The testimony of C. E. Hulse was taken at 4:30 p.m., on April 1, 1964,
in the office of the U.S. attorney, 301 Post Office Building, Bryan
and Ervay Streets, Dallas, Tex., by Mr. Leon D. Hubert, Jr., assistant
counsel of the President’s Commission.
Mr. HUBERT. This is the deposition of Officer C. E. Hulse. Mr. Hulse,
my name is Leon Hubert, and I am a member of the advisory staff of the
General Counsel of the President’s Commission. Under the provisions
of the Executive Order 11130, dated November 29, 1963, the Joint
Resolution of Congress No. 137, and the rules of procedure adopted
by the Commission in conformance with this joint resolution and the
Executive order, I have been authorized to take the sworn deposition of
you. I state to you that the general nature of the Commission’s inquiry
is to ascertain, evaluate, and report upon the facts relating to the
assassination of President Kennedy and the subsequent violent death of
Lee Harvey Oswald.
In particular to you, Mr. Hulse, the nature of the inquiry today is to
determine the facts that you know about the death of Oswald and any
other pertinent facts you may know about the general inquiry, and more
particularly, about your actions with respect to putting the radio call
on the air and so forth.
Now, you have appeared here by virtue of a general request made by
Mr. J. Lee Rankin, General Counsel of the Commission. Under the rules
adopted by the Commission, you are normally entitled to a 3-day written
notice before you are required to testify, but the rules also provide
you can waive that notice if you wish to do so. So, I ask you now if
you are willing to waive the 3-day notice that you would normally be
entitled to?
Mr. HULSE. I do.
Mr. HUBERT. Will you rise, and raise your right hand so as to be sworn.
Do you solemnly swear that the testimony that will be given in this
matter will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth,
so help you God?
Mr. HULSE. I do.
Mr. HUBERT. Will you state your name, please.
Mr. HULSE. C. E. Hulse.
Mr. HUBERT. Your age?
Mr. HULSE. Thirty-one.
Mr. HUBERT. Where do you live, sir?
Mr. HULSE. 7825 Gayglen.
Mr. HUBERT. Dallas?
Mr. HULSE. Yes.
Mr. HUBERT. What is your occupation, sir?
Mr. HULSE. Policeman, city of Dallas.
Mr. HUBERT. How long have you been so employed?
Mr. HULSE. Six years.
Mr. HUBERT. On November 24, 1963, were you on duty?
Mr. HULSE. Yes, sir; I was.
Mr. HUBERT. What were your specific duties on that day?
Mr. HULSE. Radio dispatcher.
Mr. HUBERT. What does that mean that you do?
Mr. HULSE. Dispatch all calls in the city of Dallas which come through
on the telephone lines.
Mr. HUBERT. In other words, you mean that you can get into radio
communication with moving vehicles and other places through special
channels?
Mr. HULSE. That’s right.
Mr. HUBERT. What channel were you using, do you remember?
Mr. HULSE. Using channel 1.
Mr. HUBERT. Do you know Mrs. Frances Cason?
Mr. HULSE. Yes, I do.
Mr. HUBERT. Who is she?
Mr. HULSE. She is a telephone operator for the city of Dallas Police
Department.
Mr. HUBERT. Now, I invite you to look at the document before you which
has been marked for identification as: “Dallas, Texas, April 1, 1964.
Exhibit 5135, deposition of Frances Cason and C. E. Hulse,” and ask you
whether or not you have signed it?
Mr. HULSE. Yes, I have.
Mr. HUBERT. Now, would you tell us what part you played with reference
to the activities reflected by Exhibit 5135?
Mr. HULSE. I dispatched this shooting call to 118, and also dispatched
the same call to ambulance 605, sir.
Mr. HUBERT. Now, can you recall how you got the information, or where
you got the information as to the shooting of Oswald?
Mr. HULSE. To the best of my knowledge, I don’t remember who told me
that that he had been shot. Some other officer, or some other telephone
clerk in the dispatcher’s office told me that he had been shot.