Mr. RUBY. Why go back to Friday? That set me off.
Then it is a greater premeditation than you know is true.
Mr. TONAHILL. I don't say it is premeditation. I never have. I don't
think it is.
Mr. RUBY. Because it never entered my mind when they talked about, the
officer, cutting him into bits. You would like to have built it up for
my defense, but that is not it. I am here to tell the truth.
Mr. TONAHILL. The psychiatrist said that to me.
Mr. RUBY. You want to put that into my thoughts, but it never happened.
I took it with a grain of salt what he said at that particular time.
Well, it is too bad, Chief Warren, that you didn't get me to your
headquarters 6 months ago.
Chief Justice WARREN. Well, Mr. Ruby, I will tell you why we didn't.
Because you were then about to be tried and I didn't want to do
anything that would prejudice you in your trial. And for that reason, I
wouldn't even consider asking you to testify until your trial was over.
That is the only reason that we didn't talk to you sooner.
And I wish we had gotten here a little sooner after your trial was
over, but I know you had other things on your mind, and we had other
work, and it got to this late date.
But I assure you, there is no desire on our part to let this matter go
to any late date for any ulterior purpose. I assure you of that.
And as I told you at the beginning, if you want a test of some kind
made, I will undertake to see that it is done.
Mr. RUBY. You have power to do it, even though the district attorney
objects to me getting the tests?
Chief Justice WARREN. Yes; I do.
Mr. RUBY. How soon can it be done?
Chief Justice WARREN. Well, I am not familiar with those things, but we
will try to do it expeditiously, you may be sure, because we are trying
to wind up the work of this Commission. And I assure you we won't delay
it.
Mr. RUBY. Are you staying overnight here, Chief Warren?
Chief Justice WARREN. No; I have to be back, because we have an early
session of the Court tomorrow morning.
Mr. RUBY. Is there any way of getting a polygraph here?
Mr. DECKER. May I make a suggestion?
Jack, listen, you and I have had a lot of dealings. Do you want my
officers removed from the room while you talk to this Commission?
Mr. RUBY. That wouldn't prove any truth.
Mr. DECKER. These people came several thousand miles to interview you.
You have wanted to tell me your story and I have refused to let you
tell me. Now be a man with a bunch of men that have come a long way to
give you an opportunity to.