Mr. Specter.

Were there sufficient characteristics then remaining on the hole on the front side to enable you to formulate an opinion as to the cause of the hole?

Mr. Frazier.

No, sir.

Mr. Specter.

Could it have been caused by a 6.5 millimeter bullet exiting from the chest of the Governor?

Mr. Frazier.

Yes, it could.

Mr. Specter.

Now what, if anything----

Mr. Dulles.

Could I ask there, would the size and character of this hole indicate the condition of the bullet, I mean as to whether it was tumbling or whether it was a mutilated bullet or anything of that kind?

Mr. Frazier.

No, sir; it would not.

Mr. Dulles.

Even a bullet in full flight, full velocity could have made this kind of a hole in the shirt?

Mr. Frazier.

It could have, particularly if the shirt had been wrinkled at the time it passed through, and particularly because the material in this shirt tore rather severely at the time the object passed through, indicating a very weak structure of the cotton fiber, so that it would tear out of all proportion to a stronger fabric.
And for that reason, the shape of the hole could be affected by the condition of the material as well as any folds in the material or, as you say, by a mutilated bullet or a passage of a bullet through the cloth at an angle to the surface or the passing of a bullet partially sideways through the cloth.
(Discussion off the record.)

Mr. Dulles.

Will you proceed?

Mr. Specter.

Mr. Frazier, what, if any, defect or hole did you observe on the right sleeve of the Governor's shirt?

Mr. Frazier.

I found in the cuff of the shirt which is a French cuff, through both the outer and inner layers of the cuff, a hole which is ragged in contour, irregularly shaped, and which had more or less star-shaped tears extending outward from the hole into the material, located 1 1/2 inches up from the end of the sleeve, and 5 1/2 inches from the outside cuff link hole, through both, as I said, through both layers of the cuff, and the hole was in such a condition, possibly due to the washing of the material, that I could not determine what actually caused it or if it had been caused by a bullet, the direction of the path of the bullet with reference to entrance and exit.

Mr. Specter.

Could those holes have been caused by a bullet passing through the Governor's wrist from the dorsal or upper portion to the volar or palmar side?

Mr. Frazier.

Yes; they could.

Mr. Specter.

Did you have occasion to examine the trousers which have been heretofore identified in Commission hearings as those worn by Governor Connally on November 22, 1963?

Mr. Frazier.

Yes, I did.

Mr. Specter.

May the record show that Mr. Frazier has taken and is observing the trousers which have been identified in the record, through a picture of the front side, bearing Commission Exhibit No. 687 and a picture of the rear side bearing Commission Exhibit No. 688.
Now, referring to those trousers, what if anything did you observe in the nature of a defect or hole, Mr. Frazier?

Mr. Frazier.

In the area which would be the left-knee area of the person wearing the trousers, there was a hole which is roughly circular in shape, and approximately one-quarter of an inch in diameter with some possible expansion of the hole due to slight tearing of the cloth at the outer margins of the hole.

Mr. Specter.

Had the trousers been cleaned and pressed prior to your examination?

Mr. Frazier.

Yes, sir.

Mr. Specter.

Were there sufficient characteristics available for you to formulate any conclusion as to the cause of that hole?

Mr. Frazier.

No, sir; I can say that it had the general appearance of a bullet hole but I could not determine the direction of the bullet if, in fact, it had been caused by a bullet.