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Warren Commission Hearings: Vol. IV - Page 161« Previous | Next »

(Testimony of Jesse Edward Curry)

Mr. Curry.
on each side of the underpass, up in the railroad yards, and I thought at first that perhaps this was a railroad torpedo, it was a sharp crack.
Inspector--no, it wasn't Inspector, it was Lawson of the Secret Service and Mr. Sorrels of the Dallas office of the Secret Service, and Sheriff Bill Decker and myself were in this car.
Mr. Dulles.
I may be anticipating.
Mr. Rankin.
That is all right, go right ahead.
Mr. Curry.
I said what was that, was that a firecracker, or someone said this, I don't recall whether it was me or someone else, and from the report I couldn't tell whether it was coming from the railroad yard or whether it was coming from behind but I said over the radio, I said, "Get someone up in the railroad yard and check."
And then about this time, I believe it was motorcycle Officer Chaney rode up beside of me and looking back in the rear view mirror I could see some commotion in the President's car and after this there had been two more reports, but these other two reports I could tell were coming behind instead of from the railroad yards.
Mr. Rankin.
What do you mean by reports?
Mr. Curry.
Sharp reports as a rifle or a firecracker, and looking in the rear view mirror then I could see some commotion in President Kennedy's car.
Mr. Rankin.
You could distinctly hear and tell that the two later reports were from behind?
Mr. Curry.
Behind.
Mr. Rankin.
Rather than front?
Mr. Curry.
That is right.
Mr. Rankin.
You weren't sure whether the first one was from behind or in front?
Mr. Curry.
I couldn't tell because perhaps of the echo or the----
Representative Ford.
Where were you sitting in the car, sir?
Mr. Curry.
I was driving.
Representative Ford.
You were driving?
Mr. Curry.
Yes, sir.
Representative Ford.
When you heard the first report, did you grab a communications set and give this order?
Mr. Curry.
Almost immediately.
Representative Ford.
What was the order that you gave?
Mr. Curry.
As I recall it, "Get someone up in the railroad yard to check those people." There was already an officer up there.
Mr. Rankin.
How do you know that?
Mr. Curry.
They assigned officers to every overpass.
We went with the Secret Service, Batchelor and Chief Lunday had went over this route with Secret Service agents Lawson and Sorrels and they had run the route 2 or 3 days prior to this and pointed out every place where they wanted security officers, and we placed them there where they asked for them.
Mr. Rankin.
Did you see an officer there when you looked up?
Mr. Curry.
I couldn't recognize him, but I could see an officer whoever it was.
Representative Ford.
Did you get this order over the PA system before the second and third shots?
Mr. Curry.
I don't believe so, I am not sure. I am not positive. Because they were in pretty rapid succession. But after I noticed some commotion in the President's car and a motorcycle officer ran up aside of me and I asked him what had happened and he said shots had been fired, and I said, "Has the President been hit or has the President's party been hit? And he said, "I am sure they have."
I said, "Take us to the hospital immediately," and I got on the radio and I told them to notify Parkland Hospital to stand by for an emergency, and this is approximately, I would say, perhaps a couple of miles or so to Parkland Hospital from this, and we went to Parkland and I notified them to have them to be standing by for an emergency, and we went out there under siren escort and went into the emergency entrance.
As I recall, I got out of the car and rushed to the emergency entrance and told them to bring the stretchers out, and they loaded the President, President
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