Warren Commission (05 of 26): Hearings Vol. V (of 15)United States. Warren Commission
History
Warren Commission (05 of 26): Hearings Vol. V (of 15)
United States. Warren Commission
Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963 -- Assassination; Oswald, Lee Harvey
Mr. SPECTER. Would the damage done to the Governor's wrist indicate
that a bullet which was fired approximately 160 to 250 feet away with
the muzzle velocity of approximately 2,000 feet per second, would it
indicate that the bullet was slowed up only by the passage through the
Governor's body, in the way which you know, or would it indicate that
there was some other factor which slowed up the bullet in addition?
Dr. OLIVIER. It would indicate there was some other factor that had
slowed up the bullet in addition.
Mr. SPECTER. What is your reason for that conclusion, sir?
Dr. OLIVIER. The amount of damage alone; striking that end it would have
caused more severe comminution as we found. You know--if it hadn't been
slowed up in some other fashion. At that range it still had a striking
velocity of 1,858 or in the vicinity of 1,800 feet per second, which is
capable of doing more damage than was done to the Governor's wrist.
Mr. SPECTER. Had the same bullet which passed through the President, in
the way heretofore described for the record, then struck the Governor
as well, what effect would there have been in reducing its velocity as
a result of that course?
Dr. OLIVIER. You say the bullet first struck the President. In coming
out of the President's body it would have had a tendency to be slightly
unstable. In striking the Governor it would have lost more velocity in
his chest than if it had been a pristine bullet striking the Governor's
chest, so it would have exited from the Governor's chest I would say
at a considerably reduced velocity, probably with a good amount of yaw
or tumbling, and this would account for the type of wound that the
Governor did have in his wrist.
Mr. SPECTER. The approximate reduction in velocity on passage through
the goat was what, Doctor?
Dr. OLIVIER. The average velocity loss in the seven cases we did was 82
feet per second.
Mr. SPECTER. If the bullet had passed through the President prior to
the time it passed through the Governor, would you expect a larger loss
than 82 feet per second resulting from the passage through the body of
the Governor?
Dr. OLIVIER. I am not sure if I heard you correctly. This is if it hit
the Governor without hitting the President or hitting the President
first?
Mr. SPECTER. Let me rephrase it for you, Dr. Olivier.
Dr. OLIVIER. Yes; please.
Mr. SPECTER. You testified that the bullet lost 82 feet per second when
it passed through the goat.
Dr. OLIVIER. Yes.
Mr. SPECTER. Now what would your expectations be as to the reduction in
velocity on a bullet which passed through the Governor, assuming that
it struck nothing first?
Dr. OLIVIER. It would be greater; the distance through the Governor's
chest would have been greater.
Mr. SPECTER. Would that be an appreciable or approximately the same?
Dr. OLIVIER. Can I bring in any other figures? Dr. Dziemian has
computed approximately what he thought it would have lost.
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