(Testimony of Henry Wade)
Mr. Wade.
I had to do a little talking in self-defense, and so we. did later on have some statements more or less in answer to his. It was entirely too much trying of that ill the newspapers but a situation where we couldn't let his psychiatrist go on there and prove he had been insane on the jury without at least our saying we had some evidence that he was sane.
Mr. Rankin.
Did you have anything to do with the preparation of the ease for trial?
Mr. Wade.
Yes: to some extent. You see, I had four assistants to assist me in the trial.
Mr. Rankin.
Who were they?
Mr. Wade.
Jim Bowie, Frank Watt, and Bill Alexander. I read most of the reports on it. I mean I had most of what I did was read things on it because my main job in the trial as we started out, was for me to pick the jury, which I did, I think I have some ability along that line, and do a great deal of the cross-examination and the final argument. That is what I do in the cases I participate in usually.
Mr. Rankin.
Yes.
Mr. Wade.
Alexander spent the 2 weeks we were picking a jury in viewing the witnesses. I never talked to any of the witnesses. After the first half a day of testimony, I was very disappointed in the way the witnesses were being put on the stand; if this is of interest to you.
Mr. Rankin.
Tell us what happened.
Mr. Wade.
I told him, I said, on this case we are going on this theory, I want everybody who saw Ruby from the time of the assassination of President Kennedy down to the time he killed Oswald, I want to prove where he was every minute of the time that I can, and then we will take it from there and put the films on there and show what happened. there and then afterward. We are going on the theory that he is a glory seeker and a hero because I was convinced that was the motive of the killing.
I put on seven witnesses, and about six of them testified against us, I think, or made poor witnesses saying if, they saw him down in the Dallas News where he was 2 minutes in a stare, that never made any sense.
Some of them said they thought there was something wrong with him and none of them were the type of witnesses that I wanted testifying for the State.
Mr. Rankin.
Who were they?
Mr. Wade.
Well, you can check the first seven witnesses in the case. You had three from the Dallas News who testified, and so during that noon hour, I was convinced, whether right or wrong, that Alexander had been more interested in talking to the press.
In my office, our biggest problem was keeping the press out of the office, and so I just would have to bar them from my office, I mean personal property.
He wouldn't do it. He liked to talk to them. So, I said, "Get all these witnesses in during the noon hour and let me talk to them."
I put all the witnesses on the next morning. I talked to all the officers, I talked to Officers Dean, McMillon, Archer, King, never had talked with them about the case before and I talked with them then and I put all of them on next morning.
Mr. Rankin.
Tell us what, starting with--which one did you talk to first, Archer, Dean, or McMillon.
Mr. Wade.
I think I talked to all of them at first in a body. I talked to----
Mr. Rankin.
I see.
Mr. Wade.
I had them all in there and said, "Now what do you know about the case?" because a lot of them I didn't know what they knew.
Mr. Rankin.
What did they say?
Mr. Wade.
As a matter of fact, I wasn't familiar with Dean's testimony until he told me right there a day before he testified. Then he showed me the memorandum that he had made on the thing. I talked with him there and I put Archer on the next morning and McMillon on, who stayed all day. They cross-examined him from 11:30 until 5:30. Then I put King on, and then Dean, I believe the next morning, and we rested. But they told me just what they testified
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