The Testimony of J.C. White ...Patrolman

[Jerry Freeman]

The very top of some train cars can be seen between the Old Charter billboard and the TSBD.  But I don’t remember who took the image. It might be a part of the Patsy Paschall film or someone else who was in that building.  And it is possible that J.C. White is blocked from the camera by the top portion of the support between Elm Street and Main Street. Why was he interviewed? Possibly to find out what he had seen and heard.

Whatever White witnessed would have been determined long before he ever testified wouldn't you think?
The train cars that are barely visible can be seen here--

Besides.... that is not a freight train and it is going nowhere. They are old passenger cars that just sat there.

[Charles Collins]

Mr. BOWERS. On the triple underpass, there were two policemen. One facing each direction, both east and west. There was one railroad employee, a signal man there with the Union Terminal Co., and two welders that worked for the Fort Worth Welding firm, and there was also a laborer’s assistant furnished by the railroad to these welders.
Mr. BALL. You saw those before the President came by, you saw those people? Mr. BOWERS. Yes; they were there before and after.
Mr. BALL. And were they standing on the triple underpass?
Mr. BOWERS. Yes; they were standing on top of it facing towards Houston
Street, all except, of course, the one policeman on the west side.

[Charles Collins]

Whatever White witnessed would have been determined long before he ever testified wouldn't you think?
The train cars that are barely visible can be seen here--

Besides.... that is not a freight train and it is going nowhere. They are old passenger cars that just sat there.

There is also the back of a train caboose that can be seen at the extreme left side of the photo. And it appears to me that since J.C. White was assigned to the west side of the overpass, perhaps his duty was to observe what was happening on the west side of the overpass. And perhaps he testified in order to show that he didn’t see anything out of the ordinary on the west side of the overpass.

[Richard Smith]

Elementary Watson..You bring the point even more in focus.
Patrolman White [submitted] that [outside of his imaginary freight train]- like Sgt Schultz...
He saw nothing...He heard nothing...Witnessed nothing at all...Appears to not even be there!
He offered absolutely zilch to the case so why did they even bother to take his testimony?

Why does it matter?  I'm not following what you are suggesting.  That he was lying?  He just sounds like a terrible witness who wasn't paying much attention.  Maybe his presence on the overpass just confirms there was no shooter in his vicinity since he not only saw nothing but heard nothing.

[Jerry Organ]

The map insets show a dashed-line (representing the train) crossing southward over the bridge. The "first shot" I set at about Z160.

The middle inset (Altgens 07) was taken about two seconds before the Weigman film capture below.



The hypothetical train southbound progression would be about 30 feet further south in Wiegman than in Altgens 07. So such a train would not appear in Wiegman. The Paschall and Daniel films (below) are a bit late and not far enough south.



The film by Malcolm Couch began about 25 seconds after the head shot (or about 33 seconds after my ca.Z160 "first shot" on the top graphic). The clip showing the policeman with gun drawn and the south area of the bridge is some time later.

In this scenario, the freight might have not been between Officer White and the limousine by Z313, but the noise from it would largely be present, mixing in with and obscuring the last shot. Daniels heard three shots and Mel McIntire heard none.

[Walt Cakebread]

Whatever White witnessed would have been determined long before he ever testified wouldn't you think?
The train cars that are barely visible can be seen here--

Besides.... that is not a freight train and it is going nowhere. They are old passenger cars that just sat there.

Could you describe the clothing of the  man with the dark hair and long neck? He is standing beside the man who looks like Lovelady in the maroon plaid shirt.

 

[Charles Collins]

The map insets show a dashed-line (representing the train) crossing southward over the bridge. The "first shot" I set at about Z160.

The middle inset (Altgens 07) was taken about two seconds before the Weigman film capture below.



The hypothetical train southbound progression would be about 30 feet further south in Wiegman than in Altgens 07. So such a train would not appear in Wiegman. The Paschall and Daniel films (below) are a bit late and not far enough south.



The film by Malcolm Couch began about 25 seconds after the head shot (or about 33 seconds after my ca.Z160 "first shot" on the top graphic). The clip showing the policeman with gun drawn and the south area of the bridge is some time later.

In this scenario, the freight might have not been between Officer White and the limousine by Z313, but the noise from it would largely be present, mixing in with and obscuring the last shot. Daniels heard three shots and Mel McIntire heard none.

Nice work Jerry! Thanks!

As Tattoo used to say… Da Train… Da Train…  .   Oh wait, was it a … never mind!

[Louis Earl]

The only thing interesting to me here is that the Secret Service had not stopped all rail traffic going over that bridge during the time of the motorcade.