Re: Missing the first shot

Andrew,

Here are two more witnesses who place the first shot right in front of
the TSBD: Victoria Adams and Emmett Hudson.

Victoria Adams was watching the parade from the 4th floor of the TSBD.
She and 3 other ladies were looking out from the third set of windows
from the east side of the building.

Mr. BELIN - Will you state what you saw, what you did, and what you
heard?
Miss ADAMS - I watched the motorcade come down Main, as it turned from
Main onto Houston, and watched it proceed around the corner on Elm,
and apparently somebody in the crowd called to the late President,
because he and his wife both turned abruptly and faced the building,
so we had a very good view of both of them.
Mr. BELIN - Where was their car as you got .this good view, had it
come directly opposite your window? Had it come to that point on Elm,
or not, if you can remember.
Miss ADAMS - I believe it was prior, just a second or so prior to
that.
Mr. BELIN - All right.
Miss ADAMS - And from our vantage point we were able to see what the
President's wife was wearing, the roses in the car, and things that
would attract men's attention. Then we heard---then we were obstructed
from the view.
Mr. BELIN - By what?
Miss ADAMS - A tree. and we heard a shot, and it was a pause, and then
a second shot, and then a third shot. It sounded like a firecracker or
a cannon at a football game, it seemed as if it came from the right
below rather than from the left above. Possibly because of the
re****t.

Emmett Hudson is an interesting witness because as groundskeeper for
Dealey Plaza no one knew the landscape better than him. He pinpoints
the first shot with relative to a fixed landmark. Hudson knew the
plaza so well he placed the Limousine next to this landmark which was
not even visible in the photo he was asked to examine. He explains to
the panel where the landmark is on Elm Street. Hudson is confused
about the sequence of shots, but does locate the Limousine at the time
of the first shot with remarkable precision.

Mr. LIEBELER - Can you tell me approximately where the President's car
was when you heard what you later figured was the first shot?
Mr. HUDSON - Well, the best I could get right off - I remember it was
right about this lightpost right here.
Mr. LIEBELER - You are indicating the first lightpost on the right-
hand side of Elm Street?
Mr. HUDSON - Yes; coming off Houston, you see, there's a lightpost
right there close to Houston Street, right there, just above this
little crook right here.
Mr. LIEBELER - That lightpost doesn't show in the picture you have
here?
Mr. HUDSON - No, sir; it doesn't show in the picture - it was about, I
believe, where the first shot was fired.
Mr. LIEBELER - You think he was by the lightpost in this picture when
the first shot was fired?
Mr. HUDSON - Right along there is about where President Kennedy's car
was when he was hit - at the time I was looking right at him when the
shot struck him, when the bullet struck him.

Z150 is a very interesting photo. Several things are happening in this
one frame. President Kennedy is looking to the left, Rosemary Willis
is already looking back over her right shoulder, Agent Hickey is
leaning to his left looking down at the pavement, Agent Bennett is
leaning to his right straining to keep visual contact with the
President, Agent Ready who should be observing the crowd to the right,
is instead looking to his left, and Governor Connally peers to his
right. All this could be reaction to the first missed shot.