Mr. BALL. Did they show you any prisoner?
Mr. McWATTERS. Yes, sir; when they stopped me over there and took me
into the police department there, like I say, it was around 6:15 or
6:20, they took me down before the lineup there and asked me if I could
identify anyone in that lineup as getting on my bus that day.
Mr. BALL. Did they take you down and show you a lineup?
Mr. McWATTERS. Yes, sir.
Mr. BALL. You sat there with police officers and they brought men in
there?
Mr. McWATTERS. They brought four men out. In other words, four men
under the lights; in other words, they was all----
Mr. BALL. All the same age?
Mr. McWATTERS. No, sir; they were different ages, different sizes and
different heights. And they asked me if I could identify any man in
particular there, and I told them that I couldn't identify any man in
particular, but there was one man there that was about the size of the
man. Now, I was referring back, after they done showed me this transfer
at that time and I knew which trip, that I went through town on at that
time, in other words, on the Lakewood trip and just like I recalled,
I only put out two transfers and I told them that there was one man
in the lineup was about the size and the height and complexion of a
man that got on my bus, but as far as positively identifying the man I
could not do it.
Mr. BALL. What was the size and the height and complexion of the man
that knocked on the window of this bus?
Mr. McWATTERS. Well, I would say, just like I told the police, to me he
was just a medium-sized man. To me he was, I would say, not, I wouldn't
call him--just of average weight, and I would say a light-complected,
to the best of my knowledge.
Mr. BALL. When you say "average weight" what do you mean?
Mr. McWATTERS. I figured just like I saw, the man, he looked like to me
the best way I can describe him would be 135 or 140 pounds.
Mr. BALL. What about height?
Mr. McWATTERS. Well, just like I told them, it looked like to me he
would probably be five-seven or five-eight, in that vicinity.
Mr. BALL. Anyway, you were not able to identify any man in the lineup
as the passenger?
Mr. McWATTERS. No, sir.
Mr. BALL. As the passenger who had gotten on?
Mr. McWATTERS. No, sir.
Mr. BALL. You said there was one man who closely resembled in height,
weight and color?
Mr. McWATTERS. That is right.
Mr. BALL. Do you know who that was?
Mr. McWATTERS. Just like I told them, I didn't know who was who or
anything.
Mr. BALL. Did you ever learn who that person was?
Mr. McWATTERS. Well, I don't know whether that was really the man or
not, I don't know.
Mr. BALL. I see.
Now, I have a map here.
(Discussion off the record.)
Representative FORD. All right, proceed.
Mr. BALL. You remember you told us about the man that knocked on the
window of the door of your bus just before you got to Griffin, wasn't
it?
Mr. McWATTERS. Yes, sir; along about the vicinity of Griffin Street, it
comes to.
Mr. BALL. You let him on the bus, and he paid his fare, how much is
that fare?
Mr. McWATTERS. It is 23 cents.
Mr. BALL. 23 cents, and you went about down almost to Poydras.
Mr. McWATTERS. Almost, between Poydras and Lamar.
Mr. BALL. Between Poydras and Lamar, closer to Lamar than to Poydras?
Mr. McWATTERS. Yes, sir.
Mr. BALL. And a man got on. Was it the same man?
Mr. McWATTERS. That was the same man who got on the bus that I picked
up, in other words.
Mr. BALL. And the man you gave the transfer to?
Mr. McWATTERS. The man I gave the transfer to when the woman--in other
words, when the man that got on Griffin Street there got off at the
same place she did.
Mr. BALL. And he was only on the bus about 2 blocks?
Mr. McWATTERS. Two blocks was the only distance.
Mr. BALL. How long did it take you to go those 2 blocks?
Mr. McWATTERS. Now, he paid as far as from St. Paul Street. I
made--there wasn't any traffic holding me up whatsoever, I come on
right down to where I picked the man up there, in other words, about
Field, and that is where the traffic was starting to back up to. So
the best of my knowledge I would say it took me 3 or 4 minutes to get
down there, so I will just have to say it was in the vicinity of around
12:40.
Mr. BALL. In other words, how long was the man on your bus, the man
who got on, about Griffin and got off and you gave him the transfer,
approximately?
Mr. McWATTERS. Well, he got on, and when he got on, I made that one
block, and then the other, well, I would be safe in saying he wasn't on
there 5 minutes.
Mr. BALL. And you think he got off or on around 12:40?
Mr. McWATTERS. 12:40 that is the best.
Mr. BALL. What time did you say he got on approximately?
Mr. McWATTERS. On the bus?
Mr. BALL. Yes.
Mr. McWATTERS. Well, I would say in the vicinity from where I left
up there it would be probably it took me, I would say, 3 minutes to
come, let's see, it would be Ervay, Akard and Field, that is about 3
blocks there where I left my time point which I would say just a rough
estimation it would be with no traffic would be 2 or 3 minutes, I would
say 3 minutes anyway.
So, it must have been somewheres 12:39 or--so.
Mr. BALL. When he got on the bus?
Mr. McWATTERS. 12:40.
Mr. BALL. And then he was on the bus about how many minutes?
Mr. McWATTERS. Well, just like I say he wasn't on the bus over 4 or 5
minutes, in other words, just made that 1 block there, and in other
words, when the traffic stopped, well, that is when he got off the bus.
Representative FORD. During the time he was on the bus this man rapped
at your door or was your door open, and spoke up and said that the
President had been shot?
Mr. McWATTERS. He was on the bus, you mean was the door open?
Representative FORD. No. You previously testified that while you were
stalled or jammed up in the traffic----
Mr. McWATTERS. Yes, sir.
Representative FORD. A man came to the door of the bus and indicated by
word of mouth----
Mr. McWATTERS. Yes, sir.
Representative FORD. That the President had been shot.
Mr. McWATTERS. Yes, sir.
Representative FORD. Now, was the man to whom you issued the transfer
on the bus at that time?
Mr. McWATTERS. Yes, sir.
Representative FORD. Now, the man who spoke up and said that the
President had been shot, how loudly did he say that?
Mr. McWATTERS. Well, he said it loud enough that I guess everybody on
the bus heard him when he stepped up in the bus.
Representative FORD. In other words, that would be your best impression
or best recollection that whoever said this, that the President had
been shot, said it loudly enough for not only you but the other bus
passengers to hear it?
Mr. McWATTERS. Yes, sir. Because he stepped up in the bus and when he
made the statement in other words, he said that the President had been
shot, because I am pretty sure everybody--he said it to the fact. I
think that everybody, there might have been some, if there was anybody
in the extreme back of the bus, might not have heard it, but I think
anyone who was near the front part of the bus could have.
Representative FORD. But at that time when this man made this
statement, there was a teenager sitting in the first cross seat on the
right-hand side of the bus?
Mr. McWATTERS. Yes, sir.
Representative FORD. And the man who had gotten on the bus to whom you
later issued the transfer, was sitting in the second?
Mr. McWATTERS. In the second seat.
Representative FORD. What is the distance from the door of the bus
where the man was standing who made this statement to the second cross
seat?
Mr. McWATTERS. Well, I would say, let's see, it would be I would say 6
or 8 feet.
Representative FORD. Was he sitting alone in the second cross seat?
Mr. McWATTERS. He was sitting alone.
Representative FORD. Did you notice any reaction on the part of any of
your passengers to this comment by this man who made this statement?
Mr. McWATTERS. Well, the only reaction that I knew is when he got up
and said that, well, that is when the lady got off first, which she
jumped up and got her suitcase and said, in other words, made a remark
to something. "I am afraid you are going to be tied up here in this
traffic and I want to get off."
Representative FORD. Where was this lady sitting who got up and asked
for this transfer?
Mr. McWATTERS. Now, this lady was sitting behind me, in other words, I
am the driver.
Representative FORD. On the left-hand side of the bus looking forward?
Mr. McWATTERS. Yes, sir; in other words, it is a cross seat. I mean a
side seat, in other words, like the driver sitting here, the first seat
is the one that runs parallel with the bus, in other words.
Representative FORD. Well now, the seat in which the lady was sitting
would be parallel to the second cross seat on the other side of the bus?