Mr. Redlich. Did the fact that Oswald was believed to have fired a revolver prior to the time the paraffin casts were made have an effect on your ability to determine the significance of the barium and antimony on the inside of the cheek cast?
Mr. Gallagher. The subsequent repeated firing of the revolver definitely overshadowed the results. That is why it was reported that no significance could be attached to the residues found on the cast other than the conclusion that the barium and antimony in these residues are present in amounts greater than found on the hands of a normal individual who had not recently fired or handled a fired weapon.
Mr. Redlich. In other words, given the known fact, or the assumed fact, that the suspect had fired a revolver repeatedly, the barium and antimony could have found their way to the suspect’s cheek as a result of the repeated firing of that revolver, and therefore precluded you from making any determination as to whether the elements barium and antimony were placed on the cheek as the result of the firing of the rifle. Is that a correct statement?
Mr. Gallagher. Well, there is no way to eliminate the fact that the subject may have wiped a contaminated hand across his cheek subsequent to the firing of the revolver, thus contaminating his cheek with barium and antimony.
Mr. Redlich. Getting back to the hand casts, did you use the outside surface of the hand casts as a control surface?
Mr. Gallagher. Yes; I did, sir.
Mr. Redlich. Could you tell us how the inside or the outside surface of the hand cast compared with regard to the elements barium and antimony?
Mr. Gallagher. Much more barium and antimony were found on the inside of the hand casts than were found on the control specimens taken from the outside of the hand casts of the subject.
Mr. Redlich. Mr. Gallagher, prior to this morning’s deposition, you and I had a conversation in which we covered the general subject matter which was to be the subject of this deposition. Is there anything in your recorded testimony which is inconsistent with the information which you provided prior to this recorded testimony?
Mr. Gallagher. No, sir.