Part 58

Again, on the photograph 790, the second letter "A" in "DALLAS" illustrates a habit previously mentioned of using a downstroke to begin the left side of the "A," which stroke is almost exactly traced, and this too is repeated in the standard, chart B, item 1, the second "A" of "DALLAS." Opposite the printed word "State" on photograph 790, the word "Texas" again shows this mixture of capital forms and lower-case forms, specifically the use of a lower case "e" in combination with capital letters, which is true in the standard writing, chart B, items 1 and 9, in the word "Texas."

This constitutes my reasons for believing that the questioned writing shown in the photograph 790 is in the hand of the author of the standard writing.

Mr. EISENBERG. Mr. Cole, there seems to be a very varying amount of blackness or color in the ink on Commission Exhibit 135, which is shown up in your photograph. Do you have any explanation for that?

Mr. COLE. I think the pen was not functioning properly, that very heavy pressure was used on the document to bring the ink down from the pen, and we can see that the writer is reacting to this, for example, in the word "Box" on the address line, where you have only a moderate quantity of ink and then as you move along to the figures "2915" you observe that heavier pressure is used. In other words, it is my view that the writer observed that the pen was tending to fail, and that he increased pressure in order to persuade more ink to come down from the pen.

Mr. EISENBERG. There also seems to be a doubling of lines in some parts, such as the "J" in "A. J. Hidell," and the upper area also of "A. J. Hidell."

Mr. COLE. Yes; that could very well be for the same reasons, because if you move to the upper part of this exhibit there are other places where the pen almost failed. You have strokes that have a shallow center with ink only on the outside borders of strokes.

Mr. EISENBERG. Mr. Cole, can you make out the writing which is printed in and then crossed out in this exhibit?

Mr. COLE. Well, a part of it.

Just below the printed word "Snubbie" there appears to be a line of writing which says, "1 AMMO," if that is "A-M-M-O"--the second "M" is somewhat indistinct. And then there is parenthesis, BOX of 25, close parenthesis, dollar mark, 1.35. Then just below that there is a line of writing, the first word of which I cannot make out, that is, I cannot make any intelligible word of it, but the second word appears to be "holster." In other words, the word "holster" would lie just above the words "total price" and then there follows some figures which appear to be "1.95."

Representative FORD. Is it your judgment on this exhibit that at the point where the applicant is required to give his age that it is "23" or "28"?

Mr. COLE. I would read that as "28."

Mr. EISENBERG. Can you make out the date which is next to that age, Mr. Cole?

Mr. COLE. Well, I read the first part of the date as 1/27, and I am unable to read the last figure, which is through a part of the very heavy dotted line.

Mr. EISENBERG. Do there seem to be one or two figures?

Mr. COLE. It looks like a single figure there following a diagonal.

(Discussion off the record.)

Representative FORD. Back on the record.

Mr. EISENBERG. Mr. Cole, I now hand you an item consisting of part of an application for a post office box, dated "box opened October 9, 1962," and also dated in the lower right "October 9, 1962," with the signature "Lee H. Oswald" and I ask you whether you have examined that item?

Mr. COLE. Yes, sir; I have.

Mr. EISENBERG. May I have that admitted as 791, Mr. Chairman?

Representative FORD. It may be admitted.

(Commission Exhibit No. 791 was marked and received in evidence.)

Mr. EISENBERG. Have you compared it with the standards in this case, Mr. Cole?

Mr. COLE. I have.

Mr. EISENBERG. What is your conclusion?

Mr. COLE. It is my conclusion that the handprinted name "Lee H. Oswald," the address "3519 Fairmore Ave.," and the signature "Lee H. Oswald" on this document are in the hand of the person who executed the standard writing.

Mr. EISENBERG. Have you prepared a photograph of 791?

Mr. COLE. Yes, sir; I have.

Mr. EISENBERG. Can you produce that?

Thank you. Is this photograph which you have handed me an accurate reproduction prepared by you or under your supervision?

Mr. COLE. Yes, sir; it is.

Mr. EISENBERG. May I have this admitted as 792?

Representative FORD. It may be admitted.

(Commission Exhibit No. 792 was marked and received in evidence.)

Representative FORD. Continue.

Mr. EISENBERG. Before we go any further, what is your conclusion concerning the words "Dallas, Texas" appearing after "Fairmore Ave."?

Mr. COLE. It is my conclusion that that wording is not in the writing of the author of the standard writing.

Mr. EISENBERG. And that in "2915"?

Mr. COLE. That is not in the handwriting of the author of the standards.

Mr. EISENBERG. Do you have any idea who inserted that?

Mr. COLE. No, sir; I don't but I think in the handling of this kind of material it happens from time to time that a postal clerk may complete a document.

Mr. EISENBERG. Now, with reference to 792 and 784 A, B, and C, could you explain the reasons for concluding that 791 is in the handwriting of the author of the standards as to those portions which you have designated as being in the handwriting of the author of the standards?

Mr. COLE. In the printed name at the upper left of the photograph 792 the capital "L" of "Lee" shows a compound curve across the base, which has previously been mentioned as a handwriting habit found in the standards, one example being on chart B, item 9, another example on chart C, item 4.

The name "Oswald" shows the use of capital forms except for the letters "ld." This particular use of a mixture of capitals and lower-case forms is found on chart C, item 1, at the top line where the final forms "l" and "d" are lower case forms.

I will mention also the particular writing movement used for constructing the letter "d," referring to the photograph 792. There is first a moderately long downstroke, and then without lifting the pen there is a rising movement which at the same time moves towards the left to complete the body of the letter. This method of construction is also observed in the standards, chart C, item 1, top line, in the "d" of "Oswald." Since there is a slightly more open effect at the base in this standard "d," the method of construction can be seen clearly, but it was made in the same way in the photograph, as shown by the photograph 792.

In the word "Fairmore," it is observed that on the photograph 792 there is a tendency to reduce the size of the small letter "i" and, of course, this is again an example of the use of the lower case form in combination with the capitals. The size relationship and the particular mixture of this form with capitals is shown in the standard writing chart C, item 5, in the word "deportations" and in the word "diet," also in item 9 in the word "curtailment."

The word "Fairmore" also shows the use of a lower case "e" in combination with capital letters, which has been observed frequently in several parts of the standard writing, one example not mentioned heretofore is item 3 of chart C in the word "discharge."

The signature "Lee H. Oswald" along the lower line shown by the photograph 792 compares favorably in all details with the signatures in the name of "Lee H. Oswald" in several standard charts, being on chart A, item 15; on chart B, again item 15; also on chart B, item No. 1; and on chart C, item 6, the next to the last line. Now, one distinctive feature of this signature is the writing movement employed in the combination of letters capital "O" and the "s" following, where the "s" form is rather blurred or corrupted. It does not give a complete capital "s" form, but instead the upper part of the "s" is represented only by a line which is approximately horizontal, sinking downwards to the base of the "s," and then a looped form at the base.

Mr. EISENBERG. You said a capital "s" form; did you mean that?

Mr. COLE. No; I meant that it is not a complete "s" form. It is somewhat slurred or blurred with respect to a true "s" form. This particular method of slurring the form is clearly illustrated on chart B, item 1, in the name "Oswald" and is also shown on chart B, item 15, in the name "Oswald."

(At this point Senator Cooper entered the hearing room.)

Mr. COLE [continuing]. In the signature shown by the photograph 792, in the capital "L," we observe with regard to the base loop, this would be the lower half of the letter, we see a vertical aspect of that base loop. Now, in a more conventional or, say, a copybook form of a letter "L" you would find the base loop with a horizontal aspect, that is, stretched out along the writing line. Here we find a vertical aspect of that part, which is reproduced in the standard writing on chart A, item 15.

That last reference was to the base loop of the capital "L" of the signature "Lee H. Oswald" as shown by the photograph 792 as compared with chart A, item 15.

Now on the photograph 792, we observe that between the two upright strokes of the letter "H" there is a very thin diagonal line of joining. This is repeated in the standard writing, chart B, item 1, top line. Now, again in this "H" as shown on 792 we see this more or less vertical aspect of the treatment of a looped formation near the base of the right side of the letter "H," that is, instead of moving fully to the left to give a normal cross bar, there is only a base loop there which, I say, is made in a vertical direction. This is repeated in the standard writing, chart A, item 15, in the middle initial "H."

The "w" of "Oswald" shown by the photograph 792 is characterized by a rather full rounding across the base of the letter, and this degree of roundness is shown in the standard writing, chart B, item 15. There is a horizontal stroke which constitutes the letter connection between "w" and "a" shown by the photograph 792, and this method of making a connection is repeated in the standards, chart B, item 15.

Mr. EISENBERG. You say "w" and "a"?

Mr. COLE. "w" and "a".

The size relationship between the letter "l" and the letter "d" as shown by the photograph 792 is the same as that found on chart A, item 15. The relationship of the body of the "d"--by which I mean that part which would ordinarily rest on the writing line, and in a conventional form would be more or less circular--and the upper extension is also similar as between the photograph 792 and chart A, item 15. In other words, there is practically no roundness of the body. Again, we have got an emphasis of the more or less vertical strokes for what should be a rounded portion for the body.

This constitutes my reasons for believing that the questioned writing as shown by the photograph 792 is in the hand of the person who executed the standard writing.

Mr. EISENBERG. Any further questions on this application?

Representative FORD. No questions.

Mr. EISENBERG. Mr. Cole. I now hand you an item consisting of a change-of-address card addressed to the "Postmaster, Dallas, Texas," dated May 12, 1963, relating to Post Office Box 2915 in Dallas, Tex., setting forth a new address at Magazine Street, New Orleans, and signed "Lee H. Oswald," and I ask you if you have examined that change-of-address card?

Mr. COLE. Yes, I have.

Mr. EISENBERG. May this be admitted as 793, Mr. Chairman?

Representative FORD. It may be admitted.

(Commission Exhibit No. 793 was marked and received in evidence.)

Mr. EISENBERG. Have you compared that change-of-address card, 793, with the standards in this case?

Mr. COLE. Yes, sir; I have.

Mr. EISENBERG. What is your conclusion?

Mr. COLE. It is my conclusion that the author of the writing on Exhibit 793 is the same person who executed the standard writings.

Mr. EISENBERG. Did you prepare a photograph of 793?

Mr. COLE. I did.

Mr. EISENBERG. Can you produce that?

Is this an accurate photograph, an accurate reproduction, of 793, prepared by you or under your supervision?

Mr. COLE. Yes, it is.

Mr. EISENBERG. Mr. Chairman, may this be admitted as 794?

Representative FORD. It may be admitted.

(Commission Exhibit No. 794 was marked and received in evidence.)

Mr. EISENBERG. By reference to the photograph 794 and reference to your charts 784 A, B, and C, could you discuss the reasons which led you to your conclusion concerning this change-of-address card?

Mr. COLE. Handwriting habits shown by this exhibit, and I am looking now at the photograph 794, have been mentioned heretofore. If it is agreeable, I will simply review these in a body before proceeding to the standard writing.

Mr. EISENBERG. Mr. Chairman, is that agreeable?

Representative FORD. You may proceed.

Mr. COLE. On line 1, shown by the photograph 794, the use of a lower case "l" and "d" in combination with capital letters, the compound curve across the base of the "L" in "Lee," the exaggerated length of the comma between the two names; below, in the word "BOX," the somewhat larger upper lobe of the capital "B"--excuse me, the somewhat smaller upper lobe of the capital "B" as contrasted with the larger lobe of that letter; in the "O" of "BOX" the connection or the closing of the "O" fairly high on the left side instead of towards the center or the right side, the same habit being also illustrated in the "O" in the combination "P.O."; the form of the "2" with the rather prominent base loop; the exaggerated length of the cap of the figure "5"; in the word "Dallas," the compound curve across the base of the "L"s; the circumstance that the "A" begins with a down stroke which is almost exactly retraced; the circumstance that the word "Texas" includes a lower case "e"; the use of the small letter "i" in combination with capital letters in the word "Magazine"; and similar features to those just described in the word "New Orleans."

Now, all of these things on the charts Exhibit A, B, and C

Mr. EISENBERG. I don't think you need to point to them in detail, since you have already pointed to those items.

Mr. COLE. Yes.

I also find a substantial agreement in details of the signature, "Lee H. Oswald," as shown by the photograph 794, and signatures shown in the standard writing, with particular regard to the signature of chart C, item 6, next to the last line.

This constitutes my reasons for believing that the writing on Commission Exhibit 793 is in the hand of the person who made the standard writing.

Mr. EISENBERG. Mr. Cole, there seems to be a double line in several of these letters on the reverse side of this change-of-address card, such as the "D" in "DALLAS," the "e" in "Texas" and so forth. Can you give any explanation for that?

Mr. COLE. Well, I think the double line is more evident in the address "4907 Magazine Street, New Orleans, La."

Mr. EISENBERG. Yes?

Mr. COLE. And a possible reason is that the writer was dissatisfied with the width of the line as shown on the two lines above. While I regard it as having a fair legibility, the only explanation I can see is that for this particular document the writer wanted a heavier writing and, of course, one way to get it is to go over it again.

A thing of this kind can also be related to a writer's knowledge of the functioning of a certain pen.

If he knows that the pen he is using usually gives a heavier line, and for a particular writing he sees a thinner line, he may then make some modification in his handling of the pen and get the kind of line he wants.

Mr. EISENBERG. Is this similar to the retouching you mentioned earlier as being an evidence of forgery?

Mr. COLE. I would say no, since it is done in such an apparently spontaneous and confident manner. There is not the slightest evidence that any effort was made to conceal the presence of this retracing. I think I should say that generally the person producing a false or spurious writing does retouching in order to correct some imperfection of a letter, that is, he criticizes his work as he goes along and if he encounters a part which he thinks is incorrect with respect to form, he may then retouch it in order to correct it. It would be very unusual in any false or spurious writing to see any extensive retracing.

Mr. EISENBERG. Any further questions on this card?

Representative FORD. No further questions.

Mr. EISENBERG. Mr. Cole, I now hand you an item which appears to be a selective service system notice of classification with the name "Alek James Hidell" printed and the same signature, and a photograph which appears to be the photograph of Lee Harvey Oswald--and I state for the record that this item was obtained from the wallet of Lee Harvey Oswald following his apprehension after the assassination and the murder of Officer Tippit--and I ask you whether you have examined that item?

Mr. COLE. I have.

Mr. EISENBERG. May that be admitted as 795, Mr. Chairman?

Representative FORD. It may be admitted.

(Commission Exhibit No. 795 was marked and received in evidence.)

Mr. EISENBERG. When did you first examine that item, Mr. Cole?

Mr. COLE. May I refer to a note?

Mr. EISENBERG. Yes, certainly.

Mr. COLE. I first saw that item on December 6, 1963.

Mr. EISENBERG. Did you make an examination at that time?

Mr. COLE. I did.

Mr. EISENBERG. At whose request was that?

Mr. COLE. At the request of the Chief, U.S. Secret Service.

Mr. EISENBERG. What was your conclusion at that time?

Mr. COLE. It was my conclusion that that is not an original document but that it is in fact a photographic reproduction of some original document.

Mr. EISENBERG. Did you draw any conclusions as to how the reproduction might have been prepared?

Mr. COLE. Yes; it was my conclusion that a photograph was made of some original document, and that the resulting film negative was retouched for the purpose of blocking out certain parts, and by that I mean that the person processing a negative in this way would take an opaque compound and where you had clear areas of the negative, the negative, of course, showing clear areas where there was black on the original, that he would cover up this clear area of the negative so that in a resulting print nothing would come through. This would be a way of eliminating information which was actually on the original document.

Mr. EISENBERG. Such as the name of the person to whom the document had been issued?

Mr. COLE. Yes.

Mr. EISENBERG. Draft board and so forth?

Mr. COLE. Yes; then a print would be made of that retouched negative, and this, I believe, is such a print.

Mr. EISENBERG. There is information on this item consisting of the name "Alek James Hidell," a selective service number, and so forth. Could you draw any conclusion as to how this information had been put into the item if the card was prepared in this way?

Senator COOPER. What information, do you mean the name?

Mr. EISENBERG. Yes; the name "Alek James Hidell," the selective service number, the date of mailing, the signature of the member or clerk of local board, color of eyes, and so forth, all of the information appearing in print or color on the card.

Mr. COLE. That information was typed directly onto the photographic print which is Exhibit----

Mr. EISENBERG. That is 795?

Mr. COLE. 795.

Mr. EISENBERG. Does this item consist of one or two photographic prints, Mr. Cole?

Mr. COLE. There are two photographic prints, one for the front and one for the back, and they are pasted together.

Mr. EISENBERG. Is it on ordinary photographic paper?

Mr. COLE. Yes.

Mr. EISENBERG. Is there evidence that more than one typewriter had been used in inserting the signature----

Mr. COLE. Yes.

Mr. EISENBERG. Excuse me, the name, and some of the other information which I have referred to?

Mr. COLE. Yes, at least two typewriters were used. This may be seen clearly by the record of the selective service number, which includes a fairly light typewriting and then a heavier typewriting.

Mr. EISENBERG. Have you produced a photograph of Exhibit 795 or have you taken a photograph rather?

Mr. COLE. Yes, I have.

Mr. EISENBERG. Would you produce that?

Mr. COLE. Yes, sir.

Mr. EISENBERG. Thank you. Was this photograph prepared by you or under your supervision?

Mr. COLE. Yes, sir.

Mr. EISENBERG. Is it a true and accurate reproduction of 795?

Mr. COLE. It is.

Mr. EISENBERG. May this be admitted as 796?

Representative FORD. It may be admitted.

(Commission Exhibit No. 796 was marked and received in evidence.)

Mr. EISENBERG. This is the front of 795, is it, Mr. Cole?

Mr. COLE. Yes.

Mr. EISENBERG. Have you also taken a photograph of the rear, the reverse side?

Mr. COLE. Yes, sir; I have.

Mr. EISENBERG. This was prepared by you or under your supervision?

Mr. COLE. Yes, sir.

Mr. EISENBERG. Is it a true and accurate photograph?

Mr. COLE. Yes, sir.

Mr. EISENBERG. May this be admitted as Exhibit 797?

Representative FORD. It may be admitted.

(Commission Exhibit No. 797 was marked and received in evidence.)

Mr. EISENBERG. Do you have extra copies of that?

Mr. COLE. I am sorry; I do not.

Mr. EISENBERG. Could you hold these photographs so that the Commission can see them, and illustrate your point concerning the use of more than one typewriter?

Mr. COLE. The selective service number shows typewriting which has a fairly light deposit of ink from the ribbon. It also shows typewriting with a somewhat heavier deposit. Now, there is a clear difference in the design of the figure "4" which shows that two different typewriters were used.

Mr. EISENBERG. Can you think of any reason why that might have been done, why two different typewriters were used?

Mr. COLE. Well, here again the typewriter shown by the typewriter impression has a rather poor legibility and it is my theory that a person producing typing of such limited legibility might well move the job over to another typewriter having a more heavily inked ribbon. I might say also that it is quite difficult to type on this glossy photographic paper. The ink won't come down from the ribbon nearly as well on such a surface as it does on ordinary bond paper.

Mr. EISENBERG. Now, you have also reproduced the back, the reverse side, of 795 in your photograph 797. Is the typewriting on the back, illustrated in 797, that contained in the light-impression typewriter shown on the front, or the heavy-impression typewriter?

Mr. COLE. The lighter impression.

Mr. EISENBERG. You can tell that how, Mr. Cole?

Mr. COLE. Well, it is illustrated, first of all, by the extremely small deposit of ink, and second by the circumstance that we can see the same design of figure "4" in a part of the address between this frame, which is the design of the figure "4" of the lighter typewriting on the face of the document.

Senator COOPER. Could I ask you, is it correct that the typewriter which you say was used, which gave a light impression, the "4" is closed at the apex?

Mr. COLE. That is correct.

Senator COOPER. And the heavier typewriter which was used which produced the "4," the "4" is open at the apex?

Mr. COLE. Yes.

Mr. EISENBERG. Carrying that question forward, the reverse side shows the "4" closed at the apex, does it not?

Mr. COLE. Yes, sir.

Mr. EISENBERG. There seems to be some erasure under the name "Alek James Hidell" which is typewritten in the front side, as well as a faint letter or two. Did you draw any conclusions as to that material?