into why, and why--I told him my reasons a
moment ago.
Mr. HUBERT. Now, sheriff, I have noticed that you have looked from
time to time at a book which I gather must be your own or the official
record?
Mr. DECKER. No; it's part of my records there. It doesn't have all the
statements in it as it should have.
Mr. HUBERT. Were copies of those statements made--are they available?
Mr. DECKER. They are yours--you can have them if you want them to keep
them.
Mr. HUBERT. This copy?
Mr. DECKER. You can have the whole thing. The only thing that is not
in there is McCoy's and about three or four other statements. I will
submit the whole thing to you if you want it right now. You can take it
with you. I have no objections.
Mr. HUBERT. Do you wish to have this returned to you--this seems to be
a copy anyway--this is not the original.
Mr. DECKER. Yes; those are photostatic copies. I can furnish you those
others--I can furnish you that copy on McCoy and I can furnish the
copy on two or three others that I have down there but I don't know
where McCoy's is and I don't know whether they left it out of there or
not--since McCoy's I have testified to, I would like to furnish it to
you.
Mr. HUBERT. All right.
Mr. DECKER. And will send it to you shortly.
Mr. HUBERT. Let me mark this document, then--I am marking it, "Dallas,
Tex., April 16, 1964, as Exhibit 5323, Deposition of Sheriff J. E.
Decker," and I am signing my name to it.
The document is actually a dark brown heavy folder with an Acco
fastener. It is called Acco Press on the inside and bears the label
on the outside, "Harvey Lee Oswald, WM 24, Murder--11-22-63 of John
Fitzgerald Kennedy; W-M-46, President of the United States. Assault to
murder: Gov. John B. Connally." On the left hand bottom side of the
cover is a sticker on which there is typewritten "File of: Sheriff's
Department, Dallas, Tex., Bill Decker, Sheriff," under which I have
written the identification of it as I dictated it a moment ago into the
record.
Turning on to the inside of the book, it seems to be divided up into
parts. There is a yellow, light cardboard division marker, which in the
left hand bottom says, "Crime Reports." In that are 2 yellow sheets
and 10 white sheets. I am marking the cover with my initials and the
yellow and white sheets with my initials, all in the lower right hand
corner. The next subdivision which is made by a light cardboard sheet,
is entitled, "Witness affidavits." I am marking it with my initials.
Mr. DECKER. Now, you are supposed to have copies of all of those
affidavits come to you from some agency--I don't know which.
Mr. HUBERT. And, each of the sheets thereof I am marking with my
initials. There are 35 of such sheets.
Then, in the last part of the book, also divided by a light yellow
cardboard sheet on which I am putting my initials, that division sheet
is entitled "Officers supplement," and there are 42 sheets which I have
marked with my initials. Is this document, Sheriff Decker, that you
have handed me a complete record of what you have concerning Oswald? I
think you mentioned that there might be one document or two that you
wished to send me?
Mr. DECKER. I would like to send you a copy of McCoy's statement, a
copy of McCoy's report in there and maybe a couple of other statements,
that's all. There may be some others--I can send those to you
anywhere--Washington or anywhere, it makes no difference, or I can send
them up here to you in the next 45 minutes after I leave here.
Mr. HUBERT. After lunch will be all right.
Mr. DECKER. Fine, I will send them up.
Mr. HUBERT. I will just attach them to this exhibit.
Mr. DECKER. That's all right--they belong in there and I don't know how
they got out, but in comparing them, making a new one up, you lose some
once in a while--as much paperwork as we do in law enforcement fields
this day and time, you lose a heck of a lot of it.
Mr. HUBERT. Now, Sheriff Decker, has any member of the Commission's
staff interviewed you other than myself?
Mr. DECKER. No, sir.
Mr. HUBERT. Have you anything further you wish to add?
Mr. DECKER. I don't know why I should take any more of your time. You
have practically everything I have that is of value to you. If there is
anything further you want--we are available and you have a big job to
do----
Mr. HUBERT. Well, that's all right--that's what I'm here for.
Mr. DECKER. I know that.
Mr. HUBERT. But if we know all that you know, then that's all right.
Mr. DECKER. That's right--so, there is no reason of going over it.
Mr. HUBERT. Is it your thought that considering your testimony here
today and what you have told the FBI and your records----
Mr. DECKER. And my records that I have given to you--turned over to
you and what my other deputies have given to you, I don't know of any
reason to take up any more of your time, sir.
Mr. HUBERT. All right, thank you very much.
Mr. DECKER. I will be delighted to have you come and see my operation
before you leave and it might clear up some things there for you.
Mr. HUBERT. All right, thank you.
Mr. DECKER. Thank you.