VOLUNTARY STATEMENT. Not Under Arrest Form No. 86

SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT

COUNTY OF DALLAS, TEXAS

Before me, the undersigned authority, on this the 22nd day of November A.D. 1963 personally appeared John Arthur Chism, Address 4502 Underwood Drive, Lisbon, Oak Cliff. Age 23 , Phone No.

Deposes and says:

I am married and have three children. I was standing with my wife and three year old boy, we were directly in front of the Stemmons Freeway sign, as the motorcade rounded the corner from Houston onto Elm.

When I saw the motorcade round the corner, the President was standing and waving to the crowd. And just as he got just about in front of me, he turned and waved at the crowd on this side of the street, the right side; at this point I heard what sounded like one shot, and I saw him, "The President," sit back in his seat and lean his head to his left side. At this point, I saw Mrs. Kennedy stand up and pull his head over in her lap, and then lay down over him as if to shield him.

And the two men in the front seat, I don't know who they were, looked back, and just about the time they looked back, the second shot was fired.

At this point, I looked behind me, to see whether it was a fireworks display or something. And then I saw a lot of people running for cover, behind the embankment there back up on the grass.

And at this point, I turned back around and saw the motorcade beginning to speed up, and everybody was laying down but the driver, of course. I didn't notice where it went.

My wife and I began seeking cover, and we went to our car, and then we told the policeman about what we knew.

                                                                                /s/ John Arthur Chism

Subscribed and sworn to before me on this the 22nd day of Nov A. D. 1963

                                                                                /s/ James J. Muleady

                                                                                Notary Public, Dallas County, Texas

 

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