Anatomy Of The Second Floor Lunch Room Encounter

[Guest]

Thank you Ed.

Every time I think I am done with this paper I find something to add on.

[Ray Mitcham]

According to Occhus Campbell, when Truly came back down to the first floor, he said that "Oswald was missing." If he and "the officer" had apprehended Oswald on the second floor, as per their concocted story,  why would Truly say that Oswald was missing?

[Guest]

Well spotted Ray. I am also baffled that Campbell was never called up for giving his WC testimony. 

[Guest]

On 3/26/2019 at 4:12 PM, David Josephs said:

Let me throw this in and please tell me if it tracks....

Paul is making this point by claiming BAKER was outside talking to Brennan before he ran up the steps into the TSBD... (if that actually happened)

It appears to me that Brennan speaks to an officer already standing there... I'd think he'd see BAKER running - no?  Truly being specific that it was NOT a motorcycle cop, when BAKER would have parked right next to him... implies to me it was someone else....

 

Mr. BELIN - All right.
Coming down to November 22, 1963, what was your occupation on that day?
Mr. BAKER - I was assigned to ride a motorcycle.

The next thing TRULY says after "7, 8, or 10 feet from me"

TRULY: ....just moments later-I saw a young motorcycle policeman run up to the building, up the steps to the entrance of our building. He ran right by me. And he was pushing people out of the way. He pushed a number of people out of the way before he got to me. I saw him coming through, I believe. As he ran up the stairway--I mean up the steps, I was almost to the steps, I ran up and caught up with him. I believe I caught up with him inside the lobby of the building, or possibly the front steps

Baker did not push anyone out of the way, he raced through the crowd sure, but I see no physical contact of any kind in the Darnell film.

These sure appear to be 2 different people....

Mr. BELIN. By the west side of the building, you mean towards the underpass or railroad tracks? 
Mr. BRENNAN. Yes. 
Mr. BELIN. After you saw that, what did you do? 
Mr. BRENNAN. I knew I had to get to someone quick to tell them where the man was. So I ran or I walked--there is a possibility I ran, because I have a habit of, when something has to be done in a hurry, I run. And there was one officer standing at the corner of the Texas Book Store on the street. It didn't seem to me he was going in any direction. He was standing still.

Here I think is the Cop they were talking about..... directly across from Brennan.

The one pictured below in Towner is W.B. Barnett and the testimony below creates a different kettle of fish.

Mr. LIEBELER - What did you do when you concluded that the shots were coming from that building?
Mr. BARNETT - I ran to the back of the building.
Mr. LIEBELER - Ran down Houston Street?
Mr. BARNETT - Yes, sir.
Mr. LIEBELER - There is a door in the back of the Texas School Book Depository. Does it face on Houston or around the corner?
Mr. BARNETT - It is around the corner from Houston Street.
Mr. LIEBELER - Did you go in the building?
Mr. BARNETT - No, sir; I didn't get close to it, because I was watching for a fire escape. If the man was on top, he would have to come down, and I was looking for a fire escape, and I didn't pay much attention to the door. I was still watching the top of the building, and so far as I could see, the fire escape on the east side was the only escape down.
Mr. LIEBELER - Since you surmised that the shots had come from the building, you looked up and you didn't see any windows open. You thought they had been fired from the top of the building?
Mr. BARNETT - That's right.
Mr. LIEBELER - So you ran around here on Houston Street immediately to the east of the Texas School Book Depository Building and watched the fire escape?
Mr. BARNETT - I went 20 foot past the building still on Houston, looking up. I could see the whole back of the building and also the east side of the building.
Mr. LIEBELER - Did you see anybody coming off the fire escape up there, or any movement on top of the building?
Mr. BARNETT - Not a thing.
Mr. LIEBELER - What did you do after you went around behind the building?
Mr. BARNETT - I went looked behind the building and I saw officers searching the railroad cars. I looked around in front towards the front of the building and I saw officers going west.
Mr. LIEBELER - Going west down the little street there in front of the School Book Depository Building?
Mr. BARNETT - Yes; but there was no sign they were going into the building or watching the building, so I decided I was the only one watching the building. So since this was the only fire escape and there were officers down here watching the this back door, I returned back around to the front to watch the front of the building and the fire escape. Then I decided maybe I had been wrong, so I saw the officers down here searching.
Mr. LIEBELER - You mean the officers went on down toward No. 5 on your Exhibit No. 354?
Mr. BARNETT - When I got to the front, some of the officers were coming back toward me, started back toward me.

He stood, as per his WC testimony, near No. 9. 

 

 

That cop that is running towards the railroad yards, as seen in Couch is J.M. Smith .

In his W.C. testimony he says he ran to the railroad yard.

Mr. SMITH. Yes, sir; I glanced around and was watching the crowd to make sure they stayed back out of the way of the motorcade, and also to make sure none of the cars started up or anything. Then I heard the shots, and I immediately proceeded from this point.
Mr. LIEBELER. Point 4 on Commission Exhibit No. 354?
Mr. SMITH. I started up toward this Book Depository after I heard the shots, and I didn't know where the shots came from. I had no idea, because it was such a ricochet.
Mr. LIEBELER. An echo effect?
Mr. SMITH. Yes, sir.; and this woman came up to me and she was just in hysterics. She told me, "They are shooting the President from the bushes." So I immediately proceeded up here.
Mr. LIEBELER. You proceeded up to an area immediately behind the concrete structure here that is described by Elm Street and the street that runs immediately in front of the Texas School Book Depository, is that right?
Mr. SMITH. I was checking all the bushes and I checked all the cars in the parking lot.
Mr. LIEBELER. There is a parking lot in behind this grassy area back from Elm Street toward the railroad tracks, and you went down to the parking lot and looked around?
Mr. SMITH. Yes, sir; I checked all the cars. I looked into all the cars and checked around the bushes. Of course, I wasn't alone. There was some deputy sheriff with me, and I believe one Secret Service man when I got there.
I got to make this statement, too. I felt awfully silly, but after the shot and this woman, I pulled my pistol from my holster, and I thought, this is silly, I don't know who I am looking for, and I put it back. Just as I did, he showed me that he was a Secret Service agent.
Mr. LIEBELER. Did you accost this man?
Mr. SMITH. Well, he saw me coming with my pistol and right away he showed me who he was.
Mr. LIEBELER. Do you remember who it was?
Mr. SMITH. No, sir; I don't--because then we started checking the cars. In fact, I was checking the bushes, and I went through the cars, and I started over here in this particular section.
Mr. LIEBELER. Down toward the railroad tracks where they go over the triple underpass?
Mr. SMITH. Yes.
Mr. LIEBELER. Did you have any basis for believing where the shots came from, or where to look for somebody, other than what the lady told you?
Mr. SMITH. No, sir; except that maybe it was a power of suggestion. But it sounded to me like they may have came from this vicinity here.
Mr. LIEBELER. Down around the---let's put a No. 5 there at the corner here behind this concrete structure where the bushes were down toward the railroad tracks from the Texas School Book Depository Building on the little street that runs down in front of the Texas School Book Depository Building.
Mr. SMITH. Yes.

 

 

What bothers me is that he supposedly drives his bike past the TSBD Entrance only to park farther away?  In 478 below not only is there no motorcycle but he is running into frame from the WEST and there is simply no motorcycle there...

Mr. BELIN - And you stopped your motorcycle 10 feet to the east of that stoplight, is that correct?
Mr. BAKER - That is correct, sir.

Mr. BELIN - After you parked your motorcycle, did you notice anything that was going on in the area?
Mr. BAKER - Yes, sir. As I parked here
Mr. BELIN - You are pointing on Exhibit 361 to the place that you have marked with "B."  (DJ: The reversed image)

Mr. BAKER - I had it in mind that the shots came from the top of this building here.
Mr. BELIN - By this building, you are referring to what?
Mr. BAKER - The Book Depository Building.
Mr. BELIN - Go on.
Representative BOGGS -You were parked right in front of the Building?
Mr. BAKER - Yes, sir; ran right straight to it.

If you dissect Baker's WC testimony then you can see that he had not made up his mind as to where exactly the shots had come from and that Belin lead him to the TSBD, and those stupid pigeons where a crap indicator as well as shown in my paper. Others claimed to see them all over but the TSBD.

Mr. BELIN - All right. When you heard the first shot or the first noise, what did you do and what did you see?

Mr. BAKER - Well, to me, it sounded high and I immediately kind of looked up, and I had a feeling that it came from the building, either right in front of me or of the one across to the right of it.

Mr. BELIN - What would the building right in front of you be?

Mr. BAKER - It would be this Book Depository Building.

Mr. BELIN - That would be the building located on what corner of Houston and Elm?

Mr. BAKER - That would be the northwest corner.

Mr. BELIN - All right. And you thought it was either from that building or the building located where?

Mr. BAKER - On the northeast corner.

Mr. BELIN - All right. Did you see or hear or do anything else after you heard the first noise?

Mr. BAKER - Yes, sir. As I was looking up, all these pigeons began to fly up to the top of the buildings here and I saw those come up and start flying around.

Mr. BELIN - From what building, if you know, do you think those pigeons came from?

Mr. BAKER - I wasn't sure, but I am pretty sure they came from the building right on the northwest corner.

If you look at the Darnell film then Baker does not go straight towards the west side of the steps he is going diagonally past it. Actually compare Baker's path with all the others that do make their way towards the steps.  

Mr. BAKER - And then I ran, kind of running walk, went all the way around. First I glanced over this side here, because the last thing I heard here on the radio was the chief saying, "Get some men up on that railroad track."
Mr. BELIN - Did you hear that on your police radio?
Mr. BAKER - Yes, sir; that was the last thing I heard.
Mr. BELIN - As you were getting off your motorcycle?
Mr. BAKER - Yes, sir.
Mr. BELIN - All right.
SENATOR COOPER - I didn't hear what he said he heard on the radio?
Mr. BAKER - I heard Chief Curry, the chief of the police over there, say, "Get some men over on the railroad track." I think everyone at that time thought these shots came from the railroad track.
Mr. BELIN - By "everyone" do you include you, too?
Mr. BAKER - No, Sir. I had it--I was in a better position due to the wind and you know under it, that I knew it was directly ahead, and up, and it either had to be this building here or this one over here.
 

No, Sir. I had it ------  What? He knew WHAT to ignore a direct order from the Chief of Police??

 

 

 

 

See above in terracotta and bold.

With both police officers closest to the TSBD accounted for where they went after the shots had been foced and the time elapsed them returning it is not likely they spoke w Brennan that quick after the shooting.

With Baker not having made up his mind right away as to where the shots had come from and running towards the corner of the building and not the steps makes him the best candidate..

Truly mentioning Brennan 2x (once indirectly) cements this even more.

And let's face it when Truly thinks something happened it means that he is on shaky ground, like running up those stairs and the actual encounter just leaning in or standing on that third step of the stairwell towards the third floor.

Wash Post Dec 1 1963.

 

 

Finally: Brian Doyle go was your car!

Edited October 7, 2019 by Bart Kamp

[B. A. Copeland]

On 9/13/2019 at 1:54 PM, Ed LeDoux said:

The second floor encounter never happened.

What happened was Roy Truly and Marion Baker robbed Lee of his alibi.

You have proved this beyond a reasonable doubt.

Great work Bart!

Cheers, Ed

Agreed Ed. I thoroughly welcome any challenge to Bart (& ROKC's) thesis. I'm also attracted to the reality that if this is true (I believe it is more than it isn't but I still remain open minded) then Armstrong's analysis of said event would need a bit of a redo because I believe he accepts the 2nd Floor Encounter. Just thinking out loud on that....

Edited October 7, 2019 by B. A. Copeland

[Guest]

Howard Roffman to Richard Bernabei 1970.

 

 

[Ron Bulman]

On 9/13/2019 at 3:54 PM, Ed LeDoux said:

The second floor encounter never happened.

What happened was Roy Truly and Marion Baker robbed Lee of his alibi.

You have proved this beyond a reasonable doubt.

Great work Bart!

Cheers, Ed

"Roy Truly and Marion Baker robbed Lee of his alibi", great quote Ed.

[John Butler]

The one pictured below in Towner is W.B. Barnett and the testimony below creates a different kettle of fish.

This statement from above allows one to go back and look at the testimony of the 3 policemen in the intersection of Houston and Elm.  Because of the way the various films were made one can conclude that traffic was held up on Elm for the elements of the motorcade after the VP's security vehicle.  The Mayor's Car was held for about 6-8 seconds.  The Camera Cars were held up for at least about 30 seconds.

Who was there to direct this traffic holdup?  The 3 policemen all said they immediately, after the shooting, did other things.  The following is a bit long, but explains the situation.

Which policemen were in the intersection of Houston and Elm Street?  And, who directed traffic after the assassination?

There were 3 Dallas Policemen at the intersection of Houston and Elm Street.  These were Welcome Barnett, J. M. Smith, and Edgar L. Smith.  These 3 policemen are important in what they did during and after the assassination.  Someone directed traffic in the intersection of Houston and Elm directly after the assassination.  This policemen or policemen held the Mayor’s Car for just a few seconds, 6 to 8 seconds, and then stopped the Camera Cars at the intersection for about 30 seconds.  These activities are very important for determining the actions of others during the first minute after the assassination.  Who was it who directed traffic after the assassination? 

This is what they said in their Warren Commission statements concerning what their activities were when the assassination occurred and afterwards.

Welcome Barnett:

Where Welcome Barnett was when the assassination occurred is somewhat mysterious.  Talking to Wesley Liebeler, the WC attorney, he said he was at Position 1, or Position 4, or Postion 8 or Position 9.  Do you know where these are without Liebeler’s map?  He did not make any reference to his location such as the northwest corner of Houston and Elm.

I have this feeling whenever a witnesses’ location is somewhere that could lead to testimony harmful to the cover-up by the WC then the WC attorneys resorted to map locations that do not spell out a direct location that everyone would instantly know where the witness was.  Here is what Welcome Barnett said:

Mr. LIEBELER - Did you divide your duties among yourselves when you got there, or had you been specifically instructed as to what each one was supposed to do?
Mr. BARNETT - We divided our duties.
Mr. LIEBELER - How did you do that?
Mr. BARNETT - Well, as best I remember, we each picked a corner and got on the corner. We were advised to stay on our corner, not to cross over to idly talk, but to stay on the corner and keep our eyes open and be ready.
Mr. LIEBELER - Which corner did you station yourself at? I have a picture here of an aerial view - you can sit down - Commission Exhibit No. 354.
Of course, you can recognize the intersection of Elm and Houston here in the left-hand upper portion of the picture; can you not?
Mr. BARNETT - I was right here.
Mr. LIEBELER - At No. 1.
Mr. BARNETT - Yes, sir.
Mr. LIEBELER - Did you remain there at all times from 10 o'clock until the motorcade arrived?
Mr. BARNETT - Yes; well, of course, I was here until we got word to stop the traffic, and I stepped out of this position here. I had to stop traffic from Houston here and help the other officers stop it on Elm, and stop this traffic on this small street that goes in front of the Depository Building.
Mr. LIEBELER - When the motorcade actually came, you moved over pretty much into Houston Street?
Mr. BARNETT - Yes, sir.
Mr. LIEBELER - To stop the traffic that was coming?
Mr. BARNETT - South on Houston Street.
Mr. LIEBELER - South on Houston Street?
Mr. BARNETT - Yes, sir; Elm Street is so wide, and I helped these officers here stop this traffic here.
Mr. LIEBELER - We have written the No. 4 on here before and it is kind of hard to read. You also helped to stop the traffic that was coming down here in the area of No. 4 which would have been the traffic on Elm Street?
Mr. BARNETT - Yes, sir; I was standing right about this position right here.
Mr. LIEBELER - Right about No. 8.

…

Mr. BARNETT - I couldn't. I was to busy. [Referring to picture] I got this in the wrong place. It needs to be about this position right here, instead of here. I was right here. I got it a bit to far, but I could see the President's car from the position I was, so I had to be right here [pointing]
Mr. LIEBELER - You are satisfied that you were further out into the intersection?
Mr. BARNETT - Right there [indicating]
Mr. LIEBELER - [Marking] In the general vicinity of No. 9?
Mr. BARNETT - Yes, sir; the car passed within a few feet of me, and I was holding some people, or seeing that they stayed back, and one small boy started. I was afraid he was going to get too close, and I stopped him
Mr. LIEBELER - Now the motorcade made the turn onto Elm Street from Houston Street, and you were standing at approximately in position No. 9, and you indicated before that you heard the shots fired; is that right?

…

Mr. LIEBELER - Did you see any of the shots hit the President?
Mr. BARNETT - Well, when the first shot - I was looking at the President when the first shot was fired, and I thought I saw him slump down, but I am not sure, and I didn't look any more then. I thought he was ducking then.
Mr. LIEBELER - Now when you were standing up there in position No. 9, you were in a spot where you could look right down Elm Street and see the railroad tracks down here which pass over the triple underpass?
Mr. BARNETT - Yes sir.

…

Mr. LIEBELER - You couldn't tell specifically where it had come from?
Mr. BARNETT - Not the first one, but I thought it was a firecracker. But none of the people moved or took any action, whereas they would have if a firecracker went off. And when the second shot was fired, it sounded high. The sound of the second one seemed to me like it was coming from up high, and I looked up at the building and I saw nothing in the windows. In fact, I couldn't even see any windows at that time.
Mr. LIEBELER - In the Texas School Book Depository?
Mr. BARNETT - No, sir; because I was standing to close, was the reason. And I looked back again at the crowd, and the third shot was fired. And I looked up again, and I decided it had to be on top of that building. To me it is the only place the sound could be coming from.
Mr. LIEBELER - What did you do when you concluded that the shots were coming from that building?
Mr. BARNETT - I ran to the back of the building.
Mr. LIEBELER - Ran down Houston Street?
Mr. BARNETT - Yes, sir.
Mr. LIEBELER - There is a door in the back of the Texas School Book Depository. Does it face on Houston or around the corner?
Mr. BARNETT - It is around the corner from Houston Street.
 

When looking at the testimony of Welcome Barnett, was you confused by his location before and after the assassination.  Generally, you can say he was in the intersection of Houston and Elm Street in the northern part of the intersection.  He moved around from the corner near the TSBD to the middle of the intersection on the north side of the intersection.  He claimed controlled and stopped traffic moving west on Elm Street.  Directly after the assassination he ran to the back of the TSBD.  Therefore, according to his testimony he was not the one who directed traffic in the intersection for a minute after the assassination.

Joe Marshall Smith:

J. M. Smith was also questioned by Wesley Liebeler, but he did not confuse Smith’s location by referring to a map or photo location as much as was done with Welcome Barnett.  At one point he has Barnett and J. M. Smith in the same location, No. 4.  From the testimony of Barnett and J. M. Smith it is difficult to determine who stopped traffic moving west on Elm Street.

Mr. SMITH. Just after we got the epileptic seizure en route to the hospital, I hadn't gotten back to the corner but just a few minutes until the motorcade was coming, so I stationed myself on Elm Street in the middle from the southeast curb of Elm and Houston and held traffic up.
Mr. LIEBELER. Which direction would this traffic have been coming from that you held up?
Mr. SMITH. It was heading west on Elm.
Mr. LIEBELER. Coming down Elm toward the triple underpass? Coming into the intersection of Elm and Houston?
Mr. SMITH. Yes.
Mr. LIEBELER. So you were the individual patrolman who went back and held up the traffic to Elm. Street; is that right?
Mr. SMITH. Yes.
Mr. LIEBELER. So you would have been on the eastern side of Houston Street on Elm Street holding up the traffic that was coming down Elm Street?
Mr. SMITH. Yes, sir.

…

Mr. LIEBELER. I show you a picture, an aerial view of the area that is marked Commission Exhibit No. 354. Could you locate the Texas School Book Depository Building in there?
Mr. SMITH. Yes, sir; it should be right there.
Mr. LIEBELER. Yes; that is it on the left-hand side of the picture, and of course, the intersection of Elm and Houston is right off opposite the corner there, right at the corner of the Texas School Book Depository Building, and you were standing to the east?
Mr. SMITH. Yes, sir; right here.
Mr. LIEBELER. Of Houston?
Mr. SMITH. Right along in this area.
Mr. LIEBELER. There is, in fact, a picture of a car stopped there right at the intersection of Elm and Houston, and you had been standing back in the vicinity of the automobile?
Mr. SMITH. Just about the middle of Elm Street here.
Mr. LIEBELER. I will put the No. 4 in a circle on the spot of approximately where you were standing at the time the motorcade went by. Is that approximately correct?
Mr. SMITH. Yes, sir.
Mr. LIEBELER. You were facing east up Elm Street away from the triple underpass?
Mr. SMITH. Yes, sir.
Mr. LIEBELER. So that your back was in fact turned to the School Book Depository Building?

…

Mr. LIEBELER. While you were standing here and the motorcade went by, tell us what happened at that point.
Mr. SMITH. I heard the shots.
Mr. LIEBELER. Did you turn to watch the motorcade? Did you turn to watch the President as the motorcade went by?
Mr. SMITH. Yes, sir; I glanced around and was watching the crowd to make sure they stayed back out of the way of the motorcade, and also to make sure none of the cars started up or anything. Then I heard the shots, and I immediately proceeded from this point.
Mr. LIEBELER. Point 4 on Commission Exhibit No. 354?
Mr. SMITH. I started up toward this Book Depository after I heard the shots, and I didn't know where the shots came from. I had no idea, because it was such a ricochet.
Mr. LIEBELER. An echo effect?
Mr. SMITH. Yes, sir.; and this woman came up to me and she was just in hysterics. She told me, "They are shooting the President from the bushes." So I immediately proceeded up here.

From this testimony, Joe Marshall Smith did not stay in the intersection to direct traffic.  He ran for the TSBD and then was directed to the Grassy Knoll.

We can rule him out along with Welcome Barnett as the person who directed traffic in the intersection after the assassination.

Edgar Leon Smith, Jr. (E. L. Smith):

E. L. Smith was also questioned by Wesley Liebeler.  With this Smith, Liebeler changed his map notions to a different notation.  But, he allowed Smith to locate himself specifically.  He did not do this with Welcome Barnett.  Later in his testimony he adjusted his testimony further south on Houston Street under the windows of the Court Records Building.

Mr. SMITH. Okay - the dates and times will be just approximately, because I don't recall exactly, but, approximately 9 a.m., November 22, 1963, I attended a detail In the basement of the city hall for all men who were designated to work traffic for the President's visit to Dallas.
At that detail I was given instructions by Captain Lawrence, P. W. Lawrence, as to my duties and some things to watch out for. Some of these things I was to watch out for was to watch the crowd for any unusual movements and also to keep a check on the buildings in the vicinity of where I was located. He instructed us specifically about placards. I understand that people were allowed to carry placards, but if I should notice anyone attempting to throw them or any thing like that, I should take them into custody. I was assigned to the corner of Houston and Elm Street. I got to my traffic corner about --
Mr. LIEBELER. Before you get to that - let me ask you a few questions: What did you say your name was, Edgar L.?
Mr. SMITH. E. L. - Edgar L.
Mr. LIEBELER. There were two Smiths on that corner?
Mr. SMITH. Yes; I understand that.
Mr. LIEBELER. When you received your instructions that morning, was there any specific mention made of watching the windows of the buildings in the area?
Mr. SMITH. Not that I recall - just general - watch out, you know, for the crowd.
Mr. LIEBELER. Now, you went down to the corner of Elm and Houston and took up your duty station there at about what time?
Mr. SMITH. I think it was about approximately 10 o'clock and - I believe that's about right.
Mr. LIEBELER. And there were two other officers there, isn't that right?
Mr. SMITH. Yes; there were.
Mr. LIEBELER. Can you tell us what their names were?
Mr. SMITH. One of them was Welcome Barnett and the other boy was named Smith too, but I don't recall his initials.
Mr. LIEBELER. Where did you station yourself and what did you do from the time you arrived until the time the motorcade began to approach?
Mr. SMITH. I said approximately - oh, 30 to 40 feet south of the south curb of Elm Street at the east curb of Houston. I stood around there and talked with some of the people in this general vicinity and watched the crowd.
Mr. LIEBELER. You stood across the street on Houston Street from the Texas School Book Depository Building?

566

---

Mr. SMITH. Yes.
Mr. LIEBELER. Cater-cornered - and I show you Commission Exhibit No. 354, and it has a letter "A" marked there, and that will be approximately where you were standing; is that right?
Mr. SMITH. That's about where I was.

…

Mr. LIEBELER. What happened when the motorcade came down Main Street and turned right on Houston Street; what did you do then?
Mr. SMITH. I Just stood parade rest there, you know, trying to keep the people back. I was facing the motorcade - they had come out in the street here a little bit and I just stood there.
Mr. LIEBELER. So you were facing west?
Mr. SMITH. Yes.
Mr. LIEBELER. You did not go out into the intersection at any point here and help hold traffic back at that intersection, did you?
Mr. SMITH. No; I did. not.

…

Mr. LIEBELER. As the motorcade turned and went down Elm Street, what happened?
Mr. SMITH. I heard three shots, I guess they were shots. I thought that the first two were just firecrackers and kept my position and after the third one, I ran down the street here.
Mr. LIEBELER. You ran down Elm Street?
Mr. SMITH. Well, ran down Houston Street and then to Elm, and actually, I guess it was a little bit farther over than this, because after they turned the corner I couldn't see any of the cars, there were so many people standing there around the corner.
Mr. LIEBELER. So, you were a little bit farther south down Elm Street than Position "A"?
Mr. SMITH. Yes; possibly a little bit farther south than that - yes; I was under these windows here.

…

Mr. LIEBELER. You thought the shot came from this little concrete structure up behind No. 7?
Mr. SMITH. Yes, sir.
Mr. LIEBELER. On Commission Exhibit No. 354?
Mr. SMITH. Yes.
Mr. LIEBELER. Toward the railroad tracks there?
Mr. SMITH. That's true.
Mr. LIEBELER. And to the north of No.7?
Mr. SMITH. Yes.
Mr. LIEBELER. So, you ran down in there and what did you do when you got down there?
Mr. SMITH. I ran down here.
Mr. LIEBELER. Down on Elm Street?
Mr. SMITH. And I ran up to here and I couldn't get over so I went back around then.
Mr. LIEBELER. You went farther down Elm Street and right behind this concrete structure here; is that correct?
Mr. SMITH. And on back into there.

If we believe the testimony of these 3 policemen none of them directed traffic in the intersection after the shooting.  As soon as the shooting occurred, they went into action as described above.  None of these men stayed in the intersection to direct traffic.  So, who did?

Should be believe the testimony of these policemen as a group?  Or, should we look at their testimony individually.  If individual, we immediately see that Welcome Barnett’s testimony may be questionable due to Liebeler confusing his location in the intersection of Houston and Elm.  Why did he do that for Barnett, but not for the two Smiths. 

If the testimony of these men is true, we have to postulate a 4^th policemen in the intersection.  There is absolutely no visual evidence from films and photos from that day.  The 3 Dallas policemen can be identified in films and photos at roughly the same positions as they testified to.

It’s probably more useful to use the old friar’s razor and say the simplest explanation is that someone is not telling the truth.  Since Welcome Barnett’s testimony has his location confused then it might be Barnett’s testimony that has been adjusted.

I'm going to speculate that Barnett directed traffic in the intersection for about a minute or so after the assassination and then ran north on Houston Street to the back of the TSBD.  This speculation has consequences for what happened in that minute after the assassination when people could have left the back of the building when Barnett was directing traffic.

The stopping of traffic also has consequence for the timing of Baker's run in the Darnell/ Couch film. 

 

Edited November 9, 2019 by John Butler

[Guest]

This is not at all related to the second floor lunch room encounter.

 

Edited November 9, 2019 by Bart Kamp