Mr. Schmidt.

I just took it as pretty authoritative, because I didn't know that much about rifles.

Mr. Liebeler.

Now, you say that Ryder told you that he believed that the rifle was a foreign make; is that right?

Mr. Schmidt.

Yes; I asked him what kind it was. He said he didn't remember for sure, but he said he believed it was a foreign-made rifle.

Mr. Liebeler.

Did Ryder say anything about the fact that he was sleepy and had not slept well the night before?

Mr. Schmidt.

No, I don't believe he mentioned that.

Mr. Liebeler.

You have no recollection of that? Did Ryder tell you what boresighting was, or did you know about that?

Mr. Schmidt.

No; I might have gotten that mixed up in the story. Some of the people who know more about rifles than I do said that wasn't exactly correct. The boresighting was explained in the story, but I did the best I could with the information I had there.

Mr. Liebeler.

Did you have any conversation with Ryder about the significance of the term boresighting?

Mr. Schmidt.

Not that I remember. This boresighting thing came up--there is a fellow down there that knows something about rifles, and I mentioned bore-sighting, and then there was a conversation with the rewrite man that took the facts I had and added to the story. The top of the story is the story I got from Ryder, and the other part of the story were some other tips that had been run down and other parts of the story we pieced together about the general investigation and so forth.

Mr. Liebeler.

What was Ryder's attitude when he talked to you on the phone that morning?

Mr. Schmidt.

Well, it was just a man giving information, as far as I was concerned. He wasn't antagonistic or anything. It was just a matter of facts, I would say.

Mr. Liebeler.

Do you remember telling the FBI about this?

Mr. Schmidt.

Yes.

Mr. Liebeler.

Petrocas from Oklahoma; an FBI agent?

Mr. Schmidt.

I am not sure.

Mr. Liebeler.

Do you remember telling him that Ryder was cordial and invited you to get in touch with him again?

Mr. Schmidt.

Yes; he did. I think he said get in touch with him again if I wanted to, I am not too sure, but it was that type conversation. He wasn't antagonistic. As a matter of fact, it was like you would get a story from anybody. Nothing apparently controversial about it.

Mr. Liebeler.

The FBI report that I have also indicates that the agent says that you told him that Ryder did explain to you in detail the significance of the term "boresighting." Do you recall telling the agent that?

Mr. Schmidt.

I don't remember for sure. That was back, I guess, in May. I don't remember any detail about the boresighting, but I remember him mentioning boresighting.

Mr. Liebeler.

This FBI report indicates that on the evening of November 28, 1963, which was the same day that you had talked to Ryder, you saw a taped television interview?

Mr. Schmidt.

A denial. He denied the story that he had given me that morning. But the thing that, immediately after I saw that, I called one of the fellows on the paper. I think it was Charlie Dameron or Ken Smart or one of my immediate superiors, and told him I thought the story had something behind it because they didn't mention the ticket, they didn't mention about the name Oswald on it, in the denial, and they didn't mention the cost of doing this.

Mr. Liebeler.

It did not?

Mr. Schmidt.

It did not, as best I remember, mention the cost of doing that, and didn't mention the ticket. It just said he denied the report that he put the sight on the rifle.

Mr. Liebeler.

Now, according to this report that I have, and it says, "Schmidt advised that while at his address the evening of November 28, 1963, he observed a taped television interview on a 10 o'clock news of CBS television, in which Ryder denied furnishing any of the information to a Dallas Times Herald