Mr. HUBERT. Now, Mr. Stevenson, you are signing it.
Do I take it by that, that that statement is correct, so far as you
know?
At least that there are no errors in it?
Mr. STEVENSON. As far as I can see, there are no errors. Only one thing
on this, unless I missed it right here, this does not say anything of
the change of plan.
Mr. HUBERT. No?
Mr. STEVENSON. It sure doesn't.
Mr. HUBERT. Well, it just speaks for itself. But apparently you called
to our attention an omission from that statement which has been covered
by a part of this deposition, is that correct?
Mr. STEVENSON. This was taken on the 25th. I guess that is right. Isn't
that the date here?
Mr. HUBERT. Yes; the 25th is correct.
Mr. STEVENSON. I don't understand why that part was omitted, but I was
interviewed, and there is nothing in here, as far as I am concerned,
that is wrong, to my knowledge, with the exception of that omission of
the change in method, of transfer.
Mr. HUBERT. There may be other things also in your deposition that do
not appear in that document which we have marked as Exhibit 5051.
Now I show you another document which I have marked "Dallas, Tex.,
March 23, 1964, Exhibit 5052, Deposition of M. W. Stevenson," and
I have signed it with my own name. It is a part of the Commission
Document 81-A, Page 95-A, and ask you, sir, if that is a correct
statement of your interview with Captain Sawyer?
Mr. STEVENSON. Yes, sir; it is. I might add on this one, this was to
find out about our security, the reason this one was put out, and that
is the reason they didn't go any further. You want me to sign this?
Mr. HUBERT. Yes. As I understand you, that is correct, so far as it
goes?
Mr. STEVENSON. That's right.
Mr. HUBERT. Would you care to state for the record, Chief Stevenson,
what, in your opinion, was the cause of the breakdown of security which
resulted in the death of Oswald?
Mr. STEVENSON. Mr. Hubert, I don't know whether I can tell you the
cause or not, but there is no doubt we had a breakdown. And if our
investigation is right, it was at the Main Street ramp into the
basement through which Ruby claimed that he walked down that ramp while
this officer had his back turned. And our investigation showed that he
did leave the Western Union Office some 4 or 4-1/2 minutes prior to the
shooting.
Our breakdown, although this is my opinion, it was unintentional on the
part of Officer Vaughn, in my opinion, he did come down that ramp.
Mr. HUBERT. Is there anything else you would like to say, sir,
concerning any part of this matter whatsoever?
Mr. STEVENSON. Mr. Hubert, I don't recall a thing that I haven't
attempted to cover. However, if there is anything that I have not
covered, I will be glad to attempt to or to answer any questions that
you might think pertinent to it, and anything that I have failed to
cover has been unintentional, I assure you.
Mr. HUBERT. I simply want to give you an opportunity now to say
anything else that you might want to say, realizing, of course, that
there may be other things which don't come to your mind at the moment,
but I would like you to think about it and tell us if there is anything
at all that has not appeared in any statement you have made or in any
part of this deposition.
Mr. STEVENSON. The only thing that I could say that comes to my mind
at the present is, up until Oswald was killed in the basement, we felt
like we had built a good case on Oswald as the slayer of President
Kennedy, and we felt we had done a good job on the arrest and the
accumulation of the evidence.
We just had a breakdown. We were let down unintentionally, in my
opinion, from the investigation, by one officer that permitted Ruby to
get into the basement.
Mr. HUBERT. Have you made any other statement, Mr. Stevenson, other
than those that you have identified as Exhibits 5051 and 5052?
Mr. STEVENSON. Not to my knowledge that I recall, other than the
overall chronological report that we made to the chief of police
regarding the entire operation and plan for the visit of the President
all the way through until Oswald was slain by Ruby in the basement.
Mr. HUBERT. Was that a joint report?
Mr. STEVENSON. Yes.
Mr. HUBERT. Tell us who prepared that.
Mr. STEVENSON. It was Chief Batchelor, Chief Lumpkin, myself, Chief
Fisher, Chief Lunday, Captain Souter, and all of the supervisors who
had a definite responsibility in preparing and carrying out the plans
for the President's visit to our city on November the 22d.
Mr. HUBERT. Was that a written report?
Mr. STEVENSON. Yes.
Mr. HUBERT. Do you have a copy of that, sir?