Mr. Ball.

There were three exploded cartridge hulls on the floor, weren't there?

Mr. Hicks.

Yes; I am not sure; I believe they had already been picked up and removed when I arrived.

Mr. Ball.

Do you know who picked them up?

Mr. Hicks.

No, sir; I don't know off hand.

Mr. Ball.

Did you later see them in your laboratory?

Mr. Hicks.

I believe I saw one of the particular ones there that night.

Mr. Ball.

You did?

Mr. Hicks.

Yes, sir.

Mr. Ball.

Did you examine it?

Mr. Hicks.

No, sir; I did not. I think Lieutenant Day had all of them.

Mr. Ball.

Do you do ballistics work in your laboratory?

Mr. Hicks.

No, sir; we have no facilities for firing or testfiring any of the guns there.

Mr. Ball.

Did you do any identification work on either the assassination of President Kennedy or the investigation of Tippit's murder?

Mr. Hicks.

Do you mean as far as fingerprints?

Mr. Ball.

Yes; and things of that sort.

Mr. Hicks.

Let me see now, I took a set of Oswald's prints from him that night some time. I do not recall.

Mr. Ball.

9 o'clock or so?

Mr. Hicks.

It was some time in that area.

Mr. Ball.

Where were you when you took the prints?

Mr. Hicks.

I was in Captain Fritz' office. In other words, I made those on an inkless pad. That's a pad we use for fingerprinting people without the black ink that they make for the records.

Mr. Ball.

What else did you do there?

Mr. Hicks.

I was one of the two who made the paraffin east on Oswald.

Mr. Ball.

You and who else?

Mr. Hicks.

Sergeant Barnes.

Mr. Ball.

Have you ever done that before, the paraffin east?

Mr. HICKS. Oh, yes, sir.

Mr. Ball.

Did Oswald protest any or did he permit you to do that?

Mr. Hicks.

No, sir; he was willing and had no comment on it as far as the making of them.

Mr. Ball.

Did you test the paraffin east; did you make any test on it?

Mr. Hicks.

No, sir; that's done by the lab at Parkland Hospital which Lieutenant Alexander, I believe is in charge there.

Mr. Ball.

But you did not do it yourself?

Mr. Hicks.

No, sir.

Mr. Ball.

What has been your experience with paraffin casts? How accurate are they in determining whether or not a person has fired a firearm previously?

Mr. Hicks.

My own personal opinion is that it is not an exact conclusive evidence that, if you are familiar with that test, anything containing nitrate might show up on a test of that sort.

Mr. Ball.

Is it usual to find any trace of nitrate on the face if a rifle has been fired?

Mr. Hicks.

That is the first time that I had the opportunity to make a paraffin test on a person's face.

Mr. Ball.

You never made one before?

Mr. Hicks.

Never before.

Mr. Ball.

The other tests were always on the hands?

Mr. Hicks.

Yes, sir.

Mr. Ball.

Was there some reason for that?

Mr. Hicks.

I had never had the occasion arise that I know of where anyone had that suggested, that a paraffin test be made of a cheek. On other occasions they were only interested in the hand.

Mr. Ball.

Did you do anything else with respect to the investigation?

Mr. Hicks.

I don't recall anything outstanding that I did in the investigation further there. Now, I know we were all pretty well busy there until about 2 or 2:30 in the morning but most of it was, I would imagine regular officework and