Briefly in a nut shell.....according to the tale, Lee had a nearly pristine bus transfer in his possession at the time of his interrogation.
I seriously doubt that the transfer was in his shirt pocket at the theater because the cops nearly ripped that shirt off his back. Therefore any flimsy paper bus transfer would not have remained in pristine condition.
I strongly suspect that Lee got the transfer when he exited the bus and he placed it his shirt pocket. ( he thoght that he could use it to board another bus to take him to the rooming house, but it was never used...He caught a CITY cab and rode in the cab to the rooming house. When he changed his clothes the transfer remained in his dis card shirt pocket where it remained in good condition. As I recall the transfer first emerges into the evidence stream at about 6:00 O'clock that evening. This would be after Lee's possessions from the rooming house were brought to DPD headquarters. I believe that's where the bus transfer was found.
Lee may have originally thought that he could use the transfer after he left the rooming house to catch a bus to take him to near the theater ( Jefferson & Zangs) But he forgot the transfer that was in the shirt pocket at the rooming house. You may recall that Mrs Roberts said that Lee was looking up Zangs. He could possibly looking to see if the south bound bus was in sight.
Once again, Mr. Cakebread, I appreciate your analysis. Though we are miles apart on the public-transportation use, I'll continue to maintain an open mind on the possibility the wrongly-accused did use public-transportation, but
not with the tandem of Mr. McWatters & Mr. Whaley,
nor along the timing-sequence amid a hastily contrived script mired in the stench of horse manure.