Mr. Bookhout. Well, I don't know exactly how to describe it, but as I recall, he spoke very loudly. In other words, he was—he gave an emphatic denial, that is about all I can recall on it.
Mr. Stern. I believe that in the report you filed on this first interview, you or Agent Hosty, who joined in the report with you, used the adverb "frantically" to describe his denial of an involvement. Does that refresh your recollection as to that? Would you use that word now, or was that your word?
Mr. Bookhout. No; that was written by Hosty, and that would be his expression of describing it.
Mr. Stern. Do you think "emphatically," is perhaps the more descriptive word now?
Mr. Bookhout. Well, that would be the way I would describe it. As I said, he spoke——
Mr. Stern. I am not trying to put words into your mouth.
Mr. Bookhout. He spoke loudly.
Mr. Stern. I am most interested in getting the tone of this interrogation and his state, the way he conducted himself, and that is why I ask this question, and there is something of a difference between saying a man is acting frantically as opposed to his acting emphatically.
Mr. Bookhout. Well, I suppose the word, "frantically," would probably describe it. In other words, I said that he spoke loudly. There just wasn't a normal type of denial. He was—it was more than that. That is the reason I say that probably "frantically," might be a descriptive word.
Mr. Stern. Did that occur only in connection with questions about whether he had shot the President, or was the general tone of this interrogation, as far as he was concerned, at that level?