Mr. Newman.

Uh-huh.

Mr. Griffin.

And you can walk into the engineroom there?

Mr. Newman.

That's right. Actually walk--in fact, I didn't even know it was there until that morning, but you can walk onto a landing here and then down. The engineroom is some 5 or 10 feet lower than that.

Mr. Griffin.

Did you stand in that general area all the time, from the time that Sergeant Dean placed you there until Oswald was shot?

Mr. Newman.

No; there was one time when I was called back into the assembly room, back over here. I think they needed some men somewhere else. They picked four or five men and then I was returned to this place [indicating].

Mr. Griffin.

How long before Oswald was shot would you estimate that you were pulled off this spot temporarily?

Mr. Newman.

Oh, it must have been 45 minutes to an hour.

Mr. Griffin.

All right. How long were you away from the area?

Mr. Newman.

Five minutes.

Mr. Griffin.

I see. Let me mark on here pulled off for 5 minutes, 45 minutes to 1 hour before Oswald shot [indicating]. Did anybody replace you?

Mr. Newman.

No; they didn't--I better not make that statement. I am not sure.

Mr. Griffin.

Now, I want to go back and pick things up from the time you entered.

Mr. Newman.

Okay.

Mr. Griffin.

Now, what time was it when you arrived down there at the building?

Mr. Newman.

Approximately 9:30 a.m.

Mr. Griffin.

Where did you go?

Mr. Newman.

I went to the assembly room.

Mr. Griffin.

How long did you remain in the assembly room?

Mr. Newman.

Just long enough to have my name in the unit taken down on the roster.

Mr. Griffin.

When Lieutenant Merrell called you, did he tell you why you were to come down ?

Mr. Newman.

Yes.

Mr. Griffin.

What did he tell you?

Mr. Newman.

He said that Oswald was to be transferred at 10 o'clock, that they expected some crowds downtown and they thought they would need our help, or a crowd was gathering, I think is what--the way he had actually said it.

Mr. Griffin.

Do you recall his telling you the time would be 10 o'clock?

Mr. Newman.

I happened to remember it because I had to rush to get down there in time.

Mr. Griffin.

Did he tell you anything else?

Mr. Newman.

No; that was all.

Mr. Griffin.

When you got down there, did you receive any instructions from somebody?

Mr. Newman.

He and I walked out into the garage area there and we talked to some--to Sergeant Dean then.

Mr. Griffin.

Had the search of the garage already begun when you arrived?

Mr. Newman.

Yes.

Mr. Griffin.

What did you do in connection with the search?

Mr. Newman.

I searched--well, we looked inside all the automobiles. We checked to make sure the trunk was locked, that the hood was securely latched, and this general area right in here, there were three or four of us working that area in there [indicating].

Mr. Griffin.

And you are talking now about the Commerce Street half of the garage?

Mr. Newman.

That's right.

Mr. Griffin.

What else did you do besides search the

Mr. Newman.

That was it, until I was assigned to that post.

Mr. Griffin.

Now, did you see what Sergeant Dean did?

Mr. Newman.

No; I didn't. The only time I remember seeing him, they found a sporting type rifle in a car somewhere. I think it was later identified as belonging to one of the officers. I saw him walking out with it.