The Handcuffed Detective
A detective made a joke to the prisoner cuffed to his wrist. Then they walked into the basement.
Listen to this place’s story in Peplos.
How the story begins
"Lee, if anybody shoots at you, I hope they are as good a shot as you." That is what Detective Jim Leavelle said he told Lee Harvey Oswald in this building on the morning of 24 November 1963. Oswald's answer, by the same account: "You're being melodramatic." Oswald, accused of killing the president, was being moved to the county jail. Handcuffed to Leavelle, he went into the basement.
The rest is in the app. Peplos plays the full story when you reach the place. You can also listen ahead of time.
Visiting
106 South Harwood Street, between Main and Commerce. The building now houses the UNT Dallas College of Law. Exterior only: the basement is not open to visitors. Leavelle's hat, tie and handcuffs were shown at the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza in 2019; check its current displays before you go.
Sources
- James R. Leavelle, Pearl Harbor survivor and detective at Oswald's side, dies at 99, New York Times via Star-Advertiser, 2019
- Historic buildings of Dallas, Dallas Municipal Archives
- Jim Leavelle, Wikipedia
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