Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-30
HAMI TON DENIES
GODDARD'S CLAIMS
Campbell Retreats Charge
That Cloth Substituted
Death Bullets.
Continued From First Page)

uories and studied their tools and ma
chimes. I have devoted a great deal o
time to the study of various forms ant
types of ammunition"
How many methods of procedure ar,
there in ballistics work?" pursued
Smith.
There are two today in dealing with
firearms or bullets" Hamilton re-
sponded.
What are they?"
THE older one dates back 40 or AZ
years. It consists OF taking a gun arC
mortal or death bullets. sitting at 6
table and microscopicaIy or chemically
examining them and observing what
the So-called expert sees. so that he
can in turn point out to a layman OIL
jury the salient points. All that i:
needed to apply that method is one
good eye and q brain back Of 1t.
THE other method is the modern
\ procedure. In performing it, I sur
round myself with instruments. The
only way to illustrate the results OBJ
tanned is by microphotographs and
unless YOU are an expert photographer
there is no way to tell whether I'm
correct in what inform you. This
method means that you are bound te
accept my position merely because
say it,
Smith interrupted at this point tc
ask the witness If he knew to what
school of ballistics Col. Calvin H. God
dard. the Government expert, belonged
His own" Hamilton countered.
Have you ever observed or followed
his methodist"
Eyes, sir. Since 1924"
HAS Col. Goddard ever sought in
structions from you?"
Yes, sir"
How long ago was it when he sought
such Instructions"
In October 1924, and in November,
1927, by mail and IN person.
Displays His Charts.
REWRITING to discussion of ballistics,
the defense attorney undertook to learn
to what extent the witness considered
forensic ballistics to be an exact science.
"Ballistics," Hamilton replied, 'as a
general term includes the Navy, the
Army sporting goods and firearms"
What is the meaning of the term
forensic ballistics'?"
1.-THE study of firearms that comes
before court CT justice, either civil
or criminal.
ITO what extent. if at all, have you
studied the compound comparison mic
roscope, and have you watched it gen.
erally?"
For IS years have studied that de-
vice. I originated the idea, but not for
the purposes TO which 1t is now being
used"
Hamilton said he originally had in
tended to develop the comparison micro
scope-a combination of two micro
scopes-for use in handwriting investf-
cations.
AT this point, the witness was asked
to identify the revolver submitted to
authorities by Campbell. He said the
pistol was the weapon he had exam
ined October ID and on subsequent oc-
casions.
Asked what measurements he had
made of the Campbell pistol, the bull
lets alleged by the Government to have
been extracted from the body OF Miss
Baker and of test bullets he had fired
from the defendants pistol, Hamilton
said 1t would be necessary for him to
DISPLAY charts IN order to explain his
answer. He was permitted to tack the
charts ON q blackboard near the jury
box without objection by the prosecu-
ton
Points Out Defects.
Pointing to a chart representing the
muzzle of CampbellS pistol. the witness
said the defendants gun had been rlneo
IN q defective manner.
what mean by that" he explained
els that by looking into the bore OF
the pistol and at the corner OF the
grooves, it is easy to see defects. APP
parently the cutting blade that rif1ed
this gun broke of or wore away, leaV-
ing distinctive traces"
Hamilton pointed to another chart
which he said represented the muzzie
OF the hypothetical crystal he believed
the mortal slugs had been discharged
through. He said the measurements
on the death bullets revealed they nae
&C.
measurements of which we're more regu-
lar than those of the Campbell gun.
will Let Jury Judge.
The witness produced the 10 test bull
let's he said had been fired from Camp
bells revolver under his supervision. Ht
passed them among the jurors ana asked
that they notice those bullets are dis
colored and corroded, while the death
bullets are clean, indicating conclusively
that the mortal slugs were not fired from
the Campbell pistol"
It was here that Hamilton declared
81 am prepared to let the jury be theh
own experts.
Hamilton declared his measurements
Of the fatal bullets showed a regularity
In the width of the lands and grooves
the former all being 9-10OS Of an inch
wide and the latter l0-l00S OF an inch
This makes an absolute discrimi.
nation between the mortal bullets and
tn1se fired from Campbell's gum" the
expert declared.
Hamilton passed to the jury the two
IL al bullet and the 10 test slugs, fired
from Campbell's revolver, and let then
lo1k at the slugs under a hand magni-
fling glass. Hamilton inserted an eX-
tension electric light in q socket on tht
clerks desk and tlluI linated the bullets
IT. the jurors hands by this means
After examining the bullets carefully
the jurors passed them back to th'
witness.
Hamilton produced another char
illustrating the land and groove marks
on the fatal bullets and pointed out {
reoroduc~ion Of what he declared to b.
- scratches he hid found in the groove
and land marks of the mortal slugS-
Scratches Not Dependable.
II can't find any similar marks OF
any of the test bullets i fired, the wit
ness said. Entering into a technica
discussion OF situations left on bullet
by the rifiing of barrel. Hamilton con
cluded with declaration that sucl
scratches are not dependable.
''Fingerprinting Of bullets doesn'
mean anything" he asserted. That !
just q play of words"
The term "fingerprints" has been ap
plled by Col. GODDARD ana Or, Souoe
to marks left on a bullet by IRREGULAR
ties in the barrel. and both experts con
tend these fingerprints are Just as re
liable as a means Of bullet identified
ton as human fingerprints are in Grim
inal identification.
Attorney Smith walked forward an
s-ked the witness:
Prom the measurements you mad
of the two mortal bullets and OF tn
10 test bullets you fired from Camp
bells gun. is II possible that the tw
marital hilllafa could haaa hAAn FIRE