William Kelly Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 Deputy Sheriff Alan Sweatt stated that a man named "Hester" identified the old Sexton building(TSBD) as where the shots came from. Charles Hester is listed as a Dealey Plaza witness, but where was he standing, did he give a statement or testify and if so what did he say? BK Link to post Share on other sites
David Andrews Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 (edited) A Charles Hester and his wife were the couple in front of the pergola photographed chatting with Marilyn Sitzman. Beatrice Hester worked for Zapruder at Jennifer Juniors dress company. Hester was filmed going to the cutouts at the back of the pergola after the shots, and looking behind the pergola or perhaps communicating with someone back there. He carried an unusual case that may have been a camera case. Funny that Hester went looking behind the pergola if he reported shots from the TSBD. Much discussed in olden times at the Forum. Time to bump the thread below? http://educationforum.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=15298 Raise a glass to our friend, Jack White, those who remember this thread. Edited February 1, 2014 by David Andrews Link to post Share on other sites
William Kelly Posted February 1, 2014 Author Share Posted February 1, 2014 Thanks David And God bless Jack White BK Link to post Share on other sites
Robin Unger Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION Date 11/25/63 CHARLES HESTER, 2610 Mayhold Street, furnished the following information: At approximately 12:30 p.m., November 22, 1963, HESTER and his wife, BEATRICE, were standing along the street at the point immediately preceeding the underpass on Elm Street where President JOHN F. KENNEDY was shot. HESTER stated he saw the President slump in the seat of the car and that he heard two shots fired drom what appeared to be a building located on the corner of Elm Street and Houston Street. He Stated he and his wife were almost in a direct line of the fire and he immediately grabbed his wife and shoved her to the ground. He stated hethereafter immediately escorted his wife across to the north side of the street on an embankment in an attempt to gain shelter. HESTER stated he did not see anyone with a gun at the time the shots were fired and that after the President's car had pulled away from the scene and officers started toward the aforementioned building, he and his wife proceeded to their car and left the area. on 11/24/63 at Irving, Texas File # DL 89-43 By Special Agent DOYLE WILLIAMS and HENRY J. OLIVER Date Dictated 11/25/63 Link to post Share on other sites
Robin Unger Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 VOLUNTARY STATEMENT. Not Under Arrest Form No. 86SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENTCOUNTY OF DALLAS, TEXAS Before me, the undersigned authority, on this the 22nd day of November A.D. 1963 personally appeared Charles Hester, Address 2616 Keyhole, Irving Age 28 , Phone No. NoneDeposes and says: My wife, Beatrice and I were sitting on the grass on the slope on Elm Street where the park is located. When President Kennedy's car got almost down to the underpass, I heard two shots ring out. Thye [sic] sounded like they came from immediately behind us and over our heads. We did [not?] see the shooting. I immediately turned and looked at the Texas Book Depository building and did not see anyone. The shots sounded like the [sic] definitely came from in or around the building. I grabbed my wife because I didn't know where the next shot was coming from and dragged her up next to the concrete imbankment [sic] and threw her down on the ground and got on the ground with her. Then there was utter confusion. The Police rushed toward the railroad tracks and I finally found an officer to go to the Texas Book Depository Building. The officer I contacted was Officer Wiseman of the Dallas Sheriff's Department. /s/ Charles Hester Subscribed and sworn to before me on this the 22nd day of Nov A. D. 1963 /s/ Aleen DavisNotary Public, Dallas County, Texas Home .. Alphabetical list of witnesses Link to post Share on other sites
Robert Prudhomme Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 Sure is good to see the FBI cleaning up statements like this. They were on the south side of Elm, watching the motorcade, facing the TSBD and heard shots come from immediately behind them and over their heads. Thank God the FBI straightened things out. The shots came from the TSBD, of course. *sarcasm off* Link to post Share on other sites
Robin Unger Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 quote: He stated he thereafter immediately escorted his wife across to the north side of the street on an embankment in an attempt to gain shelter. Yes, this was just an assumption made by the FBI ? Hester quote: My wife, Beatrice and I were sitting on the grass on the slope on Elm Street where the park is located. ( grassy knoll ) Link to post Share on other sites
David Andrews Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 (edited) I'm not going to defend the Hesters, but in photos offered in the old thread started by Jack White (Post #2 above), Charles Hester is sitting on the bench at the east side pergola extension, back to the TSBD, before the motorcade arrives. (He ended up on the grass plot beside his wife during the shooting.) So his "shots came from above and behind [me]" statement at least makes some semantic sense, in its panic-garbled way. Whether it's acoustically accurate or factual is still questionable. Posts on Jack White's thread make connections between the Hester family and a Dallas photo lab that the Secret Service employed to develop film taken in Dealey, copies of which were lost in an arson fire. Worth revisiting. Edited February 1, 2014 by David Andrews Link to post Share on other sites
Robin Unger Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 (edited) Sitzman and the Hesters Edited February 1, 2014 by Robin Unger Link to post Share on other sites
Robin Unger Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 Hesters in Bronson. Link to post Share on other sites
Robert Prudhomme Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 I think the FBI made a lot of "assumptions" in the evidence they gave to the WC, as well as several Dallas agencies gathering statements that day. If the shots were from "immediately behind us and over our heads", and they were at the pergola facing the motorcade, could the shots have come from the TSBD, which was to their left? Link to post Share on other sites
William Kelly Posted February 1, 2014 Author Share Posted February 1, 2014 So while Hester identified the TSBD as the source of shots he didn't see the rifileman and is not the source of the description of the suspect put out on the police radio. Thanks BK Link to post Share on other sites
Keyvan Shahrdar Posted December 30, 2020 Share Posted December 30, 2020 Does anyone know if the Hesters have any relatives that were alive in 1963? Link to post Share on other sites
Adam Johnson Posted December 30, 2020 Share Posted December 30, 2020 Keyvan, they had at least one daughter possibly two from memory. Sorry i cant remember their names. Link to post Share on other sites
Kathy Beckett Posted December 30, 2020 Share Posted December 30, 2020 Sometimes putting the names in these things brings up relatives--sometimes not. Might be the same, I don't know. https://www.mylife.com/charles-hester/e370214332302 Link to post Share on other sites
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