(Testimony of Winston G. , Accompanied By Fred B. Smith, Lawson)
Mr. Lawson.
days ahead of time. But like I say, some fellows left this morning for a trip tomorrow.
Mr. Stern.
Now on the period up to November 22, as I said before, we will rely substantially on what is in your memorandum. If there is anything now that you would like to add or correct in the statements you have made there, anything you would like to add to your testimony so far today before this Commission, will you do so?
Mr. Lawson.
I can't recall any.
Mr. Stern.
I would like to move then to the actual events of November 22. I show you first a two-page document marked for identification Commission Exhibit 771. Can you identify that?
Mr. Lawson.
I can.
Mr. Stern.
Will you tell us what it is and why it was prepared?
Mr. Lawson.
It was a statement prepared by me on request of inspectors in the chief's office as to my knowledge of the event of the shooting of President Kennedy itself, and I prepared this the day after I returned from Dallas, which was the 23d of November.
Mr. Stern.
I now show you a five-page memorandum marked for identification Commission Exhibit 772. Could you identify that for us and tell us how it was prepared?
Mr. Lawson.
This is a statement that I gave about as many of my activities, official activities concerning the President's visit the whole day of November 22, and until I returned to Washington early on the morning of November 23, as I could.
Mr. Stern.
Mr. Chairman, may these be admitted?
Representative Ford.
They may be.
(The documents marked Commission Exhibits Nos. 771 and 772 for identification were received in evidence.)
Mr. Stern.
So that 772, the memorandum prepared on December 1 would include everything that you put in your memorandum of November 23 which was done immediately upon your return?
Mr. Lawson.
Yes.
Mr. Stern.
Turning to your memorandum of December 1, Commission Exhibit 772, it mentions on page 1 discussion of weather conditions and the decision whether or not to use the bubble-top on the Presidential automobile. Could you expand on that for us and tell us what happened?
Mr. Lawson.
Yes, sir; it was quite rainy early in the morning of the 22d in Dallas, and I received a phone call from the Assistant Agent in Charge Mr. Kellerman, who was in Fort Worth with the President, asking about weather conditions in Dallas, and what they probably would be, and discussing whether to use the bubble-top on the President's car or not. I was told the bubble-top was to be on if it was raining, and it was to be off if it was not raining.
Mr. Stern.
And then what happened? Did the weather clear?
Mr. Lawson.
The weather cleared quite fast. I can't recall now. It was approximately an hour or 45 minutes before the President was scheduled to arrive, and we had purposely put off changing the top until the last minute when we could find out what the weather was going to be.
But it cleared and the weather became quite sunny all of a sudden. Also I received a phone call from Fort Worth from Agent Hill, who was assigned to Mrs. Kennedy, asking what the weather was and whether the top would be on or not. I suppose that was so he could let her know whether she had to wear a hat or something because of the weather.
I told him that it looked like it was starting to clear, but we still had not made up our minds whether to have the bubble- top on or off at the point of his call. But I told him if it was raining it would be on, and if it was clear it would be off.
Mr. Stern.
Were you involved in the final decision respecting the bubble-top?
Mr. Lawson.
Yes, sir; the weather was clear so I told them to have it off.
Mr. Stern.
Then from your memorandum you visited, early on the morning of November 22, the Trade Mart?
Mr. Lawson.
Yes, sir.
|
