(Testimony of Victor F. , Jr. Robertson)
Mr. Griffin.
Do you recall when Henry Wade and Chief Curry walked out of Captain Fritz' office and the reporters crowded around and the decision was made to go down to the assembly room? Were you present at that time?
Mr. Robertson.
No; I was not. I was on the telephone in another room and I didn't see Mr. Wade come out of Captain Fritz' office.
Mr. Griffin.
Well, after you got off that telephone, what did you do?
Mr. Robertson.
I learned that they were holding the press conference down in the basement, but I did something else first rather than go down there, because we had a man down there on television. I don't recall just what else it was, but I had something I wanted to check on, so subsequently I went downstairs and I talked with Henry after the thing was over, briefly.
Mr. Griffin.
Would there be any possibility that you saw Jack Ruby between the time you got off the telephone call and went down to the basement?
Mr. Robertson.
No.
Mr. Griffin.
Let's try to work backwards. Before you made this telephone call, do you recall what you had been doing? What did you make the telephone call about?
Mr. Robertson.
I have no recollection of that at all. It was one of a series of telephone calls that I can't even give you any idea of how many, which was just a continual feeding of information into Walter Evans, and then trying to determine between ourselves which of this was valuable enough to publish and something that I would report on and what we ought to sit with until we got more confirmation, and that sort of thing.
Mr. Griffin.
Are you able to pinpoint time at all between the time you had your sandwich or hamburger and the time you made that telephone call?
Mr. Robertson.
Not in my own mind. Perhaps there is. If it is any help to you, if you have information on time which can go with this, it may narrow it down. It was before the police department changed for the first time their shift on guard at Captain Fritz' door. It was, I am reasonably certain, during the first shift of the two officers.
Mr. Griffin.
Do you know the officers who were on guard?
Mr. Robertson.
No; I do not. I believe let me stress that word because I may be wrong about this, that it was after the first session of interrogation in Captain Fritz' office. Whether it was while Oswald was upstairs, or after he had been brought back, I am not certain, but I believe it was after the first session of interrogation.
Mr. Griffin.
Well, is there any question in your mind about that man that you did see was Jack Ruby up there on the floor?
Mr. Robertson.
No; I have no doubts.
Mr. Griffin.
Suppose I told you that we interviewed the police officers who were on guard, and one of them says he recalls a man, who says he recognized Ruby, that he recalls a man who looks like Ruby, but it wasn't Ruby, come up and do what you have previously described to the FBI, and go on. Would that shake your judgment in any way?
Mr. Robertson.
No. I don't, of course, claim that I cannot make a mistake. In my Judgment, the man I saw was Jack Ruby. I know no one else who looks like that. Obviously, I could have been mistaken, but I don't believe so.
Mr. Griffin.
Tell us what you think Jack Ruby, the man you think was Jack Ruby, what you recall him doing.
Mr. Robertson.
He walked up to the door of Captain Fritz' office and put his hand on the knob and started to open it. He had the door open a few inches and began to step into the room, and the two officers stopped him. I was reasonably certain one of them, or some voice at that time had said, "You can't go in there, Jack." And the man in question, if it was not Jack Ruby, turned around and passed some joking remarks with a couple of people who were there, I don't know who, and went back down the hall toward the elevator.
Mr. Griffin.
Do you recall how Jack Ruby was dressed on that occasion?
Mr. Robertson.
No. All I saw was his head; as you know, he is a comparatively short man. I saw him through a break over some people's shoulder, and all I saw was about, well, from the shoulders. Not all of the shoulders, but a portion of the shoulders, the neck and the head.
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