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  » Volume XV
Warren Commission Hearings: Vol. XV - Page 187« Previous | Next »

(Testimony of Cecil E. Talbert)

Mr. Hubert.
Captain TALBERT. Again, I am going to give you an approximation of 10:30 to 10:45.
Mr. Hubert.
That conversation on the second floor was with Chief Batchelor?
Captain TALBERT. No, sir; Chief Stevenson and Chief Lumpkin. Lumpkin?
Mr. Hubert.
And Lumpkin?
Captain TALBERT. Yes, sir.
Mr. Hubert.
Did you have any conversations with Chief Batchelor or Chief Curry at that time?
Captain TALBERT. Not with Chief Curry. When Chief Batchelor came to the basement, we had quite a few commentaries on various parts of security, but verbatim, I can't recall what they were.
Mr. Hubert.
What was the general nature?
Captain TALBERT. He was checking what we had done there. Chief Batchelor came into the basement parking area, the one we had sealed off, and had checked it, or was checking it, in the process of checking it, and in checking it we had some brief conversation. We moved two cars out on the Commerce Street side prior to the arrival of the armored car, and he moved his car, and I believe Chief Curry's car; had them moved out, I should say. I didn't move them myself.
Mr. Hubert.
Where were they?
Captain TALBERT. They were parked in the basement.
Mr. Hubert.
Where?
Captain TALBERT. I don't recall, sir.
Mr. Hubert.
Weren't they by the railing?
Captain TALBERT. Oh, I am sorry, they were always parked in the same place, so I am sure they were there. As you turn into the drive, or rather from the drive into the parking area, the chiefs car is always parked to the right or on the south side of the drive.
Mr. Hubert.
In other words, the cars were removed from the space that the cameras were ultimately placed?
Captain TALBERT. No, sir; they would have been on the opposite side.
Mr. Hubert.
Do you remember the removal of the cars that were in the spaces ultimately and later occupied by the TV cameras?
Captain TALBERT. The TV cameras were the ones that were set up as permanent installations. They were already set up, and there were no cars there when I arrived in the basement.
Mr. Hubert.
That was at what time?
Captain TALBERT. Again an approximation of 10 o'clock; in the vicinity of 10.
Mr. Hubert.
You did not give orders for the clearing of that space of automobiles so that the cameras could occupy that space?
Captain TALBERT. No, sir.
Mr. Hubert.
Do you know who did give such orders?
Captain TALBERT. No, sir; I don't know that they were given.
Mr. Hubert.
Do you know of any orders to the effect that the news media were to be kept behind the railing? That is to say, on the east side of the railing that divided the ramp from the garage area?
Captain TALBERT. No sir. Although I was in and out of the basement, it might have occurred, but it didn't occur while I was in the basement. Now Chief Batchelor did rearrange the news media, I think, on two different times.

He was trying to arrange them in a better situation for us.
Mr. Hubert.
Did you observe that?
Captain TALBERT. No, sir; I wasn't in the basement when either move was made. May I inject here that I was operating a patrol platoon, and this was extracurricular.
Mr. Hubert.
What you say is that you believe, or have learned that Chief Batchelor made two efforts, to your knowledge, to change the press position?
Captain TALBERT. I have been told that; yes, sir.
Mr. Hubert.
Do you remember a conversation by telephone that you had with Lieutenant Pierce at Parkland Hospital after the shooting of Oswald?
Captain TALBERT. Not with Lieutenant Pierce; no, sir.
Mr. Hubert.
Did you have any with anyone else?
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