Mr. SPECTER. The street onto which you turned from Main Street?
Mr. KELLERMAN. As we were coming up from Main Street or down, either
way.
Mr. SPECTER. In what general direction were you proceeding on Main
Street?
Mr. KELLERMAN. This was a westerly direction.
Mr. SPECTER. Would you put an arrow indicating which way is north on
the map? That is a general northerly direction on the map.
(Witness indicating.)
Mr. SPECTER. Will you mark an arrow on Main Street showing the
direction on which you were proceeding on Main? And how far did you
proceed on Main Street to what street?
Mr. KELLERMAN. Elm Street, sir. This is a very short block, maybe a
couple of hundred feet at the most.
Mr. SPECTER. My question was to what street did you proceed on Main?
You then drove to what street?
Mr. KELLERMAN. Houston Street.
Mr. SPECTER. Which way did you turn onto Houston Street?
Mr. KELLERMAN. Turned right, which would be north.
Mr. SPECTER. Will you mark the street that you have told us would be
Houston Street?
(Witness indicating.)
Mr. SPECTER. How far did you proceed down Houston Street?
Mr. KELLERMAN. I am sure it wasn't more than 200 feet at the most. It
was a real short block.
Mr. SPECTER. What street then did you turn onto as you turned off of
Houston Street?
Mr. KELLERMAN. From Houston we turned onto Elm, which was a rather
sharp turn with a downgrade, sir.
Mr. SPECTER. Was that a turn on the left or the right?
Mr. KELLERMAN. To the left, sir.
Mr. SPECTER. I ask that Exhibit 347 be admitted in evidence, may it
please the Commission.
Representative FORD. It will be admitted.
Mr. SPECTER. I now show you a photograph marked Commission Exhibit
No. 348, Mr. Kellerman, and I ask you if you are able at this time to
identify what building is in that picture?
Mr. KELLERMAN. This building right straight ahead in the photo--I
couldn't have told you on the day of the 22nd of November what it was,
but as of now this is the Texas Depository Building.
Mr. SPECTER. Is that the building known as the Texas School Book
Depository Building?
Mr. KELLERMAN. That is right, sir.
(The photograph marked Commission Exhibits Nos. 347 and 348 for
identification and received in evidence.)
Mr. SPECTER. Will you mark on Exhibit 347--we have 348, we will get 348
back in a moment. I would like to have you mark in the aerial shot the
precise location of that building with the initials "TS."
(Witness marks.)
Mr. SPECTER. For the written part of our record will you describe how
many stories high the Texas School Book Depository building is?
Mr. KELLERMAN. This is a seven-story building. From here it appears to
be a rather square-type constructed.
Mr. SPECTER. All right. As you were proceeding in a generally northerly
direction on Houston Street, can you describe the layout of the street,
indicating first the approximate width of that street?
Mr. KELLERMAN. Houston Street is a rather wide city street similar to
anything we have here in Washington, really, and being in the heart of
the business section, I would say that it was a six-lane street at the
time.
Mr. SPECTER. What was on your right as you proceeded down Houston
Street?
Mr. KELLERMAN. The buildings.
Mr. SPECTER. And how about on your left?
Mr. KELLERMAN. On my left it was open.
Mr. SPECTER. As you turned left onto Elm Street, will you describe what
was on your right?
Mr. KELLERMAN. As we turned left onto Elm Street and left this building
that we are speaking of here----
Mr. SPECTER. Is that the Texas School Book Depository Building?
Mr. KELLERMAN. Yes; then your area became clear.
Mr. SPECTER. On the right?
Mr. KELLERMAN. On the right, sir. This was an open field area with a
hill. Now, there were, if I recall correctly, just at the brink of
the hill, right beyond this building in question, there was a small
white--how can I describe it?
Mr. SPECTER. A little park area?
Mr. KELLERMAN. A little park area; that is right. And beyond it it was
all open.
Mr. SPECTER. What was on your left at about that time as you proceeded
down Elm Street?
Mr. KELLERMAN. Right. As we turned left on Elm Street off Houston,
this, too, was a little plaza area, and kind of a triangular thing
where the street was on the opposite side; this is an apparently
one-way street, and directly to our left as we turned you had to view,
this looked like a little one-story plaza building or structure.
Mr. SPECTER. To complete the scene, as you looked ahead of you down Elm
Street what, if anything, did you see immediately in front of you?
Mr. KELLERMAN. Yes. First thing that I saw was that the road was going
to turn, and then a little further ahead we had a viaduct which we were
going under.
Mr. SPECTER. Do you know what name the Dallas Texans give to that
viaduct?
Mr. KELLERMAN. No; I really don't.
Mr. SPECTER. Have you heard it described since as the triple overpass?
Mr. KELLERMAN. No; I haven't.
Mr. SPECTER. What was the approximate width of Elm Street in lanes of
travel, if you recall?
Mr. KELLERMAN. It is at least three lanes, sir.
Mr. SPECTER. And describe the terrain, whether it was smooth, level or
in what way you went as you went down Elm Street.
Mr. KELLERMAN. As we went down Elm Street, there was a smooth road and
the terrain on each side was a grassy plotted area, a very cleared-off
area, visibility tremendous.
Mr. SPECTER. And describe the composure of the crowds at that time.
Mr. KELLERMAN. As we turned north on to Houston Street, this was
primarily the end of the crowd in Dallas, Tex.; in the downtown
section, there were still a few on the sidewalk until we got to Elm
Street. As we turned in a northerly direction to Elm Street, which
would be on our left, then the crowds just diminished. They were
spotty, standing on the grassy plot. They were not on the side of the
street. In fact, there were just a matter of a handful, that was all,
and we were through it.
Mr. SPECTER. Do you know what time it was when you got to the
intersection of Houston and Elm on November 22?
Mr. KELLERMAN. Not at Houston and Elm; no. No; I don't.
Mr. SPECTER. What was the speed of the motorcade, Mr. Kellerman, as you
were proceeding down Main Street at about the time you turned right
onto Houston?
Mr. KELLERMAN. Ten, fifteen, no more; real parade speed.
Mr. SPECTER. How far ahead of you was the lead car at that time?
Mr. KELLERMAN. Again, it was four or five car lengths in front.
Mr. SPECTER. Do you know how far behind you the President's followup
car was as you turned right onto Houston from Main Street?
Mr. KELLERMAN. No; I don't, but I am positive it was right on our rear
wheels.
Mr. SPECTER. All right.
Now, as you turned left off Houston onto Elm, what is your best
estimate of the speed of the President's automobile at that time?
Mr. KELLERMAN. As we turned onto Elm Street and the crowd, we were
through the section of Dallas; we might have had--the driver picked
it up because we were all through. Purely a guess, we could have been
going at the most 25.
Mr. SPECTER. What would your estimate, your minimum estimate, of the
speed be?
Mr. KELLERMAN. Fifteen.
Mr. SPECTER. As you turned left onto Elm Street, how far were you
behind the lead car at that point?
Mr. KELLERMAN. I am going to say the same; three to five car lengths,
but I can, to go a little further, I can see this car ahead of me. He
is not running away from us.
Mr. SPECTER. How about the pilot car; was that car in sight?
Mr. KELLERMAN. No; that I didn't see; I didn't see it.
Mr. SPECTER. Do you know from your personal observation at the time you
turned left onto Elm Street how far the President's followup car was
behind you at that point?
Mr. KELLERMAN. Not from personal observation.
Mr. SPECTER. All right. Now, describe what occurred as you proceeded
down Elm Street after turning off of Houston.
Mr. KELLERMAN. As we turned off Houston onto Elm and made the short
little dip to the left going down grade, as I said, we were away
from buildings, and were--there was a sign on the side of the road
which I don't recall what it was or what it said, but we no more than
passed that and you are out in the open, and there is a report like a
firecracker, pop. And I turned my head to the right because whatever
this noise was I was sure that it came from the right and perhaps into
the rear, and as I turned my head to the right to view whatever it was
or see whatever it was, I heard a voice from the back seat and I firmly
believe it was the President's, "My God, I am hit," and I turned around
and he has got his hands up here like this.
Mr. SPECTER. Indicating right hand up toward his neck?
Mr. KELLERMAN. That is right, sir. In fact, both hands were up in that
direction.
Senator COOPER. Which side of his neck?
Mr. KELLERMAN. Beg pardon?
Senator COOPER. Which side of his neck?
Mr. KELLERMAN. Both hands were up, sir; this one is like this here and
here we are with the hands----
Mr. SPECTER. Indicating the left hand is up above the head.
Mr. KELLERMAN. In the collar section.
Mr. SPECTER. As you are positioning yourself in the witness chair, your
right hand is up with the finger at the ear level as if clutching from
the right of the head; would that be an accurate description of the
position you pictured there?
Mr. KELLERMAN. Yes. Good. There was enough for me to verify that the
man was hit. So, in the same motion I come right back and grabbed the
speaker and said to the driver, "Let's get out of here; we are hit,"
and grabbed the mike and I said, "Lawson, this is Kellerman,"--this is
Lawson, who is in the front car. "We are hit; get us to the hospital
immediately." Now, in the seconds that I talked just now, a flurry of
shells come into the car. I then looked back and this time Mr. Hill,
who was riding on the left front bumper of our followup car, was on the
back trunk of that car; the President was sideways down into the back
seat.
Mr. SPECTER. Indicating on his left side.
Mr. KELLERMAN. Right; just like I am here.
Mr. SPECTER. You mean, correct, left side?
Mr. KELLERMAN. Correct; yes, sir. Governor Connally by that time is
lying flat backwards into her lap--Mrs. Connally--and she was lying
flat over him.
Mr. SPECTER. Who was lying flat over him?
Mr. KELLERMAN. Mrs. Connally was lying flat over the Governor.
Mr. SPECTER. You say that you turned to your right immediately after
you heard a shot?
Mr. KELLERMAN. Yes, sir.
Mr. SPECTER. What was the reason for your reacting to your right?
Mr. KELLERMAN. That was the direction that I heard this noise, pop.
Mr. SPECTER. Do you have a reaction as to the height from which the
noise came?
Mr. KELLERMAN. No; honestly, I do not.
Representative FORD. Was there any reaction that you noticed on the
part of Greer when the noise was noticed by you?
Mr. KELLERMAN. You are referring, Mr. Congressman, to the reaction to
get this car out of there?
Representative FORD. Yes.
Mr. KELLERMAN. Mr. Congressman, I have driven that car many times, and
I never cease to be amazed even to this day with the weight of the
automobile plus the power that is under the hood; we just literally
jumped out of the God-damn road.
Representative FORD. As soon as this noise was heard, or as soon as you
transmitted this message to Lawson?
Mr. KELLERMAN. As soon as I transmitted to the driver first as I went
to Lawson. I just leaned sideways to him and said, "Let's get out of
here. We are hit."
Representative FORD. That comment was made to Greer; not to Lawson?
Mr. KELLERMAN. Yes, sir; that is right.
Representative FORD. And the subsequent message was to Lawson?
Mr. KELLERMAN. Correct. That is right.
Mr. SPECTER. With relationship to that first noise that you have
described, when did you hear the voice?
Mr. KELLERMAN. His voice?
Mr. SPECTER. We will start with his voice.
Mr. KELLERMAN. OK. From the noise of which I was in the process of
turning to determine where it was or what it was, it carried on right
then. Why I am so positive, gentlemen, that it was his voice--there is
only one man in that back seat that was from Boston, and the accents
carried very clearly.
Mr. SPECTER. Well, had you become familiar with the President's voice
prior to that day?
Mr. KELLERMAN. Yes; very much so.
Mr. SPECTER. And what was the basis for your becoming familiar with his
voice prior to that day?
Mr. KELLERMAN. I had been with him for 3 years.
Mr. SPECTER. And had you talked with him on a very frequent basis
during the course of that association?
Mr. KELLERMAN. He was a very free man to talk to; yes. He knew most
all the men, most everybody who worked in the White House as well as
everywhere, and he would call you.
Mr. SPECTER. And from your experience would you say that you could
recognize the voice?
Mr. KELLERMAN. Very much, sir; I would.
Mr. SPECTER. Now, I think you may have answered this, but I want to
pinpoint just when you heard that statement which you have attributed
to President Kennedy in relationship to the sound which you described
as a firecracker.
Mr. KELLERMAN. This noise which I attribute as a firecracker, when this
occurred and I am in the process of determining where it comes because
I am sure it came off my right rear somewhere; the voice broke in right
then.
Mr. SPECTER. At about the same time?
Mr. KELLERMAN. That is correct, sir. That is right.
Mr. SPECTER. Now, did President Kennedy say anything beside, "My God, I
am hit."
Mr. KELLERMAN. That is the last words he said, sir.
Mr. SPECTER. Did Mrs. Kennedy say anything at that specific time?
Mr. KELLERMAN. Mr. Specter, there was an awful lot of confusion in
that back seat. She did a lot of talking which I can't recall all the
phrases.