EXCERPT OF THE TESTIMONY TAKEN IN OPEN COURT
February 24, 1969
AFTERNOON PROCEEDINGS
PIERRE A. FINCK, M.D., having been previously sworn, resumed the stand for a continuation of CROSS-EXAMINATION
THE COURT: Let it be noted the Jury has returned from lunch. The Defendant is present and Counsel for both sides are present. Is the State and is the Defense ready to proceed?
MR. DYMOND: We are ready, Your Honor.
MR. OSER: The State is ready, Your Honor.
THE COURT: You may proceed.
BY MR. OSER:
Q: Doctor, at the time of the autopsy, were either you or any one of your two assistants, if I may call them that, Commander Humes and Commander Boswell, making any notes of what was going on and what you all were doing, that you can recall?
A: I don't recall making notes at the time of the autopsy. As I recall, Dr. Boswell was making those notes.
Q: Can you tell me how the final draft of the autopsy report which you signed along with Commander Humes and Commander Boswell came about? How was that put together?
A: We signed that autopsy report, as I remember, on Sunday, the 24th of November, 1963, in the office of Admiral Galloway, who was one of the Admirals in charge of the Navy hospital. I had reviewed with Dr. Humes his draft of the autopsy report prior to that time, and, as I recall, the three of us, that is Humes, Boswell and myself, were present at that time in the office of Admiral Galloway on that Sunday, to the best of my recollection.
Q: Doctor, I show you from Volume 17, Page 30 through Page 47, and ask you if you would view the contents of those pages.
A: Yes, sir. This is Volume 17 of the hearings before the President's Commission on the assassination of President Kennedy. I don't recall seeing Pages 30 through 44. What Dr. Humes and I did, we were discussing the wording of the final autopsy report based on a report he had prepared through the night, I should say through Saturday, in the course of Saturday, the 23rd of November, and he worked on this, and he read over to me what he had prepared. Is included in your question?
Q: Yes, sir, Page 45 through Page 47.
A: On Page 45 I recognize the drawing which I see now in the room, and which is labeled in this volume Commission Exhibit 397. I don't recall the timing of seeing this. I have seen this at some time. I don't recall exactly when.
Q: The exhibit you are talking about right now, Doctor, Exhibit 397, is this the same exhibit you are talking about reproduced here in State 68, as best you can recall, Doctor?
A: As best as I can tell, of this volume is a reproduction of the exhibit shown in the courtroom as 68, except that at the bottom it doesn't say "Commission Exhibit 397." I remember that these drawings had been made, and you realize now I am referring to Page 45.
Q: Which is the same thing as Exhibit 68, is that right?
A: Yes, sir, it is. You will realize the drawings are made ahead of time on work sheets to be used at the time of the autopsy, and that wounds are added to these schematic representations of the front and back of a human body. I know this was involved in the discussions, in the testimony, but I can't give you any timing. As I recall, Dr. Boswell did those and discussed them but I can't recall exactly when I saw them.
Q: In other words, when an autopsy descriptive list or sheet is used at an autopsy, it is either used at the time of an autopsy or shortly thereafter as a work sheet somewhere in the autopsy room, is that right, Doctor?
A: If State 68 is an autopsy work sheet -- well, when it was done by Dr. Boswell I don't know.
Q: In referring to State Exhibit 69 and 70, Doctor, these two exhibits were not done then until sometime in March of 1964, is that correct, Doctor?
A: I wouldn't know the exact date. The first time as I recall that I saw these exhibits was in March, 1964, to the best of my recollection.
Q: But you do know, Doctor, you can testify that the photographs and X-rays were not available, to the best of your knowledge, to the illustrator of these exhibits as they were not available to you in March, 1964?
A: To the best of my knowledge the X-rays and photographs were not available to the illustrator. I know for sure that they were not available to me, the X-rays and the photographs.
Q: Can you tell me, Doctor, whether or not the illustrator was present at the autopsy when President Kennedy's body was available for viewing in order for him to make these illustrations?
A: I don't know.
Q: Do you recall seeing him there or anyone held out to be the illustrator at the autopsy?
A: I don't remember.
Q: Doctor, did you make any types of notes at all at the time of the autopsy yourself?
A: I may have written down measurements.
Q: Do you still have those measurements?
A: No. When I walked out of that autopsy room I didn't have notes with me, to the best of my recollection. I remember taking measurements and giving them to Dr. Humes and Dr. Boswell.
Q: Do you know whether Commander Boswell made any particular notes at the time of the autopsy?
A: As I recall I saw Dr. Boswell taking notes. I saw both Dr. Humes and Dr. Boswell taking notes at the time of the autopsy, to the best of my recollection.
Q: Would your answer be the same with regard to Commander Humes with regard to making notes at the time of the autopsy as it was with Dr. Boswell? Did he also make notes?
A: As I remember, both of them made notes during the autopsy.
Q: Were you present, Colonel, when Dr. Humes burned his original notes?
A: I was not.
Q: Doctor, the report that I showed you before --
A: I have it here.
Q: Are you in agreement with all the allegations and statements and the contents of this particular exhibit? Is there anything in there that you would change at this time?
A: I don't think so.