Mr. Hubert. But they weren’t visible?
Chief Batchelor. No.
Mr. Hubert. So far as you know, Sheriff Decker did not know that there was a change of plan from the use of the armored car to the use of the homicide car?
Chief Batchelor. I don’t know whether he was called after the change of plans or not.
Mr. Hubert. This was not announced?
Chief Batchelor. He knew he was to have some men at the gate to open the gate to the jail driveways of the county to let this armored car in, and the instructions were for Lieutenant Pierce, who drove the car out, was to get out around in front, to take this truck on beyond and not go in, drive right on down Houston Street with it. And whether Sheriff Decker was ever told of the change of plans or not, I don’t know, but I kind of doubt it.
Mr. Hubert. Chief, do you know of any type of pressure of any sort whatsoever which was put upon the police department or any member of it to allow free press coverage of the transfer?
Chief Batchelor. If you mean that any individual or any press group came and pressured anyone into that, I don’t know of any. Just the general pressure of the whole press barging in there and being in there was about the only thing.
Mr. Hubert. Do you know of any pressure put upon you or anyone else by officers or officials of the city higher than you to allow the press to be present in the way they were?
Chief Batchelor. No, sir.