Mr. Belin.

Now when you say nitrates, I believe you used the word "residue"?

Mr. Barnes.

Powder residue and nitrates.

Mr. Belin.

Is nitrate a compound which is in gunpowder residue?

Mr. Barnes.

That is what they call the dermal nitrate test, I believe is the correct name that they give it.

Mr. Belin.

Does gunpowder generally have included in it some sort of nitrate compound?

Mr. Barnes.

Yes.

Mr. Belin.

If I were firing a pistol, would this pistol leave a nitrate on my hands that would be detectable by the paraffin test?

Mr. Barnes.

It Should, unless it is awful tight.

Mr. Belin.

What do you mean by "awful tight"?

Mr. Barnes.

You could have an automatic which very easily could keep you from having nitrate on your hands.

Mr. Belin.

Well, let's assume that we were taking a .38 caliber pistol. You have seen the pistol which Lee Harvey Oswald had in his possession at the time he was apprehended.
Let's assume I were firing that pistol. Would it leave some residue on my hand?

Mr. Barnes.

It should.

Mr. Belin.

Suppose I were to wash my hands between the time I fired it and the time you took the paraffin test?

Mr. Barnes.

It would hurt the test.

Mr. Belin.

It would cut down the test?

Mr. Barnes.

Yes.

Mr. Belin.

Now if I were firing it, would it necessarily show on both hands? Suppose I were right-handed?

Mr. Barnes.

Depends on the location of your left hand.

Mr. Belin.

Well, generally from your experience, is there any particular location for a right-handed person to keep his hand when he is firing a pistol?

Mr. Barnes.

Police officers are taught to keep their left hand near the pistol handle.

Mr. Belin.

As an element of controlling it?

Mr. Barnes.

As an element of controlling, and also an element which, if you should get wounded in your right shoulder, you would have the left hand to take the gun.

Mr. Belin.

If you keep it near then, I assume that you would get the nitrate on the other hand, too, or not?

Mr. Barnes.

Very likely that you would.

Mr. Belin.

Suppose I were unloading a pistol and taking the cartridge case out and putting them in my left hand or handling the chamber where the cartridge cases had been, would this leave nitrate deposits on my hand?

Mr. Barnes.

It is possible.

Mr. Belin.

Suppose you were to examine my hands and you were to find no nitrate deposits at all. Would you say that this conclusively shows that I did not fire a pistol?

Mr. Barnes.

No.

Mr. Belin.

Well, does it conclusively show I had not fired a pistol within the last 6 or 8 or 10 hours?

Mr. Barnes.

No.

Mr. Belin.

Why do you say that?

Mr. Barnes.

Well, a lot would depend what kind of pistol.

Mr. Belin.

Well, suppose it were a .38 caliber pistol?

Mr. Barnes.

Then it would depend on whether you had cleaned your hands or whether you had had gloves on.

Mr. Belin.

Well, suppose I were to tell you I didn't have gloves on.

Mr. Barnes.

Had you washed your hands?

Mr. Belin.

Well, would this make much of a difference?

Mr. Barnes.

Washing your hands would make a difference.

Mr. Belin.

All right, now, suppose you were to examine me for firing a rifle such as a bolt-action rifle rather than an automatic or semiautomatic.