Mr. Latona. Yes; it does. It will get darker, too, as time goes on and it is affected by light.
Mr. Eisenberg. Mr. Latona, does the silver nitrate process permanently fix the print into the paper?
Mr. Latona. Permanent in the sense that the print by itself will not disappear. Now, it can be removed, or the stains could be removed chemically, by the placing of the object into a 2 percent solution of mercuric nitrate, which will remove the stains and in addition will remove the prints. But the prints by themselves, if nothing is done to it, will simply continue to grow darker and eventually the whole specimen will lose its complete identity.
The Chairman. May I ask a question here?
So I understand from that that this particular document that you are looking at, or this bag, will continue to get darker as time goes on?
Mr. Latona. Yes; it will.
The Chairman. From this date?
Mr. Latona. That's right.
Mr. Eisenberg. Returning to the prints themselves, you stated I believe that you found a palmprint and a fingerprint on this paper bag?
Mr. Latona. That is correct.