(Testimony of Marrion L. Baker)
Mr. Baker.
Yes, sir.
Mr. Belin.
Automatic or bolt action?
Mr. Baker.
Bolt action.
Mr. Belin.
How long have you owned a rifle, any rifle?
Mr. Baker.
This particular one I have had it approximately 7 years.
Mr. Belin.
Have you had much experience to go hunting?
Mr. Baker.
Yes, sir. Every year.
Mr. Belin.
Every year you go deer hunting?
Mr. Baker.
Yes, sir.
Mr. Belin.
You have had occasion to hear shots from your rifle?
Mr. Baker.
That is right, sir.
Mr. Belin.
From other rifles?
Mr. Baker.
Yes, sir.
Mr. Belin.
Did this in any way influence your decisions as to what you did on November 22 as you heard the first sound?
Mr. Baker.
Yes, sir; it did.
Mr. Belin.
In what way did it influence them?
Mr. Baker.
To me it was immediately a rifle shot. A lot of the solo officers said they thought it was the backfire from a motorcycle because you can make those motorcycles pop pretty loud. But that instant it just, I don't know, it just hit me as a rifle shot.
Senator Cooper.
How long have you been firing a rifle?
Mr. Baker.
Say, from the time I was about 17 years old.
Senator Cooper.
Have you fired other types of rifles other than the one you used?
Mr. Baker.
Yes, sir; the first one I had was a 30-30 Marlin lever type.
Senator Cooper.
Have you ever seen the rifle that is alleged to have belonged to Lee Oswald?
Mr. Baker.
I saw it, a photograph of it, in the newspaper.
Senator Cooper.
Do you know what kind of rifle it is?
Mr. Baker.
Not offhand. I heard it was some foreign make gun. Most of the boys down there at the police department have had dealings with foreign type guns, rifles, you know of this kind, and a lot of them sell them, and a lot of them rework them, you know, make them into deer rifles.
Senator Cooper.
What were the characteristics of the report that you heard, three reports, which made you believe that it was a shot from a rifle?
Mr. Baker.
Well, they were too distinct, you know, to be I have heard that pop from that motorcycle and I have heard rifle shots, and to me there was just a difference in them.
Mr. Belin.
Officer Baker, did it appear to you that these sounds that you heard were from the same rifle or from possibly more than one rifle?
Mr. Baker.
I would say they was from the same rifle.
Mr. Belin.
Did it appear that the sounds all came from the same source?
Mr. Baker.
Yes, sir.
Mr. Belin.
With regard to the closeness of these sounds together, how fast they came, did it appear that it came from or that it could have come from a weapon that had to be operated by bolt action as opposed to a semiautomatic or an automatic weapon?
Mr. Baker.
It seemed to me like you could either fire a semi or bolt action in about the same time.
Mr. Belin.
Have you had occasion to use a bolt action rifle and fire shots quickly one after the other?
Mr. Baker.
Yes, sir; I have.
Mr. Belin.
Did it appear that, from what you heard, that from your experience you could have operated your own bolt action rifle as quickly as those shots came?
Mr. Baker.
Yes, sir.
Senator Cooper.
If you made any judgment, what was the length of time from the time you heard the first report until you heard the third?
Mr. Baker.
I would say just about as fast as you could bolt one of those bolt action rifles which wouldn't be-- I don't believe it would be over 3 seconds apart.
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