Post by John Duncan on Jul 3, 2020 20:42:34 GMT -5
The Shell Game
by Gil Jesus 10/09
Author's Note: This article was first posted at the JFK-Lancer website in January 2005, and published in the March, 2005 edition of the Dealey Plaza Echo, UK and is available for viewing on line at:
www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/viewer/showDoc.do?docId=16256&relPageId=32
INTRODUCTION
The Warren Commission based its conclusion that three shots had been
fired on the existence of the three shells found in the TSBD. (Commission Exhibits 543, 544 and 545) It reported that two of the cartridge cases had marks "produced by the chamber of Oswald's rifle",
one which contained marks produced by the Carcano's magazine follower and the other had markings from the bolt of Oswald's rifle. Two cases had markings indicating that they had been loaded into a rifle at least twice. When the rifle was found, an unfired round was in the chamber, ejected when Capt. Fritz operated the bolt. This is an important detail when we examine evidence linking the rifle shells to the rifle.
CE 543
This cartridge (Commission Exhibit 543) had a dent on its lip which would have made it impossible for it to have contained a bullet prior to its being fired. Therefore, either one of two possibilities existed: either the shell received the dent prior to the shooting and was not connected to it (inplying that it was planted at the scene -- evidence of a conspiracy) or the shell was in fact evidence and was dented somehow after its bullet had been spent. Faced with a mandate.to dispel rumors of a conspiracy, the Commission at first assumed that this cartridge received its dent upon being ejected from the rifle and falling onto the floor.
However, solid brass cartridges don't dent when they hit the floor, as any hunter will tell you. The FBI reported to the Commission that the dent was made during the firing sequence, WHILE THE BOLT WAS PULLED BACKWARD, after the shot had been fired.
This seemed reasonable enough to the Commission to explain the existance of the dented lip, but on closer examination, the evidence does not support this conclusion.
Problems With The Bolt Markings
First of all, this cartridge did not have the characteristic marking on its side (an indentation) which the Carcano's bolt produced on EVERY cartridge loaded into the firing chamber (Hoover memo to Rankin, 2 June 1964; FBI Ballistics Report, 25 Dec.1964), indicating that it had NEVER been inside the rifle's firing chamber, let alone been fired from it. Since it hadn't been in the firing chamber of Oswald's rifle, this cartridge was never fired from Oswald's rifle, which means that it could NOT have had the markings of the firing pin of Oswald's rifle. I say this because it is impossible for this shell to have the markings of the firing pin of Oswald's rifle without having been in the firing chamber. So where did the dent come from ? Did Oswald make the dent with a hammer after he fired the last shot ? The only sensible conclusion, based on the absence of the bolt and firing pin markings, is that this shell had nothing to do with the assassination.of John F. Kennedy and was planted at the scene of the crime.
And this may be the reason that the Dallas Police hesitated in sending this shell to the FBI for examination. CE 543 did contain three sets of markings inconsistent with the markings produced by Oswald's rifle, indicating that it had been loaded and ejected three times from a weapon other than Oswald's.
Problems With The Primer
Secondly, at the primer, where the firing pin strikes the case, CE 543 contained a more concave indentation than the other two, indicating that it had been empty when "fired" from that other rifle. Only empty shells exhibit this type of characteristic.
The FBI reproduced this effect (CE 557) when it loaded an empty shell into Oswald's rifle. (American Opinion 19, Feb 1976, pg. 5-9) It contained the same deep impression on the primer that CE 543 contained. CE 557 also contained the "dent" in the lip, caused by slamming an empty shell forward into the firing chamber, proof that CE 543 contained no bullet when it was loaded and "fired from a rifle other than Oswald's rifle.
Thirdly, CE 543 contained markings caused by a magazine follower other than Oswald's. When the Oswald Carcano was tested by the FBI, it was found that the magazine follower marked only the last cartridge in the clip. The last cartridge in the clip of Oswald's rifle when found on
November 22nd was an unfired round.
What this all means is that CE 543 was an empty cartridge which was loaded into another rifle three times and "fired". The comparison tests conducted by the FBI supported the conclusion that CE 543 was never in the firing chamber of Oswald's rifle and as a result of the lack of an indentation which the bolt was known to have caused on EVERY shell fired using it, this shell was not ejected through the bolt action and therefore this shell (CE543) was never fired from Oswald's rifle on November 22nd or at any other time.
As I previously mentioned, this cartridge remained in the possession of the Dallas Police until November 28th, five days after the other two shells had been turned over to the FBI for examination. It should be noted that a behind-the-scenes struggle for possession of the evidence existed between the DPD and the FBI. Capt. Fritz refused to release it, and Chief Curry backed him up. Only after Lyndon Johnson called Fritz and ordered him to do so ("You have your man, the investigation is over") did Chief Curry and Capt. Fritz finally agree to release it.
Despite this agreement, the DPD did not give the FBI all of its evidence on November 23rd, withholding CE 543 and three of the four bullets removed from the body of Officer Tippit. This struggle for the possession of the evidence likewise may have been a reason for not turning in CE 543 on November 23rd.
CE 544 & CE 545
Of the three cases found in the TSBD, only one, CE 544, had markings produced by the bolt of Oswald's rifle. (Hoover to Rankin, 2 June 1964) In addition, CE 544 had the markings of the firing chamber and from the firing pin of Oswald's rifle, indicating that it had been fired by Oswald's rifle at some point in time, and that it had been loaded into the firing chamber, fired and ejected through the bolt action. This is strong evidence that CE 544 contained a bullet that was fired from Oswald's rifle, although this not proof that the bullet was fired on November 22nd or for that matter, that it was Oswald who fired it.
Because only one of the three shells had the marking of the firing pin of Oswald's rifle on its primer, we can conclude that at least two of the three shells found in the Texas School Book Depository were not fired from Oswald's rifle at ANY time. If the shells found on the sixth floor of the TSBD were fired that day, according to the examination of these shells, then two of them were fired from a weapon not Oswald's.
by Gil Jesus 10/09
Author's Note: This article was first posted at the JFK-Lancer website in January 2005, and published in the March, 2005 edition of the Dealey Plaza Echo, UK and is available for viewing on line at:
www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/viewer/showDoc.do?docId=16256&relPageId=32
INTRODUCTION
The Warren Commission based its conclusion that three shots had been
fired on the existence of the three shells found in the TSBD. (Commission Exhibits 543, 544 and 545) It reported that two of the cartridge cases had marks "produced by the chamber of Oswald's rifle",
one which contained marks produced by the Carcano's magazine follower and the other had markings from the bolt of Oswald's rifle. Two cases had markings indicating that they had been loaded into a rifle at least twice. When the rifle was found, an unfired round was in the chamber, ejected when Capt. Fritz operated the bolt. This is an important detail when we examine evidence linking the rifle shells to the rifle.
CE 543
This cartridge (Commission Exhibit 543) had a dent on its lip which would have made it impossible for it to have contained a bullet prior to its being fired. Therefore, either one of two possibilities existed: either the shell received the dent prior to the shooting and was not connected to it (inplying that it was planted at the scene -- evidence of a conspiracy) or the shell was in fact evidence and was dented somehow after its bullet had been spent. Faced with a mandate.to dispel rumors of a conspiracy, the Commission at first assumed that this cartridge received its dent upon being ejected from the rifle and falling onto the floor.
However, solid brass cartridges don't dent when they hit the floor, as any hunter will tell you. The FBI reported to the Commission that the dent was made during the firing sequence, WHILE THE BOLT WAS PULLED BACKWARD, after the shot had been fired.
This seemed reasonable enough to the Commission to explain the existance of the dented lip, but on closer examination, the evidence does not support this conclusion.
Problems With The Bolt Markings
First of all, this cartridge did not have the characteristic marking on its side (an indentation) which the Carcano's bolt produced on EVERY cartridge loaded into the firing chamber (Hoover memo to Rankin, 2 June 1964; FBI Ballistics Report, 25 Dec.1964), indicating that it had NEVER been inside the rifle's firing chamber, let alone been fired from it. Since it hadn't been in the firing chamber of Oswald's rifle, this cartridge was never fired from Oswald's rifle, which means that it could NOT have had the markings of the firing pin of Oswald's rifle. I say this because it is impossible for this shell to have the markings of the firing pin of Oswald's rifle without having been in the firing chamber. So where did the dent come from ? Did Oswald make the dent with a hammer after he fired the last shot ? The only sensible conclusion, based on the absence of the bolt and firing pin markings, is that this shell had nothing to do with the assassination.of John F. Kennedy and was planted at the scene of the crime.
And this may be the reason that the Dallas Police hesitated in sending this shell to the FBI for examination. CE 543 did contain three sets of markings inconsistent with the markings produced by Oswald's rifle, indicating that it had been loaded and ejected three times from a weapon other than Oswald's.
Problems With The Primer
Secondly, at the primer, where the firing pin strikes the case, CE 543 contained a more concave indentation than the other two, indicating that it had been empty when "fired" from that other rifle. Only empty shells exhibit this type of characteristic.
The FBI reproduced this effect (CE 557) when it loaded an empty shell into Oswald's rifle. (American Opinion 19, Feb 1976, pg. 5-9) It contained the same deep impression on the primer that CE 543 contained. CE 557 also contained the "dent" in the lip, caused by slamming an empty shell forward into the firing chamber, proof that CE 543 contained no bullet when it was loaded and "fired from a rifle other than Oswald's rifle.
Thirdly, CE 543 contained markings caused by a magazine follower other than Oswald's. When the Oswald Carcano was tested by the FBI, it was found that the magazine follower marked only the last cartridge in the clip. The last cartridge in the clip of Oswald's rifle when found on
November 22nd was an unfired round.
What this all means is that CE 543 was an empty cartridge which was loaded into another rifle three times and "fired". The comparison tests conducted by the FBI supported the conclusion that CE 543 was never in the firing chamber of Oswald's rifle and as a result of the lack of an indentation which the bolt was known to have caused on EVERY shell fired using it, this shell was not ejected through the bolt action and therefore this shell (CE543) was never fired from Oswald's rifle on November 22nd or at any other time.
As I previously mentioned, this cartridge remained in the possession of the Dallas Police until November 28th, five days after the other two shells had been turned over to the FBI for examination. It should be noted that a behind-the-scenes struggle for possession of the evidence existed between the DPD and the FBI. Capt. Fritz refused to release it, and Chief Curry backed him up. Only after Lyndon Johnson called Fritz and ordered him to do so ("You have your man, the investigation is over") did Chief Curry and Capt. Fritz finally agree to release it.
Despite this agreement, the DPD did not give the FBI all of its evidence on November 23rd, withholding CE 543 and three of the four bullets removed from the body of Officer Tippit. This struggle for the possession of the evidence likewise may have been a reason for not turning in CE 543 on November 23rd.
CE 544 & CE 545
Of the three cases found in the TSBD, only one, CE 544, had markings produced by the bolt of Oswald's rifle. (Hoover to Rankin, 2 June 1964) In addition, CE 544 had the markings of the firing chamber and from the firing pin of Oswald's rifle, indicating that it had been fired by Oswald's rifle at some point in time, and that it had been loaded into the firing chamber, fired and ejected through the bolt action. This is strong evidence that CE 544 contained a bullet that was fired from Oswald's rifle, although this not proof that the bullet was fired on November 22nd or for that matter, that it was Oswald who fired it.
CE 545, on the other hand, did not have the markings of the bolt of Oswald's rifle nor did it have the marking of the firing pin, strong evidence that this shell had not been fired from Oswald's rifle. The absence of markings from the bolt indicate that the shell was never ejected and the absence of the marking of the firing pin indicated that it had not been fired from Oswald's rifle. It did have the marking of the magazine follower, which marked only the last shell in the clip. So CE 545 had been loaded as the last shell in the clip and then unloaded by hand after the clip was removed. This had occurred some time prior to the assassination of JFK. As CE 543 (the shell with the dented lip) had contained three sets of markings indicating that it had been loaded and ejected three times from a weapon other than Oswald's, both CE 544 and CE 545 had two sets of markings which were made from a rifle other than Oswald's.
In other words, all three shells had been in another rifle, but of the three, only CE 544 had been fired from Oswald's rifle at some point in time. CE 543 & CE 545 had not.
CONCLUSION