Mr. HUBERT. 5065?
Captain TALBERT. 5065. In the last three and a half lines reading: "He
said the press and other news agencies had set up for Oswald's transfer
from the city jail to the county jail, and that day he did not feel the
police department would want to cross the news agencies," and if those
were my words it wouldn't be--it is probably a matter of semantics.
Probably a matter of our conversation with the sheriff--after he
conversed with me, I had a interview, a brief conversation with Newsom
concerning the fact that chief would contact him upon returning to city
hall, and I do not recall that. I don't recall that. I don't refute it.
I just don't recall it. Shall I initial it?
Mr. HUBERT. Please. If you will please sign your name under it. I
understand, therefore, that you have no recollection of having said
that you doubted that they were changing the plans because of any fear
that they might have of crossing the press?
Captain TALBERT. Sure, it would be improper, and the--even an inference
of a statement like that sort would be improper for a police captain to
make, and those are not my words.
Mr. HUBERT. Do you think you expressed any idea of the same nature, but
in other words?
Captain TALBERT. Perhaps the time lapse, I can't recall, but, as I
say, it may be a matter of semantics, and the way he understood it and
what I had said. As I recall my conversation with him, it was rather
difficult to get him back to the phone. I went through two or three
people to get him to the phone, and as I recall about the conversation,
it was rather brief and to the point, that I had contacted the chief
and the chief would contact him when he got to the office, which would
be between 8:30 and 9.
Mr. HUBERT. Do you remember discussing any possible change of plans at
all with him?
Captain TALBERT. None. I discussed no change of plans with Mr. Newsom.
Mr. HUBERT. Did you discuss the possibility of a change of plans in the
light of the new----
Captain TALBERT. No, sir.
Mr. HUBERT. Do you recall mentioning, in any way, the concept, the
basic concept of that sentence, that is, that the press would be
considered whatsoever in the thinking about those plans for the
transfer?
Captain TALBERT. In conversing with the sheriff, and our conversation
either from the sheriff or from me, and I think probably from the
sheriff, the subject arose that the chief had told the press that
they could arrive at the city hall at 10 o'clock, or thereabouts, the
previous day, and that was with Sheriff Decker. Not with Mr. Newsom,
as I recall it. Now, I have--several months have passed since--and
my memory becomes vague on it, so, must have been--possibly maybe a
matter of semantics, maybe a matter of conversing, or conversation
between Newsom and the sheriff of our having had this brief
conversation. Now, the rest, when you ask if we had any conversation
regarding a change of plan in the transferring, I answered you
incorrectly and I don't recall discussing it with Newsom at all. I did
discuss it with Sheriff Decker and said that the chief would contact
him. Any discussion with him was very brief and that the chief would
contact him about the transfer of Oswald when he arrived at the office.
Mr. HUBERT. All right. Have you any other comments to make concerning
this document?
Captain TALBERT. No, sir.
Mr. HUBERT. Would you pass then on back to 5066, which also is an FBI
statement.
Captain TALBERT. Yes, sir; on this document 5066, it indicates--and
this too is a matter of semantics, I am thinking. It indicates that
Ruby rushed in with newsmen. That--shall I read it and finish it?
Mr. HUBERT. Yes, put the part you read in quotes and end the quote and
make your comments. Just start off with the word "quote" where you want
to start.
Captain TALBERT. "There were approximately 150 news reporters and
television cameramen that----"
Closing the quote. The 150, in my opinion, mind, which is relatively
fluid, by the way anybody will estimate a crowd, "150 including police
officers, news media and television cameramen," approximately 150 in
the basement. Now, not news media alone, and--" He stated in the rush
to get down into the basement in which the loading ramp was located
and Oswald was being brought down from the jail, it is highly possible
that Jack Ruby may have been--walked down the ramp with the newsmen,
unnoticed."
That is, again, something that I couldn't--could not and would not
have stated, because the newsmen were in the basement. There was no
rush of newsmen into the basement. They were in the basement, and they
had been in the basement some hour before Oswald was brought into the
basement. I don't know how this was injected into this report, but it
is incorrect.
Mr. HUBERT. All right, sir. Have you any other comments to make in
regard to Exhibit 5066?
Captain TALBERT. Yes, "According to Captain Talbert, now, Will Fritz
was in charge about removing Oswald to the Dallas County Jail, and
the attempted removal of the prisoner Oswald about 11 a.m." That was
my opinion. Shouldn't that be inserted there? It was my opinion that
Captain Fritz was in charge of the removal of Oswald from the city jail
to the county jail. I had no prior information on it, and still have no
information on it.
Mr. HUBERT. Do you know what was the basis of your opinion?
Captain TALBERT. The fact that he wanted him in his office from the
jail. He had taken him out of the jail on a "tempo," which is a
temporary release from the jail to the CID bureau, or CID office, is
the fact that he had him out of the jail at the time is what I based it
on.
Mr. HUBERT. I see. All right, now, have you any further comments on
5066?
Captain TALBERT. No, sir.
Mr. HUBERT. I would ask you to sign your name below mine and initial
these pages. Have you done that?
Captain TALBERT. Yes.
Mr. HUBERT. Now, pass then to 5067, and I will ask the same basic
questions as to that document and its several pages.
Captain TALBERT. 5067, is my report to the chief of police, and I have
no exceptions on it. I read the report, and it is, in fact, similar to
one that I had issued to the chief regarding the incident on the date
of the 26th--November 26th.
Mr. HUBERT. You are initialing now each page below by initial, and you
are signing your name to the first page below my signature?
Captain TALBERT. All right, sir.
Mr. HUBERT. Now, will you turn then to Exhibit 5068, and address
yourself to the same basic questions that I asked you originally.
Captain TALBERT. In Exhibit 5068, I have no exceptions whatsoever.
Mr. HUBERT. Just sign your name below mine then. Finally that brings
up to Exhibit 5069. Do you have any comments to make with reference to
that document?
Captain TALBERT. Yes, sir; on Exhibit 5069, in there--and again due to
semantics or to my lack of ability to express myself, some corrections
that need to be made on the first page of 5069. It indicates "Captain
Talbert directed Lieutenant Pierce to call in 3 squads from their
district assignments from 3 different stations to take 4 individuals
from the headquarters station." The word "individuals" should be squads.
Mr. HUBERT. In other words, you weren't talking about 4 people, but 4
squads?
Captain TALBERT. Four patrol squads.