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(Testimony of Jesse Edward Curry)
Mr. Rankin.
What precautions did you take?
Mr. Curry.
The precautions that were taken, when I came in on Sunday morning, now Captain Fritz, I had talked to him on Saturday night or Saturday evening anyway, and he said, he thought he would be ready to transfer him by 10 o'clock the next morning, that would be Sunday morning.
Mr. Rankin.
Did you tell that to the media?
Mr. Curry.
I told them at some time after that. Several of them asked me when are you going to transfer him, and I said, I don't know.
They said, "Are you going to transfer him tonight," and I said, "No, we are not going to transfer him tonight." I said, "We are tired. We are going home and get some rest."
Something was said about well, we are tired, too. When should we come back, and I think that this is recorded in some of the tape recording, that I told them if you are back here by 10 o'clock in the morning, I don't think that you would miss anything you want to see.
Mr. Rankin.
What did you do then about precautions?
Mr. Curry.
The next morning when I came in, that would be about 8:30, 8:45, I think, parked in the basement of city hall, I started up to the elevator and I noticed they had moved some cameras into a hallway down in the basement and I told Lieutenant Wiggins who is in the jail office, I said, "These things will have to be moved out of here, and I also told Chief Batchelor, and Chief Stevenson, Assistant Chief Batchelor, and Assistant Chief in Charge of Investigations Stevenson who came down in the basement at the time.
Mr. Rankin.
Those were TV cameras?
Mr. Curry.
That was in the lobby or in near the lobby of the jail office. I told them they were would have to move those out of there. This was also in the parking area, there was a ramp come down from Main Street and goes out on Commerce Street, and then there is a parking area east of this.
I told Lieutenant Wiggins who was there, I said, "Now, move these squad can," there was a transfer car there and a squad car, "move these cars out of this area and if the news media wants down here put them over behind these railings, back over in the basement here."
Then that is all I did at that time. I saw that they were setting up some security. A little while later Chief Batchelor and Chief Stevenson went downstairs and found Captain Talbert who was the platoon commander, radio platoon commander had some sergeants down there and they were setting up security and were told clean everything out of the basement and not let anybody in here, I think the depositions will show that, not let anybody in except police officers and news media who had proper credentials.
Mr. Rankin.
What about the various entrances, was anything done about that?
Mr. Curry.
Well, the entrances to the basement, yes, and the entrances from the basement of city hall out into the basement proper where the cars come in.
Mr. Rankin.
What was done about that?
Mr. Curry.
Every entrance there were guards put on it with instructions not to let anyone come or go except police officers or news people that had proper credentials.
Mr. Rankin.
What entrances are there to the basement?
Mr. Curry.
This is a Main Street entrance for vehicles, that would be on the north side of the building. There is a Commerce Street exit which would be on the south side of the building, on the west side downstairs there is an entrance from the jail corridor where the public goes to the jail window into the basement of the parking area. Then there are some elevators that come from the municipal building, that come down to the basement level. There are also, there is also an opening that goes from this basement down into a subbasement where the maintenance men have their offices.
(At this point, Senator Cooper left the hearing room.)
Mr. Rankin.
And each one of those was guarded?
Mr. Curry.
Yes, sir.
Mr. Rankin.
Throughout the time?
Mr. Curry.
Yes, sir.
Mr. Rankin.
What other precautions were made?
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