Captain TALBERT. Let me just say that when Vaughn was broached with
having described this one entry into the ramp, that was the day after
his report had been written, and I had had a chance to review all
the reports, I obtained a copy of all the officers' reports and let
them stand even though some of them were conflicting and deleting
things--now, these were not the officers on the door, but the officers
on the street. That some of them conflicted about who told them to do
what. But I didn't have them change them as I normally would, because
of the incident, and also because of the nature of the incident, and
also because of my involvement in this.
Mr. HUBERT. Isn't it a fact that Vaughn had filed a report in which he
failed to report that he had let Chenault go down the ramp?
Captain TALBERT. Yes, sir; Vaughn, in his report, did not note
anything about anyone coming in the ramp other than squad cars and
the paddy wagon. No pedestrian traffic denoted, but when I went over
it with him in the presence of Chief Fisher and Sergeant Putnam, he
recalled--Vaughn without our having to bring it to his attention.
Mr. HUBERT. He recalled Chenault?
Captain TALBERT. I'm sorry. He recalled Chenault without our having
to bring it to his attention and inserted it in his verbal report,
and that was after the written report, which was an oversight on his
part. Chenault, may I add, was immediately evicted from the basement by
Sergeant Putnam when he saw him come down the ramp. He had him leave.
Chenault said that he needed to check the vehicles in the basement and
to see if any of them needed to be in the garage, and Sergeant Putnam
told him that he could do that later; to leave the ramp area at that
time, and he did.
Mr. HUBERT. You mentioned the paddy wagon coming down the Main Street
ramp.
Captain TALBERT. It is a fact that the paddy wagon did come in.
However, each vehicle coming in was searched, and the paddy wagon was
operated by an officer named Lewis. The front seat of the paddy wagon
was searched and the back of the paddy wagon was searched----
Mr. HUBERT. By whom?
Captain TALBERT. Chief Fisher--before they let them into the ramp. By
Sergeant Putnam, himself, as I recall.
Mr. HUBERT. You don't know of any record of how many paddy wagons or
other vehicles came down Main Street ramp after Vaughn was posted and
until the shooting?
Captain TALBERT. I recall three in the reports. I didn't see any of
it--of them, but I recall three in the reports. One being a paddy
wagon. One vehicle contained two detectives. Another vehicle operated
by R. A. Watts, with a juvenile prisoner. Watts was not permitted to
leave the station and the prisoner was booked, and he was retained to
assist in the security.
Mr. HUBERT. Now, Captain Talbert, I am going to mark for identification
an FBI report of an interview which you made on November 24, 1963,
Dallas, Tex., March 24, 1964, as Exhibit 5065, deposition of C. E.
Talbert, and I have signed my name to it. It is a one page document.
I am marking another document consisting of two pages. Placing upon
it, "Dallas, Tex., March 24, 1964, Exhibit 5066, deposition of C. E.
Talbert." I am signing my own name below that, all of which is on the
first page of the document which is the FBI report by Special Agent
Vincent Drain, dated November 25, 1963. It consists of two pages and
I am placing my initial on the bottom right-hand corner on the second
page. I also am marking for identification another document, being a
copy of a letter apparently addressed by you, Capt. Cecil Talbert to
Chief Curry, dated November 26, containing five pages. The first page
I am marking as follows: "Dallas, Tex., March 24, 1964, Exhibit 5067,
deposition of Capt. C. E. Talbert." And I am signing my name below
that now, and I am placing my initials in the lower right-hand corner
of each of the following pages. I am marking on a single page document
purporting to be an FBI report made by Special Agents Logan and
Bramblett, dated December 10, 1963, by placing upon that document the
words, "Dallas, Tex., March 24, 1964, Exhibit 5068, deposition of Capt.
C. E. Talbert," and I have signed my name, and that document--that
exhibit consists just of a single page. And finally marking upon a
report of an interview which you had with Special Agents Bramblett and
Logan of the FBI, on December 12, the following: "Dallas, Tex., March
24, 1964, Exhibit 5069, deposition of Capt. C. E. Talbert," under which
I am signing my name. Now, that document consists of eight pages,
and I am marking the seven other pages with my initials on the lower
right-hand corner, on each of the pages. Now, Captain, I ask you if you
have had a chance to study and to read these various documents?
Captain TALBERT. Yes, sir.
Mr. HUBERT. Let the record note, by the way, that Exhibit 5070, is
the tour of the basement which has been previously identified and
signed. In a moment I am going to ask you to identify and endorse
your signature or initials below my signature or initials on each one
of these pages of the various documents. In other words--in order to
separate them, I direct your attention now to Exhibit 5065, being the
FBI report of November 24, 1963. As to each one of these documents,
I want to ask you this: Does that document correctly represent the
truth and facts such as you know them? Has anything been deleted? Has
anything been omitted? Do any facts stated need any modification or
change of any sort whatsoever?
Captain TALBERT. You want me to read them again; do you, sir?
Mr. HUBERT. Just enough to identify them. You have already studied them.