Did Austin Miller just See Steam?

[Fred Litwin]

Did Austin Miller just see Steam?



Austin Miller was another one of Mark Lane's witnesses who claimed to have seen smoke on the grassy knoll: (page 40 in Rush to Judgment)

Austin L. Miller stated in an affidavit on November 22, 'I saw something which I thought was smoke or steam coming from a group of trees north of Elm off the railroad tracks.' He was questioned for the first time by counsel for the Commission four and a half months after the assassination. The interview was a brief one; it lasted but a few minutes. Counsel did not ask about the smoke, and Miller was dismissed before he could mention the crucial observation contained in his affidavit.

Here is Austin Miller's statement to the Sheriff's department:



The smoke that Austin Miller saw came from the westernmost part of the grassy knoll which is not where conspiracy theorists claim the shots came from. And there was a steam pipe right in that vicinity -- notice that Miller said it could have been steam.


Gary Mack told Vincent Bugliosi that the steam pipe "started at the north end of the Triple Underpass and extended about thirty feet parallel to the railroad tracks”


And Dallas police officer Seymour Weitzman testified about the steam pipe:


Austin Miller also talked to the FBI:





No mention of smoke or steam, but Miller does mention "powder dust spray" which might either have been brain/blood/scalp/skull matter from the head shot, or dust from a missed shot on the pavement.


Update

Robert Wagner, in his excellent book, JFK Assassinated, references this piece of testimony from Austin Miller:

[Michael Capasse]

why would there be steam?

[Fred Litwin]

Did you read my post.

Because there was a steampipe.

[Michael Capasse]

Did you read my post.

Because there was a steampipe.

where is a steam pipe?
 ...that could blow hot air over the grassy knoll?



Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas, USA, circa 1963.

[Duncan MacRae]

where is a steam pipe?

Starting At Video Time 1.24

[Michael Capasse]

Starting At Video Time 1.24

Thank you. Was there as break in this steam line at 12:30p that blew a puff of air?
..and it smelled like gunpowder?

Senator Ralph Yarborough: Riding in the motorcade behind Vice President Lyndon Johnson, Senator Yarborough stated, "I smelled the gunpowder…. It clung to the car nearly all the way to the hospital".

Dave Powers and Kenneth O'Donnell: These Kennedy aides were in the motorcade and reported smelling gunpowder at street level near the rail yards.

Other Witnesses: Reports indicate that as many as 13 witnesses near the street, specifically around the Grassy Knoll and Triple Underpass, reported smelling gunpowder, which some interpreted as evidence of a shooter at street level.

Earle V. Brown: A Dallas police officer stationed on the Texas and Pacific Railroad overpass reported smelling gun smoke as the limousine passed beneath him.

[Jarrett Smith]

I think we can all agree there is a difference between smoke and steam and how it disperses. Steam doesn't smell like gunpowder either.   

[John Corbett]

Thank you. Was there as break in this steam line at 12:30p that blew a puff of air?
..and it smelled like gunpowder?

Senator Ralph Yarborough: Riding in the motorcade behind Vice President Lyndon Johnson, Senator Yarborough stated, "I smelled the gunpowder…. It clung to the car nearly all the way to the hospital".

Dave Powers and Kenneth O'Donnell: These Kennedy aides were in the motorcade and reported smelling gunpowder at street level near the rail yards.

Other Witnesses: Reports indicate that as many as 13 witnesses near the street, specifically around the Grassy Knoll and Triple Underpass, reported smelling gunpowder, which some interpreted as evidence of a shooter at street level.

Earle V. Brown: A Dallas police officer stationed on the Texas and Pacific Railroad overpass reported smelling gun smoke as the limousine passed beneath him.

Smelling gunpowder is not an indication of where the gunshots came from. Unless someone wants to argue that the shots were actually fired by someone on Elm St., we can conclude that the smell of gunpowder had traveled some distance from the source of the gunfire. That doesn't establish where the shots were fired from. Fortunately, we have ample evidence of for that. The shots were fired from the southeast corner window of the 6th floor of the Texas School Book Depository. There is no credible evidence of any shots fired from any other location.