Mr. EISENBERG - I am now going to ask you several hypothetical questions concerning the factors which might have affected the aim of the assassin on November 22d, and I would like you to make the following assumptions in answering these questions: First, that the assassin fired his shots from the window near which the cartridges were found--that is, the easternmost window on the south face of the sixth floor of the School Book Depository Building, which is 60 feet above the ground, and several more feet above the position at which the car was apparently located when the shots were fired.
Second, that the length of the trajectory of the first shot was 175 feet, and that the length of the trajectory of the third shot was 265 feet.
And third, that the elapsed time between the firing of the first and third shots was 5 1/2 seconds.
Based on those assumptions, Mr. Frazier, approximately what lead would the assassin have had to give his target to compensate for its movement--and here I would disregard any possible defect in the scope.
Mr. FRAZIER - I would say he would have to lead approximately 2 feet under both such situations. The lead would, of course, be dependent upon the direction in which the object was moving primarily. If it is moving away from you, then, of course, the actual lead of, say, 2 feet which he would have to lead would be interpreted as a considerably less lead in elevation above the target, because the target will move the 2 feet in a direction away from the shooter, and the apparent lead then would be cut to one foot or 12 inches or 8 inches or something of that nature, due to the movement of the individual.
Zeon Question 1:
So the shooter from the SE 6th floor SN of the TSBD would have to guestimate shoot at some point 2 ft to the right of JFK, meaning that JFKs head, nor even his body, would be in the sight picture of the fixed sights?
Mr. FRAZIER - Commission Exhibit No. 555 is a diagrammatic drawing of the manner in which the crosshair ring is mounted in Exhibit 139, showing on the right-hand side of the diagram a circular drawing indicating the outer part of the tube, with an inner circle with a crossed line in it representing the crosshairs in the telescope.
There is an elevation-adjusting screw at the top, which pushes the crosshair ring down against a spring located in the lower left-hand portion of the circle, or which allows the crosshair ring to come up, being pushed by the spring on the opposite side of the ring. There is a windage screw on the right-hand side of the scope tube circle which adjusts the crosshair ring laterally for windage adjustments.
The diagram at the left side of Commission's Exhibit 555 shows diagrammatically the blade spring mounted in the telescope tube which causes the ring to be pressed against the adjusting screws.
We found in this telescopic sight on this rifle that this ring was shifting in the telescope tube 80 that the gun could not be sighted-in merely by changing the screws. It was necessary to adjust it, and then fire several shots to stabilize the crosshair ring by causing this spring to press tightly against the screws, to the point that we decided it would not be feasible to completely sight the weapon inasfar as windage goes, and in addition found that the elevation screw could not be adjusted sufficiently to bring the point of impact on the targets down to the sighting point.
Zeon question 2:
So using the deftect inherent in the scope, (noted by Frazier) would only make it worse for the shooter, attempting to guestimate what lead he needed for the variable changing speed, moving target of JFK? (variable changing speed = JFK limo accelerating again, from having slowed to 5 mph to make the sharp turn on Elm, then accelerating down the slope up to 15mph, then a deceleration to 8mph, almost stopping.)
And now add: The shooter wasnt able to set himself up like Frazier did, and be in a solitary position AT THE START, for all 3 shots. The shooter has to MOVE into position for shot 1, take that shot from some standing position, then MOVE AGAIN, so as to rest his rifle on the not horizontal, oddly angled box on the window ledge, and take 2 more shots so rapidly that most ear witness, including Harold Norman, the closest witness, heard them spaced apart only about 2 secs apart.
note: Harold Norman WC testimony is somewhat contradictory, regarding if he actually stated "several seconds" or not:
Mr. BALL. I have here a document 493, which is a copy of a statement made by this witness, which I now mark 493.
(The document referred to was marked Commission Exhibit No. 493, for identification.)
Mr. BALL. The document that I have here shows the date 4th of December 1963. Do you remember having made a statement to Mr. Carter, Special Agent of the Secret Service, on that day?
Mr. NORMAN. I can't remember the exact date but I believe I remember Mr. Carter.
Mr. BALL. I want to call your attention to one part of the statement and I will ask you if you told him that:
"Just after the President passed by, I heard a shot and several seconds later I heard two more shots. I knew that the shots had come from directly above me, and I could hear the expended cartridges fall to the floor. I could also hear the bolt action of the rifle. I also saw some dust fall from the ceiling of the fifth floor and I felt sure that whoever had fired the shots was directly above me."
Did you make that statement to the Secret Service man?
Mr. NORMAN. I don't remember making a statement that I knew the shots came from directly above us. I didn't make that statement. And I don't remember saying I heard several seconds later. I merely told him that I heard three shots because I didn't have any idea what time it was.
Harold Normans recorded interviews, however, he demonstrates the 3 shots fired in less than 5 seconds.
And Harold Norman also noted that he heard the 1st shot, then saw JFK slump, then heard the next 2 shots AFTER seeing JFK slump. Therefore, Norman must be hearnig Z224 shot, saw the result of that shot, which is the FIRST shot, and then Norman heard 2 more shots. Those 3 shots occur in 4.8 seconds, which fits Normans video interview demonstration (the boom clak clak repetion).
Zeon question 3:
What is the probability that a shooter using only the fixed iron sights, could have correctly guestimated the 1 to 2 ft leading the target on a variably changing speed target between ranges of 175 ft and 265 ft (or 60 yds, and 90 yds approx), having to shoot 1st shot while moving from seated position to 1 standing position,,then moving again, to leaning somehow on top the boxes, rest his rifle on the oddly angled box on the window ledge, and then shooting 2 more shots, and hitting 2 times,.... and did it all in 4.8 seconds, as Harold Norman saw it and demonstrated it?
