Mr. GRIFFIN. Just an "X" there [indicating]. Now, as you were standing
there, do you remember whether any TV cables ran through that general
area?
Mr. NEWMAN. There were none there.
Mr. GRIFFIN. There were none. Were there any TV cables that you could
see in the garage area?
Mr. NEWMAN. By the garage area, you are talking about this area here
[indicating]? I didn't see any.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Now, there is an arrow here that says "to engineroom." Are
you familiar with--is there a door over in that area?
Mr. NEWMAN. Not a door as such. I don't believe it can be closed. It's
just an opening there [indicating].
Mr. GRIFFIN. There is an opening?
Mr. NEWMAN. Uh-huh.
Mr. GRIFFIN. And you can walk into the engineroom there?
Mr. NEWMAN. That's right. Actually walk--in fact, I didn't even know it
was there until that morning, but you can walk onto a landing here and
then down. The engineroom is some 5 or 10 feet lower than that.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Did you stand in that general area all the time, from the
time that Sergeant Dean placed you there until Oswald was shot?
Mr. NEWMAN. No; there was one time when I was called back into the
assembly room, back over here. I think they needed some men somewhere
else. They picked four or five men and then I was returned to this
place [indicating].
Mr. GRIFFIN. How long before Oswald was shot would you estimate that
you were pulled off this spot temporarily?
Mr. NEWMAN. Oh, it must have been 45 minutes to an hour.
Mr. GRIFFIN. All right. How long were you away from the area?
Mr. NEWMAN. Five minutes.
Mr. GRIFFIN. I see. Let me mark on here pulled off for 5 minutes, 45
minutes to 1 hour before Oswald shot [indicating]. Did anybody replace
you?
Mr. NEWMAN. No; they didn't--I better not make that statement. I am not
sure.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Now, I want to go back and pick things up from the time
you entered.
Mr. NEWMAN. Okay.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Now, what time was it when you arrived down there at the
building?
Mr. NEWMAN. Approximately 9:30 a.m.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Where did you go?
Mr. NEWMAN. I went to the assembly room.
Mr. GRIFFIN. How long did you remain in the assembly room?
Mr. NEWMAN. Just long enough to have my name in the unit taken down on
the roster.
Mr. GRIFFIN. When Lieutenant Merrell called you, did he tell you why
you were to come down?
Mr. NEWMAN. Yes.
Mr. GRIFFIN. What did he tell you?
Mr. NEWMAN. He said that Oswald was to be transferred at 10 o'clock,
that they expected some crowds downtown and they thought they would
need our help, or a crowd was gathering, I think is what--the way he
had actually said it.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Do you recall his telling you the time would be 10 o'clock?
Mr. NEWMAN. I happened to remember it because I had to rush to get down
there in time.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Did he tell you anything else?
Mr. NEWMAN. No; that was all.
Mr. GRIFFIN. When you got down there, did you receive any instructions
from somebody?
Mr. NEWMAN. He and I walked out into the garage area there and we
talked to some--to Sergeant Dean then.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Had the search of the garage already begun when you
arrived?
Mr. NEWMAN. Yes.
Mr. GRIFFIN. What did you do in connection with the search?
Mr. NEWMAN. I searched--well, we looked inside all the automobiles. We
checked to make sure the trunk was locked, that the hood was securely
latched, and this general area right in here, there were three or four
of us working that area in there [indicating].
Mr. GRIFFIN. And you are talking now about the Commerce Street half of
the garage?
Mr. NEWMAN. That's right.
Mr. GRIFFIN. What else did you do besides search the cars?
Mr. NEWMAN. That was it, until I was assigned to that post.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Now, did you see what Sergeant Dean did?
Mr. NEWMAN. No; I didn't. The only time I remember seeing him, they
found a sporting type rifle in a car somewhere. I think it was later
identified as belonging to one of the officers. I saw him walking out
with it.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Now, during the period you were standing there in the
garage, were you able to look over in the direction of the Main Street
ramp?
Mr. NEWMAN. Yes.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Now, did you see, during the period that you were in the
garage, any automobiles moved out of the garage?
Mr. NEWMAN. Yes.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Now, do you remember when the armored car came down--was
brought down the ramp?
Mr. NEWMAN. No; I didn't even know it was there. I couldn't see it from
my location. Well, the armored car wasn't brought down the ramp. It was
just backed to the door.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Was there ever a time that you were aware there was an
armored car up there?
Mr. NEWMAN. Not until after the shooting.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Standing where you were standing was there anything that
happened, what you would estimate, a half hour before Oswald was shot,
that would be significant to fix the time?
Mr. NEWMAN. No; the only thing I can recall at all, there was a
pop-type noise in that area there. I found out later, when they opened
the door to the armored car a soft drink bottle had rolled out and
broken. That caused quite a commotion among the reporters and some of
them went up the ramp to see what happened.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Before you heard that pop-type noise, do you remember
anything else before that that might be significant?
Mr. NEWMAN. No. Other than the movement of the cars and the men in
there, I can't recall anything.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Now, directing your attention then to the pop-type noise,
did you see any cars moved out of the basement after you heard the pop?
Mr. NEWMAN. Yes; I am almost certain a car did leave after that.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Saw a car leave or more than one car?
Mr. NEWMAN. One is all I recall.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Where was that car parked, if you recall?
Mr. NEWMAN. Well, I am not too sure of that. I think it was parked in
this area just to the bottom of this small ramp here [indicating].
Mr. GRIFFIN. Would you mark on the map where you think that was? You
want to mark car?