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Warren Commission Hearings: Vol. IV - Page 75« Previous | Next »

(Testimony of Paul Morgan Stombaugh)

Mr. Stombaugh.
Yes; it was an inexpensive shirt. I found no labels in it indicating the manufacturer.
Mr. Dulles.
Any indication that labels had been torn out?
Mr. Stombaugh.
Not that I recall, sir.
Mr. Eisenberg.
Were you able to determine, Mr. Stombaugh, whether this was a domestic, whether this was of domestic or foreign origin?
Mr. Stombaugh.
No; there are so many different shirt manufacturers in this country, that there is little value in trying to trace down a particular source unless we can find a manufacturer's marking in the shirt.
Mr. Eisenberg.
Any laundry marks which you attempted to trace down?
Mr. Stombaugh.
I found no laundry marks. The shirt was well worn and appeared, to have been hand laundered.
Mr. Eisenberg.
If there are no further questions on the shirt, I will move on to another item.
Mr. Stombaugh, I now hand you a homemade paper bag, Commission Exhibit 142, which parenthetically has also received another Exhibit No. 626, and ask you whether you are familiar with this item?
Mr. Stombaugh.
Yes; I am.
Mr. Eisenberg.
Does that have your mark on it?
Mr. Stombaugh.
At the time I examined this, it was to be treated for latent fingerprints subsequent to my examination, and in a case like this I will not put a mark on the item itself because my mark might cover a latent fingerprint which is later brought up, and therefore obscure it.
In this particular instance, I made a drawing of this bag on my notes with the various sizes and description of it to refresh my memory at a later date.
Mr. Eisenberg.
And it is--looking at those notes and as you remember now-- this is the bag?
Mr. Stombaugh.
This is the bag.
Mr. Eisenberg.
Now, this bag has an area of very light-brown color, and the greater portion of the area is a quite dark-brownish color. What was the color when you originally received it?
Mr. Stombaugh.
When I originally received this it was a light-brown color.
Mr. Eisenberg.
Which is at one end of the bag?
Mr. Stombaugh.
One end of the bag.
Mr. Eisenberg.
The tape is also two colors, one a lightish brown and the other a darkish brown. What color was the tape when you received it?
Mr. Stombaugh.
The tape also was light brown.
Mr. Eisenberg.
Could you turn the bag over? Was it the color that shows as a lighter yellowish-type of brown?
Mr. Stombaugh.
Yes; a yellow-brown shade.
Mr. Eisenberg.
When did you receive it, by the way, Mr. Stombaugh?
Mr. Stombaugh.
This was received on November 23, 7:30 a.m, 1963.
Mr. Eisenberg.
Did you form any opinions as you examined it, concerning the construction of the bag?
Mr. Stombaugh.
When I looked at the bag and examined it, it struck me as being a homemade bag such as I could make. Occasionally I will have a need for something like this at home. Therefore, I will take some brown paper and a strip of tape home with me. Then when I get home I will fold the tape fold the paper rather--in the shape I need--and to seal it up I will tear strips of the sealing tape from the little piece I have.
Here we find that this tape has been torn at several places, such as one would do in an instance like that. Due to these torn edges, I was under the impression, from looking at the bag, that it was a homemade bag which someone had made at home and they did not have a tape dispenser which machine-cuts tape. Therefore, they had to tear it, which they did--or cut it, of course with a knife. And this is the case where pieces of tape were torn.
Mr. Eisenberg.
You were pointing to various torn edges as you testified, is that correct?
Mr. Stombaugh.
Yes; that is correct.
Mr. Eisenberg.
How many, if any, square-cut edges did you notice?
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