The John F. Kennedy Assassination Homepage

Navigation

  » Introduction
  » The Report
  » The Hearings

Volumes

  » Testimony Index
 
  » Volume I
  » Volume II
  » Volume III
  » Volume IV
  » Volume V
  » Volume VI
  » Volume VII
  » Volume VIII
  » Volume IX
  » Volume X
  » Volume XI
  » Volume XII
  » Volume XIII
  » Volume XIV
  » Volume XV
Warren Commission Hearings: Vol. IV - Page 357« Previous | Next »

(Testimony of Winston G. , Accompanied By Fred B. Smith, Lawson)

Mr. Lawson.
This was not long.
Representative Ford.
Five minutes?
Mr. Lawson.
Five to ten minutes at the most; yes, sir.
Mr. Stern.
Then what happened? Did Mr. Sorrels finish?
Mr. Dulles.
May I ask one other question there? Was there an interrogation just conducted by Mr. Sorrels, or were there others in on it, the police or the FBI?
Mr. Lawson.
I don't know if there were FBI agents there. There were other plainclothesmen there, and a few uniformed officers.
Mr. Dulles.
Mr. Sorrels conducted the investigation?
Mr. Lawson.
Mr. Sorrels was asking these particular questions, general-type questions, and when he finished ,the police took him back to another area.
Mr. Stern.
When did you next see Oswald?
Mr. Lawson.
I recall seeing him in another room in homicide headquarters with a couple of plainclothes people and their talking to him. I saw him later in the evening, perhaps 9:30, 10 o'clock, when he was brought down to a showup room, because we had information that a gentleman had seen someone at a window, and so----
Mr. Stern.
Do you know who that was, the witness?
Mr. Lawson.
I do not know; no, sir.
Mr. Stern.
Could it have been someone named Brennan?
Mr. Lawson.
The name doesn't mean anything to me. Mr. Sorrels had sent an agent out to bring him down to police headquarters to talk to him, and he informed us he had seen someone in the window, but he had also seen Lee Oswald on television in the meantime, and he didn't know of how much, value he would be.
Mr. Stern.
Did he say anything about whether he thought----
Mr. Lawson.
He could not say yes or no, whether Oswald was the individual or not.
Mr. Stern.
Did you notice any irregularity in the way the showup was conducted?
Mr. Lawson.
No, sir.
Mr. Stern.
Did it seem like a normal one to you, the size of the people?
Mr. Lawson.
I didn't notice any irregularity.
Mr. Stern.
And their dress?
Representative Ford.
Had Oswald had any additional physical damage done?
Mr. Lawson.
No, sir.
Representative Ford.
The last time you saw him?
Mr. Lawson.
No; he had not. That was not the last time I saw him, however. Then I later, approximately 11:30, or around midnight, it was announced that there would be a press conference again down in the showup room, and Inspector Kelley had arrived by that time, not too long before that, and Inspector Kelley and I and another agent or two went down to this press conference where it was just completely packed. Everyone couldn't get in the room, the cameramen, reporters, broadcasters, and so forth. Upon a signal----
Mr. Dulles.
Who conducted that meeting?
Mr. Lawson.
I believe it was the assistant district attorney and Chief Curry and perhaps Captain Fritz. We were just there watching.
Mr. Stern.
Tell us more about what----
Mr. Lawson.
He was brought in through the crowd and through a side door there, through the corridors, brought in, and I believe the chief and the district attorney each gave statements, and Oswald was asked a few questions then by the press, but I don't recall of it except that he was whisked out again fairly rapidly after that.
Mr. Stern.
Do you remember what any of the questions were and his responses?
Mr. Lawson.
No, I don't.
Mr. Stern.
How many people were in this room?
Mr. Lawson.
It was overflowing. You could hardly hear because everyone was shouting questions. That is why I don't remember what the specific questions were and what his responses were.
Mr. Stern.
Do you have any impression why this interview was conducted?
« Previous | Next »

Found a Typo?

Click here
Copyright by www.jfk-assassination.comLast Update: Wed, 3 Aug 2016 21:56:36 CET