If Oswald Was The Assassin, Did He Plan His Escape From The TSBD Very Well?

[Dan O'meara]

In his WC testimony, Junior Jarman is adamant that when he and Hank Norman enter the TSBD through the Houston Street dock entrance to go up to the fifth floor, they have to go around to the west elevator as the east one is on the sixth floor. Something he confirms once they get up to the fifth:

Representative FORD - And where did you get on the elevator?
Mr. JARMAN - We walked around to the back entrance and went through this door here, and this elevator here was up on six, I believe. And we walked around the elevator and took the west elevator up.
Representative FORD - How could you tell this elevator was at six?
Mr. JARMAN - Because after we got around to the other side we looked up.
Representative FORD - You could see it was on six?
Mr. JARMAN - Yes.
Representative FORD - This was about what time?
Mr. JARMAN - That was about 12:25 or 12:28.
Representative FORD - You got off the fifth floor?
Mr. JARMAN - Yes, sir.
Representative FORD - As you rode the elevator, you noticed the other one was on the sixth floor?
Mr. JARMAN - Right, sir.

Once Jarman and Norman have reached the 5th floor we have the situation where the west elevator is on 5 and the east elevator is on 6. Bonnie Ray Williams is still on 6 as he is yet to join Jarman and Norman on 5. Williams testifies that he takes the east elevator down to 5:

Mr. BALL. Where did you go when you left there?
Mr. WILLIAMS. I went down to the fifth floor.
Mr. BALL. How did you get down there?
Mr. WILLIAMS. I took an elevator down.
Mr. BALL. You didn't go down the stairs?
Mr. WILLIAMS. No, sir.
Mr. BALL. Which elevator did you take?
Mr. WILLIAMS. I took the east elevator down.

This seems to be the state of play when Truly arrives at the bottom of the elevator shaft with Baker - both elevators on 5. The interesting part is Jack Dougherty. As far as I can make it out both he and Bonnie Ray Williams  are up on 6 when Jarman and Norman ride up to 5 in the west elevator. The most likely scenario is that he is on 6 when the shots are fired and calls the west elevator up to 6 as Truly and Baker ascend. After Truly steers Baker to the east elevator on 5 (with Williams and co. hiding in the south-western corner) they go up to the roof, missing out the 6th floor, and it is at this time that Dougherty descends to the first floor, drops off his passenger(s), and returns to the 5th.

[Colin Crow]

In his WC testimony, Junior Jarman is adamant that when he and Hank Norman enter the TSBD through the Houston Street dock entrance to go up to the fifth floor, they have to go around to the west elevator as the east one is on the sixth floor. Something he confirms once they get up to the fifth:

Representative FORD - And where did you get on the elevator?
Mr. JARMAN - We walked around to the back entrance and went through this door here, and this elevator here was up on six, I believe. And we walked around the elevator and took the west elevator up.
Representative FORD - How could you tell this elevator was at six?
Mr. JARMAN - Because after we got around to the other side we looked up.
Representative FORD - You could see it was on six?
Mr. JARMAN - Yes.
Representative FORD - This was about what time?
Mr. JARMAN - That was about 12:25 or 12:28.
Representative FORD - You got off the fifth floor?
Mr. JARMAN - Yes, sir.
Representative FORD - As you rode the elevator, you noticed the other one was on the sixth floor?
Mr. JARMAN - Right, sir.

Once Jarman and Norman have reached the 5th floor we have the situation where the west elevator is on 5 and the east elevator is on 6. Bonnie Ray Williams is still on 6 as he is yet to join Jarman and Norman on 5. Williams testifies that he takes the east elevator down to 5:

Mr. BALL. Where did you go when you left there?
Mr. WILLIAMS. I went down to the fifth floor.
Mr. BALL. How did you get down there?
Mr. WILLIAMS. I took an elevator down.
Mr. BALL. You didn't go down the stairs?
Mr. WILLIAMS. No, sir.
Mr. BALL. Which elevator did you take?
Mr. WILLIAMS. I took the east elevator down.

This seems to be the state of play when Truly arrives at the bottom of the elevator shaft with Baker - both elevators on 5. The interesting part is Jack Dougherty. As far as I can make it out both he and Bonnie Ray Williams  are up on 6 when Jarman and Norman ride up to 5 in the west elevator. The most likely scenario is that he is on 6 when the shots are fired and calls the west elevator up to 6 as Truly and Baker ascend. After Truly steers Baker to the east elevator on 5 (with Williams and co. hiding in the south-western corner) they go up to the roof, missing out the 6th floor, and it is at this time that Dougherty descends to the first floor, drops off his passenger(s), and returns to the 5th.

I think that analysis of the testimonies indicates that Jack called the west elevator down after Jarman and Norman arrived on the 5th floor. They closed the gate, allowing it to be "called". Jack did not.

[Colin Crow]

In his WC testimony, Junior Jarman is adamant that when he and Hank Norman enter the TSBD through the Houston Street dock entrance to go up to the fifth floor, they have to go around to the west elevator as the east one is on the sixth floor. Something he confirms once they get up to the fifth:

Representative FORD - And where did you get on the elevator?
Mr. JARMAN - We walked around to the back entrance and went through this door here, and this elevator here was up on six, I believe. And we walked around the elevator and took the west elevator up.
Representative FORD - How could you tell this elevator was at six?
Mr. JARMAN - Because after we got around to the other side we looked up.
Representative FORD - You could see it was on six?
Mr. JARMAN - Yes.
Representative FORD - This was about what time?
Mr. JARMAN - That was about 12:25 or 12:28.
Representative FORD - You got off the fifth floor?
Mr. JARMAN - Yes, sir.
Representative FORD - As you rode the elevator, you noticed the other one was on the sixth floor?
Mr. JARMAN - Right, sir.

Once Jarman and Norman have reached the 5th floor we have the situation where the west elevator is on 5 and the east elevator is on 6. Bonnie Ray Williams is still on 6 as he is yet to join Jarman and Norman on 5. Williams testifies that he takes the east elevator down to 5:

Mr. BALL. Where did you go when you left there?
Mr. WILLIAMS. I went down to the fifth floor.
Mr. BALL. How did you get down there?
Mr. WILLIAMS. I took an elevator down.
Mr. BALL. You didn't go down the stairs?
Mr. WILLIAMS. No, sir.
Mr. BALL. Which elevator did you take?
Mr. WILLIAMS. I took the east elevator down.

This seems to be the state of play when Truly arrives at the bottom of the elevator shaft with Baker - both elevators on 5. The interesting part is Jack Dougherty. As far as I can make it out both he and Bonnie Ray Williams  are up on 6 when Jarman and Norman ride up to 5 in the west elevator. The most likely scenario is that he is on 6 when the shots are fired and calls the west elevator up to 6 as Truly and Baker ascend. After Truly steers Baker to the east elevator on 5 (with Williams and co. hiding in the south-western corner) they go up to the roof, missing out the 6th floor, and it is at this time that Dougherty descends to the first floor, drops off his passenger(s), and returns to the 5th.

Interesting that Williams would tell the FBI on Saturday 23rd that he took the stairs down to join Jarman and Norman. If Dougherty had taken the elevator to the 6th floor and was still on that floor when Truly called up, both elevators would have been on the 6th not the 5th.

[Dan O'meara]

Interesting that Williams would tell the FBI on Saturday 23rd that he took the stairs down to join Jarman and Norman. If Dougherty had taken the elevator to the 6th floor and was still on that floor when Truly called up, both elevators would have been on the 6th not the 5th.

In this scenario, who takes the east elevator down to the 5th as Truly and Baker ascend the stairs?

It can't be Williams as he is already on the 5th before the shooting starts. If both elevators are on the 5th when Truly and Baker start up the stairs I can see Dougherty calling the west elevator up from the 5th to the 6th where he waits until Truly gets Baker in the east elevator on the 5th to go straight up to the 7th, avoiding Dougherty (and assassins?) on the 6th. It's only after Truly and Baker hit the roof that Dougherty descends to the 1st.

[Dan O'meara]

I think that analysis of the testimonies indicates that Jack called the west elevator down after Jarman and Norman arrived on the 5th floor. They closed the gate, allowing it to be "called". Jack did not.

Been thinking about this as it is important to establish the order people used the elevators. Apart from the assassin(s) we know four TSBD employees are up on the 5th and 6th floors at the time of the assassination. Jarman and Norman arrive together and must be considered a single entity for these purposes. It seems clear from the testimonies Williams is up there first - he washes up, gets his lunch from the Domino room, heads back up stopping to get pop from 2nd floor lunchroom. He uses the east elevator.

I would place Dougherty next - he goes down, eats his lunch in the Domino room then 'returns to work' after "just a short length of time". He uses the west elevator.

Jarman and Norman don't go up to the 5th floor until shortly before the motorcade arrives in Dealey Plaza. Hank Norman notes that they were outside until they heard news that the motorcade was on Main St., some time after 12:23 (the only reference I can find to this is a second-hand one from "Reclaiming History" pg34-37). This ties in with Jarman's recollection of standing outside "until about 12:20, between 12:20 and 12:25." This has Jarman and Norman arriving at the elevators about "12:25 or 12:28" as he states in his WC testimony. The big problem with this scenario is that both elevators should be up on 6 but they're not. Jarman is adamant the east elevator is up on 6 giving the strong impression the west elevator is on the 1st floor when he and Norman get on it. There is no mention of calling the west elevator down.
Need to figure out who uses the west elevator before Jarman and Norman get there. Obviously someone coming down to the 1st floor from a higher floor.

[Dan O'meara]

Another thought - it can be established with a fair amount of confidence that Jarman and Norman are in position on the 5th not long before the motorcade arrives on Houston, (somewhere between 2 - 4 minutes). Williams arrives after hearing movement on the floor beneath. By the time he gets down to the 5th there can only be seconds to spare before the motorcade arrives, in his affidavit he is clear the motorcade turns onto Houston just after he gets there. The upshot of this is that Williams is on the 6th 'having his lunch' for a lot longer than previously thought by some. He gives the time he goes down as approximately 12:20. It was more like 12:29.

[Alan Ford]

Another thought - it can be established with a fair amount of confidence that Jarman and Norman are in position on the 5th not long before the motorcade arrives on Houston, (somewhere between 2 - 4 minutes). Williams arrives after hearing movement on the floor beneath. By the time he gets down to the 5th there can only be seconds to spare before the motorcade arrives, in his affidavit he is clear the motorcade turns onto Houston just after he gets there. The upshot of this is that Williams is on the 6th 'having his lunch' for a lot longer than previously thought by some. He gives the time he goes down as approximately 12:20. It was more like 12:29.

This makes sense, Mr O'Meara. 

However! Mr Williams' extreme inconsistency across his various statements makes me wonder whether he ever went up to that sixth floor at all (after breaking for lunch).

Mr Arnold Rowland's WC testimony suggests an alternative scenario.

Mr Rowland is shown CE 356 and asked to mark it------------------



Then we get this-----------------

Mr. SPECTER - You testified before that there were other windows where you had seen people hanging out, is that correct?
Mr. ROWLAND - Yes.
Mr. SPECTER - Would you tell us and indicate on the picture, Exhibit 356, to the best of your ability to recollect just which those windows were?
Mr. ROWLAND - There was either two or three people in this window.
Mr. SPECTER - Mark that with a "B" if you would, please.

Note---------------this is the southeast window of the fifth floor (directly under the SN window)----------------------the same place Mr Williams will be at the time of the shooting--------------------but the time Mr Rowland is talking about is ~12.15.

Then we get this-----------------

Mr. SPECTER - How about the windows in the group marked "B," was either of those windows open?
Mr. ROWLAND - They were both completely open.
Mr. SPECTER - Can you describe with any more particularity the people you saw in the window which you have marked "B"?
Mr. ROWLAND - There was a white man hanging out either "G" or "B," I do not remember which. He was the only white man, besides the man in these windows that I saw--
Mr. SPECTER - When you said "these windows" you mean the first window you marked with a black circle and a black arrow?
Mr. ROWLAND - Yes.

So-------------Mr Rowland is certain that there were people at window 'B', but uncertain as to whether one of them was white.

Mr. SPECTER - Is there anything else you can tell us about the people you saw in window "B"?
Mr. ROWLAND - I think to the best of my recollection there was either two or three people in window "B," and as I stated before, either "B" or "G" had a white man in the window. I do not remember which. I do remember it was one of the windows on the corner.
Mr. SPECTER - Do you recollect if the other people in window "B" were white or Negro?
Mr. ROWLAND - They were Negro.

So----------------Mr Rowland is certain that two black men were in window 'B' at ~12.15.

Suggestion:

The two black men seen by Mr Rowland in window "B" at ~12.15 were Mr Bonnie Ray Williams and... Mr Eddie Piper.

Cf! This from Mr Piper's WC testimony:

Mr. BALL - Did you at any time go above the fourth floor on that date?
Mr. PIPER - No, sir.
Mr. BALL - Did you at any time go that day up above the fourth floor?
Mr. PIPER - No--no, sir.
Mr. BALL - You never did---either before or after the shots?
Mr. PIPER - No, sir.

Something is worrying Mr Ball!

Picture the scene: Messrs Jarman & Norman are down on the street in front of the building. At around 12.23, they notice Mr Williams up on the fifth floor (or: he calls down to them) and they decide to go up and join him.

[Alan Ford]

Also worth noting!

Mr. BALL. Why did you go to the sixth floor?
Mr. WILLIAMS. Well, at the time everybody was talking like they was going to watch from the sixth floor. I think Billy Lovelady said he wanted to watch from up there. And also my friend; this Spanish boy, by the name of Danny Arce, we had agreed at first to come back up to the sixth floor. So I thought everybody was going to be on the sixth floor.