The case for three assassins . By David Lifton and David Welsh

0 less than three gunmen fired on the Presidential motor- cade in Dallas on November 22, 1963 ... N This conclusion has been reached following a 10-month investigation into the assassination of President Kennedy. It is documented in the following pages. Defenders of the Warren Commission have continually chal- lenged its critics to come up with a more conclusive theory; we believe that the essay which follows answers that challenge.

Reprinted froni the January issue of Ramparts magazine by permission of the editor.. Copyright 1967, Ramparts magazine

President's car liar left) comes abreast of monument on the grassy knoll at moment same bullet wounded men. of first sact. Zap) uder and secretary circled. Arrow points at Kennedy. Car in foreground Polaroid snapshot (bottom left) taken by Mary Moorman at instant of impact of fatal head contains President and Mrs. Kennedy's Secret Service guard. Picture was taken by witness shot. Grassy knoll and monument are in background (Zapruder Willis. Within seconds of the shooting, picture taken by witness Willis [bottom right) shows the In frame 232 of Zapruder film (top right), immediately after the first shot, Kennedy is reaction of the crowd towards the grassy knoll. Motorcade's press bus is in foreground. clearly reading to the wound at his throat Connally appears calm. Commission says In right background, motorcycle policeman runs up slope. DuA CILLYABFILlinj

Vol. LXX No. 1 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA Thursday, January 5, 1967 2 UCLA DAILY BRUIN Thursday, January 5, 190

(FE I SAYS ACK. uNRr nua Ten— Etizois V ISIBLY REACTING) Preface: oSWAt.b's VIE W Of J.K.F. The pivotal theory of the Warren Commission J FK F B I SAYS : CANNOT is that the assassination of President Kennedy was AFTER the work of one man, Lee Harvey Oswald, firing DATA HIT CONNALLY from the Texas School Book Depository. The War- 24o FROM WIN bow ren Report states: 1) " . . all the shots which caused the. President's and Governor Connally's wounds were fired from the sixth floor window . . " (WR 19); and 2) " . . Oswald acted alone." 240 251 (WR 22) 210. 225 The first statement precludes the possibility that •--.---„,----.• i' TIME LINE shots were tired from any location other than be- i hind and above the motorcade. The second pre- J. F. K 1 cludes the possibility that more than one man was "tArmissable" 42_ FRAMES firing at the motorcade from the rear. time Span. There is, however, a considerable body of evi- AFTER 210 dence which shows that neither statement is correct. . The Warren Commission, charged with ascertaining and making public all the fads of the assassination, I. 1.$ sm.. -.1 and having much of the disturbing evidence at its 3o FRAMES disposal, dismissed this evidence with scarcely more than a cursory examination. 142_ FRAMES = MIN . n RING Time/RIFLEI This evidence falls into two main categories: . 3 sec. Evidence that two or more gunmen were firing from the rear. (Part One) or 42 {races Evidence that one or more gunmen were firing from the front. (Part Two) The fads are here. The reader may judge for assassination sequence; and the weapon alleged to The third hit President Kennedy in the head and was himself. be the only one used In the assassination was a bolt responsible for the fatal wound. Note In the citations which accompany this essay, action rIlle. The rifle was tested by FBI firearms Certainly Governor Connally was hit, and cer- references by Roman and Arabic numerals, (e.g., expert Robert A. Frazier, "to determine how fast tainly President Kennedy was hit at least twice. III, 404), are to Hearings Before the President's the weapon could be fired primarilx, with secondary Certainly, also— as the Commission itself concedes Commission on the Assassination of President Ken- purpose accuracy."(2) The Report states: "Three — Kennedy and Connally both must have been nedy (Washington, D.C. 1964), the 26 volumes FBI firearms experts tested the rifle . . . The pur- wounded in less time than it could have taken to of hearings, testimony and exhibits published by pose of this experiment was not to test the rule under fire the bolt action rifle twice. For there to have the Warren Commission; reference is to volume conditions which prevailed at the time of the assas- been only one assassin, one bullet must have passed number and page number. "WR" refers to the Com- sination but to determine the maximum speed at through the two men. mission's single volume summation: Report of the which it could be fired."(3) And the Report records But medical findings on the location and nature President's Commission on the Assassination of Pres- the result of those tests: "Tests of the assassin's of the wounds contain major contradictions. The ident Kennedy (Washington, D.C., 1964), commonly rifle disclosed that at least 2.3 seconds were re- Commission decided, based on the autopsy findings, referred to as the Warren Report. Inquest refers quired between shots."(4) that a bullet " . . . entered the base of the back of to Edward Jay Epstein's book of that name (New Two and three-tenths seconds—the shortest pos- , his (Kennedy's) neck . . . traveled downward and York: The Viking Press, 1966). The paperback edi- sible interval between two shots from the bolt action ' 'kited from the front of the neck, causing a nick in tion is published by Bantam Books, Inc.; references Mannlicher-Carcano rifle—corresponds to 42 frames the left lower portion of the knot in the President's are to the Viking edition except as otherwise noted. of the Zapruder film. FBI photographic expert Lyn- necktie."(12) The frequently used phrase "The Report" also refers dal Shaneyfelt testifitd: Let us examine the evidence. to the one volume Warren Report. . . . The Zapruder motion picture camera operates at an average speed of 18.3 frames a) Evidence that the bullet failed to exit per second . . . The minimum time for firing the rifle in successive shots is approximately An autopsy was performed on the President's two and a quarter seconds . . This gives body at Bethesda Naval Hospital on the night Index: us this figure of 41 to 42 frames . . . to es- of November 22, just after the body was returned tablish two points in the film where two sue- to Washington. In addition to several doctors, ob- _ , Part One The Shots from the Rear -cessIve . . . shots could have been fired.(5) servers iiere present from both the FBI and the 1. The 42-Frame Constraint In other words, the FBI's firearms expert, shoot- Secret Service. 2. The Bullet in the Back ing without trying to hit a moving target, required News accounts of the autopsy vary considerably a. Evidence that the bullet failed to exit the time equivalent of 42 frames of Zapruder's film from the version which appeared in the official au- b. Evidence that the bullet left no path through to squeeze off two rounds from the bolt action rifle. topsy report.(13) Three weeks after it was per- the body This 42-frame minimum firing time is an import- formed, the Washington Post and the New York c. Location of the back wound ant constraint on any "lone-assassin" theory that Times ran stories quoting sources familiar with 3. The Wounding of Connally posits the Italian Carcano rifle as the murder weap- the autopsy. Certainly not every journalist or pub- 4. Superbullet on. If two hits were scored closer than 42 frames lication is completely accurate when a nation is a. The stretcher bullet, apart on the film, there had to be more than one clamoring for every scrap of available news, but b. Bullet 399—was it a plant? gunman—unless, as the Commission hesitantly con- the integrity of these two newspapers, and the re- 5. Two of the Assassins cluded, the two hits were scored by the same bullet liability of any source that either publication is likely to trust in so important a story, is well Part Two: The Shots from the Front For Kennedy and Connally, the Report acknowl- edges, were hit no more than 33 frames apart on known. 1. The Grassy Knoll The autopsy findings, the Post reported, dis- 2. The Fatal Head Shot the film. When the one-bullet-two-victim concept was ad- closed that the bullet "was found deep in his shoul- a. The photographic evidence der," adding that it "hit the President in the back b. The head snap vanced, some Commissioners and staff members were doubtful. Counsel Melvin Eisenberg said that shoulder five to seven inches below the collar 3. Medical Evidence on the Head Wounds line."(14) The Times said, "The first bullet made a. The back of the skull the lawyers were at first "incredulous of this hypo- thesis," but gradually became persuaded that this what was described as a smelt, neat wound in the b. Eyewitness testimony: right-side entry and back and penetrated two or three inches."(15) Some right temporal wound was the "only reasonable way to explain the fact that both men had been hit within a second or two weeks later, the Times reported that the first bullet c. The autopsy at Bethesda "hit the President in the back of his right shoulder, 4. The Wound in the Throat of each other."(6) Senator Richard Russell "report- edly said that he would not sign a Report which several inches below the collar line. That bullet a. "How could the President have been shot in lodged in his shoulder."(16) the front from the back?" concluded that both men were hit by the same bul- b. The Parkland doctors' testimony let."(7) Representative Hale Boggs mentioned that 5. The 64 Witnesses Indicating Firing from the he had "strong doubts about it "(8) Epstein re- Grassy Knoll ports that Commissioners JohnlicCloy, Rep. Gerald Ford and Allen Dulles favored a conclusion that both men were hit by the same bullet; Commission- ers Russell, Senator John Cooper and Boggsfavored a conclusion that they were hit by separate Part One: bullets.(9) The absence of evidence and the doubts of at least :three of its members forced the Commission to a compromise conclusion that one bullet "most The Shots From probably" went through both men. Partly because Governor Connally continues to insist that it did The Rear not happen that way, this careful use of "prob- ably" is still being stressed by some Commission (Where it is shown that two or more members.(10) gunmen were firing from the rear.) But if it is only "probably" true that one bullet hit both men, then it is only "probably" true -that there was only one assassin. The "lone assassin" (I. THE 42-FRAME CONSTRAINT) conclusion is only as strong as the proposition that the same bullet hit both men. If Connally and According to the Warren Commission, about five Kennedy were hit by separate bullets, then the seconds before the fatal shot struck his head, Presi- Zapruder film proves that both bullets cannot have dent Kennedy was struck In the back of the neck come from "Oswald's rifle." by a bullet from the rear. Almost simultaneously, Norman Redlich, special assistant to General Governor John Connally of Texas was also hit by Counsel J. Lee Rankin, said in an interview: "To a bullet, fired from the rear. The Warren Commis- say that they were hit by separate bullets is synony- sion was thus faced with a choice: either two men mous with saying that there were two assassins."(11) had fired almost simultaneously, one hitting the Precisely. President and one hitting the governor; or else one bullet had wounded both men. (2. THE BULLET IN THE RACK) The Report concluded that one bullet "most prob- ably" went through both men.(1) An overwhelming According to the Warren Commission, three shots body of primary evidence shows that it did not. were fired—a conclusion primarily based on the dis- This predicament would not have been so clearly covery of three spent shells at "Oswald's window." delineated for the Commission but for two unavoid- One shot hit President Kennedy (in the back of the able facts: a bystander named Abraham Zapruder neck or in the back), then passed through him and had filmed the Presidential car in color during the hit Governor Connally in the back. One missed. ifarly In March 1964, Commission Counsel Arlen Thursday, January 5, 1967 UCLA DAILY BRUIN 3 • Wetter conferred with the three autopsy doctors - .,bout the problem of the almost simultaneous wound- ing of Kennedy and Connally. At that time the chief autopsist, Dr. James J. Humes, noted that it was "medically possible" for one bullet to have hit both men, with Governor Connally having a delayed re- action.(17) A few days later, on March 16, the Commission beard the first testimony concerning the autopsy, and admitted the autopsy report into evi- dence.(18) Dr. Humes testified that he had revised his draft of the report, and burned the original.(19) The Commission did not question Dr. Humes about his reasons for this extraordinary action. The re- vised autopsy report made this finding about the bullet that entered the President's back: "The missile contused the strap muscles of the right side of the neck, damaged the trachea and made its exit through the anterior surface of the neck."(20) By the time this report was admitted into evi- A•F; dence, however, the Commission and its staff al- ready had in their possession two authoritative documents which directly contradicted Dr. Humes' basic finding: the FBI Summary Report and the FBI Supplemental Report. Both reports conclude that the bullet that entered the President's back did not go through the body.(21) J. Edgar Hoover, ordered by President Johnson immediately after the assassination to conduct an investigation and to prepare a report, submitted the first four volumes of the FBI report on December 9, 1963. These are kr-limn as the FBI Summary Re- port A fifth volitme, called the Supplemental Re- port, was sent to the Commission on January 13, 1964. Unaccountably, these FBI reports were not made public with the 26 volumes of hearings and exhibits. Medical drawings (above) accepted in evidence by "Medical examination of the President's body," the Warren Commission show individual trajectories said the Summary Report, "revealed that one of the bullets had entered just below his shoulder to the through Kennedy (top left, Commission Exhibit 385) right of the spinal column at an angle of 45 to and Connally (top right, Commission Exhibit 689). Ken- 60 degrees downward, that there was no point of nedy drawing was one of three accepted in evidence in exit, and that the bullet was not in the body."(22) lieu of actual autopsy photos and x-rays. It is not dear, incidentally, why the Washington Post and the New York Times were so certain that (middle) Commission attorney Arlen Specter, at left, the bullet was found in the body, while the FBI uses metal rod and two FBI agents to illustrate trajec- report says it was not. Dr. Humes at first suggested tory of one bullet through Kennedy and Connally (Com- the bullet might have fallen back out through the mission Exhibit 903). entrance hole while doctors at Parkland Hospital in Dallas were administering heart massage, al- In frame 230 of Zapruder film (see below), Presi- though he later rejected this hypothesis. The im- dent Kennedy has both hands at throat, clearly reacting portant point here is not what happened to the to wound there. By this time Connally, (not reacting) bullet; it is that according to the FBI—as well as has allegedly received bullet (on trajectory shown at the government sources used by the two newspapers —the bullet did not go all the way through Ken- top right) which entered downward at right shoulder nedy's body. seam, smashed 4 inches of fifth rib, caused multiple The FBI Supplemental Report, issued three weeks fractures of right wrist, and wounded left thigh. - after the Summary Report, stated: "Medical exami- nation --of the President's body had revealed that the bullet which entered his back had penetrated to a assuiusea-of less than a finger length." (23) The bullet hole in the President's back was not discovered at Parkland Hospital; the Parkland dor tors testified that they were so preoccupied with trying to revive Mr. Kennedy that they did not turn him over. Secret Service agent Roy Kellerman, who was present during the Bethesda autopsy, testified: "While the President is In the morgue, he is lying fiat . . . Nobody was aware until they lifted him up that there was a hole in his shoulder. That was the first concrete evidence that they knew that the man was hit in the back . . "(24) Also present as observers during the entire autop- sy, and until the body was removed by employees of a funeral home, were FBI agents James Sibert and Francis X. O'Neill Jr.(25) It was their report that appears to have formed the basis for the FBI's information on the autopsy. Were the official autopsy findings—that the bullet passed through the President's body—known to the FBI when it prepared its Summary Report on December 9 and concluded that the back bullet did not exit from the body? One would have thought so, since at the time that the autopsy report was al- legedly written, on November 24, the FBI was the at least one of the two FBI men remained in the only agency charged with ascertaining all the facts probes and have them satisfactorily fall through of the assassination.(26) room during the entire autopsy: " . . those two any definite path . . . "(33) agents were in the autopsy room, with Mr. Keller- Not only is the May 29, 1966 "admission of But according to a recent statement by J. Edgar man and I, all night Mr. Sibert and O'Neill were error" by the FBI spokesman not supported by the Hoover published in the New York Times: "The both in the autopsy room with us during that time evidence; it is not even supported, today, by J. Ed- FBI and the Warren Commission each received a . . . Either Mr. Kellerman or I, we never left the gar Hoover, who defends the accuracy of what his. copy of the official autopsy report on December 23, room, one or the other. We went and got some agents reported about the doctor's findings at the 1963, from Secret Service, following a specific re- coffee and came right back . . The FBI did the autopsy— while conceding that these were not the quest for this document."(27) Thus, whatever autop- same thing. One of them left; the other stayed."(30) doctors' final ernclusions.(34) sy information the FBI may have had when it Even if they had gone, they could not have been How did this pivotal contradiction arise, raising drafted its first report, the Bureau certainly had away from the room when the doctors found the serious doubts, as it does, about the Commission's the official autopsy report in hand at the time the path of the bullet—because the doctors never found one-assassin theory? And how did it remain un- January 13th Supplemental Report was written. But any such path. "There were three gentlemen who reconciled for three years after the crime? that FBI report still contradicted the Commission's were performing the autopsy," testified Secret Service One explanation, advanced last fall by Commis- version of the autopsy. agent Kellerman. "A Colonel Finck— during the sion Counsel Arlen Specter, is that Dr. Humes This major contradiction was first revealed in examination of the President, from the hole that was "formulated a different conclusion" on the day fol- mid-May in Epstein's book, Inquest. On May 29, in his shoulder, and with a probe, and we were lowing the autopsy— a conclusion that differed from 1966, an FBI spokesman told the Washington Post standing right alongside of him, he is probing inside the statements he had made the night before in the that its report was "based on the medical evidence the shoulder with his instrument and I said, presence of agents Sibert and O'Neill.(35) Specter at that time."(28) The next day, however, the Los 'Colonel, where did it go?' He said, 'There are no suggests that Dr. Humes altered his finding upon Angeles Times quoted a statement by an FBI lanes for an outlet of this entry in this man's shoul- learning for the first time, on Saturday morning, spokesman "that the FBI report was wrong when der.' "(31) that the tracheotomy performed by Dr. Perry in it said, 'there was no point of exit.' "(29) This The other agent, Greer, was questioned by Com- Dallas had obliterated a bullet wound in the front rare "confession of error" by the FBI, which came mission Counsel Arlen Specter: of the President's throat (Dr. Humes himself con- only after Epstein's book had begun to receive Specter: Was anything said about any chan- ceded that he did not know of the existence of a public notice, said that the two FBI observers at nel being present in the body for the bullet bullet hole in the throat at the time of the the autopsy were out of the room when the doctors to have gone through the back? autopsy(36). "traced" the bullet's path. Greer: No, sir. I hadn't heard anything According to this explanation, the autopsy doctors There were two things wrong with this belated like that, any trace of it going on at Bethesda— unaware of a bullet wound in the front FBI apology. First of all, there was no one clear through.(32) moment when the doctors suddenly found a path— of the throat—found a wound in the back which What happened— as we will see later —is that could only be probed to finger length. Having been by the doctors' own testimony, as will be shown Dr. Humes deduced a path for the bullet But no below. Secondly, the statement that both FBI ob- informed that a bullet had been found on a stretcher one ever found a continuous track, as Humes him- at Parkland Hospital in Dallas, they concluded that servers were out of the room clashes with the testi- self testified: "Attempts to probe in the vicinity of mony to the Commission. the bullet must have worked its way out of the this wound were unsuccessful without fear of making President's back. Secret Service agent William Greer testified that a false passage . . . We were unable . . . to take But the next morning, when the body Was no , 4_ UCLA DAILY BRUIN Thursday, January 5, 1967 longer available for examination, Dr. Humes was lions of hundreds of others—in a medical re- the autopsy, testified: "When the doctors were 'ie., led to change his preliminary opinion. That was port on the President's autopsy, is one of the forming the autopsy, they saw this hole In the rigst when he found that there had been a bullet hole innumerable anomalies of thisinvestigation.) shoulder . . ." Specter questioned him: on the front of the neck . . . ," Specter writes.(37) From the other testimony and evidence reviewed - Specter: Approximately where in the Presi- Specter's explanation is consistent with the re- so far, there are indications that the "point of en- ' dent's back was the bullet hole? port of FBI agents Sibert and O'Neill, with the FBI trance posteriorly" may have crept upward several Greer: It was . . . back here, just in the soft Summary and Supplemental reports and with the inches in order to support Dr. Humes' conclusion; part of that shoulder. testimony of Secret Service agents Kellerman and the following section of this article deals with this Specter: Indicating the upper right shoulder Greer. in greater detail. area? But this, Arlen Specter's latest version, written to The autopsy examination did disclose a bruise Greer Upper right, yes.(57) answer critics of the Commission, directly contra- on the right lung and other internal wounds,(45) In contrast to the testimony of agents Bennett, dicts the conclusions of a section of the Warren which Humes concluded were caused by the bullet Kellerman, Greer and Hill — who each place the Report that be himself drafted. This section refers passing through. He testified that he "was able wound in the shoulder — Commander Humes, echoed to "speculation that the bullet might have pene- to ascertain with absolute certainty that the bullet by the Warren Report, consistently locates the wound trated a short distance into the back of the neck had passed by the apical portion of the right "in the low posterior neck of the President"(58) and then dropped out onto the stretcher . . . " It lung."(46) The two descriptions are not consistent That of concludes: "Further exploration during the autopsy But if Dr. Humes was this certain that the bullet the four agents, however, is totally consistent with the disproved that theory . . . Commander Humes... had passed through the strap muscles to reach FBI reports, which describe the wound's location in talked by telephone with Dr. Perry early on the the right lung, then why—during the latter stages these terms: morning of November 23, and learned that his of the autopsy—did he continue to explore the pos- a. One of the bullets had entered just below his assumption was correct . . . This confirmed the sibility that the bullet had failed to exit and dropped shoulder to the right of the spinal column . . . (59) Bethesda surgeons' conclusion that the bullet had back out the entrance wound?(47) Humes resolved b. The bullet which entered his back . . . (60) exited from the front part of the neck."(38) this apparent dilemma in favor of the bullet passing There are two other items of evidence which cast It strains credulity, in the face of all the evidence through—despite his failure to find a track. doubt on Humes' conclusion and the validity of the to the contrary, to believe that Dr. Humes decided Aware of the crucial importance of this point, entire autopsy report — the autopsy doctors' own during the autopsy that the back bullet had exited Epstein consulted an independent expert—Dr. Milton annotated diagrams of the body-during the autopsy, at the throat—before he knew that the frontal throat Helpern, chief medical examiner of New York City and the bullet holes in the President's suit jacket and puncture even existed. and an acknowledged authority on forensic pathol- shirt Incredulity begins to shade into suspicion when ogy —who told him: "There is no such thing as a The face sheet of the autopsy report(61) shows Dr. Humes informs us that he burned his original rifle bullet's passing through a neck without leaving two diagrams of the body, front and back view, an- draft of the autopsy report He said: "In privacy a path." Epstein 'added, "It is a sine qua non law notated during the autopsy.(62) On the "front dia- of my own home early in the morning of Sunday, of forensic pathology that if a bullet passes through gram is a throat wound just below the collar line. November 24th, I made a draft of this report which a body it must leave a discernible path." Helpern The back wound clearly depicted on the "back" I later revised, and of which this represents the estimated that a 6.5mm. bullet traversing a human diagram is considerably below the collar and con- revision. That draft I personally burned in the neck would leave a track a quarter of an inch in sistent with the descriptions given by the four Secret fireplace of my recreation room."(39) Yet the Com- Mameter.(48) (Later Helpern qualified this by say- Service agents and the FBI reports. No one asked mission accepted Humes' version, rather than face ing, "Nobody said it was always easy to find a Dr. Humes to explain this discrepancy about the loca- the possibility that the throat-exit finding—central path."(49) tion of the wound. One possible reason was given last to its theory that one bullet went through'two men— In order for a bullet from the Carcano rifle fall by Dr. J. Thorton Boswell, who assisted Humes was deduced by the autopsy surgeon in the absence to have traveled through the President's body and at the autopsy. Boswell said that he had marked the of the cadaver. hit Governor Connally, It would have to have back wound on the pathologists' diagram, and that One thing is certain: If the back bullet failed traveled a continuous path through the President this location was "a diagram error."(63) to exit—as the overwhelming body of evidence in- There was no evidence of such a continuous path, No such explanatiori, however, can account for dicates—it could not have been the same bullet by the testimony of everyone who was present at the locations of the holes in the President's clothing. that struck Governor Connally. And if this is so, the autopsy, including the pathologist It is one Robert_A. Frazier, the FBI ballistics expert, testified: then at least two persons fired at the motorcade more indication that there was no "superbullet" I found oil the back of the shirt a hole, 5-3/4 from behind. coursing through Kennedy and into Connally—that Inches below the top of the collar, and as you at least two persons were firing from behind the look at the back of the shirt 1-1/8 inch to the b) Evidence that the bullet left no path motorcade. But there is more. through the body right 'of the midline of the shirt, which is this Dr. Humes' deduction of a path he couldn't find is hole I am indicating . . . The coat hole is We know that President Kennedy had at least based, as we have noted, on the presence of an "en- 5-3/8 inches below the top of the collar. The three wounds: the fatal head wound, a wound in trance" wound higher in the rear than the "exit" shirt hole is 5-3/4 inches, which could be ac- the front of the throat, and a wound in the back. wound in the front of the throat — a wound the Re- counted for by a portion of the collar sticking The Warren Report concludes that the back wound port places at about the location of the President's up above the coat about a half inch.(64) and the throat wound were caused by the entry necktie knot. From this wound in the back of the Dr. Humes attempted to explain how this evidence and exit of a single bullet. neck, fl,n Commission not only accepts the doctor's was consistent with the artist's drawing by contending The Bethesda autopsy doctors never saw the deduction about the path, it also deduces for itself that the President's coat and shirt may have climbed throat wound in Its original state, because it had the angle of the shot and thus its source — the sixth up the back of his neck. The President, he said, was been enlaija By a trachbotorny performed at Park- floor ofthe Depository. "' a "muscular young man with a very well-developed- land Hospital in Dallas in an effort to save the e) Location of the back wound set of muscles In his thoraco and shoulder girdle . . . President(40) And Dr. Humes testified, as we have I believe this would have a tendency to push the por- just noted, that be could find no continuous track To illustrate his theory that thebullet entered from of the coat which show the defects here some between the back wound and the throat wound. the rear and exited at the throat, Dr. Humes, when tions But Dr. Humes nevertheless deduced that the he testified before the Warren Commission, brought what higher on the back of President than on a man missile entering the President from the rear traveled with him an artist's drawing made, shortly before of less muscular development" Humes also pointed steadily downward, without deflection, and exited out that the President apparently had his right hand the hearing in March 1964, from his verbal descrip- raised waving to the crowd, indicating his belief that at the front of the throat.(41) The autopsy report tion of the wound. (50) The drawing is a profile view concluded that the bullets were "fired from a point this action would further accentuate the elevation of of President Kennedy, with an arrow going through the coat and shirt with respect to the back of the somewhat behind and above the level of the de- his neck from back to front at an angle of about 15 President(65) ceased"— a finding that became the basis for a degrees downward. "In" it written at the tail end, major conclusion of the Warren Report: "out" at the front end. The Commission presented no evidence to support The nature of the bullet wounds suffered by The artist, who was not present at the autopsy, Humes' supposition. A photograph taken at the time President Kennedy . . . and the location of had no medical photographs from which to work, does not show the President's coat climbing up his the car at the time of the shots establish that (51) and the official photographs and X-rays taken neck. And it would appear physically impossible for the bullets were fired from above and be- at the autopsy were not introduced in evidence before a closed shirt collar to be lifted four to six inches hind . . . (42) the Commission. when the President raised his hand. It would have The entire line of reasoning establishing the The drawing shows the back wound as clearly to be lifted by that much to conform with Commis- source of the shots thus depends on Dr. Humes' above the wound in the throat .But there is a con- sion Exhibit 385, the drawing showing the trajectory deduction of the existence of a track from back to siderable body of evidence to show that the back through the neck. front The Report describes how the doctors arrived wound was below the entry point in the artist's draw- The evidence about thelocation of the back wound at this conclusion: ing, and that the point of entry was below the alleged — the testimony of four Secret Service agents, the By projecting from a point of entry on the point of exit If this is so, then Dr. Humes' autopsy pathologists' diagram prepared during the autopsy, rear of the neck and proceeding at a slight report and much of his testimony is in error. and the bullet holes in the President's jacket and shirt downward angle through the bruised interior Secret Service agent Glenn Bennett, riding in the — shows that the rear wound was well below the portions, the doctors concluded that the bul- right rear seat of the follow-up car behind the Presi- collar, and hence below the frontal throat wound let exited from the front portion of the Presi- dent when the shots were fired, stated: "I looked at which pierced the knot in the President's necktie. dent's neck that had been cut away by the the back of the President I heard another firecracker If, as the Report concludes, the bullet passed tracheotomy.(43) noise and saw that shot hit the President about four through the President on a downward trajectory,(66 ) Commissioner McCloy questioned Humes about inches down from the right shoulder." (52) it would have exited below the breast line—even his findings: The Commission accorded "substantial weight" to if the angle of entry was the approximately 15 de- McCloy: I am not clear what induced you Bennett's observation, adding: grees indicated by the drawing (the FBI Summary to come to the conclusion if you couldn't His notes indicate that he recorded what he Report said the angle was 45 to 60 degrees). (67)'. find the actual exit wound by reason of the - saw and heard at 5:30 p.m. November 22, 'Even if we assume that the Warren Report was tracheotomy. 1963, on the airplane en route back to Wash- in error when it said that the bullet passed through Humes: The report which we have submit- ington, prior to the autopsy, when it was not undellected,(68) and that, instead, the bullet was ted, sir, represents our thinking within the yet known that the President had been hit in deflected upward inside the President's body and, 24-48 hours of the death of the President, the back.(53) by a series of improbabilities bordering on the im- all facts taken into account of the situation. Secret Service agent Roy Kellerman, present at the possible, did exit at the throat —even if we make The wound In the anterior portion of the autopsy, described the wound as "the hole that was that assumption, the bullet would have been head- lower neck is physically lower than the point in his shoulder."(54) Clint Hill, another Secret Ser- ing upward, on a trajectory incapable of causing of entrance posteriorly, sir.(44) (One won- vice agent, who saw the body in the morgue before Connally's wounds. For a bullet exiting upward ders what "facts" the doctor was "taking it was placed in the casket, was questioned by Rep. from the President's throat suddenly to change its into account" in preparing his revised final Hale Boggs, a member of the Commission: course a second time, in midair, and hit the gover- version of the autopsy report Humes' "Clin- Boggs: Did you see any other wound other nor on a downward course, would simply violate ical Summary" appearing at the beginning than the head wound? immutable physical laws. of his report includes such non-clinical in- Hill: Yes, sir; I saw an opening in the back, Bullets do perform unpredictable gymnastics in- formation as this: "According to available about six inches below the neckline to the side bodies, but not in midair. Still, it can be asked information, the deceased was riding in an right-hand side of the spinal column.(55) how. the Commission — with no definitive evidence open car in a motorcade . . . Three shots Hill was not assigned to observe the autopsy. of exit or continuous path through the body; with heard . . . According to newspaper reports Agent Kellerman, however, testified that he decided evidence that the bullet entered several inches below (Washington Post, Nov. 23, 1963) BobJack- to "get Mr. Hill down and view this man (the Presi- the collar on a downward trajectory and no primary son, a Dallas Times-Herald photographer, dent) for all the damage that was done . . I went evidence to the contrary; and with a finding that the said he looked around as he heard the shots . . . and brought him down and he inspected the build was not deflected — could have come to the and saw a rifle barrel disappearing into a incisions." Commission Counsel Specter asked Kel- conclusion that it did: that the bullet exited from the window on an upper floor of the nearby Tex- lerman why he had brought in Hill to view the throat as School Book Depository Building." wounds, and Kellerman replied:"Morewitnesses, Mr. The statements of the autopsy report and the au- (WR 539) Why Dr. Humes found it neces- Specter; I think more to view theunfortunate happen- topsy doctors—in unresolved conflict with much other sary to include the statement of one witness ings it would be a little better."(56) evidence—form the sole basis for this critical conclu- —to the exclusion, moreover, of the observe- Secret Service agent William Greer, also present at sion by the Warren Commission. Thursday, January 5, 1967 UCLA DAILY BRUIN 5

Mere is Kennedy's back wound notated during the autopsy show the ' located? The rear wound of President wound in the back (line 8) considerably Kennedy must be above the wound at lower than the wound in the front of the front of his neck to support the thesis the neck (line A). that one bullet, on a downward Ira jedory, Autopsy surgeon Bowsell recently melted at the front of his neck and, pro- stated that he had inadvertently placed ceeding downwards, went on to cause the "dot" depicting the bath wound too all of Connally's wounds. low on this diagram, and said it was Commission Exhibit 385 (top left) shows merely "coincidental" that it happened the rear Kennedy wound as being at the to correspond to the location of the Presi- base of his neck, and higher than the dential clothing holes. A measurement wound in the front. Other evidence indi- scrawled in the margin, allegedly made cates that this wound was much lower, during the autopsy, would place this and in the back not in the neck. This wound about halfway between the loca- would preclude the possibility that one tion of the dot, and the point of entrance bullet wounded both men, in addition to as shown in the artist's drawing (top casting doubt on the integrity of the left). This measurement (14 an-or 51h autopsy report. inches-beneath the right mastoid) is the Prelident Kennedy's shirt (top right) one that is given in the autopsy report. and jacket (top middle) were both pierced The rear wound of President Kennedy about 5Y2 inches below the top of the is thus "low," "medium," or "high" de- collar. pending on which piece of evidence is (Bottom right) Pathology diagrians on- - used to locate a. has stuck to his testimony and to the reasoning be- could not have missed both the automobile and Its (3. THE WOUNDING OF CONNALLY) . hind it. It is true that thegovernor has also described occupants." Since FBI ballistics expert Robert Frazier By now it should be apparent, from the wealth of himself as satisfied with the Warren Commission's testified that he found no damage indicating that this evidence to the contrary, that the one-bullet-through- reasoning on other points and with its conclusions bullet had struck the automobile, the Commission two-men theory is a construct. That President Ken- regarding Oswald as the lone assassin; but as we concluded that it must have gone through Connally. nedy and Governor Connally were in fact hit by have seen, if his own testimony is accurate, those In other words, if it wentthrough Kennedy's neck, separate bullets is further borne out by Connally's conclusions must be in error. the bullet must have gone somewhere. If it went own testimony and that of his wife, as well as by an Mrs. Connally's testimony before the Commission through his neck and was traveling downward It analysis of the Zapruder film. corroborated that of her husband: must have been in Governor Connally. Governor Con-ally testified: . . . I heard a noise, and not being an expert Given the assumptions, the logic is perfectly valid. . we turned on Elm Street. We had just rifleman, I was not aware it was a rifle. I In the face of the overwhelming evidence that the same made the turn, well, when I heard -what I turned over my right shoulder and looked bullet did not strike both men, the next logical step is thought was a shot. I heard this noise which back, and saw the President as he had both that the assumptions must be incorrect. But the Com- I immediately took to be a rifle shot. I instinc- hands at his neck . . . Then very soon there mission did not take that step. tively turned to my right because the sound was the second shot that hit John ( Connally). Aside from a negative conclusion that the bullet appeared to come from over my right shoul- As the first shot was hit, and I turned to look did not strike the automobile, the only evidence ad- der . . . but I did not catch the President in at the same time, I recall John saying, "Oh, duced by the Commission to show that it did strike the corner of my eye, and I was interested be- no, no, no." Then there was a second shot, Connally is a garbled version of Frazier's testimony. cause once I heard the shot in my own mind and it hit John, as as he recoiled to the right, He was asked to give his expert opinion on the basis I identified it as a rifle shot, and I immediately just crumpled like a wounded animal to the of a set of highly questionable assumptions: —the only thought that crossed my mind was right, he said, "My God, they are going to kill Specter: Mr. Frazier, assuming the factors that this is an assassination attempt. us all."(71) which I have asked you to accept as true . . . The Zapruder film further bears out the Connallys' as to the flight of the bullet and the straight So I looked, failing to see him, I was turning version of what happened. Commissioner Allen Dulles to look back over my left shoulder into the line penetration through the President's body examined the film and immediately noticed that Ken- . . do you have an opinion as to what prob- back seat, but I never got that far in my turn nedy was reacting to hie hit well before Connally . . . and then I felt like someone had hit me ably happened during the interval between in the back . . . showed any sign of being wounded. He had this frames 207 and 225 as to whether the bullet exchange with Commissioner John McCloy: which passed through the neck of the President The thought immediately passed through my Dulles: . . . you would think if Connally had entered the governor's back? mind that there were either two or three people been hit at the same time (as Kennedy, he) Frazier: There are a lot of probables in that. involved or more in this or someone was would have reacted in the same way, and not First, we have to assume there is absolutely shooting with an automatic rifle . . . Mrs. reacted much later as these pictures show. no deflection in the bullet from the time it left Connally pulled me over to her lap. I reclined McCloy: That is right. the barrel until the time it exited from the gov- with my head in her lap, conscious all the Dulles: Because the woundswould have been ernor's body . . . I feel that physically this time, and with my eyes open and then, of inflicted. would have been possible. . . . However, I course, the third shot sounded, and I heard McCloy: That is what puzzles me. myself don't have any technical evidence . . the shot very clearly I heard it hit him.(69) Dulles: That is what puzzles me.(72) which would support it as far as my rendering The Governor was questioned by Commission The shot that hit Connally shattered ten centimeters an opinion as an expert. 'would certainly say Counsel Arlen Specter. of his rib, fractured his rightwrist in seven pieces and It was possible but I don't say that it prob- Specter: In your view, which bullet caused pierced his left thigh (assuming that Connally was hit ably occurred because I don't have the evi- the injury to your chest, Governor Connally? only once). The Commission's argument that Con- dence on which to base a statement like Connally: The second one. nally may have had a "delayed reaction" to the shot that.(74) Specter: And what is your reason for that is contradicted by the testimony of Dr. Shaw of conclusion, sir? Frazier elaborated: "We are dealing with a Parkland Hospital: hypothetical situation here . . . So when you Connally: Well, in my judgement it just McCloy: But there could be a delay in any couldn't conceivably have been the first one say would it probably have occurred, then appreciable reaction between the time of the you are asking me for an opinion, to base my because I beard the sound of the shot. In the impact of the bullet and the occurrence? opinion on a whole series of hypothetical facts first place, I don't know anything about the Dr. Shaw: Yes, but in the case of a wound velocity of this particular bullet, but any rifle which I can't substantiate."(75) which strikes a bony substance such as a rib, The Warren Commission used Frazier's testimony has a velocity that exceeds the speed of sound, usually the reaction is quite prompt.(73) in support of the single bullet theory. The Report and when I heard the sound of that first shot, Despite the governor's testimony, the Zapruder that bullet had already reached where I was, states: ". . . Frazier testified that it probably struck film, and the wealth of other evidence, the Commis- Governor Connally."(76) Frazier, as we have seen, or it had reached that far, and after I heard sion nevertheless contended that Kennedy and Con- that shot, I had time to turn to my right, and had said nothing of the kind. nally were hit by the same bullet. The necessary conclusion to this evidence is that start to turn to my left, before I felt anything. Any conscientious analysis must at least attempt It is not conceivable to me that I was hit by Kennedy and Connally were hit by separate bullets. to follow their reasoning. The Commission began This means they were hit by at least two gunmen the first bullet . . . (69) with the assumption that the bullet traversed Ken- In television interviews, in press conferences and in firing from the rear—because, as the Commission nedy's neck on a downward trajectory — a dubious found, they were both wounded from the rear in less a detailed interview with Life magazine in which he finding as we have seen. Given that assumption, the examined the Zapruder film,(70) Governor Connally time than necessary to fire the alleged murder weap- Commission then reasoned thatthebullet "most likely on twice.

6 UCLA DAILY BRUIN Thursday, January 5, 1967

Frame 242 Frame 236 between film frame 237 and film frame 238. In the space of only to a bullet strike at frame 234, bullet did not wound both men <% David Litton's note: The film frame for a bullet to tra- 's thus acceding to Connally's in- and there must be a seconds : November 25, 1966 issue of verse the short distance between 55 milliseconds. Connally - terpretation of when he was hit. shooter firing from behind. Life magazine showed that both the two men. ) right shoulder buckles down wail and forward, thus pin- By pinpointing the precise Governor Connally was :it; Governor Connally and Presi- Exactly when seas Connally moment in time on the Zapru- ' turned sharply to his right by dent Kennedy did not appear to wounded? Life asked Connally pointing the precise moment of der film that Connally was frame ,237 of the film ( he testi- K: be hit by the same bullet. con- to pick out the exact frame the collision with the bullet that hit him from behind. Said Life: struck, the shoulder buckle Pied he was attempting to look Yi eluded that there was -reason- where he thought he was hit. "In 238 his right shoulder sud- phenomenon provides still an- back towards the President). able doubt" that only one The Governor studied the en- denly buckles as he sways other criteria for showing that This sharp turning motion assassin did all the shooting, tire seouence and picked out toward the limousine door." both men were hit by separ- to his right exposed iris back I:ti• - and called for a. new investi- frame 234, claiming he could (The frame 237-8 / Connally ate bullets. As Life shows (and to the left rear of the motor- ;3 gallon. see himself wincing and starting . the Warren Report concedes), rade, and no: the right rear Life published 25 color to slump there. shoulder buckle phenomena Kennedy is clearly reacting to where the Texas School Book R; frames of the Zapruder film. The Governor told the War- and its implications, was dis- his throat wound by frame 225. Depository (TSIID) is located. The film shows that l'resident ren Commission and repeated covered by Raymond Marcus It takes only 1/10th of a film If he was hit then t as the shoal- K Kennedy (emerging from be- to Life magazine that the bul- of Los Angeles in March, frame for a bullet to traverse der buckle indicates) and not hind the highway sign that let strike felt exactly n as if some- 1965.) Life magazine devoted two the distance between the -two at 234 (the frame the Gover- II: blocked Zapruder 's view of the one doubled his fist and came men. Yet Connally is not nor picked, in which he is fad- 3 limousine for about the first up behind you . . and -with pages to this phenomenon by hit until frame 238. These hits ing forward) Men it is doubt- P 3, second of the firing ) is dearly about a 12 inch blow hit you putting side by side large color blowups of frames 236 and 242 are separated by too muchtime La such a bulPt could have if:, reading to- his first wound by in the back, right below the (at least 12 film frames) to originated from the TSBD. grabbing at his throat (frame shoulder blade." showing the shoulder before - come from the same bullet, and This is still another reason for '.;:1 225), whereas Connally ap- The tremendous force of the and .after it hackled. In thecap by too little time (less than doubting the Report's con- K; pears unscathed, then. and for build smashing downward in- tion to thin picture, however, Life implied that the shoulder 42 frames) to come learn the elusion that all the shots came K. many frames following. ( It right h., Id , is Lite ally a -reaction - same rifle. TheralOse, the-same , from the TSBD. takes no more than I /10 of a recorded on the 'Zap-IUtter buckle is actu'

from 160 to 16.1 grains. But Frazier added that even which inflicted the wound an Governor Con- (4. SUPERBULLET) with a bullet weighing 158.6 grains. "there did not nally's right wrist? a) The stretcher bullet necessarily have to be any weight loss to the bullet." Dr. Finck: No, for the reaeon 'Lat there are (851 The mass missing from the bullet was so mini- too many fragments aestrfoed in that A major piece of evidence, linking the assassina- scule (there are approximately 432 grains to an wrist(90) tion to the bolt-action rifle found on the sixth floor of ounce) that the FBI expert would not offer an opin- Dr. Robert Shaw, who atter:odd the governor at the Texas School Book Depository. is a bullet that ion that it represented any weight loss at till. Parkland Hospital, testified about bullet 399: fell from a stretcher in Parkland Hospital shortly after Even if bullet 399 originally weighed 161 grains . . . As far as the wounds of the chest are the shooting. Ballistics tests showed that the Millet— before its purported journey through the two men, its concerned, I feel that this bullet could have Commission Exhibit 399—seas fired from that rifle. weight loss as a result of its various collisions would inflicted those wounds. But the examination (77) It became a crucial element in the case against be about 2.4 grains (1/180 of an ounce). Not only of the wrist both by X-ray and at the time of Lee Harvey Oswald. did the bullet fragments in Connally's body appear The Commission contends that bullet 399, as it is surguy snowed some fragments of metal that to add up to more than that, but the governor's doe- make it diffteult to believe that the same mis- called, is the bullet that entered the President from the tors and government pathologists stated their opinion rear, exited at his throat. entered Connally's back couis nave caused these nen wounds. —based on the presenceof thesefragments—that bullet To_7e se.:Ins to be and smashed through his chest, wrist and thigh. more thaa litre' grains of 399 could not have caused all his wounds. Chief Fragments were left in the governor's wrist and stal in the wrist . . f, e; that there autopsy surgeon Humes, for example, testified: thigh; bullet 399 was found virtually undeformed, would be some difficulty III enoLrining all of Specter: . . . Now looking at thatbullet, Ex- its jacket intact. the wounds as being inflicard :-.y bullet Ex- hibit 399. Doctor Humes . . . could thatmis- The bullet that later hit the President's head—which hibit 399 without causing :um% it tut way of site have made the wound on Governor Con- according to the Commission's version of the assassi- loss of substance to the Miliet or rlefnrmaton nation must have been of the same type as bullet 399 nally's right wrist? of the 'bullet. (91) and fired seconds later from the same rifle—frag- Dr. Humes: I think that is most unlikely . . . Another piece of Dr. Shaw 's tostimony has been mented into "30 or 40 tiny dustlike particle frag- Going to Exhibit 392, the report from Park- stretched beyond recognition by :he Commission. ments," according to Dr. Humes(78) Yet the Com- land Hospital (operative record of Dr. Charles Asked whether—regardless of what bullet it was— mission argues that bullet 399 passed through both Gregory(86) ), the following sentence refer- one bullet did in fad cause all of Governor Con- men, shattered more than four inches of the gover- ring to the examination of the wound in the nally's wounds, Dr. Shaw replied. "I have no firm nor's fifth rib, broke his right wrist into pieces, wrist is found: "Small bits of metal were en- opinion."(92) But the Report saws: wounded his left thigh and emerged beautifully whole countered at various levels throughout the In their testimony, the three doctors who at- and undeformed. wound, and these were, wherever they were tended Governor Connally at Parkland Hos- Dr. Humes testified upon seeing the bullet: ". . . identified and could be picked up, picked up pital expressed independently their opinion This missile is basically intact: its jacket appears to and submitted to the pathology department that a single bullet had passed through his me to be intact."( 79) Dr. Shaw of the Parkland for identification and examination." The rea- chest; tumbled through his wrist . . punc- staff declared: ". I would have to say that this son I believe it most unlikely that this missile tured his left thigh . . . and had fallen out bullet has lost literally 11011C of its snbstance."( 80 t could have inflicted either of these wounds of the thigh wound.(93) Bullet 399 was not only unmutilated after the (referring also to the President'iheadwound) The Report's distortion concerning bullet 399, bone-shattering learn, it is said to have taken; it is that this missile is basically intact; its jacket however, was much more serious. Despite the exist- also had no recognizable trace of blood or tissue an appears to me to be intact, and I do not un- ence of all the metal fragments in Governor ' Con- its surface. Questioned by Commission Counsel Mel- derstand how it could possibly have left frag- nallY's body; despite the undeforrned and bloodless vin Eisenberg, EB1 ballistics expert Frazier testified: ments in either of these locations.( 87 ) state of the bullet; and despite the explicit testimony Eisenberg: Did .you prepare the bullet in any Not only did Dr. Humes rule out the possibility of three doctors that bullet 399 could not have way for examination? That is. did :,- ;(1. that bullet 399 caused the governor's wrist wound, caused the wrist wound, the Report concluded: All it or in any wa:, alter it? but also the possibility that it caused the wound in the evidence indicated that the bullet found on the Frazier: No, sir: it ti as not necessari•. :11.• his thigh. Humes responded to a question on this governor's stretcher could have caused all his bullet was clean and i; was 1101 point by Specter: wounds.(94) - change it in any vaty. I think that extremely unlikely. The reports, There was, of course, evidence adduced in sup- Eisenberg: There a as no blood or similar again Exhibit 392 from Parkland (operative port of this conclusion: the testimony of one physi- material on the bullet when you received it? record of Dr. Tom Shires(88) ), tell of an en- ologist and one veterinarian, employed at the Army's - Frazier: Not any which would interfere with trance wound on the lower midthigh of the Edgewood Arsenal. They had been instructed to the examination; 110 sir.(811 governor, and X-rays taken there are de- shoot Carcano bullets through goatineat, horse- Thus, no macroscopic amounts of blood or tissue scribed as showing metallic fragments in the meat, goatbone and gelatin blocks, in order to were found on this bullet. Obviously Frazier's testi- bone, which apparently by this report were determine whether a bullet from that rifle had the mony leaves open the possibility that microscopic not removed and are still present in Gover- penetrating power to go through two men. They traces existed; we know only that the Fill pertormed nor Connally's thigh. I can't conceive of said that it did. a spectrographic analysis on the bullet( 82 ) and that where they came from this missile.(89) But Commission Counsel Specter's questioning spectrographic John F. Gallagher. who testified be- In Dr. Humes' view, there was too much metal of Dr. Arthur Dziemian,(95) the physiologist, and fore the Commission. was never asked about these in either the governor's wrist or his thigh to have Dr. Alfred Olivier,(96) the veterinarian. was not findings.(83) been caused by bullet 399. Dr. Pierre Finck, a for- confined to the results of their experiments. Frazier testified that bullet 399 weighed 158.6 ensic pathologist who assisted at the autopsy, also Specter Now, based on the tests which grains.(84) He weighed several other 6.5 nun, bullets testified about bullet 399: nave been performed . . , wadi is your opin- picked at random, and found that they all weighed Specter: .. ,. Could it have been the bullet ion as in whether the wound -through Presi- Thursday. January 5, 1967 UCLA DAILY BRUIN 7 dent Kennedy's neck and all of the wounds on Governor Connally were produced by Tomlinson had just discovered bullet 399. to be lodged under the mat of the stretcher from one bullet. As we have repeatedly seen, it is essential to the which It fell. Left in an unguarded area, to which Dr. Dziemian: I think the probability is very lone assassin hypothesis that one bullet hit both anyone. had access who might be going to the men's good that all the wounds were caused by one Kennedy and Connally. And for this to be possible, room, the stretcher eventually was jostled and dis- bullet it is essential that bullet 399, the one the Commission pensed a clean, undeformed bullet linking a sus- Specter: Do you have an opinion as to whe- determined did the job, be found On Connally's pected assassins's weapon with the crime. ther, in fact, Bullet 399 did cause the wound stretcher. Connally, according to the Commission, The question inescapably follows: Was it a plant? on the governor's wrist, assuming if you will was the second victim of that bullet. If the bullet Or was it on Kennedy's stretcher after all, and was that it was the missile found on the gover- were found on Kennedy's stretcher, it could not have bullet 399 the bullet that traveled a "finger's length" nor's stretcher? been the one that wounded Connally. The confusion into President Kennedy's back, later to drop back Dr. Olivier: I believe that it was. That is is compounded by the absence of any hard evidence out through the entry wound as the Parkland doc- my feeling. that the stretcher from which the bullet fell had been tors struggled to save the President's life? Dr. Frederick Light, an associate of Drs. Dzie- used by either Kennedy or Connally. Whatever else is true, bullet 399, contrary to the mien and Olivier was also called to testify before On March 16, 1964, Commission Counsel Specter Commission's finding, was not a superbullet. It did the Commission although he did not conduct any had not yet gone to Dallas to interview witnesses. In not cause Governor Connally's wounds. It did not of the tests and was only aware of their findings. his possession, however, were FBI and Secret Ser- travel through the bodies of both men. It did not His testimony makes it quite clear on just what vice reports indicating that the bullet had not fallen defy the laws of probability, the laws of physics and basis he would and would not say that one bullet from the stretcher presumed to have been Connally's the laws of forensic pathology. went through both men.. (98-a) Yet Specter was able to tell Commissioner What it did do was appear mysteriously in Park- Based on the nature of the President's and the Dulles during the hearings: "If I may say at this land Hospital. Governor's wounds, and on the tests, of Dr. Olivier, point, we shall produce later . . . evidence that the Dr. Light testified ". . . I would say I don't feel stretcher on which the bullet was found was the (5. TWO OF THE ASSASSINS) justified in drawing a conclusion one way or the stretcher of Governor Connally."(99) How Specter knew what would be shown by the "The thought immediately passed through my other on that basis alone." mind," Governor Connally testified, "that there were Having shown him bullet 399, Specter optimis- evidence he had not yet gathered is far from dear. But when Specter did go to Dallas Tomlinson reiter- either two or three people involved or more in this tically queried the expert: or someone was shooting with an automatic rifle" Specter: And what about that whole bullet ated his statement that he thought the bullet had fallen from the stretcher already leaning against the (104) leads you to believe that the one bullet caused The governor's initial reaction was absolutely the President's neck wound and all of the wall, not from the one he took off the elevator. "Yes," said Tomlinson,."I believe that was it—yes." correct. wounds on Governor Connally? In organizing the evidence that two or more gun- Dr. Light. Nothing about that bullet Mainly (100) Specter pursued his questioning: Specter: Now, Mr. Tomlinson, are you sure men were firing from the rear, we proceeded from the position in which they are seated in the the Commission's fundamental assumption that the automobile . . . the fact that if it wasn't the that it was stretcher "A" that you took out of the elevator and not stretcher "B"? Carcano rifle found on the sixth floor of the Book way—if one bullet didn't produce all oi the Depository was fired during the assassination—and wounds in both of the individuals, then that Tomlinson: Well, really, I can't be positive, just to be perfectly honest about it . . . that it hit the mark. If this is so, the evidence shows , bullet ought to be somewhere, and hasn't that at least one other weapon must have been firing been found. But those are not based on Dr. from behind to account for both Kennedy's back Olivier's tests nor are they based on the au- Specter. You say you can't really take an oath today to be sure whether it was stretcher wound and the wounds of Governor Connally. topsy report or the surgeon's findings in my Questions which must be taken seriously have mind.(V, 95-97) "A" or stretcher "B" that you took off the elevator?(101) been raised, however, as to whether Lee Harvey Drs. Dziemlan and Olivier, instructed only to Oswald actually fired shots at the motorcade, whether determine the penetrating power of a bullet fired Specter's questioning did not dear up the confu- sion, but it did irritate the witness: any shots at all were fired from that sixth floor from a Carcano, were called upon to testify on window by anybody, and whether the Carcano rifle, what happened to a specific Carcano bullet five Tomlinson: (interrupting) Here's the deal— I rolled that thing off ( the elevator) . . . the alleged murder weapon, was used in the assassi- months before and thousands of miles away. Not nation. If the Carcano was not fired at the motor- because any suspicion of venality attaches, but sim- Now, I don't know how many people went through . . I don't know how many people cade—or if it was fired and the shots missed—then ply because of the subtle ways in which ideas are at least two gunmen with different rifles, or one gun- transferred among men in contact, it may be inter- man with an automatic weapon would have to have esting that the man who questioned Dziemian and been firing from the rear to cause the back entry Olivier about their opinions—Commission Counsel wounds on Kennedy and Connally (inflicted, as the Specter—was also the man who first introduced the Commission states, within a space of 2.3 seconds). superbullet theory to the Commission. It is not the intention of the authors to go into Questions remain. If, as now seems clear, one this question in the present essay. But it should be bullet did not go through both men, then were is the noted that if this is so, then Oswald, whom the Com- bullet (or bullets) that wounded Connally? And if the mission found to be the owner of the Careano, was intact bullet 399 did not cause Connally's wounds, clearly framed. For if the Carcano was not fired, _ as the evidence shows that it did not, then where did what was it doing at the sixth floor window of the - it come from? Depository with three spent shells? And U the Car- For an extensive treatment of bullet 399, sec -- een° was toed and missed the mark, then whin was —TM Bastard Bullet,", by Raymond Marcus. a bullet, ballistically traced to that particu ar rifle, b) Bullet 399—was it a plant? doing on a stretcher at Parkland Hospital within 90 minutes of the assassination? What were two bullet There have been many who, on examining the fragments, also traced to the Carcano, doing in the available information about the death of President front seat of the President's limousine when they were Kennedy, have insisted on the existence of a con- discovered late in the night of November 22 in spiracy not only to kill the President but to suppress, Washington, some nine or ten hours after the asses- distort and even supply evidence. The plethora of sination?(105) conspiracy theories ranges from massive, high-level It is possible to speculate endlessly about who plots involving foreign governments or high officials might have been firing what from where on No- of our own government, or both, to simple, after-the- vember 22. Most of these theories have yet to be fact efforts by Dallas police to make themselves look proved. One thing is certain. If the Carcano rifle good. To every conspiracy theorist, the.mysterious was involved in the assassination, as the Com- appearance of bullet 399 is a godsend; and after the mission found, then only one conclusion is possible: wisps of frantic • plot:mongering have been blown Two or more gunmen were firing from the rear. away, bullet 399 remains—still a mystery. Upon arrival at Parkland Hospital, the President and the governor were put on stretchers (not the collapsible pole-and-canvas kind, but the kind- of Above are 3 6.5 min Carom° bullets. Bullet 399 Footnotes to Part 1: wheeled hospital stretcher sometimes called a gur- (center) was found on a stretcher at Parkland Hospital ney) and immediately rushed into separate "trauma • 1—WR III rooms" on the ground floor. The President was soon within an hour of the shooting. Tests showed if was def- 404. pronounced dead; his body was transferred from initely fired by the alleged murder weapon. Exhibit 856 3—WR 194. the stretcher to a coffin. His stretcher was stripped of (top 4—WR 97 right) was test fired through She wrist of a human 5—WR 1534. sheets and put into one of She trauma rooms adjoin- cadaver in order, to simirtalo Connally's wrist ing the elevator lobby - on the ground floor .of the traders, 6—Inquest, 117. hospital. '1 . 2 of the 7 wounds: allegedly caused by bullet 399. Ex- 7—Inquest, 149. - The governor, however, after. undergoing erner- • lull? 572 (tap lek was fired by the FBI in the murder 8—Inquest, 150, gency treatment on. the ground floor while still on 9—Inquest, 250 ,weapon into a standard trapping device in order to IO—e.g., Rep. Ford, CBS News, Nov. 23, 1966. his stretcher, was-wheeled into an elevator and taken 'retrieve it totally unmutikrted. for use os a standard in to the operating suite on the -second floor for sur-' guy. He was transferred fromthe stretcher. and the . halfisfic matching.. , stretcher was put back on the elevator.. 13—W11, AppendittlE.' , - At about one p.m. (the governor had gone up-. hit Item (the Stretchers)—I don't know any- 14—Wathington kost;Dec... 18, 1963. ' stari s, and the President was just being-pronounced,- thing about what could have happened to I5—New TM* Times,- Dec. 18.1963:' • elleteaffi dead) senior engineer Darrell Tomlinson them in between the. time I was gone, and I 16--Jack Lanatith, "12' UnanswersiiQuetitions," -..finand a stretcher on the elevator, at ground floor-. made several trips:before I- discovered the . New YoricIlmes, Jan. 26,-1964, p. 58. • 17—Inquest, 115. level He-removed it from the elevator and placed it • - bullet on the end 01•0 there' - - Ping tc` against the walL 'Al the tigne, said•Tcanlinson, "there -1' tell you all I sun; and I'm 'tots/Sag to tell 113-1t 351:t. : • was a stretcher attired two feet from the wall already • you. something -that- I can't lay, down and- 19-11, 373:- niere"(97) Tomlinson, who was operating the ele-• sleepght at withni of/thee/102) 20—•Wit 543; xvn, 44 vator, left the stretcher-deposit area on the ground •13pe week latec,. SpeeWr was.badzin W Door several time. after that. - . .. " Mforming the Commission about Ms-latest . 211—National A.MbWesi excerptsin Inquest': On bullet 399: I, 22—FBI Sununary Report,•18zIogeest.1484: •• Same time later; an- incident 'occurred VittielZwas1 say, Mr. Dulles, on that Sub; boldface added' - to betrome important Under questioning lir Specter; jest, I took .several dePeeMone OnalakSithinct in, the Tomlinson described what happened: • •• Dallas hospital 'and think Weliave reasonably '• 23-,F111119uripleiliental,111eport. .21.11tiqtreit.; 198.1 Well, sir, I don't recall how king:it:had been conclusive answer on that quektietri; and, in fact, it exactly, but an intern or doctor, I didn't came from the stretcher of Governor Connally . ." ' 25—Agentaf: rertOrt of Sibert and O'Neill; Com- know which, came- to use thenien's room (103) mission. Document 7, National Archives; Inquest there in the elevator lobby . . . He pushed Specter based his argument on Tomlirison's state- (paperbaCk edition only), 166. ment that the stretcher from which the bullet fell, had 26-V, 98. the stretcher out from the wall to get in, and 27-New York Times, Nov. 26, 1966. then when he came out he just walked off and sheds on it The sheets had been stripped; from Ken- 28—Washington Post, May 29, 1966. didn't push the stretcher back up against the nedy's stretcher, a nurse testified, whereaSConnally's wall, so I pushed It out of the way where we sheets bad been left on the stretcher. 29—Los Angeles Times, May 30, 1966. would have (a) dear area in front of the ele- It is difficult to see how Specter could have 'reached 30-11, 131. vator . . . I pushed it back up against the a positive conclusion from such an inconclusive mud- 31-11, 93. Lt. Col. Pierre Flack is described by wall . . . I bumped the wall and a spent cart- dle of evidence. Beyond that—and whatever stretcher Epstein as "a nationally known expert in forensic ridge or bullet rolled out that apparently had the bullet fell from—the question remains why the pathology and wound ballistics." been lodged under the mat(98) bullet was-not discovered-sooner, and how it came 32-11, 127. . 8 UCLA DAILY BRUIN Thursday, January 5, 1967 361. tional Archives), serves as a time standard for- the- against the rear seat is unmistakable (7) - 34—New York Times, Nov. 26, 1966. entire assassination sequence. It is the source of His head snaps back and to the left—in the 35—U.S. News and World Report, Oct 10, 1966. hundreds of numbered color photographs, 35-mm. space of less than a half second, according to the 36-11, 367. slides each made from an individual motion picture time standard established by the Zapruder film— 37—U.S. News and World Report, Oct 10, 1966. frame(1) The camera caught the motorcade from before he bounces forward and spins into Mrs. 38—WR 88-9; boldface added. the time it turned onto Elm Street (frame 171) Kennedy's arms. 39-11, 373. until it disappeared into the mouth of what is locally The violent backward and leftward thrust of Mr. 40—WR 89-90. called the Triple Underpass (frame 434). Kennedy's head begins at the instant of impact of 41-11, 360. The FBI, using the film and the carefully checked the fatal head shot; the two events appear to be sim- 42—WR, 18. camera speed, found that the car was moving at ultaneous and to have a relationship of cause and 43—WE 88; boldface added. a rate of 11.2 miles per hour—about 10.6 inches effect. That the backward thrust could have resulted 44-11, 368; boldface added. from one frame to the next. They prepared a from a bullet fired from behind and above would 45—WR 88. map(2) showing the precise position of the Presi- seem a manifest impossibility. At the very least, 46-11, 367. dential car on Elm Street at each numbered frame the head snap is consistent with a shot L 47-11, 367; FBI report of Sibert and O'Neill, re- of the Zapruder film. from a forward position to the right of the motor- produced in Inquest (paperback edition only), 166. The crucial number is 313. The shot which killed cade, from the area of the Grassy Knoll. 48—Inquest, 58. the President, the Commission says, struck his head But the Commission did not seriously investi- 49—The Nation, July 11, 1966. at Zapruder frame 311(3) The Commission states gate this possibility; nor did the FBI. In fact, the 50—Commission Exhibit 385. that the bullet " . . . entered the right-rear portion Zapruder film was never used in this manner to 51-11, 350. of his head, causing a massive and fatal:wound,"(4) determine the source of the fatal shot. Robert Fraz- 52—WR 111. and that " . . . impact was evident from the explo- ier, the chief FBI ballistics expert on the case, who 53—WR 111. sion of the President's brain tissues . . . "(5) might have gleaned valuable information from the 54-11, 93. In the film frame immediately preceding impact, film concerning the direction of fire, testified: "I 55-11, 143; boldface added. Kennedy—who has already been wounded at least have not made a very thorough study of the Za- 56-11, 100. once—is " . . . slumped to his left, clutching at pruder film . . . "(8) 57-11, 127. his throat, with his chin close to his chest and his 58-11, 361. head tilted forward at an angle"(6) The fatal bullet b) The head snap 59—FBI Summary Report, 18; Inquest, 48. 60—FBI Supplemental Report, 2; Inquest 48. 09 Dr. R. A. J. Riddle, assistant professor of physics 61—Commission Exhibit 397. at the University of California at Los Angeles and 62-11, 372; interview with Dr. J. Thornton Bos- a member of that university's Brain Research Insti- well, New York Times, Nov. 25, 1966. tute; has studied the relevant frames of the Zapruder 63—New York Times, Nov. 25, 1966. film and stated to the authors what the film shows 64—V, 60. to the eye and mind of a trained observer: 65-11, 366. Films taken from various angles Newton's second law of motion(9) has re- during the crucial six seconds do not show the Presi- mained inviolate for three centuries. Not dent's coat climbing up his neck (the films of Zap- even the advent of relativity and quantum ruder, Nix, Muchmore, Moorman and Willis). mechanics have disturbed its validity. No 66—WR 88. physical phenomenon is known that fails to 67—FBI Summary Report, 18; Inquest, 48. obey it One of the most immediate conse- 68—WE 88. quences is the conservation of momentum; 69—IV, 132-3; IV, 135-6. basically, this law says that an object hit by 70—Life, November 25, 1966. a projectile will be given a motion that has 71—IV, 147. the same direction as that of the projectile. 72—V, 155. At a shooting gallery, for instance, the ducks 73—IV, 116. fall away from the marksman, not toward 74—V, 172; boldface added. him. Thus, if someone is shot, and the shot 75—V, 172; boldface added. strikes bone, the general direction of recoil 76—WR 105. will be away from—not toward—the marks- 77—III, 429. man (this assumes, of course, that there are 78—II, 353. no mitigating effects).(9-A) 79-11, 375. Let us now apply this knowledge to the 80—IV, 113. assassination of Kennedy as shown in 81—III, 428-9. frames 310-323 of the film taken by Za- 82—Testimony of Robert Frazier, V. 69. pruder. The following facts are evident from 83—XV, 746-52. observation and measurement of individual 84—IIL 430. Zapruder film frames: 85—III, 430. 88—XV11, 18. 1. Jacqueline Kennedy does not move rela- 87-11, 374-6. tive to the car. 88—XVII, 20. 2. The general direction of motion of Ken- 89-11, 376. nedy is backwards and to his left.(9-B) 90-11, 382. His head velocity along the line of the 91—IV, 1134; boldface added. car is about two feet per second. 92—IV, 109. 3. The initial motion of his head is down- 93—WR 95. ward in frames 312-311(10) 94—WR 95. 4. The effect of the shot is first-seen in frame 95—V, 92. 313. 96—V, 90. 5. After frame 313 there Is no forward mo- 97—VI, 130. lion relative to the car. 98—VI, 130. Point one, plus testimony from the hear- 98A—Inquest, 77; Commission Documents 3, 5 ings,(11) indicates that there is no accelera- and 7 in National Archives. tion of the car which would cause Kennedy 99-11, 368. to be thrown backwards. On the assumption 100—VI, 132. that a neuromuscular reaction can be ruled 101—VI, 132. out as the cause for this sudden violent back- 102—VI, 132-4. ward motion upon impact of the President's 103—III, 389. head with the bullet, any motion of the body 104—N, 133. would be governed by the laws of physics, 105-11, 90; III, 435; V, 67; XXIV, 411413. which govern the collision between any two objects. The motion of Kennedy's body in frames 313- Photopanel at fop shows three frames from the Za- 323 is totally inconsistent with the impact of a bullet from above and behind.(12) Thus, the only_ Part Two: pruder Elm. Distance between head of the President reasonable conclusion consistent with the laws of and the rear seat cushions of the car suddenly decreases physics is that the bullet was fired from a position after the bullet strikes his head at frame 313 (middle forward and to the right of the President. The Shots From picture of sequence). Compare 309 (top picture of se- It is disturbing that this conclusion contra- dicts the findings of the Warren Commission, quence), before impact, with frame 323 (bottom picture but intellectual honesty compels me to offer The Front of sequence) which is ih second after impact Sequence the above opinlon.(13) illustrates fad that Kennedy's head and torso are Neither the Warren Commission nor anyone else, (Where it is shown that one or more however august, can repeal the law of the conserva- slammed left and rearward against the rear seat. Com- tion of momentum. gunmen were firing from the front.) mission Exhibit 388 (bottom), one of three artist's draw- We have examined the evidence that there were ings accepted in evidence instead of official autopsy at least two assassins firing on the motorcade from (1. THE GRASSY KNOLL) photos and x-rays, depicts fatal heackshot according to the rear. It is equally clear that the only argument against the existence of a third assassin, firing from the autopsy report. While the Zapruder sequence, in- When the assassination occurred, at least two- the Grassy Knoll area forward of the motorcade, thirds of the known witnesses reacted as if the shots terpreted in the light of physical laws, indicates fatal is to posit- a fantastic set of neuromuscular reac- were fired from the Grassy Knoll. The first reaction shot came from the front, the autopsy report concluded tions sufficiently strong to overcome even the slight- of policemen was to converge on the area; two that fatal shot entered at the rear of Kennedy's head, est trace of any effect of the momentum of a bullet traveling 1300 mph. tried to ride their motorcycles up the incline on the exiting as shown. Knoll. Virtually all attention was focused at that It is physically possible, however unlikely, for spot. is in flight as the camera snaps frame 312, winging such a neuromuscular reaction to have occurred. Later, newsmen, police and the general public at about 2000 feet per second (over 1300 miles But there is other evidence that places this possibil- were told that their attention had been misplaced, an hour). Its source, according to the Commission, ity in the realm of pure conjecture. that all the shooting had come from another direc- is the Mannlicher-Carcano rifle of Lee Harvey Os- tion. The evidence however—and the testimony of wald, perched in a sixth floor window behind and (3. MEDICAL EVIDENCE witnesses compiled in this essay—Indicates that the above the President ON THE HEAD WOUNDS) first reaction was the correct one. Someone was It should be possible to predict what the film indeed firing from the Grassy Knoll. would show if it recorded President Kennedy's head a) The back of the skull being struck from behind by an object going 1300 (2. THE FATAL HEAD SHOT) miles an hour. But the Zapruder film does not According to the doctors at Parkland Hospital, show his head snapping forward, as one might the fatal head shot blew off the right rear portion a) The Photographic Evidence logically expect It shows the opposite reaction. of the President's head. It was a gaping wound, In the frames following the 313 head shot, say characteristic of exit, on the back of - his skull, and The Zapruder film, now owned and jealously analysts of the film, "the sudden explosive violence 11 members of the Parkland staff and two Secret guarded by Life magazine (a copy is in the Na- with which President Kennedy is slammed back Service agents observed It closely. Each of their Thursday. January 5, 1967 UCLA DAILY BRUIN 9 - observations was consistent with a shot coming from a position forward of the President. rear- of Kennedy's skull was a wound of exit, and Nincent Salandria, a Philadelphia attorney 'Sad Dr. Ronald Jones of the Parkland staff described that the bullet which hurled his head sharply back a serious student of the medical evidence, comment= . , what appeared to be an exit wound In the and to the left, blowing 'the rear portion of his "The Warren Commission was loaded with. posterior portion of the skull . "(IA) cranium back into the rear seat of the car, was attorneys Each one of them knese:that no Dr. Robert McClelland, also of Parkland, testified: fired from in front of the President. criminal court in the land would have ad- As I took the position at the head of the witted those drawings as evidence without- . table . . . 1 was in such a position that I b) Eyewitness testimony: right side entry, having first required the production of the could very closely examine the head wound, right temporal wound autopsy X-rays and black-and-white photo- and I noted that the right posterior portion graphs of the body."(36) of the skull bad been extremely blasted. It The position of the President's car at frame 313, Dr. Humes certified on November 24, 1963, that had been shattered, apparently, by the force when the fatal shot hit him, was such that the sixth he had "destroyed by burning certain preliminary of the shot . . This sprung open the bones floor window of the Texas School Book Depository draft notes relating to Naval Medical School Autop- . in such a way that you could actually was almost directly behind President Kennedy, and sy Report A63-272 and have officially transmitted look down into the skull cavity itself and only slightly to his right Kennedy would have all other papers related to this report to higher see thatprobably a third or so, at least, of had to turn almost completely around, looking authority."(37) Later, Dr. Humes testified that he the brain tissue, posterior cerebral tissue over his right shoulder, in order to look directly burned the original draft of his autopsy report(38) and some of the cerebellar tissue had been at the sixth floor window. The Zapruder film, on Not one member of the Commission thought to blasted out.(15) the other hand, clearly shows the President facing ask why. forward at the time of the fatal shot The middle The burning of Humes' draft was only one of point of the 200-foot-long Grassy Knoll was just a series of 'unusual happenings surrounding the coming abreast of the car on the President's right. autopsy. The autopsy photographs and X-rays were The unanimous verdict of the Parkland staff, suppressed. In their stead, the Commission had therefore—which found the rear head wound to have to rely on belatedly made artist's drawings, value- all the characteristics of an exit wound with no less as evidence. Jacqueline Kennedy's freely given signs of entry— must be seen in the 'light of testi- description of her husband's wounds has been in- mony that a bullet entered the President's head explicably deleted from her testimony.(39) And there from the right side. is evidence of a possible wound in the forward upper Secret Service agent Samuel Kinney, the driver left-hand octant of the President's head, unmentioned of the car immediately following the President's, by the autopsy doctors and ignored by the Com- testified, "I saw ong shot strike the President in mission. the right side of the head. The President then fell A full photographic record from the autopsy might to the seat to the left toward Mrs. Kennedy."(26) help to clear up the question of a possible wound George W. Hickey, a Secret Service man seated in the forward upper left-hand octant of the Presi- in the left rear of the follow-up car, said, "I heard dent's head. If such a wound existed, it may have what appeared to be two shots and it seemed as been an exit wound for either a bullet or a frag- if the right side of his head was hit . . . "(27) ment, or an entry wound for another bullet; and William Eugene Newman was standing at the there are competent witnesses who swear that it edge of the curb directly in front of a concrete wall existed. on the Grassy Knoll. As the re-enactment photos Father Oscar L. Huber, pastor of the Holy Trin- clearly show, the car was just coming abreast of the ity Catholic Church of Dallas, administered the , concrete wall at frame 313, the Zapruder film frame last rites to the President According to one account, that depicts the fatal head shot Newman swears he "wet his right thumb with holy oil and anointed in his affidavit filed within hours of the shooting: a Cross over the President's forehead, noticing as We were standing at the edge of the curb he did a 'terrible wound' over his left eye."(40) looking at the car as it was coming toward Two eyewitnesses to the assassination, James —us . . he was directly in front of us and I Altgens and Norman Simons, made statements in- was looking directly at him when he was . dicating the existence of a left temporal wound. hit in the side of the head. (28) Altgens, an Associated Press photographer, was Hurchel Jacks, a Texas highway patrolman and standing on the side of Elm Street to the left of the driver of Lyndon Johnson's car in the motorcade, presidential car. He testified: Commission exhibit 386, autopsy drawing, rear view of testified that he saw a right frontal wound on Mr. There were flesh particles that flew out of the alleged wounds. Kennedy's head in Parkland Hospital: " . . . It side of his head in my direction from where appeared that the bullet had struck him above the I was standing, so much so that it indicated Four other doctors and one registered nurse right ear or near the temple."(29) Seth Kantor, of to me that the shot came out of the left side described the wound in the rear of the President's the Scripps-Howard newspapers, a member of the of his head.(41) head as " . . . a large gaping wound in the skull Washington press corps who followed the motorcade Simons, a visitor from Toronto, said he was . . . literally the right side of his head had been to Parkland Hospital, made this apparent reference ten feet from the President and "could see a hole blown off,"(16) . . a large, gaping wound in to the President's head wounds in his notebook: "in- in the President's left temple and his head and hair the right posterior part . . ",(17) " . . . a large tered (sic) right temple."(30) were bathed in blood."(42) Neither Simalis nor avulsive injury of the right occiphoparietal area Roy Kellerman, a Secret Servia.* ageut who-was 'Father- Huber was called as a witness before the . . "418) . . back of . . his head was shat- _riding in Kennedy's car and who was present during Commission. tered, with brain substance extruding,"(19) and the Bethesda autopsy, was questioned by Commis- Dr. Robert McClelland of Parkland Hospital " . . . one large hole."(20) sion counsel on the location of the head wounds. —who testified that he was "in such a position Secret Service agent Clinton Hill, who climbed He described an entrance wound on the right side that (he) could very closely examine the head onto the Presidential limousine as it sped away, of the President's head, at the hairline in front of wound"(43)— stated in his written report (dated and rode with it all the way to the hospital, gave the right ear(31)— corroborating the wound loca- and timed: November 22, 1963, 4:45 p.m.) that the following description: tion observed by Jacks, as well as the less precise "the cause of death was due to massive head and The right rear portion of his head was mis- "right side entry" observations of Kinney, Hickey brain injury from a gunshot wound of the left tem- sing. It was lying in the rear seat of the car. and Newman. ple."(44) The Commission failed to question Dr. His brain was exposed. There was blood It is doubtful whether these observations can be McClelland about these findings. and bits of brain all over the entire rear por- reconciled with a shot from the sixth floor of the Two other doctors, Dr. Giesecke and Dr. Jenkins, 'tion of the car. Mrs. Kennedy was completely noticed a left frontal wound. Jenkins testified, ". . . I covered with blood.(21) don't know whether this is right or not, but I (Aside from its contribution to the medical evi- thought there was a wound on the left temporal dence, Hill's testimony can also be read in the area," to which Commission Counsel Specter re- light of the laws of physics. Regardless of neuro- plied: "The autopsy report discloses no such develop- muscular reactions, Hill's description of "blood and ment, Dr. Jenkins."(45) bits of brain all over the entire rear portion of the Specter was apparently too busy proving that car" — and a piece of the skull flying into the rear one bullet went through two men to examine care- seat—is hardly compatible with the force of a 1300. fully the medical documents he himself admitted into mile-an-hour projectile having come from behind. ) evidence. Included in the autopsy report was the The autopsy doctors at Bethesda Naval Hospital pathologists diagram showing a front view of the in Maryland observed not only the large gaping President's body, annotated by surgeons during wound, but a "small occipital wound" at the back the autopsy.(46) Just over the left eye—where Father of the skull.(22) This, they and the Commission Huber had observed a "terrible wound" —there ap- concluded, was the entry point of the fatal bullet (23) pears a thick black dot, similar to the notation Their finding became a central prop for the theory used to identify other wounds on the body. A meas- that Oswald fired the fatal shot from the rear with urement in centimeters, again similar to the notation a 6.5 mm. rifle. employed for other wounds, is clearly marked next The members of the Parkland staff who saw to the black dot over the left eye. There is no further the wound were unanimous: none of them observed reference to a wound in the forward upper left hand such a small wound of entry on the rear of the Pres- octant of the President's head, and despite the clear ident's head. Commission Counsel Arlen Specter did markings on the pathologist's diagram, the autopsy his best to elicit testimony from seven Parkland surgeons were not questioned about them. doctors, one nurse, and two Secret Service agents One would not be so inclined to raise an eyebrow, to support the thesis of a rear entry wound. Typical Commission exhibit 397 were it not for the serious questions about the autop- was his questioning of Registered Nurse Diana Texas School Book Depository. It is equally doubt- sy findings raised here and in Part One. Bowron: ful whether they can be reconciled with the findings Specter: How many holes did you see? of the Bethesda autopsy. (4.THE WOUND IN THE THROAT) Miss Bowron: I just saw one large hole. Specter: Did you See a small bullet hole be- c) The autopsy at Bethesda The Commission's contention that the bullet which neath that one large hole? The black-and-white and color photographs taken entered President Kennedy's back went on to exit Miss Bowron: No, sir.(24) during the autopsy at Bethesda Naval Hospital were at his throat, as the discussion in Part One demon- Leading questions in the same vein were also turned over, undeveloped, to the Secret Service.(32) strates, is not supported by the evidence. put to Dr. Jenkins, Dr. Peters, Dr. Giesecke, Dr. The record shows no indication that the Commission Left unanswered in that discussion, however, was Perry, Dr. Clark, Dr. McClelland, Dr. Baxter and saw them during its life. the question: If the throat wound was not caused Secret Service agent William Greer.(25) Each one Artist's drawings—instead of the official medical by the exit of the back bullet, how was it caused? answered, "No." photographs—were accepted in evidence by the Com- One theory is that a piece of bone or a metallic The fact that the Parkland doctors observed no mission.(33) The drawings were made from a verbal entry wound there does not mean that it did not description of the wounds supplied by the autopsy fragment pierced the President's throat at the time exist, and it is conceivable that a hit from the rear doctors themselves—more than three months after of the fatal" head shot The head shot, however, occurred. But if it did, the Zapruder film shows the autopsy.(34) was not inflicted until Zapruder frame 313, and no obvious head reaction consistent with a head Humes conceded that the drawings "are in part the President appeared to be grabbing at his throat shot from the rear. At the very least, there is a schematic. The artist had . . . no photographs from at least as early as frame 225447) about five sec- conflict of evidence here between what the Zapruder which to work, and had to work under . . . verbal onds before being hit in the head. It is therefore film shows (corroborated by what the Parkland description, of what we had observed . . . If it were reasonable to assume that the throat wound was doctors observed) and the findings of the Bethesda necessary to have them absolutely true to scale, I not caused by a fragment of bone or metal exiting autopsy. think it would be virtually impossible for him to from the fatal head wound. What is clear is that the gaping wound at the do this without the photographs."(35) The most likely possibility—that the throat wound was caused by a shot fired from the front—is con- 10 'UCLA DAILY BRUIN Thursday, January 5, 1967 questioning, he asked each of them to assume that sistent with the statements of Parkland Hospital the rear had still not been solved. The New York the bullet had traversed from back to front through doctors, the only medical personnel to see the Times carried the following story:(53) the President via a "fascia channel" (fascia are wound. Their statements were reported in press Dallas, Dec.. 5 . . . Thirteen days after the thin tissue membranes that connect muscle), un- accounts and in testimony before the Commission. assassination of President Kennedy, federal deflected, without wobble or yaw. The doctors were a) "How could the President have been shot investigators were still reconstructing the then asked to express an opinion, based on that in the front from the back?' crime on film today . . . An open car with type of passage, as to whether the throat puncture a man and a woman in the back seat simu- was consistent with an exit wound. Veteran reporter Tom Wicker talked with doctors lated again and again today the ride of the Typical was Specter's questioning of Dr. James on the day of the assassination: President and Mrs. Kennedy on November Carrico: . Dr. Malcolm Perry, an attending sur- 22 . . . One question was how the President Permit me to add some facts which I shall geon, and Dr. Kemp Clark, chief of neuro- could have received a bullet In the front of ask you to assume as being true for pur- surgery at Parkland Hospital, gave more the throat from a rifle in the Texas School poses of having you express an opinion. details. Mr. Kennedy was hit by a bullet in Book Depository after his car had passed First of all, assume that the President is the throat, just below the Adam's apple, the building and was turning a gentle curve struck by a . . . bullet from a rifle . . . at they said. This wound had the appearance away from it One explanation from a com- a time when the President was approximately of a bullet's entry . . . (48) petent source was that the President had 160 to 250 feet from the weapon (Oswald's Early news reports are not always accurate, turned to his right to wave, and was struck range), with the President being struck from and it is possible that accounts written in the hectic at that moment" the rear at a downward angle of approxi- hours immediately after the assassination might If the FBI, in reconstructing the event 13 days mately 45 degrees (Specter here seems to ac- contain errors. It was four days after the assassina- later, had access to the conclusion of the autopsy— cept the angle cited in the FBI Summary Re- tion, however, when another veteran reporter, John that the throat wound was a wound of exit—it port, instead of the angle of about 15 degrees Herbers, supported his colleague: might not have puzzled over this problem. Accord- shown in the artist's drawing— Commission Dallas, Nov. 26 . . Dr. Kemp Clark, who ing to Dr. Humes, the autopsy report was written Exhibit 385—which accompanies the autop- pronounced Mr. Kennedy dead, said one and transmitted to "higher authority" by Sunday, sy report; this 45 degree angle would render (bullet) struck him about the necktie knot. November 24. Why was the FBI reconstructing the pass-through theory just that much more "It ranged downward in his chest and did the crime the "wrong" way on December 5? Did ridiculous), being struck on the upper right not exit," the surgeon said.(49) it have the final autopsy report? Did it have an- posterior thorax (near the base of the neck) In the same issue of The New York Times that other, earlier version? The next lines from the same . . . Assume further that the missile passed carried Herbers' story another item appeared. It Times story are not reassuring: through the body of the President striking no cited "informed sources" explaining the frontal entry "The best authority presumable on the exact. bones, traversing the neck and eliding be- wound in terms of Oswald firing on the motorcade angle of entry of the bullet is the man who tween the large muscles in the posterior aspect while it was still on Houston Street, before it made conducted the autopsy. He is Dr. J. J. Humes of the President's body through a fascia the better-than-SO-degree turn into Elm.(50) of the Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md. channel . . . then exiting precisely at the The "informed sources" quoted by the Times Dr. Humes said he has been forbidden to point where you observe the puncture wound four days after the assassination and the autopsy, talk."(54) to exist Now based on those facts, was the explained the Parkland doctors' analysis of an entry On the following March 16, Dr. Humes was appearance of the wound in your opinion wound in the throat by concluding that it was in- indeed an authority before the Warren Commis- consistent with being an exit wound?(63) flicted while the motorcade was still on Houston sion— on the angle of exit Yet if we are to accept Dr. Carrico responded: Street At that time, of course, the Presidential car the findings of the Commission—then we must also With those facts, and the fact as I under- was facing the Texas School Book Depository, where accept the spectacle of the FBI reconstructing the stand it no other bullet was found, this would the alleged sole assassin was firing. The Times crime as though the front neck wound were one be . . . I believe . . an exit wound.(64) said: "The known facts about the bullets, and the of entrance inflicted by a lone assassin firing from Dr. Perry, who had given the vivid description position of the assassin, suggested that he started behind, and doing so two weeks after the autopsy, of an entry-type wound quoted above, responded shooting as the President's car was coming toward apparently without access to authoritative medical to similar questioning " . . . with the facts which him, swung his rifle in an arc of almost 180 de- evidence as to the origin of the shots. J. Edgar you have made available and with these assump- grees, and fired at least twice more." Hoover disclosed last November that the FBI and tions, I believe that it was an exit wound."(65) But Life magazine, which had bought the original the Warren Commission did not receive official cop- It is obvious that such yanked-from-mouth tes- Zapruder film, soon knew better. The Rim showed ies of the autopsy report until December 23, 1963, timony cannot be taken seriously as independent that the President's car had already turned onto from the United States Secret Service.(55) medical opinion—when, questioned on whether the Elm and was over 100 feet past the Book Deposi- Five days before, on December 18, 1963, this wound was caused by an entry or an exit, the tory (and approaching the Grassy Knoll) when official autopsy report apparently had its first pub- doctors are asked to assume the wound to be an the first wound was inflictecl.(51) lic debut in a news story in the St Louis Post- exit to begin with. Norman Redlich, who wrote In a classic example of a left hand unfamiliar Dispatch which carried the head line, "Secret Service chapter three of the Warren Report, made liberal with the activities of a right, Life undertook to ex- Gets Revision on Kennedy Wound." The subhead use of such testimony, safely out of context, to plain the contradiction. Both the Kennedy Memorial read: "After Visit by Agents, Doctors Say Shot support the conclusion that the throat puncture was Edition and the Life issue of November 29, both Was from the Rear." The story stated, in part: an exit wound. of which carried many frames from its Zapruder Two Secret Service agents called last week Some of the Parkland doctors, however, gave film, contained the following: on Dallas surgeons who attended President more argumentative answers to Specter's leading The description of the President's wounds Kennedy and obtained a reversal of their qua:fauna, - - - by a Dallas doctor who tried to save original view that the bullet in his neck Dr. Charles Baxter testified: him have added to the rumors. The doctor entered from the front Although It would be unusual for a high vel- said that one bullet "entered the President's The investigators did so by showing the sur- ocity missile of this type to cause a wound as throat from the front and then lodged in his geons a document described as an autopsy you have described, the passage through tis- body." Since by this time the limousine was report from the United States Naval Hos- sue planes . . . could have well resulted in 50 yards past Oswald and the President's pital at Bethesda. The surgeons changed the sequence which you outline; namely, that back was turned almost directly to thesniper, their original view to conform with the re- the anterior wound does represent a wound it has been hard to understand how the bul- port they were shown. of exit . . It would be unlikely because . . . let could enter the front of his throat Hence "There was no coercion at all," Dr. Robert N. the further it went, the more jagged would be the recurring guess that there was a second McClelland told the Post-Dispatch. "They didn't say the damage that it created; so that ordinarily sniper somewhere else. But the 8-mm. film anything like "This is what you think, isn't it? " there would have been a rather large wound shows the President turning his body far The surgeons' earlier description of a wound of exit(66) around to the right as he waves to someone In the front of the President's throat as an Dr. Ronald Jones was highly dubious of the In the crowd. His throat is exposed —to- entry wound had cast doubt on the official Commission's thesis, but assented with one impor- wards the sniper's nest —just before he belief that Lee Harvey Oswald was the only tant condition: clutches it(51) assassin . . . The surgeons now support the Dr. Jones: If this were an exit wound, you Unfortunately for Life's explanation, the Zapruder official view that both bullets that struck the would think that it exited at a very low vel- film shows no such thing. One had only to look President were from behind . . . They now ocity to produce no more damage than this at the film frames published in that same issue— and believe that the bullet In the neck entered had done, and if this were a missile of high more recently republished in Life for November 25, from the bark . . . and passed out through velocity, you would expect more of an ex- 1966 — to see that the President was clearly facing the hole in front, about two inches below the plosive type of exit wound, with more tissue forward and turned slightly to the right when he Adam's apple.(56) destruction than this appeared to have on was shot superficial examination. b) The Parkland Doctors' Testimony (Life has now joined with earlier critics in ask- Specter: Would it be consistent, then with an ing for a reopening of the investigation.) Because the outlines of the frontal throat wound exit wound but of low velocity, as you put it? Nine days after the assassination, the St. Louis were destroyed by an emergency tracheotomy per- Dr. Jones: Yes; of very low velocity to the Post-Dispatch carried a story by renowned reporter formed in an attempt to revive the President, the point that you might think that this bullet Richard Dudman under the headline, "Uncertain- only persons able to see the original throat wound barely made it through the soft tissues and ties Remain Despite Police View of Kennedy Death." were the staff at Parkland Hospital. just enough to drop out of the skin on the The subhead was, "Position of Wound Is Puzzling— Let us examine their testimony: opposite side. (67) Did Assailant Have an Accomplice?' Dr. Malcolm Perry: "The wound was roughly Dr. Jones' testimony is of singular importance. , Dudman wrote: The strangest circumstance spherical to oval in shape, not a punched-out His condition for conceding that the throat wound of the shootingin this reporter's opinion, is wound, actually, nor was it particularly ragged. may have been a wound of exit—that the bullet had the position of the throat wound, thought to It was rather clean cut, but the blood obscured to be traveling so slowly as to "barely make it have been caused by the first of two shots any detail about the edges of the wound through"—precludes the possibility that it subse- that struck Mr. Kennedy. Surgeons who at- exactly."(58) quently went through Connally. It could not, then, tended him at Parkland Hospital described Dr. Robert McClelland: " . . ff I saw the wound be the same bullet that hit Connally and smashed it as an entrance wound . . . The question in its state in which Dr. Perry described it to me, ten centimeters of his fifth rib, fractured his right that suggests itself is: How could the Presi- I would probably initially think this were an en- Wrist, and went on to wound his thigh. By this cri- dent have been shot in the front from the trance wound . . . "(59) terion, even if the bullet defied all the evidence and back? Dr. Perry described- the bullet hole as Dr. Ronald Jones: "The hole was very small passed through Kennedy it would not have possessed an entrance wound. Dr. McClelland told the and relatively clean cut, as you would see in a bullet sufficient energy to cause any of Connally's wounds. Post-Dispatch: "It certainly did look like an that is entering rather than exiting from a pa- The Zapruder film shows that the President had entrance wound." He explained that a bullet tient"(60) his back to the Texas School Book Depository from a low velocity rifle like the one thought Dr. Charles Baxter: "Judging from the caliber throughout the assassination sequence, and that at to have been used characteristically makes a of the rifle that we later found or became acquainted the time the throat wound was believed to have been small entrance wound, sets up shock waves with, this would more resemble a wound of en- inflicted, he was facing slightly to his right This inside the body and tears a big opening try."(61) position is consistent with the strong evidence that when it passes out the other aide. Registered Nurse Margaret Henchliffe also thought the throat puncture was a wound of entry. it was an entrance wound. She testified that she Dr. McClelland conceded that it was possible There was at least one gunman firing from the had never seen an exit bullet hole that looked like front There were at least three assassins. that the throat wound marked the exit of a that one.(62) bullet fired into the back of the President's The Parkland staff clearly showed, by their testi- (5. THE 64 WITNESSES INDICATING neck . . . "but we are familiar with wounds," mony, that they observed the throat puncture to FIRING FROM THE GRASSY KNOLL AREA) he said "We see them every day —some- have all the characteristics of an entrance wound An estimated 32 known witnesses indicated times several a day. This did appear to be that- (small, clean cut) and none of the characteristics shots were fired from the Book Depository,(67-a) an entrance wound."(52) an of the usual type of exit wound (large, jagged observation consistent with the strong Thirteen days after the assassination, the prob- evidence that edges). But Commission Counsel Specter was not at least two gunmen were firing from somewhere to lem of resolving an entry wound in the throat with content to hear testimony on what the only doctors the rear of the motorcade. the proposition that a lone assassin was firing from who had seen it observed of the wound. In his By the same token 64 known witnesses indicated

Thursday, January 5, 1967 • - UCLA DAILY BRUIN 11 --

1. Earle V. Brown 6. Abraham Zapruder grapher) Wilson- right from the President's car at the 2. S. M. Holland Austin Miller, 7. Emmett Hudson 13. Philip Willis (still photographer) 16. Victoria Adams time of the shooting, was a grassy Frank Reilly, James Simmons, 8. Lee Bowers 14. Mrs. Donald Baker 17. Howard Brennan (Commis- knoll, topped with some shrubbery, Clemon Johnson 9. Mr. and Mrs. William Newman 15. Danny Arce, Billy Lovelady, sion's star witness) a fence and a concrete arcade, 3. Forrest Sorrels 10. Mr. and Mrs. John Chism 0. V. Campbell, Wesley Fra- 18.Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Rowland often referred to as "the monu- 4. James Tague 11. Orville Nix (movie photo- zier, Mrs. Charles Davis, Roy 19. Location of many deputy ment." Behind the shrubbery at the 5. Jean Hill and Mary Moorman grapher) Truly, William Shelley, Joseph sheriffs top of the Grassy Knoll are a park- (still photographer) 12.Mary Muchmore (photo- Molina, Otis Williams, Steven Looking forward and to the ing lot and railroad trackes

that shots originated from forward of the motorcade, that little spot and also mud up on the bumper of after the second shot was fired), I looked behind me, from the vicinity of the Grassy Knoll, lending further that station wagon."(71) to see whether it was a fireworks display or some- credence to the physical evidence that President Ken- a2. Frank Reilly, electrician for the Union Termi- thing."(83) Behind Chism was the Grassy Knoll. nedy was hit from the right front At least four per- nal, standing with Holland on the Overpass, told the b10. Marvin Faye Chism, his wife, said in her sons saw smoke in the Knoll area, several smelled Commission: "It seemed to me like the shots come affidavit: "It came from what I thought was behind smoke there, and a healthy majority of witnesses out of the trees . . On the north side of Elm Street us." The Chisms were not called to testify before the heard the sound of shots coming from the Knoll. at the corner up there . . at that park where all the Commission. Yet the Commission was ableto conclude: . . . There shrubs is up there . . . up the slope."(72) b 1 1 and b12. Mr. and Mrs. William Newman is no question in the mind of any member of the a3. James grunons, railroad employee standing were standing near the curb with their two children, Commission that all the shots . . . were fired from on the Triple Overpass, was interviewed by the FBI. further down from the Stemmons Freeway sign, di- the sixth floor window of the Texas School Book An FBI report states: rectly in front of the concrete wall on the Grassy Depository . . . There is no credible evidence that Simmons said he thought he saw exhaust Knoll. In William Newman's sheriff's department the shots were fired . . . from any other location." fumes of smoke near the embankment . . . affidavit, filed within hours after the shooting, he (67-b) (73) swears: One reason for the Commission's apparent ignor- a4. Clemon Johnson, machinist for the railroad, Iwas looking directly at him when he was ance of this impressive body of evidence is their con- standing on the Triple Overpass, was interviewed hit In the side of the head . . Then we fell sistefit failure to call witnesses who indicated, by the FBI (never by ffie Commission). An FBI re- "sdoWn on the •gritslras it seemed that we were statements to sheriffs deputies or the FBI, that they port says: "Mr. Johnson stated that white smoke in direct path of fire . . . I thought the shot thought shots came from the Knoll. For example, was observed near the pavilion."(74) had come from the garden directly behind photographs show approximately 20 persons stand- a5. Austin L. Miller, mail clerk and tariff com- me, that was on an elevation from where I ing with their backs to the Knoll, facing the Presi- piler for the Texas-Louisiana Freight Bureaulocated was as I was right on the curb. I do not re- dential motorcade, at the time of the assassination. in Union Terminal, was standing on the railroad call looking towards the 'Texas School Book Of these, 12 were interviewed by the sheriff's depart- overpass. He testified: Depository. I looked back in the vicinity of ment or the FBI, 10 of whom thought the shots had I turned and looked toward the-there is a the garden.(85) come from the Knoll directly behind them. Only two little plaza sitting on the hill. I looked over Mrs. Gayle Newman supported her husband's were called to testify before the Commission. there to see if anything was there, who threw testimony. Neither was called by the Commission. Photographs and documents show more than 100 the firecracker or whatever it was . . .(75) b13. Emmett Hudson, caretaker of Dealey Plaza, more witnesses to the event than were interviewed by Miller also swears in a sheriff's department affi- was a few feet past the Newman, standing on the any investigative agency, let alone the Commission: davit "One shot apparently hit the street past the steps that ascend the Grassy Knoll. In his sheriff's To call them all, said onemember of the Commission car. I saw something which I thought was smoke department affidavit filed that afternoon, he swears: staff, would have been "redundant" or steam coming from a group of trees north of Elm ". . . I was sitting on the front steps of the sloping off the railroad tracks."(76) area and about half way down the steps . . . The A. WITNESSES STANDING shots that I heard definitely came from behind and B. WITNESSES STANDING ON THE TRIPLE OVERPAS& above me."(86) ON THE GRASSY KNOLL al. Sam Holland, railroad signal supervisor for Directly "behind and above" Hudson was the the Union Terminal, was standing on the Triple b6. Abraham Zapruder, who was filming the wooden fence and parking lot atop the Grassy Knoll. Overpass. He had been asked by the police to iden- assassination sequence from a concrete abutment The Depository building is "behind and above" the tify railroad employees, since they were to be allowed extending from the pavilion, testified to Assistant motorcade. to remain up there during the motorcade. He said in Commission Counsel Wesley Liebeler: Notice what happened when Hudson repeated this a sworn affidavit on the day of the assassination: Liebeier: . . . you say the police ran ober testimony before Commission Counsel Wesley . . . The President's car was . . . just about behind the concrete structure behind you and Liebeler: to the arcade (when) I heard what I thought down the railroad track behind that, is that Hudson: . .. you could tell the shot was for the moment was a firecracker . . . and I right? coming from above and kind of behind. looked over towards the arcade and trees and Zapruder: . . yes, some of them were mo- Liebeler: How could you tell that? saw a puff of smoke come from the trees . . torcycle cops-I guess they left their motor- Hudson: Well, just the sound of it The puff of smoke I saw definitely came from cycles running and they were running right Liebeler: You heard it come from sort of behind the arcade and through the trees.(68) behind me, of course, in the line of the shoot- behind the motorcade and above? What Holland calls the "arcade"-also called by ing. I guess they thought it came from right Hudson: Yes . . .(87) other witnesses the "monument"-is a structure on behind me.(77) b14. A. J. Millican, standing on the north side of the Grassy Knoll. Zapruder said his initial impression was that "it Elm Street, about halfway between Houston Street Testifying later before the Commission, Holland came from back of me," but he added that he could and the underpass on the Grassy Knoll, states in his reiterated: not be positive because "there was too much rever- deposition: I have no doubt about seeing that puff of beration. There was an echo which gave me a sound Just after the President's car passed, I heard smoke come out from under those trees. . . . all over."(78) Later in his testimony the following three shots come from up towards Houston I definitely saw the puff of smoke and heard exchange took place: and Elm right by the Book Depository Build- the report from under those trees.(69) Zapruder: . . . they claim it was proven it ing and then immediately I heard two more In his lengthy and detailed testimony, Holland could be done by one man. You know there shots come from the Aracde between the Book tells about "two policemen that were riding in that was an indication there were two? Store and the underpass, and then three more motorcade and one of them throwed the motorcycle Liebeler: Your films were extremely helpful shots came from the same direction only down right in the middle of the street and run to- to the work of the Commission, Mr. Zapruder. sounded approximately like a .45 automatic, wards that location with his gun in his hand." They (79) or a high powered rifle Then everybody were heading, he said, toward "where I saw the puff b7. Mary Woodward, Maggie Brown, Aurelia started running up the hill.(88) of smoke. And another one tried to ride up the hill Lorenzo and Ann Donaldson, four newspaperwomen on his motorcycle and got halfway up there and he watching the motorcade from the sidewalk near the C. WITNESSES STANDING run up the rest of the way on foot "(70) east end of the pavilion, said they heard". . . a hor- IN DEALEY PLAZA Holland advised the Commission that he immedi- rible, ear-shattering noise coming from behind us c15. Ronald B. Fisher, standing on the curb at ately ran to the corner of the fence near the arcade and a little to the right "(80) the southwest corner of Houston and Elm (the Texas and that by the time he arrived there were 12 or 15 b8. Jean Newman, who was standing halfway School Book Depository is on the northwest corner; policemen and people be surmised to be plainclothes- between the Stemmons Freeway sign (about halfway the Presidential car was heading west)during the men. He said that among the other cars backed up down the Elm Street slope) and the Depository, fac- assassination, was questioned by Commission Coun- to the fence was a station wagon with mud on the ing the motorcade, said in a sheriff's department sel David W. Belin: bumper "as if someone had cleaned their foot, or affidavit: ". . . the shots came from my right"(81) Min: Where did the shots appear to becom- stood up on the bumper to see over the fence." On (the Depository was to her left).(82) ing from? the grass by the station wagon was "a spot, I'd say b9. John Arthur Chism swore in his sheriff's de- Fisher. . . . from just west of the School three foot by two foot, looked to me like somebody partment affidavit "I was standing with my wife Book Depository Building. There were some had been standing there for a long period. I guess if and three year old boy, we were directly in front of railroad tracks and there were some railroad you could count them about a hundred foottracks in the Stemmons Freeway sign . . . At this point (just cars back in there. 12 UCLA DAILY BRUIN Thursday, January 5, 1967 Belin: And they appeared to becoming from At that time it seemed the shots came from Ball: How did you happen to go down there? those railroad cars? the west end of the building or from the col- Lovelady: . . . because everybody was run- Fisher: Well, that area somewhere . . . We onnade located on Elm Street across from ning . . toward that way; everybody thought ran up to the top of the hill there where all the west end of our building. The shots really ' was coming from that direction. (108) the Secret Service men had run, thinking that did not sound like they came from above me. Lovelady told the FBI, "I did not at any time that's where the bullets had come from since (101) believe the shots had come from the Texas School they seemed to be searching that area over d22. Mrs. Alvin Hopson was looking out of a Book Depository Building."(109)- there.(89) fourth floor window on the south side of the Deposi- d29. Danny Arce, who was standing in front of c16. Mrs. Jean Hill, school teacher and com- tory, facing on Elm Street, during the assassination. the Depository, where he worked, testified: "I thought panion of Mrs. Mary Moorman, was standing on Although she was never called by the Warren Com- (the shots) came from the railroad tracks to the the curb of Dealey Plaza directly opposite the con- mission, she was questioned by the FBI, which west" of the Depositoy.(110) crete wall on the Knoll-as close to the Presidential reported: d30. Wesley Frazier, the Depository employee limousine as any other witness before the Commis- She stated that it did not sound to her like the who had driven Oswald to work that morning, was sion. She testified: sounds were coming from her building . . . standing on the steps of the Depository building. We were standing on the curb and I jumped She stated she thought they had been set off He testified: to the edge of the street and yelled, "Hey, we on the street below, and she saw people on Well, to be frank with you I thought it come want to take your picture!' . . The shot the street running toward the underpass and from down there, you know, where that un- rang out Mary took the picture and fell to the railroad tracks. (102) derpass is. There is a series, quite a few num- the ground and I . . . grabbed my slacks d23. Mrs. Charles Thomas (Avery) Davis was ber, of them railroad tracks running together and said, "Get down, they're shooting . . ." standing on the steps of the Depository, where she and from where I was standing it sounded I he ye always said there were some four to worked, when she heard "three explosions." She like it was coming from down the railroad six shots. There were three shots-one right told the FBI, "I did not know from which direction tracks there.(111) after the other, and a distinct pause . . . and the shots had come, but thought they were from the d31. Joseph Molina was standing on the steps of then I heard more . . . They wererather rap- direction of the viaduct which crosses Elm Street the Depository building. He was interviewed by the idly fired . . . I think there were at least four west from where I was standing."(103) Commission: or five shots and perhaps six . . 490) d24. Dorothy Ann Garner was_watching the mo- Ball: Where-what was the source of the I frankly thought they were coining from the torcade from a fourth floor window in the Deposi- sound? Knoll . . I thought it was just people shoot- tory when she heard the shots. She said in an FBI Molina: . . . sort of kind of came from the ing from the Knoll . . I did think there was affidavit, "I thought at the time the shots or reports west side . . . I didn't want to think what was more than one person shooting . . . the way came from a point to the west of the building."(104) happening . . . but I wanted to find out so I report sounded . . . the timing . . .(91) d25. Mrs. George Andrew (Dolores Arlene) Kou- went down to where the grassy slope is . . . The (first) three were fired as though one per- nas was outside the Depository, her place of employ- (112) son were firing . . . just likeyou could reload ment, when she heard gunfire. She told the FBI: d32. Mrs. Donald Baker, who had been standing and fire again . . I thought they (the rest of Although I was across the street from the De- at the southwestern corner of the Depository-at the pository building and was looking in the di- end of the building nearest the Grassy Knoll-testified the shots) were different-I thought the se- rection of the building as the motorcade quence was quicker . . . more automatic.(92) that she heard shots after the President's car passed Mrs. Hill testified that she had talked to a Secret the building. Service man on the afternoon of the assassination, Liebeler: Did you have any Idea where they and that she had asked him, "Am I a kook or were coming from? what's wrong with me? . . . They keep saying three Mrs. Baker: Well, the way it sounded-it shots-three shots . . . I know I heard more I heard sounded like it was corning from . . . a rail- from four to six shots anyway." She testified that the road track that runs . . . directly behind the Secret Service man replied, "Mrs. Hill, we were stand- building and around . . . by . . . the triple ing at the window and we heard more shots also, underpass . . . there was a train that looked but we have three wounds and we have three bullets like a circus train . . . back there . . this (an apparent reference to the three spent shells found other girl and I almost ran back over there on the sixth floor of the Depository), three shots is and looked and we didn't see anything . . . all that we are willing to say right now."(93) Just a policeman and several people were As soon as the motorcade passed, Mrs. Hill testi- down there around the tracks working. fied, she saw: (Nowhere in the 26 volumes or in the Warren Re- . . . a man up there running, or getting away port do we learn what policeman or trackworkers . . at the tip of the slope . 494) were in this area behind the grassy knoll during the Commission Counsel Arlen Specter had Mrs. Hill assassination.) indicate the location of the running man of a hand= IAebeler: But you didn't see anybody you drawn sketch. The sketch appears in the hearings as thought might have been the assassin? "Hill Exhibit 5" It is stamped with the notation, Mrs. Baker: No, sir. "TOP SECRET."(95) Nobody knows why. Liebeler: Now, you havesubsequently heard, Within hours of the shooting, a local newsman, I'm sure, and from reading Inthenewspapers James Featherstone, instructed Mrs. Hill not to men- and one thing and another, that it appears tion that she had seen the running man. she testified: , that the shots artually carnc from the Texas . He saki, -You know you were wrong about School Book Deposhori; is that right? seeing a man running." He said, "You didn't Mrs. Baker: Yes. . . . and I said, "But I did," and he said, Liebder. Does that seem possible to you in "No, don't say that any more on the air." view of what you heard at the time? . . . He said . . . that the shots had come Mrs. Baker: Well, I guess it might havebeen from a window up in the Depository and for the wind, but to me it didn't. me not to say that any more, that I was Liebeler: The sounds you heard at the time wrong about it . . .(913) did not appear to comefrom the Texas School c17. Charles Brehm told police reporter George Book Depository Building? Carter of The Dallas Times-Herald that he was Mrs. Baker: No, sir. standing on the curb approximately ten feet from the Immediately after the second shot, Mrs. Baker Presidential limousine when the shots struck. Carter testified she smelled gunpowder but could not deter- wrote: "Brehm seemed to think the shots came from mine from where it was coming. Whereas many in front of or beside the President. He explained the people initially thought the three loud blasts they President did not slump forward as he would have (Top) Instant of fatal shot from Muchmore film. Car heard were firecrackers, Mrs. Baker testified to act- after being shot from the rear."(97) passes between witness Emmett Hudson (middle mason ually seeing what she thought was a firecracker hit the pavement D. WITNESSES IN OR IMMEDIATELY steps of knoll) and Mary Moorman and Jean Hill (Iwo . . . we heard a noise and I thought it was OUTSIDE THE DEPOSITORY women at left). Moorman snaps polaroid picture (see firecrackers, because I saw . . something d18. William Shelley, manager of the Depository, cover) at this moment Wall is to the right of the stairs, hit the pavement . . . you could see the testified that he was on the top landing of the en- wooden fence to left sparks from it and I just thought it was a trance watching the motorcade when he heard the firecracker and I was thinking that there was shots: (Bottom) Less than 10 seconds later, car disappears somebody fixing to get in a lot of trouble . • . Ball: What seemed to be the direction or into underpass. Crowd reads the kids or whoever threw it . . ." (113) source of the sound? passed and following the shots, I did notlook d33. James Jarman Jr., a Depository employee, Shelley: Sounded like It came from the west. up at the building as I had thought the shots was on the fifth floor of the building watching the (98) came from a westerly direction in the vicinity motorcade from the southeast windows. He thought The Oswald "nest," of course, was directly over the shots came from below, near the motorcade.(114) Shelley's head. To the west of his position is the of the viaduct(105) d26. Otis Neville Williams, a bookkeeping super- Jarman was standing with two other employees, Grassy Knoll area. • Bonnie Ray Williams and Harold Norman, both of d19. visor at the Depository, who was standing on the Roy S. Truly, superintendent of the Deposi- steps of the building when the assassination or whom testified that they heard shots from above tory, was standing in front of the building at the curred, told the FBI that he heard "three loud them. Upon hearing the shots, however, the immedi- time of the shots. He joined a policeman, Marrion blasts" and that "I thought these blasts or shots ate reaction of all three men was to run to the west Baker, and showed him the way to the top of the side of the building, not upstairs. "We saw the police- Depository. came from the direction of the viaduct which crosses Elm Street"(106) men and people running . . . There are some tracks (Commission Counsel David) Belin: Where d27. Victoria Adams was watching from a pair on the west side of thebuilding, railroad tracks. They did you think the shots came from? of windows on the fourth floor of the Book Deposi- were running towards that way and so we all ran Truly: I thought the shots came from the tory, .where she worked. The alleged assassin's win- that way."(115) vicinity (of) the railroad or the WPA project, dow was ten floors above her and to her left; the Williams was later questioned by Commissioner behind the WPA project west of the building Grassy Knoll was below and to her right. Testifying Gerald Ford: (the reference is to the pavilion on the Knoll). about the source of the shots, she said, ". . It Ford: Why didn't you go up to the sixth Henn: Did you have any conversation with seemed as if it came from the right below rather floor? the officer . . . about where you thought the than from the left above."(107) Williams: I really don't know. We just never shots came from? d28. Billy Lovelady, an employee of the Deposi- did think about it(116) Truly: I said, ". . I think we are wasting tory who at the time of the assassination was stand- our time up here," or words to that effect, "I ing on the steps at the entrance to the building, was E. MEMBERS OF THE don't believe these shots came from the build- DALLAS COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT ing."(99) questioned by Commission Counsel Joseph Ball: d20. Ochus Virgil Campbell, vice-president of the Ball: Where was the direction of the sound? Because law enforcement officers are trained ob- Depository, was standing next to Truly in front of Lovelady: Right there around that concrete servers and familiar with firearms, the following the building. He gave an affidavit to the FBI: little deal on that knoll. sheriff's deputies, as well as Secret Service agents . . I heard shots being fired from a point Ball: That's where it sounded to you? and Dallas police officers in the sections to follow, which I thought was near the railroad tracks Lovelady: Yes, sir; to my right ... sounded are being treated separately. located over the viaduct on Elm Street(100) like it was in that area . . . between the e34. K L. Boone was standing in front of the d21. Steven F. Wilson, vice-president of a text- underpass and the building right on that sheriff's office on Main Street at Houston, a block book publishing company, watched the motorcade knoll . . . south of Elm. He raced across Houston Street when from his corner office on the third floor of the De- Ball: Did you see anything there? he heard shots coming from the vicinity of the Presi- pository-three floors directly beneath the Oswald Lovelady: No, sir; well, just people running dent's car (only Dealey Plaza separated him from "nest." Wilson said in an FBI affidavit: . . . and hollerin. the car). Thu rsday, January 5, 1967 UCLA DAILY BRUIN 13 "Some of the bystanders said the shots came from cade from the corner of Houston and Eim. He was said that he smelled gunpowder there. a "faint smell the overpass," Boone said. "I ran across the street questioned by Commission Counsel Joseph Ball: of it-I could tell it was in the air."(141) (Elm) and up the iinhankment (sic) over the retain- Ball: Did you have any impression as to g56. Earle Brown, on duty at a railroad over- ing wall and into the freight yard . . ."(117) the source of the sound, from what direction pass directly behind the railroad yards, testified, "I e35. Harry Weatherford, standing in the same the sound came, the sound of the explosions? heard these shots and than I smelled this gun- place as Boone, said in his sworn affidavit, Crawford: Yes; I do . . . I thought it was a powder."( 142 ) . . . I heard a loud report which I thought backfire in the cavalcade from down the hill, was a railroad ,orpedo, as it sounded as if down the hill toward the underpass.(129) H. WITNESSES RIDING IN THE MOTORCADE • it came Irorn the railroad yard . . By this F. SECRET SERVICE AGENTS time I was running towards the railroad h57. Robert Jackson, a staff photographer for yards v. ,,re the sound seemed to come from. f46. Roy Kellerman was the Secret Service agent The Dallas Times-Herald who rode in the motor- 1118) for the President. He was riding in the right front cade, testified: e36. Harold E. Elkins, who was also standing seat of the President's car. He testified before the It did sound like it came from ahead of us in front of the sheriff's office at the time of the shoot- Commission: or from that general vicinity but I could not ing, declared in an investigation report: . . . there was a sign on the side of the road tell whether it was high up or on the ground I immediately ran to the area from which it which I don't recall what it was or what it . . . It did sound as though it came from sounded like the shots had been fired. This is said, but we no more than passed that and somewhere around the head of the motor- - an area between the railroads and the Texas you are out in the open . . .(130) School Book Depository . . . There were sev- cade(143) Jackson also saw a rifle being withdrawn from a eral other officers in this area, and wesecured Specter: You say that you turned to your window of the Depository. it from the public . . . Later a City of Dallas right immediately after you heard a shot? h58. Mrs. John Connally, wife of the governor policeman came to our office with three pri- Kellerman: Yes, sir. and a passenger in the Presidential limousine, testi- soners who he had arrested on the railroad Specter What was the reason for your re- fied, "I had no thought of whether they were high yards. I took these three to the city jail and acting to your right? or low or where. They just came from the right; turned them over to Captain Fritz.(119) • Kellerman: That was the direction I heard soutided like they were to my right:"(144) Directly There is no mention in the Warren Report of who this noise, pop.(131) to Mrs. Connally's right was the Grassy Knoll. these men were, why they were arrested, or the dis- The sign to which Kellerman referred was prob- h59. Malcolm Couch, Dallas TV news camera- position of their cases. ably the Stemmons Freeway sign mentioned in other man who rode in the motorcade, was questioned by e37. Seymour Weitzman was questioned by Com- testimony and shown in the Zapruder film. Directly Commission Counsel David Belin: mission Counsel Ball: to Kellerman's right at the moment the gunfire Belin: Is there any particular reason, Mr. Weitzman: I immediately ran toward the sounded was the Grassy Knoll. Couch, why you didn't take your first pic- President's car. Of course, it was speeding 147. Clinton Hill was riding in the Presidential tures of the School Book Depository Build- away and somebody said the shots or the follow-up car with fellow Secret Service agent Emory ing itself when you say you saw a rifle being firecracker, whatever it was at that time, we Roberts. At the time of the shooting, the Depository withdrawn? still didn't know the President was shot, came was to the rear of their vehicle; the Grassy Knoll Couch: . . . The, excitement on the ground from the wall. I immediately scaled that wall. was on the right. Hill was also questioned by Com- . . the activity on the ground kept my atten- Ball: What is the location of that wall? mission Counsel Specter: Weitzman: It would be between the railroad tion . . . All the policemen had their pistols Specter And did you have a reaction or im- pulled. And people were pointing back around overpass and I can't remember the name of pression as to the source or point of origin of those shrubs . . You would think there was that little street that runs off Elm; it's cater- the second shot that you described? corner-the section there between the-what a chase going on in that direction.(145) Hill: It was right, but I cannot say for sure h60. David Powers, a Presidential aide in the do you call it?-the monument section?(120) that it was rear, because when I mounted the * * right side jump seat of the follow-up car, said in an car it was-if had a different sound, first of affidavit: Ball: Didn't you, when you went over to the all, than the rust sound that I heard. The sec- My first impression was that the shots came railroad yard, talk to some yardman? ond one had almost a double sound . . .(132) from the right and overhead, but I also had Weitzman: I asked a yardman if he had seen f48. Emory Roberts was riding in the front seat a fleeting impression that the noise appeared or heard anything during the passing of the of the follow-up car directly behind the President. to come from the front in the area of the. President. He said he thought he saw some- He stated, "I could not determine from what direc- Triple Overpass. This may have resulted body throw something through a bush . . tion the shots came, but felt they had come from the from my feeling, when I looked forward to- Ball: Did the yardman tell you where he right side."(133) ward the overpass, that we might have ridden thought the noise came from? f49. Paul Landis Jr. was riding in the right rear into an ambush.(146) Weitzman: Yes, sir; he pointed out the wall of the follow-up car. He recalled: ". . . I heard what section where there was a bunch of shrub- sounded like the report of a high powered rifle from I. OTHER WITNESSES bery . . .(121) behind me, over my right shoulder." An estimated i61. Lee Bowers, towerman for the Union Termi- e38. Roger Craig was standing in front of the two or three seconds later, Landis heard another nal Company, was at work in a railroad tower 14 sheriffs office. "At the retort (sic) of the first shot," shot. "I still was not certain from which direction- feet high; -located just north of the Grassy Knoll be• he stated, "I started running . . . up the terrace on the second shot came," he related, "but mg reaction hind the curving railroad tracks. He tells of three Elm Street, and into the railroad yards. "(122) . at this time was that the shot came from somewhere cars that slowly cruised the area during the half e39.- A. D. McCurley was also standing at the - towards the front, right-hand side of the road."(134) hour before the shooting. front entrance of the sheriff's office when the shots f50. Forrest Sorrels, head of the Dallas office of Two had out-of-state plates, he said, and a third, were fired. He said: the Secret Service, was riding in the lead car of the a 1957 black Ford, had "one male in it that seemed I rushed towards the- park and saw people motorcade. Almost at the Triple Underpass when the to have a mike or telephone . . . He was very close running towards the railroad yards . . . and shots rang out, he testified that he ". . turned to the tower. I could see him . . ." I ran over and jumped a fence and a rail- around to look up on this terrace part there, be- The last Bowers saw of another of the cars, ". . . road worker stated to me that he believed the cause the sound sounded like it came from the back he was pausing . . . just above the assassination smoke from the bullets came from the vicinity and up in that direction."(135) site . . . At the moment I heard the sound, I was of a stockade fence which surrounds the p.ark G. DALLAS POLICE OFFICERS looking directly towards the area . . . At the time of area.(123) g51. the shooting there seemed to be some commotion . . . e40. J. E. Decker is Jesse Curry, the chief of police, spoke over the sheriff of Dallas County. the police radio at 12:30 p.m.: I just am unable to describe rather than it was some- He was riding in a car immediately ahead of the thing out of the ordinary, a sort of milling around, President's car. Notify station five to move all men available out of my department back into the railroad but something occurred in this particular spot which I noted motorcycle officers coming off their yards and try to determine what happened was out of the ordinary, which attracted my eye for cycles and running up the embankment . . . and hold everything secure until, Homicide some reason, which I could not identify.(147) I took the microphone and requested the and other investigators can get in there.(136) i62. James Tague, an automobilesalesmanstand- (Dallas Police Department dispatcher) to no- g52. Robert Hargis, the motorcycle patrolman ing on the south side of Main Street near the mouth tify all officers in my department to immedi- riding escort at the left rear of the Presidential car: of the Triple Underpass watching the parade, was ately get over to the area where shooting oc- . . . At the time it sounded like the shots were wounded in the cheek after a bullet struck the curb curred and saturate the area of the park . . . right next to me . . . There was something in near him. He told the Commission: (124) my head that said that they probably could My first impression was that up by the, what- The "park" referred to by Sheriff Decker is the have been coming from the railroad over- ever you call the monument . . . somebody Grassy Knoll. pass, because I thought since I had got splat- was throwing firecrackers up there.. . .When e41. J. L. Oxford reported that shots rang out tered, with blood-I was just a little back and I saw the people throwing themselves on the as the end of the motorcade passed in front of him. left of . . . Mrs. Kennedy, but I didn't know ground is when I realized there was serious He declared: . . . I ran up to this kind of a little wall, trouble . . ." Officer MeCurley (e39, above) and myself brick wall up there to see if I could get a After Tague expressed the opinion that the shots ran across Houston Street on across Elm and better look on -the bridge, and, of course, I had come "from my left," the following questioning down to the underpass. When we got there, was looking all around that place by that took place by Counsel Liebeler: everyone was looking toward the railroad Liebeler: . . Of course, now we have other yards . . . When we got over there, there was Hargis then jumped back on his motorcycle and evidence that would indicate that the shots did a man who told us that he had seen smoke "rode underneath the first underpass to look on the come from the Texas School Book Deposi- up in the corner of the fence. We went on up opposite side in order to see if I could see anyone tory, but see if we can disregard that and de to the corner of the fence to see what we could running away from the scene . . ."(137) termine just what you heard when the shots find . . .(125) g53. Clyde Haygood, the motorcycle policeman were fired in the first place . . . Do you think e42. Luke Mooney waw another deputy who was riding to the right rear of the Presidential car, was that it is consistent with what you heard and standing in front of the sheriffs office when he heard just turning the corner from Houston onto Elm saw that day, that the shots could have come the shots. "I started running across Houston Street when he heard shots: from the sixth floor window of the Texas and down across the lawn to the triple underpass," . . . I could see all these people laying on School Book Depository? he stated, "and up the terrace to the railroad yards. the ground there on Elm. Some of them were Tague: Yes . . . I searched, along with many other officers, this pointing back up to the railroad yard, and a Liebeler. There was in fact a considerable area . . ."(126) couple of people were headed back up that echo in that area? e43. Jack Falkner, a deputy who later helped to way . . . And I left my motor on the street Tague: There was no echo from where I search the Depository, said in his investigative re- and ran to the railroad yard. (138) stood. I was asked this question before, and port: g54. E. L. Smith, who at the time of the shots there was no echo.(148) When we got down to the third floor, we was standing cater-corner from the Depository, testi- 163. J. C. Price had been standing on the roof of talked to office workers who told us they fied to the Commission: the Terminal Annex Building. He said in a sheriff's were looking out of the tnird floor window I thought when it came to my mind that there deposition: when the shots were fired from the street near shots, and I was pretty sure there were when . . . There was a volley of shots. I think five the concrete arcade.(127) I saw his (President Kennedy's) car because . . I saw one man run towards the passen- Nowhere in the 26 volumes or in the Warren Re- they were leaving in such a hurry, I thought ger cars on the railroad siding after the vol- port do we learn who these office workers are 'who they were coming from this area here (the - ley of shots . . . He had something in his spoke to Sheriff Falkner, nor is there any record of Grassy Knoll area), and I ran over there and hand. I couldn't be sure but it may have been any investigation being conducted to locate them. checked back of it . . .(139) a head piece. (149) e44, L C. Todd, watching the motorcade from g55. J. M. Smith was standing at Houston and i64. Arnold Rowland, who at the time of the Houston Street, said that after hearing the shots he Main when he heard the shots. He testified, ". . . shooting was standing with his wife in front of the "immediately recognized them as being gunfire. I This woman came up to me and she was just in Dallas Courthouse, about 150 feet from the corner ran across the street and went behind the railroad hysterics. She told me, 'They are shooting the Presi- of Main and Houston Streets, gave his impression tracks . . ."(128) dent from the bushes.'(140) Smith said he ran past of the point of origin of the first shot: e45. James N. Crawford, deputy district clerk at the Depository, up the Grassy Knoll and into the I didn't look at the building mainly, and as the Dallas County Courthouse, watched the motor- parking lot behind. In a newspaper interview he practically any of the police officers that were 14 .UCLA DAILY BRUIN Thursday, January 5, 1967 there then will tell you, the echo effect was 9— The rate of change of momentum is propor- 52—St Louis Post-Dispatch, Dec. 1, 1963; bold• such that it sounded like it came from the tional to the impressed force, and is in the direction face added. railroad yards. That is where I looked, that in which the force ads. 53—New York Times, Dec. 6, 1963; boldface is where all the policemen, everyone, con- (Note by Dr. Riddle) added. verged on the railroads . . . 54—New York Times, Dec. 6, 1963; boldface 9A—We must be careful how we apply these added. Specter: Why did you not look back at the principles. It is only in cases where the impact is Texas School Book Depository Building in with bone, Le. a rigid part of the body, that a defin- 55—New York Times, Nov. 26, 1966. view of the fact that you had seen a man with ite statement of the resulting motion can be made. 56—St Louis Post-Dispatch, Dec. 18, 1963. a rifle up there earlier in the day? 57—VI, 43. _ . - Rowland: . ; It was mostly dueto . the -- This is true of the pie:Sent case, but not, for example, fact that it sounded like it camefrom this area --- of a hit in the stomach. (Note by Dr. Riddle) 59—VI, 37.- (indicating the Triple Underpass on Commis- 9B —J. Edgar Hoover has acknowledged that 60—VI, 55. - don Exhibit 354) and that all the officers, en- two of these film frames, 314 and 315, were trans- 61—VI, 42. forcement officers, were converging on that posed in publication in Volume XVIIL (Note by 62—VI, 141. __ area and I just didn't pay any attention to it Dr. Riddle) 63-111, 362; boldface added. at that time.(150) 64—III, 362; WR 92. 10— The initial motion of the head (frames 312- 65-111, 373; WR 92. 313) is consistent with a bullet fired from an eleva- — 66—VI, 42; boldface added. - tion of about 25 degrees or more from the direction 67—VI, 55. Recapitulation: we have postulated, since this would cause a turning 67A— Harold Feldman, Minority of One, Marcia motion about the neck in the direction observed. 1965. - ._ We have presented two separate bodies of evi- . (Note by Dr. Riddle) 679—WE 19. dence, each of which adds another gunman to the 11 —"Mrs. Connally heard a second shot fired 68— XXIV, 212. - single assassin posited by the Commission. From 69—VI, 244.. _ this, we have concluded that there were at least three and pulled her husband down into her lap . . . The governor was lying with his head on his wife's lap 70 — W, 247. assassins firing, and that President Kennedy was 71—VI, 244-6. caught in a crossfire on November 22. when he heard a shot hit the President At that point, both Governor and Mrs. Connally observed brain 72—VI, 230. One body of evidence shows that someone was . tissue spattered over the interior of the car. Accord- 73 — XXII, 833. - firing on the motorcade from the rear in addition to - ing to Governor and Mrs. Connally, It was after 74 —XXII, 836. the gunman ruing the Italian bolt-action rifie.(151) - this shot that Kellerman issued emergency instruc- 75—VI, 225... 1) Both Kennedy and Governor Connally, as the tions and the car accelerated." (WR 50) Note that 76 —XIX, 485. Commission concluded, were struck from the. rear in no other testimony relating to this point is adduced 77 —VII, 571. less time than the minimum time needed to fire the - in the Report. The Commission apparently accepted 78—V11, 571-2. alleged murder weapon twice the testimony of the Governor and his wife on this _ 79 —VII, 576. point as accurate and factual. See also testimony 80—Dallas Morning News, Nov. 23, 1963; Felt 2) The Commission's attempt to prove the existence of Clint Hill, Secret Service agent who jumped on man, Minority of One, March, 1965. of a single assassin by showing that one bullet fired the back of the President's car, about the sudden 81— XXIV, 218. from the rear struck both men, collides with the acceleration of the car " . . . the initial surge was 82— XXII, 843. evidence quite violent, because it almost jerked me off the left 83— XXIV, 204. a) Evidence now available shows that the bullet rear stepboard." (II, 141) Lyndal Shaneyfelt, the 84 — XXIV, 205. entered the President's back at a point lower than FBI photo expert, testified: "' . I examined the 85 — XXIV, 219; boldface added. that posited by the Commission. Further, there is Zapruder film and determined that Agent Hill first 86— XXIV, 213. no conclusive evidence that it left a continuous path places his hand on the Presidential car at frame 87—WI, 560; boldface added. through the President's body, or that It exited at his 343. This is approximately 1.6 seconds after the 88—X1X, 486. throat President Is hit in the head at frame 313. Special 89—VI, 195-6. b) Testimony of Governor and Mrs. Connally, to- Agent Hill placed one foot on the bumper of the, 90 — VL 206-7. gether with study of the Zapruder film, shows that car at framefr 368, which is approximately three 91—VI, 212-3. he and President Kennedy were hit from the rear by seconds after frame 313. Agent Hill had both feet 92 —VI, 207. separate bullets. on the car at frame 381, which is approximately 93—VI, 220-1. ) The Commission's own experts contradicted the 3.7 seconds after frame 313." (XV, 699) The testi- 94—VI, 210.3. Commission thesis that a bullet (Exhibit 399), dis- mony of Hill and Shaneyfelt, taken together, dearly 95— MC, 158. covered unmuttlated on a stretcher In Parkland Hos- establishes that the car did not accelerate until sev- 96— VI, 222. pital, caused all the wounds of Governor Connally. eral seconds after the fatal head shot (Note by Dr. 97—Dallas Times-Herald, Nov. 22, 1963 3) One bullet fired from the rear did not pass through Riddle) 98—VI, 328-9. 99-111, 227. President Kennedy and then go on to cause all of 12— Even if the bullet impacted in such a way Connally's wounds. Wounded within less than 2.3 100— XXII, 638. as to cause a turning motion of the head, we would 101 —XXII, 685. seconds of each other, they were hit by separate bul- expect to see some forward motion before the head lets. There were at least two assassins firing from 102— YrXIV. 521. the rear. (151) is completely turned (see footnote 9); we see only 103 — )0til, 642. a backward motion. (Note by Dr. Riddle) 104 —XXII, 648. A second body of evidence shows that at least 13— R. A. J. Riddle, private study conducted for 105— XXII. 659. one gunman was firing from a position forward of Ramparts; previously unpublished. 106— XXII, 683. the motorcade. 14 —VL 56; Italics added. 107—VI, 388. 1) Study and measurement of the Zapruder film 15 —VL 33. 108—VI, 338-9. shows the President's head snapping sharply back 16—VI, 40-41. 109—XXII, 662. and to the left, consistent with a shot fired from the 17 — VI, 20. 110—VI, 365. right front, where the Grassy Knoll is situated. For 18 — VI, 11. 111—II, 234. the fatal shot to have been fired from the rear would 19—VI, 66. 112—VI, 371-2. violate Newton's law of conservation of momentum 20—VI, 136. 113 —VII, 510-1. —barring a highly Improbable neuromuscular reac- 21— II, 141. 114—III, 204. tion sufficiently strong to overcome any trace of the 22—WE 538-43. 115-111, 175. impact of a bullet traveling 1300 miles an hour. 23 —WR 86. 116— III, 177. 24—VI, 136. 117— XIX, 508. 2) Medical testimony of the Parkland doctors shows 25—VI, 48, 71, 74, 11, 25, 35, 42; II, 128. 118—XIX, 502. a wound of exit on the right rear portion of the 26 —XVIII, 731. 119 —XIX, 540. President's head, consistent with a shot fired. from 27 —XVIII, 765; italics added. 120 —VII, 106. the front 28 —XIX, 490; italics added. 121 —WI, 109. 3) Medical testimony of the Parkland staff, the only 29 —XVIII, 801. 122— XIX, 524. doctors to view the bullet hole in the President's 30—XX, 353. 123 —XIX, 514. throht before it was obliterated by the tracheotomy, 124 — XIX; 458. 31—IL 81. Kellerman's first observation was of 125 —XIX, 530. shows that based on the appearance of the wound, the gaping (exit) wound in the right rear portion it was a wound of entry—consistent with a shot from 126— XIX, 528. the front of the head, which he described as "to the left of 127— XIX, 511. the (right) ear . ' . and a little high." The Presi- 128 —XIX, 543. 4) Testimony of 64 witnesses to the assassination dent's body was face down when Kellerman made 129—VI, 173. shows that shots originated from forward of the this observation. Clearly, he is measuring leftward 130-11, 73. motorcade, from the area of the Grassy Knoll. Wit- from the right ear. Kellerman went on to say, "En- 131-11, 74. nesses saw smoke rising from the Knoll area, heard try into this man's head was right below that 132 — II, 144. the sound of gunfire coming from the Knoll, and wound, right here." Specter: "Indicating the bottom 133 —XVIII, 739. smelled smoke behind the Knott of the hairline immediately to the right of the (right) 134 —XVIII, 754-5. These two arguments are logically independent of ear about the lower third of the ear? . . . " Keller- 135 —VII, 345. each other. The validity of either adds one gunman man: "Right . . " Specter: "What was the use 136 —XXI, 390-1. to the Commission's version of the assassination. If of that aperture?' Kellerman: "The little finger." 137—VI, 294-6. either argument could be proved invalid, it_would Again, It is apparent that Kellerman is measuring 138—VI, 298. not affect the validity of the other. from the right ear. 139—VII, 568-9. 32—WE 542. 140—WI, 535. We feel the evidence is persuasive that there were 33— Commission Exhibits 385, 386, 388. 141—The Texas Observer, Dec. 13, 1963 at least three gunmen firing at the Presidential motor- 34 —XVI, 984. 142—VI, 233. cade in Dallas. And we feel that a thorough re- 35— IL 349-50. 143—II, 162. investigation should be launched immediately—with 36—Liberation, March 1965; italics in original. 144— IV, 149; boldface added. the full resources of the United States government 37 — XVII, 48. 145—VI, 159-60. and private citizens at its disposal—to discover the 38-11, 373. 146—VII, 473. identity of the three or more assassins, and the iden- 39—V, 180. 147 —VI, 28643. tity of those who plsnned the crime and ordered its 40—Philadelphia Sunday Bulletin, Nov.24,1963 148—VII, :557. execution. 41—VII, 518. 149 —XIX, 492. 42—New York Times, Nov. 23, 1963. 150—II, 180-1. 43—VI, 33. 151— See Part One section 5, for a consideration 44 —XVII, 12. of the possibility that the Carcano rifle was not used Footnotes to Part H: 45 —VI, 48. in the assassination. 46—XVII, 45. 1— XVIII, 1-80. 47 — WR 98. Research Consultants—Mae Brussel, Marjorie Des- 2 — XVII, 901. 48—New York Times, Nov. 23, 1963; bold face champs, Penn Jones Jr., Jones Harris, Paul Hoch, 3 —WR 115. . . Ray Marcus, Shirley Martin, Elizabeth Stoneborough 4 —WR 19. , 49—New York Times, Nov. 27, 1963; bold face 5—WR 109. added. We -are-indebted to Edward Jay Epstein, Harold 6-- WR 109. 50—New York Times, Nov. 27, 1963; bold face .Feldman, Mark_ Lane, Sylvia. Meagher Vincent _ 7—Thomas: Stamm, unpublished treatise; italics - added- Salandria - and Harold Weisberg for. their pioneer _ in originaL 51—' Life Kennedy Memorial Edition, December, . research on the assassination. . 8—V, 169. 1963; Also, Life, November 29, 1963"