There has always been a big problem with the official story that Oswald or any other shooter took the stairwell. The fact that other employees or police might be using the stairs at the same time was always a big risk. The freight elevator was very noisy according to TSBD employee Mary Hollies and the wooden slats would allow any person on the landing to see someone riding down.
It has been suggested by Gerry Hemming and others that a professional hit squad used the service elevator shaft to make their escape either with grappling hooks or using the existing elevator cable. There is no doubt that a CIA squad would probably be trained in this area. They could pause at each floor to check for witnesses and make their way out of the building quickly.
I do see a problem with descending directly to the first floor. The risk would be too great. However, on the second floor, the east elevator was hidden from view and there was a conference room with a lock and a supply closet for cover. An escaping sniper could then carefully make his way out via the front elevator or the back dock. If LHO was not the lone gunman and was involved in a conspiracy to shepherd out the bad guys, this may be the reason he was spotted on the second floor 90 seconds after the shots.
Wes,
if LHO was the the 6th floor sniper, it actually would have made perfect sense for LHO to have taken the EAST elevator down to the second floor and then into the second floor lunch room via the door - he would have been perfectly concealed. But - he
didn't. We know he didn't because the elevators were on the Fifth floor and Victoria Adams didn't notice the lifts moving at all when she descended the NW stairwell.
The WEST elevator had moved down when Baker/Truly got to the Fifth floor. They took the EAST elevator UP to the seventh floor. So if any assassin was going to use the lift shaft as a means of exit, they would of had to have impeccable timing that again wasn't spotted by anyone. Further if spotted coming out of a lift shaft you would draw immediate attention. However no one saw who took the WEST elevator down and no one saw who came out of it. Strange, eh?
Also as an assassin are you going to run the gauntlet of trying to get out via the second floor? I believe that the rooms were locked as well. Also Mrs Reid was there. same with Geneva Hine.
Mr. BELIN. Do you know whether or not he went into the conference room?
Mrs. REID. Well, I wouldn't think he did because
this door off here was locked and I had unlocked it for the policeman myself.
Mr. BELIN. All right, let's put an arrow here to the door that you say was locked, and we will put-do you want to put in the word "locked" in there, if you would, please?
Mrs. REID. All right.
Mr. DULLES. On which side was it locked or did you take the key away, was it locked so that you----
Mrs. REID. I would go in from this way. I wasn't going in from our office into the conference room.
Mr. DULLES. And you locked that door?
Mrs. REID. We did. They had asked me, I went in there with the policeman into the conference room.
Mr. DULLES. Did you take the key?
Mrs. REID. Yes, sir; I did, I got it for Mr. Williams.
Mr. DULLES. No; I mean after you locked the door do you leave the key in the lock?
Mrs. REID. No.
Mr. BELIN. What I want to know is this, Mrs. Reid. When you came back up into the building after the shooting and you walked into the conference room, at that time was the door which you have marked "locked," was it locked at that time when you came in?
Mrs. REID. Yes, sir; it was to---it was locked when I got to it, I will say that.
Mr. BELIN. Let me ask you this. Had you been the one who had locked it before or don't you know?
Mrs. REID. Oh, no, I couldn't say that because too many people used the conference room.
I would have no way of knowing who locked it or if it is left unlocked. The porter locks it in the evening.
Mr. BELIN. All right.
If the assassin(s) used the lift shaft, how did they get in there and where did they exit?
Tony
Representative FORD - The window that you saw the man that you describe was on what end of the building?
Mr. ROWLAND - The west, southwest corner.
Representative FORD - And the man you saw hanging out from the window was at what corner?
Mr. ROWLAND - The east, southeast corner.
