Mr. Mccullough.

have been proper for the Dallas police to have not permitted the reporters in the immediate vicinity of the area where Oswald was being questioned, I think--I cannot think of any city where I could have expected the thing to be handled in a different way than from what it was handled in Dallas. I think the thing was a crime of such magnitude that the police themselves wanted--having had an arrest, I think that they were then anxious to show that they had solved the shooting, and that they were trying to erase what they considered to be a stigma on the name of Dallas.

Mr. Griffin.

Looking back over your experiences on those 3 days, do you have any suggestions as to how the police could have handled the press consistent with what you consider to be their obligation to render assistance to the press in the performance of the press duties?

Mr. Mccullough.

Nothing, beyond the fact that they might have, and there would have been a tremendous yell of censorship and violation of freedom of the press--they could have kept the media, the news media, in one area, and established some sort of a liaison, appointing an officer to bring information to them. This I have never seen done. But it could be done. It is entirely a personal opinion. I think that the Dallas police performed pretty well. As I say, I was asked constantly for credentials. And most of the reporters near me were also asked for credentials. Especially on the morning--Sunday morning, in which it was planned to move Oswald, they were very strict.

Mr. Griffin.

Do you think it would have been proper or improper for the police to have barred the press from the basement area at the time that Oswald was being transferred?

Mr. Mccullough.

I think what they did was proper. In other words, I feel that they felt that they had the situation under complete control. That had everyone stayed in the positions, with no movement, that there was sufficient space in there to guard the prisoner and to move him out without anything going wrong in the basement.

Mr. Griffin.

You say that on the assumption that there was nobody in there bent upon shooting him.

Mr. Mccullough.

That is right. There, again, you don't want to get too much personal opinion there, but I think it is possible at any time for anyone who really wants to kill somebody to do it--a public official or anyone else.

Mr. Griffin.

So that our record may be complete here, how many years experience have you had as a newspaper reporter?

Mr. Mccullough.

Twety-six years.

Mr. Griffin.

Prior to your giving your testimony here this morning, have I or any other member of the staff of this Commission discussed your testimony with you?

Mr. Mccullough.

No; not at all.

Mr. Griffin.

Mr. Pollak, do you have any further questions?

Mr. Pollak.

No; I don't think so.

Mr. Griffin.

Do you have anything, Mr. McCullough?

Mr. Mccullough.

No; that is all.

Mr. Griffin.

Let me thank you for coming here. Your assistance has been considerable to us, and we appreciate it very much.

Mr. Mccullough.

I don't know whether it has been of any value. But I am delighted to fulfill the request.

Mr. Griffin.

We are happy that you could come. And, again, I thank you.

Abraham Kleinman
-------------------------

Testimony of Abraham Kleinman

The testimony of Abraham Kleinman was taken at 11:35 a.m, on July 24, 1964, in the office of the U.S. attorney, 301 Post Office Building, Bryan and Ervay Streets, Dallas, Tex., by Mr. Burt W. Griffin, assistant counsel of the President's Commission.