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Warren Commission Hearings: Vol. VI - Page 89« Previous | Next »

(Testimony of Dr. Robert Shaw)

the right radius and I saw one large wound on the I guess you would call it the volar surface of the right arm and a small wound on the dorsum of the right wrist.

Mr. Specter.
Which appeared to you to be the point of entrance, Dr. Shaw?
Dr. SHAW. To me, I felt that the wound of entrance was the wound on the volar surface or the anterior surface with the hand held in the upright or the supine position, with the wound of exit being the small wound on the dorsum.

Mr. SPECTER. What were the characteristics of those wounds which led you to that conclusion?
Dr. SHAW. Although the wound of entrance, I mean, although the wound that I felt was a wound of entrance was the larger of the two, it was my feeling that considering the large wound of exit from the chest, that this was consistent with the wound that I saw on the wrist. May we go off the record?
Mr. Specter.
Sure.

(Discussion between Counsel Specter and the witness. Dr. Shaw off the record.)
Mr. Specter.
Now, let's go back on the record.

Dr. SHAW. I'll start by saying that my examination of the wrist was a cursory one because I realized that Dr. Gregory was going to have the responsibility of doing what was necessary surgically for this wrist.
Mr. SPECTER. Had you conferred with him preliminarily to starting your operation on the chest so that you knew he would be standing by, I believe as you testified earlier, to perform the wrist operation?
Dr. SHAW. Yes--Dr. Gregory was in the hallway of the operating room before I went in to operate on Governor Connally and while I was scrubbing preparatory to the operation, I told him that there was a compound comminuted fracture of the radius of the Governor's right hand that would need his attention.
Mr. SPECTER. Let the record show that while we were off the record here a moment ago, Dr. Shaw, you and I were discussing the possible angles at which the Governor might have been sitting in relation to a trajectory of a bullet consistent with the observations which you recollect and consistent with what seems to have been a natural position for the Governor to have maintained, in the light of your view of the situation. And with that in mind, let me resume the questioning and put on the record very much of the comments and observations you were making as you and I were discussing off the record as this deposition has proceeded.
Now, you have described a larger wound on the volar or palm side of the wrist than was present on the dorsal or back side of the wrist, and you have expressed the opinion that it was the point of entry on the volar side of the wrist as opposed to a point of exit on the back side of the wrist, even though as you earlier said, ordinarily the point of entry is smaller and the point of exit is larger.
Now, will you repeat for the record, Dr. Shaw, the thinking--your thinking which might explain a larger point of entry and a smaller point of exit on the wrist.
Dr. SHAW. Yes. As a matter of fact, when I first examined Governor Connally's wrist, I did not notice the small wound on the dorsum of the wrist and only saw the much larger wound on the radial side of the volar surface of the wrist. I didn't know about the second small wound until I came in when Dr. Gregory was concluding his operation on the wrist. He informed me that there was another small wound through the skin through which a missile had obviously passed.
Mr. Specter.
Now, which wound was that, Dr. Shaw?

Dr. SHAW. This was the wound on the dorsum or the dorsal surface of the wrist.
Mr. Specter.
Did you then observe that wound?
Dr. SHAW. Yes; I saw this wound.
Mr. SPECTER. And where was that wound located to the best of your recollection ?
Dr. SHAW. This wound was slightly more distal on the arm than the larger wound and located almost in the midportion of the dorsum of the wrist.
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