the young officer running in there right after the assassination and Oswald leaving after the manager said that he was employed there. Told about his arrest and said that there was a scuffle there, and that he tried to shoot the officer.
I don't know--I think I am giving you all this because I think a little of it may vary from the facts but all I know is what Fritz told me.
He said the Dallas police had found a palmprint on the underside of the gun of Oswald. At that time, the FBI was standing by to fly the gun to the laboratory here in Washington which incidentally, they didn't find, but I assume the Commission has interviewed Senator--not Senator--Day, the fingerprint man of the Dallas police but I have learned since that he probably can't identify the palmprint under there but at that time they told me they had one on it.
They said they had a palmprint on the wrapping paper, and on the box, I believe there by the scene. They did at least put Oswald there at the scene.

Mr. Rankin.

Will you clarify the palmprint that you are referring to on the rifle?
Was it on the underside of the rifle, was it between the rifle and the stock or where was it as you recall?

Mr. Wade.

Specifically, I couldn't say because but he said they had a palm-print or a fingerprint of Oswald on the underside of the rifle and I don't know whether it was on the trigger guard or where it was but I knew that was important, I mean, to put the gun in his possession.
I thought we had that all the time when I took the complaint on the thing.
Let me see what else they had that night. Well, they had a lot of the things they found in his possession. They had the map, you know, that marked the route of the parade. They had statements from the bus driver and the taxicab driver that hauled him somewhere.
I think they varied a little as to where they picked him up but generally they had some type of statement from them.
That is generally what they gave me now.

Mr. Rankin.

That is all you recall as of that time?

Mr. Wade.

Yes, sir.

Mr. Rankin.

Did you give any report to the press then about----

Mr. Wade.

No; I will tell you what happened then.

Mr. Rankin.

Yes, sir.

Mr. Wade.

As we walked out of the thing they started yelling, I started home, and they stared yelling they wanted to see Oswald, the press.
And Perry said that he had put him in the showup room downstairs. Of course, they were yelling all over the world they wanted a picture of Oswald.
And I don't know the mob and everybody ended up in the showup room. It is three floors below there.

Mr. Rankin.

Still Friday night?

Mr. Wade.

Yes, sir.

Mr. Rankin.

About what time?

Mr. Wade.

I would say around midnight roughly. It would--it could be either way an hour because I went down there around 11 o'clock, 10:30 or 11, some roughly and I don't know what the time element was but I would say around midnight.
So, they started interviewing Fritz and Curry, and I started to leave and Fritz said, "Well, we will get --" either Fritz or Curry said, "We will show him up down there," he said, "This is Mr. Wade, the district attorney."
He kind of introduced me to the press. I didn't say anything at that time but down in the basement they started to put Oswald--I went down there with them. They started to put Oswald in the lineup down there.

Mr. Rankin.

Will you describe that briefly to the Commission?

Mr. Wade.

Well, I don't know whether you have seen--it is a room larger than this and you have a glass here on this side. Behind that glass they have a place out here where they walk prisoners in through there and you can see through this side but you can't see through that side. I think that is the way it is set up.
Senator COOPER. You mean observers can see?

Mr. Wade.

Observers can see, but the defendants or suspects can't see through or at least can't identify.

« Previous | Next »

Found a Typo?

Click here

Last Update: Wed, 3 Aug 2016 21:56:34 CET