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(Testimony of Clinton J. , Special Agent, Secret Service Hill)
Mr. Specter.
I show you a photograph of a building which has already been marked as Commission Exhibit No. 348, and ask you if at this time you can identify what that building is.
Mr. Hill.
I believe I can, sir; yes.
Mr. Specter.
And what building is it?
Mr. Hill.
It is the Texas School Book Depository.
Mr. Specter.
Now, does that building appear on the Commission Exhibit No. 354?
Mr. Hill.
Yes, sir; it does.
Mr. Specter.
Did you have any occasion to notice the Texas School Book Depository Building as you proceeded in a generally northerly direction on Houston Street?
Mr. Hill.
Yes, sir. It was immediately in front of us and to our left.
Mr. Specter.
Did you notice anything unusual about it?
Mr. Hill.
Nothing more unusual than any other building along the way.
Mr. Specter.
What is your general practice, if any, in observing such buildings along the route of a Presidential motorcade?
Mr. Hill.
We scan the buildings and look specifically for open windows, for people hanging out, and there had been, on almost every building along the way, people hanging out, windows open.
Mr. Specter.
And did you observe, as you recollect at this moment, any open windows in the Texas School Depository Building?
Mr. Hill.
Yes, sir; there were.
Mr. Specter.
Are you able to recollect specifically which windows were open at this time?
Mr. Hill.
No, sir; I cannot.
Mr. Specter.
What was the condition of the crowd along the streets, if any, along Elm Street, in front of the Texas School Book Depository Building?
Mr. Hill.
On the left-hand side of the street, which is the side I was on, the crowd was very thin. And it was a general park area. There were people scattered throughout the entire park.
Mr. Specter.
Now, what is your best estimate of the speed of the President's automobile as it turned left off of Houston onto Elm Street?
Mr. Hill.
We were running still 12 to 15 miles per hour, but in the curve I believe we slowed down maybe to 10, maybe to 9.
Mr. Specter.
How far back of the President's automobile was the Presidential followup car when the President's followup car had just straightened out on Elm Street?
Mr. Hill.
Approximately 5 feet.
Mr. Specter.
Now, as the motorcade proceeded at that point, tell us what happened.
Mr. Hill.
Well, as we came out of the curve, and began to straighten up, I was viewing the area which looked to be a park. There were people scattered throughout the entire park. And I heard a noise from my right rear, which to me seemed to be a firecracker. I immediately looked to my right and, in so doing, my eyes had to cross the Presidential limousine and I saw President Kennedy grab at himself and lurch forward and to the left.
Mr. Specter.
Why don't you just proceed, in narrative form, to tell us?
Representative Boggs.
This was the first shot?
Mr. Hill.
This is the first sound that I heard; yes, sir. I jumped from the car, realizing that something was wrong, ran to the Presidential limousine. Just about as I reached it, there was another sound, which was different than the first sound. I think I described it in my statement as though someone was shooting a revolver into a hard object--it seemed to have some type of an echo. I put my right foot, I believe it was, on the left rear step of the automobile, and I had a hold of the handgrip with my hand, when the car lurched forward. I lost my footing and I had to run about three or four more steps before I could get back up in the car.
Between the time I originally grabbed the handhold and until I was up on the car, Mrs. Kennedy--the second noise that I heard had removed a portion of the President's head, and he had slumped noticeably to his left. Mrs. Kennedy had jumped up from the seat and was, it appeared to me, reaching for something
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