W.B. Barnett of the DPD

I found this document the other day while trawling for something else (always the way so it seems), and at ROKC, there is a fab thread about whether actually shots have been fired from the TSBD.

Eugene Barnett did not see a barrel being drawn in, or anything, shooting wise of any kind while looking up.

Part of his WC testimony:

Mr. LIEBELER – When the motorcade actually came, you moved over pretty much into Houston Street?
Mr. BARNETT – Yes, sir.
Mr. LIEBELER – To stop the traffic that was coming?
Mr. BARNETT – South on Houston Street. the car passed within a few feet of me, and I was holding some people, or seeing that they stayed back, and one small boy started. I was afraid he was going to get too close, and I stopped him

Mr. LIEBELER – How many shots did you here?
Mr. BARNETT – Three.

Mr. LIEBELER – You couldn’t tell specifically where it had come from?
Mr. BARNETT – Not the first one, but I thought it was a firecracker. But none of the people moved or took any action, whereas they would have if a firecracker went off. And when the second shot was fired, it sounded high. The sound of the second one seemed to me like it was coming from up high, and I looked up at the building and I saw nothing in the windows. In fact, I couldn’t even see any windows at that time.

Mr. LIEBELER – What did you do when you concluded that the shots were coming from that building?
Mr. BARNETT – I ran to the back of the building.
Mr. LIEBELER – Ran down Houston Street?
Mr. BARNETT – Yes, sir.
Mr. LIEBELER – There is a door in the back of the Texas School Book Depository. Does it face on Houston or around the corner?

Mr. LIEBELER – Did you go in the building?
Mr. BARNETT – No, sir; I didn’t get close to it, because I was watching for a fire escape. If the man was on top, he would have to come down, and I was looking for a fire escape, and I didn’t pay much attention to the door. I was still watching the top of the building, and so far as I could see, the fire escape on the east side was the only escape down.
Mr. LIEBELER – Since you surmised that the shots had come from the building, you looked up and you didn’t see any windows open. You thought they had been fired from the top of the building?
Mr. BARNETT – That’s right.

Mr. LIEBELER – Did you see anybody coming off the fire escape up there, or any movement on top of the building?
Mr. BARNETT – Not a thing.

Mr. LIEBELER – How long do you think it was from the time the last shot was fired until the time you were at the front door keeping people from going in and out?
Mr. BARNETT – It was around 2 1/2 minutes. Maybe between 2 1/2 or 3 minutes.
Mr. BARNETT – Three minutes at the most.

Mr. LIEBELER – Did you let anybody out of the building after you got there?
Mr. BARNETT – No, sir; until they were authorized.
Mr. LIEBELER – Did you notice Oswald around that area at anytime?
Mr. BARNETT – No, sir

Mr. LIEBELER – Were there any other men assigned down the length of Elm Street here, that you know?
Mr. BARNETT – Not that I know of. There were no men stationed permanently there.
Mr. LIEBELER – The responsibility of control in that area would have been the job of the motorcycle riders and the Secret Service men?
Mr. BARNETT – That’s right.

There is a lot to show for to dispute the fact that 3 shots were actually fired from the 6th floor of the TSBD. No one saw muzzle flash, recoil or smoke for staters. Crown witness Howard Brennan was blind as a bat and could not account for much, and definitely not enough for Oswald to be there (that’s because he was enjoying lunch with Buell Wesley Frazier and co. on the front steps of the TSBD!).