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  » Volume XV
Warren Commission Hearings: Vol. XV - Page 128« Previous | Next »

(Testimony of Jesse E. Curry)

Mr. Hubert.
Chief CURRY. Was what?
Mr. Hubert.
Was any consideration given to the possible action of a single man in setting up the security measures that you did, as opposed to mob action, as I understand it?
Chief CURRY. Oh, no.
Mr. Hubert.
Your security was really directed toward mob action more than to a single man action?
Chief CURRY. That's right. We felt that if an attempt was made on him, that it would be made by a group of people. Some of the threats that had been made during the night was, "this is a group of one hundred and we will take the prisoner before you get him to the county jail," so we really expected trouble, if we had trouble, from a group of people and not an individual.
Mr. Hubert.
Is it fair to state then that there was not any consideration given to the probability of a one- man action?
Chief CURRY. It was not discussed at all, that I know of, in our discussions of security. .It was based on the fact that we thought a group of people might try to take action.
Mr. Hubert.
What I wanted to get at is this. Actually, a single-man action would, or rather protection or security against a single-man action would be virtually impossible with a mass of people around even if they were news media?
Chief CURRY. That's right.
Mr. Hubert.
Is it then that there was simply no consideration of single-man action, or that it was a calculated risk?
Chief CURRY. Well, it would have been a calculated risk, because actually we discussed the possibility of even some detective or some police officer that might be so emotionally aroused that he might try to take some action against the man, and we tried to be sure that the men we put there were emotionally stable men.
Mr. Hubert.
Who did you discuss that with?
Chief CURRY. I think it was with Chief Batchelor, and Chief Stevenson perhaps. I don't recall exactly who I discussed all of these things with.
Mr. Hubert.
Were there any pressures imposed upon you by anyone to allow the press covering of the matter that did in fact occur?
Chief CURRY. Not any particular person, but by the news media that was present.
Mr. Hubert.
Do you remember whether anyone advised against allowing the news media in the basement?
Chief CURRY. Not that I recall.
Mr. Hurert.
Was there any reason, Chief, why the plans for the transfer of Oswald were not made prior to Sunday morning?
Chief CURRY. Because we didn't particularly know when he would be transferred, and we knew that it wouldn't take a great deal of time to set up security, so we didn't see any particular need for doing this prior to the time that we did it.
Mr. Hubert.
Do you recall any conversation with Captain Fritz just prior to the move as to whether the security precautions were set up?
Chief CURRY. I can't recall. He tells me that he asked if everything was ready in the basement, and I believe that is the words he used, and he says that I said "Yes." I am sure that I told him this if he says I did, because prior to this, I had sent Chief Batchelor down to be sure that everything was ready.
Mr. Hubert.
These various officers that you mentioned would be responsible for carrying out the plan? I think you mentioned Stevenson and Batchelor particularly? They were all briefed as to the overall plan, were they not?
Chief CURRY. Yes.
Mr. Hubert.
So everyone in control knew what was going to happen?
Chief CURRY. Yes; except I believe Lumpkin. Now he didn't know until Chief Batchelor and Stevenson came to the basement that the change had been made, but Chief Batchelor and Chief Stevenson were aware of the change and Chief Stevenson told Chief Lumpkin about the change when he got to the basement. The only thing that would affect him was the fact they were going to put the prisoner in a squad car instead of the armored car, because that was the only change in the plans.
Mr. Hubert.
Do you recall the conversation with Fritz to the general effect that he did not like the idea of all the news people being in the basement?
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