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Warren Commission Hearings: Vol. III - Page 497« Previous | Next »

(Testimony of Joseph D. Nicol)

Mr. Eisenberg.
Yes, you may.
Mr. Nicol.
Yes, this was the exhibit that was given to me as Q-1 in the original transmission.
Mr. Eisenberg.
This being which Commission exhibit?
Mr. Nicol.
This being 399.
Exhibit 567, this was referred to as Q-2, and also accompanied the other exhibit.
Commission Exhibit 569, this is Q-3.
Mr. Eisenberg.
Are your marks on those exhibits?
Mr. Nicol.
Yes, I have marked my initials on an unrifled portion of each one of these exhibits. There were also other marks on it at the time I received the specimens.
Mr. Eisenberg.
I don't know whether you gentlemen have seen these. These are rifle bullets and bullet fragments.
Mr. Dulles.
Is this the one that was found on the stretcher?
Mr. Eisenberg.
Exhibit 399 is the bullet that was found on the stretcher.
Exhibits 567 and 569 were found in the front portion of the President's car.
Mr. Dulles.
These are pretty badly mutilated, aren't they?
Mr. Nicol.
Apparently they are separated so that one can't tell whether they come from a single bullet or from two separate projectiles. One is a nose portion and the other is a base.
Mr. Dulles.
Is this the one that is the nose portion?
Mr. Eisenberg.
You are handing, Mr. Dulles is handing Mr. Nicol Commission Exhibit 569.
Mr. Nicol.
No, that would be the base portion.
Mr. Dulles.
That is what I thought. Are those different parts of the same bullet possibly?
Mr. Nicol.
That is possible, because there appears to be an interval of ap proximately an eighth of an inch that is not present, so that the area where one begins is not even with the other, so it is not possible to tell, at least I couldn't to express an opinion.
Mr. Eisenberg.
That is, they might be two separate bullets or two parts of the same bullet?
Mr. Nicol.
Two parts of the same or separate bullets, that is right.
Mr. Eisenberg.
I hand you Commission Exhibit 572, which for the record consists of two bullets, and ask you whether you are familiar with those bullets?
Mr. Nicol.
These are the two projectiles which were given to me as K-l, and were used by me as standards or tests.
Mr. Eisenberg.
Now, when you say "standards or tests," could, you amplify that?
Mr. Nicol.
On the basis of information on the cartridge, or on the envelope, rather, it was my understanding that these had been fired from a weapon. I have not any personal knowledge of the weapon from which they were fired, but they were used as comparison standards to be compared against rifling impressions on the other three exhibits.
Mr. Eisenberg.
Can you tell us how you obtained these four exhibits which you have just looked at?
Mr. Nicol.
All these exhibits were obtained from Mr. Eisenberg on March 24, here in this office.
Mr. Eisenberg.
And for the record, I obtained these items from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and transmitted them directly to Mr. Nicol for his examination.
Now, Mr. Nicol, you therefore did not fire the two test bullets which you used in your comparison?
Mr. Nicol.
No, sir; I did. not.
Mr. Eisenberg.
And can you go into that at any length as to--do you have any reason for that?
Mr. Nicol.
Well, probably two very basic reasons. One, the matter of time, and secondly the fact that I did not have facilities in the area where I was working for the collection of such tests from a high- powered weapon.
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