(Testimony of Stanley M. Kaufman)
Mr. Kaufman.
what took place, and he described to me exactly, and when I say "exactly," he didn't see anyone in that window, but I did tell Mrs. Stroud that I thought it might be helpful to the Commission to know that there were people in Jail who saw the actual killing.
He described the President as having been hit from the rear and he said there ,was no question in his mind that the bullet came from the window. He said when the President's head was hit, it was just like throwing a bucket of water at him--that's the way it burst. He said it made him sick and everybody else sick up there.
I felt that Mrs. Stroud should know this and would want the Commission to know it for the reason that there seems to have been some question as to what I've read in the newspaper as to whether or not there was more than one bullet and whether or not the bullet came from the back or came from the front.
I was a small-arms instructor myself over in China, having been trained in the infantry school in Fort Benning, and I certainly feel I would love to, if I could, volunteer anything that would be helpful to the Commission, and if that information were helpful, I will be glad to get Willie Mitchell's address and furnish it to you.
Actually, I don't know who else was in jail. I do know that Willie Mitchell was, and I had even suggested that he get in touch with the Warren mission, but he just has as many people have this "I don't want to get involved" attitude. I mean, he felt that he had already been too much involved with that DWI and didn't want to get involved with anything else.
Mr. Hubert.
Does Mitchell live in Dallas?
Mr. Kaufman.
He's a construction worker and lives in Dallas.
Mr. Hubert.
I would ask you to do this, would you address a note to Mr. J. Lee Rankin, general counsel of the Commission?
Mr. Kaufman.
I have his address on the letter of transmittal.
Mr. Hubert.
Would you advise him that in the course of this deposition the question of Willie Mitchell came up and that I asked you to furnish the address that you have for him?
Mr. Kaufman.
All right.
Mr. Hubert.
And that you are doing it at my request?
Mr. Kaufman.
I will be happy to, and incidentally, I did mention this to Sheriff Decker. This is no surprise, and I did tell Sheriff Decker--because I had asked Willie Mitchell how many people had talked to him about this, whether or not anyone had come up to the jail to discuss this with any of the prisoners, and he did indicate that there were some people but he thought they were probably just people from the jail office rather than anyone else.
Mr. Hubert.
When did you tell Sheriff Decker about it?
Mr. Kaufman.
Right after I found out about it.
Mr. Hubert.
And when was that?
Mr. Kaufman.
Well, the case was settled, I guess, about 5 or 6 or 7 weeks ago. It's been within .the last 2 or 2 1/2 months, maybe. I believe I was down there one Saturday afternoon and was talking to him about it.
Mr. Hubert.
Is there anything else you wish to say, Mr. Kaufman?
Mr. Kaufman.
Well, that's very kind of you to turn the record loose to me here where I could go ahead and make any statements. I would like to say this, Mr. Hubert, that frankly I certainly would give any additional information that you Would want to know now or. at any time, whether by interrogatories by letter, and I assure you that you have my utmost full cooperation. I know, what the function of .the Commission is--I have read it. I know that it's a difiicult task that you have and whether you can ever come up with the conclusions that the American people want, I don't know. I certainly feel that many people won't believe the findings of the Commission, that they've already prejudged this thing. I think what you are attempting to do is a worthy project of the President, the Chief Justice, and all I'm sure they are doing is trying to get to the root of it.
I won't go into my feelings about the trial of Jack because I know you know I am rather prejudiced about it. I do feel that a great injustice has been done. I wouldn't tell a story for him, though, or tell a lie. I am here to tell the truth,
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