Mr. Lane.

Mr. Wade is a very distinguished prosecuting attorney, has been one for some 13 or 14 years, and I believe was an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation prior to that time.
I would like to know how he could have been so wrong about something so vital.
Now, assuming that the rifle found on the sixth floor was an Italian rifle, Italian carbine, one must wonder how it was possible for any number of things to happen for it to be fired there three times and strike the President in front of the throat, although he was past that building, and for the noise, according to the witnesses of the shooting, to have come from a different place entirely.
But in addition to that, one must wonder if that rifle is capable of the performance which the prosecuting authorities allege that it gave on that day. An Olympic rifle champion, Hubert Hammerer, said that he doubts that it could be done.

Mr. Rankin.

Could you give us his address?

Mr. Lane.

He is not in the United States. The story appeared in the New York Times. I don't have the exact date.

Representative Ford.

What nationality is he?

Mr. Lane.

I don't know.

Representative Ford.

Do you know when he was Olympic champion?

Mr. Lane.

No, I don't know that. I do know it probably was some time after the Italian carbine was manufactured, since it is an extremely old weapon, manufactured back in 1938, as I recall There seems to be an agreement that the period of time was between 5 and 6 seconds from the first shot to the last shot.
There is a serious question in the minds, I think, of persons who have fired that pistol--that rifle first of all, as to its ability to be fired that quickly accurately with a telescopic sight, and secondly, in reference to the ammunition which is available. Various persons have tested various lots of ammunition. Someone from the National Rifle Association told me that he tested more than 30 rounds, a little over 30 rounds of the Italian 6.5--

Mr. Rankin.

When you refer to these people, will you tell us the names of any of them that you can? It might be of help to us.

Mr. Lane.

I should remember this gentleman, because I just spoke with him.

That is another name I am going to have to supply for you.

Mr. Rankin.

Thank you.

Mr. Lane.

He is a member of the board of directors of the National Rifle Association. He purchased for one of the television networks some 30 rounds, a little over 30 rounds, and told me that 20 of them did not fire at all, and 6 of them were guilty of hanged fire, which is a phrase I don't know anything about, but he tells me that means it did not fire fully, and, therefore, could not be accurate. Therefore, a very small percentage of the ammunition was of any value.
Mr. Ed Wallace talked about making a similar test in the New York World Telegram and Sun, in a feature article, and I think he said that he went with an expert, and they got 20 rounds of this ammunition, and of those 17 did not fire--only 3 fired. It was very old ammunition.

Representative Ford.

Who is Ed Wallace, and who is the individual that Ed Wallace referred to? Do you have that information?

Mr. Lane.

I believe Mr. Wallace indicated that he was present when the test was made. But it was an article appearing in the New York World Telegram and Sun within a week after the assassination--from the 23d to the 30th of November. And I can secure and mail to you a copy of that article, if you prefer.
While there may be some question as to whether or not a rifle expert could secure such performance from a rifle, or whether or not one could secure enough good ammunition to get such performance, I think there is general agreement that only in the hands of a rifle expert could one attempt to come close to that kind of shooting that it is alleged Oswald did on November 22.
The Times reported on November 23, "As Marines go, Lee Harvey Oswald was not highly regarded as a rifleman." And you have in your files, of course,