Do you think that would have been after the decision had been made that the city police department would transfer the prisoner?
Chief BATCHELOR. Yes; I believe it was.

Mr. Hubert.

In other words, it was after the conversation of Chief Curry with Sheriff Decker?
Chief BATCHELOR. Yes, sir.

Mr. Hubert.

Now were you present when Chief Curry spoke to Sheriff Decker?
Chief BATCHELOR. I was in his office; yes, sir. I believe I was the only one in the office with him at that time.

Mr. Hubert.

Therefore you remember that it was then that the decision was made that the police department would move him?
Chief BATCHELOR. Yes, sir; of course I could only understand one side of the conversation, but from the way Chief Curry was talking to the sheriff, I gathered that the sheriff had asked him if he would move him. The general procedure is for the sheriff to move prisoners.

Mr. Hubert.

But as I understand it, it is not extraordinary for you all to do it on certain occasions?
Chief BATCHELOR. No; we occasionally do it.

Mr. Hubert.

All right now, when that was learned, as I understand it, it was then that plans began to be made for your transfer of Oswald?
Chief BATCHELOR. Yes, sir.

Mr. Hubert.

And I suppose it is correct to say then that previous to that time there had been no consideration made of any transfer plans since you didn't know actually that you were going to do it?
Chief BATCHELOR. We hadn't made any definite plans the night before, if that is what you mean. It was on that morning around 6:30 in the morning when I received a call at home to the effect that an anonymous call had come in threatening to take the prisoner away from us. This was when we really began to be concerned about some extraordinary procedures in moving him.

Mr. Hubert.

Was it your thought that you all were better equipped to handle it?
Chief BATCHELOR. We had more manpower than the sheriff would have.

Mr. Hubert.

Well, would you tell us just how the plans developed from that time then after the Decker call about transferring him, that you know of?
Chief BATCHELOR. This is when Chief Curry and I discussed the possibility of getting an armored truck in which to move him, and we discussed this between ourselves and decided this would probably be a safe measure.

Mr. Hubert.

Was it just you and he, or was somebody else there?
Chief BATCHELOR. I believe Chief Lumpkin came in the office at the time this discussion was going on, and I went into my office and called Mr. Fleming at his home. I had to do a little search in the city directory to see who was in charge of the Armored Motor Car Service. I called him at his home.

Mr. Hubert.

Do you know what time that was?
Chief BATCHELOR. It must have been around 9 o'clock or shortly after.

Mr. Hubert.

Did you tell him what time you wanted the equipment on hand?
Chief BATCHELOR. No; it was actually close to 10:30 when he finally called me back and said he had the equipment ready and was bringing it downtown, but I didn't tell him any definite time, that I recall. In other words, I didn't say we are going to move him at a certain hour. I told him we were ready to move.

Mr. Hubert.

In other words, you told him to get the equipment there and would use i.t when you had occasion to use it?
Chief BATCHELOR. That's right.

Mr. Hubert.

At that time when you called him, as a matter of fact, was the time of the transfer set?
Chief BATCHLOR. There never was a definite time set for his transfer. Even though the press announced that he would be moved at 10 o'clock, there was never an announcement made that he would be moved at 10 o'clock, that I recall.
The thing that was said was that if the press were there by 10 o'clock, we thought it would be ample, that they wouldn't miss anything.

Mr. Hubert.

What was the fact, the controlling factor insofar as time was concerned?

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