The testimony of Detective B. H. Combest was taken at 9 a.m., on March
26, 1964, in the office of the U.S. attorney, 301 Post Office Building,
Bryan and Ervay Streets, Dallas, Tex., by Mr. Leon D. Hubert, Jr.,
assistant counsel of the President's Commission.
Mr. HUBERT. This is the deposition of B. H. Combest. Mr. Combest, my
name is Leon D. Hubert, and 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, joint resolution of
Congress No. 137, and the rules of procedure adopted by the President's
Commission in conformance with the Executive order and the joint
resolution I have been authorized to take a sworn deposition from you.
I state to you 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, Mr. Combest, the nature of
the inquiry today is to determine what facts you know about the death
of Oswald and any other pertinent facts you may know about the general
inquiry. Mr. Combest, you appeared here today by virtue of a general
request made to your Chief Curry by Mr. J. Lee Rankin, general counsel
on 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 the deposition, but the rules, however, also provide that a
witness may waive this notice. Are you willing now to waive the 3-day
notice?
Mr. COMBEST. Yes, sir.
Mr. HUBERT. Will you raise your right hand to be sworn, please?
Mr. COMBEST. Yes, sir.
Mr. HUBERT. Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth
and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
Mr. COMBEST. Yes.
Mr. HUBERT. Will you please state your name, sir?
Mr. COMBEST. Billy H. Combest.
Mr. HUBERT. Now, your name is Billy and not William?
Mr. COMBEST. Yes, sir; it is Billy.
Mr. HUBERT. And your age?
Mr. COMBEST. Thirty-three.
Mr. HUBERT. Where do you reside, sir?
Mr. COMBEST. 2803 Linhaven, Mesquite, Tex.
Mr. HUBERT. Mesquite, Tex.
Mr. COMBEST. Yes, sir.
Mr. HUBERT. What is your occupation, sir?
Mr. COMBEST. Detective for the city of Dallas Police Department.
Mr. HUBERT. And how long have you been so employed?
Mr. COMBEST. With the department a little over 9 years. I have been a
detective about 4 years.
Mr. HUBERT. Were you on duty on Sunday, November 24th, 1963?
Mr. COMBEST. Yes, sir, I was.
Mr. HUBERT. Was that one of your regular working days or had you been
called in specially?
Mr. COMBEST. No, my regular working day.
Mr. HUBERT. Do you know Jack Ruby?
Mr. COMBEST. Yes, sir; I did.
Mr. HUBERT. How well did you know him?
Mr. COMBEST. Well, I knew him very well by sight. I had seen him
numerous occasions before, over a period of approximately 4, 4-1/2
years. I knew him through business with the--checking his location for
violations, routine checks by the police.
Mr. HUBERT. Would there be any doubt that you would recognize him as
soon as you saw him?
Mr. COMBEST. No, sir.
Mr. HUBERT. You would recognize him even in a crowd of people?
Mr. COMBEST. Yes, sir; I would have.
Mr. HUBERT. Would it make any difference in your recognition if he had
a hat on or not?
Mr. COMBEST. No, sir.
Mr. HUBERT. Now, Mr. Combest, I ask you to identify some documents and
in order for the record to show that we are talking about the same
thing, I am going to mark them. I now mark what appears to be a copy
of a letter dated November 26, 1963, addressed to J. E. Curry, chief
of police, and the original apparently was signed by you, as, "Dallas,
Texas, March 26, 1964. Exhibit No. 5099. Deposition of B. H. Combest."
I am signing my name Leon D. Hubert, Jr., on the first page. On the
second page, I am placing my initials in the lower right-hand corner.
I am also marking for identification what purports to be a report of
the FBI of an interview with you by Special Agents Dallman and Quigley
on December 2, 1963, consisting of four pages, putting on this first
page, in the right side margin the following, "Dallas, Texas, March 26,
1964. Exhibit No. 5101. Deposition of B. H. Combest." I am signing my
name on the first page below that and placing my initials in the lower
right-hand corner of the three succeeding pages. Now, Mr. Combest, you
have read the letter dated November 26, addressed to Chief Curry, which
I have marked Exhibit 5099. Does that document represent the truth, so
far as you know it?
Mr. COMBEST. Yes, sir.
Mr. HUBERT. Have you any comments to make about it?
Mr. COMBEST. No, sir.
Mr. HUBERT. All right. Now let's turn to a document which I have marked
5101, which is the FBI report, and I will ask you if you have read that?
Mr. COMBEST. Yes, sir; I have.
Mr. HUBERT. If you have any comments to make on that, corrections,
deletions, anything been omitted?