Post by Rob Caprio on Mar 29, 2023 20:36:01 GMT -5
All portions are ©️ Robert Caprio 2006-2024
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Why didn’t the Sheriff’s Office handle the transfer of Lee Harvey Oswald (LHO) like they did almost every other prisoner?
Assistant Chief Batchelor gives us more details on this in his Warren Commission (WC) testimony.
Mr. GRIFFIN. To your office. Do you remember what conversation you had with Chief Stevenson along the way?
Chief BATCHELOR. Well, we were commenting about that camera and that they were going to have to move it, and we were going to have to man that basement. But at the moment, plans hadn't jelled as to when we would move him. Actually, back in our minds, I suppose, was the idea that when the time came, that the sheriffs department would probably move him, because this is customary in moving a prisoner. They normally come down and get the prisoner.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Tell us what your conversation was with Chief Curry up in his office when you first went in?
Chief BATCHELOR. I asked him, I believe, if he had called Sheriff Decker.
Mr. GRIFFIN. What did he say?
Chief BATCHELOR. He said, no, he hadn't, but he was fixing to do that. And he did do it. He picked up the phone and called Sheriff Decker.
This was--I got down around 9 o'clock--I mean around 8 o'clock, correction--and it must have been somewhere around 8:30 or 8:45 when he called Decker.
Mr. GRIFFIN. How long did you talk with him before he called Sheriff Decker?
Chief BATCHELOR. Just a few minutes. He called Sheriff Decker, and Decker said--and I was hearing only one side of the conversation, but I gathered that Decker had told him he thought he was going to move the prisoner. Curry said, "Well, if you want us to, we will." So he said, "I think you've got more manpower than we have. You move him if you will."
Then we had discussed this threat that had been received and----
Mr. GRIFFIN. You and----
Chief BATCHELOR. Curry.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Did Curry mention the threat to Decker in the telephone conversation?
Chief BATCHELOR. I just don't remember whether he did or not. I would think reasonably that he did, but I don't remember.
So we see according to Assistant Chief Batchelor Decker supposedly said “I think you got more manpower than we have. You move him if you will”, but doesn’t this go for every other prisoner? Doesn’t the DPD have more manpower than the Sheriff’s Office for every prisoner? Aren’t other prisoners in danger from time to time also, but did the Sheriff pawn them off to the DPD? I doubt it. Why did the Sheriff’s Office so willingly give away the protection of LHO in this case when it was THEIR RESPONSIBIILTY to transfer prisoners? The last question is a waste of time as we know Sheriff Decker had INFORMED Captain Talbert about the death threat so he did NOT need Chief Curry to tell him about it (as we saw in question one Decker knew about it long before Curry did).
We see further corroboration that the transfer of prisoners falls to the Sheriffs Office from Lieutenant Woodrow Wiggins in his WC testimony.
Mr. HUBERT. On November 24, what was your situation?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. I was working the jail. My jail lieutenant was off that day.
Mr. HUBERT. Now, working the jail entails what responsibilities and duties?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. I'm in charge of everything that goes on in the jail, and among other duties, I pass on all prisoners that are put into jail.
Mr. HUBERT. When you say "pass," on them, what do you mean?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. I check to see their--the arrest is legal, and that I think the charge is proper and that this person belongs in jail before he is placed in jail.
Mr. HUBERT. Now, have you any duties or responsibilities with respect to the transfer of prisoners, in your capacity as jail lieutenant?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. Nothing more than as is normal to turn them over to either the constable or deputy sheriff who transfers them to the county jail.
Mr. HUBERT. With reference to prisoners who are transferred from the city jail to the county jail, is it customary for your department to transfer them to the county jail, or is it customary for the State deputies to come and get the prisoner?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. It is customary for the deputy sheriff or constable to come and get a prisoner.
Mr. HUBERT. Do you know why an exception was made in the case of Oswald?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. I was never told.
Why NOT? Wouldn’t it be more prudent to tell the man in charge of the jail why they were NOT following NORMAL procedure?
Mr. HUBERT. In other words, normally, it would have been Sheriff Decker's duty to come and get Oswald, is that correct?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. Normally, it would have been that way.
Mr. HUBERT. Do you know, or did you ever hear it discussed, the reason why the normal procedure was not followed?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. No; I haven't. When I make that statement--I have surmised that it was for better protection due to the fact that we have more men, possibly, than Sheriff Decker did. That is strictly a surmise of mine, of my own.
Despite the DPD having more men LHO was GUNNED DOWN in the basement with all the cops watching. Do you think the Sheriff’s Office could have done worse with fewer men? I doubt it.
Even the WC lawyer found it odd that NO one gave him orders or details about the transfer of LHO.
Mr. HUBERT. Did you know of any of the plans for removal of Oswald, or the transfer?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. I knew of no plans. I had been informed by the platoon that--I believe that it was understood that he would be transferred after 10 o'clock in the morning. Now, that was----
Mr. HUBERT. No one gave you any orders or assigned any duties to you in connection with the transfer?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. No.
Mr. HUBERT. Did any sheriff come with a warrant for his release?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. Not to my knowledge.
Again, this is strange and rare. They discuss this more.
Mr. HUBERT. Well, under normal circumstances would you allow a prisoner to be removed by the city police?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. Yes.
This sounds promising until you read on.
Mr. HUBERT. He would be out of your custody on "tempo," is that right?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. Not necessarily. Let me say this: that the--that the city police transfer prisoners on occasion over to the county jail.
Mr. HUBERT. Yes.
Lieutenant WIGGINS. But, this is rare. It is--there are instances I can name. For instance, they have filed on a prisoner and just for courtesy to the prisoner, more or less, he wants to get to the county and they just transfer him on down to the county themselves.
We see it is RARE for the DPD to do a transfer. They did NOT follow the normal procedure for LHO or his belongings either.
Mr. HUBERT. How do you relieve yourselves of responsibility in those circumstances?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. Each prisoner who is transferred, the card is signed, or the name of the officer that is making the transfer is placed on his card. His property is turned over to the officer making the transfer.
Mr. HUBERT. Was this done in this way?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. No: in this case, they were going to take the property later.
It seems like the DPD was NOT too worried about bringing LHO’s belongings with them when they transferred him as IF they knew he would NOT be needing them. When did Wiggins learn of the transfer taking place?
Mr. HUBERT. When were you first aware that Oswald was going to be moved in the immediate future?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. When was I aware that he was en route, or----
Mr. HUBERT. Yes.
Lieutenant WIGGINS. Or, being moved to the county?
Mr. HUBERT. Yes.
Lieutenant WIGGINS. I'd say possibly a minute before the shooting occurred, they called me--someone called me from the--Captain Fritz' office, the homicide bureau, and told me they were en route down the elevator with Oswald, and I know that when I hung the phone up I looked in and could tell by the elevator lights it was on the way down.
Mr. HUBERT. Now, in your statement you fix that moment at 11:20. How do you fix that? Do you remember now how you fixed that?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. I remember looking at our clock as they came by. I don't know why, but I looked, just to be sure.
So a minute before LHO was gunned down he was called and told they were transferring LHO with NO one signing the transfer card or coming for LHO’s belongings! Why was the change made this time? The claim of it being because the “DPD had more men” is ludicrous given the FACT LHO was gunned down while in their custody—so what is the real reason for the change in policy in regards to LHO?
Can any WC defender answer or explain this?
i.pinimg.com/236x/74/e8/23/74e823f78551d52e431a833471164fd3.jpg
Why didn’t the Sheriff’s Office handle the transfer of Lee Harvey Oswald (LHO) like they did almost every other prisoner?
Assistant Chief Batchelor gives us more details on this in his Warren Commission (WC) testimony.
Mr. GRIFFIN. To your office. Do you remember what conversation you had with Chief Stevenson along the way?
Chief BATCHELOR. Well, we were commenting about that camera and that they were going to have to move it, and we were going to have to man that basement. But at the moment, plans hadn't jelled as to when we would move him. Actually, back in our minds, I suppose, was the idea that when the time came, that the sheriffs department would probably move him, because this is customary in moving a prisoner. They normally come down and get the prisoner.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Tell us what your conversation was with Chief Curry up in his office when you first went in?
Chief BATCHELOR. I asked him, I believe, if he had called Sheriff Decker.
Mr. GRIFFIN. What did he say?
Chief BATCHELOR. He said, no, he hadn't, but he was fixing to do that. And he did do it. He picked up the phone and called Sheriff Decker.
This was--I got down around 9 o'clock--I mean around 8 o'clock, correction--and it must have been somewhere around 8:30 or 8:45 when he called Decker.
Mr. GRIFFIN. How long did you talk with him before he called Sheriff Decker?
Chief BATCHELOR. Just a few minutes. He called Sheriff Decker, and Decker said--and I was hearing only one side of the conversation, but I gathered that Decker had told him he thought he was going to move the prisoner. Curry said, "Well, if you want us to, we will." So he said, "I think you've got more manpower than we have. You move him if you will."
Then we had discussed this threat that had been received and----
Mr. GRIFFIN. You and----
Chief BATCHELOR. Curry.
Mr. GRIFFIN. Did Curry mention the threat to Decker in the telephone conversation?
Chief BATCHELOR. I just don't remember whether he did or not. I would think reasonably that he did, but I don't remember.
So we see according to Assistant Chief Batchelor Decker supposedly said “I think you got more manpower than we have. You move him if you will”, but doesn’t this go for every other prisoner? Doesn’t the DPD have more manpower than the Sheriff’s Office for every prisoner? Aren’t other prisoners in danger from time to time also, but did the Sheriff pawn them off to the DPD? I doubt it. Why did the Sheriff’s Office so willingly give away the protection of LHO in this case when it was THEIR RESPONSIBIILTY to transfer prisoners? The last question is a waste of time as we know Sheriff Decker had INFORMED Captain Talbert about the death threat so he did NOT need Chief Curry to tell him about it (as we saw in question one Decker knew about it long before Curry did).
We see further corroboration that the transfer of prisoners falls to the Sheriffs Office from Lieutenant Woodrow Wiggins in his WC testimony.
Mr. HUBERT. On November 24, what was your situation?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. I was working the jail. My jail lieutenant was off that day.
Mr. HUBERT. Now, working the jail entails what responsibilities and duties?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. I'm in charge of everything that goes on in the jail, and among other duties, I pass on all prisoners that are put into jail.
Mr. HUBERT. When you say "pass," on them, what do you mean?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. I check to see their--the arrest is legal, and that I think the charge is proper and that this person belongs in jail before he is placed in jail.
Mr. HUBERT. Now, have you any duties or responsibilities with respect to the transfer of prisoners, in your capacity as jail lieutenant?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. Nothing more than as is normal to turn them over to either the constable or deputy sheriff who transfers them to the county jail.
Mr. HUBERT. With reference to prisoners who are transferred from the city jail to the county jail, is it customary for your department to transfer them to the county jail, or is it customary for the State deputies to come and get the prisoner?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. It is customary for the deputy sheriff or constable to come and get a prisoner.
Mr. HUBERT. Do you know why an exception was made in the case of Oswald?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. I was never told.
Why NOT? Wouldn’t it be more prudent to tell the man in charge of the jail why they were NOT following NORMAL procedure?
Mr. HUBERT. In other words, normally, it would have been Sheriff Decker's duty to come and get Oswald, is that correct?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. Normally, it would have been that way.
Mr. HUBERT. Do you know, or did you ever hear it discussed, the reason why the normal procedure was not followed?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. No; I haven't. When I make that statement--I have surmised that it was for better protection due to the fact that we have more men, possibly, than Sheriff Decker did. That is strictly a surmise of mine, of my own.
Despite the DPD having more men LHO was GUNNED DOWN in the basement with all the cops watching. Do you think the Sheriff’s Office could have done worse with fewer men? I doubt it.
Even the WC lawyer found it odd that NO one gave him orders or details about the transfer of LHO.
Mr. HUBERT. Did you know of any of the plans for removal of Oswald, or the transfer?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. I knew of no plans. I had been informed by the platoon that--I believe that it was understood that he would be transferred after 10 o'clock in the morning. Now, that was----
Mr. HUBERT. No one gave you any orders or assigned any duties to you in connection with the transfer?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. No.
Mr. HUBERT. Did any sheriff come with a warrant for his release?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. Not to my knowledge.
Again, this is strange and rare. They discuss this more.
Mr. HUBERT. Well, under normal circumstances would you allow a prisoner to be removed by the city police?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. Yes.
This sounds promising until you read on.
Mr. HUBERT. He would be out of your custody on "tempo," is that right?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. Not necessarily. Let me say this: that the--that the city police transfer prisoners on occasion over to the county jail.
Mr. HUBERT. Yes.
Lieutenant WIGGINS. But, this is rare. It is--there are instances I can name. For instance, they have filed on a prisoner and just for courtesy to the prisoner, more or less, he wants to get to the county and they just transfer him on down to the county themselves.
We see it is RARE for the DPD to do a transfer. They did NOT follow the normal procedure for LHO or his belongings either.
Mr. HUBERT. How do you relieve yourselves of responsibility in those circumstances?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. Each prisoner who is transferred, the card is signed, or the name of the officer that is making the transfer is placed on his card. His property is turned over to the officer making the transfer.
Mr. HUBERT. Was this done in this way?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. No: in this case, they were going to take the property later.
It seems like the DPD was NOT too worried about bringing LHO’s belongings with them when they transferred him as IF they knew he would NOT be needing them. When did Wiggins learn of the transfer taking place?
Mr. HUBERT. When were you first aware that Oswald was going to be moved in the immediate future?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. When was I aware that he was en route, or----
Mr. HUBERT. Yes.
Lieutenant WIGGINS. Or, being moved to the county?
Mr. HUBERT. Yes.
Lieutenant WIGGINS. I'd say possibly a minute before the shooting occurred, they called me--someone called me from the--Captain Fritz' office, the homicide bureau, and told me they were en route down the elevator with Oswald, and I know that when I hung the phone up I looked in and could tell by the elevator lights it was on the way down.
Mr. HUBERT. Now, in your statement you fix that moment at 11:20. How do you fix that? Do you remember now how you fixed that?
Lieutenant WIGGINS. I remember looking at our clock as they came by. I don't know why, but I looked, just to be sure.
So a minute before LHO was gunned down he was called and told they were transferring LHO with NO one signing the transfer card or coming for LHO’s belongings! Why was the change made this time? The claim of it being because the “DPD had more men” is ludicrous given the FACT LHO was gunned down while in their custody—so what is the real reason for the change in policy in regards to LHO?
Can any WC defender answer or explain this?