(Testimony of Thayer Waldo)
Mr. Waldo.
made arrangements with the Associated Press man, who was to be on duty throughout the night, to give us a call immediately if there was any indication that Oswald was going to be moved in the small hours of the morning, we retired and left word at the Hilton Hotel desk and if no other call came through, they were to ring us at 7 a.m.
We were awakened by that call and I was so convinced that the approximate pinpointing by police officia1s on the day before of the time of Oswald's transfer was a ruse, that my first thought on awakening or on being awakened was that there had been some slip-up in notifying us. Therefore, I immediately tried to call the pressroom at police headquarters. The telephone rang half a dozen times, there was no answer, I got the police department switchboard operator back and asked to be transferred to the homicide department. That call was answered by a man who identified himself quickly as Sergeant so-and-so. I do not recall the name I'm not even sure I caught it at the time, and in my anxiety to learn the facts, I did not even think to identify myself either by name or organization but simply asked, "Have they moved Oswald yet?" Without asking me who I was, the sergeant replied, "No, sir; that will be in about 2 hours from now."
Mr. Hubert.
That was about 7 o'clock in the morning.
Mr. Waldo.
That was within 7 minutes---say, 7:05.
Mr. Hubert.
You said you had an arrangement with the Associated Press man to call you if there was any sign of moving him. May I ask whether that was an individual arrangement that you made or was that made for all newspaper people ?
Mr. Waldo.
No; at the time we made this--you see, after Chief Curry and Capt. Will Fritz of homicide division had both repeated several times that there would be no further movement or interviewing of the prisoner that day, and they themselves had left the building and all the offices were locked up, only a few of us still thought that there might be something going to take place and remained behind in the pressroom, so that about 1:30 a.m. when the janitors had moved in, and we finally decided for the. moment at least, nothing was going to happen, the Associated Press man who was one of us--I'd say there were perhaps six of us at that time in the pressroom, and I'm trying to think of his name Ray Holcomb [spelling] H-o-l-c-o-m-b.
Mr. Hubert.
Of the Associated Press ?
Mr. Waldo.
Of the Associated Press, who was then going off duty, volunteered to Johnson and myself, because we had expressed reluctance to leave the press-room and yet were pretty "bushed'' by that time, having had no sleep .the night before, he said, "We'll have a man on duty throughout the night and we'll be checking in here regularly. I can let you know the minute anything happens, if you like," and that was the arrangement.
Mr. Hubert.
Was this made with all the people in the pressroom or just made with you two ?
Mr. Waldo.
I don't recall that anybody else requested such an arrangement or had it made with them.
Mr. Hubert.
Do you know whether all the other people who left before you did had similar arrangements to be called in the event there was a sudden move ?
Mr. Waldo.
I do not--I did not specifically hear anybody make such arrangements.
Mr. Hubert.
I think you said there was one other place in this report which has been identified as Exhibit No. 1 that you wish to comment upon, and I think it's the last paragraph on page 5. What do you wish to say about that?
Mr. Waldo.
Well, it mentions here that "Waldo stated he did not recall seeing Ruby while on the third floor on the night of November 23, 1963, talk to anyone except when handing out his cards." The occasion was not at night. That was in the mid- or late afternoon of that date, November 23. I am not positive of the time but recall it as being approximately 4 p.m.
Mr. Hubert.
But the point is that you did not see him on the night of the 23d?
Mr. Waldo.
No, sir; I do not recall seeing Ruby after, oh, let's say, 4:30 to 5 p.m. on Saturday until the events of the following morning.
Mr. Hubert.
And when you did see him on the 23d or around 4 o'clock or
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