Sometimes they will find one that they want to ask someone about. We have always tried to cooperate with the press.
Mr. Hubert. It is your thought then that the mass confusion which has been described, which existed in the hallway of the third floor at least, did not actually interfere with Captain Fritz’ investigative steps excepting insofar as it made it difficult to move Oswald?
Chief Batchelor. Well, it increased the difficulties; yes, but it didn’t actually interfere with the investigation. It added to the confusion, but as far as the press, some of the things that added to the confusion were all of the various agencies that had an interest and all trying to carry on a simultaneous investigation. This within itself added to the confusion.
This was a highly unusual type of crime and we are really not set up for procedures whereby you allow every other agency to come in and go through all of your evidence in the fashion that it was here, because of the press of time and so on.
It was a most difficult investigation, but I don’t think the press materially interfered with the investigation itself. They made things difficult by asking a lot of questions and taking up a lot of people’s time and this sort of thing, but they were not allowed in the homicide bureau.
Mr. Hubert. All right, Chief Batchelor, I don’t believe that there has been any conversation between us which has not become the subject of the actual recorded transcript here, and the rules of the Commission require that I get your concurrence in that.
That is to say, that we have not discussed anything, have we, off the record that has not become a part of the record?
Chief Batchelor. No, sir; not that I know of.
Mr. Hubert. All right, sir, have you anything else to comment upon or add in any way?
Chief Batchelor. No, actually the things that we discussed today were pretty much along the lines of the things that I gave a previous deposition on. There may be some little variance in exact times or exact sequence, but it is pretty hard to remember all those.