Mr. SPECTER. Mr. Hill, would you state your full name for the record,
please?
Mr. HILL. Clinton J. Hill.
Mr. SPECTER. How old are you, sir?
Mr. HILL. Thirty-two.
Mr. SPECTER. What is your educational background?
Mr. HILL. I went to secondary educational high school in Washburn, N.
Dak., and then went on to Concordia College, Moorehead, Minn. I was a
history and education major, with a minor in physical education.
Mr. SPECTER. What year were you graduated?
Mr. HILL. 1954.
Mr. SPECTER. What have you done since the time of graduation from
college, Mr. Hill?
Mr. HILL. I went into the Army in 1954; remained in the Army until
1957. Then I couldn't determine what I wanted to do, whether to go
to law school or not, and I took a couple of odd jobs. I worked for
a finance company at one time. Then I went to work for the Chicago,
Burlington & Quincy Railroad as a special agent in the spring of 1958,
and entered the Secret Service in September 1958.
Mr. SPECTER. You have been with the Secret Service since September 1958
to the present time?
Mr. HILL. Yes; I have.
Mr. SPECTER. Will you outline for the Commission your duties with the
Secret Service during your tenure there?
Mr. HILL. I entered the Secret Service in Denver, and during that
period I did both investigative and protection work. I was assigned to
Mrs. Doud, the mother-in-law of President Eisenhower. I attended the
Treasury Law Enforcement School during my first year, and was sent to
the White House for a 30-day temporary assignment at the White House in
June 1959. In November of 1959, November 1, I was transferred to the
White House on a permanent basis as a special agent assigned to the
White House detail. I have been at the White House since that time.
Mr. SPECTER. Now, were you assigned to duties on the trip of President
Kennedy to Texas in November 1963?
Mr. HILL. Yes, sir; I was.
Mr. SPECTER. Did you have any special duty assigned to you at that time?
Mr. HILL. Yes, sir.
Mr. SPECTER. In connection with the trip?
Mr. HILL. I was responsible for the protection of Mrs. Kennedy.
Mr. SPECTER. And, in a general way, what does that sort of an
assignment involve?
Mr. HILL. I tried to remain as close to her at all times as possible,
and in this particular trip that meant being with the President because
all of their doings on this trip were together rather than separate. I
would go over her schedule to make sure she knows what she is expected
to do; discuss it with her; remain in her general area all the time;
protect her from any danger.
Mr. SPECTER. Would you tell us, in a general way, what were the
activities of the President and Mrs. Kennedy on the morning of Friday,
November 22, before they arrived in Dallas?
Mr. HILL. I went to the fifth floor, I believe it was, where the
President and Mrs. Kennedy were staying in the Texas Hotel in Fort
Worth at 8:15 in the morning. President Kennedy was to go downstairs
and across the street to make a speech to a gathering in a parking lot.
I remained on the floor during the period the President was gone.
It was raining outside, I recall. About 9:25 I received word from
Special Agent Duncan that the President requested Mrs. Kennedy to come
to the mezzanine, where a breakfast was being held in his honor, and
where he was about to speak. I went in and advised Mrs. Kennedy of
this, and took her down to where the President was speaking; remained
with her adjacent to the head table in this particular area during the
speech; and accompanied she and the President back up to the, I believe
it was, the fifth floor of the hotel, their residential area; remained
on that floor until we left, went downstairs, got into the motorcade,
and departed the hotel for the airport to leave Fort Worth for Dallas.
We were airborne approximately 11:20, I believe, in Air Force 1. I was
in the aft compartment, which is part of the residential compartment,
and we arrived in Dallas at 11:40.
Mr. SPECTER. Would you describe, in a general way, what the President
and Mrs. Kennedy did upon arrival in Dallas?
Mr. HILL. They debarked the rear ramp of the aircraft first, followed
by Governor and Mrs. Connally, various Congressmen and Senators. And
Special Agent in Charge Kellerman and myself went down the ramp. There
was a small reception committee at the foot of the ramp, and somebody
gave Mrs. Kennedy some red roses, I recall. I walked immediately to
the followup car and placed my topcoat, which is a raincoat, and small
envelope containing some information concerning the Dallas stop in the
followup car, returning to where the President and Mrs. Kennedy were at
that time greeting a crippled lady in a wheelchair.
Mr. SPECTER. What do you estimate the size of the crowd to have been at
Dallas that morning?
Mr. HILL. At the airport?
Mr. SPECTER. Yes, sir.
Mr. HILL. It is rather difficult to say. They were behind a chain-link
fence, not on the airport ramp itself, and they were jammed up against
the fence holding placards, and many young people in the crowd. I
would say there were probably 2,000 people there.
Mr. SPECTER. At approximately what time did the motorcade depart from
Love Field to Dallas?
Mr. HILL. Approximately 11:55.
Mr. SPECTER. Do you know approximately how many automobiles there were
in the motorcade?
Mr. HILL. No, sir; I do not.
Mr. SPECTER. In which car in the motorcade were you positioned?
Mr. HILL. I was working the followup car, which is the car immediately
behind the Presidential car.
Mr. SPECTER. And how many cars are there ahead of the followup car,
then, in the entire motorcade?
Mr. HILL. There was a lead car ahead of the President's car, the
President's car, then this particular followup car.
Mr. SPECTER. Do you know whether there was any car in advance of the
car termed the lead car?
Mr. HILL. There could have been a pilot car, but I am not sure.
Mr. SPECTER. Now, approximately how far in front of the President's car
did the lead car stay during the course of the motorcade?
Mr. HILL. I would say a half block, maybe.
Mr. SPECTER. And how far was the President's car in front of the
President's followup car during the course of the motorcade?
Mr. HILL. Approximately 5 feet.
Mr. SPECTER. Is there some well-established practice as to the spacing
between the President's car and the President's followup car?
Mr. HILL. It would depend upon speed. We attempt to stay as close to
the President's car as practical. At high rates of speed it is rather
difficult to stay close because of the danger involved. Slow speeds,
the followup car stays as close as possible so that the agents on the
followup car can get to the Presidential car as quickly as possible.
Mr. SPECTER. What was the first car to the rear of the President's
followup car?
Mr. HILL. The Vice-Presidential automobile.
Mr. SPECTER. What car was immediately behind the Vice President's
automobile?
Mr. HILL. The Vice-Presidential followup car.
Mr. SPECTER. Do you know what cars in the Dallas motorcade followed the
Vice President's followup car?
Mr. HILL. Well, I couldn't say which car any individual rode in after
that particular automobile, but I could say they were occupied by
members of the staff, both President Kennedy's and Vice President
Johnson's; Congressmen and Senators who were on this particular trip;
newspaper personnel who were on this trip.
Mr. SPECTER. Would you identify the occupants of the President's
followup car and indicate where each was in the automobile.
Mr. HILL. The car itself was driven by Special Agent Sam Kinney, and
Assistant to the Special Agent in Charge Emory Roberts was riding in
the right front seat. I was assigned to work the left running board of
the automobile, the forward portion of that running board. McIntyre was
assigned to work the rear portion of the left running board. Special
Agent John Ready was assigned the forward portion of the right running
board; Special Agent Paul Landis was assigned the rear portion of the
right running board. There were two jump seats, and they were occupied
by two Presidential aides, Mr. O'Donnell and Mr. Powers. Mr. Powers
was sitting on the right-hand side; Mr. O'Donnell on the left. The
rear seat was occupied, left rear by Special Agent Hickey, right rear,
Special Agent Bennett.
Mr. SPECTER. How were the agents armed at that time?
Mr. HILL. All the agents were armed with their hand weapons.
Mr. SPECTER. And is there any weapon in the automobile in addition to
the hand weapons?
Mr. HILL. Yes. There is an AR-15, which is an automatic rifle, and a
shotgun.
Mr. SPECTER. And where is the AR-15 kept?
Mr. HILL. Between the two agents in the rear seat.
Mr. SPECTER. How about the shotgun; where is that kept?
Mr. HILL. In a compartment immediately in front of the jump seats.
Mr. SPECTER. Is the President's followup car a specially constructed
automobile?
Mr. HILL. Yes, sir; it is.
Mr. SPECTER. And what is the make and model and general description of
that vehicle?
Mr. HILL. It is a 1955 Cadillac, nine-passenger touring sedan. It is a
convertible type.
Mr. SPECTER. Was that automobile flown in specially from Washington for
the occasion?
Mr. HILL. Yes; it was, sir.
Mr. SPECTER. Do you know how that automobile was transported to Dallas,
Tex.?
Mr. HILL. Generally, it is flown in a C-130 by the Air Force. I am not
sure how on this particular occasion.
Mr. SPECTER. Will you describe, in a general way, the composition of
the crowds en route from Love Field down to the center of Dallas,
please?
Mr. HILL. Well, when we left Love Field, we went away from the crowd
to get to the exit point at Love Field, and there were no crowds at
all, and then we, departing Love Field, found the crowds were sporadic.
There were people here and there. Some places they had built up and
other places they were thinned out. The speed of the motorcade was
adjusted accordingly. Whenever there were large groups of people,
the motorcade slowed down to give the people an opportunity to view
the President. When there were not many people along the side of the
street, we speeded up. We didn't really hit the crowds until we hit
Main Street.
Mr. SPECTER. What is your best estimate of the maximum speed of the
automobile from the time you left Love Field until the time you arrived
at downtown Dallas?
Mr. HILL. I would say we never ran any faster than 25 to 30 miles per
hour.
Mr. SPECTER. What is your best estimate of the minimum speed during
this same interval?
Mr. HILL. Twelve to fifteen miles per hour. We did stop.
Mr. SPECTER. On what occasion did you stop?
Mr. HILL. Between Love Field and Main Street, downtown Dallas, on the
right-hand side of the street there were a group of people with a long
banner which said, "Please, Mr. President, stop and shake our hands."
And the President requested the motorcade to stop, and he beckoned to
the people and asked them to come and shake his hand, which they did.
Mr. SPECTER. Did the President disembark from his automobile at that
time?
Mr. HILL. No; he remained in his seat.
Mr. SPECTER. At that time what action, if any, did you take?
Mr. HILL. I jumped from the followup car and ran up to the left rear
portion of the automobile with my back toward Mrs. Kennedy viewing
those persons on the left-hand side of the street.
Mr. SPECTER. What action was taken by any other Secret Service agent
which you observed at that time?
Mr. HILL. Special Agent Ready, who was working the forward portion of
the right running board, did the same thing, only on the President's
side, placed his back toward the car, and viewed the people facing
the President. Assistant in Charge Kellerman opened the door of the
President's car and stepped out on the street.
Mr. SPECTER. What action was taken by Special Agent McIntyre, if you
know?
Mr. HILL. I do not know.
Mr. SPECTER. How about Special Agent Landis?
Mr. HILL. I do not know.
Mr. SPECTER. What is your normal procedure for action in the event the
President's car is stopped, as it did in that event?
Mr. HILL. Special Agent McIntyre would normally jump off the car and
run to the forward portion of the left-hand side of the car; Special
Agent Landis would move to the right-hand forward portion of the
automobile.
Mr. SPECTER. Did anything else which was unusual occur en route from
Love Field to the downtown area of Dallas?
Mr. HILL. Before we hit Main Street?
Mr. SPECTER. Yes, sir.
Mr. HILL. Not that I recall.
Mr. SPECTER. Did you have any occasion to leave the President's
followup car at any time?
Mr. HILL. When we finally did reach Main Street, the crowds had
built up to a point where they were surging into the street. We had
motorcycles running adjacent to both the Presidential automobile and
the followup car, as well as in front of the Presidential automobile,
and because of the crowds in the street, the President's driver,
Special Agent Greer, was running the car more to the left-hand side of
the street more than he was to the right to keep the President as far
away from the crowd as possible, and because of this the motorcycles on
the left-hand side could not get past the crowd and alongside the car,
and they were forced to drop back. I jumped from the followup car, ran
up and got on top of the rear portion of the Presidential automobile to
be close to Mrs. Kennedy in the event that someone attempted to grab
her from the crowd or throw something in the car.
Mr. SPECTER. When you say the rear portion of the automobile, can you,
by referring to Commission Exhibit No. 345, heretofore identified as
the President's automobile, specify by penciled "X" where you stood?
Mr. HILL. Yes, sir [indicating].
Mr. SPECTER. Will you describe for the record just what area it is back
there on which you stood?
Mr. HILL. That is a step built into the rear bumper of the automobile,
and on top of the rear trunk there is a handguard which you grab for
and hang onto when you are standing up.
Mr. SPECTER. Are identical objects of those descriptions existing on
each side of the President's car?
Mr. HILL. Yes, sir; they do.
Mr. SPECTER. Did you have any other occasion en route from Love Field
to downtown Dallas to leave the followup car and mount that portion of
the President's car?
Mr. HILL. I did the same thing approximately four times.
Mr. SPECTER. What are the standard regulations and practices, if any,
governing such an action on your part?
Mr. HILL. It is left to the agent's discretion more or less to move to
that particular position when he feels that there is a danger to the
President; to place himself as close to the President or the First Lady
as my case was, as possible, which I did.
Mr. SPECTER. Are those practices specified in any written documents of
the Secret Service?
Mr. HILL. No; they are not.
Mr. SPECTER. Now, had there been any instruction or comment about
your performance of that type of a duty with respect to anything that
President Kennedy himself had said in the period immediately preceding
the trip to Texas?
Mr. HILL. Yes, sir; there was. The preceding Monday, the President was
on a trip in Tampa, Fla., and he requested that the agents not ride on
either of those two steps.
Mr. SPECTER. And to whom did the President make that request?
Mr. HILL. Assistant Special Agent in Charge Boring.
Mr. SPECTER. Was Assistant Special Agent in Charge Boring the
individual in charge of that trip to Florida?
Mr. HILL. He was riding in the Presidential automobile on that trip in
Florida, and I presume that he was. I was not along.
Mr. SPECTER. Well, on that occasion would he have been in a position
comparable to that occupied by Special Agent Kellerman on this trip to
Texas?
Mr. HILL. Yes, sir; the same position.
Mr. SPECTER. And Special Agent Boring informed you of that instruction
by President Kennedy?
Mr. HILL. Yes, sir; he did.
Mr. SPECTER. Did he make it a point to inform other special agents of
that same instruction?
Mr. HILL. I believe that he did, sir.
Mr. SPECTER. And, as a result of what President Kennedy said to him,
did he instruct you to observe that Presidential admonition?
Mr. HILL. Yes, sir.
Mr. SPECTER. How, if at all, did that instruction of President Kennedy
affect your action and--your action in safeguarding him on this trip to
Dallas?
Mr. HILL. We did not ride on the rear portions of the automobile. I did
on those four occasions because the motorcycles had to drop back and
there was no protection on the left-hand side of the car.
Mr. SPECTER. When the President's automobile was proceeding in downtown
Dallas, what was the ordinary speed of the automobile, based on your
best estimate?
Mr. HILL. We were running approximately 12 to 15 miles per hour, I
would say.
Mr. SPECTER. I show you a document which we have marked as Commission
Exhibit No. 354, which is an aerial photograph identical with the
photograph already marked as Commission Exhibit No. 347.
(The photograph referred to was marked Exhibit No. 354 for
identification.)
Mr. SPECTER. I ask you if, referring only to Exhibit 354, you are able
to identify what that scene is.
Mr. HILL. Yes, sir; I am.
Mr. SPECTER. Are you able to indicate the route which the President's
motorcade followed through that area?
Mr. HILL. Yes, sir; I am.
Mr. SPECTER. And what does that scene depict--what city is it?
Mr. HILL. That is Dallas, Tex. It shows Main Street, Houston Street,
and Elm Street.
Mr. SPECTER. Will you write on the picture itself where Main Street is?
Would you now write, as best you can, which street is Houston Street?
Mr. HILL. Yes, sir.
Mr. SPECTER. And would you now write which street is Elm?
Mr. HILL. Yes, sir.
(At this point, Representative Ford entered the hearing room.)
Mr. SPECTER. Now, would you indicate, if you know, which is a generally
northerly direction on that picture?
Mr. HILL. Yes, sir.
Mr. SPECTER. All right. What was the condition of the crowd as the
motorcade made a right-hand turn off of Main Street onto Houston?
Mr. HILL. The crowd was very large on Main Street, and it was thinning
down considerably when we reached the end of it, and turned right
on Houston Street. Noticeably on my side of the car, which was the
left-hand side of the street.
Mr. SPECTER. And what is your best estimate as to the speed of the
President's car at the time it made the right-hand turn onto Houston
Street?
Mr. HILL. In the curve?
Mr. SPECTER. The speed--in the curve itself; yes.
Mr. HILL. We were running generally 12 to 15 miles per hour. I would
say that in the curve we perhaps slowed to maybe 10 miles per hour.
Mr. SPECTER. And how far behind the President's car was the
Presidential followup car as the turn was made onto Houston Street?
Mr. HILL. Four to five feet, at the most.
Mr. SPECTER. I show you a photograph of a building which has already
been marked as Commission Exhibit No. 348, and ask you if at this time
you can identify what that building is.
Mr. HILL. I believe I can, sir; yes.
Mr. SPECTER. And what building is it?
Mr. HILL. It is the Texas School Book Depository.
Mr. SPECTER. Now, does that building appear on the Commission Exhibit
No. 354?
Mr. HILL. Yes, sir; it does.
Mr. SPECTER. Did you have any occasion to notice the Texas School Book
Depository Building as you proceeded in a generally northerly direction
on Houston Street?
Mr. HILL. Yes, sir. It was immediately in front of us and to our left.
Mr. SPECTER. Did you notice anything unusual about it?
Mr. HILL. Nothing more unusual than any other building along the way.
Mr. SPECTER. What is your general practice, if any, in observing such
buildings along the route of a Presidential motorcade?
Mr. HILL. We scan the buildings and look specifically for open windows,
for people hanging out, and there had been, on almost every building
along the way, people hanging out, windows open.
Mr. SPECTER. And did you observe, as you recollect at this moment, any
open windows in the Texas School Depository Building?
Mr. HILL. Yes, sir; there were.
Mr. SPECTER. Are you able to recollect specifically which windows were
open at this time?
Mr. HILL. No, sir; I cannot.
Mr. SPECTER. What was the condition of the crowd along the streets, if
any, along Elm Street, in front of the Texas School Book Depository
Building?
Mr. HILL. On the left-hand side of the street, which is the side I was
on, the crowd was very thin. And it was a general park area. There were
people scattered throughout the entire park.
Mr. SPECTER. Now, what is your best estimate of the speed of the
President's automobile as it turned left off of Houston onto Elm Street?
Mr. HILL. We were running still 12 to 15 miles per hour, but in the
curve I believe we slowed down maybe to 10, maybe to 9.
Mr. SPECTER. How far back of the President's automobile was the
Presidential followup car when the President's followup car had just
straightened out on Elm Street?
Mr. HILL. Approximately 5 feet.
Mr. SPECTER. Now, as the motorcade proceeded at that point, tell us
what happened.
Mr. HILL. Well, as we came out of the curve, and began to straighten
up, I was viewing the area which looked to be a park. There were people
scattered throughout the entire park. And I heard a noise from my right
rear, which to me seemed to be a firecracker. I immediately looked
to my right, and, in so doing, my eyes had to cross the Presidential
limousine and I saw President Kennedy grab at himself and lurch forward
and to the left.
Mr. SPECTER. Why don't you just proceed, in narrative form, to tell us?
Representative BOGGS. This was the first shot?
Mr. HILL. This is the first sound that I heard; yes, sir. I jumped from
the car, realizing that something was wrong, ran to the Presidential
limousine. Just about as I reached it, there was another sound,
which was different than the first sound. I think I described it in
my statement as though someone was shooting a revolver into a hard
object--it seemed to have some type of an echo. I put my right foot, I
believe it was, on the left rear step of the automobile, and I had a
hold of the handgrip with my hand, when the car lurched forward. I lost
my footing and I had to run about three or four more steps before I
could get back up in the car.
Between the time I originally grabbed the handhold and until I was up
on the car, Mrs. Kennedy--the second noise that I heard had removed a
portion of the President's head, and he had slumped noticeably to his
left. Mrs. Kennedy had jumped up from the seat and was, it appeared to
me, reaching for something coming off the right rear bumper of the
car, the right rear tail, when she noticed that I was trying to climb
on the car. She turned toward me and I grabbed her and put her back in
the back seat, crawled up on top of the back seat and lay there.
Mr. SPECTER. Now, referring to Commission Exhibit No. 354, would
you mark an "X", as best you can, at the spot where the President's
automobile was at the time the first shot occurred?
Mr. HILL. Approximately there.
Mr. SPECTER. And would you mark a "Y" at the approximate position where
the President's car was at the second shot you have described? What is
your best estimate of the speed of the President's car at the precise
time of the first shot, Mr. Hill?
Mr. HILL. We were running between 12 to 15 miles per hour, but no
faster than 15 miles per hour.
Mr. SPECTER. How many shots have you described that you heard?
Mr. HILL. Two.
Mr. SPECTER. Did you hear any more than two shots?
Mr. HILL. No, sir.
Mr. SPECTER. And what is your best estimate of the speed of the
President's automobile at the time of the second shot?
Mr. HILL. Approximately the same speed as that of the first--although
at the time that I jumped on the car, the car had surged forward. The
President at that time had been shot in the head.
Mr. SPECTER. When, in relationship to the second shot, did the car
accelerate--that is, the President's car?
Mr. HILL. Almost simultaneously.
Mr. SPECTER. You testified just a moment ago that the President grabbed
at himself immediately after the first noise which you described as
sounding like a firecracker.
Mr. HILL. Yes, sir.
Mr. SPECTER. Would you tell us with more particularity in what way he
grabbed at himself?
Mr. HILL. He grabbed in this general area.
Mr. SPECTER. You are indicating that your right hand is coming up to
your--to the throat?
Mr. HILL. Yes, sir.
Mr. SPECTER. And the left hand crosses right under the right hand.
Mr. HILL. To the chest area.
Mr. SPECTER. To the chest area. Was there any movement of the
President's head or shoulders immediately after the first shot, that
you recollect?
Mr. HILL. Yes, sir. Immediately when I saw him, he was like this, and
going left and forward.
Mr. SPECTER. Indicating a little fall to the left front.
Mr. HILL. Yes, sir.
Representative BOGGS. This was after a head wound?
Mr. HILL. No, sir.
Representative BOGGS. Before the head wound?
Mr. HILL. Yes, sir; this was the first shot.
Mr. SPECTER. Now, what is your best estimate on the timespan between
the first firecracker-type noise you heard and the second shot which
you have described?
Mr. HILL. Approximately 5 seconds.
Mr. SPECTER. Now, did the impact on the President's head occur
simultaneously, before, or after the second noise which you have
described?
Mr. HILL. Almost simultaneously.
Representative FORD. Did you see the President put his hands to his
throat and chest while you were still on the followup car, or after you
had left it?
Mr. HILL. As I was leaving. And that is one of the reasons I jumped,
because I saw him grab himself and pitch forward and to the left. I
knew something was wrong.
Representative FORD. It was 5 seconds from the firecracker noise that
you think you got to the automobile?
Mr. HILL. Until I reached the handhold, had placed my foot on the left
rear step.
Mr. SPECTER. When, in relationship to the second shot, did Mrs. Kennedy
move out of the rear seat?
Mr. HILL. Just after it.
Mr. SPECTER. You say that it appeared that she was reaching as if
something was coming over to the rear portion of the car, back in the
area where you were coming to?
Mr. HILL. Yes, sir.
Mr. SPECTER. Was there anything back there that you observed, that she
might have been reaching for?
Mr. HILL. I thought I saw something come off the back, too, but I
cannot say that there was. I do know that the next day we found the
portion of the President's head.
Mr. SPECTER. Where did you find that portion of the President's head?
Mr. HILL. It was found in the street. It was turned in, I believe, by a
medical student or somebody in Dallas.
Mr. SPECTER. Did you have any difficulty maintaining your balance on
the back of the car after you had come up on the top of it?
Mr. HILL. Not until we turned off to enter the Parkland Hospital.
Mr. SPECTER. Now, what action did you take specifically with respect to
placing Mrs. Kennedy back in the rear seat?
Mr. HILL. I simply just pushed and she moved--somewhat
voluntarily--right back into the same seat she was in. The
President--when she had attempted to get out onto the trunk of the car,
his body apparently did not move too much, because when she got back
into the car he was at that time, when I got on top of the car, face up
in her lap.
Mr. SPECTER. And that was after she was back in the rear seat?
Mr. HILL. Yes, sir.
Mr. SPECTER. And where were the President's legs at that time?
Mr. HILL. Inside the car.
Mr. SPECTER. Now, what, if anything, did you observe as to the
condition of Governor Connally at that time?
Mr. HILL. After going under this underpass, I looked forward to the
jump seats, where Mrs. Connally and Governor Connally were sitting.
Mrs. Connally had been leaning over her husband. And I had no idea that
he had been shot. And when she leaned back at one time, I noticed that
his coat was unbuttoned, and that the lower portion of his abdomen was
completely covered with blood.
Mr. SPECTER. When was it that you first observed that?
Mr. HILL. Just after going under the underpass.
Mr. SPECTER. Were you able to observe anything which was occurring on
the overpass as the President's motorcade moved toward the overpass?
Mr. HILL. From the time I got on the back of the Presidential
limousine, I didn't really pay any attention to what was going on
outside the automobile.
Mr. SPECTER. Had you noticed the overpass prior to the time you got on
the Presidential automobile?
Mr. HILL. Yes; I had scanned it.
Mr. SPECTER. And do you recollect what, if anything, you observed on
the overpass at that time?
Mr. HILL. There were some people there, but I also noticed there was a
policeman there.
Mr. SPECTER. Approximately how many people would you say were there?
Mr. HILL. Very few, I would say--maybe five, six.
Mr. SPECTER. And how were you able to identify that there was a
policeman there?
Mr. HILL. He was wearing the uniform--presumably a policeman.
Mr. SPECTER. What color uniform was it?
Mr. HILL. I think it was blue of some shade.
Mr. SPECTER. Did you identify it at that time as being of the identical
color which other Dallas policemen were wearing whom you had observed
in the area?
Mr. HILL. That's correct, sir.
Mr. SPECTER. Can you characterize the type of acceleration which the
car made after it started to speed forward--that is, the Presidential
car.
Mr. HILL. Well, the initial surge was quite violent, because it
almost jerked me off the left rear step board. Then after that it was
apparently gradual, because I did not notice it any more.
Mr. SPECTER. What is your best estimate of the distance from the time
of the shooting to Parkland Hospital?