Mr. HUBERT. The inquiry as to the names, who these people were, and
to convey the information that you were worried about your own
qualifications if you should be considered.
Mr. SORRELS. That is right.
Mr. HUBERT. You think there were two conversations?
Mr. SORRELS. No.
Mr. HUBERT. Just one?
Mr. SORRELS. As far as I know there would be one. Because that is
the only interest I had. As I recall it, I told Mr. Griffin over the
telephone that there were others present, and I could possibly find out
who they were, and for that purpose that he was trying to bring out on
the telephone conversation, and as I recall it he told me, “No; don’t
do that.”
Mr. HUBERT. Did you find out who the two people were?
Mr. SORRELS. No; I could not tell you to this day who they are.
Mr. HUBERT. In other words, whoever you spoke to, Batchelor or Curry,
who said they would let you know----
Mr. SORRELS. No; I don’t think it was my purpose in finding out
who they were for my own benefit. That wasn’t the point at all. It
was my thought that they should have information for the district
attorney--period.
Mr. HUBERT. In other words, you were not interested in knowing who they
were yourself? You wanted them to know of the fact that there were two
officers there?
Mr. SORRELS. That is right.
Mr. HUBERT. And that you were worried about your own qualifications?
Mr. SORRELS. That is right.
Mr. HUBERT. Can you tell us approximately the lapse of time, if you
can remember it, between your conversation with Mr. Griffin and your
conversation with either Chief Batchelor or Chief Curry that you have
been speaking of?
Mr. SORRELS. Well, I would say it was quite some time afterwards,
because this conversation--I don’t remember the date I had it with Mr.
Griffin, but it was prior to the writing of this memorandum. And it was
quite some time after that that the trial ever started. And when Mr.
Wade saw me at the airport and said, “I want to see you and talk to you
about this case,” the trial, of course, had not started at that time.
So it was quite some time afterwards.
Mr. HUBERT. Well, what did Curry or Batchelor, whoever it was, tell you
when you told him of this?
Mr. SORRELS. As I recall it, they said they could get the information.
That is all that I recall that they said.
Mr. HUBERT. Do you remember when speaking to Wade at the interview
whether you adverted to the conversation you had had over the telephone
with either Batchelor or Wade, or possibly both?
Mr. SORRELS. No; I don’t recall that that was mentioned.
Mr. HUBERT. Did you have any other conversation with any officers in
the police department? I mean about this aspect that we are talking
about now?
Mr. SORRELS. I saw Captain Fritz at the district attorney’s office the
day that I was down there and talked to him, and I cannot recall about
whether or not there was a conversation with him about who was present
at that time or not, because I remember discussing with Captain Fritz
at that time that I didn’t think my testimony would be much benefit to
the prosecution on that, or if it would be admissible because of the
fact I had not warned Ruby of his constitutional rights.
Mr. HUBERT. When was that conversation?
Mr. SORRELS. That was the same time I was talking to Mr. Wade at his
office. This is when the trial of Ruby was actually in progress.
Mr. HUBERT. Was Fritz in the office?
Mr. SORRELS. He was in and out of there. He had walked in and walked
out. And I may have mentioned to him that--the fact that there was
other officers there besides Dean and myself. And I told Mr. Wade in
Dean’s presence that certain things that Mr. Wade had asked me about,
about Ruby saying that he had been--I think somebody had been thinking
3 days about shooting this fellow--that I heard no such statement,
that I had left when I got the information I wanted. In other words,
when I was questioning Ruby, as I recall it, nobody was asking him any
questions except me, and when I got through I left.
Mr. HUBERT. When did you find out that Dean and Archer had said or were
going to say that they heard Ruby say that he had intended to kill him
3 days before?
Mr. SORRELS. I don’t know that Archer said that--I don’t remember his
name.
Mr. HUBERT. Dean--when did you learn that?
Mr. SORRELS. When Mr. Griffin asked me over the telephone if certain
statements were made, and I told him, in conversation with him, the
statements that Ruby had made to me, and he asked me if certain other
statements were made, and I said not to my knowledge, “I don’t remember
anything like that,” and one of them was about whether or not Ruby
came down the ramp, and I told him at that time I didn’t recall that
statement having been made, and I didn’t believe that statement was
made in my presence.
Mr. HUBERT. I thought you said in the interview with Wade you told him
you did not hear Ruby say that he had formed the intent to kill Oswald
on Friday.
Mr. SORRELS. No, no.
Mr. HUBERT. I am sorry.
Mr. SORRELS. No; I didn’t hear that. Ruby didn’t say that. I told Wade
that.
Mr. HUBERT. You did tell Wade that? Did Wade ask you that?
Mr. SORRELS. He asked me if certain statements were made, and I told
him no, not in my presence.
Mr. HUBERT. In other words, you had not heard of that even until Wade
brought it to your attention?
Mr. SORRELS. No--not that part. The thing that Mr. Griffin was asking
me, I think, as I recall it, was about the ramp.
Mr. HUBERT. Wade asked you did you hear Ruby say, “I intended to kill
him since Friday night,” and your answer was “No; I didn’t.”
Mr. SORRELS. No; I didn’t hear it.
Mr. HUBERT. Did Mr. Griffin mention in the telephone conversation he
had with you statements allegedly made, or knowledge allegedly in the
possession of Dean in regard to what Ruby had said?
Mr. SORRELS. I remember specifically there was a statement about him
coming down the ramp. I remember that. And it seems that--I wouldn’t
be positive about that, but it seemed like there was something else
that Dean was supposed to have said in my presence, and I told him no I
didn’t hear anything like that.
Mr. HUBERT. I had thought you said that you told Wade that you had not
heard Dean say any such thing. But he asked you?
Mr. SORRELS. He asked me. No--you see, he had talked to Dean
beforehand, you see, about this. And I never had talked to Dean. As a
matter of fact, I had not seen him.
Mr. SMITH. I might say it was my impression at one time that Mr.
Sorrels said or indicated that in his conversation with Mr. Griffin,
this question about Ruby having premeditated this for 3 days came out
in this conversation with Griffin. At least I got that impression. But
do I understand it now to be clarified that that particular point did
not come out in your conversation with Griffin?
Mr. SORRELS. I don’t think on the telephone conversation at that time.