The testimony of Robert Leonard Hankal was taken at 10:25 a.m., on
April 17, 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 Robert Leonard Hankal.
Mr. Hankal, my name is Leon Hubert. I’m a member of the advisory staff
of the general counsel of the President’s Commission created under the
provisions of Executive Order 11130, dated November 29, 1963, and the
Joint Resolution of Congress No. 137, and rules of procedure adopted by
the Commission in conformance with the Executive order and the joint
resolution and I have been authorized to take a sworn deposition from
you.
I state to you now Mr. Hankal that the general nature of the
Commission’s inquiry is to ascertain, evaluate and report upon facts
relating to the assassination of President Kennedy and the subsequent
violent death of Lee Harvey Oswald.
In particular as to you, Mr. Hankal, the nature of the inquiry today
is to determine what facts you know about the death of Oswald and any
other pertinent facts you may know about the general inquiry.
Mr. HANKAL. Yes, sir.
Mr. HUBERT. Mr. Hankal, you are appearing here today as a result of
a letter received by you, signed by Mr. J. Lee Rankin, the general
counsel for the President’s Commission; is that correct?
Mr. HANKAL. That is correct.
Mr. HUBERT. Is it correct that you received that letter more than 3
days from this date?
Mr. HANKAL. That’s right.
Mr. HUBERT. Will you stand and raise your right hand and be sworn? Do
you solemnly swear that the testimony you are about to give will be the
truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
Mr. HANKAL. I do.
Mr. HUBERT. Will you state your name?
Mr. HANKAL. Robert Leonard Hankal.
Mr. HUBERT. Your age?
Mr. HANKAL. Thirty-two.
Mr. HUBERT. Your residence?
Mr. HANKAL. 3305 McKinney (No. 1).
Mr. HUBERT. And your occupation?
Mr. HANKAL. I am a director of KRLD Television.
Mr. HUBERT. How long have you been so employed?
Mr. HANKAL. I have been at KRLD for around 2 years. I have been a
director since January.
Mr. HUBERT. Were you on duty in connection with your occupation at the
city hall on November 23, 1963?
Mr. HANKAL. I was.
Mr. HUBERT. And I think you were there also on the 24th of November?
Mr. HANKAL. That’s right.
Mr. HUBERT. Now, I have handed you a report of an interview of you by
special agents of the FBI Quigley and Dallman, dated December 3, 1963,
which I have marked in the right hand margin--endorsed as follows:
“Dallas, Tex., April 17, 1964, Exhibit 5337, Deposition of R. L.
Hankal.” I have signed my name below that and on the second and third
pages I have placed my initials in the lower right-hand corner.
Mr. Hankal have you had an opportunity to read this Exhibit 5337?
Mr. HANKAL. I have.
Mr. HUBERT. That would be just a moment ago; is that correct?
Mr. HANKAL. That’s right.
Mr. HUBERT. Do you think that this Exhibit 5337 is a fair and correct
record of the interview had between you and the FBI agents?
Mr. HANKAL. It is with one exception, if I can make a note of that?
Mr. HUBERT. Yes.
Mr. HANKAL. I did see Jack Ruby shoot him--I didn’t know what was
happening.
Mr. HUBERT. Now, what sentence are you talking about?
Mr. HANKAL. This one--“The first reaction was that Oswald had grabbed a
police officer’s gun. He also recalls seeing a man’s back directly in
front of him obstructing his view of Oswald, and seemed to recall that
immediately preceding that he had observed a blur of movement out of
the corner of his eye,”--we didn’t go into it at the time--they were
interested in my activity more than anything else, when this interview
was held.
Mr. HUBERT. Let me go into this and get it identified here in the
record--you are speaking of this sentence--this is the sentence in the
second paragraph on page 2 and the sentence reads as follows: “The
first reaction was that Oswald had grabbed the police officer’s gun. He
also recalled seeing a man’s back directly in front of him obstructing
his view of Oswald, and seemed to recall that immediately preceding
that he had observed a blur of movement out of the corner of his eye.”
Mr. HANKAL. This is all correct, but it should be added also--I did
see--I know that man I later found out was Jack Ruby shoot Oswald.
Mr. HUBERT. In other words, you saw more than a blur--that’s what you
have in mind?