Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-09-02
LIZZIE BORDEN HELD.


Her Case to BE Sent to the Grand Jury.
After recess in the Borden murder case at
Fall River yesterday, which was taken just
after The SrARs report closed, the district
attorney began his argument. At O'Clock
precisely Judge Baisdell took his seat and
looked ont on a sea OF interested faces. The
details of the trial had brought out different
set of people than those who had gathered to
hear the arguments. the spectators being from
among the better class of society.
District Attorney Knowlton proceeded to
make the argument for the government After
some preliminary remarks on the nature Of the
crime of murder he said: This murder was
SO causeless, so wicked. so unnecessary-the
people who were killed were free from
the active chickering's of many around them
that it is case which presents the strangest
features. When the newspapers spread
abroad the story that this daughter had been
charged with this crime he could fully SYM
pathize with the feeling of surprise, yea
anger and indignation. at such a charge and
he WIS not surprised at the rising up of so
many friends for her.
Without the slightest desire to say one
word against this woman, and only actuated by
duty, am doing my best to unrayel this mys-
terry. The pictures Of that day are before
me-one the body of man clear from the
active participation in anything that smacked
of excitement. and so far as could be learned,
with not an enemy i'll the world. and to the
other. that of woman. almost from the same
point of view. They were both murdered. the
woman at least an hour and half before the
man. for | am going to assume that your honor
is going to take the testimony of Prof. Wood
il regard to those stomachs rather than that
OF a medical examiner who never saw the
stomachs. Now as to the motive. There was
no motive. There never is a motive. but there
is a cause always. How was The Ratchet, which
used as an instrument, used? BY some
one who physical if not a mortal. coward
by one who did not want the person to see who
did it. The blows were struck from behind.
As we listened to DIR. Diapers testimony we
were struck by the fact that it was not a man
who did this work. We sec i'll il. however a
weak. imperfect feminine hand that only knew
the impulse TO strike, but not with the strength
of 4 man. Those blows were not even evidence
of malice. because they were all weak. irreso-
Lutte blows. We are faced with the enormous
unnatural fact that somebody did this work
and The srst obvionS inquiry make is-who
l. benefited BIZ the removal!
Il know no difference between reputable and
homes, Lizzie Borden and reputable and honest
Bridget Sullivan. When Lizzie Borden testified
she told different stories-she contradicted her
self. Where were Mrs. Borden and Lizzie
when Bridget came into the house that morning
after she had gone into the yard? They were
upstairs alone. Before that Mrs. Borden had
toid her 10 WASH WrcowS. Ar. Borden had
gone away, and when Bridge. camc 10 the screen
door Lizzie appeared and was told by Bridget
she need not lock he door but that he would
be in the ward and cOuld see anybody going or
coming that she would get her water in the
barn Il Lizzie said so.
'All the house was clear but of Lizzie and
her stePmoiher. and when hir. Borden was
down town. and when Morse was away. and
when Bridget was at work in the yard. then
the deed WIS done III That upper room, ard
when Nr. Borden was let in by Bridget Lizzie
and Abbie Borden alone in the guest
cnambcr-oEe dead, the other alive. And when
ialzle was ut the head of the stair, when
Bridget was at he door, she was where u
woman was so killed that when she fell with
her mass of flesh 70 the floor she bruised her
face and made such a noiSe it must haze been
heard Then she takes out her things and be-
gins to ron.
Bridget went upstairs. leaving Lizzie IRON
ing, at three minutes 20 eleven. nearer to her
father than am TO you. your honor. In five
minutes her father was dead. She could not
have been down stairs. because she would have
heard the noise; not upstairs, because she was
Ironing. 1t II now more difficult than it was to
imagine the improbability of the story she told
about thai barn. Where the men whom Lizzie
THINKS did the deed were ali this time we don't
know.
Lizzie Borden says she went out TO get some
iron OF lea to fix a window and she had told
others she went to get some irons aud again
lead sIakcrs. And she stared in that barn twenty
minutes. where no woman would have STAYED five
rlinutes. gave her all The chance in the world
and asked her 10 account for that time ard she
said she went up there and ate pears-there of
all places in the world-and she did not feel
wei and could not eat any breakfast In the
hottest part OF the day to the hottest place on