Post by Gil Jesus on Jul 5, 2022 7:00:51 GMT -5
A Nick And A Click
The Commission's version of the arrest of Oswald was based entirely on the sensational account of Dallas Patrolman M.N. McDonald, who claimed that during the struggle with Oswald, the webbing of his hand between his thumb and index finger got in between the hammer's firing pin and the primer of the cartridge causing a misfire when Oswald tried to shoot him.
Even Hollywood couldn't dream that one up.
A Nick
In support of this fantasy, the Dallas Police produced an unfired .38 Special round with a mark on it they claimed had been made by the weapon's firing pin.
But when the FBI examined the round with the mark, it concluded that, "There was no indication, from examination, that that nick was caused by a firing pin. First of all, it is in the wrong position, it is not in the center of the primer. And, also, a microscopic examination of that nick gave no indication that it was made by a firing pin." (Testimony of FBI firearms expert Cortlandt Cunningham, in 3 H 460)
In fact, Cunningham examined all eleven of the cartridges allegedly taken from Oswald, the two he received from the Secret Service and the four he had received from the Dallas Police and the five police had allegedly taken from Oswald's pants pocket.
MR. EISENBERG. Now, Officer McDonald's statement that the primer of one round was dented on misfire: as far as you can tell, could this statement be confirmed ?
MR.CUNNINGHAM. No sir; we found nothing to indicate that this weapon's firing pin had struck the primer of any of these cartridges. (3 H 463)
The FBI knew that the "nick" on the cartridge was not made by the firing pin of the weapon but made no effort to find out how it got on the cartridge. The fact that the Dallas Police were promoting this as a "misfire" makes one suspect that the nick was man-made and that the man who made it had a Dallas Police badge.
Not only was the nick not made by the firing pin of the weapon, the whole "misfire" story was debunked when the FBI test fired it.
Cunningham testified:
"I personally have fired this weapon numerous times, as well as special agents Robert Frazier and Charles Killion. At no time did we ever attempt to fire this weapon that it misfired. It operated excellently and every time we tried to fire it, it fired." (Ibid.)
So the evidence indicates that the weapon did not misfire and that the "nick" on the one cartridge was made by other means.
Knowing that, one would expect that the FBI would look into what caused the nick and why the Dallas Police were claiming it was caused by the firing pin.
But they didn't.
And then, during the struggle between Oswald and McDonald, there was a "click" reportedly heard by police and several witnesses.
A Click
Cunningham testified that the handgun, designated Commission Exhibit 143, was both a single and double action trigger.
This means that the hammer could be pulled back manually to the cocked position and all that was need was to pull the trigger (single action), or by pulling the trigger the hammer would come back and then spring forward. (double action)
During his testimony, Cunningham demonstrated how a "snapping noise" could be detected by holding the cylinder of the handgun and pulling the hammer back less than half an inch and having the weapon suddenly jerked out of one's hand. (3 H 461)
If the hammer came backwards any more than a half inch, the rebound block would allow the firing pin to emerge from the hole in the hammer far enough to strike the primer on the shell and fire the cartridge when the hammer came forward. (Ibid.)
But witnesses on the scene testified that the noise they heard WAS NOT at the time the weapon was jerked from Oswald's hand, but rather during the struggle.
Dallas Officer Thomas Hutson was the original source of the "snap" sound. He testified that the sound he heard was during the struggle when "the gun waving around towards the back of the seat, up and down, and I heard a snapping sound at one time." (7 H 32)
Hutson's testimony is confirmed by that of Dallas Officer C.T.Walker, who told the Commission that "I turned around and I was holding Oswald, trying to get his arm up behind him in a hammerlock, and I heard it click. I turned around and the gun was still pointing at approximately a 45 degree angle. Be pointed slightly toward the screen what I recall." (7 H 39)
Theater patron John Gibson testified that he heard a click and was asked if McDonald grabbed Oswald before or after he heard the click. He told the Commission that, "possibly seconds before or a second--maybe at the precise time the gun clicked." (7 H 72)
Even the first officer who challenged Oswald, M.N. McDonald, testified that the "click" he heard was during their struggle in the seats, well before the weapon was jerked from Oswald's hand. ( 3 H 300 )
These witness testimonies indicate that the "click" or "snap" heard by witnesses was not made in the manner FBI expert Cunnigham had described. In fact, the evidence indicates that it may not have been made by the weapon at all.
Another Source For The Click
Theater seats in those days were spring loaded. The bottom of the seat would fold up when no one was sitting in it, giving access to anyone walking across the row. When it folded up, the seat would made a "click".
This fact was addressed in the testimony of Dallas Officer Ray Hawkins:
"I heard something I thought was a snap. I didn't know if it was a snap of a pistol---I later learned that they were sure it was. I didn't know if it was a snap of the gun or if it was in the seats, someone making the noise."
Mr. BALL. There was some noise you heard?
Mr. HAWKINS. Yes sir, there was.
Mr. BALL. You couldn't identify it?
Mr. HAWKINS. No sir; I don't think so-- I don't think I could say for sure. (7 H 94)
During his testimony, Officer Walker was asked if the click he heard could have come from the seat:
Mr. BELIN. You heard a click, what kind of click was it?
Mr. WALKER. A real light click. Real light.
Mr. BELIN. Was it a click of the seat?
Mr. WALKER. Well, I assume it was a click of the revolver on the shell, and that was when the gun was doing the most moving around." (7 H 39-40)
These witness testimonies indicate that either they were unsure of the source of the sound they heard or they assumed the source was the revolver. The circumstances at the time they heard the "click" were not consistent with the scenario put forth by Agent Cunningham that the click was possibly made at the time Oswald was disarmed.
So the evidence shows that: a.) the "nick" was not made by a firing pin, b.) the revolver never misfired and c.) the revolver as the source of the "click" was in question.
There was one more possibility: that the click was indeed made by the revolver as it completed the firing cycle, but the weapon was planted on Oswald unloaded.
Coming in Part V: An Unloaded Weapon?
The Commission's version of the arrest of Oswald was based entirely on the sensational account of Dallas Patrolman M.N. McDonald, who claimed that during the struggle with Oswald, the webbing of his hand between his thumb and index finger got in between the hammer's firing pin and the primer of the cartridge causing a misfire when Oswald tried to shoot him.
Even Hollywood couldn't dream that one up.
A Nick
In support of this fantasy, the Dallas Police produced an unfired .38 Special round with a mark on it they claimed had been made by the weapon's firing pin.
But when the FBI examined the round with the mark, it concluded that, "There was no indication, from examination, that that nick was caused by a firing pin. First of all, it is in the wrong position, it is not in the center of the primer. And, also, a microscopic examination of that nick gave no indication that it was made by a firing pin." (Testimony of FBI firearms expert Cortlandt Cunningham, in 3 H 460)
In fact, Cunningham examined all eleven of the cartridges allegedly taken from Oswald, the two he received from the Secret Service and the four he had received from the Dallas Police and the five police had allegedly taken from Oswald's pants pocket.
MR. EISENBERG. Now, Officer McDonald's statement that the primer of one round was dented on misfire: as far as you can tell, could this statement be confirmed ?
MR.CUNNINGHAM. No sir; we found nothing to indicate that this weapon's firing pin had struck the primer of any of these cartridges. (3 H 463)
The FBI knew that the "nick" on the cartridge was not made by the firing pin of the weapon but made no effort to find out how it got on the cartridge. The fact that the Dallas Police were promoting this as a "misfire" makes one suspect that the nick was man-made and that the man who made it had a Dallas Police badge.
Not only was the nick not made by the firing pin of the weapon, the whole "misfire" story was debunked when the FBI test fired it.
Cunningham testified:
"I personally have fired this weapon numerous times, as well as special agents Robert Frazier and Charles Killion. At no time did we ever attempt to fire this weapon that it misfired. It operated excellently and every time we tried to fire it, it fired." (Ibid.)
So the evidence indicates that the weapon did not misfire and that the "nick" on the one cartridge was made by other means.
Knowing that, one would expect that the FBI would look into what caused the nick and why the Dallas Police were claiming it was caused by the firing pin.
But they didn't.
And then, during the struggle between Oswald and McDonald, there was a "click" reportedly heard by police and several witnesses.
A Click
Cunningham testified that the handgun, designated Commission Exhibit 143, was both a single and double action trigger.
This means that the hammer could be pulled back manually to the cocked position and all that was need was to pull the trigger (single action), or by pulling the trigger the hammer would come back and then spring forward. (double action)
During his testimony, Cunningham demonstrated how a "snapping noise" could be detected by holding the cylinder of the handgun and pulling the hammer back less than half an inch and having the weapon suddenly jerked out of one's hand. (3 H 461)
If the hammer came backwards any more than a half inch, the rebound block would allow the firing pin to emerge from the hole in the hammer far enough to strike the primer on the shell and fire the cartridge when the hammer came forward. (Ibid.)
But witnesses on the scene testified that the noise they heard WAS NOT at the time the weapon was jerked from Oswald's hand, but rather during the struggle.
Dallas Officer Thomas Hutson was the original source of the "snap" sound. He testified that the sound he heard was during the struggle when "the gun waving around towards the back of the seat, up and down, and I heard a snapping sound at one time." (7 H 32)
Hutson's testimony is confirmed by that of Dallas Officer C.T.Walker, who told the Commission that "I turned around and I was holding Oswald, trying to get his arm up behind him in a hammerlock, and I heard it click. I turned around and the gun was still pointing at approximately a 45 degree angle. Be pointed slightly toward the screen what I recall." (7 H 39)
Theater patron John Gibson testified that he heard a click and was asked if McDonald grabbed Oswald before or after he heard the click. He told the Commission that, "possibly seconds before or a second--maybe at the precise time the gun clicked." (7 H 72)
Even the first officer who challenged Oswald, M.N. McDonald, testified that the "click" he heard was during their struggle in the seats, well before the weapon was jerked from Oswald's hand. ( 3 H 300 )
These witness testimonies indicate that the "click" or "snap" heard by witnesses was not made in the manner FBI expert Cunnigham had described. In fact, the evidence indicates that it may not have been made by the weapon at all.
Another Source For The Click
Theater seats in those days were spring loaded. The bottom of the seat would fold up when no one was sitting in it, giving access to anyone walking across the row. When it folded up, the seat would made a "click".
This fact was addressed in the testimony of Dallas Officer Ray Hawkins:
"I heard something I thought was a snap. I didn't know if it was a snap of a pistol---I later learned that they were sure it was. I didn't know if it was a snap of the gun or if it was in the seats, someone making the noise."
Mr. BALL. There was some noise you heard?
Mr. HAWKINS. Yes sir, there was.
Mr. BALL. You couldn't identify it?
Mr. HAWKINS. No sir; I don't think so-- I don't think I could say for sure. (7 H 94)
During his testimony, Officer Walker was asked if the click he heard could have come from the seat:
Mr. BELIN. You heard a click, what kind of click was it?
Mr. WALKER. A real light click. Real light.
Mr. BELIN. Was it a click of the seat?
Mr. WALKER. Well, I assume it was a click of the revolver on the shell, and that was when the gun was doing the most moving around." (7 H 39-40)
These witness testimonies indicate that either they were unsure of the source of the sound they heard or they assumed the source was the revolver. The circumstances at the time they heard the "click" were not consistent with the scenario put forth by Agent Cunningham that the click was possibly made at the time Oswald was disarmed.
So the evidence shows that: a.) the "nick" was not made by a firing pin, b.) the revolver never misfired and c.) the revolver as the source of the "click" was in question.
There was one more possibility: that the click was indeed made by the revolver as it completed the firing cycle, but the weapon was planted on Oswald unloaded.
Coming in Part V: An Unloaded Weapon?