Mr. HUBERT. Well, you know him now, of course. Did you on November 24,
prior to the time that Oswald was shot, did you know of the existence
of a person named Jack Ruby?
Sergeant PUTNAM. I had heard the name. But so far as ever meeting him
personally, I don't think that I ever had. If I did, I don't remember
it from seeing his pictures.
Mr. HUBERT. That is what I wanted to ask you, on the 24th, if you had
met him and had formed a sufficient impression upon your mind so that
you would have recognized him at all?
Mr. PUTNAM. No, sir.
Mr. HUBERT. Of course, you did see his picture and perhaps you saw him
after his arrest?
Sergeant PUTNAM. I saw his picture. I have not seen him personally.
Mr. HUBERT. You didn't see him in the basement area?
Mr. PUTNAM. No, sir.
Mr. HUBERT. Do you know of anyone who did?
Sergeant PUTNAM. That saw him in the basement?
Mr. HUBERT. Yes.
Sergeant PUTNAM. Prior to the shooting?
Mr. HUBERT. Yes.
Mr. PUTNAM. No, sir.
Mr. HUBERT. Have you been in any discussion with anybody as to who
might have seen him and who might not have?
Sergeant PUTNAM. No, sir. I--there have been discussions to the
effect that if he were there, surely someone would have seen him and
recognized him. I mean, just in informal discussions, how could he be
there.
Mr. HUBERT. And yet, of course, he was there?
Sergeant PUTNAM. I understand that.
Mr. HUBERT. But, you know of no evidence that would indicate that
anyone did actually see him?
Sergeant PUTNAM. No, sir.
Mr. HUBERT. You have never heard anyone say that he had seen him?
Sergeant PUTNAM. No, sir.
Mr. HUBERT. Have you heard anyone say that they knew that someone had
seen him there?
Sergeant PUTNAM. No, sir.
Mr. HUBERT. In other words, the discussions have been simply that since
he was there it is just amazing that he was not seen my anybody?
Sergeant PUTNAM. Except when I evaluate it. Having worked with those
reporters and around them I can understand how that could have
happened, because with as many a number of reporters that we dealt with
for those 2 days, it's a tough job knowing everyone personally.
Mr. HUBERT. I think you were directed to get into a car with a couple
of people and drive around to the Commerce Street side?
Sergeant PUTNAM. Yes, sir.
Mr. HUBERT. Who gave you that direction?
Sergeant PUTNAM. Sergeant Dean.
Mr. HUBERT. Now, when you drove out you were driving the car, weren't
you?
Sergeant PUTNAM. That's--no, sir.
Mr. HUBERT. Weren't you? Didn't you drive the car?
Sergeant PUTNAM. No, sir.
Mr. HUBERT. Who drove it?
Sergeant PUTNAM. Lieutenant Pierce.
Mr. HUBERT. Oh, I'm sorry. Did you see Lieutenant Pierce leave with the
car?
Sergeant PUTNAM. I was in the car.
Mr. HUBERT. Where were you seated in the car?
Sergeant PUTNAM. In the front seat.
Mr. HUBERT. I'm sorry. The front right seat?
Sergeant PUTNAM. Yes.
Mr. HUBERT. Who was in the back seat?
Sergeant PUTNAM. Sergeant Maxey.
Mr. HUBERT. When did you first get seated in the car?
Sergeant PUTNAM. Are you referring to time?
Mr. HUBERT. Let's get it this way, I understand that you had to get out
of the car to move some of the people out of the way so that the car
could go up the ramp.
Sergeant PUTNAM. That's correct.
Mr. HUBERT. So, you were seated in the car in the basement or parking
area at first when you started off?
Sergeant PUTNAM. Actually on the ramp that comes from the parking area
to the ramp that goes between the two streets.
Mr. HUBERT. Got in the car there?
Sergeant PUTNAM. Right.
Mr. HUBERT. Did you have to get out?
Sergeant PUTNAM. Yes, sir.
Mr. HUBERT. When did you have to get out?
Sergeant PUTNAM. After he traveled about 10 to 15 feet.
Mr. HUBERT. Why did you have to get out?
Sergeant PUTNAM. Because the reporters had formed on the north.
Mr. HUBERT. Main Street?
Sergeant PUTNAM. On the north.
Mr. HUBERT. Why don't you just use the street directions. Main Street
ramp?
Sergeant PUTNAM. Main Street ramp, but by the "ramp" I don't mean the
incline, where it flattens out.
Mr. HUBERT. I understand. On that flat part.
Sergeant PUTNAM. That's right. So, I had to get out of the car and move
them back to prevent hitting some of them.
Mr. HUBERT. How many people were in that area do you think?
Sergeant PUTNAM. I would estimate 15 to 25.
Mr. HUBERT. And they were standing shoulder to shoulder?
Sergeant PUTNAM. I didn't get--this impression. They were standing in
wait of the expected departure of Oswald, and they were just mingled,
and you know how reporters act and operate in trying to position
themselves.
Mr. HUBERT. It wasn't enough that you were able to blow the horn, you
had to get out?
Sergeant PUTNAM. We didn't even attempt to blow the horn to cause
confusion. First of all, this is the entrance and not the exit. They
are not expecting a vehicle coming out of there, they are not paying
attention to us. They are looking in the direction they expect Oswald
to come out from, so, I got out and----
Mr. HUBERT. When the path cleared up, you got back in again?
Sergeant PUTNAM. Right.
Mr. HUBERT. Was the window on the right down?
Sergeant PUTNAM. The window was down.
Mr. HUBERT. Now, when you got to the top of the ramp, what happened?
That is when you got to the Main Street, the sidewalk area, and, of
course, the street area, would you describe in your own words just what
happened? What did you see?
Sergeant PUTNAM. I saw officer Vaughn and about six persons.
Mr. HUBERT. Where was Vaughn now when you first saw him?
Sergeant PUTNAM. In front of our automobile about the middle of the
sidewalk.
Mr. HUBERT. What did he do?
Sergeant PUTNAM. He stepped to the right and about to the curb, or just
off of the curb, glanced to his right and looked back and waved us on.
Mr. HUBERT. You went into Main Street and turned left?
Sergeant PUTNAM. Right.
Mr. HUBERT. Did he go very much out into the street to assist you to
get out?
Sergeant PUTNAM. No, sir.
Mr. HUBERT. You say he stepped off of the curb, though?
Sergeant PUTNAM. Possibly one step off of the curb.
Mr. HUBERT. And then he looked to his right and his left? How did he do
that?