What happened to the Mauser?

[Walt Cakebread]

The Trigger-Housing Fingerprints
http://www.jfk-online.com/prints.html

The fingerprint traces found on the side of the trigger housing of the rifle were first photographed and then covered with cellophane tape by Lieutenant Day to protect them for shipment to the FBI lab in Washington, DC. Lieutenant Day had determined that the fingerprints were too light to do a lift first and then photograph, so he photographed the fingerprints before covering them with the tape. (5) He also scratched his name on the stock of the rifle. When testifying later in Washington to the Warren Commission, Lieutenant Day told Rusty and me that he had some trouble finding his name because it was very faint.(6)

As Lieutenant Day worked on the rifle during the evening, Chief Curry came into the Crime Lab Office. Lieutenant Day told him at the time that he had located a trace of a print on the trigger housing, but he had not yet had a chance to do a comparison check with Oswald's print card. He told Rusty and me that the Chief then went back down to the third floor and told the newsmen that we had a print. He said that he had not told Chief Curry that it was Oswald's print at that time.

(...)

Lieutenant Day did not try to lift the fingerprints that he found on the trigger housing of the rifle on November 22nd, 1963. He photographed them only, and later did try to do a fingerprint comparison from a print card of Oswald to determine if he had held the rifle. Day stated to the Warren Commission that he could not exclude all possibility as to whose prints they were, but he did say that he thought that they were the right middle and right ring finger of Oswald.(7)

Tom Alyea has recorded that he watched as Lt Day applied cellophane tape to the print and lifted it  from the rifle....

Mr. DAY. After ejecting the live round, then I gave my attention to the rifle. I put fingerprint powder on the side of the rifle over the magazine housing. I noticed it was rather rough. I also noticed there were traces of two prints visible. I told Captain Fritz it was too rough to do there, it should go to the office where I would have better facilities for trying to work with the fingerprints.
Mr. McCLOY. But you could note with your naked eye or with a magnifying glass the remnants of fingerprints on the stock?
Mr. DAY. Yes, sir; I could see traces of ridges, fingerprint ridges, on the side of the housing.

Day said that He placed cellophane tape over the prints to protect them until he could examine them under better conditions in the police lab.

[Bill Chapman]

Tom Alyea has recorded that he watched as Lt Day applied cellophane tape to the print and lifted it  from the rifle....

Mr. DAY. After ejecting the live round, then I gave my attention to the rifle. I put fingerprint powder on the side of the rifle over the magazine housing. I noticed it was rather rough. I also noticed there were traces of two prints visible. I told Captain Fritz it was too rough to do there, it should go to the office where I would have better facilities for trying to work with the fingerprints.
Mr. McCLOY. But you could note with your naked eye or with a magnifying glass the remnants of fingerprints on the stock?
Mr. DAY. Yes, sir; I could see traces of ridges, fingerprint ridges, on the side of the housing.

Day said that He placed cellophane tape over the prints to protect them until he could examine them under better conditions in the police lab.

Tom Alyea has recorded that he watched as Lt Day applied cellophane tape to the print and lifted it  from the rifle

That was the palm print under the stock

[Walt Cakebread]

When did Lt John Carl Day, of the DPD, swear that he placed cellophane tape over the partial finger prints that he found on the trigger guard / magazine while examining the rifle in the TSBD at about 1:45 PM that afternoon?

We have Lt Day himself saying that he placed cellophane tape over a print .... And we have Tom Alyea saying that he witnessed Day using Celophane tape on a print in the TSBD....

Now then...Isn't it a fact that Day swore that he never saw the palm print until he disassembled the rifle in the DPD crime lab that evening....

So he couldn't have been using cellophane tape on the palm print.....Now could he?? 

So either Day was applying cellophane tape to the trigger guard prints....OR...   He did not find the so called palm print on the metal barrel beneath the wooden stock after he disassembled the rifle.

Either way...You're forced to accept that Day was a damned liar....

[Tim Nickerson]

We have Lt Day himself saying that he placed cellophane tape over a print .... And we have Tom Alyea saying that he witnessed Day using Celophane tape on a print in the TSBD....

Now then...Isn't it a fact that Day swore that he never saw the palm print until he disassembled the rifle in the DPD crime lab that evening....

So he couldn't have been using cellophane tape on the palm print.....Now could he?? 

So either Day was applying cellophane tape to the trigger guard prints....OR...   He did not find the so called palm print on the metal barrel beneath the wooden stock after he disassembled the rifle.

Either way...You're forced to accept that Day was a damned liar....

Walt, you forcefully asserted that Day swore that he placed cellophane tape over the partial finger prints that he found on the trigger guard / magazine while examining the rifle in the TSBD at about 1:45 PM that afternoon. You were wrong. Just admit it and move on.

[Walt Cakebread]

Walt, you forcefully asserted that Day swore that he placed cellophane tape over the partial finger prints that he found on the trigger guard / magazine while examining the rifle in the TSBD at about 1:45 PM that afternoon. You were wrong. Just admit it and move on.

The question is:.... Did Lt Day use cellophane tape on the rifle while examining it in the TSBD that afternoon?

Tom Alyea is on record as having witnessed Lt. Day use cellophane tape while examining the rifle at about 2:00PM that afternoon.

Now, using the official tale....He could not have been using the cellophane tape on the so called "palm print"  because he didn't discover that print until he disassembled the rifle in the Police lab that evening.   

So, Now then, Ol wise one....  What prints could Day have been using the cellophane tape on at 2:00 pm as Tom Alyea watched??

PS...There is an good reasonable answer to this puzzle....

[Tim Nickerson]

The question is:.... Did Lt Day use cellophane tape on the rifle while examining it in the TSBD that afternoon?

Tom Alyea is on record as having witnessed Lt. Day use cellophane tape while examining the rifle at about 2:00PM that afternoon.

Now, using the official tale....He could not have been using the cellophane tape on the so called "palm print"  because he didn't discover that print until he disassembled the rifle in the Police lab that evening.   

So, Now then, Ol wise one....  What prints could Day have been using the cellophane tape on at 2:00 pm as Tom Alyea watched??

PS...There is an good reasonable answer to this puzzle....

Alyea is also on record as saying that there were no chicken bones on the sixth floor. He said that they were on the fifth floor. Alyea is also on record as saying that Sheriff Mooney never reached the sixth floor until after the rifle was found.

Your puzzle has now been reasonably answered.

[Jerry Freeman]

he didn't discover that print until he disassembled the rifle in the Police lab that evening.   

Bottom of page how [analyst] Latona mentions the old p.o.s rifle couldn't maintain latent prints......
https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=34#relPageId=38&tab=page