Mr. Stombaugh. I could see no need of it at that time.
Mr. Eisenberg. Let's return then to the fibers which you referred to as being fresh, which you said you found in the crevice of the butt plate, and I will ask Mr. Dulles' question in reverse: What do you mean by fresh, why do you call these fresh?
Mr. Stombaugh. In the first place, this was just a small tuft. They were adhering to the gun on a small jagged edge. In other words, the gun had caught on a piece of fabric and pulled these fibers loose. They were clean, they had good color to them, there was no grease on them and they were not fragmented. They looked as if they had just been picked up. They were folded very neatly down in the crevice.
Mr. Eisenberg. Were these fibers in a position where they could have easily been knocked off by rough use?
Mr. Stombaugh. No; they were adhering to the edge rather tightly.
Mr. Eisenberg. In the crevice?
Mr. Stombaugh. Well, it had the jagged edge sticking up and the fibers were folded around it and resting in the crevice.
Mr. Dulles. I think you testified, though, that might have been done in part by the dusting?
Mr. Stombaugh. Yes, sir; I believe when the fingerprintman dusted it he probably ran his brush along the metal portion here.
Mr. Eisenberg. Of the butt plate?