In an effort to stimulate a more collegiate atmosphere I would like to propose a project that members from all sides can meaningfully contribute.
I suggest we create a timeline (as accurate as possible) for the key movements/events from the time of the assassination until Oswald is charged with Kennedy?s murder.
In order to appear in the timeline/chronology your proposal will need some for of documented substantiation. It may be a specific time or to have occurred between known events.
I am confident the collective intelligence of all members can produce a document of substance and significance. I know the exact time of Tippit's shooting will be contentious but for some we might have to agree to disagree to make any progress.
All times are Dallas (CST).
12.30pm (approximately). JFK and JBC shot in Dealey Plaza.
12.31pm. Decker calls from Car 1, "Have my office move all available men out of my office into the railroad yard to try to determine what happened in there and hold everything secure until Homicide and other investigators should get there.""
12.33. Officer Barnett arrives back at front entrance of TSBD after briefly checking rear and fire escape on Houston.
12.34. Officer Haygood was approached by James Tague (hit during the shooting) and a witness who identified the TSBD as the source. "I just talked to a guy up here who was standing close to it and the best he could tell it came from the Texas School Book Depository Building here with that Hertz Renting sign on top."
Inspector Sawyer arrives at front of TSBD in his car and talks to officers.
Motorcade lead car arrives at Parkland (Lawson).
Sawyer takes two officers and is accompanied by a male TSBD employee (unknown) to the 4th floor via the passenger elevator.
12.35pm. Frazier goes down to the basement to eat lunch.
12.36pm. Sgt.Harkness reports "I have a witness that says that it came from the 5th floor of the Texas Book Depository Store." The witness was Amos Ewins. Euins goes east in the three-wheeler to the front of the TSBD. He placed Ewins in Sawyer's car and went to the rear of the building.
12.37pm. (?) Truly sees Dougherty working on the 5th floor as he and Baker descend in the east elevator.
12.38pm (?) Truly and Baker briefly talk to Sawyer on the 4th floor as they descend on the east elevator.
12.39pm. Harkness reports to Sawyer who had returned to the front of the TSBD by this time.
12.43pm. Sorrels leaves Parkland in a car with Lumpkin, Turner and Senkel after watching JFK taken into Parkland ED .
12.45pm. From Dispatcher "Attention all squads, the suspect in the shooting at Elm and Houston is supposed to be an unknown white male, approximately 30, 165 pounds, slender build, armed with what is thought to be a 30-30 rifle, - repeat, unknown white male, approximately 30, 165 pounds, slender build. No further description at this time or information"
Dispatcher (Murray Jackson) on Channel 1. "87, 78, move into central Oak Cliff area." 78 (Tippit) "I'm about Kiest and Bonnie View". 87 (Nelson) "87's going north on Marsalis at R.L. Thornton."
Fritz talks to Curry at Parkland and leaves for TSBD with Sims and Boyd.
Frazier returns to the first floor of the TSBD from the basement.
12.47pm. Dispatcher Channel 1. "Signal 19, involving the President. Suspect: white male, thirty, slender build, five feet ten inches, one hundred sixty-five pounds, believed to have used 30 caliber rifle. Believed to be in the old School Book Depository, Elm and Houston, at this time."
12.52pm. 87 (Nelson)out down here (TSBD).
12.55pm. Sorrels arrives at TSBD and enters building by rear entrance. Talks to man at loading bay door and moves to front entrance. Asks Truly to prepare manifest of all employees names and addresses. Talks to Howard Brennan at entrance.
12.58pm. Fritz, Sims and Boyd arrive at the TSBD.
1.06pm. Mooney discovers shells and remnants of chicken lunch in the SE 6th floor window of the TSBD. Shortly after calls down to Fritz and Decker on the street below. Gerald Hill, Roger Craig and Officers,McCurdy, Walters and Vickery observe the SN shortly after.
1.07pm. Hill calls down to the street below for the crime lab.
1.09? Hill meets Fritz coming up on the elevator and informs him of the discovery on the 6th floor.
1.12pm. Fritz, Sims and Boyd arrive at the SN.
Hill meets Day on his way into the TSBD, then reports to Sawyer.
The fire truck arrives.
Owens arrives and reports to Sawyer at the TSBD entrance.
1.13pm Montgomery and Johnson arrvive at the SN.
1.15pm. Day and Studebaker arrive at the SN.
1.17pm. TF Bowley, "Hello, police operator?" Dispatcher, "Go ahead. Go ahead, citizen using the police radio." Citizen, "There's been a shooting out here".
1.20(?) Fritz orders Senkel to collect all those who worked on the 6th floor TSBD and take them to City Hall to provide statements. I place this before the rifle find as Senkel mentions the shells but not the rifle in his report.
1.22pm. Boone finds the rifle.
1.35pm.(?) Shelley, Williams and Arce taken to city Hall. Lovelady and Dougherty taken also in separate car.
(?) Truly realizes Oswald is missing.
1.38pm. Lyndon Johnson sworn in as President.
1:40pm.(?) Truly goes to 6th floor and tells Fritz Oswald is missing and provides him with Ruth Paine's address.
Dispatch. "We have information that a suspect just went in the Texas Theater on West Jefferson."
1.46pm. Sawyer, "We have a man we would like to have you pass this up on to the CID to see if we can pick this man up. Charles Douglas Givens, G-I-V-E-N-S. He's a colored male, thirty-seven, six foot three, a hundred sixty-five pounds. He has an ID number in the Sheriff's Department, 37954. He's a porter that worked on this floor up here. He has a police record and he left."
1.48pm(?) Fritz leaves TSBD with Sims and Boyd . they go to Decker's office across Houston.
1.50pm. Williams, Arce, Shelley, Lovelady and Dougherty arrive at City Hall to provide statements.
1.52pm. Oswald arrested. Gerald Hill, "Suspect on the shooting the police officer is apprehended and en route to the station. Caught him on the lower floor of the Texas Theater after a fight."
1.58.pm Oswald arrives at City Hall. He is seen by Shelley, Lovelady, Arce, Williams and Dougherty.
2.00pm Day exits TSBD with CE139.
2.04pm. JFK hearse departs Parkland (Lawson).
2.05pm(?) Fritz, Sims and Boyd leave Decker's office.
2.15pm. JFK hearse arrives at Love Field (Lawson).
Fritz, Sims and Boyd arrive at City Hall. Fritz instructs Rose, Stovall and Adamcek to go to 2515 West Fifth Street, Irving. *Note that Adamcek states the time for this to be 2.30pm and their arrival at Irving to be 3.00pm.
2.20pm. Oswald taken to Fritz's office.
2.30 Rose, Stovall and Adamcek arrive at to 2515 West Fifth Street, Irving.
2.35pm. Walthers, Weatherford and Oxford arrive at 2515 West Fifth Street, Irving.
2.42pm (I think). Oswald first identified by name on radio or television as suspect.
2.45pm. (?) Walthers calls Decker to inform him of Oswald's rooming house number. Decker cross matches with 1026 N Beckley. *This information is somehow conveyed to Fritz.
Senkel is instructed by Fritz to go to 1026 N Beckley roominghouse. He goes with Potts and Cunningham.
2.47pm. AF1 departs Love Field (Lawson).
2.50pm. Michael Paine arrives at 2515 West Fifth Street, Irving.
(?) Fritz tells Potts, Senkel and Cunningham to go to 1026 N Beckley
3.00pm. Montgomery and Johnson leave the TSBD with the bag CE 142, chicken lunch remnants and empty Viceroy cigarette packet.
Potts, Senkel and Cunningham arrive at 1026 N Beckley and talk with Mrs Roberts, Mr and Mrs Johnson.
3.15pm. Bookout and Hosty commence interrogation of Oswald in Fritz's office.
3.33pm. Oswald?s picture shown on TV and is seen by those at the roominghouse waiting for a search warrant.
4.05pm. Oswald is taken for first show-up.
5.19pm. Rose phones McCabe in Irving to apprehend Buell Frazier at the Irving hospital.
5.35pm. Rose and Stovall take Frazier into custody from the Irving police.
1.35am. Oswald arraigned for JFK murder.
