Justification For Killing

  Chapter Ten

  12:30 P.M., FRIDAY NOVEMBER 22, 1963

  DALLAS, TEXAS

  The time was 12:30 on the dot. No one looked at a watch to validate the exact time. The hour later would be verified by photographs of the large Hertz time clock on the roof of the School Book Depository building. The events transpired so fast it left no time for witnesses to glance at their watches. They could not remove their eyes from the grisly scene being played out in front of them; however, later a number of witnesses said it appeared as though things moved in slow motion. Noises, voices, motorcycle exhausts seemed garbled, and as they looked back on the events, movement of others was comical. It was as if they watched a movie set on slow speed. Those few seconds felt like hours.

  Special Agent (SA) Clint Hill stood on the left running board of the Secret Service’s follow car, which was directly behind the President’s limo, heard what he first thought was a firecracker. Security protocol required him to act. He jumped from his position and immediately ran and threw himself on the rear trunk of the limousine.

  He spread his body onto the trunk, trying to use his body to provide, as much protection to the President, Mrs. Kennedy and the Connally’s as possible when the second shot rang out. Many days later Agent Hill would state he could not tell from which direction the sounds seemed to come from. Others say it was from his right and to the rear.

  This statement had to be taken many days later since the second rifle shot that echoed through the recesses of the Dealy Plaza complex hit Agent Hill about four inches below his right shoulder blade, passed through his upper torso and struck the President about six inches below his right shoulder. Pictures released by dozens of amateur and professionals later would show the President reaching for his throat, but doctors who have examined these pictures say this was merely a reactionary movement caused by the bullet hitting the President’s right lung. The movement to the throat was an indication he had trouble breathing. It was like he had the breath knocked out of him. That is an understatement! The bullet then exited the President’s body and struck Governor Connally in his back.

  The First Lady had turned to her right and was attempting to look back to see the source of the explosive noise. At first she did not realize it was a gunshot. She too, like Agent Hill, surmised it was a firecracker. As she turned she saw SA Hill jumping on the rear of her automobile, and out of instinct she jumped from her rear seat and extended her arm in an attempt to help him get into the automobile.

  As the bullet tore through Hill’s body - blood, flesh and bone was strewn over the automobile and onto Elm Street. Mrs. Kennedy’s beautiful pink dress now almost matched the exquisite bouquet of ruby red roses she had dropped onto the limousine’s floor. Fortunately, she was not injured; however, to those witnessing the event, some as close as a mere few feet, would think she must surely be wounded due to the large amount of blood covering her lovely pink outfit. Within seconds, another shot rang out - from where - who knew - even today it is a matter of speculation. Then a third shot was fired. This third shot struck a glancing blow off the right side of the President’s head missing Agent Hill and did not injure the First Lady. An instant or two earlier the Governor and Mrs. Connally had glanced to their right, as did the First Lady and the President. Did they hear a shot from the right? Or were they reacting to the first shot, which obviously missed. Is this the bullet that struck the curb and injured James Teague’s cheek? Could they have heard the thud of the bullet as it caromed off the concrete?

  The bewilderment was tremendous as exhibited by the deposition given to the Dallas Police Department: “Before me, the undersigned authority, on this the 22nd day of November A.D. 1963 personally appeared William Eugene Newman, Address: 1115 W. Robin Lane, Dallas, Texas, Age 28, Phone No. DK 6-3172. 
Deposes and says:

  “Today at about 12:25 p.m., I was standing in a group of people on Elm Street near the west end of the concrete standard when the President's car turned left off Houston Street onto Elm Street. We were standing at the edge of the curb looking at the car as it was coming toward us, and all of a sudden there was a noise, apparently gunshot [sic]. The President jumped up in his seat, and it looked like what I thought was a firecracker had went off, and I thought he had realized it. It was just like an explosion, and he was standing up. By this time, he was directly in front of us, and I was looking directly at him when he was hit in the side of the head. Then he fell back, and Governor Connally was holding his middle section. Then we fell down on the grass, as it seemed we were in the direct path of fire. It looked as if Mrs. Kennedy had jumped on top of the President. He kinda [sic] fell back, and it looked as if she were holding him. Then the car sped away, and everybody in that area had run upon top of that grassy mound. I thought the shot had come from the garden directly behind me that it was on an elevation from where I was as I was right on the curb. I do not recall looking toward the Texas School Book Depository. I looked back in the vacinity [sic] of the garden.”

  /s/ William E. Newhouse, Jr.

  Subscribed and sworn to before me on this the 22nd day of Nov A. D. 1963

  /s/ D. K. Osmand, 
Notary Public, Dallas County, Texas”

  Hundreds of people were assembled in the area known as Dealy Plaza on that day many of them gave detailed reports to the FBI, the Dallas Police and later to the Warren Commission on what exactly they saw. The accounts are as varied as the number of people who recounted them. Some tell of shots coming from the Texas School Book Depository building. Which floor? That becomes confusing too. Which window? Again not a resounding definitive conclusion, but the Grassy Knoll - less we forget this small strip of nature’s botanical beauty. Shots seem to have emanated from all around that vicinity - from behind the stonewall, behind the fence, in the bushes - stories with smoke in the air, men with guns running to a fro. Assassins dressed as policemen, or as he was referred to - the ‘badge man’. People with badges thought to be Secret Service agents when no agents were assigned to the area. Ask one person and get one answer, ask ten and you will get ten. There was no consensus - the only fact known for sure was the fact nothing was known for sure.

  Later Agent Hill would make his official statement as to his part in the day’s events. Some of his comments are as follows: “The motorcade made a right hand turn onto Elm Street. I was on the forward portion of the left running board of the follow-up car. The motorcade made a left hand turn from Elm Street toward the overpass. We were traveling about twelve to fifteen miles per hour. On the left hand side, was a grassy area with a few people scattered along it observing the motorcade passing and I was visually scanning these people when I heard a noise similar to a firecracker. The sound came from my right rear, and I immediately moved my head in that direction. In so doing, my eyes had to cross the Presidential automobile, and I saw the President was still sitting upright and appeared unhurt. I jumped from the follow-up car and ran toward the Presidential automobile. As I jumped onto the left rear step of the Presidential automobile, Mrs. Kennedy shouted, “Give me your hand.” I had barely mounted the rear trunk when I heard a second firecracker type noise, but it had a different sound-- like the sound of shooting a revolver into something hard. I saw the President slump more toward his left.

  I forced Mrs. Kennedy back into her seat and placed my body above the President and Mrs. Kennedy. At the time, I had not realized that I had been shot; neither did I realize that the President had also been wounded. Special Agent Green had as I jumped onto the Presidential automobile, accelerated the Presidential automobile forward. I heard Assistant Special Agent-In-Charge (ASAIC) Kellerman call Special Agent Lawson on the two-way radio and say, "To the nearest hospital, quick." I shouted as loud as I could at the lead car, "Head to the hospital, to the hospital!"

  As I lay over the top of the back seat I noticed the President's head on the right rear side was bleeding profusely. Part of his hair was gone. I saw a portion of his scalp with hair on it lying in the back seat. The time of the shooting was approximately
12:30 p.m., Dallas time. I looked forward to the jump seats, and noticed Governor Connally's chest was covered with blood, and he was slumped to his left and partially covered up by his wife. I had not realized until this point that the Governor had been shot.

  When we arrived at Parkland Memorial Hospital, Dallas, I... I’m sorry, but all that took place at the Hospital is still a blur. Most of what happened to me was related to me by others. I just cannot remember all the details. I know they removed the President from the automobile, and covered the President's upper chest with my suit jacket. I understand ASAIC Kellerman assisted in removing the President from the back seat of the automobile onto a wheeled stretcher and accompanied the President and Mrs. Kennedy into the Emergency Room. Governor Connally had been placed in an Emergency Room across the hall.

  I was taken into the Emergency Room almost immediately and do remember the large number of doctors and nurses in the room, which was quite small. Kellerman asked a nurse to make sure all the other hospital people except the necessary medical personnel working in the emergency room, please return to their normal duties. She immediately began checking the medical staff members. I’m sorry, but the rest of my statement has been told to me. I do not remember much of the rest of the day.

  ASAIC Kellerman left the Emergency Room to get in touch with the White House and was going to ask them to make sure to keep the line open at all times. I was told he asked Special Agent Lawson for the telephone number of the switchboard in Dallas that had contact with the White House and he gave it to him. He dialed the Dallas contact number and told her to connect him with the White House in Washington, and to keep this line open continuously. He did so.

  ASAIC Kellerman came out of the Emergency Room again and took the telephone and asked for SAIC Gerald A. Behn, Secret Service, The White House, Washington, D.C. This was approximately 12:39 p.m. Kellerman told Behn that there had been a double tragedy; that the President and Governor Connally had both been shot and that he would keep him advised. Another agent (I do not know who) took over the telephone and told Mr. Behn that the situation was extremely critical. The operator cut into the line and said The Attorney General wanted to talk to Kellerman. He asked what the situation was, and he was advised that the President had been injured very seriously and that he would keep him advised as to his condition. He said he also advised the Attorney General that I was wounded and was currently undergoing emergency surgery for a wound in my right rear shoulder. He said that my prognosis was favorable. At the time, I probably would have disagreed with him.

  Mr. Kellerman came back out of the Emergency Room and made an announcement, "Agent Lawson, tell Gerry that this is not for release and not official - the President is critical, but the doctors believe he will make it." That information was told to Mr. Behn, and then requested that he immediately contact the other members of the President's family so that he could advise them of the situation rather than having them hear it over some news media.”

  THE WITNESSES

  Michael Thomas, standing on the triple railroad overpass just west of Dealey Plaza, had gotten there early. He had found a suitable spot; the whole of Dealey Plaza was viewable to his east including the travel route down Elm Street toward him as he stood on the train overpass. From his vantage point, he would be able to watch the motorcade travel right beneath him.

  He had seen the map of the presidential parade route earlier in the Dallas Times Herald and knew this would be a perfect place to see President Kennedy and his wife Jacqueline. Thomas’s daughter Olivia, age nine and son Payton age fourteen were standing next to the concrete railing peering eastward. They were waiting for the presidential procession to turn right on Houston and then left on Elm and proceed directly underneath them.

  Both kids hardly could contain their excitement at the thought of seeing The President. Not the President, thought Olivia, I want to see Jackie. Surveying the building up Elm and over on Houston Michael noticed a glint of light from the roof of the Texas State Book Depository. Good, he thought. Secret Service men are on the roof doing their job. Those guys certainly know their business. Michael’s wife, a schoolteacher was supposed to meet them there, but she was late. I hope she hurries, or she going to miss seeing the President, Mike thought. The Presidential parade had turned from Houston and was headed straight toward Michael, Payton and Olivia. The lead car was almost directly below them.

  No sooner than that thought crossed his mind, Michael was startled by a boom... yes, that’s his description ‘a boom’. Where did it come from? His first thought was from the roof of the Texas State Book Building. He could see the birds fluttering as if disturbed by the noise.

  A millisecond or two passed as another shot sounded almost simultaneously from his left toward the area of the picket fence and the grassy area. A couple of seconds later a third and forth shot came from his left but further up towards the Texas School Book Depository building again. He saw one of these shots hit the curb almost immediately below where he and his two kids were standing. “Get down, get down,” he yelled to everyone on the bridge, especially to his two kids. Michael a Navy veteran, recognized gunfire, “Someone is shooting!” All three huddled behind the concrete barrier at the railroad overpass edge. Michael poked his head up... he had to... his Navy training took over. He had to see what was going on.

  Directly below and in front him on Elm Street was the black Presidential convertible - he could look almost straight down into its gory interior. The President was lying over in the First Lady’s lap. He saw the blood... blood was everywhere... Jackie’s charming pink outfit covered in dark red blood. Governor Connolly was leaning over supported by his wife. Someone was stretched out on the trunk... What was he trying to do? Was he the shooter trying to get into the limousine? Why were all the people running up the grassy hill? And all the people lying on the grass - had they been shot or wounded?’ All those things bounced through his head, so fast he couldn’t think of one answer before another question arose. And standing to the left of the black convertible... what was that? Everyone was running or lying on the grass, but this one small man... he... he... didn’t move. He seemed to be frozen... no... wait a second he moved... he was opening and closing an umbrella.

  What, Michael thought, am I going crazy? Let me look again, as he peered again over the concrete barrier of the bridge. Sure enough the diminutive person was still standing on the north side of Elm Street watching the presidential limousine speed away toward the triple overpass. Had he not just witnessed the President of the United States being shot right in front of his eyes, no more than a few feet to his front? If the situation had not been so serious, Michael thought to himself, this could be real funny, a pint-sized man standing opening and shutting an umbrella on a clear, cloudless November Texas day as he watched a presidential parade. Was this actually a man or could it have been a boy? This was a man, Michael reasoned. About this time, Mike noticed a man in a tan overcoat come around the western end of the Texas School Book building and get into a light brown Nash Rambler station wagon. As the station wagon drove by the slightly built man with the umbrella he pointed his finger, and opened and shut the umbrella again. Is that an arm waving out of the passenger’s side window? It appears someone is waving at the undersized man. What the... Mike thought?

  Directly underneath the overpass, where Michael and his children crouched, stood James Teague. Earlier Teague had been traveling east on Commerce and passed underneath the triple overpass heading into downtown Dallas to pickup his wife for lunch. His car had come to a standstill when all noonday traffic had come to an abrupt halt to await the passing of the presidential parade.

  Sitting idly in his car had proved to be too much for James, he was beginning to get uncomfortably warm and starting to perspire.

  The local AM radio station WDAL, finished the last notes of the latest top twenty country hit as James turned off his radio, opened his door and stepped out of his car. He stood on the curbside of Commerce Street wanting to see if he cou
ld get a glimpse of the President and his entourage. Besides, it was much cooler standing in the shade close to the concrete column supporting the overpass. Might as well see him since I’m already here, he thought.

  Standing on the west side of Commerce only Main Street and a narrow strip of grass separated him from Elm Street and the planned presidential route. Looking east directly up Main Street, he could see the parade procession had made its ninety-degree right turn onto Houston. Another 120 degree left on Elm, and in a few seconds President Kennedy would be right across the street from him.

  “What was that noise,” he said out loud? “That sounded like rifle fire.” Teague, a decorated Army veteran of the Korean War, and currently a member of the Texas National Guard later described the events at the Warren Commission hearings saying, “It certainly didn't sound like a rifle shot. It was a loud cannon-type sound.” Teague gave his account, “that it was more of a "flat sound,” whereas the others were sharp "cracks" which sounded more like a rifle shot.” Later he would tell his friends, or anyone who would listen, “If I had to guess I would say the first shot was from a military 30-06, an M-1. I have heard that rifle fired many, many times, and it sounded exactly the same.”

  Almost at the same time he heard the M-1 fire, something struck the curb to his front, and he quickly jumped behind the concrete abutment of the triple overpass. Cautiously sticking his head out he could see folks running in all directions... one police officer had jumped off his motorcycle and was running up the grassy slope toward the railroad parking lot... James had heard shots, how many? He wasn’t certain... for sure three... but was it four?

  Everything was spinning and seemed to be moving at slow-motion speed, and his cheek hurt. Did he think his cheek hurt? It must have, his right cheek was bleeding. He had not noticed the blood during all the excitement. It must have been a bullet that hit the curb at his front, he thought. Was that truly a bullet strike? He wondered.

  At that moment, Teague saw the man with the umbrella too. At first he didn’t think much of it, but watching the other folks running, hiding, ducking, screaming and trying to protect themselves, Mr. Teague thought it strange that this diminutive sized man would not be more concerned for his own safety. And an umbrella! And an overcoat! Was that a silver medallion around his neck? Surely not! Thomas and Teague both saw this pint-sized, man, and he also appears in a number of pictures taken that fateful day. His back is plainly seen in the Zapruder film raising the umbrella at frame 225 and quickly lowering it. Was this some type of signal - to whom? The shooter? The shooters? This unknown ‘umbrella’ man has never been officially identified, and he never gave a statement to the FBI or the Dallas Police. He was a totally unknown eyewitness to the John F. Kennedy assassination attempt. The report from the press of that day cannot identify him... we alone know whom this little man was... Anhur, you little devil.

  Little ten-year-old Rosemary Willis was standing with her mother and fourteen year old sister Linda on the southwest corner of Houston and Elm, directly across the street from the Texas School Book Depository. Later she would recount some of what she saw on this fateful day, “Them people in the parade turned off Houston onto the street where the President got shot, they'd just gone a few feet when I heard the first shot, when I heard the noise, I looked up and tried to see if I could see where the sound came from. I didn't know it was a gun. I just saw the pigeons start to fly from the roof of the schoolbook building. I looked for the noise I heard, and I seen the pigeons, you know, they were scared to death, and took off flying. Next thing I heard was another gun. And after that, there's another shot and another shot. We have argued and argued about how many shots I heard. I think I heard four. Mommy and June, my sister don’t agree. If you ask me how many shots I think there were, I really think there were at least six, but I believe I heard four.” Later she added a few details that were not told earlier: “I turned as the President’s car passed by us and I started to run to try to keep up with it when all of a sudden a pigeon fell on the grass right next to me. Well the bird wasn’t RIGHT next to me. It was in the grass. It didn’t just fly in and light it just fell out of the sky! I thought it was hurt, and I could see it wasn’t dead, so I ran over and picked it up. It was beautiful, gray and white it was. It had been hurt but not bad, so I was going to sit it back down on the grass but it flew off before I could do it.”

  Most witnesses testifying to the Warren Commission about that day also agree the first shot occurred just as President Kennedy was raising his right hand and waving.

  Special Agent Roy Kellerman who rode in the front passenger seat of the presidential limousine described the shots he heard to the Warren Commission: “If I recall correctly the first two shots were very sharp shots, sir."

  “Did they sound different from the third shot,” asked one of the Commission members?

  "Yes. It sure did. Very much so." Kellerman added, "Let me purpose an example ... have you ever heard the noise of a plane breaking the sound barrier, bang, bang? That’s how it was. It was like two bangs --- bang, bang."

  Special Agent Hickey seated in the right rear seat of the presidential follow car described, "... two loud explosions, which I thought at first, were backfires ... then I realized they were gun shots... there seemed to be practically no time between them."

  William Green, the Special Agent driving the limousine stated, under oath to the Warren Commission, "the two shots occurred one following the other. Both in rapid succession."

  S. M. Holland’s testimony said he had been watching the motorcade from the railroad overpass just a few feet from where Michael Thomas and his kids were standing when he heard, what he thought was four shots. The third and fourth sounding like two shots remarkably close together. He thought some of the shots came from the trees close to the fence on the Grassy Knoll. "Well it would be like you're firing a small caliber pistol right beside a shotgun, or a bigger pistol right beside a shotgun... the third shot was louder than the first two ... If I had to guess I’d say the third or the fourth shot was the one that hit the President."

  Roger Craig, a Deputy Sheriff stated, "I believe that the first shot ... sounded like it echoed or bounced off the buildings, so to speak ... well, it wasn’t much of a pause between the first and second shots ... It could have been a bit longer, I’d say less than a second or two...” Between the second and third shots there was, "Surely no more than maybe two seconds. It was -- they were fairly quick."

  Joe R. Molina, "... I heard the first shot fired then there was a short space between the first and second, a lot shorter than between the second and third. I would say it sounded like an echo if I had to guess I think it came from the west side; that was all I got from the experience.”

  From the spot where Joe Molina watched the motorcade, on the steps of the Texas School Book Depository, the west side would have been down toward the triple overpass.

  Seymour Weitzman, a Dallas Police Officer said in his report to the FBI on Nov 24, 1963: "First one, then the second two seemed to be simultaneous. A total of three shots rang out, and I immediately ran to the point where Elm Street turns to go under the overpass and up the grassy slope located on the opposite side of Elm Street to a fence.” He stated they located no one, and after talking to the yardman, Weitzman said he was told the noise had to come from the end of the fence closest to the Texas School Book Depository, and a search was immediately made of that area.

  While still on the other side of the fence, someone, believed to have been Deputy Boone of the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office, mentioned having seen or having heard about something red rolling on Elm Street. When found it appeared to be a portion of a bone or bone structure, which bore fresh bloodstains. This was taken to the Dallas Police Laboratory... This bone fragment was later determined to be part of Special Agent Hill’s shoulder wound.

  Eugene Boone, Dallas county Deputy was one of those who later found the sniper rifle stuck between some boxes or crates on the sixth floor of the building.”


  WHO COULD DO SUCH A DEED?

  On the 22nd of November, 1963 President John F. Kennedy, his wife Jacqueline, and their entourage left the Fort Worth Texas Hotel and traveled to the Strategic Air Command’s Carswell Air Force Base located adjacent to the city of White Settlement on Ft. Worth’s west side. At the front gate, the motorcade passed by the Air Policemen who stood at attention and saluted. It proceeded down the long row of B-52 long-range bombers known as the Stratofortress, to Air Force One where the party boarded for the thirteen-minute flight to Dallas.

  The time of departure was 11:26.

  The Presidential party arrived at Love Field at 11:39 A.M. President and Mrs. Kennedy stepped down from their aircraft and immediately walked toward a fence where an immense crowd of well-wishers had assembled. Very cordially the President moved down the line from the right to left extending his hand to as many as he could touch. He and the First Lady spent several minutes shaking hands.

  The invitations that had been sent out indicated a noon start time to the luncheon with the Presidential speech around 12:15 p.m. Meanwhile, SS Agent Lawson was beginning to get worried. He told Chief Curry, due to arriving at Love Field late, they would not make it to the Trade Mart on time. Lawson was hoping the President and the First Lady would end the pressing of the flesh, so-to-speak, and get the show on the road.

  The first lady received a bouquet of red roses from the Dallas mayor’s wife, which she brought with her when they finally entered the waiting black limousine. Texas Governor John Connally and his wife, Nellie had already seated themselves in the open convertible’s jump seats. The Kennedys entered and sat in the seat behind them. Since the rain had stopped, the plastic bubble top had been removed. Vice President and Mrs. Johnson occupied another car in the motorcade.

  The motorcade consisted of the lead car, an unmarked Ford driven by Dallas Police Chief Jesse Curry. Next was the black 1961 Cadillac limousine containing the Kennedys; behind the President was the Secret Service follow-car codenamed ‘Halfback’; next the Vice President’s limousine and following it another Secret Service hardtop automobile codenamed ‘Varsity’. After those vehicles were a couple of cars carrying members of the press.

  The procession left the airport, through a hole cut in the airport fence, and traveled along a ten-mile route winding through downtown Dallas on the way to the Trade Mart where the President was scheduled to speak at the assembled group of Dallas dignitaries.

  The route was to make a left turn from the south end of Love Field to West Mockingbird Lane, then turn right on Lemmon Ave. Next a right, at the "Y" on Turtle Creek Blvd. Go straight on Cedar Springs Rd, turn left on North Harwood St, make a right on Main St, another right on Houston St, a sharp left on Elm St, drop down through the triple overpass. Take a right turn up the ramp to North Stemmons Freeway, to Dallas Trade Mart located at 2100 North Stemmons.

  Originally the motorcade was to continue straight down Main instead of turning right onto Houston, toward the Texas School Book Depository, but the Secret Service noticed Elm Street provided the only direct route from Dealey Plaza to the Stemmons Freeway, so the original route had to be changed.

  As the motorcade drove into downtown Dallas the President, twice, ordered his car to stop while he got out and shook a few hands. The throngs of people crowding the sidewalks loved him. He seemed to be getting as large a charge out of them as they were from him.

  At one point a group of Catholic girls and their Nuns held up a sign reading, “Please Mr. President shake our hands.” As on cue, the car stopped, and Mr. Kennedy gave the Nuns, and their students the thrill of their lives - he shook all their outstretched hands. Please Mr. President, thought one of the Secret Agents, get back in the car!

  Little did these young girls and the Sisters realize they would be the last of President Kennedy’s adoring public to have the privilege of touching him. Tragedy was quickly approaching.

  The left turn off of Main Street onto Houston occurred at 12:28:30.

  The Secret Service agents that had dismounted to control the crowd at the corner of Main and Houston were now jumping back onto their follow car. One of them thought, By God, I hope all of these open windows in those buildings have been checked. All along the right side of the motorcade route and directly to their front were tall buildings with people leaning out screaming, taking pictures and waving. One of these buildings immediately in front of the Dallas Police Chief’s white Ford lead car was the Texas School Book Depository. The entire building was full of people including some hanging out windows. An immense crowd had also gathered around the front entrance.

  Did anyone in the security force look up toward the TSBD sixth floor? If they did, would they have seen something unusual? Maybe they would have, some did.

  Approximately ten to fifteen minutes before the motorcade made the turn into Dealey Plaza, Arnold Rutland along with his wife saw a man, with something resembling a rifle, on the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository. "I noticed on the top floor of the building on the corner of Elm and Houston. I saw a man standing back from the end; he was not at a window. He was standing up, I could see him from the waist up and I saw, what we thought was a rifle. This appeared to me to be a fairly high-powered rifle because of the scope and the relative proportion of the scope to the rifle, you can tell about what type of rifle it is. The man was holding the rifle in a "port arms" military position, with the barrel at a 45-degree angle downward across his body.”

  On the Tenth of December 1963, Mr. Rutland had made a report to the FBI: “At about 12:25 p.m., I saw a man with, what looked like, a rifle with a scope, on the roof of the Texas State Book Depository Building. He was crouching at the southwest corner of the building. I am certain this was right since the southwest corner was the corner nearest the triple overpass. I just assumed this person was a security guard or a Secret Service agent, and tried to show him to my wife, but it was too far for her to see because she had left her glasses laying on the car seat.”

  At approximately the same time, Mr. Rudy Herderson reported to the FBI: “I know I saw two different men with rifles on the School Building, one with a rifle on the top floor and the other was on the roof. Down close to end closer to the overpass. He had dark skin, not a Negro, maybe a Mexican or such.”

  Just a couple of seconds before the motorcade entered the plaza, Mrs. Susan Wallace, standing on the west side of Houston Street, about fifty or sixty feet south of the Depository building on Elm Street, “noticed two men on an upper floor of the Depository, one of the men was holding a rifle in his hands.” She described the rifle as having a long barrel, but she was never asked if both men had been on the same floor of the Texas School Book Depository, or if one might have been on the roof. Neither Mr. Herderson nor Mrs. Wallace was called to testify before the Warren Commission.

  Two additional witnesses, a Robert Townsend and William Belue said they saw a man in a tan coat on the roof of the Depository just seconds before the shooting. A man matching the one Townsend and Belue witnessed, also wearing a tan raincoat, was seen, by two other witnesses. Their sworn statements indicated the ‘raincoat man’ quickly walking around the side of the Depository just after the shooting. He walked around the west end of the building and got into a grey Nash Rambler station wagon on Elm and sped away. Belue further said this unknown man seemed to signaling with his arm as he drove off, to someone in the vicinity of the Grassy Knoll.