(Testimony of Jesse Edward Curry)
Mr. Curry.
of his men was there. There was one, I recall seeing one man from the Rangers. I don't recall who he was. I just remember now that there was one. Captain Fritz, and one or two of his detectives--this was in a small office.
Mr. Rankin.
Did you do anything about this when you found out there were so many, did you give any instructions about it?
Mr. Curry.
No; I didn't. This was an unusual case. In fact, I had received a call from the FBI requesting that they have a representative from there in the hearing room. And we were trying to cooperate with all agencies concerned in this, and I called Captain Fritz and asked him to permit a representative of the FBI to come in.
Mr. Dulles.
Who was directing the interrogation, Captain Fritz?
Mr. Curry.
Captain Fritz.
Mr. Rankin.
Do you know how Lee Harvey Oswald was treated by the police department?
Mr. Curry.
So far as I know he was treated as any other prisoner is treated. He was not handled in any manner any different from any other prisoner. He had a scratch or two on his face which he received when he was wrestling with the police over in this theater in Oak Cliff. Other than that he had no marks on him.
Mr. Rankin.
Did he ever complain that you know of about his treatment while he was there?
Mr. Curry.
No, sir; he did not.
Mr. Rankin.
Did you give any instructions about the security or how he should be protected during this time?
Mr. Curry.
No; I personally didn't. Deputy Chief Lumpkin, who has charge of the service division which is the jail security, he told me that he had ordered that two guards be placed on him right outside his cell and kept there 24 hours a day as long as we had him.
Mr. Rankin.
Do you know what was done about that?
Mr. Curry.
It was carried out. He told me that this was carried out.
Mr. Rankin.
Did you have any further difficulty with the media, the various press and radio and television representatives during this time?
Mr. Curry.
Well, every time we would walk out of the office they would besiege you with questions and wanting statements and asking what we had found out, and did we think this was the right man, and they almost ran over you.
Mr. Rankin.
What did you do about that?
Mr. Curry.
I tried to maintain some order. I didn't order them out of the building, which if I had it to do over I would. In the past like I say, we had always maintained very good relations with our press, and they had always respected us, and this was something, the first time we experienced anything like this, to this degree.
Mr. Rankin.
Did you have any tape recordings of the interviews with Mr. Oswald?
Mr. Curry.
I do not have.
Mr. Rankin.
Did anyone?
Mr. Curry.
Not to my knowledge. Unless someone from the FBI or the Secret Service, if they recorded it, I don't know.
Mr. Rankin.
How many times was he interrogated, do you know?
Mr. Curry.
No; I do not know that.
Mr. Rankin.
You never examined him yourself at any time?
Mr. Curry.
No, sir; I didn't.
Mr. Rankin.
Will you describe the place where he was kept while he was there in the jail?
Mr. Curry.
Well, it is in one of our maximum security cells, much the same as any other jail. But he was isolated away from the other prisoners, and there was two jail guards set immediately outside his cell.
Mr. Rankin.
Did you isolate him or was that in accordance with your instructions?
Mr. Curry.
No; this is customary with a prisoner of this type and Chief Lumpkin in charge of the service division had issued these orders.
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