The President's Commission met at 2:30 p.m., on March 4, 1964, at 200
Maryland Avenue NE., Washington, D.C.
Present were Chief Justice Earl Warren, Chairman; Senator John Sherman
Cooper and Representative Gerald R. Ford, members.
Also present were J. Lee Rankin, general counsel; Norman Redlich,
assistant counsel; Charles Murray and Charles Rhyne, assistants to
Walter E. Craig.
The CHAIRMAN. The Commission will be in order.
The Commission has been informed that Mr. Lane has collected numerous
materials relevant to the Commission's work.
The Commission proposes to question Mr. Lane on all matters of which
he has knowledge concerning the assassination of President Kennedy and
the subsequent killing of Lee Harvey Oswald, and to request of Mr. Lane
that he make available to the Commission any documentary material in
his possession which can assist the Commission in its work.
In accordance with the rules of this Commission, Mr. Lane has been
furnished with a copy of this statement.
Mr. Lane, would please rise and be sworn? Do you solemnly swear to tell
the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
Mr. LANE. I do.
The CHAIRMAN. Will you be seated, please.
Mr. Rankin, would you proceed with the examination, please?
Mr. RANKIN. Mr. Lane, will you state your name?
Mr. LANE. My name is Mark Lane.
Mr. RANKIN. Where do you live?
Mr. LANE. 164 West 79th Street, New York City, New York State.
Mr. RANKIN. Are you a practicing lawyer?
Mr. LANE. Yes; I am.
Mr. RANKIN. Will you state your age, please?
Mr. LANE. I am 37 years old.
Mr. RANKIN. How long have you been practicing law?
Mr. LANE. Thirteen years.
Mr. RANKIN. You have qualified in the State of New York?
Mr. LANE. Yes.
Mr. RANKIN. Are you qualified in any other Jurisdiction?
Mr. LANE. Just in the Federal court.
Mr. RANKIN. Do you have some information concerning the matters being
investigated by the Commission that you would like to present to the
Commission?
Mr. LANE. Yes; I do.
Mr. RANKIN. Will you proceed to do so?
Mr. LANE. Yes.
I wonder if I might ask at the outset if I will be able to secure a
copy of the transcript of my testimony tomorrow, or is that going to be
rushing things?
The CHAIRMAN. You will be able to obtain it. I don't know whether we
can promise it to you tomorrow morning or not. But we will do it just
as quickly as it can be transcribed by the reporter.
Mr. LANE. Thank you, sir.
At the outset, I would like to request that this portion of the
hearing, in any event, be opened to the public. I think that there are
matters here of grave concern to all the people of our country, and
that it would, therefore, be fruitful and constructive for the sessions
to be conducted in a public fashion, open to the public and to the
press.
Accordingly, I request that this session at least involving my
testimony be so opened to the public.
The CHAIRMAN. You would have a right, as any witness would have, to
request that, Mr. Lane. We will conduct this in an open hearing. We
will adjourn at this time to the auditorium downstairs, and we will
conduct the hearing there. It will be open to the public. I saw a good
many members of the press around, so it will really be a public affair.
(Whereupon, at 2:45 p.m., the Commission recessed and then reconvened
in the auditorium in open session.)