[Report from R. E. Swain to Chief J. E. Curry, December 4, 1963] Page: 1 of 4
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^ ) December 4, 1963
Mr. J. E. Curry
Chief of Police
Bei Shooting of Lea Harvey Oswald
Sir:
I had been available to Captain Fritz1s office most of the morning
of November 2k, 1963* I was in this office shortly before lltOOanu
Seeing that preparations were under way to move Oswald out of the
building, I stepped across the hall-to the Burglary and Theft Office
and instructed the men who were standing by to report to the jail
office two at a time. These men were instructed to assist in any
manner needed.
About lliOOam, the party in Captain Fritz's office started moving
out. I was the first out of the office? walking to the hall door
leading to the jail elevator. I unlocked this door and admitted
Captain Fri,tz, Detective Leavelle, Graves, and Montogomery, and the
prisoner Oswald. Oswald was hancuffed to Detective Leavelle.
When the elevator was loaded, I was the last person to enter the ele-
vator. When we reached the basement, I was the first person off. A-
bout the time we got off the elevator, Captain Fritz was behind me,
and he told me I would have to ride in the second car because we could
only get five in the first car which contained the prisoner. He mo-
tioned for me to lead out. We went out the door on the East side of
the jail desk.
When I walked out into the driveway, I found that press photographers
and news media were surrounding the area. Strong flood lights were
focused in the direction of the jail office. They were blinding.
These lights were located at the Northeast corner of the area of the
opening leading from the jail office.
The vehicle in which the prisoner was to be loaded was attempting to
back into the opening in front of the jail office where unruley pri-
soners are generally unloaded. 1 immediately moved forward toward the
east side and on the south edge of this crowd, moving the crowd of
photographers and newsmen backward. These people were blocking the
vehicle's movement, being in between the vehicle and the prisoner. I
had both arms out stretched and was able to contain these people in a
fairly wide area. I was facing east with my back to the prisoner. To
my left I eould see that everything was clear nearly to the flood lights.
There was about two officers to my left along the drive way. However,
the news media were standing about three deep
Q
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Swain, R. E. [Report from R. E. Swain to Chief J. E. Curry, December 4, 1963], report, December 4, 1963; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth337162/m1/1/: accessed July 9, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Dallas Municipal Archives.