(Testimony of J. W. Fritz)
Mr. Fritz.
Yes, sir; I have other chairs along here.
Mr. Ball.
All right.
Now, Captain, about what time did you first bring him to your office?
Mr. Fritz.
Let's see, I have it right here. Oswald was arrested at 1:40 and I think he was taken to the city hall about 2:15 and I started talking to him probably a little bit after that.
Mr. Ball.
About what time?
Don't you have a time marked in your report there?
Mr. Fritz.
I think so.
Mr. Ball.
Of 2:25.
Mr. Fritz.
2:25?
Mr. Ball.
On page 237 of your report, your report of Sims and Boyd refers to a time that he was brought to your room, and I believe 165.
Mr. Fritz.
My report, my report should have a report right there that should show it. This shows here 2:15 and I don't think that is right.
Mr. Ball.
Mr. Baker's report on 165 gives the time also.
Mr. Fritz.
The nearest that I have here then would be shortly after 2:15 p.m.
Mr. Ball.
You will notice that Sims and Boyd make it, state they brought him from the conference room to your office at about 2:20.
Mr. Fritz.
That might be all right because I have 2:15 here but I think 2:15 may be 5 or 10 minutes too early.
Mr. Ball.
It was soon after you got there?
Mr. Fritz.
Soon after I got there.
Mr. Ball.
That you brought him into your office?
Mr. Fritz.
Yes, sir.
Mr. Ball.
Who was present when you talked with him?
Mr. Fritz.
At that time, when I first brought him in there there would be Sims and Boyd and probably one or two officers from the office, I am not sure, just who else might have been there. I know those two, I am sure, I believe those two were there. Just about the time I started talking to him, I had just started to question him, I got a phone call from Mr. Shanklin, Gordon Shanklin, agent in charge of the FBI calling for Mr. Bookhout, and I asked Mr. Bookhout to go to pick up the extension.
Mr. Ball.
Was Mr. Bookhout there?
Mr. Fritz.
He had just come into the lieutenant's office and Mr. Shanklin asked that Mr. Hosty be in on that questioning, he said he wanted him in there because of Mr. Hosty knowing these people and he had been talking to them and he wanted him in there right then.
So, I got up from my desk and walked over to the lieutenant's office and asked Mr. Bookhout to come in, the reason I asked both of them to come in and Mr. Bookhout is in my office most of every day and works with us in a lot of cases and asked him to come in with Mr. Hosty.
Mr. Ball.
So Bookhout and Hosty came into your office?
Mr. Fritz.
Yes, sir.
Mr. Ball.
Was anyone else present?
Mr. Fritz.
I don't remember whether there was anyone else right at that time or not.
Mr. Ball.
Do you remember what you said to Oswald and what he said to you?
Mr. Fritz.
I can remember the thing that I said to him and what he said to me, but I will have trouble telling you which period of questioning those questions were in because I kept no notes at the time, and these notes and things that I have made I would have to make several days later, and the questions may be in the wrong place.
Mr. Ball.
What is your best memory of what you said to him when he first came in?
Mr. Fritz.
I first asked him as I do of most people something about where he was from, and where he was raised and his education, and I asked him where he went to school and he told me he went to school in New York for a while, he had gone to school in Fort Worth some, that he didn't finish high school, that he went to the Marines, and the Marines, and finished high school training in the Marines.
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