Lt/F-6P(6-0 matter) could not have fired a shot between Zapruder frames Another Look 166 up to and including frame 210 because a tree (along Elm at the Shot Street) would've blocked a po- tential assassin's view of the Presidential motorcade as it Sequence proceeded down Elm Street. One exception that was pointed In President Kennedy's out by the Warren Commission Assassination itself was that for one very brief instant (at Zapruder frame 186) the motorcade was visible from that sixth floor win- By Hal Verb dow. It is true that a particular argument was that — in- "The Knowledge of Things Lay Round deed — an assassin had fired a shot the instant the hole but Unperceived." in the tree became apparent. But even the Warren Com- Wallace Stevens, American Poet, mission argued against this position. Of course, upon in One of His Poems on -Chaos." reflection, without this Commission conclusion, it should be noted, clearly, that if an assassin had suc- "The Least Initial Deviation From The Truth cessfully fired through the hole in the tree at frame 186, is Multiplied Later A Thousandfold." a bullet would have struck Kennedy after Z-189 and Aristotle not before. It has been shown that human reaction time (spotting Kennedy at Zapruder frame 186) would re- t a John F. Kennedy Assaisination Conference quire at least three frames plus the firing time (several held in Washington. D.C., in October. 1994, 1 frames) exceeds Zapruder frame 189. Thus, this shot presented a talk titled The First Shot in the could not have been fired from the sixth floor window A if solid evidence can be established that Kennedy was John F. Kennedy Assassination was not the Missed Shot." This talk was subsequently published in the struck at frame 189. British magazine. Dallas. '63. This article will further demonstrate that, indeed, The talk and the article relied heavily — but not frame 189 is the precise instant for the very first shot solely — upon the Zapruder film. Besides entering evi- fired in the assassination. In addition to this demon- dence contained within the Zapruder film, I offered eye- stration, I will also contend that what follows in my witness, ear-witness and other films (such as stills of argument here will add another nail in the coffin of the the Willis #5 photo and Hugh Betzner's last of three notorious Zapruder film "alteratibn" theory. still photographs he had taken). All of these were sub- I should note here that many years ago at a mitted to support my claim that the very first shot fired researcher's home in California the Zapruder film was in the assassination was fired somewhere in the range shown and particular emphasis was placed on the early of Zapruder frames 186 and 202 (although it was my frames of the Zapruder film, that is, those frames just firm belief at the time — and still is — that the precise before 186 and up to frame 202 and beyond. The re- frame at which Kennedy was struck by a bullet was searcher was able to utilize stop-motion thus slowing Zapruder frame 189. The frames between 186 and 202 down the film to examine particular frames. At that were utilized merely to place the exact moment within meeting were researchers Doug DeSalles (who wrote known and existing photos which would support this an excellent article, Dr. Gary Aguilar, Dr. David Mantik conclusion). and myself.= I offered my analysis as to why I had In the course of my talk (and article), I specifi- singled out Zapruder frame 189 as being the very first cally drew attention to the Warren Report's conclusion. shot and also the one striking Kennedy causing a non- based upon the FBI's own analysis of the Zapruder film. fatal wound. As students of the assassination will recall, whether or Of course, the controversy about whether the not Oswald was in the sixth floor window of the Texas Zapruder film was authentic and not in any way al- School Book Building, he (nor anyone else for that tered or doctored was barely underway when I presented my analysis — specifically of frame 189. Note, how- 12 Kennedy Assassination Chronicles Vol. 7, Issue 2, Summer 2001 -ever, that a leading proponent of the Zapruder film al- report which was taken on the day of the assassination, teration, Dr. Mantik, was present and he did hear my November 22, 1963. He reinforced the observations analysis. It will be interesting to notice his reaction to of his wife especially as to what transpired precisely my discussion of frame Z-I89 and my further elabora- after the first shot. We should note that as Rowland's tion of my analysis presented in this article. report was taken on the same day as the assassination And now we come to the theme of this article and, therefore, his impressions would certainly be which, on second thought. could have been retitled: No sharper and clearer, than, presumably, than Mrs. Laughing Matter!"' Rowland who testified five months later (April, 1964). When one re-ex- For Mr. Rowland's re- amines the first day evi- port. see WC16, 953, dence in the murder of "It was his belief th at two shots were identified as CE 357: President Kennedy, there fired in rapid suc cession which he Mr. Rowland: is something that oc- thought at the time was a firecracker." "....in about 15 curred that either has minutes President largely been lost sight of Kennedy passed or totally ignored by re- the spot where we searchers. Essentially, all were standing and the evidence presented below exists within the Zapruder the motorcade had just turned west on Elm head- film itself and is further confirmed by eye and ear-wit- ing down the hill when I heard a noise which I ness evidence relating to the first shot evidence. thought to be backfire. In fact. some of the Let us begin with the testimony of eyewitneis Mrs. people laughed and then in about 3 seconds a Barbara Rowland who was questioned by David Belin, third report..." the Warren Commission's Assistant Counsel (WC6,184). At the time of the assassination Mrs. Note Mr. And Mrs. Rowland both agreeing to Rowland was with her husband. Arnold Rowland, and hearing "laughter" after the first shot. was standing on Houston Street near the Records Build- Now, add to the observations and experiences of ing between Elm and Main Street. the Rowlands the report of William E. Newman, Jr.. Mr. Belin: All right, now, will you please tell who was standing with his wife, Gayle, on Elm Street me what happened as the motorcade went by? about mid-way between Houston Street and the triple Mrs. Rowland: Well, Mrs. Kennedy was wear- underpass, thus, providing him with a closer vantage ing a blue – I mean a pink or maybe a rose – it point to witness the assassination than the Rowlands. was either pink or rose dress or suit, I couldn't Still it was not as close as Zapruder who was then film- say, because she was sitting. She had a pink hat ing the assassination. or rose, the same shade as her dress. From the FBI report on Mr. Newman (WC22. And I remember noticing that the President's CE1432, Nov. 24, 1963): hair was sort of red, that is all. They were fac- "He [Newman] believed that when the ing mainly toward the other side of the street President's car was approximately 50 feet from and waving, and as they turned the corner we him proceeding in a westerly direction on Elm heard a shot and I didn't recognize it as being a Street he heard the first shots fired. It was his shot. I just heard a sound and I thought it might belief that two shots were fired in rapid succes- be a firecracker. sion which he thought at the time was a fire- And the people started laughing at first, and then cracker. we heard two more shots, and they were closer The car was proceeding toward him and it than the first and second, and that is all. seemed that the President's arms went up and that he raised up in his seat and started to look Mrs. Rowland's testimony, by itself. may not be around — Newman first thought the President proof that the first shot struck JFK, however, what fol- and Governor 'were playing some kind of a lows should help confirm that this is, indeed, what oc- game' and suddenly realized they had been shot curred and provide sufficient reasons as to why "the and that he was perhaps in the line of fire be- people started laughing" immediately after the first shot. cause officers started running toward the arcade Arnold Rowland did not testify but submitted a directly back of him and his wife." Kennedy Assassination Chronicles Val. 7. issue 2. Summer 2001 13 In a letter to me, written in March. 1998, Templin Here, again. Newman observes JFK's "arms went related his experience at the time of the assassination: up" and after the first shot. This is exactly as seen and the motorcade past (sic] us about 15 to captured in Zapruder's film immediately after frame 20 feet we heard what appeared to be a motor- 189 and even up to and through frame 207 when a sign cycle backfire. As it did, the President's shoul- blocks our view. These are all bodily reactions to the ders came up and he slumped down slightly on first shot! the back of the seat.