Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-11

6s~es
perfected by the late Charles E. Waite and by
Mai Calvin H. Goddard of New York City are
undeniable The make of gun is usually i'm
mediately evident from the gross markings on
the bullet which fells its victim. The size, the
measurements of the groove widths and depths.
diameters and twist markings Of the barrel tell
exactly which particular gun Of that make the
bullet passed through. The grooves, OF course.
are put there to keep bullet spinning as 1t
flies and consequently headed In straight
line toward the target"
Dr. Souder handed me gun after gun which
had figured in famous murder trials and told
me to look down the barrel. Even to a casual
observer they all seemed bit different. The
riaing inside the barrels varied, as did the
physical condition of the metal from rust and
corrosion Such obvious markings vary over
4 period Of time between the discharges OF
the weapon I was told and there are, there
fore superficial differences which true expert
must learn to disregard. But the barrel leaves
its signature on the bullet just the same.
The tool used in fashioning the barrel OF
gun wears with the cutting. and as it finishes
off each barrel it leaves pattern of fine lines
within the grooves which are distinctive OF that
particular barrel. The next barrel that passes
over the tool changes the cutting edge OF the
tool enough to give that barrel characteristic
markings also. To the expert who knows his
business, each barrel Is as different as the
members of family group. When bullet is
driven past these grooves, 1t Is SCARED with
the characteristics Of these fine cuttings.
There are many so-called experts In the
country whose methods are so amateurish and
incomplete that they do little but confuse juries
and lead to the development OF reasonable
doubt in cases which ought to be puncture-
proof" DR.. Souder said.
He picked I'D q bullet taken from the body
of a murdered man, which was so like another
bullet fired from the murderers gun that even
q casual examination would lead to the belief
: that they had been fired from the same gun.
Other bullets, fired from another gun, re-
vealed the fact that they had passed through
the same barrel only when the finest OF micro
scopes showed similar faint markings on each.
THE apparatus necessary for furnishing ex-
pert testimony is expensive, but an expert
who testifies In cases where mans life Is at
stake should be required to have that appara-
tus and know how to use it. The microscope
through which DIR. Souder peered at the death
dealing bullets cost about $500. The ordinary
lenses with which the microscope had originally
been equipped were not perfect enough. He
had tried out many lenses until he had found
two which told the story down to the last
scratch.
The Bureau of Standards does not attempt
to decide special cases for State or for an
individual DR.. Souder explained. "This Gov
eminent agency is interested in the matter OF
obtaining scientific evidence in murder cases
only to the extent that it would like to establish
minimum standards with which firearms experts
should have to comply before their testimony
could be accepted in court. There are no
standards for experts in this country at the
present time. A man is an expert II he hap
pens to be accepted as such when case comes
to trial.
"A man who appears in a murder case as
an expert on firearms ought at least to be able
to take a half dozen marked bullets and sort
them correctly with reference to the guns from
which they have been fired. If he is able to do
SO after studying them for an hour or two, he
might then be adjudged competent to give
testimony before q jury concerning weapons
or missiles introduced in a murder trial. II he
is unable to sort the bullets, certainly any
testimony he might give would be open 70
question.