From: rharris@thuntek.net (Robert Harris) Subject: A Few Witnesses Date: 26 Dec 1996 02:58:09 GMT One of the most ridiculous myths in this case is that the witnesses gave wild and conflicting stories about the shooting sequence. The overwhelming majority of those who had an opinion about the shooting reported hearing a single, isolated shot followed by a period of extended silence, and then at least two "bunched" or closely spaced shots. Although they only mentioned it once throughout all 26 volumes, even the Warren Commission admitted, "..a substantial majority of the witnesses stated that the shots were not evenly spaced. Most witnesses recalled that the second and third shots were bunched together... " At one point during the hearings, Warren Commissioner Allen Dulles noted the overwhelming consistency of these witnesses, when he described the ratio of those confirming this shooting scenario in comparison with others, "I would say it is something like 5 to 1 or something of that kind... " The following is a complilation of some of these witnesses¹ statements, taken from WC testimonies and original reports. Dallas Mayor Earle Cabell, "There was a longer pause between the first and second shots than there was between the second and third shots. They were in rather rapid succession." ------------------------------------------------ Mrs. Earle Cabell, "...just as I got the words out - the second two shots rang out." ------------------------------------------------ Deputy Sheriff Roger Craig, Mr. BELIN. Two or 3 seconds between the first and the second? Mr. CRAIG. Well, it was quite a pause between there. It could have been a little longer. Mr. BELIN. And what about between the second and third? Mr. CRAIG. Not more than 2 seconds. It was--they were real rapid. ------------------------------------------------ James N. Crawford, "The second shot followed some seconds, a little time elapsed after the first one, and followed very quickly by the third one.." ------------------------------------------------ SA William Greer (driving the limo) Mr. Spector. To the best of your ability to recollect and estimate, how much time elapsed from the first noise which you have described as being similar to the backfire of a motor vehicle until you heard the second noise? Mr. Greer: It seems a matter of seconds. I really couldn't say. Three or four seconds. Mr. Spector. How much time elapsed, to the best of your ability to estimate and recollect, between the time of the second noise and the time of the third noise Mr. Greer. The last two seemed to be just simultaneously, one behind the other, but I don't recollect just how much, how many seconds were between the two... ------------------------------------------------ SA George Hickey (in reference to the 2nd and 3rd shots), "At the moment he was almost sitting erect I heard two reports which I thought were shots and that appeared to me completely different in sound than the first report and were in such rapid succession that there seemed to be practically no time element between them." ------------------------------------------------ Hurchel Jacks (Hwy Patrolman who drove the Vice President's car), "..I heard a shot ring out which appeared to come from the right rear of the Vice President's car. Mr. Rufus Youngblood, the Secret Service Agent riding in my car asked me what that was and at the same time he advised the Vice President and Mrs. Johnson to get down. He climbed to the rear of the seat with the Vice President and appeared to be shielding the Vice President with his own body. At that time I heard two more shots ring out." ------------------------------------------------ Robert H. Jackson, "I would say to me it seemed like 3 or 4 seconds between the first and the second, and between the second and third, well, I guess 2 seconds, they were very close together..." ------------------------------------------------ Ladybird Johnson, "..suddenly there was a sharp loud report--a shot. It seemed to me to come from the right, above my shoulder, from a building. Then a moment and then two more shots in rapid succession." ------------------------------------------------ Sheriff's Deputy, C.M. Jones, "..A few short seconds later, I heard an explosion followed in about 3 to 5 seconds later two more explosions." ------------------------------------------------ SA Roy Kellerman, (referring to the time between the 2nd and 3rd shots) "Let me give you an illustration, sir, before I can give you an answer. You have heard the sound barrier, of a plane breaking the sound barrier, bang, bang? That is it." ------------------------------------------------ SA Sam A. Kinney, "I saw the President lean toward the left and appeared to have grabbed his chest with his right hand. There was a second of pause and then two more shots were heard..." ------------------------------------------------ SA William Lawson, "...I heard two more sharp reports, the second two were closer together than the first. There was one report, and a pause, then two more reports closer together, two and three were closer together than one and two." ------------------------------------------------ Billy Lovelady, "After he had passed and was about 50 yards in front of us I heard three shots. There was a slight pause after the first shot then the next two was right close together." ------------------------------------------------ SA William A. McIntyre, "The Presidential vehicle was approximately 200 feet from the underpass when the first shot was fired, followed in quick succession by two more. I would estimate that all three shots were fired within 5 seconds. After the second shot, I looked at the President and witnessed his being struck in the head by the third and last shot." ------------------------------------------------ Mary Ann Mitchell, "...there were three---the second and third being closer together than the first and second..." ------------------------------------------------ Joe R. Molina. "... Of course, the first shot was fired then there was an interval between the first and second longer than the second and third." ------------------------------------------------ Luke Mooney. "...The second and third shot was pretty close together, but there was a short lapse there between the first and second shot." ------------------------------------------------ Joe Henry Rich (Hwy Patrolman who drove the Vice Presidential security car) "We turned off of Houston Street onto Elm Street and that was when I heard the first shot. I noticed a lot of confusion up ahead of me, motorcycle policemen and in the President's car and the President's security car. This Secret Service man in the front seat with me made the remark, "What the hell was that" and about that time I heard two more shots." ------------------------------------------------ SA Emory P. Roberts, "12:30 p.m. First of three shots fired, at which time I saw the President lean toward Mrs. Kennedy. I do not know if it was the next shot or third shot that hit the President in the head..." (The shots are so close that Roberts cannot tell which was the fatal head wound.) ------------------------------------------------ Arnold Rowland, "The actual time between the reports I would say now, after having had time to consider the 6 seconds between the first and second report and two between the second and third." ------------------------------------------------ Barbara Rowland, " ...the second and third were closer than the first and second." ------------------------------------------------ Edward Shields, "I said, 'The President has been shot'; we walked back to the lot and where Tracey was. I heard one shot and then a pause and then this repetition--two shots right behind the other..." ------------------------------------------------ Special Agent Forrest V. Sorrels in the lead car, " There was to me about twice as much time between the first and second shots as there was between the second and third shots. " ------------------------------------------------ Chief Sheriff's Deputy Allan Sweatt, "The President's caravan had just passed and about a minute or two, I heard a shot and about 7 seconds later another shot and approximately 2 or 3 seconds later a third shot..." ------------------------------------------------ SA Warren W. Taylor, " In the instant that my left foot touched the ground, I heard two more bangs and realized that they must be gun shots." (hint: in the Altgens photo taken at Z255, we can clearly see that Taylor has not yet stepped out of the car. Those "two bangs" are yet to come.) ------------------------------------------------ Bonnie Ray Williams. " ... I remembered three shots, because there was a pause between the first two shots... The second and the third shot was closer together than the first shot and the second shot.. " ------------------------------------------------ Linda Willis, the fifteen year old daughter of Phil Willis, " Yes; I heard one. Then there was a little bit of time, and then there were two real fast bullets together. When the first one hit, well, the President turned from waving to the people, and he grabbed his throat, and he kind of slumped forward, and then I couldn't tell where the second shot went. " ------------------------------------------------ Deputy Sheriff, John Wiseman, "..I heard a shot and I knew something had happened. I ran at once to the corner of Houston and Main Street and out into the street when the second and third shots rang out." ------------------------------------------------ Milton T. Wright (Highway Patrolman driving the Mayor's car. Wright requires a bit of explanation - see note after quotation.), "The car I was driving had just turned onto Elm Street and approximately 30 feet from the intersection when I heard the first shot. When the second shot was fired I noticed a number of people runing away from the motorcade..." In the Altgens photo taken at exactly Z255, the mayor's car Wright was driving, clearly had not yet turned onto Elm St. Although Wright only heard two shots, he placed both of them after making that turn and traveling approximately 30 feet. Therefore, like most others, Wright definitively places the last two shots together at the end of the shooting sequence. ------------------------------------------------ Congressman Ralph W. Yarborough, " ..by my estimate--to me there seemed to be a longer time between the first and second shots, a much shorter time between the second and third shots.. " ------------------------------------------------ SA Rufus W. Youngblood, "There seemed to be a longer span of time between the first and the second shot than there was between the second and third shot. " ------------------------------------------------ Victoria Adams, "...we heard a shot, and it was a pause, and then a second shot, and then a third shot." ------------------------------------------------ Eugene Boone, "And we heard what we thought to be a shot. And there seemed to be a pause between the first shot and the second shot and third shots.." ------------------------------------------------ Lee Bowers "I heard three shots. One, then a slight pause, then two very close together." ------------------------------------------------ Believe it or not, these are not our best witnesses, nor do they represent our best evidence that this shooting sequence was correct. For much more on this, go to the "JFK Assassination Home Page" (the address is in the sig) and look at the article under the link, "New Article". The evidence establishing this shooting scenario, and more specifically, a gunshot at Z285 is conclusive beyond any reasonable doubt. Robert Harris -- You are totally objective or you are dishonest. There are no other alternatives . JFK Assassination Home Page: http://www.thuntek.net/~rharris/jfk.html FTP site: ftp://thuntek.net/pub/users/sub/rharris/