Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1892-08-31


A Sensation Caused When the Poison /
theories We're Demolished, and Wher /
Prof. Wood Stated That There Was NJ |
Rests Its Case.
FALL RIVER, Mass, Aug 3.-The |
court room in which the hearing Of LizZie |
Borden is being held could not commence
to hold the crowd that gathered long be- |
fore the hour set for the continuation OF
the case. The hearing was resumed
shortly after 10 o'clock.
There were many surprises in the hear
ing yesterday, not the least among them
being Prof. E. S. Woods testimony. 1t
was the popular belief that he would
show some traces of poison in the stom-
achs of the murdered people and would
produce murderous looking ship car
penters axe, having blade from five tc
six inches in length.
On the contrary, he pulled out an in
nocent looking Ratchet from a medium
sized travelling valise and quietly, but
firmly, told the court he could not find
the slightest trace of blood on it, nor was
it allowed that such an instrument in the
CHASTITY wounds.
He also demolished the prussic acid and
other poison theories, and the crowds il
the court room wondered what was COM
ing next.
Prof. Wood looked for traces of all
kinds of common poisons. His failure tC
find them added much weight to Miss
Lizzie's strong denials that she was ever
in Smiths drug store, but, although
popular opinion ran in these channels,
the government officials did not depend
especially upon the poison theory.
1t is stated that all the District Attor
4 ney hoped to prove by Prof. Woods testi-
I mony was that Mrs. Borden was killed
some time before her husband. This fact
was we'll established. He said that the
| matter in her stomach showed that it
| had been undergoing the process of diges-
| ton for two or three hours, in his opin-
| ion about two and half hours. This
| proved that Mrs Borden died between 8
and 10 o'clock, probably about $3.50.
The State has already established that
Lizzie was in the hallway leading to Mrs.
Borden's room at 1896 o'clock, and she
has not yet been able to prove that sht
| was not in the house between 9:1J and l :1t
| o'clock, when both murders occurred.
The unfortunate quarrel between Dis
| trict-Attorney Knowlton and Mr.. Jen-
nings at the morning session causes much
comment in intelligent circles.
The most interesting testimony of the
day to the general public was that given
by District Attorney Knowlton, when he
read Miss Bordens testimony at the in
quest.
| There is a great deal of talk about the
intentions of the defence. Mr.. Adams
and Mr.. Jennings assert that the govern
ment's presentation of it's case was in
complete, and have decided to call many
witnesses who were supposed to have
been summoned by the State DR.. Bowen
| and many others will be called on.
Prof Wood was the first witness called.
He said he had received package con
| tanning two stomachs on the 9th of August
| and two jars containing milk used on the
, 4th and 9th of August. All were prop
, erly labelled. The stomachs were labelled
''AIr. and Mrs. Borden"
The stomachs appeared to be perfec tly
natural Mrs. Borden's stomach con
tanned about eleven ounces of solid food
The stomach was tested for prussic acit
but with q negative result.
The stomach of Mr.. Borden contained
5 only six ounces, chiefly water. In hi
I stomach there was only a small quantity
of starch; the digestion in his case, thu
contents being nearly all water, was mucl
further advanced than in the case of Mrs
Borden. There were a few threads o
| vegetable tissue in his stomach, which
, might have been apples.
III Q.-Could they have been pearsl
Ayes.
Q Witness had not yet analysed the mill
/ and could not report upon that.
@ con the 10th of August l received from
DR.. Dolan a Ratchet, two axes, blu
drcss-skirt, dress-waist, white starche'
skirt, lounge cover, and three small en-
velopes, in which were hair taken from
Mr.. and Mrs. Borden and hair taken from
8 the Ratchet. On August 16 witnas
q received pair of black stockings.
It The Ratchet contained number c
d suspicious-lookings spots, but careful eS
e animation showed no traces of blood
e Every spot which looked like blood wa
examined but no traces of blood wer
. | seen.
A big smirch on the blue skirt locke
. like blood but was found not to be blood
The white skirt had one spot whic
O looked like blood and was found to b
one and it was directly in front and abou
six inches from the bottom.
- The carpet was blood-stained this wa
the sitting room carpet) and there wa
X. blood of course on that
Of There was no blood on the loung
cover.
ne The envelope marked chair from A .