Mr. Stern.

Because?

Mr. Hosty.

I had no reason prior to this time to believe that he was capable or Potentially an assassin of the President of the United States.

Mr. Stern.

What happened next?

Mr. Hosty.

I immediately got the file on Lee Oswald, and I determined that on the 21st of November this change of origin from New Orleans had arrived. It had not been routed to me as yet. It apparently arrived on the afternoon of the 21st. I got it for the first time after the assassination.

Mr. Stern.

That is the administrative----

Mr. Hosty.

Administrative form showing that I was now origin, that we now had all the information on the case.

Mr. Stern.

Did they send any other information with that?

Mr. Hosty.

The only other thing that they sent was a photograph of Lee Oswald taken at the New Orleans Police Department when he was arrested during the summer of 1063. The report of Milton Kaack of the 31st had covered everything else.

Mr. Stern.

Just to be clear, you were not waiting for this shift of administrative responsibility before you did anything?

Mr. Hosty.

No; I mean if there was anything else to do, I would have gone ahead and done it.

Mr. Dulles.

Was that action in Washington or New Orleans?

Mr. Hosty.

New Orleans.

Mr. Stern.

Had anything else arrived at your Dallas orifice that you were told about at that Point?

Mr. Hosty.

Not at that Point, no; nothing had arrived then. I then took the file to the agent in charge.

Mr. Dulles.

May I ask one Point here?

Mr. Hosty.

Yes, sir.

Mr. Dulles.

From the Point of view of the administration, is the New Orleans orifice over the Dallas orifice, or are they equal?

Mr. Hosty.

They are equal, sir.

Mr. Dulles.

They are equal?

Mr. Hosty.

We have 55 orifices. They are all equal.

Mr. Dulles.

All equal?

Mr. Hosty.

Right. There are no regional offices. I then took the file to the agent in charge, told him that we had a case on Lee Harvey Oswald. While I sat there he immediately called headquarters and advised headquarters here in Washington, D.C., that Lee Harvey Oswald was under arrest down at Dallas and had been observed shooting a police officer. They had eyewitnesses to his killing of Officer Tippit.

Mr. Stern.

How do you know that?

Mr. Hosty.

This had been given to us by one of our agents from the call from the Dallas Police Department who had given the information. I don't know who it was. I did not receive the call.
I sat there and assisted the agent in charge while he talked to the Bureau headquarters here. I knew the file. Of course he would need some information. I would leaf, through the-file-and get it for him so that he could relay the pertinent information.
Then sometime after that, the agent in charge instructed me to. proceed to the Dallas Police Department and to sit in on the interview of Lee Oswald, which was apparently in progress at this time. Just prior to my leaving, I was told that a communication had just come in that day from the Washington field office advising that Lee Oswald had been in contact with the Soviet Embassy in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Stern.

Were you told anything more about that?

Mr. Hosty.

No; I mean this is the point I was given this information. I then went and got a car and drove to the Dallas Police Department, pulled my car into the basement garage of the Dallas Police Department, parked my car.

Mr. Stern.

What were conditions like?

Mr. Hosty.

Very chaotic. The press was swarming all over the Police station. There were television cameras. being brought into the building. Many people were running, coming and going. The place was a beehive of activity.