Scientists Work to Preserve 'JFK' Recording

Aug. 7, 2004 -- It's billed as "the only known sound recording of JFK's assassination."

The irony is, it's also been shown over and over to be no such thing — and to be irrelevant.

But never mind. There's a little lesson in all this about how to manage the scourge of doubt — even if you're not one of the more tiresome conspiracy theorists.

Dictabelt Dilemma

The National Archives has announced that it is asking scientists to see if they can make a state-of-the-art digital copy of the recording. It was made that November day in 1963 on a now outmoded "Dictabelt" that was rolling in a "Dictaphone" in a Dallas police station.

The latest office technology of its day, the Dictaphone was considered a wonder of convenience when it first appeared. You inserted a Dictabelt — a broad loop of flexible plastic — and a sort of phonograph needle recorded on it whatever you dictated into the attached microphone.

It could also be hooked up to record a telephone conversation or radio transmission.

As JFK entered Dealey Plaza, one of the motorcycles farther back in the motorcade had a radio microphone stuck in the on position. The sound was captured on this Dictabelt back at headquarters.

In 1964, the Warren Commission concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald had fired three shots from the Book Depository Building and was acting alone.

But in 1979, scientists stunned a congressional committee — which was also about to conclude that Oswald acted alone — by declaring that the very latest technology could now detect four shots on this Dictabelt — the three from Oswald and a fourth from … someone else.

Fourth Shot?

To the ear, the recording sounds mostly like hiss and static. A number of other scientists said in 1979 (and later) that they could not detect any shots on the Dictabelt.