Securing the Basement
Preliminary arrangements began Saturday evening, with police reserves requested to provide 8 to 10 men Sunday morning, and additional reservists sought in the morning. Captain C. E. Talbert retained patrolmen in the building and ordered others from several districts to report to the basement. Deputy Chief Stevenson instructed all detectives to remain for the transfer at 9 a.m., and Sheriff Decker’s men were ready at the county jail from early Sunday morning. Talbert undertook to secure the basement by placing policemen outside at the top of the Commerce Street ramp to keep spectators on the opposite side, and later assigned patrolmen to all street intersections along the transfer route, with his most significant measures aimed at excluding unauthorized persons from the basement.
Basement Search Procedures
The basement of the Police and Courts Building contains the jail office, police garage, and an auto ramp running from Main Street to Commerce Street, with three elevator doors, a door to the municipal building, and a fifth door to a sub-basement. Shortly after 9 a.m. Sunday, policemen cleared the basement of non-police personnel, stationing guards at the top of the Main and Commerce Street ramps, at each of the five garage doorways, and at the double doors near the jail office. Sergeant Patrick T. Dean directed 14 men in a thorough search of the garage, examining rafters, air conditioning ducts, closets, rooms, and the interiors and trunks of parked automobiles, while maintenance workers were directed to leave. The two passenger elevators were locked, and the service elevator was moved to the first floor with the operator instructed not to return it.
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