Unauthorized Car In JFKs Motorcade

[Margaret Kelly]

The sequence of cars in JFKs motorcade were:

- Advance car
- Pilot car
- Lead car
- JFKs limousine

The advance car was driven by Captain Lawrence but this car was not authorized to be part of the motorcade:

Captain LAWRENCE: I was in uniform, but I was driving a plain car which I drive. When the Presidential plane arrived and President Kennedy got off of the plane, I saw that there was going to be a brief ceremony there, and I knew that Chief Lumpkin was going to---I had been told was going to be ahead of this motorcade I got in my car and tried to be a few blocks ahead of him to make sure that everybody was on their assignments, and, of course, the crowd, the huge crowd en route surprised me, especially in the residential area, that all the people had turned out to see the President. Although I was not given this assignment--I proceeded on this route, and I followed it on down to the Trade Mart.

Not only this, but Captain Lawrence who was supposed to be off on the Saturday an Sunday that weekend, begins to follow LHO around in plain clothes:

Captain LAWRENCE: I was scheduled to be off on Saturday and Sunday. These were my days off. On Saturday at approximately 10 a.m., I came down in civilian clothes and I observed a large crowd of people around the county courthouse and I had knowledge from what I had heard on television and I had seen on television and heard on the radio that charges had already been filed against Lee Harvey Oswald.

Captain Lawrence again follows LHO on the Sunday morning:

Captain LAWRENCE: So on Sunday morning I arrived down there and I'm going to guess at the time as approximately 8 a.m. I first went by the office and I picked up some police reserves in my car and took about four of them down there with me, and then I had some motorcycle officers that were not already stationed--upstairs on the third floor--and I had them meet me down there too.

If there was more than one shooter in Dealey Plaza, the arrival of an unauthorized car there just minutes before JFK was to arrive is something i would have thought should have been more thoroughly investigated. Captain Lawrence is not the only mystery police officer driving around that day when you also consider the honking car outside LHOs rooming house at 1pm.

[Steve M. Galbraith]

The sequence of cars in JFKs motorcade were:

- Advance car
- Pilot car
- Lead car
- JFKs limousine

The advance car was driven by Captain Lawrence but this car was not authorized to be part of the motorcade:

Captain LAWRENCE: I was in uniform, but I was driving a plain car which I drive. When the Presidential plane arrived and President Kennedy got off of the plane, I saw that there was going to be a brief ceremony there, and I knew that Chief Lumpkin was going to---I had been told was going to be ahead of this motorcade I got in my car and tried to be a few blocks ahead of him to make sure that everybody was on their assignments, and, of course, the crowd, the huge crowd en route surprised me, especially in the residential area, that all the people had turned out to see the President. Although I was not given this assignment--I proceeded on this route, and I followed it on down to the Trade Mart.

Not only this, but Captain Lawrence who was supposed to be off on the Saturday an Sunday that weekend, begins to follow LHO around in plain clothes:

Captain LAWRENCE: I was scheduled to be off on Saturday and Sunday. These were my days off. On Saturday at approximately 10 a.m., I came down in civilian clothes and I observed a large crowd of people around the county courthouse and I had knowledge from what I had heard on television and I had seen on television and heard on the radio that charges had already been filed against Lee Harvey Oswald.

Captain Lawrence again follows LHO on the Sunday morning:

Captain LAWRENCE: So on Sunday morning I arrived down there and I'm going to guess at the time as approximately 8 a.m. I first went by the office and I picked up some police reserves in my car and took about four of them down there with me, and then I had some motorcycle officers that were not already stationed--upstairs on the third floor--and I had them meet me down there too.

If there was more than one shooter in Dealey Plaza, the arrival of an unauthorized car there just minutes before JFK was to arrive is something i would have thought should have been more thoroughly investigated. Captain Lawrence is not the only mystery police officer driving around that day when you also consider the honking car outside LHOs rooming house at 1pm.

Sorry, I cannot understand just about any of these claims. What is the point here?

According to his and other testimonies, Perdue Lawrence was a captain in the DPD and was the man designated to be in charge of assigning officers and traffic control for the president's motorcade. He was questioned extensively by the WC about the protection provided, how he got the assignment, what he did, and how it was designed/layed out (by him).

Not only was he not in an "unauthorized car" his job was to make sure that the route was free and protected. I don't know how a car "several blocks" ahead of the motorcade - and not "in" the motorcade - would be involved in a shooting. He's not even in Dealey Plaza at the time of the assassination.

As to "following Oswald". He went to the station with other officers to provide protection/security. What evidence is there that he was "following" hm?

He testified to this:
Mr. GRIFFIN. From whom did you receive your instructions in connection with the duties that you were to carry out?
Captain LAWRENCE. My immediate superior was Deputy Chief R. H. Lunday, and I received my instructions from Chief Lunday and Asst. Chief Batchelor; both of them.
Mr. GRIFFIN. When were you first told that you were to be in charge of this traffic control?
Captain LAWRENCE. The first day was on a Tuesday--November 19.
Mr. GRIFFIN. And who told you at that time?
Captain LAWRENCE. Chief Batchelor.
Mr. GRIFFIN. And what did Chief Batchelor tell you at that time that your responsibilities would be?
Captain LAWRENCE. He told me he wanted me to go over this route and to start working with the assignments of men to the intersections on the motorcade route, and he said that he had gone over this route and handed me a list of intersections that he wanted covered and the amount of men he wanted on each intersection and the reason he wanted more than one or two at certain intersections was because of the turning movements of the motorcade, but he also wanted assignments made to certain overpasses and told me the number of men that he would like to have stationed on the overpasses.

His entire testimony is here:  http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/russ/testimony/lawrence.htm

[Margaret Kelly]

I don't know how a car "several blocks" ahead of the motorcade - and not "in" the motorcade - would be involved in a shooting. He's not even in Dealey Plaza at the time of the assassination.

At surface level he is making sure the route is clear for the motorcade for the benefit of JFKs limousine. Conversely he may also making sure nothing is going to block the route so that the assassination can occur. For example, if the man who had the epileptic fit had collapsed at 12:28, JFKs limousine might have had to be diverted down Main street under the underpass, and away from Elm street.

So if there was a planned conspiracy, it would be necessary to make sure nothing blocked the route.

Its odd that Lawrence had no assignment such that he was able to take the task upon himself to join the motorcade in an unauthorized car. Every police officer that day was assigned a task. Captain Lawrence wasn't for some reason, and the one thing he did decide to do (scout the route ahead of the motorcade) just so happens to be the one thing that could aid an assassination attempt up ahead in Dealey Plaza.

[Michael Walton]

Margaret,

Uh...big deal?

[Steve M. Galbraith]

At surface level he is making sure the route is clear for the motorcade for the benefit of JFKs limousine. Conversely he may also making sure nothing is going to block the route so that the assassination can occur. For example, if the man who had the epileptic fit had collapsed at 12:28, JFKs limousine might have had to be diverted down Main street under the underpass, and away from Elm street.

So if there was a planned conspiracy, it would be necessary to make sure nothing blocked the route.

Its odd that Lawrence had no assignment such that he was able to take the task upon himself to join the motorcade in an unauthorized car. Every police officer that day was assigned a task. Captain Lawrence wasn't for some reason, and the one thing he did decide to do (scout the route ahead of the motorcade) just so happens to be the one thing that could aid an assassination attempt up ahead in Dealey Plaza.

But his job was to make sure the intersections and roads weren't blocked for the vehicles in the motorcade NOT for the general traffic. If the car wasn't in the motorcade it wouldn't be allowed through. Unless you think his job was to go out there and give orders to the officers to let the shooter escape in their cars? But wouldn't that be revealed? The officers at the intersections would reveal that they left a car or cars go through on his orders?

I don't see how you think keeping the intersections free as the motorcade approached would be allowing the conspirators in their cars to escape? Were they going to race ahead of the motorcade? You are viewing a simple, innocent act as somehow part of a conspiracy.

Second: he was a Captain in the DPD. His assignment was to make sure the motorcade route was free of traffic. He was in charge of assigning officers to the route and the intersections to make sure that happened. So his assignment was to check on that. That's what he did.

To top this off: As far as I know no cars that were traced to the assassination raced through the streets and got away, right? So not only is your theory - to me - groundless it didn't even happen. All of your conjecture about the cars of the murderers making an escape using the motorcade route didn't take place. At least I am not aware of any cars being allowed through.

And again: You said he was "following" Oswald. How is going to the station with others to provide security "following" Oswald?

Frankly, this is classic conspiracy thinking: Innocent acts that are routine are viewed as somehow sinister or as part of a plot.

[John Iacoletti]

Frankly, this is classic conspiracy thinking: Innocent acts that are routine are viewed as somehow sinister or as part of a plot.

You mean the way that forgetting a wedding ring is viewed as evidence of murder?

[Bill Chapman]

You mean the way that forgetting a wedding ring is viewed as evidence of murder?

forgot his wedding ring, did he...

[Bill Chapman]

The sequence of cars in JFKs motorcade were:

- Advance car
- Pilot car
- Lead car
- JFKs limousine

The advance car was driven by Captain Lawrence but this car was not authorized to be part of the motorcade:

Captain LAWRENCE: I was in uniform, but I was driving a plain car which I drive. When the Presidential plane arrived and President Kennedy got off of the plane, I saw that there was going to be a brief ceremony there, and I knew that Chief Lumpkin was going to---I had been told was going to be ahead of this motorcade I got in my car and tried to be a few blocks ahead of him to make sure that everybody was on their assignments, and, of course, the crowd, the huge crowd en route surprised me, especially in the residential area, that all the people had turned out to see the President. Although I was not given this assignment--I proceeded on this route, and I followed it on down to the Trade Mart.

Not only this, but Captain Lawrence who was supposed to be off on the Saturday an Sunday that weekend, begins to follow LHO around in plain clothes:

Captain LAWRENCE: I was scheduled to be off on Saturday and Sunday. These were my days off. On Saturday at approximately 10 a.m., I came down in civilian clothes and I observed a large crowd of people around the county courthouse and I had knowledge from what I had heard on television and I had seen on television and heard on the radio that charges had already been filed against Lee Harvey Oswald.

Captain Lawrence again follows LHO on the Sunday morning:

Captain LAWRENCE: So on Sunday morning I arrived down there and I'm going to guess at the time as approximately 8 a.m. I first went by the office and I picked up some police reserves in my car and took about four of them down there with me, and then I had some motorcycle officers that were not already stationed--upstairs on the third floor--and I had them meet me down there too.

If there was more than one shooter in Dealey Plaza, the arrival of an unauthorized car there just minutes before JFK was to arrive is something i would have thought should have been more thoroughly investigated. Captain Lawrence is not the only mystery police officer driving around that day when you also consider the honking car outside LHOs rooming house at 1pm.

You forgot The Little Nash Rambler