Lieutenant WIGGINS. Chief Batchelor.
Mr. HUBERT. Then, of course, Chief Curry?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. Yes.
Mr. HUBERT. So, the line of command between you and Chief Curry is
Batchelor, Lumpkin, then Wiggins?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. That's right.
Mr. HUBERT. What are your particular duties?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. That depends, of course. Could I quote here and say
that on certain times I have different duties?
Mr. HUBERT. Yes.
Lieutenant WIGGINS. That I have a jail lieutenant that works for me, on
his days off, I watch the jail, or pass on prisoners and supervise the
jail as well as the other things, and when the jail lieutenant is there
then I am at liberty to inspect substations and do--the dispatcher's
offices and the jail, wherever I may be needed.
Mr. HUBERT. On November 24, what was your situation?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. I was working the jail. My jail lieutenant was off
that day.
Mr. HUBERT. Now, working the jail entails what responsibilities and
duties?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. I'm in charge of everything that goes on in the
jail, and among other duties, I pass on all prisoners that are put into
jail.
Mr. HUBERT. When you say "pass," on them, what do you mean?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. I check to see their--the arrest is legal, and
that I think the charge is proper and that this person belongs in jail
before he is placed in jail.
Mr. HUBERT. Now, have you any duties or responsibilities with respect
to the transfer of prisoners, in your capacity as jail lieutenant?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. Nothing more than as is normal to turn them over to
either the constable or deputy sheriff who transfers them to the county
jail.
Mr. HUBERT. With reference to prisoners who are transferred from the
city jail to the county jail, is it customary for your department to
transfer them to the county jail, or is it customary for the State
deputies to come and get the prisoner?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. It is customary for the deputy sheriff or constable
to come and get a prisoner.
Mr. HUBERT. Do you know why an exception was made in the case of Oswald?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. I was never told.
Mr. HUBERT. In other words, normally, it would have been Sheriff
Decker's duty to come and get Oswald, is that correct?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. Normally, it would have been that way.
Mr. HUBERT. Do you know, or did you ever hear it discussed, the reason
why the normal procedure was not followed?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. No; I haven't. When I make that statement--I have
surmised that it was for better protection due to the fact that we have
more men, possibly, than Sheriff Decker did. That is strictly a surmise
of mine, of my own.
Mr. HUBERT. What security had you provided for Oswald within the jail
itself?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. Well, as a rule, we used a trustee to run our jail
elevator. I relieved the trustee from the jail elevator and placed a
patrolman on it. And put two officers in front of Oswald's cell at all
times.
Mr. HUBERT. That is on the 24th, or at all times since he was arrested?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. Well, that was--the 24th, was my first day back
since that time. I had been off 2 days prior to that.
Mr. HUBERT. And when you came on duty on the 24th, did you find that
security which you have described, already in existence?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. I found that they had one officer in front of
the cell, but that they didn't--they still had a trustee running the
elevator.
Mr. HUBERT. And you changed that. You took the trustee off and put an
extra man on the cell?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. That's right.
Mr. HUBERT. I suppose that Oswald was moved in the course of the 24th a
couple of times for interviews and so forth?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. I know that I received a call from the fifth floor
that some detectives from the homicide bureau were up there to take
him out on what they call a "tempo," and this is to take him out for
interrogation.
Mr. HUBERT. When he was taken out that way, was he accompanied by the
guard that you assigned?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. No; the guard could not take him to the
interrogation room.
Mr. HUBERT. And "tempo," is a receipt for a prisoner which relieves
you, temporarily, of the duties you have with respect to him?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. That's true.
Mr. HUBERT. And when he is brought back, your duties and
responsibilities for his custody attach to you again?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. Yes.
Mr. HUBERT. Now, did you have anything to do with the search of the
basement for security?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. No, sir; I was in and out of the basement looking
it over, but I had no duties with the basement.
Mr. HUBERT. I understand. Did you remain in the jail office performing
your functions as to incoming prisoners?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. That's true.
Mr. HUBERT. Did you know of any of the plans for removal of Oswald, or
the transfer?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. I knew of no plans. I had been informed by the
platoon that--I believe that it was understood that he would be
transferred after 10 o'clock in the morning. Now, that was----
Mr. HUBERT. No one gave you any orders or assigned any duties to you in
connection with the transfer?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. No.
Mr. HUBERT. Did any sheriff come with a warrant for his release?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. Not to my knowledge.
Mr. HUBERT. Well, under normal circumstances would you allow a prisoner
to be removed by the city police?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. Yes.
Mr. HUBERT. He would be out of your custody on "tempo," is that right?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. Not necessarily. Let me say this: that the--that
the city police transfer prisoners on occasion over to the county jail.
Mr. HUBERT. Yes.
Lieutenant WIGGINS. But, this is rare. It is--there are instances I can
name. For instance, they have filed on a prisoner and just for courtesy
to the prisoner, more or less, he wants to get to the county and they
just transfer him on down to the county themselves.
Mr. HUBERT. How do you relieve yourselves of responsibility in those
circumstances?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. Each prisoner who is transferred, the card is
signed, or the name of the officer that is making the transfer is
placed on his card. His property is turned over to the officer making
the transfer.
Mr. HUBERT. Was this done in this way?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. No; in this case, they were going to take the
property later.
Mr. HUBERT. Naturally, he was in the custody of Captain Fritz at the
time of the transfer, isn't that right?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. That's right.
Mr. HUBERT. He had been released from your custody by a "tempo" card to
Fritz?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. That's true.
Mr. HUBERT. And Fritz could do what he wanted with him? Until he
relieved himself of the obligation of the "tempo" card by putting him
back in your custody?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. That's true.
Mr. HUBERT. When were you first aware that Oswald was going to be moved
in the immediate future?