NYTimes 24 Nov. 1964

!are going to kill us all." Nellie, have got his brains in my Excerpts From Connally Testimony 'when she pulled me over into hand." her lap, she could tell I was Following are excerpts from the transcript of testi- still breathing and moving, and Q.—Did that constitute mony given April 21 by Gov. John B. Connally Jr. of Texas: she said, "Don't worry. Be quiet. everything she said at that You are going to be all right." time? A.--- That is all I heard GOV. CONNALLY—The fur-' first shot and the feeling of, She just kept telling me I was her say. ther you went It:owned down-- someone hitting you in the back going to he all right. ' Q.--Did you observe any re- town Dallas] the more en- A.—A very, very brief spent : After the third shot, and I action b' President Kennedy thusiastic the response was. of time: I immediately thought. heard Roy Kellerman [a Secret . , ' Service agent] tell the driver, after the shooting? A--No. IMrs. Connally remarked to the iron I just loolteid did not see him. President, "Well, Mr. President, I knew it. a "Bill, get out c" I :1 n. cloven and I aeternefentwith: then I sew Q.--Did you observe any re- you can't say there aren't. borne blood, ancrtihe thought irame-I h'in reeve. assumed he wee moving a nut- action by Mrs. Kennedy after! ely passed the h my mind I people in Dallas who love you," dire ten or eteme hire' the shooting ? A. ---I did not see And the President replied, that there w. er rloeuigdier. two. or! of the initemobil 2, and he said. !her. This almost sounds incred-1 "That is very obvious," or' three people involved or more in "Get us to a hospital quick." this or someone was shooting lible. I am sure, since we were! words to that. effect. I assumed he was saying this with an automatic rifle, to the patrolman, the motorcy- In the car with them, but II ARLEN SPECTER, assistant cle police who were leading us. could not see into the back commission counsel—Are there So I merely doubled np and any other conversations which then turned to my right again At about that time, we be- seat, so I didn't see either one stand out in your mind on the and began to—I just sat there, gan to pull out of the caval- of them. portion of the motorcade trip and Mrs. Connally pulled me cade, out of the line, and I Q.—Did you observe any but through Dallas itself? over to her lap. She was sitting, lost consciousness and didn't let or frig:vents of bullet strike' GOV. CONNALLY—No. Ac- of course, on the jump seat, so regain consciousness until we ,the windshic'_d? I reclined with my head in her got to the hospital. tually we had more or less Q. --Did you :observe any desultory conversation as we lap, conscious all the time, and Q.—What was your impres- bill-. with my eyes open; and then, of 'let or fragmen.s of hullo:. strike rode along. sion. As to the source of the the metal chrome? A.--No. Q.—As to the comment which] course, the third shot sounded, shot? A—When I heard the and I heard the shot very clear- Qe- -When did you first know Mrs. Connally had made to first shot I identified the sound you were wounded in the right President Kennedy which you ly. I heard it hit him. I heard as coming back over my right the shot hit something, and I shoulder, wrist? A--When I came to in just described, where on. the the hospital on Saturday, the motor trip was that comment assumed again—it never entered Q.—At an elevation? A—At made, if you recall? A.—Right my mind that it ever hit any- an elevation. I would have next morning, and I looked up by the courthouse before we body but the President. I heard guessed at an elevation. and my arm was tied up in a turned left onto Elm Street, al- it hit. It was a very loud noise, Q.--Did you have an impres- hospital bed, and I said, "What just that audible, very clear. most at the end of the motor- sion as to the source of the is wrong with my arm?" And Immediately I could see on third shot? A.—The same. I pane, and almost, I would say, they told me then that I had a perhaps a minute before the my clothes, my clothing, I would say the same. fatal shooting. could see on the interior of the Q.—Did President Kennedy shattered wrist, and that is Q.—What was the condition car—which, as I recall, was a make any statement during the •when I also found out I had of the crowd at this juncture? ,pale blue—hrain tissue, which I time of the shooting or im- a wound in the thigh. A: When she made this re- immediately recognized, and I mediately prior thereto? A. - Q.—What was the nature of He never uttered mark, the crowd was very thick recall very well, on my trousers a sound at the exit wound on the front and ver enthusia tic .We could there was one chunk of brain all that I heard. look ahead and see that the side of your chest, Governor? crowd was beginning to thin A.—I would say, if the commit- along the banks, just east, I tee would be interested, I would guess, of the overpass. just as soon you look at it. Is No Difficulty Hearing there any objection to any of Q.--Was there any difficulty I in hearing such a conversational you looking at it? comment? A.--No, no. We THE CHAIRMAN—No. could talk without any, and GOVERNOR CONNALLY- hear very clearly, without any You can tell yourself. The bul- difficulty, without ally partic- let went in here—see if I prop- ular strain, We didn't do it erly describe that -- about the again because it would be ap- parent to those on the sidewalk, juncture of the right arm and the shoulder. and we didn't want to leave the , impression we were not inter- MR. SPECTER—Let the rec- ested in them, and so we just ord show that the Governor has didn't carry on a conversation, removed his shirt and we can but we could do so without any . i view the wound on the back trouble. ! Q.---As the automobile turned which he is pointing toward. left unto Elm from Houston, No Conspiracy Seen what did occur there, Governor ? REPRESENTATIVE HALE A,—We had just made the turn, well, when I heard what BOGGS, Democrat of Louisiana I thought was a shot. I heard —I wonder if I might ask a this noise which I immediately question. This is a. little bit off took to be a rifle shot. I in the subject, but it Is pretty stinetively turned to my right' well established that the Gov- because the sound appeared to come from over my right ernor was shot and he has re- shoulder, so I turned to look covered. Do you have any reason back over my right shoulder, to believe there was any con- and I saw nothing unusual ex- spiracy afoot for somebody to cept just people in the crowdd assassinate you? Al suclated ?rest GOVERNOR CONNALLY- but I did not catch the President HEARD IT HIT HIM,' Gov. John D. Connally told the in the corner of my eye, and I None whatever. was interested, because once I Warren Commission. The Governor, who was wounded REPRESENTATIVE BOGGS heard the shot in my own mind during assassination of President, is shown in Parkland --Had you ever received any I identified it as a rifle shot, Hospital with his wife, Nellie, five days after shooting. threat from Lee Harvey Os- and I immediately--the only wald of any kind? GOVERNOR CONNALLY-- thought that crossed my mind tissue as big as almost myl Q,—Did Mrs. Kennedy state was that this is an assassina- anything at that time? A. - No. tion attempt. thumb, thumbnail. Yes, I have to—I would say REPRESENTATIVE BOGGS So I looked, fa' g to see -did not see the Presid- at! it was after the third shot when —Did you know him? him, I was turni • to look back any- time either .a e she said, "They have killed my; GOVERNOR CONNALLY- over my left oulder into the ! I second, or thir ots, but I husband." No. back seat, t I never got that Q.—Did she say anything: REPRESENTATIVE BOGGS assumed a 's that it was he a—What is your theory about' far in turn, Then I felt like who wees hit and no one else. more? A.—Yes, she said, I some - had hit me in the back. heeard her say one time, "I what happened? I immediately, when I was I GOVERNOR CONNALLY- What is the best estimate that you have as to the time ! hit, I said, "Oh, no, no, no." Well, it is pure theory based on span between the sound. of the And then I said "My God, they ,nothing more than what in-

formation is available to every-. ' one. I think you had an indi- Mr. Dulles. As I recall, he wrote ences either before the trip or vidual here with a completely' me a letter asking that his with the President in Texas dur- ,warped, demented mind who, dishonorable discharge be cor- ing his trip, or after his trip, 'for whatever reason, wanted to which could shed any light on rected. I had resigned as Secre- the assassination itself? do two things: First, to vent tary of the Navy a month be- his anger, his hate, against! GOVERNOR CONNALLY-- many people and many things fore I got the letter, so it would None whatever. in a dramatic fashion that really take a peculiar mind, it MR. SPECTER -- Do you would carve for him, in how- seems to me, to harbor any know of any conversations in- l ever infamous a fashion, a grudge as a result of that when volving anyone at all which niche in the history books of I would shed any light on the this country. And I think he had resigned as Secretary facts surrounding the assassin- deliberately set out to do just prior to the receipt of the ation? what he did, and that is the letter. GOVERNOR CONNALLY- only thing that I can think of. REPRESENTATIVE BOGGS None whatever. You ask me my theory, and —You have no doubt about the SENATOR JOHN SHERMAN that is my theory, and cer- fact that he was deliberately COOPER, Republican of Ken- tainly not substantiated by any tucky—Were you aware at all facts. trying to hit you? of any sounds of rifle shots REPRESENTATIVE BOGGS GOVERNOR CONNALLY- from the direction of the over- — Going o again, Governor, Yes, I do—I do have doubt, pass, from the embankment? and again using the word "the- Congressman. I am not at all GOVERNOR CONNALLY- ory," do you have any reason' sure he was shooting at me. I I ant not aware of any shots to believe that there was any think I could with some logic from the overpass, Senator. Sen- connection between Oswald and ator, I might repeat my testii- argue either way. The logic in mony with emphasis to this Ruby [Jack Ruby, Oswald's favor of him, of the position extent, that I have all my life slayer] ? that he was shooting at me, is been familiar with the sound of GOVERNOR CONNALLY- simply borne out by the fact a rifle shot, and the sound I I have no reason to believe that that the man fired three shots, heard I thought was a rifle and he hit each of the three shot, at the time I heard it I there was, no, Congressman. times he fired. He obviously ALLEN W. DULLES, com- didn't think it was a firecrack- was a pretty good marksman, er, or blowout or anything mission member — You recall so you have to assume to some else, I thought it was a rifle your correspondence with Os- extent at least that he was shot. wald in connection with marine hitting what he was shooting I have hunted enough to matters, when he thought you at. think that my perception th were still Secretary of the On the other hand, I think I respect to directions ' very, Navy ? could argue with equal logic very good, and this I heard came from back o my right GOVERNOR CONNALLY—. that obviously his prime target, shoulder, which as in the di- After this was all over, I do, and I think really his sole tar- rection of the hool Book De- get, was President Kennedy. pository, no uestion about it. MR. SPECTER. -- Governor I heard n they. The first and Connally, in 1963, we were in- third shets came from there. I formed, Lee Harvey Oswald heard o other sounds that paid a visit to Austin, Tex.. and woul indicate to me there was' is supposed to also have visited any commotion or disturbance Your office. Do you have any o shots or anything else on knowledge of such a visit ? the overpass, GOVERNOR CONNALLY- MR. DULLES — Governor,- No, sir. were you consulted at all about REPRESENTATIVE BOGGS the security arrangements in —Would your office records in- connection with the Dallas dicate such a visit? visit ? GOVERNOR CONNALLY- GOVERNOR CONNALLY It might or might not, Con- No, sir, not really; no, sir, and gressman. We have there a re- let me add we normally are ception room that is open from not. about 9:30 to 12 and from 2 to 4 MR. DULLES—I realize that. every day, and depending on the SENATOR COOPER—May I time of the year there are liter- ask a rather general question?- ally hundreds of people who I would like to ask, in view of come in there. So for me to say all the discussion which has he never was in there, I couldn't been had, was there any official do that; and he might well have discussion of any kind before been there, and no record of it this trip of which you were in the office. aware that there might be some No Connecting Incidents act of violence against the Pres- ident ? MR. SPECTER -- Do you GOVERNOR CONNALLY know of any events or occur- No, sir.

01.311 RE-GISTNNTION OF PATIENTS DALLAS COUNT. DSPITAL DISTRICT - EMERGRNCY ROOM i 17 Ai ._!/_/___ A IA El PAD t DtSPOSITION 'WOE 1 ' F. IL NUMBER NAME OP PATIENT AGE.SEX•RACE CHIEF COMPLAINT FINAt DIAGNOSIS CLINIC ADAN1

:405L 2 Si? Y ' jj/04L,ric ce, t. (.P , 6's z. q7 q. La. . 4.t., . i I — 4 # , Ha 7.‘ OMEN '., 7)0?' 7 517 It_ 6P 1 L rEll. Ird n'il ii M ii L: 44 A r...• I NE§ , ,-, „ 1 mir vimil■temigiminry 4 ______HOSPITAL RECORD: Register at emergency room at Dallas institution isted "Kennedy, John F." as suffering from CSW (gunshot wound) and noted that he "expired." Three lines below is listing for Goy, John B. Connally Jr.