Mr. GRAVES. I assisted him in putting this on. Then, we, of course,
started on out with him. Went on to the elevator, down the hall to what
they call the jail office elevator.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Were you given any instructions as to how you should guard
him?
Mr. GRAVES. As I said, I was--told to hold to the arm and walk close
to him and Montgomery was to walk behind us and Captain Fritz, and
Lieutenant Swain in front of us and that is the way we started out to
the elevator, and out of the elevator door over to the jail office.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Was there any discussion about staying close to Oswald?
Mr. GRAVES. We were instructed to stay close to him; yes.
Mr. GRIFFIN. All right, now, was there any discussion about protecting
Oswald from other people who’d like to get at him?
Mr. GRAVES. Well, to come down and tell us to do that would be
elementary, actually, because, I mean, we just know to do that, and
our captain knows that we know to do that. So, actually, we weren’t
specifically told, “Now, you just watch this man and don’t let anybody
touch him.” Or anything like that. We were told that the way would
be open and nobody would be interfering with us. Wouldn’t be anybody
there. All we would have to do was walk to the car.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Was there any fear that somebody might come right up in
front of him and do something to him?
Mr. GRAVES. We didn’t have any fear of that because as I said, that--we
were told that the security was so that no one would be there but
newsmen and officers.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Now, prior to taking Oswald down to the basement, had you
learned anything about the threatening telephone calls which the police
department had received?
Mr. GRAVES. I had not. At that time I didn’t know that there had been
any threatening calls.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Did you subsequently learn?
Mr. GRAVES. Yes; learned later that the FBI had a call to that effect,
but I learned that our office had had similar calls, too.
Mr. GRIFFIN. What route did you follow when you left Captain Fritz’
office with Oswald?
Mr. GRAVES. Of course, went out our door and turned left, which would
be--south.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Went into the third floor hallway?
Mr. GRAVES. Third floor hallway; yes, sir; and went to a solid door
which leads us into the jail elevator.
Mr. GRIFFIN. As you walked out, were there news people out in the
hallway?
Mr. GRAVES. Yes, lots of them.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Were there TV cameras up in the hallway?
Mr. GRAVES. Yes; all kinds of cameras.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Now, how long a period of time lapsed from the time you
stopped answering the telephone calls until you got out on the third
floor hallway with Oswald?
Mr. GRAVES. Ten or 15 minutes, I guess, approximately.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Now, when you stopped answering the telephone calls to go
into Captain Fritz’ office, were you aware that you were going in there
for the purpose of getting ready to move Oswald out?
Mr. GRAVES. Yes.
Mr. GRIFFIN. How did you become aware of that?
Mr. GRAVES. We were told that we were going to move him.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Who told you that?
Mr. GRAVES. Captain Fritz.
Mr. GRIFFIN. He told you?
Mr. GRAVES. Yes; I don’t know whether he walked out and told me. You
know, in the process, the door was opened and he talked to some of us
at the door and so forth.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Now, prior to the time that you actually went out there in
the hallway with Oswald, did you have any information as to whether the
people who were members of the press were aware that Oswald was about
to be brought out?
Mr. GRAVES. I--it was my understanding they knew that he was to be
transferred at 10 o’clock.