(Testimony of Ira Jefferson "Jack", Jr. Beers)
Mr. Beers.
With one minor exception. Shall I just read?
Mr. Griffin.
Would you read the sentence that you feel is wrong?
Mr. Beers.
"He is acquainted with Ruby both by name and by sight since about 18 months ago. He was assigned as a cameraman with Dale Bayse, a reporter for the Dallas News, on a story Bayse was doing on a stripper school being run by Jack Ruby.
"This story was for a magazine ," --I would like to make clear this was not an assignment by the Dallas News.
Mr. Griffin.
I see.
Mr. Beers.
That is the only thing I think of in this particular report.
Mr. Griffin.
Fine. Now I am going to hand you what has been marked Dallas, Tex., April 14, 1963, Ira J. Beers' Exhibit 5351. This is also an FBI interview report. This interview took place on December 3, 1963, here in Dallas, and purports to be a report of an interview between you and two other Special Agents of the FBI, Mr. James C. Kennedy and Will Hayden Griffin. I am going to hand you this Exhibit 5351, and ask you the same question as I asked with respect to 5350?
Mr. Beers.
Yes; I have seen this report.
Mr. Griffin.
Are there any additions?
Mr. Beers.
Yes, sir; there is a couple in here. Let me locate them. One, which is probably a minor one, speaking of myself: "He also stated that there were two armored vehicles, one in the basement and one near the driveway from the Commerce side." I think possibly the agent misunderstood what I said there. There was only one armored vehicle. That was in the basement driveway near the Commerce Street side. There was another vehicle, police car, parked in the basement right near the entrance.
Mr. Griffin.
Now that is a runover sentence from the first page of the report to the second page of the report, is that right?
Mr. Beers.
Yes; that's correct.
Mr. Griffin.
Did you want to correct the sentence?
Mr. Beers.
"Beers did not know Ruby prior to the shooting, nor did he know Oswald . . ." et cetera. This is contradictory to the first report that you just handed me a moment ago. Apparently the agent must have misunderstood me or misread his notes or something. I did know who Ruby was prior to this shooting.
Mr. Griffin.
I wonder if you would want to make a change in ink in that sentence which would reflect accurately what you said, then initial the change that you make and date it?
Mr. Beers.
Let me ask you a question here. Shall I say this sentence is contradictory to that report, or just change it to that I did know Ruby prior?
Mr. Griffin.
Yes.
Mr. Beers.
[Making change.] I have written here "I did know Ruby prior to the shooting, as stated to the FBI in report dated November 30, 1963, Exhibit 5350." Would you like me to initial this?
Mr. Griffin.
If you would, please, and then date it?
Mr. Beers.
[Initialing.] This is April 14?
Mr. Griffin.
Yes; are there any other additions or corrections?
Mr. Beers.
So far as I can see, there are no further corrections.
Mr. Griffin.
Okay. Well if we go along and something occurs to you, we can change it even further. Let me ask you, Mr. Beers, where were you at the time President Kennedy was shot?
Mr. Beers.
I was on Dallas News property between the parking lot probably and my photographic studio.
Mr. Griffin.
When you heard that President Kennedy had been shot, what did you do?
Mr. Beers.
I was in my photo lab in the process of finishing films of the arrival at Love Field, and a lab man who works with us told me that the President had been shot, and I immediately thought he was making some sort of joke and I continued to turn out my picture of his arrival at Love Field. And I told the fellow, "Well, g0 ahead with your Joke." And he said, "No; that is right, the President has been shot" And he just turned around and walked And I still didn't believe him. In a few minutes our intercom between the city
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