Mr. COMBEST. Yes, sir.
Mr. HUBERT. And I'm writing on the map, "Position where Ruby was first
seen by Combest." Was he standing still then?
Mr. COMBEST. No, sir; he was stepping forward and--or lunging forward,
I guess would be the best way to put it.
Mr. HUBERT. You had not seen him, of course, prior to that moment?
Mr. COMBEST. No, sir; I had not.
Mr. HUBERT. Had you seen him in the crowd at all?
Mr. COMBEST. No, sir; I had not.
Mr. HUBERT. Had you seen him coming down?
Mr. COMBEST. No, sir; when I was standing with the crowd I couldn't see
the ramp there, the Main Street ramp.
Mr. HUBERT. You could see a part of it, couldn't you, the bottom?
Mr. COMBEST. Well, no, sir; it slanted up and they had an air
conditioner sitting across here where you have to be almost in
your--standing directly in the bottom of the ramp you couldn't see the
top of it very clearly.
Mr. HUBERT. But, you testified that you knew Ruby's face well enough so
that you could distinguish it in a crowd?
Mr. COMBEST. Yes, sir.
Mr. HUBERT. You had looked into that crowd and your eyes had become
accustomed to the lights?
Mr. COMBEST. Yes, sir.
Mr. HUBERT. Now, I ask you if you saw him in the crowd before he lunged
forward?
Mr. COMBEST. No, sir.
Mr. HUBERT. Do you think you would have seen him had he been in that
crowd during the 15 minutes or so prior to that shot, the shooting?
Mr. COMBEST. Quite possibly if he had been there very long I believe I
would have spotted him. I might not have, but knowing that he didn't
belong there I believe I would have spotted him right off.
Mr. HUBERT. Well, now, what precautions were taken to assure that
people who did not belong there would not be there?
Mr. COMBEST. Well, everyone that went out into the basement from the
jail office had to have the press card, proper identification showing
that they were members of the press and police officers. Other than
that no one was admitted to the basement parking area.
Mr. HUBERT. What kind of press cards were honored, and what were
dishonored?
Mr. COMBEST. Well, most of the news personnel there had the--had a
press card for that--I don't remember the wording. It was something
about--"Presidential press party," or something that they had. Of
course, it was recognized and then any other card that did have their
picture on it, and it had to say they were a member of a press, any
newspaper. I remember the Oklahoma City newspaper came in, and they
were admitted with their press cards.
Mr. HUBERT. Did they have to have their picture on the press cards?
Mr. COMBEST. The ones I checked, I remember now I wasn't actually
stationed there at the cars. There were two uniformed officers here
who were actually doing the checking. Of course, I did check some to
expedite travel through that narrow corridor.
Mr. HUBERT. What I'm trying to get at, there were no particular press
cards issued for this particular occasion?
Mr. COMBEST. Not that I recall; no, sir. Not that I know of.
Mr. HUBERT. Do you remember any instances in which you were involved
or in which you observed in which persons who were not properly--who
didn't have a press card, were removed or questioned?
Mr. COMBEST. Yes, sir; in my letter there to Chief Curry I recall there
was a girl that worked at the police information desk, which is in
the basement, by the records bureau, had went out into the basement,
at least on one occasion to summon officers that were wanted on the
telephone. On the next time that I noticed her start to go into there,
she was stopped by Sergeant Putnam, as I recall it. He advised her that
she would not go into the basement if she had messages to officers that
were in the basement, and she was not to leave her assignment behind
the information desk until the transfer was over. Also, to a civilian
employee that worked in the jail booking office proper. He had came
out into the parking basement, appeared to have a look around to see
what was going on. He was told to get back behind the desk in the jail
booking office and remain there until after the transfer was over.
Also, one other incident, I think I have also put in my letter there
and regarding a reporter for the Oklahoma City News, I believe his
name is Jim Standard. He did not have a press card. He was stopped and
questioned, but he did have proper identification to prove that he did
work for the Oklahoma City newspaper. He had a hospitalization card
made out to a group policy of this newspaper in Oklahoma City. Had some
letters and correspondence to him, addressed to him at that location,
and after convincing myself and Beaty, he convinced Captain Talbert
that he was a legitimate member of the press and he was admitted. Two
or 3 days after the incident I was in Oklahoma City and I saw the
article he had written showing this incident in Dallas and his picture
was also in the Oklahoma City paper, and I remembered him. I recognized
him. And he wrote a pretty good article on the security in the basement.
Mr. HUBERT. Did you speak to Ruby after the shooting?
Mr. COMBEST. No, sir.
Mr. HUBERT. Did you hear him say anything?
Mr. COMBEST. Again, I heard him talking when he came into the jail
office proper, where the booking office is located. As I recall it,
they laid him on the floor to put the handcuffs on him more securely.
He was talking then as they led him past the spot where Oswald was
laying, near the elevator, to take him to jail. He was also talking. He
was looking in the direction of Oswald and was talking to the officers
that were leading him away. I don't recall any specific statement he
made.
Mr. HUBERT. Did you hear Oswald say anything?
Mr. COMBEST. No, sir. He--I didn't hear him say a word hardly, after he
had been shot. He was moaning at the time Jimmy Leavelle, Graves, and I
laid him down on the floor and removed the handcuffs that he had on him.
Mr. HUBERT. That was in the jail office?
Mr. COMBEST. Yes, sir. At the time I asked him and talked to him trying
to get him to make a statement to me at the time. Especially, after I
realized how serious the wound was. When we first asked him he appeared
to comprehend what I was saying.
Mr. HUBERT. What did you ask him?
Mr. COMBEST. Well, I told him was there anything that he wanted me to
tell anybody or was there anything he wanted to say right now before it
was too late, and I don't remember my--exactly the words that I did say
to him, but after I realized the seriousness of the wound, of course,
trying to let him know if he was ever going to say anything he was
going to have to say it then.
Mr. HUBERT. You thought he was dying?
Mr. COMBEST. Yes, sir; I did.
Mr. HUBERT. And do you think you used language to him to convey to him
your idea that he was dying?
Mr. COMBEST. Yes, sir.
Mr. HUBERT. Did you get any indication that he actually understood what
you were trying to convey to him?
Mr. COMBEST. When I first started asking him he did. He looked up at
me, seemed to recognize that I--who was talking to him.
Mr. HUBERT. You don't mean that he recognized you as a person?
Mr. COMBEST. He recognized that I was the person talking to him.
Mr. HUBERT. But, he didn't say anything?
Mr. COMBEST. No, sir; just shook his head and I said, "Do you have
anything you want to tell us now," and he shook his head.
Mr. HUBERT. He did not say the word "No"?
Mr. COMBEST. No, sir; he did not say anything at all.
Mr. HUBERT. Did you indicate to him that if he had any accomplices or
wanted to clarify the shooting of the President, that he had better do
it right quick?
Mr. COMBEST. Not in those words. I didn't mention "accomplice," or
anything. I was real excited at the time but I kept talking to him as
long as I thought that he would try to answer me, hoping that he would
give a dying declaration on the shooting.
Mr. HUBERT. And you think you used language sufficiently clear to him
to indicate to him that in your opinion he was dying and on account of
the fact that he was dying it was just about the last time he would
have a chance to say anything about the shooting of the President, or
the shooting?
Mr. COMBEST. Yes, sir; that's correct.
Mr. HUBERT. Did you see Ruby thereafter?
Mr. COMBEST. What was the question, sir?
Mr. HUBERT. Did you see Ruby, thereafter?
Mr. COMBEST. I didn't see him until after he had passed through the
jail office. Now, in the jail elevator. The next time I saw him at the
preliminary hearing in Judge Brown's office in the court house.
Mr. HUBERT. You didn't hear him say anything else?
Mr. COMBEST. No, sir.
Mr. HUBERT. Had you heard anything that would indicate to you that any
member of the police department actually saw Ruby in the garage prior
to the shooting?
Mr. COMBEST. No, sir; not on this day, this particular day.
Mr. HUBERT. I am talking about this day.
Mr. COMBEST. No, sir.
Mr. HUBERT. Did any member of the police department ask you whether you
had seen Ruby prior to the shooting?
Mr. COMBEST. Yes, sir.
Mr. HUBERT. Who was that?
Mr. COMBEST. Lieutenant Revill, Jack Revill and Lieutenant Cornwall.
Now, they were members of a group that were investigating within the
police department, and I was interrogated by them as to if I had seen
him that day.