Mr. Hubert. I understand that the interview was of very short duration?
Mr. Waldo. It was, and it was preceded by a very stern warning from Chief Curry—that any undue movement to crowd in on the prisoner or shove cameras forward or to clamor on furniture, would immediately cause the interview to be cut short and he said, “The prisoner will be taken away and will not be brought back; is that clear?” He said, “I want everybody to stay where he is.”
The interview was very brief. The thing that sticks most in my mind, considering the fact that before Oswald was brought down District Attorney Wade had stated in some detail how Oswald was taken before a justice of the peace and formally charged with the assassination of President Kennedy, that when the prisoner in the assembly room was asked, “Why did you kill the President?” He replied, “I haven’t killed anyone and no one has even mentioned to me anything about the President except you people.”
Mr. Hubert. Who was it asked him the question, “Why did you kill the President?”
Mr. Waldo. Gosh, I couldn’t tell you.
Mr. Hubert. It was some newsman?
Mr. Waldo. It was a newsman; yes.
Mr. Hubert. You did not see Ruby in that group?
Mr. Waldo. I did not see Ruby that evening; no, sir. I do recall, but only because it was called to my attention afterward, that at the tail end of the interview, a man with a loud voice was calling to Wade to come over and say something in a microphone, and I do recall distinctly that this voice cut through the din with remarkable stentorian quality, and of course it has been testified at Jack Ruby’s trial that this was he, acting for a friend at a radio station who wanted to put a statement by Wade on tape for subsequent broadcast.
Mr. Hubert. That was while Oswald was still in the room?