Mr. Hubert. Can you tell us what you know about the matter from that point on, and it may be just as well if you will tell it in a narrative fashion. I will ask you some questions as we go along, or perhaps wait until the end to fill in. We will see how it works out. Briefly, what we want to know is what you know about the whole thing.
Mr. Curry. Well, on November 22, I was in the lead car of the Presidential caravan. With me were Secret Service Winston Lawson and Forrest Sorrels, and the sheriff of Dallas County, Bill Decker, and we were nearing the triple underpass in the western part of Dallas, and which is near Stemmons Expressway—it was necessary for us to move to Elm Street in order to get on the Stemmons Expressway to get the President's caravan down to the Trade Mart where they were going to have a luncheon.
I heard a sharp report. We were near the railroad yards at this time, and I didn't know—I didn't know exactly where this report came from, whether it was above us or where, but this was followed by two more reports, and at that time I looked in my rear view mirror and I saw some commotion in the President's caravan and realized that probably something was wrong, and it seemed to be speeding up, and about this time a motorcycle officer, I believe it was Officer Chaney rode up beside us and I asked if something happened back there and he said, "Yes," and I said, "Has somebody been shot?" And he said, "I think so."
So, I then ordered him to take us to Parkland Hospital which was the nearest hospital, so we took the President's caravan then to Parkland Hospital and they were—the President, the Vice President and the Governor—were taken into the hospital and I remained at the hospital for—oh—some hour or so.
At about 1:15 that day—this first incident occurred about 12:30 or so, and about 1:15 I was notified that one of our officers had been shot, and a few minutes later was told that he was dead on arrival at the hospital.
At that time we didn't know who shot him. I was just told it was in Oak Cliff. I was still at the hospital at this time and I was told by some of the Secret Service people, I don't recall who, to get my car ready and another car ready to take the President—we were informed that President Kennedy had expired—and we were asked to have two automobiles standing by to take President Johnson to Love Field.
Mr. Hubert. Let me stop you and ask you this: When you had the news of the death of Tippit, or the shooting of Tippit, did you associate that in any way with the President's assassination?
Mr. Curry. No; I didn't at the time.
Mr. Hubert. All right, sir; go on.
Mr. Curry. In a little while President Johnson came out, and some of his aides, and got into my car and some of his other people came and got into another vehicle driven by Inspector Putnam of the Dallas Police Department, and we were instructed to go to Love Field, to get there by the nearest route with the least amount of noise, but to go there as quickly as we could. So I drove to Love Field and the President got out of the car with his group and went aboard the Presidential plane.