JFK Assassination: The first hour of WFAA's coverage after Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas (1963)

stretch pants again in The Faded Soldier blue which I think is an awesome combination and from the black boot I noticed that there are several hidden zippers on these jackets, now what are these four beds for? Do you see that they cannot be? Is it for Mad Money? Well, it depends on where they are placed, they can be wherever you want. You know, for the pockets so that snow doesn't get in. The zipper that holds the hood in place because it is easier to put on and take off the hood. the zipper than with the snaps, then there are zippers up The Sid so that the jacket fits nicely around the hips while maintaining that straight, sleek look that it should have and very often you will find a hidden zipper on the arm and good afternoon.

Ladies and gentlemen, excuse the fact that I'm out of breath, but about 10 or 15 minutes ago, from all indications, something tragic happened right now in the city of Dallas. Let me quote this to you and I will inform you. You'll excuse me if I'm out of breath. A bulletin from the Dallas American Press. President Kennedy and Governor John Colony have been shot to death in downtown Dallas. They were in an open car when the president was shot. his limp body carried in the arms of his wife Jacqueline has been rushed to Parkland Hospital uh and if you'll excuse me if I give some instructions and we talk about what we're going to do here for the next few minutes, but Bobby, let's record .

This please, particularly the eyewitness interview, is being recorded well, here is a copy that was quickly sent to me and was ripped from the United press in Dallas. President Kenny was shot in Dallas. He was shot in Dallas, Texas. shot as an engine left downtown Dallas Mrs. Kennedy jumped and grabbed the president she cried oh no as the engine cage sped toward an Associated Press photographer James Alin at LT gns reports he saw blood on the president's head the man AP said he heard two gunshots but thought someone was shooting off fireworks until he saw the blood on the president.

He also said he didn't see anyone with a gun. We were very close. Jerry Haynes. As you know, I am Mr. Peppermint. We were very close to being an eyewitness. We were standing on Houston Street between Maine and the next street on Jerry, come in, would you please? uh, and on the next street we saw the president pass by and we gave him the applause that corresponds to the Office of the President of the United States and as he turned left, two or three shots rang out, we thought they were firecrackers, until I thought that yes, until the last shot rang out and we heard people screaming and we rushed over in time to see a policeman standing behind one of the fire poles looking around. somewhere to shoot someone to shoot, I would like to remind you that as the news comes to the new newsroom we will be on the air, we will have our witnesses here in a moment, Vicki would.

You see, if they need some coffee or something, these people are shaking terribly, they get really close, they were in the line of the fire jar. I remember Jay, you said I thought it was, you know, a firecracker or something and then. A gunshot followed and then a second or two later, another gunshot and then another second or two, the third gunshot and you said the man had been shot and we both turned around, no, I said, Oh my God, that's a gunshot, like that. es, and then we turn to the right. behind the statue of Mr. uh de and we ran towards the cement wall and we saw people starting to disperse and I think our witness was on the ground.

Would he do me a favor? Would you go check out the newsroom now and as men come in from the field or if you have stories, uh, let me know and also ask someone to consult with. We were supposed to take the krld broadcast. They may still be broadcasting from there. Check it out, let me know and until our news team returns we will use this studio as our headquarters uh these people and they will excuse me. I don't want to interrupt you. I'm so sorry because I know they were very upset, but I would do it.

I'd like to talk to you for a minute, it's a little awkward so the camera shots will have to fall as possible. I'm going to stay here and maybe someone can get me a chair while we do this. Can I have your help? name please Sir Bill Newman and this is Mrs. Newman and this is James Clayton James and this is Billy Billy tell me what you saw and what you felt what happened to you we had just come from Love Field after seeing the president and the

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The lady and we were right in front of the triple underpass on L Street and we were on the edge of the curve getting ready to greet the president, so you were down, you were under the duck, so to speak, weren't you okay?

We were halfway there. between the triple underpass we were on the sidewalk when the incident occurred, but the president's car was still about 50 feet still in front of you, in front of us, coming toward us and we heard the

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gunshot and the president, I don't know. who was hit first, but the president jumped out of his seat and I thought that scared him. I thought it was a firecracker because it seemed fair and then when the car came directly in front of us with a shot, apparently from behind us, hitting the President on the side of the temple, do you think the first shot came from behind you too?

I think it came from the same place, apparently in the mall. I don't know what you call it for Benman's clature. You have all gone out under the vuck and when you turn to go under the vuck on the left side there is some grass. Do you think the shot came from above the viu towards the president? That's right, yes, sir, no, no, in the Vu itself, but on the top of the hill, a small mound of earth or the garden, how far would you say that is from where the president was? A couple of 300 yards something like that, well, I have no idea because I didn't do it.

I don't see where the shot came from. We were looking directly at the president when he was hit and he was more or less directly in front of us and we didn't realize what happened until we saw the side of his head. Every time the bullet hit him in the head, did you see the blood coming out of the president's head? I know yes sir, we have seen, I have seen, I don't know if my wife did it, I saw that, oh yes sir, it was horrible, it's horrible, that's all. Is that the kind of work he does, sir?

I am a construction worker, electrician. Is this the first time you've seen a president of the United States? Did he see him when he was here in 1961? No sir, no sir. His housewife, yes, sir, took the day off to come downtown and see the president, yes, sir, we did, we wanted our children to see him. Were you in the line of fire? I realized. I vividly remember every time I walked up and looked over the railing. there and I saw across the street that you were on the ground uh to stay out of the line of fire what was the first thought that came to your mind Oh, I thought it was a firecracker and I saw the blood and I had the baby and I just ran and got on top of him and lay down on the grass.

I was just scared, it was terrible. Did you see anyone else hit besides U uh um? Governor Conley was kind of turned to the side and grabbed his stomach, thank you jar, if anything else comes, we heard a report and I would like to say here, for the benefit of you who are tuning in, who have tuned in late to watch the show Julie Bell, we interrupted this program and Our program will be interrupted all day because it is evident now that President Kenny Kennedy has been shot. We don't have news in our newsroom, but we are waiting in our newsroom and could you work as a runner with The Newsroom and like anything else? come in and if you find any of the guys coming in who have been gathering the news, please bring them over so we can get them on the air.

Here's another word we know as we carry it here and in all seasons. taken this morning the president spoke this morning in Fort Worth flew to Dallas and that

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was underway landed here around 1:30 between 135 and 140 Vicky, did you bring the coffee for the people? Bring him in um he was going to deliver a speech at 1:00 this afternoon and he was in a motorcade and only about 2 or 3 miles from where he was going to give the speech at the mark every time something terrible and disastrous happened and It happened in our city, Secret Service agents. who were in the car immediately began to follow the president they took out automatic rifles uh I witnessed one of the police officers who was standing there behind a light pole tele and you'll excuse me if I'm frustrated, they would be too standing there with a gun in their hand the bubble in the president's car was down when the shots rang out in fact if I remember correctly when they took off from the airport there was uh there was no bubble in the car the president collapsed in the back seat face down Conley was lying on the floor of the seat rear the wounds on the governor's chest were clearly visible this is from the United Press the wounds indicated that an automatic weapon was used three loud bursts of gunfire were heard before the president and the governor fell uh just a few minutes before Jerry Haynes and I , the president smiling and his lovely wife smiling uh, do you, do you have any idea which direction?

Sorry, I forgot your name. I forgot my name on this new Mr. Newman, do you have any? idea of ​​what direction you would like to go EXC, go ahead. I'm so sorry you're so upset and I hope we're not prevailing on his good character to have him here except with news like this, uh, Mr. Do you have any idea which direction the shots that hit the president or the comedian came from? ? Did you say one of the shots came from One Direction and the other from someone else? It seemed like no, sir, I actually feel that both of them are coming directly. behind where we were standing right behind you um, the president, it looked like he was looking in that direction uh, I don't know if he was hit first, apparently he wasn't, it looked like he jumped out of his seat and when he jumped up Well, they shot him right in the head and, uh, I don't know what you call it, in the mall behind us, but apparently that's where it was.

I know, a few minutes after that, when I came there and asked you. people, if you would kindly come and be at our station today, I know that um uh, the police were backing up, going up the ramp and they were all going in that direction towards the railroad, yes, sir, the cars go back there. I just hope the man who shot the president. I just hope they don't kill him. I hope he lives. I hope he lives to regret what he did and that's the whole pre-salt comment. Excuse me Jerry Haynes, you know Jerry, our lord. peppermint Jerry and I were 100 yards from where the president and Jared were shot, you'll have to.

There's another microphone here somewhere. Can we excuse our improvisation? Here we go. Can we turn this one on? Bobby at the Associated Press, anyone. He had asked one of the presidential advisors or companions for some news and he refused to comment. They asked him if he had been fatally wounded and this was about 5 minutes ago. He arrived almost the same time he brought that bulletin. Do we have a report yet? from Parkland Hospital, is there any news from there? No, not yet, uh VI, could you check the newsroom and see if, uh, see if any of the journalists are there, see if we write there, we're both on the air now and We're also recording the show.

His first appearance on television. I suppose so, sir, and isn't it a pity that it is in the conditions we find ourselves in now? Yeah, I'd like to recap a little bit on those. Of you who may have been late, Jared, go ahead and do what you have to do to see if we can get more details here and you can also check with Don Easterwood and see if there's any way we can get it. a phone here we can we can get beep phones can you talk or someone good? I would like to summarize for you the reason why we are on the air and it can be best said in these newsletters. from United Press and then I'll tell you what I know, United Press newsletter, thank you Helen, President Kennedy and Governor Conley of Texas have been shot to death in downtown Dallas.

They were in an open car when shots were fired. The president, his limp body in the arms of his wife, Jacqueline, had been rushed to Parkland Hospital. A follow-up on that from the American press. I read it just a minute ago and I can't. I can explain it better in my own words, we were about 100 yards away if you're familiar with Dallas. Houston Street is above what we call the underpass and the road curves down and under the viaduct. Jerry Haynes and I were standing there and we heard a gunshot and immediately after that another gunshot and then a third a little bit later and I said to God those were gunshots and we ran over and unfortunately I'm afraid they were, it's nothing new but It's a summary, yes. this thing we have we said uh, excuse me a minute, let me quote Clint Hill, a secret service agent, this is from the American press.

Clint Hill, a Secret Service agent assigned to Mrs. Kennedy, said he was dead when they picked upto the president from the back of the White House tour car, Mr. Kennedy was rushed to an emergency room and I think it's Parkland Hospital, it's a cat, you have nothing, it's okay. Jack Drbont, one of our producers came in, other White House officials were in doubt when the hospital outages erupted into chaos. We have already told you where the incident occurred. What is the name of that street where he was where he was shot? Well, I guess it is a continuation of Elmo.

As he goes down, it must be that he passes under the other step. He was collapsed in the back seat of the car, face down. was lying on the floor of the back seat and also a few minutes ago John U, the journalist, I can't remember my name, no, John Allen told me that he heard a report from one of the radios and this is just a report that there were another four or five people beaten, I don't see. How could it be because I know there were only three shots, there were only three shots, jar, where is your microphone?

I have something to say, we might as well do it right, I almost didn't go with you J going out to lunch at 12 and you said I asked Vicki to go too and you had other work to do and also Norvale Slater and a few other people. The time is 1:00 I guess this happened. I ask you what time it was at 12:30 so I guess this happened about 25 minutes until 1:00 you and I were chatting around 12:30 uh some little kids were standing around and I had signed some autographs while the Mr. Peppermint I was asked where a dragon sounds.

I was and I said I was at school and the mother said one day in Dallas, Texas, she came to see. Thanks Jack, if any of the news guys come in or if there are any beeping phones we could have transferred here, you better do it. Get Don Easterwood, who is our audio supervisor, to see if we can get them here and put them straight on the air. Well, put them directly in the air. Representative Albert Thomas of Texas says he has been informed that both President Kennedy and Governor John Connelly of Texas are still alive, let me repeat that this is a bulletin.

Representative Albert Thomas of Texas says he has been informed that both President Kennedy and Governor John Connelly of Texas are still alive. Thomas made a statement outside the emergency room where both Kennedy and Connley are undergoing treatment said he had been told the president is still alive but in very critical condition we will be on the air here we were I know our guys are developing film now to see if we have any film

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we are covering we are regrouping at The Newsroom and Bob, I suggest that as soon as you can you break one of these cameras or one of the other cameras and put it in The Newsroom and maybe a lighthouse on top of the camera and let's enter The Newsroom.

Audio line installed there so we can work directly from there and find out exactly what's going on. We hope to God that this is true. I do not know what. Yes, we had to put a tripod on one of the cameras. we can't include them, so I see that's okay, so we'll move on to the newsroom. Representative Albert Thomas and I will repeat this again. Representative Albert Thomas of Texas says he has been informed that both President Kennedy and Governor John Cony of Texas are still alive. He made this statement outside the emergency room where both Kennedy and Connley are undergoing treatment.

He said he had been told the president is still alive but in a very critical condition. North, he got it from Jim W. Same thing, let's read the whole thing here. some of the Secret Service agents through the gunfire and that doesn't let us see. Some of the Secret Service agents thought the shots were from an automatic weapon fired toward the right rear of the president's car, probably from a grassy field where the police rushed in and that was confirmed a few minutes ago. by Mr. and Mrs. Nunley, who witnessed this event and we will have you back a few minutes later in case some of you are late for our program, we would like you to do so. we'd like you to listen to G.

In other words, the car was shot at on the way down and these people were in the line of fire. A call was sent. Congressman Jim R of Fort Worth said that both Kennedy and Connelly were seriously injured but still alive, a call was sent out for some of Dallas' top surgical specialists and a call was also made for a priest, it's unusual, uh, the reaction that you get when you see someone well, of course, like the president, as a political figure it's almost uh well there they were in front of you and me and it seems to me that the president looked directly uh we were talking yeah directly I would say probably because uh a little taller than me and there he was and he waved at you and then they turned the corner, a few seconds later we heard the gunshots, I would say a minute before and the lady had a camera, I remember she was taking personal films, yeah, and I think it was an eyewitness and she had come running and crossed the street screaming, yes, almost yes, Don the Cruiser is on his way to Parkland, the cruiser is in it, it's in Park, it's feeding in no time, it's Well, wait, we have a remote cruise.

He is on his way to Parkland Hospital and we will feed him there as soon as possible. Bob Walker will be there. Could someone please see if they can contact the cruise ship and Bob and tell him we will be working with audio signals in the air? because people understand the type of program, it is not a program, they will understand why if we say, yes, the notice about the call that goes out for the priest, well, I think this sums up the situation from this moment on. He has been referred by some of the best surgical specialists in Dallas and at the same time a call has been made for a priest.

It's 3 minutes after 1:00 Jerry, around 12:35, this happened so 30 minutes ago, could you while? I take a breath and a drink of water. Here I summarize the situation, so far we will move to our news room so we can talk to the News Department guys as they come in. Our Cruiser is now on its way to Parkland Hospital uh we'll keep you posted as soon as it's at Parkland Hospital it's at Parkland now they still have to connect and they're trying to connect it J I'll be back in a couple of minutes Well as an announcer it's my duty, ladies and gentlemen, stay tuned in the announcement booth here at wfat TV as we begin our broadcast of the president's arrival this morning.

It was at 9:00 and he was speaking in Fort Worth, of course. as you saw on channel 8 or any of the other television stations in this area, he gave a great speech that lasted about 15 minutes, then he came out and was on the plane, took off and arrived at Love Field. Bob Walker, our Channel 8 reporter stood by while we, in turn, reported to the other television stations about the President's arrival at Love Field and was greeted by the Mayor and Mrs. Cabell, by Mr. Eric Johnson and other of the dignitaries who were to share the speaker's table in Market Hall this afternoon when he was to give a speech and at that moment Bob Walker commented after the president met with the official welcoming party as he detoured to shake hands hands of those who had lined the fences after leaving for Love Field.

This morning very early and ignoring the possibility of rain, of course, the weather was clear and the clouds were not visible. But the president shook all hands and we saw the Secret Service men and they followed him and I asked myself, what? the moment when how effective, of course, you have to be as effective as possible, but there are human errors and you cannot cover all the areas and the secret service officer who must have the most difficult task in the world: protect the president. They were behind him at every angle as he shook everyone's hands.

I noticed a high school girl shake the president's hand and then, at about uh oh, she'd say it was 15 minutes to 12, the motorcade left Love Field heading toward its predetermined route down Lemon Avenue. toward downtown and they were to go down Commerce and turn right on Houston instead of going down Maine and turning right on Houston toward Elm, turn left on Elm Down Under, the now place that will be remembered, I'm sure as the Years go by as the place where an attempt was made and we hope that the attempt remains in the press releases about the life of the president of the United States here's the uh in case you tuned in you probably know Of course, as much as me. but this is the bulletin that reached the US press, so I will repeat it, but this is what has happened so far.

President Kennedy and Governor John Connelly of Texas have been killed by assassin bullets fired at them while spinning in downtown Dallas. In an open car, the president, his limp body, and his wife's arms were rushed to Parkland Hospital. The governor was also taken to the same Hospital. Clint Hill. A Secret Service agent assigned to Mrs. Kennedy made a statement. He said he's dead, but no. No, but this is what the gentleman said at that moment when they pulled the president out of the back of the White House tour car. Mr. Kennedy was rushed to an emergency room at the hospital.

Other White House officials had doubts in the hospital hallways. broke out in Pandemonium the incident occurred just east of the triple underpass in front of a park in the center of the city. President Kennedy's mother and father were informed that his son was shot in Dallas, and the Secret Service says the president remains in the hospital's emergency room while Governor Connelly was taken to the operating room. One Secret Service man was heard telling another that there was no need to transport the president because emergency facilities were completely adequate in the emergency room and two Roman Catholic priests were summoned to the emergency room where the president was located.

It's a White House spokesperson said that someone had asked about the priests uh we have audio guys don't be afraid if you have something to do go ahead and say it you know because people understand. I would like to ask you this. please do not call the police department do not call radio stations television stations do not call the particular hospital do not call Parkland Hospital those lines are necessary all phones in that building will have to be available to the Secret Service and for the people who are working to save the president's life please do not call Parkland Hospital do not call the television station our switchboard has been busy for the last 25 minutes now do not call in fact it might be a good idea for everyone Las Long distance calls go out here unless the phone call is absolutely necessary to not make the call.

Are we ready in the newsroom? Now we are fine. Bobby, why don't you take your chance there and move around and we'll walk and pick up? turn up the audio uh let's turn on the microphone I can't hear you Johnny what do you want? You want me to back off a little bit. Everything is alright? Ladies and gentlemen, this is the newsroom of our radio and television station, as you can. Look, most of the guys are out, uh Bert, let's see, let's reorganize here, grab that cable over there, we're on Air B and let's talk to you just for a minute.

It's all good here, ladies and gentlemen. I would like to introduce you. You, the chief cameraman and deputy news director for WFA television, this is Bert, Bert, we've brought people quite up to speed, could you tell them exactly what you know at this point? Well, Jay, I was standing at the trademark waiting for their I got there suddenly they uh we saw them approaching they didn't slow down in fact they were 70 80 My

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ahead of us and everyone without knowing it uh they didn't know what happened there had the trademark and then I got in the police car and went to Parkland when I got there I found out that no one knew much about where he was hit, but they knew that the president was shot in the head.

This is what they have told me now. J president era connley was shot in the head they were shot in the chest they were both still alive when i left the hospital do you have any movies? and uh, yeah, I have some film at the hospital and I'll see if you can develop it real quick and we'll put it on. Theun through uh one thing a quote we went out was he said the scene was too gruesome to describe I know and uh that's what I spent most of my time on so I'm going to get ready to film Now, good ladies and gentlemen, let me mention them.

To date, Jerry Haynes and I were about 100 yards from where the President was shot this afternoon in the grassy mole and you will understand that if we repeat this it is for the benefit of the people who tuned in late. We are public relations. Present televising on WFA television from our newsroom everything we know up to this point and as you can imagine some of the stories you will hear are not objective, the story I told a few minutes ago about us hearing thatsix or eight. People were injured, this is not true because we only heard three shots and Jerry and I were witnesses.

We will have a movie on the air. Our mobile Cruiser is at or racing to Parkland Hospital. We'll have news from there. There was a gentleman who... It was an eyewitness Helen, are you here? Mr. Nunley, could you please come in? When I first looked out the balcony to where the chaos was taking place, this gentleman, his wife and his two children were on the lawn now once again if he originally joined us when we entered the show around 1:00 At least a quarter, you heard your statement, Mr. Lley, could you tell us once again exactly what it is, Mr.

Newman? Sorry, look right there, Mr. Newman, could you tell us exactly what tastes good, my wife and uh, my two kids were Stan the cerb looking at the president coming towards us and we heard an explosion and the president looked like this, he jumped out of his seat and at that moment he was directly in front of us and then we saw him uh he was shot in the side of the head and he fell back in the seat and Governor Connley was holding his stomach and the shots were almost simultaneous, did you? No? Yes sir, it was probably 10 seconds.

Do you know who shot it? The third shot. I did not do it. I heard a third. I don't remember a third shot. There may have been a hit. My family fell to the ground and I don't remember a third shot. I just couldn't. I'm not sure about that. I know. I heard two. shots I heard three, I know it's three, yeah, I told Jerry after the second shot, I said, my God, those are shots and sure enough, unfortunately they were, let me catch you up now, uh, yeah, I understand we're having issues. I'm here with a van, so we'll head back to the studio.

Is it that correct? Wait a minute. Ed, what did you say? This is Ed Feifer, our station manager. He excuses me for a moment. You want to go have a cup of coffee and we'll be right back. I think it would be best, Jay, if we take this back to the studio. Alright? uh on that one it's very hard to hear on the air the audio is bad okay okay we'll go back to the studio. Jerry is waiting there now. We're going to see Bert as soon as the movie is ready, let us know so we can. can run ABC called from New York I have no idea okay, let's go back to the studio both of you thank you very much take take take one an

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, now we're back in the studio here where the news is given every day and the weather and the sports known as Studio B here WFAA TV time now is uh in 15 seconds it will be uh 1:15 so it was approximately yeah, yeah, look, I'm trying to figure it out, uh, uhoh, excuse me, uhor, please excuse me, speak up, forward.

I can't live off the networks well from here I understand that we are feeding two of the networks at the moment it is that correct eh well since this is the case I think we should start from scratch again and explain to you what happened, see? Please have Mr. Nunley or Mrs. Nunley return so we can speak to them. Jerry Haynes and I were about 100 yards away. My name is Jay Watson. We are about 100 yards from where President Kennedy was shot this afternoon at approximately 12:35 central time. Central Standard. Time, uh, the president, we know that he was shot, we know that the best surgeons have been called to Parkland Hospital and all of us, two and two priests, have been summoned and I think that sums up the situation as of now, says here J .that President Kennedy has been given blood transfusions at Parkland Hospital in Dallas in an effort to save the president's life after he and Texas Governor John Connelly were shot while the president was traveling outside Dallas in a caravan.

Well, Jared, let me bring you Mrs. Newman, could you please come in and let me get your story? Witness here to sit here and a little boy. Did you finally have some coffee? I don't drink coffee well. Would you like to have something to drink? I know you know my stomach is kind. of agitation I'm afraid I Mrs. Nunley no Newman Newman I've been calling you I'm sorry, I don't even remember my name really that's terrible tell me what happened we were standing on the curb so the kids could Look, the president and the car was one step away from us and a shot was fired and I thought it was a firecracker and the president stood up in his seat and I thought he was agreeing to a joke. or something like that and suddenly the next one appeared and Governor Conley grabbed his stomach and turned to one side and then another, it all happened so fast and President Ken reached out and grabbed him, it looked like he grabbed his ear and The blood started gushing out and my husband said let's get down quick and I grabbed the baby and we ran and lay down on the grass and I got on top of him, he was right for us when it all happened right in front of us. we it was okay when I saw you looking out the balcony there you and you you your husband and your two little boys who is this now this is James Clayton hello darling, can you say hello?

He has some candy what are you doing He doesn't talk He's cute He doesn't say anything Oh he can talk Can he say thank you Have you seen President Kennedy before? We were at the airport and we couldn't see him very well, so we decided I'd try to go downtown to see him because, uh, Billy, that's our youngest son, he's getting old enough to remember things like that and we wanted him to be able to say that he saw the President Kennedy and now he will be able to say that he saw. President Kennedy when he was shot yes, he was already saying mother, why would anyone want to shoot President Kennedy?

Um, you kids don't realize how they realize things, but he's already talking about why they would want to kill him and that's a question that everyone, you didn't see anyone, you didn't see, no, it happened so fast that you didn't have the opportunity to see anything, it was just too fast, well, thanks for coming. I really appreciate your time and I know you're upset and I hope we haven't embarrassed you in any way and good luck to you and your family and your two young children and tell your husband too that we really appreciate his time in trouble.

You, the people who are watching, will excuse us if we organize on the air here Bobby, uh, I understand that we have a movie that is, uh, that we will be in the process. Bert chip has something, I think one of Our news is processing right now, so we'll have that movie. We are physically rushing our mobile Cruiser. Might be a good idea for people watching who have never been to Dallas before. I think what we're going to do is Sam Smith with our artist Sam, if we can have a piece of cardboard and a piece of chalk, we'll try to explain to you exactly where the location is in Dallas, Texas.

Could someone see if we can have something to make a little piece of art? He's on his way, well, but we'll do a little drawing for you of where he is this morning. I'm telling you Bob is Turner. Is he still directing him? Yeah, okay, Bob, if you get it. Take the film out of the videotape that we made this morning and take about four or five minutes, the part where we had the President and Mrs. Kennedy shaking hands with people on the railing, play it back in a few minutes, so say it. Vicki, could you give me some coffee?

Please drive the engine, the C engine, for all practical purposes. It was finished. Of course, they had to go down the rest and go under what we call in Dallas our triple underpass. Elm Street slopes gently downhill. is leaning west and the president's official car has just left another Maine street, which is a block south of El, among a whole crowd, because from then on even what we call a trademark is a highway of eight lanes and there are some industrial areas and some people came out for lunch, but the president had seen all the crowd that had gathered and therefore he turned the presidential car down with an inclination of about 15 to 20° for all the practical purposes.

The parade in Dallas had ended and we had turned to head back to WFA when those three gunshots rang out at that moment, they didn't sound like gunshots, but you commented, yeah, I said, Oh my God, those are gunshots and people started screaming and we ran and I looked, yeah, go ahead and set it up here. No, the shooting happened around 12:35 this afternoon and it's now 1:20 central time, okay, we need something to write with and then we'll be at the business to try. to show you where this happened in the city of Dallas and I'm not ready, the tape is ready.

The tape is ready while we get this out. This tape was recorded this morning in a broadcast that WFA picked up and originated for the stations. on Dallas WFAA krld D KTVT and uh wbap uh came in around one, around 11:35, almost the hour since he was shot in Lovefield, let's take about four or five minutes, uh, and I'll tell you when, Bobby, let's take tape. Now, this is pre-recorded. This is a tape we made this morning. Let's go to see her. Should we run to get behind other fences to better see the Caravan when it will leave?

We'll get out of here shortly and go. downtown Dallas the president is up to the fence now shaking hands with people the president and his wife are right at the fence the press is standing taking many shots of this thing he has done as he has done it in several places where he has been He deviated from his planned plan and approached the fence to shake people's hands. This is great for the people and makes the eggshells even thinner for the Secret Service, whose job it is to protect the man, but the audience loves it. This beautiful pill hat of Mrs.

Kennedy's was the only thing that gave him away. I saw the hat and knew they were there and of course the press went up high and shot down as the president and his wife moved through the door, people screaming. In them, people are running inside and now trying to come down this end of the gate, this end of the fenced area, hoping that the president and his wife will move along the fence. There you see that the crowd simply mattered around a lot of people outside. with cameras just holding them up and taking pictures and hoping to take a picture with their own camera of the president and his wife, the president, still walking along that interior fence shaking hands, uh, talking to people who have come out to greet him, uh , they did it.

Don't expect this now as it becomes more visible until the end, people applaud and here they come towards us. I can see Mrs. Kennedy and they're going to come down and shake everyone's hand. Mrs. Kennedy gave a charming smile and wave at that moment Mrs. Kennedy, up there is the president shaking hands with people, he's shaking hands with a lot of people smiling, secret service men everywhere, boy, this The people who waited all morning at this fence are rewarded with a glimpse and many of them with a close look and a handshake for the president of the United States and his wife, and he comes towards us and towards our great camera positions.

Here a press is having fun, someone climbed on someone's shoulders. The Secret Service along with the president, of course, the president walks right past a Dallas police officer, right in front of our cameras. Now someone patted him on the shoulder. Mrs. Kennedy comes after him. smiling all the time the president says thank you very much if I may read a presidential lip movement in the S of this is a plus for the people who have waited here now Mrs. Kennedy right behind him the president is still moving towards some telephone booths that They were set up for the press, people coming up to that fence, we cut this off, uh, wait just a minute, I'm listening just a minute, a trademark, okay, Secret Serv, let's go to the Secret Service, let's go to the trademark, Bobby is. that's right, okay, take it, let's see what we have final starting this morning.

The rift has existed for a long time in the Democratic party in Texas and in this rift the Democrats will tell you if they are conservative, loyal, liberal, moderate or whatever. faction of the Democratic party to which they belong in Texas everyone says that this is just a fight between parties and that we can all meet when the president comes to town well, they finally met, the big bone of contention had been whether or not Senator Ralph Ybra, undoubtedly considered the liberal wing of the party, would sit at the head table. He doesn't get along very well with Vice President Johnson or Governor Connley.

Word got out that the senator refused to ride in the motorcade last night. in the same car with Vice President Johnson, but today everything was going to be more or less peachy, so to speak, everyone was going to sit at the head table and break bread together this Friday, November 22nd and then before. could they ever get to this Market Hall it is said that the president has been

assassinated

that one of his agents is dead and the governor of Texas is injured by the trademark in Dallas Texas this is Eddie Barker uh that was the CBS van here in Dallas Eddie Barker, krld's news director, brings you up to date.

The reason the mobile was installed on the trademark is because today at 1:00 President Kennedy was scheduled to give a speech, now to my right and to his left there is a crude comment and you will forgive the work of art and I ask you Apologies, Sam, for the locationDallas where the shooting took place today. uh Dallas is on your left, this is Main Street, this is the county courthouse and the jail on this block, here this is the triple underpass that we've referred to as this is where President Kennedy Johnson and, as I understand it, now, they shot about a secret service man and Connley.

Sorry, Connley was shot today at approximately 12:35 and according to our eyewitness that he saw earlier, he was shot from above. here this is an overpass that goes through these streets we call it our other triple overpass because there is another one that was shot from here Connie arrived in Fort Worth last night to a warm reception it was raining until about Dallas and in Fort Worth until about 9 :30 or 10:00 this morning and everyone was saying, "Well, the president brought the rain with him because those of you who have been in this area recently know how much we need the rain.

He gave this speech." tomorrow at 9:00 that was broadcast on television about I apologize, let's go back to the network now and see what they have in the operating room that the vice president is fine, they took her back to another room on the first floor where Johnson had originally They asked her if her husband had also been injured and shook her head. She said he had not been a Secret Service man. She pushed the journalists away and did not allow any more questions, of course, she can imagine the confusion, the emergency circumstances, the confusion that must exist around that hospital. now we understand that we are ready to switch to Washington to receive a report from there, we are ready to go to Washington, come to Washington, we are ready to switch to Washington to receive a direct report from there, but for some reason, given the circumstances, We seem to be having a bit of difficulty with that which I'm sure will clear up in a moment.

When we arrived in Washington, we were told from our control room here in New York that Washington was waiting with a report, but we have not been able to contact them. right now I'm sure that in a matter of seconds maybe another minute or two we'll be able to get to Washington. Did you have anything else in Sil? I thought we'd recap for those who probably found out just moments ago. ago I think the idea came up that the president and the governor were shot in his moade as he entered another pass while going through downtown Dallas and when the shots were first fired it was thought to be three, which was later confirmed as four shots, the president fell in the face. below Governor Connelly was apparently wounded in the body fell forward Mrs.

Kennedy jumped and cried oh no and tried to hold the president's head up blood was seen on the president's head and a secret service agent was apparently shot one of the uh, killers, bullets too and of course you haven't done it from there, thank you very much Ed, uh, in case you joined us late or hadn't heard the news, those are the facts up to where we know them until this moment and the last time. I am getting news now, we have received news that two priests who were with the president reported that the president is dead now here again we must, we must emphasize that this is not an official announcement, it has not been announced by the White House or anyone in the official group traveling with the president, but the Associated Press quotes two priests who were with the president as saying that he died from gunshot wounds or a wound inflicted by a sniper, we have to assume it was a sniper who fired from a distance considerable, the president was granted the last rights of the Roman Catholic church around 1:00 Dallas time and at that time the first reports were that the president was still alive, however, this last word says that uh the Los Priests were under the impression that the president was dead at the time the last rights were administered.

Of course, we're going to keep it on the air here and we'll bring you any reports that come in as they come in from our reporters' wire services. the scene and from Washington and Dallas directly we will go to Washington in a short time for a direct report from there Ed Silverman is sitting here next to me he has a phone with Dallas and he is in contact with our reporter Bill Lord who is in the hospital and has been Keeping in touch with the people on the scene Ed, is there anything new? No, there is nothing new.

Ron Bill put down the phone to check with the sheriff's office. He confirmed the death of the secret service agent. The fact that at least a dozen witnesses have been brought in for questioning and the fact that a suspect has been detained, is there being questioned now there have been no details, everyone is very quiet at the Sheriff's Office and of course , there are a lot of rumors uh Bill mentioned a lot of rumors, which is understandable at a time like this, so we would hesitate to pass on any of that. We're sticking strictly to fairies, we've got them, thanks Ed, so now let's try again. switch to Washington and Edward p Morgan, he is seeing Edward p Morgan, but unfortunately right now he is not listening to him, we will fix that shortly.

We have a report that Senator Edward Kennedy, the president's brother, was presiding over the Senate today when word came that the president had been shot, an aide informed him and he ran out of the Senate chamber. Attorney General Robert Kennedy, the president's younger brother and closest advisor, was having lunch at home when he learned of the shooting. His staff, the president's personal secretary, said the Attorney General remained at the Kennedy Hickory Hill estate in Milan, Virginia, waiting for more news, reporters brought the news to House Speaker John McCormack at a lunch in Washington, he said. that this is terrible, all I can say is that it is a terrible thing and all Americans of all religions and creeds are praying for the president and Governor Connelly now.

I'm just thinking that of all the people we're now getting a report here, the United States press reports that the United States press reports that the president died at 135, that would be 135 Eastern time. I'm guessing it would have been around 135 central time, that was just 2 minutes ago. Now that again it's a United Press International report, uh, it's not attributed, we don't know if it's an official report. announcement of any member of the Kennedy party, we have another photograph of Mr. Kennedy in the motorcade that was taken minutes before the

assassination

attempt. This is a still photograph of the president in the engine cage.

He sees that he travels in an open car and we are. reported at the time the shot hit him, he was standing in that car, unfortunately apparently he was a good target for the sniper who was hiding somewhere and could have fired from a considerable distance, probably with a high-powered rifle considering the accuracy with which he shot and also the fact that one of the Secret Service agents was murdered. Secret Service agents typically walk directly alongside the car on both sides. We don't see any in this photo, but usually two or three Secret Service agents walk around. on both sides of the car, so they are there to spot anyone who looks like a troublemaker.

Government sources now confirm that we have this from Washington. Government sources now confirm that President Kennedy is dead, so apparently that's the last word and an incredible event that I'm sure no one except the Assassin himself could have imagined would happen.