Mr. Dulles.

(Discussion off the record.)

Mr. Dulles.

Back on the record.

Mr. Eisenberg.

I hand you, Mr. Nicol, a group of four cartridge cases marked Commission Exhibit 594, which, for the record, are cartridge cases found in the area of the Tippit crime scene, and ask you whether you are familiar with those cartridge eases?

Mr. Nicol.

Yes, sir; these are cartridge cases which were given to me on March 26th by Mr. Eisenberg.

Mr. Eisenberg.

They have your mark on them?

Mr. Nicol.

No; I made notes of the FBI designations, and. these are the same they have the JH and the CK and RF and the Q designations that were placed on there by the FBI.

Mr. Eisenberg.

Those initials are initials apparently of examining agents?

Mr. Nicol.

I presume so.

Mr. Eisenberg.

I hand you Commission Exhibit 595 and ask you whether you are familiar with the cartridge cases contained in that exhibit?

Mr. Nicol.

Yes; these are two fired cartridge cases designated K-3 by the FBI and marked with their identification marks--CK, JH, and RF.

Mr. Eisenberg.

Now, for the record, these cartridge cases were earlier identified as having been fired by the FBI in Commission Exhibit No. 143, the revolver believed to have been used to kill Officer Tippit.
Also for the record, I obtained these cartridge cases, both Exhibit 595, which are test cases, and Exhibit 594, which are cases from the murder scene, from the FBI, and transmitted them directly to Mr. Nicol for his examination.
Mr. Nicol, did you examine the cartridge cases in Exhibit 594 to determine whether they bad been fired from the weapon in which the cartridge cases in Exhibit 595 had been fired?

Mr. Nicol.

Yes, sir; I did.

Mr. Eisenberg.

And can you give us your conclusions?

Mr. Nicol.

It is my opinion, based upon the similarity of class and individual characteristics, that the four cartridge cases in 594 were fired in the same weapon as produced the cartridge cases in 595.

Mr. Eisenberg.

Mr. Nicol, did you take photographs of the comparisons?

Mr. Nicol.

No, sir; I did not.

Mr. Eisenberg.

However, you are certain in your own mind of the identification?

Mr. Nicol.

Yes; the marks on the firing pin particularly were very definitive. Apparently this firing pin had been subjected to some rather severe abuse, and there were numerous small and large striations which could be matched up very easily.

Mr. Dulles.

What do you mean by severe abuse?

Mr. Nicol.

It appeared as though it had either been touched up with a file, or in the initial manufacture the finishing operation was rather crude. It was not what I would consider a well-finished firing pin.

Mr. Eisenberg.

Mr. Nicol, just to review your earlier testimony, as I recall you stated that you do not use photographs to make your identification, and usually do not testify with photographs?

Mr. Nicol.

That's correct.

Mr. Eisenberg.

But that the other photographs were made as an accommodation to us, at my request, so that the Commission could see them?

Mr. Nicol.

The material I am just talking about could well have been illustrated. However, I ran out of time.

Mr. Eisenberg.

Mr. Nicol, finally I hand you a group of four bullets marked Commission Exhibits 602, 603, 604, and 605, which I state for the record were recovered from the body of Officer Tippit, and a group of two bullets marked Commission Exhibit 606, which I state for the record were fired by the FBI through the revolver, Commission Exhibit 143.
I ask you whether you are familiar with this group of exhibits.

Mr. Nicol.

These two are fired lead projectiles that were designated by the FBI as K-3, companions to the tests in 595.

Mr. Eisenberg.

When you say companions, you mean they were given to you