Representative FORD. Where was this statement made, or testimony given?
Mr. LANE. By Truly?
Representative FORD. Yes.
Mr. LANE. This was reported very widely in probably dozens or scores
of newspapers. The New York Times carried that, as did many other
publications--direct quotations from Truly who was interviewed.
Then the next thing we heard from the prosecution in their opening or
closing statement to the television cameras, after Oswald was killed
was that--the next we hear of Oswald he was on a bus. Well, if Oswald
boarded the bus where the busdriver claims he did, then Oswald walked a
distance, in order to secure a bus which is going to take him directly
back to the Book Depository Building, which one would think he was
trying to flee after assassinating the President.
I would refer you to his story by Hugh Ainsworth in the Dallas Morning
News published during the first week after the assassination. Hugh
Ainsworth and Larry Grove published on November 28 in the Dallas
Morning News--this is headed "Oswald Planned To Ride By Scene"--in
which there are statements from the busdriver that--named C. J.
McWatters, in which Mr. McWatters indicates that Oswald entered the bus
at Elm and Griffin, and further indicates that the bus was going to
go seven blocks further west and turn at Houston Street, exactly the
scene of the assassination, or at least the scene of the Texas Book
Depository. So Oswald traveled somehow some seven blocks in order to
secure a bus which is going to take him back to the place that he left.
Now, although I have talked to Mr. Ainsworth, and he tells me that the
story is absolutely correct, and he questioned Mr. McWatters quite
thoroughly, and he will so testify, I believe, if he is asked--Mr.
Ainsworth will--and the affidavit which Mr. McWatters signed, or which
the busdriver signed, he does not state that Oswald walked seven blocks
and was going to get on a bus which was going to take him back. Indeed,
he states that he picked him up about Elm and Houston Street, at the
Book Depository Building. But the busdriver indicates that that story
in his affidavit is not true. He indicated that after the affidavit was
drawn and signed by him.
Mr. RANKIN. What did you say was not true, Mr. Lane--which part of it?
Mr. LANE. The affidavit. Mr. McWatters indicates that the affidavit in
which--let me start that again.
There is an affidavit from the busdriver, which I am sure you have,
which shows that according to his statement Oswald came into the bus
at Elm and Houston Street. However, the busdriver since that time has
indicated that Oswald came into the bus seven blocks from Elm and
Houston Street, and had entered a bus which was going to take him
to Elm and Houston Street. Elm and Houston Street of course is the
location of the Book Depository Building.
Mr. RANKIN. Now, when you say since that time he has indicated that,
you mean to you or to someone else?
Mr. LANE. To those two reporters for the Dallas Morning News with whom
I discussed--one of them--I discussed this specifically. And he said
that every word in that story is absolutely accurate, that he went to
see the busdriver, and had a prolonged interview with him, and went
over this in great detail with him. I think these two reporters will
testify as to what the busdriver told them in their interview with him.
Mr. RANKIN. But they have not published this later story that you are
telling about.
Mr. LANE. Yes, they have. That is the date that I gave you. The Dallas
Morning News, on Thursday, November 28, under the headline "Oswald
Planned To Ride By Scene".
Mr. RANKIN. Do you want to leave that with us?
Mr. LANE. I wonder if copies can be made of everything.
Mr. RANKIN. Yes.
Mr. LANE. Then I will be happy to leave it.
Mr. RANKIN. The story you were just referring to in the Dallas Morning
News is Commission Exhibit 343.
(The document referred to was marked Commission Exhibit No. 343 for
identification and received in evidence.)
Mr. LANE. That's correct.
Well, now, Oswald allegedly had shot the President and has walked some,
talked to an officer, was calm, walked some seven blocks to find a bus
which was going to take him back to where he left, and then got off and
got--entered into a taxi after he had walked some two blocks from where
he left the bus. And this taxi he entered of course a minute before the
President was shot, if the taxi driver's log is accurate--after Oswald
had done all these things, after allegedly shooting the President and
the Governor.
Then the taxi driver drove him directly past his own home, according to
the statement and--past Oswald's Dallas rooming house, until he arrived
at a scene about a half a mile beyond Oswald's house, where Oswald then
left the taxi, and then walked or ran home to secure a jacket--leaving
behind, although one would assume he is now giving considering to
escaping, the $150 in the dresser drawer, and taking just his jacket
with him.
Mr. RANKIN. Which dresser drawer?
Mr. LANE. This is in Dallas.
Mr. RANKIN. Not at the Paine's?
Mr. LANE. Not at the Paine's. I do not know if there was money at the
Paine's, but if he had money there, he left that behind the night
before, knowing he was going to----
Mr. RANKIN. But the $150 you are speaking of was in his rooming house
at Dallas.
Mr. LANE. Yes.
Mr. RANKIN. Do you have any affidavit or information in support of that
statement about the $150?
Mr. LANE. I do not have an affidavit. I have the statement of a
reporter who was told that--he was told this by a police officer who
was present when the money was found in the Dallas rooming house. I
have his statement. I can again ask for his permission to release that.
Mr. RANKIN. Would you do that, please.
Mr. LANE. Yes, sir.
Senator COOPER. Mr. Chairman--perhaps it has been done, but I think it
would be proper in all cases in which he has referred to conversations
that he has had with individuals who made statements to him about some
aspect of this matter, and whose names he has not identified, that if
he could give to the Commission in all of those cases the names of the
individuals who gave him this information.
Mr. LANE. Yes, sir.
Senator COOPER. I mean at sometime--don't you think?
Mr. RANKIN. Yes, sir, it would be very helpful.
Mr. LANE. Yes, sir. I think there are only two occasions where I
indicated I had to check the source, and one is the name of the rifle
association board member whose name I will be happy to give to you, but
I just do not recall it--my office has that.
Senator COOPER. I did not remember that you gave the name of this
individual who told you that some policeman had told him that he had
been present when the $150 was found.
Mr. LANE. Yes; that is one.
Senator COOPER. Did you give that name?
Mr. LANE. No; I did not give that name.
Mr. RANKIN. You said you were going to ask him his permission.
Mr. LANE. Yes; that's correct.
Then Oswald took a taxi, which took him approximately a half mile
beyond his own house, his own room in Dallas, and he either walked or
ran back to get his jacket--although it was a very warm day in Dallas.
That day Mrs. Kennedy said later on that, reviewing the moment before
the President was shot--she said she saw this overpass ahead and looked
forward to being under it for a moment because there would be some
brief shade to protect them from the powerful sun that day.
Well, Oswald ran home to get his jacket. He left the house, saw
a police car parked, went up to the police car, according to the
affidavit of Mrs. Markham, leaned on the car, and when the officer
came out, he shot him to death, and then he went to the movies. And in
the movies, and just before he went into the Texas Theatre, he was so
extremely agitated that a gentleman on the outside of the theatre--I
think his name is John Brewer--I am not certain--you have that
affidavit, I am sure--indicated that Oswald was acting very agitated,
the cashier made the same statement, and changing from seat to seat.
The police were called and he was arrested.
Of course, one would wonder why Oswald, who might have thought that
he had made his getaway while in the Texas Theatre unobserved, would
become so extremely agitated, when just a moment after he allegedly
shot the President and the Governor, with the policeman charging up the
stairs, pointing a pistol at him, about to arrest him for these two
terrible crimes, he was calm, according to Mr. Truly, but he became
agitated only when he thought he had secured his getaway.
I think those of us who saw, as we all did, I guess, Oswald on
television in his brief appearance would conclude that he seemed, even
while in custody and charged with these two crimes, somewhat calm under
the circumstances--calm when charged with the assassination, calm a
moment after killing the President, when a policeman pointed a pistol
at him, but agitated only in the theatre, and just before going to the
theatre when he might have concluded that he was then in the clear.