(Testimony of Winston G. , Accompanied By Fred B. Smith, Lawson)
Mr. Lawson.
However, just to make sure that a switch engine or other trains wouldn't come along about the time we were due there, and then stop the President's motorcade, why we had police stationed at the railroad crossings that were on the same level as the road.
Mr. Stern.
What were the instructions that you asked be given to the police who were stationed on overpasses and railroad crossings?
Mr. Lawson.
They were requested to keep the people to the sides of the bridge or the overpass so that-or underpass-- so that people viewing from a vantage point like that would not be directly over the President's car so that they could either inadvertently knock something off or drop something on purpose or do some other kind of harm.
Mr. Stern.
This is all people, not just outside members of the public?
Mr. Lawson.
Any citizen that was trying to view the motorcade, they were to be kept from right directly over the President's car, if it was a bridge or an underpass.
Mr. Stern.
What about the deployment of police on rooftops of buildings at any point along the route?
Mr. Lawson.
We had--police were requested at points where I knew that the President would be out of the car for any length of time.
Mr. Stern.
And where was that?
Mr. Lawson.
At the Trade Mart and at the airport.
Mr. Mccloy.
May I interrupt at this point. During the course of the motorcade while the motorcade was in motion, no matter how slowly, you had no provision for anyone on the roofs?
Mr. Lawson.
No, sir.
Mr. Mccloy.
Or no one to watch the windows?
Mr. Lawson.
Oh, yes. The police along the area were to watch the crowds and their general area. The agents riding in the followup car as well as myself in the lead car were watching the crowds and the windows and the rooftops as we progressed.
Mr. Mccloy.
It was part of your routine duties when you were going through a street in any city, to look at the windows as well as the crowds?
Mr. Lawson.
Yes, sir; and if the President's car slowed to such a point or the crowd ever pressed in to such a point that people are getting too close to the President, the agents always get out and go along the car.
Mr. Stern.
Perhaps you had better describe the vehicles and passengers in the motorcade beginning with the pilot car and going, say, through the Vice Presidential followup car.
Mr. Lawson.
At one time I could have probably listed them all by name.
Mr. Stern.
No, not their names, but the vehicle order.
Mr. Lawson.
The vehicle itself, yes sir.
Mr. Stern.
And the agents, the number of agents.
Mr. Lawson.
And the function of the vehicle.
Mr. Stern.
And the function of the vehicle and the responsibility of the agents in the vehicle.
Mr. Lawson.
Yes sir. This varies, but in a usual motorcade, as in this particular instance, there is what we call a pilot car. This is usually a local police car that precedes the motorcade some distance, depending on the crowd. It would usually precede it by at least a quarter of a mile. This is to see if there is any kind of a disturbance up ahead far enough so that we are able to take an alternate route if the need arises. It being a police car, it has radio communications with the whole network of the police and also the police at the stops, the ones we have just left and the particular function like the Trade Mart or airport that we are going to.
In this car ride a few command officers of the local police department, and it is their job to make sure that the traffic is stopped as it was planned to be, look out for any disturbances, and in general be a front guard for the motorcade.
Mr. Mccloy.
Do you have a communications system with the Secret Service agents for this pilot car?
Mr. Lawson.
Yes, sir; because the next car in the motorcade is what we call a lead car and it is actually a rolling command car. We try to have a command officer from every jurisdiction of police with a radio net of their own in that
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