Mr. BALL. To make the left turn south on Houston Street?
Mr. McWATTERS. Yes.
Mr. BALL. And your last bus stop, as you go west on Elm and before you
turn is the northeast corner of Record and Elm?
Mr. McWATTERS. Yes, sir; that is correct.
Mr. BALL. You went on over to Houston Viaduct into the Oak Cliff
section, didn't you?
Mr. McWATTERS. Yes, sir; to the Oak Cliff section.
Mr. BALL. And there was some conversation occurred on that bus that you
told the FBI officers about?
Mr. McWATTERS. Yes, sir.
Mr. BALL. Tell us what that was?
Mr. McWATTERS. Well, there was a teenage boy, I would say 17 or 18
years of age, who was sitting to my right on the first cross seat and
me and him had, we had conversationed a little while we was tied up
in the traffic, you know, of the fact of we wondered where all, what
all the excitement was due to the fact of the sirens and others, and
after I turned on Houston Street I said to him and I made the remark,
I wonder where the President was shot, and I believe he made the
remark that it was probably in the head if he was in a convertible
or something to that effect. I don't remember just exactly the way
we worded it or what it was, but it was a conversation about the
President, in other words, to where he was shot.
In other words, and he made the remark or something, he was probably
shot in the head, if he was sitting in a convertible or to that effect.
I really don't know just exactly at that time. Just like I say I never
thought anything about it.
Mr. BALL. Didn't some lady say something?
Mr. McWATTERS. Well, yes, sir.
Now, as we got on out on Marsalis, along about it was either Edgemont
or Vermont, I believe it was Vermont Street, there was a lady who was
fixing to cross the intersection and I stopped and asked her if she was
going to catch the bus into town from the opposite direction, and she
said that she was and I told her that we was off schedule, that the
other bus had done went into town, and I asked her did she care to just
ride on to the end of the line and come back and she wouldn't have to
stand there and wait, and she was getting on, and I asked her had she
heard the news of the President being shot, at the time that was all I
knew about it, and she said, "No, what are you--you are just kidding
me."
I said, "No, I really am not kidding you." I said, "It is the truth
from all the reliable sources that we have come in contact with," and
this teenage boy sitting on the side, I said "Well, now, if you think
I am kidding you," I said, "Ask this gentleman sitting over here," and
he kind of, I don't know whether it was a grinning or smile or whatever
expression it was, and she said, "I know you are kidding now, because
he laughed or grinned or made some remark to that effect."
And I just told her no it wasn't no kidding matter, but that was part
of the conversation that was said at that time.
Mr. BALL. Was this teenage boy--do you know where this teenage boy got
on the bus?
Mr. McWATTERS. Yes, sir; he got on at between, he got on at the stop,
in other words, I stopped in front of the Majestic theater which is a
block before I get to St. Paul; in other words, it is a middle of the
stop, block stop, in other words. We pull in and stop in the center of
the block, and my next stop would be St. Paul; in other words, that is
where the teenage boy got on.
Mr. BALL. He was on the bus when this man knocked on the door of your
bus and got on?
Mr. McWATTERS. Yes, sir; he was.
Mr. BALL. He was on the bus when the man asked for the transfer and got
off?
Mr. McWATTERS. Yes, sir. That is right.
Mr. BALL. Were you later called down to the--did the teenage boy ask
for any transfer?
Mr. McWATTERS. No, sir.
Mr. BALL. Now, you were called down to the Dallas police department
later, weren't you?
Mr. McWATTERS. Yes, sir.
Mr. BALL. What day was it?
Mr. McWATTERS. It was on the same day, the 22d.
Mr. BALL. 22d. Do you know how they happened to get in touch with you,
did you notify them that you----
Mr. McWATTERS. No, sir; I didn't know anything to that effect.
Mr. BALL. Did they come out and get you?