Warren Commission (04 of 26): Hearings Vol. IV (of 15)United States. Warren Commission
History
Warren Commission (04 of 26): Hearings Vol. IV (of 15)
United States. Warren Commission
Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963 -- Assassination; Oswald, Lee Harvey
Now, in making the comparison here it is easy to see the inked print.
There is very little question here. This print was made on purpose for
purposes of recording the ridges. This was made more or less incidental
or possibly accidental.
Mr. DULLES. How does the left one differ? I thought you told us before
it was 10 times.
Mr. LATONA. No; those were the others.
Mr. DULLES. That was the fingerprint that was 10 times?
Mr. LATONA. That is right.
Mr. DULLES. And the palm has always been eight times?
Mr. LATONA. That is right, because of the fact to make it 10 times it
would have been enlarged to the extent that maybe you wouldn't be able
to see the significance as to what it purports to be.
If you enlarge a fingerprint too much, it loses its identity. I have
seen them where they were enlarged so big that you couldn't tell what
they were, and if somebody would tell you it is a fingerprint you would
say, if you say so it is, but it doesn't look like it to me.
Now, in some other sciences, for example, like handwriting and things
of that kind, you can enlarge them pretty good size, typewriting and
things of that type, but a fingerprint because of the poorness in
contrast plus the fact that in themselves these black marks have no
particular significance, they might lose their identity, you won't
reconcile a palmprint with a palmprint.
So, actually for purposes of making comparisons we never make a
comparison from an enlargement. The best way to make a comparison, the
more complete, is to make it from the actual size, utilizing a regular
fingerprint glass which enlarges approximately four diameters.
We would never think of enlarging the prints for purposes of making our
initial comparison. We make them on the basis of the actual size, just
like you see it here, utilizing a fingerprint, which gives you a better
picture.
Mr. EISENBERG. Fingerprint glass, you mean?
Mr. LATONA. Fingerprint glass, because you get a much better view of
the impression than you do where it is enlarged because in enlarging
you have a tendency to distort the dissimilarities, to exaggerate what
may be considered as dissimilarities.
Now, looking at these marks here again, which are very apparent here in
the ink print, this No. 1 which is a black line which flows over to
the right, then one ridge directly below it and off to the left is this
point No. 2. Then by counting down 1, 2, 3, 4 we come to this portion,
a short-ending ridge, which is similar to this short-ending ridge in
the illustration drawn on the board, is No. 3.
Now, here again the fingerprintman simply mentally says to himself, "If
these palmprints were made by the same palm I should be able to find
three such points in approximately the same area of this palmprint as
was found here."
The manner of isolating the area is by virtue of the fact that you see
this looping formation, the looping formation is right in here, rather
vague but it is there.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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