JFK Assassination Hearings - John & Nellie Connally (Part III)
JFK Assassination Hearings - John & Nellie Connally (Part III)
(03:54:10) Shot open to JOHN and NELLIE CONNOLLY who are asked about their thoughts coming into Dallas and preparing for the motorcade by GARY T. CORNWELL, Deputy Chief Counsel - John sets the seen for the day of the motorcade, describing his expectations and the reception they arrived to at the airport (03:56:03) Cornwell asks them to describe the start of the motorcade - John does so, at various times seeking confirmation from Nellie, he describes a couple of stops the motorcade made at the request of JFK to meet with the crowds (during his testimony a photograph of the presidential limo is shown) (03:58:30) Cornwell asks for a description of the route - John gives it, a map exhibit is shown while he does so as is an aerial photo of Dealey Plaza (03:59:47) Cornwell asks Nellie if she said anything to JFK - Nellie responds that she told him "You can't say Dallas doesn't love you" right before making the turn at the book depository (04:00:30) Cornwell calls for a break to set up a film projector with which they will watch footage of the motorcade, camera pulls back to to the back of the gallery (04:01:30) Hearings host SANDFORD UNGAR voices over to announce that the film about to be shown was compiled from 18 home movies, Ungar then turns to panel JEREMIAH O'LEARY of the Washington Star, and PAUL HOCH of the Assassination Information Bureau, who discuss the Conally's testimony so far, camera then switches to them for a brief minute (04:05:45) Lights out and film begins, Professor BLAKEY narrates the footage, describing the events taking place and the course of the motorcade, the film is primarily different shots of the motorcades trip through the city, the movie ends with the Zapruder film in which one sees the shots hit the car and its passengers (04:10:19) Lights back on and Committee Chairman LOUIS STOKES recognizes Cornwell, who asks Nellie how long after turning the corner the motorcade traveled before she noticed something was wrong - she ends up giving her whole account of what she remembered happening in the moments of assassination, dramatic testimony that includes her claiming she heard three shots and it was the second that struck John Connally (not the first), she also mentions JACKIE KENNEDY's cries of "they have killed my husband, his brains are in my hand", she then goes on to give her perspective of the events at the hospital (04:18:50) John is asked for his his take of the events at the time of the assassination - John gives his take on the events saying he heard two shots from behind his right, but not the one that hit him, he claims he was able to look back over his shoulder at JFK when the shot hit JFK's back and neck before he got shot himself, suggesting that this bullet could not have hit him (contradictory to the single bullet theory) (04:27:12) John: "I don't believe I was hit with the first bullet" (04:28:00) Nellie gives her take on the three shots, first shot the neck of JFK, second shot John, third shot JFK's head (04:29:05) Cornwell confirms that John did not see JFK after the first shot to know whether or not JFK was actually hit by this shot (04:29:35) Cornwell confirms that Nellie heard the shots as coming from the same direction (04:30:14) Chair recognizes Representative SAMUEL L. DEVINE to question the witnesses, Devine reviews Nellie's reaction to each shot being fired, he then asks if she could tell by the sound of the shot whether it was from a rifle or a hand gun - Nellie cannot answer that (04:33:00) Devine reviews and confirms John's shot by shot recollection and confirms John could identify the shots he heard as coming from a rifle, also gets clear definition of when John said "No, no, no...." (04:34:39) Devine asks when John became aware that he was hit in the hand and leg - John says he found out the next day in the hospital (04:35:45) Devine asks about John's position after he was hit (04:36:25) Devine confirms the Connallys heard the shots coming from the same direction and asks if its possible there were more than three shots - Nellie answers it was possible but she didn't hear more than three, John backs this assertion (04:37:47) Devine confirms that John had had a dispute with a Mr. BRUNO, a representative for JFK, about whether or not to have a motorcade (04:39:00) Devine asks if John had any reasons for not wanting the motorcade, along the lines of something bad potentially happening - John answers "None at all", he thought possible there might be some protestors or rude signs but he did not expect violence (04:40:12) Devine confirms that John had considered what had happened to Ambassador ADLAI STEVENSON and General WALKER - John says his main motivation for objecting to the motorcade was avoiding the "wear and tear" it involved on JFK's stamina (04:42:10) John mentions that the Dallas papers published the route of motorcade a few days previous to its happening (04:43:38) Representative RICHARDSON PREYER asks how early on LEE HARVEY OSWALD could have known that JFK was coming to Dallas, siting the fact that he began employment at the book depository in October of '63 - John answers he could have known as early as late September when JFK's visit was made known in the press but would not have known parade's route until the week of the motorcade because it was up in the air until then (04:46:50) Preyer confirms this was a commonly traveled parade route (04:47:45) Representative WALTER FAUNTROY is recognized to question the witnesses, Fauntroy asks varioius questions about the planning of JFK's trip to Texas and who could have been privy to this information and when (04:51:00) Chair recognizes Representative STUART MCKINNEY to question the witnesses, McKinney asks John about the decision to go with the Trade Mart building vs. the Women's building for JFK's speech at the end of the motorcade and how that influenced the motorcade route (04:54:17) Chair recognizes Representative CHRISTOPHER DODD to question the witnesses, he asks Nellie to recount the moments of the actual assassination, going step by step to clearly understand her story in relation to the single bullet theory - their discussion is cut short by the end of the tape