Statement of W.P. Marsden, Rifle Expert

In Re. Donnelly Murder

W.P. Marsden. qq. Alexander St. Toronto states ‐ I have been a gun and Rifle maker for thirty years and made most of the hand made Rifles now in use in this neighbourhood. [...] On 23rd March I examined a used bullit handed me by Mr. Williams and find it was fired from a three grooved rifle I also found on the space made by one of the grooves a number of scratches or marks which must have been made by the rifling when it was fired and on examining the Rifle also handed me I find it is a three grooved Rifle and also find in it a groove with corresponding marks clearly defined. [...] if a fire arm has been recently discharged and not properly cleaned it will become in a short time dirty and apparently greasy and in some cases a day in other several days thereafter it will burn white and hard on the inside [...] I find the barrel is now white in which case it will remain until red rust sets in when it will peel off.

Source: J.J. Talman Regional Collection, University of Western Ontario Archives, Donnelly Family Papers, B4877, File 43, Unknown, Statement of W.P. Marsden, Rifle Expert, n.d..

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