CORRIE COLLINS, having been first duly sworn, was examined and testified as follows:
DIRECT EXAMINATION BY MR. SCIAMBRA:
Q: Would you tell us your full name for the record, please.
A: My first name is Corrie, C-o-r-r-i-e.
Q: What is your last name?
A: Collins, C-o-l-l-i-n-s.
Q: State your name one more time for the Court.
A: My name is Corrie C. Collins.
Q: Where do you live, Mr. Collins?
A: I live in Baton Rouge.
Q: Beg pardon?
A: I live in Baton Rouge.
Q: How long have you lived in Baton Rouge?
A: Three years.
Q: Where did you live before you lived in Baton Rouge?
A: Clinton.
Q: And when were you living in Clinton, Louisiana?
A: Well, I lived about all my life in Clinton, Louisiana, until I moved to Baton Rouge.
Q: What is your present occupation?
A: Mailman, mail handler.
Q: Is that out of Baton Rouge?
A: That is right, at present.
Q: And how long have you been with the Postal Department?
A: Two years.
Q: You say you were living in Clinton, Louisiana, in 1963?
A: That is right.
Q: And where were you working at that time?
A: East Feliciana Hospital in Louisiana.
Q: Were you doing anything in Clinton, Louisiana, in addition to your job at the hospital at that time?
A: Yes.
Q: What was it?
A: I was Chairman of the Congress of Racial Equality.
Q: For the Clinton area?
A: Right, for the Clinton Chapter.
Q: In this connection I call your attention to late August or early September, 1963, and ask you if anything unusual happened in Clinton during that period of time.
A: Yes. We were down at the --
Q: Talk into the mike, please.
A: We were down in the neighborhood of the Registrar's Office, and a big black car drove up, and in the car there were three men.
Q: Now, you say a big black car drove up. Did you see the car drive up?
A: Yes, I was there when it drove up.
Q: Where did the car park?
A: It parked in front of the Registrar's Office.
Q: How far would you say it parked from the Registrar's Office?
A: How far from the Registrar's Office?
Q: Yes.
A: I would say about 20 or 30 feet.
Q: Can you describe this car?
A: It was a Cadillac, it was dark colored, and it was a couple of years old, within a couple of years.
Q: (Exhibiting photograph to witness) I show you what the State has marked "S-2" for purposes of identification, and I ask you if you recognize the automobile in this picture.
A: This would be the same, about the same car, yes.
THE COURT: Speak a little louder so we can hear you. What was your answer?
THE WITNESS: Yes.
THE COURT: I can hear you. Repeat your answer.
THE WITNESS: Yes, this would be the same car.
THE COURT: You are dropping your voice. Keep it on the same level.
BY MR. SCIAMBRA:
Q: What was your response to this automobile?
A: What was the response to it?
Q: Yes.
A: Yes, this would be the same car, yes.
Q: You mean the same kind of car?
A: Yes, same type car.
Q: Would there be any particular reason for you to be noticing strange cars in town around that time?
A: Yes, it was part of my duties. Usually during the day I would make trips at different intervals through town to check and see if there were anything unusual going on or if the people that were trying to register were having any trouble or any difficulty.
Q: And in this connection I take it you spent most of your time around the Registrar's Office?
A: Yes, in most cases.
Q: Was this car familiar to you?
A: No, it wasn't.
Q: Had you ever seen it before?
A: No, I had never seen it before.
Q: Approximately what time did the car pull up?
A: I would say between 9:30 and 10:00.
Q: Did you notice any people in the car?
A: Yes.
Q: How many people?
A: There were three people.
Q: And how were they seated in the automobile?
A: There were two in front and one in the rear.
Q: After the automobile pulled up, did these people do anything in the car?
A: Yes, one man got out.
Q: Could you tell from where in the car the man came from?
A: Yes, he got out of the rear.
Q: Out of the rear seat?
A: Right.
Q: (Exhibiting photograph to witness) I show you what the State has marked "S-1" for purposes of identification, and I ask you if you can recognize the individual in this photograph.
A: Yes.
Q: Where do you recognize him from?
A: Well, immediately I recognize him from seeing him in Clinton. This is the man that did get out of the car.
Q: Do you know who that person is now?
A: Yes, I know who.
Q: Who is it?
A: It is Lee Harvey Oswald.
THE COURT: What did you say? I didn't hear his answer and I am right next to him. What was your answer?
THE WITNESS: Yes, he is Lee Harvey Oswald.
BY MR. SCIAMBRA:
Q: When Oswald got out of the back seat of the car, did you notice what the other two
men in the front seat were doing?
A: They didn't get out, they remained in the car.
Q: How far from the car were you when you noticed it?
A: I would say about 20 or 30 feet.
Q: Did anyone go up to the automobile while you were looking at it?
A: Yes, Manchester went to the automobile.
Q: Now, Manchester, who is Manchester?
A: He is the Town Marshal in Clinton.
Q: Did you see what he did when he went up to the automobile?
A: Well, he talked with the -- he walked up to the driver's side and he talked with --
Q: Now, don't tell us anything he may have said.
A: No, I am not saying anything that he may have said, but he talked with the occupants of the car.
Q: How long would you say he talked to the driver of the car?
A: Well, I wouldn't have any idea how long he talked, but he did talk with them.
Q: In relationship to Manchester going up and talking to the driver of the automobile, did you have any comment?
A: Yes, we said that they are trading with the enemy, this is the statement we made.
Q: Now, what did you mean by that?
A: When the car drove up it was our assumption that they were maybe Federal men or FBI agents, and at that time Manchester was considered the enemy, so we said that they were trading with the enemy.
Q: Can you describe the men in the car in the front seat?
A: Yes.
Q: Can you describe the man behind the wheel?
A: Yes, heavy built, gray hair. I would say he was between 40 and 50, somewhere in that area, and he had on a light color hat.
Q: Do you see the man behind the wheel in this courtroom today?
A: Yes.
Q: Would you point to him, please?
A: (Indicating) Right here.
MR. SCIAMBRA: Would you have the record reflect that the witness pointed to the Defendant Clay Shaw?
THE COURT: Let it be so noted in the record.
BY MR. SCIAMBRA:
Q: Did you get a chance to see the person on the passenger side of the car?
A: Yes.
Q: Can you describe him?
A: I would say he was medium built, but the most outstanding thing about him was his eyebrows and his hair. They didn't seem real, in other words, they were unnatural, didn't seem as if they were real hair.
Q: (Exhibiting photograph to witness) I show you a picture that the State has marked for purposes of identification "S-3," and I ask you if you can identify or do you recognize the person in this picture?
A: Yes, this is the other man that was in the car.
Q: Do you know who this person is?
A: Yes, that is David Ferrie.
Q: Did you ever see any of the men get out of the car in the front seat?
A: No, I only saw the one man get out.
Q: Did you see Lee Harvey Oswald's picture in the paper after the assassination of President Kennedy?
A: Yes.
Q: Did you recognize him?
A: Yes.
Q: From where?
A: I recognized him from having seen him in Clinton. I didn't at the particular time place just where I saw him, but I knew it was from the Clinton area that I had seen him.
Q: Did you see the Defendant Clay Shaw's picture in the paper after the arrest of him?
A: Yes.
Q: Did you recognize him?
A: Yes, I recognized him, yes, I recognized him, yes.
Q: What about Dave Ferrie?
A: Yes, I recognized him.
Q: Did you recognize him from Clinton?
A: Yes, from the Clinton area.
MR. SCIAMBRA: I will show this picture to Mr. Dymond (exhibiting photograph to Counsel).
BY MR. SCIAMBRA:
Q: (Exhibiting photograph to witness) Is this a picture of the same person who got out of the back seat of that car?
THE COURT: Identify it first, Mr. Sciambra.
MR. SCIAMBRA: "S-1" for purposes of identification.
THE COURT: All right.
A: Yes.
BY MR. SCIAMBRA:
Q: You know the individual in this picture?
A: Beg pardon?
Q: Do you know who the individual in this picture is?
A: Yes.
Q: Who is it?
A: Lee Harvey Oswald.
Q: Do you remember the first law enforcement officer that you told this to?
A: Yes.
Q: Who was it?
A: Lieutenant Fruge.
Q: Have you ever been questioned by the FBI regarding this person?
A: No.
MR. SCIAMBRA: I tender the witness, Your Honor.