texas. they were moving in a motorcade in a downtown section of the city. robert mcneil was reporting from the scene and he was riding in the motorcade. mrs. kennedy was not injured, she was sitting between the president and governor connolly. a white man was seen in the window of a building about a block way from the cars. there are other reports that a man was seen with a high-powered rifle. there's no indication yet that whoever fired the shots a it the president and the texas governor has been found.

>> driving along. the only people in the area. the shots came directly across the street from us. just as they became directly even with us, we took one look at him and he was sitting there, he and jackie were looking at a dog in the middle of the seat. and then at that time, two shots rang out just as he looked up. just as the president looked up. he saw shots. grabbed his chest. looked like he was in pain. he fell over in his seat. jackie fell over on him. he said, my god, he's been shot.

>> where did the shots come from? >> just from the hill. just east of the underpass. >> uh-huh. >> on the south side. >> did you look up where the shots came from, ma'am? >> yes, sir. >> did you see anyone? >> i thought i saw a man running, but i looked at the president and, you know, for a while. and i looked up there and i thought i saw a man running. i didn't have any better sense, i started running up there too. >> what is your name. what's your address? >> 9402 bluff creek. >> an interview i had with mrs. jane hill of dallas a few minutes ago. a short time later, dallas sheriff officers took a young man into custody. it's believed they took a rifle at the same time, described at a

30.30 rifle found at the scene. although this has not been confirmed. as we reported earlier, governor connolly and president kennedy are in the emergency room that is the president is now -- governor connolly was moved to another room in the hospital. a catholic priest was called to the emergency room a short time ago, and the president's condition is described as very critical, representative albert thomas of houston said both men were alive, however, this is tom reporting from ft. worth, texas concerning the shooting of president kennedy and governor connolly of texas. stay tuned to nbc for further details. >> frank mcgee re-established communications with robert mcneil travelling with the president. your report? >> if you will stand by for just a moment while i attach a device to the ear piece. please go ahead, bob.

go ahead, bob? >> catholic church -- b. >> drop the box, frank. they have a direct line, they say. can give -- go ahead. keep going. we're not getting him. perhaps he better go back to the black box. we're not getting it on a direct feed, frank. we may have to return to that black box. >> bob, sorry to interrupt. but we're getting -- >> would you stop start at the top again? >> heading to the -- we were -- >> last rites of the roman catholic church have been administered to president kennedy. who is said to be seriously wounded in the dallas hospital. after being shot at during a

motorcade through the city. administered a few moments ago by father hubert. they do not necessarily mean that the president's condition is fatal. white house officials say the president's kennedy is still uncertain. he was carried into the hospital unconscious. from the car in which he and governor john connolly of texas were both shot at. mrs. jacklin kennedy, in the rear seat of the open car beside the president was not hurt. vice president lyndon johnson

who was with the president walked in to the hospital -- was he in the same car? please, go ahead. walked into the hospital. holding his own arm? holding his own arm. just a moment, bob. going to interrupt for the associated press from dallas. mrs. lyndon johnson said after a visit -- go ahead, bob? just emerged from the -- from the area where the president has been taken, said that her husband, the vice president is fine. she would not say anything about the condition of president kennedy, however. she appeared to be in a state of shock. and was carried away by white house personnel.

the hospital is reported to be carrying a blood transfusion for both the president and governor connolly. bob is telling me the latest he knowles at the moment is that the is that the president's condition is serious and uncertain. that -- >> how many time s? >> we do not know exactly where he was struck nor how many times. but he was carried into the hospital, unconscious and bleeding. >> unconscious and bleeding. and last rites of the church have just been administered. that's all for the moment, frank. >> bob tells me that's all for the moment. >> bob? >> there is -- there's this additional detail from the hospital. an assistant to governor

connolly said he talked to the governor in the hospital operating room. he said the governor was shot just below the shoulder blade in the back. he asked the governor how it happened and he said i don't know, he said i guess from the back, they got the president too. these are quotes from governor john connolly who's also wounded. there are additional reports that the governor's aide asked the governor if there was anything he could do, he said just take care of nellie for me, that's governor connolly's wife. she was uninjured. and mrs. kennedy was not injured. as robert mcneil reported, the last rites of the roman catholic church has been administered to the president. this is in no way means he will lose his life. here is an item.

both women, meaning mrs. kennedy and mrs. connolly disappeared into the emergency section of parkland hospital to await news of their husbands. outside of the emergency room in a hallway, anxious members of the white house staff gathered including the military aide to the president, and brigadier president godfrey mchew, the air force aide. the president's secretary, the press secretary to mrs. keptdy and other members of the staff were shown to a special waiting room not far from the emergency room area where the president was lying. frank mcgee has reported on direct word. outside parkland hospital in dallas.

>> there's no indication that any charges placed against him. there's no indication he is directly involved in this attempt on president kennedy and texas governor john connolly. >> i think we have the picture of the president and mrs. kennedy as they arrive in dallas this morning. i have some copy on the first speech which the president delivered in dallas. this is the picture of the president and mrs. kennedy. >> i think the camera -- is that -- >> hold it up over here. this is the picture of the first family of the president and mrs. kennedy, rather, arriving in dallas. only a couple of hours before the assassination attempt.

it was reported he was badly shot by the shooting. the doctors are trying to keep him as quiet as possible and he is under heavy secret service protection. it was also noted that throughout the trip in texas where the president and vice president have been the same motorcade, they have been kept in separate cars, a precaution against just such an attempt as was obviously made today. >> i'm red -- i read an excerpt from the speech the president gave this morning at a breakfast. people rose innovation after the speech and a few minutes later, the president said he felt like he did in france two years ago when he identified himself as the man who accompanied this is kennedy through paris. >> excuse me just a moment, john.

there was word from the hospital that they have dispatched a call for a neurosurgeon. >> that could be the head or possibly some spinal damage. there was also this. and understandably, in a situation like this, information comes from fragments and in unexpected places. senator yarborough, a texas democrat who was in a nearby car when the attack took place on the president, such he saw the presence lips moving at what he called a normal rate of speed while the president was being rushed to the hospital. what it means, we do not know. -- how much it means, we do not know. and there is word here, frank, that at least one neurosurgeon has arrived at the hospital. i should imagine that in a case such as this, every medical specialist of every sort and description and capability would be called into the hospital so that all medical treatment would be available to the president. >> unless there is momentary low, i would assume the memory of every person listening to this right now would flash back

to that day in april, 1945 when franklin delano roosevelt -- >> excuse me, here is a flash from the associated press. two priests who are with president kennedy say he is dead. there is no further confirmation, but this is what we have on a flash basis from the associated press. two priests in dallas who were with resident entity say he is dead of -- with the president say he is dead of bullet wounds. the president may have lost his life. it has just come over the associated press wires in dallas. two priests were called to administer the last rites of the roman catholic church.

it is from them we get the word that the president has died, that the bullet wounds inflicted on him as he rode in a motorcade through downtown dallas have been fatal. we will remind you, there is no official confirmation of this from any source as of yet. >> just moments before you brought that, i had word from the hospital that the vice president, lyndon johnson and his wife have just left the hospital and rushed away in a motorcade. >> this might be confirmation. >> we must stand by for confirmation, as bill has emphasized. this is rather sketchy information. we will stand by. >> now apparently there is word that this ap flash, this report from the two priests that the president has died of bullet wounds is confirmed. we will attempt now to get to station wbap-tv in dallas for confirmation. we go to news man tom murphy. >> substantiating this, but not confirming this, is a report from the dallas police officer police department to all officers that the president has died.

some three to five minutes later, the ap flash of the two priests saying that the president is dead. returning now to nbc in new york. >> hearing from two sources. >> we have bob mcneal on the line with a report. please, go ahead, bob. white house press secretary has just announced that president kennedy died at approximately 1:00 central standard time, which is about 35 minutes ago after being shot by an unknown assailant during a motorcade drive through downtown dallas. the president died approximately 25 minutes after the attack took place. he had been rushed bleeding and

unconscious to the parkland memorial hospital in dallas and was given blood transfusions. about 15 minutes ago, reports nbc's bob mcneal in dallas to whom i'm talking to now, a priest emerged after having given the president last rites. just before the announcement of the president's death was made, vice president lyndon johnson emerged grim faced and was driven off with a police escort to assume the constitutional responsibility of the presidency.

a casket has just been brought into the emergency ward of the hospital for president kennedy. the attack took place as the president who was just completing what amounted to a triumphal drive through downtown dallas, encountering the largest and in some ways, the most friendly crowds of his two-day texas tour. >> mrs. kennedy was .

however, begun under of texas, john connolly, was wounded in the chest area -- chest. further supplies of blood for transfusion for the governor have been wrought to the hospital. the shooting came, according to

witnesses, on the second floor of a building called the texas school depository which is about 100 yards from the tree- lined parkway on which the president was driving when the shooting occurred. three shots were heard. bob, thank you very much. that was a report from robert mcneil confirming up by way of word from the white house press secretary to president kennedy is dead. >> the death came roughly 39 minutes ago at roughly 1:00 dallas time. there is further word that vice president lyndon johnson was

taken from the hospital and he was not wounded. he has been taken to a secluded place. he will assume the duties of the late john f. kennedy, the former president of the united states. it is necessary even at a time -- we will look forward as we head to washington. >> i am relaying your words. >> the whole situation is that the vice president lyndon johnson will be given the oath of office as the president of the united states as soon as it can be done. i have not had time to check this but i believe the oath can be administered by anyone who can administer an oath. had it happened in less unfortunate circumstances, he

normally would be sworn in by the chief justice of the supreme court but in this case he will be sworn in by anyone who has the power to do it. that means that lyndon johnson will be president of the united states and will finish out mr. kennedy's term running until january of 1964. what happens then, we do not know. the next in line for the presidency after mr. johnson becomes john mccormick of massachusetts who is the speaker of the house. he is next in line. we were told a few minutes ago that the air force had jet planes on the ramp by nearby andrews air force base ready to take off. texas and maybe they have by this point. they will bring mr. johnson and other members of the parties

back here and or to take some of the kennedy family to texas. i assume mr. johnson will return to washington immediately and will take over the late president kennedy's duties. that is about all of the detail we have at the moment. the president's brother was presiding over the senate in lyndon johnson's absence. when the vice president leaves his job in the senate he can turn his gavel over to anyone. senator edward kennedy was presiding when the word came of the shooting. it was not known whether the president was dead or alive at the time. a reporter in the press gallery gave the word to a senate page went down and told senators on the floor. the senate was adjourned immediately and was called back into session for a prayer.

in the meantime, the members left the floor and gathered around the news tickers and waited to see what was happening and now they know. the few sketchy details that we have at the moment -- the white house was not getting information very rapidly because of the confusion and haste of the scene. but we have learned we learned from texas and not from here. here is a late report -- cabinet members, members of mr. kennedy's cabinet. i am relying on memory. they were on their way to japan. they were one hour from the y in a turned back to the red states. -- they have turned back to the united states.

we don't know if they were coming back to dallas or washington. the kennedy children are still there in the white house and it is a normal school day for them. we are now told that the president was shot once in the head. governor connolly was shot in the head and -- in the arm and wrist. we don't know what make of the rifle was or who had it. a young man was picked up at the scene and is being questioned. we don't know who he is. that is all we have at the moment. vice president lyndon johnson will now be sworn in as president of the united states and will serve out the remainder mr. kennedy's term which runs until january 20, 1964.

beyond that, we do not know. frank? bill? you there? do you have any more from texas or elsewhere? >> president kennedy was assassinated today in a burst of gunfire in downtown dallas. john conolly was shot down with him. the president was rushed to the hospital and taken into an emergency room. an urgent call went out for nurses and for blood. the president was 44 years old. he was shot once in the head. governor connally was shot in the wrist. police have found the rifle. the president was conscious as he arrived to the hospital. a priest was called and administered his last rites. lyndon b. johnson was in the car behind the kennedys and the connelly's.

he is to be sworn into office as soon as possible. he was rushed to the hospital and wisped away again by the secret service. kennedy lived about an hour after a sniper shot him down as his limousine went through downtown dallas. the mantle of the presidency now falls to lyndon b. johnson, a native texan, the -- who had been riding two cars behind the chief executive. the priest came out of the ward at approximately 1:37 p.m. the announcement brought audible sobs from citizens crowded around the emergency ward. a senator talking a few hours before collapsed in sobs. he said he was in the third car behind the president. it seemed to him that at least two of the shots came from the

right rear. you cannot say anything about the third shot -- he could not say anything about the third shot. the president of the united states is dead. the new president is president lyndon johnson. the memories of all of us are flashing back to that warm, april spring day of 1945 moment lost franklin d. roosevelt. this is the second time around that we've been through one of these crises. the last shooting incident, not fatal, occurred in 1950. the white house was being renovated at that time. you may recall that two puerto rican nationalists tried to run their way into the house and assassinate president truman who was taking a nap at the time. that is the story. the president of united states is dead. the new president of the united states is lyndon johnson.

mrs. kennedy is still at the hospital. she was not hurt. the white house spokesman refused to comment on her condition. president johnson is under heavy guard and was taken away from the hospital by white house officials. president kennedy was shot in the right temple. it was a simple matter of a bullet right to the head, said the white house doctor. >> for additional information, we go to station wbat-tv and news man charles murphy. >> the car wanted in connection with the assassination has been stopped in fort worth. the suspect is in custody. further word will come later. fort worth is 30 miles west of dallas. we heard from one of our news man in dallas who said that a

dallas policeman was shot to death by an unknown man in a car minutes after the president and governor connally were shot. the officer was shot about two miles from the scene of the presidential assassination. the car wanted in connection with the assassination of president kennedy has been stopped in fort worth. they have a suspect in the shooting on the ground. we hope further confirmation will come momentarily. this is charles murphy. >> we have an eyewitness account of the assassination. this was recorded in the voice you hear is that of an nbc soundman traveling with one of our television camera crews.

>> i am traveling with the president at in dallas, texas. we have driven through the downtown section where we have received -- the president had received a very tumultuous welcome. we are owing on a freeway where we will go to a luncheon. as we turn down this moderate curve here, there was a loud shot. we thought it was a cherry bomb by some teenager. everybody ducked and there were people falling to the ground. we do not know who was shot. people were screaming. the cameramen in the car i was riding immediately jumped out and took pictures. when the president's car took off with a police escort -- it turned out to be towards the

hospital. we picked up one of the remaining secret service men and he went with us. we were cleared through the police line and finally got to the hospital. as we came down the final drive, we were told that we cannot go any further and we stayed outside and were informed by the associate new secretary on the president's staff of what was happening. as i left the hospital to come over here which was a block away, he said that we understand the president is inside. since waiting here on the phone, he has died. >> that was a recorded voice of an nbc soundman who was traveling with a television film unit in the motorcade and who witnessed the assassination of president kennedy.

frank mcgee who has been opening as keeping an open telephone line where president kennedy died is in touch with the nbc correspondent who is traveling with the president, robert mcneil. >> i do understand there clearing the room so can you give us a report? >> president kennedy's body -- >> president kennedy's body is in the emergency section of this hospital at the end of a long corridor. it has been filled with people but looking white house officials, reporters. police are clearing out the entire corridor and we believe the president's body will be brought out. the coffin was taken in about 15 minutes ago.

that was shortly after white house press secretary had officially announced that the president died at 1:00 dallas time. that is 2:00 new york time. >> does that mean you have to leave this telephone? >> i can hold on for a second. >> as long as you can. >> we have some additional detail. the flag at the white house has just been lowered to half mast. we have two eyewitness reports on the wire service. one was a television reporter who said he saw a gun emerging from the window of a warehouse. it was located just beyond a triple underpass through which the presidential motorcade had to go on its way to downtown dallas.

just as the car emerged from this underpass, three shots rang out. three, not two. we know he was hit in the right temple and the governor was shot in the head and wrist. that is all we know at the moment on governor connally. the president died just about an hour ago from his wounds. this is the first assassination of a president since william mckinley. >> governor connally is being reported as being in satisfactory condition. we have no report on the condition of mrs. kennedy. she is still in the hospital. traveling behind a police escort, lady bird johnson, she is now the first lady of the land since mr. johnson has become president of the united

states. lady bird johnson has been under heavy guard and is in seclusion somewhere in downtown dallas. >> excuse me. i was going to say that the president kennedy is the third american president to be assassinated since lincoln. the others were james garfield and william mckinley. this continues one of the grimmest statistics. no president who is taken office has completed his term of office in a 0 year has completed his term. >> the capitalist is starting to react on what happened in dallas. we will go to nbc news in washington. >> this is the flag at half mast outside our studios here at nbc in washington. we assume that the flag at the

white house is at half mast. wherever the american flag flies, it has been lowered to half mast as a sign of respect to the president of the united states. we have very little news on the reaction in washington. this happens so suddenly. there has been no opportunity for real reaction. senator mansfield has made no statement. speaker mccormick who is now in the position relation to president lyndon johnson. he has made no statement. nor has mr. dirksen. nor has the senate minority leader, nor as far as we know

has, the senator humphrey. he was informed by his aide of what happened. his aide reported that his voice cracked several times and that he seemed numb and was unable to make a response. i am told by an aide of senator ted kennedy, who is presumably en route to dallas with his brother robert, that when senator kennedy was informed of this, he laid down the gavel and quietly stepped down from the roster and proceded to leave the chamber. all through the city, as we try to call government offices, it is almost impossible to reach prominent officials. i tried to call the attorney

general's office and discovered the attorney general had been out at his home in virginia having lunch. the girl who answered the telephone was crying so heavily that she could not make herself understood to me. i can only make out that she knew the attorney general was at lunch and that he had been informed of what had happened. it is a state of shock -- that is the only way i can describe the feeling we have here in washington. it goes for me, for david, for all of the correspondents as well. it is so impossible for us to contemplate and understand that this young, vital man can be dead in this fashion. there is nothing else to report from here in the capital. back to new york. >> i think we must remember that it was only last week when the

president was making a similar motor drive from new york's airport into new york when he decided not to follow behind the usual motorcycle escort with all of the flashing lights and the sirens because of his disruptive of traffic. at the time he was coming into new york, it was a particularly busy time. it created some snarls, the limousine was delayed at several points and was blocked by a bus and a truck, but they did make it into new york. he like to be treated without those considerations. do you have word? >> frank is speaking to nbc correspondent, robert macneil. robert has been working at the hospital.

there are times he will be off gathering information. other times he will be coming back to the phones to report to us. he will confer as to whether or not he has new information that he can add to what we already know. >> bill, unless you have some late information -- >> i have not. >> bob was talking to me about the attitudes of the president's arrival. bob, if you will go ahead. >> how extraordinary the crowd was when the president and mrs. kennedy arrived at the airport there was a crowd of many hundreds. mrs. kennedy took the initiative of going to the fence and shaking hands with both hands. the crowd was delirious with them. this kind of reaction was something like the reaction of

the crowds all the way through the town. they were very friendly. i saw only one hostile sign all the way through. the motorcade when about 10 miles and then in the middle of this bright sunshine and friendly crowd, these three muffled shots were heard. it could not have been more startling to the very pleasant, sunny atmosphere he had received. despite all the warnings that things were going to be difficult in dallas. >> why is that? >> this had been the thing that made the police worry. dallas got such a bad name around the world after the attack on stevenson. the authorities were determined that there would be no repetition of this. the ambassador, someone spat on him, and somebody hit him over

the head. they mobilize a third of their police force and put on a propaganda campaign on the newspapers and the radios and the tv stations to make sure that dallas would not be dragged in the mud again. that is why it is such a contrast. >> what is the situation in the room where you're at? >> i am in a small waiting room where emergency patients wait to be taken into the operating room where they're treated. there are a few policemen. they are the only ones left leading to the room behind which we assume the president's body is being placed in the bronze coffin which was taken in about half an hour ago. we expected to come out shortly. >> we have a still photo that shows a man and a woman and two small children lying on the

ground. i understand you saw these people. >> they were the first people i went to. they were screaming and lying down on the ground to escape from the shooting. the minute the shooting sound started, the air was filled with the screams of women and children. everyone laid down on the sidewalk. i assumed that the picture you are talking about is that. nobody else i know, besides kennedy and the governer -- >> we lost a part of that. >> as far as i know, no one else was hit except for president kennedy and governor connally. could you describe the building and how far away from the car was?

>> as you come out of the main street of downtown dallas, which was packed with people, it leads into a triple underpass. behind some trees, is a service road, and a brick building of about eight stories which is called the texas school book depository. they say they saw a man with a gun in, one said the second floor, another the 4th floor, that building. from either floor, he would be able to see over the low trees to about 100 yards away where the president's car was. >> an unobstructed view? >> i was not able to go up to either of those windows. it looked as though it would be. the president must have had a

profile presented to the assailant or his three quarters back. his car had actually passed the direct line from the window. the car would have approached the window head on, turned left, gone down a slight decline under the underpass. just a moment. >> that seems to fit with what he said. the word that we had was that the president was hit in the right temple. >> the president's body has been carried out of the hospital and the bronze casket. it was accompanied by his military aide and has been placed into an ambulance. it is being taken straight to the airbase where he landed, to be flown back to washington. the crowds have been moved away

from the door by police and secret service. i can hear the motorcycle escort outside starting up. the president's body is with them. they are pulling away from the hospital. it is about 1.5 hours since he was shot. the president has been dead for about an hour and seven minutes. vice president, lyndon johnson, left immediately after the president's death was confirmed. he went off to the airport to presumably go to washington to resume constitutional responsibilities as president. >> i was about to ask -- >> there were three cars behind him with secret service.

i was in the first press spot which came behind those. as we turned the corner, i heard three shots. >> was the president seated or standing? >> he was seated. it was a thin crowd at that point. most of the crowd was concentrated a hundred yards back. when i heard shots, i saw people fall to the ground. i was not looking at the president. the car disappeared under the underpass and went straight to the hospital. i left the press box and came to the hospital where the president reportedly came. >> what sort of building is it? >> it is the texas school book depository. it is an orange, brick building of about eight floors.

it is about eight windows wide in the front. >> from the point where it -- would it be possible for him to have been struck by a bullet in the right temple? >> if he was using a high- powered rifle with a telescopic sight, i assume that from that distance, it could be. >> about how fast was the president's motorcade going? >> slowly. it had just come around the quarter, probably between 15 and 20 miles per hour. >> vice president lyndon johnson was how far behind? >> i'm not sure. there was a jumble of congressmen in the car behind. i am not sure which car he was in.

>> the motor car sped up -- >> and disappeared under the overpass. they thought the assailant had fled over railroad tracks. they chased him through several trains. >> did they apprehend this person? >> no. not at that time. they started talking to witnesses on the scene. just a moment. >> there is also this that could be added -- >> i am told that vice president johnson was in the car directly behind the president. >> how far is it from where the incident occurred to the hospital? >> it is about a mile and a half. >> we are now going to the united nations where i am told delegates from the nations are expressing their condolences. we switch now to the united nations.

>> i call now on the secretary- general. >> as secretary-general of the united nations, i would like to express profound sorrow at this most tragic event and to be associated in the condolences to mrs. kennedy and to the government and people of the united states. >> i request members of the general assembly to rise and observe one minute of silence in tribute to the memory, after which i shall adjourn this meeting. [no audio]

the meeting is adjourned.

>> delegates of the 111 member nations of the united nations standing in a moment of silence and sympathy to the united states government for the loss it has sustained today with the assassination of president john f. kennedy. we have word that mrs. kennedy, who was riding in the car with her husband, she did not give way to hysteria. she fell to the floor of the car and cradled his head in his lap. she held him in in her arms all the way to the hospital. she at no time gave way to hysteria. we now have more reports from the area where it happened. we return to station wbap-tv in a fort worth.

>> here is an additional report on what you heard bob abernathy described a few minutes ago. the building in which the sniper had hidden is the texas school depository at the intersection of elm and houston street in dallas. lieutenant jc day went to the building a short time after the shooting took place and walked out with a british 303 rifle. it has a telescopic sight. it was found on the sixth floor near a corner window. police searching that area found three empty .303 cases and scraps of chicken as though someone had been there for a period of time. we also have another eyewitness account, a man of dallas who was probably the last man to view

the president, here is his report. >> where's your witness? >> unfortunately, i was probably 15 to 20 feet away from the president when it happened. >> tell us what you saw. >> he was coming down the street and my 5-year-old boy and myself were on the grass there and i asked joe to wave to him and then i waved to him.

he was waving back, shots rang out and he slumped down in his seat. his wife reached up toward him and the second shot went off and knocked him back. >> did you see the man who did this? >> no, sir. i did not see the man who did this. i looked in the man's face when he was shot.

>> as we said before, the sniper's nest has been found. police have recovered a british 303 rifle with a telescopic sight. >> things can move this fast when you're dealing with a story of this magnitude. while we were getting reports from fort worth dallas on finding the sniper's nest and details of what was going on in that building from which the bullets were fired, we were handed another story from dallas. frank has that. >> a secret service agent and dallas policemen have been shot and killed some distance away from the area where president kennedy was assassinated. no information was immediately available. >> there was an earlier report that a dallas policeman had been shot to death approximately two miles from the scene. also, in the earlier reports, we were told that was wanted in

connection with the assassination of president kennedy had been stopped in fort worth and a suspect had been picked up. we had no further word on that. no indication on whether the police have or feel they have captured the person or persons that took part in this successful attempt on the life of president kennedy. >> his body has been taken away from the hospital where he died. it is the assumption that it is being taken to the airport where he arrived just a short time earlier for his motorcade and planned speech in dallas. the assumption is he will be taken back to washington. mrs. kennedy, at last report, was still in the hospital. president johnson left the hospital a short time earlier. they believe he is also heading

back to the airport to catch a jet to be taken back to washington to be sworn in as president of the united states. >> the speculation is that they are going to administer the presidential oath to president johnson. >> it always occurs as soon after the death of a president as possible. there is no particular protocol or formality for it as far as we know. the vice president is informed of the passing of the president and his almost immediately sworn in. sometimes there is a private swearing in ceremony that is repeated later. it is not a joyous occasion as you can imagine. constitutionally, the vice president becomes president immediately after the death of the president of the united

states. >> there are reports that the president's father and mother were informed of the attack on their son in massachusetts. there is no indication that they know they have in fact, lost their son. there was indication that when they were told that he had been wounded, his mother was going to fly to dallas. john connally of texas who was riding with the late president, and was wounded, it is reported that he is not out of the woods, but his vital signs are good. he has been operated on for a gunshot wound in the chest. he has a good polls and his respiration is satisfactory, though he is in much pain. we're deeply stunned, shocked, and amazed by what happened in

dallas today. our servicemen overseas got word of it. the pope was informed. francis cardinal who was in rome for a council, was also told of what happened to the president. he said the president's death was a great loss to the country and to the world. regular programming was suspended after the news of the president's death was received. a came into london about 7:30 in the evening. there was a flash this afternoon from the soviet news agency tass. "president john f. kennedy has died after an attempt was made on his life."

frank? >> just a note that he was at 2:05 p.m. >> it would've been central time when the president's body was removed from the hospital. the signed curtains were tightly drawn. >> there is something here from one of the persons. a white man in his mid 20's was arrested in the riverside section of fort worth in the shooting of a dallas policeman. the man denied he was connected with the assassination of the president. he was in handcuffs when he was seen by reporters. a man has been taken into custody. there is no word if this is the man our person who today assassinated president kennedy,

apparently with a single shot from a high-powered rocket fire from the fifth floor of a building which is roughly 100 yards from the president's motorcade, which was traveling at slow speed. we are starting to get conflicting reports on weapons. there was one that it was a .303 rifle. there were some remnants of chicken indicating the sniper staked himself out for quite a while before firing the fatal shot. word that another mouser has been found, a german army rifle with one shell left in the chamber. three spent shells were found nearby. possibly the mouser is measured in millimeters and my be close to a .303.

>> i would suspect we are likely to get conflicting reports. the president is dead and has been shot. i am sure all of us have wondered if it is necessary to go to the great plains that the secret service goes through to protect the life of the president of the united states. each little detail is checked out. i would assume that shriver of the automobile knew instantly where the nearest hospital in dallas was located. reports say he sped away and went directly to the hospital in an effort to spare the president from further gunfire and get him to the hospital as quickly as possible. despite the annoyance that is connected with the secret service to protect the life of the president, it still comes as a shock to us to realize that a

thing like this can happen in our country with the precautions that are made. a witness to the assassination today was texas senator and he went to the hospital where the president was taken and he was awaiting outside, some indication of what the president's condition is. we have a picture of the texas senator at the hospital as he came out and tried to talk with the news men. everyone was shocked and he appeared to be in tears. the texas senator. >> in speaking of precautions, the attempts to protect him from any possible attack, i have written in those motorcades and i am sure you realize -- i have riden in those motorcades. >> if one stops and thinks you have a distance of maybe 15 or

20 miles. the president is in an open automobile and often he is standing and waving. the distance would be 15 miles and you could have hundreds of thousands and millions of people lining these streets. there are hundreds and hundreds of buildings on either side. an assassin could attempt to conceal himself. it is an impossible thing to get complete and total reduction for the president of the united states. >> we have further reaction from overseas on the loss of president kennedy. the chancellor from germany said the german people are filled with great grief. cardinal ritter called together the student priests to recite

prayers for the late president. "we were having dinner when we heard the astounding news of president kennedy's death. our hearts are pained." his stature as a petition is on the international scene was growing in the years of renewal. the french prime minister said it is atrocious and frightful and, "i am overwhelmed." the city of washington, d.c. for further developments, the switch now to david brinkley in washington. >> the flag has been lowered at the white house. the white house, the acting white house press secretary is acting in the absence of peer salinger who is in a jet lane

over the pacific -- pierre salinger. they were on their way to a meeting and the plane turned around and heading back to hawaii and washington. the president's body will be flown to washington this afternoon. senator edward kennedy and mrs. sargent shriver, his sister, arrived at the white house a few minutes ago. they took a helicopter to angers air force base -- andrews. air force base they will fly to dallas to join mrs. kennedy. the attorney general was at home having lunch. he lives a mile or so outside the city limits. he has left for the airport also to fly to texas. the government has been closed down. congress has adjourned.

four members of the cap and over the pacific have turned back -- four members of the cabinet that were over the pacific have turned back. shock and horror. mike mansfield, when the news came to him said he was a man who contributed so much and deserve so much more in return. senator of nevada said it is a great tragedy and the world has lost a great champion and the united states a great president. senator byrd said he was deeply shocked and that he could not find words to express his distress. there are similar sentiments expressed by everyone who has said anything at all. the secret service is normally stationed -- they are charged with protecting the president as a plane close civilian arm of

the united states treasury, to the left of the picture you're seeing, they are the husky young man you see in the news pictures. when the president motorcade is moving at slow speed, they usually walk along or run along beside it. they usually, they are aware it is impossible. a crowd is gathering across the street, facing the front entrance to the white house. a crowd has gathered for no particular reason. crowds usually do gather there in moments of crisis. that is the white house flack at half staff -- the white house flag lowered at half staff. they are keeping their own bodies in line with any weapon that might be aimed at the

president. they cannot cover every window or tray or manhole and they rely on the decency and good sense of the american people. that again is nbc's live television camera on the white house lawn looking through the iron picket fence, across pennsylvania avenue to lafayette park, named for the marquee the lafayette, whose statue is there. these are the grounds of the white house where the president's office is. george reidy arrived. we assume he came to help make arrangements for the change over of administration. we do not know specifically that lyndon johnson has been sworn in, has officially taken the oath. he soon will. he is president anyway. that is how the constitution

spells it out. he will of course serve out the remainder of mr. kennedy's term until january of 1964. that is about all the detailed we have at the moment, frank. we will switch back to new york for any further details might have from dallas or elsewhere. >> we are still in touch with dallas as we are with you in washington. very shortly the emphasis of one part of the story was shipped from dallas back to washington. it is being anticipated the president's body is being flown back to the nations capital. that is where we expect president johnson to officially be sworn in. we are anxious for further information on the quest for the assassin. we do not know whether the assessment has been placed under arrest yet or not. we as stories that perhaps one

or two people have been put under arrest in dallas. a dallas police man was killed in a shooting after the president had been assassinated. the assumption would be that the shootings are connected. that is not necessarily true. the story was shift to washington for the formalities there. we will remain and keep our team standing by to bring you the developments as soon as we have them. >> there is this detail on mrs. kennedy following the assassination of her husband. mrs. kennedy and the president's body were escorted from the hospital in dallas by two. she walked out the back door at the president's body was taken out. she walked slowly and looked

around in a daze manner and appeared to be in a state of shock. she had not been hysterical and in spite of the tremendous experience she had undergone, she had managed to control herself and keep her head. there is this ironic note. the main body of the reporters apparently did not know that he had lost his life until they got to the destination which the motorcade was heading for. the present had been scheduled to make a speech later this afternoon. he was in the first press bus and that was three cars behind the president's car. the main body of the white house reporters were writing -- riding in two buses and many did not know about the shooting until they got to dallas. they found out the first hard news of what had happened.

they did have some idea when they saw the motorcade start to fall apart. dallas police took off in all directions. we are told president kennedy's body will arrive at 5:30 this afternoon washington time at andrews air force base, just about two hours. reaction from overseas. our correspondent in rome, irving r levine. >> president kennedy was in oversleep popular. an aide was sent to express sympathy. he called the death a great loss for humanity. the pope is preparing a radiogram.

italian radio made the announcement of the president's death and went off the air except for solemn music. american bishops in rome expressed shock. cardinal spellman said he is saying rosary for president kennedy now. irving r levine, nbc news, rome. >> there is the first overseas point. we've have called in to bring your reaction after the assassination of president kennedy. >> let me interrupt you. >> he was traveling with the president at the time the assassination took place. >> i wanted to tell you you are going on the air. why don't you make to report direct, bob? go right ahead. >> we can have pictures in about 15 minutes. >> i see, bob. >> the doctors who attended president kennedy have just

reported his condition. dr. -- a moment. dr. -- the chief attending surgeon at the hospital, dr. malcolm parry, said the present was in critical condition -- said the president was in critical condition from wounds from the neck and head. it is possible they were caused by the same bullet. i can tell you what the doctor said. they attempted resuscitation. dr. clark was called in and several other doctors. they arrived. the president's addition to not allow any resuscitation. he was critically ill and near death.

they attempted respiration and gave him oxygen. they performed a tracheotomy to assist breathing. they gave him blood and also a tube to remove any possibility of air getting into the space. they attached an electric cardio grant to monitor his heart beat. shortly after that his heart failed. they tried external massage to produce a hard movement again. --to produce a heart movement again. they had a faint pulse but the president finally died about 20 minutes after he was brought into the hospital. the brain wound in the president's had involved -- head involved a great loss of blood

and brain tissue. the brain wound was in the back of his head, slightly to the right, which would fit with the picture i gave you earlier of the president having his back to the assailant. the assailant was in the building -- this conflicts with the fact that the wound in the neck was in the front of the neck, just below the items apple adam's apple. the car turned the corner or perhaps one bullet struck him from the front in the neck and went up to the brain. the president never regained consciousness. >> the president was unconscious from the moment he was struck. >> and near death from that moment. >> you told us the president's body was removed from the

hospital. there was speculation he was taken to the airfield. >> i believe that is true. it has gone to the airfield to be flown back to washington. lyndon johnson is remaining here in dallas. >> do you know where he is at the moment? >> i do not. >> he is not on his way back to washington. >> he is not. >> standby. >> thank you. >> the police department has arrested one man in connection with the slaying of a dallas police man. further details now from the scene. we go to wbat tv in dallas fort worth and charles murphy. >> late film has just arrived in our newsroom from dallas.

it shows the scene of the crowded scene when news was announced. and a prayer for president kennedy. [indiscernible] >> may we'll stand for a moment. >> there is a desire each of our

hearts to bow our heads. each in our own way will come to him. let us pray. oh, god, that of us can find words to express the deepest feelings of our hearts. we realize that this is the time of mourning. yet we would each come, rely upon the faith we possess. we would each come with perhaps the most earnest prayer that we never offered on the half of our president, our governor, the members of their families.

so we pray that even in this gathering, we may reveal -- which shall be pleasing to thee and that we shall await word in a spirit of praise. give thy -- in thy holy name, amen. >> their you have the scene at the trade center in dallas where president kennedy was going to make an address. the crowd assembled waiting to hear the president wondering what happened to him.

will try to clear up this arrest that is taking place in dallas. a man has been arrested in connection with the shooting of a dallas policeman. the man was arrested in a theater in the oak cliff section of dallas. he had a pistol at the time he was arrested. the policeman he allegedly killed was killed by a pistol shot. there is nothing to link this man who has been taken into custody with the assassination of president kennedy, who was killed by a bullet from a high- powered rifle from only can tell reports of robert mcneil at the hospital and from doctors who treated the president and were able to give specific in clinical details of the wound indicating that it was a high- powered bullet and quite probably a large caliber a let, too -- a large caliber bullet,

too. we're going to go to and nbc mobile unit outside the embassy building in new york for pictures and sounds of the reaction of citizens of this city to the loss of their president. we go to the nbc reporter. >> we are on the street outside the nbc studios. how did you hear of the president's assassination? >> a gentleman came in and mentioned it to us. i do not believe it. i had to hear from myself. >> what is your feeling now? >> i am terribly shocked and saddened by it and angered by it. i think it was a horrible, senseless thing. i hope the rest of the country feels the same way. >> do you think this reflects the opinion of the country now? >> i hope it does not reflect

the climate of opinion that is prevalent in the country today. it reflects an opinion that some people hold. i know that as an american and other people as americans do not hold this feeling. >> you said some people. who do you mean by that? >> i do not feel expert enough to express an opinion. the only evidence i have as to who these people are are these ultraconservative groups that have been distributing literature and spreading ahte in hate in texas. >> no one knows if these people are indeed responsible. thank you, sir. what was your reaction? >> i was shocked and saddened by the president's death. i was riding on the bus one they told me he was dead.

i find it difficult to believe now. >> the president was in part of the south, dallas. do you think is racial policies are connected with this? >> that is the first thing i thought of. probably some segregationists. they had it all planned out. i believe his blood will be on their hands. >> thank you. how about you, sir? >> this is the first time i am not proud to be an american. right now i am serving in the armed forces and i am home on leave. it is an understatement to say it was a shock. i at first did not believe it. i have trouble believing it now. i do not think it reflects the thinking of most people. i think it is a small minority. is unfortunate that this could

happen. you never want to believe this can happen when you are living. >> do think this reflects on the security arrangements of the secret service? >> random samplings of man on the street interviews, people here in new york city and the reaction to the loss of the president of the united states, john f. kennedy, who died approximately one hour 45 minutes ago in dallas, texas, after being fatally wounded by a sniper. david brinkley in washington. >> we have reported this before. the president's body is expected to arrive at andrews air force base a few miles outside washington about 5:30 washington time. the church bells all over town are ringing.

we are told that people are standing on street corners crying openly and freely. robert abernathy reports from andrews base that the base commander says the president's body will be arriving at 5:30. he says senator edward kennedy and mrs. shriver have just taken off by jet for otis air force base in massachusetts. we assume they are going to the home state to join their mother and father and other members of the kennedy family. military officers who have the job of arranging state funerals are at the white house now and presumably making the plans. mr. kennedy is the first president to die in office since the defense department was set up. these arrangements are made and i think there is no set a standard ritual to be followed

so it will have to be made up. presumably the army will be in charge of the operations. it has ceremonial courses at fort myers, virginia, which is nearby, long with honor guards and troops that presumably will be used. that is about all we have at the moment. richard is at the white house with the live pictures so we will switch there to see what is happening. richard? >> the american flag atop the white house in washington has been lowered to half mast. became down after word, there was confirmation of the president's death in dallas. in the white house, the president's children are still there, caroline and john junior. we do not know yet if they have been informed about their fathers death. we do not know if any of the cabinet members are here now.

the picture of the flag flying at half mast as seen through the trees stripped of their leaves captures the mood of grimness at the white house. outside in front of the white house, crowds have begun to gather. they probably do not know what, perhaps looking for a visual confirmation of what they everybody else find so hard to believe, that the president is indeed dead, the victim of an assassins bullet in dallas. police are allowing pedestrians to walk in front of the white house but not to congregate there. extra police details have been sent to contain the crowds outside the white house, and to surround the white house on all sides. traffic is moving normally and there are no other changes.

we are also told that an assistant to vice president lyndon johnson has also arrived at the white house, george reedy. there is not a lot of word coming from the white house press office. the first word was that a press officer was asking to enter. the mood there was one of utter shock, utter disbelief. the press house come at the white house press office is jammed with reporters waiting for some bits of information, waiting for any kind of word on what is going to happen next. to repeat, most of the news from here is being received from dallas. there's no late information on what the next developments will be. the crowd is still gathering

outside the front of the white house. across pennsylvania avenue. the weather in washington is great, rather than seasonably warm. like chill in the air. people here as people must be all over the country, walking around with looks of stunned this belief on their faces. this is richard from larry anna valeriani at the white house. >> barry goldwater, the man who is regarded as the person to oppose president kennedy in the election next year, has issued a statement in which he says it most shocking and dreadful that a thing like this could happen

in a free country. the president's death is a profound loss to the nation. mrs. goldwater and i offer our sympathy to mrs. kennedy and the president's family. he was going to make remarks tomorrow night in grand rapids. you are feeling prevalent on both sides of the aisle in congress, the great personal bereavement, feeling of loss and shock. i think back to the night of the convention in 1960 when lyndon johnson accepted the nomination. governor john connally was then the floor manager for lyndon johnson, and was the man always the closest assistant in all his political campaigns, that is governor connally of texas who lies wounded in a hospital in

dallas. at 2:00 in the morning, when there was much talk that johnson would be offered the vice presidential nomination, john connally told me he was positive he would never accept it. i had talked to sam rayburn who said that lyndon johnson would never accept the vice presidency, would never give up the senate majority leader. i bet john connally then that johnson would accept the vice- presidential nomination. at 2:00, john connolly made that point that it was positive that he would not accept. this is the way that history is made. had lyndon johnson not accepted, he of course would not be president of united states today. no one could ever have believed or dreamed that a president so young would not conclude his term of office and that death

would interrupt. there is little else to report here in washington, just the general reactions. a bulletin has just come in from dallas. a sniper armed with a high- powered rifle murdered president kennedy today. barely two hours kennedy's death, lyndon johnson has taken the oath of office as the 37th president of the united states. it is president lyndon johnson, 55 years old, the new president of united states. now back to new york. >> there are details on the swearing in of lyndon johnson. the oath was administered in dallas at 1:38 central standard time, roughly an hour and 20 minutes ago, by a federal district judge sarah t. hughes. president johnson took the oath

aboard the presidential plane at love field in dallas as he prepared to fly to washington to take over the presidency. this is the oath that was administered to mr. johnson. "i solemnly swear that i will faithfully execute the office of president of the united states and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the constitution of the united states." that is all we know about lyndon johnson being sworn in. mr. kennedy's predecessor general eisenhower has issued a statement. "i share the sense of shock and dismay that americans feel about the despicable act that resulted in the death of the united states. we express our personal grief and prayerful concern to mrs. kennedy and all other members of the family." the statement issued on half of general eisenhower here in new york this afternoon.

frank? >> the moscow radio is playing funeral music after announcing the death of president kennedy. people in the russian capital are described as being aghast. the ambassador to russia was told of the news and his response was to say it is terrible. moscow radio reports -- and this is moscow radio -- that extreme right-wing elements were believed responsible for the assassination. news of the death was immediately passed on to the top soviet figures. no reaction directly from the kremlin was expected until tomorrow. russian television broke into its programming to announce the assassination. and the soviet news agency reported from new york that an attempt was made on his life by persons believed to be among extreme right-wing elements. later they were informed that the president was dead. heart touching thought to think

of the two children in the white house, the son and the young daughter, and we can only assume that they have been informed. regardless of what one they have thought of the kennedys as a political institution, they were regarded as being vivacious and vital people who were quite alive. the situation at the moment is that president john f. kennedy is dead. his body is believed to be en route back to washington. it is expected to arrive at andrews at 5:30 eastern standard type, an hour and a half from now. the new president johnson has been sworn in by a federal judge in dallas and is remaining for the moment in dallas. the president's brother, senator ted kennedy, and a sister, eunice, the wife of sergeant shriver, are on their way to massachusetts. the family comes from boston. it is assumed they are going there to be with the parents of the president. the last we have on mrs. kennedy

when she was at the hospital where the president died. she is not at the hospital now, but we should respect her privacy. mrs. johnson is no doubt with the new president johnson. >> members of the kennedy family paid their respects. among them was jean kennedy smith. , u.s.er president kennedy ambassador to ireland. she was joined by her son and other family members. [no audio]

[no audio]

>> today is the 50th anniversary the assassination of president john f. kennedy. next is ceremony at the jfk presidential library museum. this is 45 minutes. ♪ >> a man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on. ♪

♪

♪

♪

>> the new frontier of which i speak is not a set of promises. it is a set of challenges. it sums up not what i intend to offer the american people, but what i intend to ask of them. it appeals to their pride, not their pocketbooks. it holds out the promise of more sacrifice instead of insecurity. i tell you the new frontier is here, whether we think it or not. beyond that frontier, are the uncharted areas of science and space, unsolved problems of peace and war, unconquered pockets of ignorance and prejudice, unanswered questions

of poverty and surplus. i believe the times demand new invention, imagination, decision. i am asking each of you to be pioneers on that new frontier. >> ♪ america! america! god shed his grace on thee o beautiful for spacious skies for amber waves of grain

for purple mountain majesties above the fruited plain america! america! god shed his grace on thee and crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea! o beautiful for heroes proved in liberating strife who more than self their country loved

and mercy more than life! america! america! may god thy gold refine till all success be nobleness and every gain divine! ♪

>> what kind of peace to i mean? not a pax americana enforced on the world by american weapons of war. not that the peace of the great or the security of the state. i am talking about genuine peace, the kind that makes life on earth worth living, the kind that enables men and nations to grow and to hope and to build a better life for their children, not merely peace for americans but peace for all men and women, not merely peace in our time, but peace for all time. so let us not be blind to our differences, but let us also direct attention to our common interests and the means by which those things -- those differences can be resolved. if we cannot end now our differences, at least we can help make the world safe or diversity, for in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. we all breathe the same air

among we all cherish our children's future, and we are all mortal. >> children are the world's most valuable resource and its best hope for the future. ♪

>> ♪ we were ring-around-the-rosy children they were circles around the sun never give up, never slow down never grow old never ever die young synchronized with the rising moon even with the evening star they were true love written in stone they were never alone they were never that far apart and we who couldn't bear to believe they might make it we got to close our eyes cut up our losses into doable doses ration our tears and sighs oh, you could see them on the street on a saturday night

everyone used to run them down they're a little too sweet they're a little too tight not enough tough for this town with their backs up against the wall oh, hold them up hold them up never do let them fall prey to the dust and the rust and the ruin that names us and claims us and shames us all