Miss Doris Burns

[Guest Mark Valenti]

Doris Burns worked in the TSBD and testified to the WC on April 15, 1964.

Her testimony reveals an active distaste for JFK-

"Well, I had lunch at the office and then I didn't intend to go see the President, didn't have any desire to..."

"I bought some Kleenex and came back, and everybody was out on the steps to look, but I didn't stop. I went on back to the office."

"I listened to the radio, and by that time they said that he was on Main and turning at Houston or Main by the courthouse, so since he was that close, I thought, well, I guess I will go look out the window. I didn't care-- enough to go downstairs, but I thought I will go look out the window. "

"As I went down this hall towards the windows that looked out on Houston Street, I heard a shot, but I didn't think much about it. I didn't, of course, know it was a shot because when you hear tires backfire and all, they all sound alike to me, so I didn't think a thing about that. "

She also testified that "I was just a legal secretary and worked for Vanette Hosiery Mills, secretary to the president. They are not here any more, I don't think. After that I worked for a geologist."

Maybe one of these three geologists??

George de Mohrenschildt

Volkmar Schmidt

Everett Glover

[Shanet Clark]

interesting

didn't think much of Kennedy or the sound of shots when he was out her front window....

I am familiar with DeMorenschildt, who are the other two geologists?

[Guest Mark Valenti]

interesting

didn't think much of Kennedy or the sound of shots when he was out her front window....

I am familiar with DeMorenschildt, who are the other two geologists?

George DeM brought LHO and his wife to a party to meet them -- I believe they met them again one week later.

[John Dolva]

Very interesting, Mark. A couple of quick Q's. Which floor, which window?Is it known?

"I heard a shot, but I didn't think much about it. I didn't, of course, know it was a shot because when you hear tires backfire and all, they all sound alike to me, so I didn't think a thing about that. "

That's a "funny" one. Is she the only one who didn't hear 'firecrackers'? Which shot would she have been talking about?

Edited October 10, 2006 by John Dolva

[John Dolva]

Room 301, third floor overlooking the railroad Yards. Working for this employer since 1955, not alll time at this address.

"they said on the radio that he that the motorcade was coming up, I believe it was Cedar Springs; anyway, he hadn't been away from the airport long and that he was going about 5 miles an hour"

--- so anyone listening to the radio would be kept abrest of the motorcade location. Which station? (interest is that this is the second mention of someone following by radio..the other Harry.)

"Miss BURNS. I listened to the radio, and by that time they said that he was on Main and turning at Houston or Main by the courthouse, so since he was that close, I thought, well, I guess I will go look out the window. I didn't care-- enough to go downstairs, but I thought I will go look out the window. So I thought I would have plenty of time, if he was just coming around Main Street, that I could still get around there, so I went around to American Book Co., which is the office closest to us that had a window looking out on Elm. There was nobody in there, so then I started down the hail to Allyn and Bacon. As I went down this hall towards the windows that looked out on Houston Street, I heard a shot, but I didn't think much about it. I didn't, of course, know it was a shot because when you hear tires backfire and all, they all sound alike to me, so I didn't think a thing about that.

I went around to Allyn and Bacon, and Mr. Wilson, the manager, was at the window looking out. He was the only one in there, so I asked him if I could look out the window with him. About that time he said "Oh, my God, there's been a shooting." I still didn't think anybody, of course, had been killed, just thought somebody had shot in the air or something, so I said "Has the President already passed? And he said "Yes," so I looked out and that big bus that had the press in it, had the word "Press" or whatever it was on the bus, was passing. so I said "Well, I guess I have missed the President then," and I started on back out of the office and I just said as I left, "Well, I hope nobody got hurt."

Mr. Ball.

You heard how many shots?

Miss BURNS. One.

Mr. Ball.

Just one?

Miss BURNS. It must have been the last one because I didn't hear any more.

Mr. Ball.

Did you have any idea where it was coming from?

Miss BURNS. Well, it just sounded as though it was back of me. You see, I was going towards Houston Street. I was facing east and it sounded to me as it came toward my back.

OK answered my own Q's. So three floors down from the supposed snipers nest one cannot hear three shots which even across the plaza could be heard...ie no shots were fired from inside the building?

Just looking at the accoustics, Miss Burns' path, etc. etc, does anyone know where to get ahold of A, D, and E ? also which corner are the steps to the basement on?

Edited October 10, 2006 by John Dolva

[John Dolva]

Gary sent me an email:

"The only radio station with live coverage of the motorcade was CBS

affiliate KRLD. Their reporter was at Main & Akard, nine blocks east of

Dealey Plaza. According to the tape, he estimated when the motorcade

turned into Dealey Plaza, so that must have been what Burns heard."

...the steps to the TSBD basement...are in the northeast corner

of the building."

[Guest Mark Valenti]

Gary sent me an email:

"The only radio station with live coverage of the motorcade was CBS

affiliate KRLD. Their reporter was at Main & Akard, nine blocks east of

Dealey Plaza. According to the tape, he estimated when the motorcade

turned into Dealey Plaza, so that must have been what Burns heard."

...the steps to the TSBD basement...are in the northeast corner

of the building."

Sometimes these things seem small and unimportant - but who knows, maybe she was involved in keeping an eye on LHO? Of course, it's difficult to know whether this is a ridiculous theory or a plausible one. But in trying to "tell the story" it's one more detail.

MV

[John Dolva]

Mark, thank you for the comment in FBI thread.

Re Miss Burns:

I find her interesting because of the simpleness of her testimony. She's very precice about her movements and timing and hearing only one shot. This to me makes her unique and worth studying in detail.

Her testimony relates to that of others like Truly who searched floor three, before going downstairs and id'ing Oswald. There's also the 'misreporting' of 'hulls' found on floor three.

If we can work out where her office was,and the lay of the corridors, then the accoustics of the building can perhaps be understood. Her office may have been just next to the stairs. Did she hear anyone running on them?

Where is her 'behind' when she heard the shot she did hear? Where was she at that moment, and why didn't she hear all the other closely spaced shots?

She sounds perhaps like regurgitating a script. If so .. why?

_____________

I actually don't have any theories here. I agree the stucdy of even what may seem ridiculous can lead to other things. It may just reveal dots that don't connect until a more wholistic picture is built taking into account other seemingly ridiculous things. On the whole, I think you've started an intriguing line of inquiry here. One way or the other, it can be useful info gathered, as you say : "in trying to "tell the story" it's one more detail."

WC published floor plans B, C, F, G and H, which means A, D and E exist(ed). Where are they?

Edited October 11, 2006 by John Dolva

[Guest Mark Valenti]

She sounds perhaps like regurgitating a script.

That's exactly how her testimony struck me.

[John Dolva]

just a couple of followons, from Gary: email answers to Q's :

Did the radio station advertise before hand their

intention to cover the route?

GM: Yes, during their live coverage at Love Field, but KRLD didn't mention WHERE their downtown reporter was. KRLD's Wes Wise was live on Cedar Springs early on, then he tossed to Bob Huffaker as JFK was nearing his Main & Akard location.

Does the elevator shaft go through to the basement?

GM: Not now it doesn't because floors 1 through 5 have been changed quite a bit; I don't know if it did in 1963.

Where can I get plan A, D and E?

GM: Don't know for sure, but probably NARA. I would think the FBI plotted all floors, but the WC only published the ones they felt were important.