Morning journal and courier., 1892-12-01
PROBABLY NO HILL.

PROBABLY NO BILL.
The Grand Jury May Report To.da,
on the Borden Murder Case-Th
Insanity Story Discredited.
TAUNTON, Mass, Nov. 3O.-District At
torney Knowlton notified the court thi
afternoon that the grand jury would prob
ably report tomorrow, when an end will
be put to the long agony in the Border
case for the time being, 1t is expected
The statement made by New Bedford pa
per this morning relative to the govern
ment trying to make out a case of insanity
was laughed at to-day by leading lawyers
here and in Fall River. No insane com.
missioners have yet visited Miss Borden.
When Attorney Jennings said in his argu.
ment before Judge Blaisdell at Fall Rive,
'tmy client is not insane" 1t was felt and
openly expressed at the time that he had
closed the only loophole he had in case
the evidence was against Miss Borden. For
the government to play into the hands OF
the defense by intimating and seeking
to prove that Miss Borden is insane is
laughed at. The statements made in re-
gard to the government wanting Messrs.
Trickey and McHenry is utterly without
foundation, as the whereabouts of both
parties have been known for weeks. They
could easily have been apprehended were
it desired. It may be action for criminal
libel will result from the publication of
McHenry's story in the Globe, but in this
case John V. Morse and Miss Borden will
be the interested ones. The feeling that
there will be no bill is strong as ever with
out no particular foundation for such q
feeling other than the singular action of
the grand jury.
srECULATIoNs.
BosToN, Nov. 30.-The Journal says
that while the report that the grand jury
suspended its finding against Lizzie Bor-
den, in order that she might be examined
by experts as to her sanity, may prove in
correct, still such thing is within the
range of possibility. The law says:
,"When a person held in prison on
charge of having committed an indictable
offence, is not indicted by the grand jury
by reason of insanity, the grand jury shall
certify that fact to the court, and there
upon the court, If satisfied that he is in
sane may order him to be committed to
state lunatic hospital, under such imi-
tations as may seem proper"
The court must be satisfied that the
certifcation of the grand jury is correct
that Lizzie Borden is insane, and there
fore not legally responsible for her acts,
and upon this issue all her friends have
right to take up her cause and show, If
hey can, to the satisfaction of the court
hat Miss Borden was rational being,
of entire mental balance and
,ontrol on the 4th of August last, when
Ter father and stepmother were go hor-
IDLY murdered.
The grand jury comes in at Taunton to- |
morning and if then not agreed |
lpon any such suggestions as has been |
will report such fact to Judge
Thompson, who thus may be called upon |
o pass upon the question of Miss Borden's |
anity. But it must be remembered that |
he grand jurors in such case declare that |
hey find no Indictment, because in their /
the prisoner is insane. On this
Joint in recent very interesting in
erview with Mrs. Mary A. Liver
more, that lady stated that from long
nd intimate acquaintance with Lizzie |
,orden's mother, dating from before
Ter marriage with Andrew ]. Borden,
he girls father. she had never known of |
he slightest indication of insanity nor of
nything of the kind in her family. It is
lso definitely established that there never
vas the slightest trace of insanity in Mr.
'orden's family other than the single case
f the old gentlemsn's brothers wife, be-
ween whom and Lizzie there were no ties
f blood. Mrs. Livermore knew both the
;orden sisters from their childhood and
as never seen, she said, any indications of
ny lack of mental balance.
A special to the Herald from Taunton
avs:
4 physician who has had considerable
experience as an insanity expert said to-
ay, that if the issue was brought by the
efense 1t would be q very difficult matter
or the government to prove that Lizzie
'orden was not insane. With the boot on
be other leg, however, he said 1t would be
most difficult thing for the government
D prove she was mentally unbalanced
Yhen she and her counsel both declared
therwiss and offered evidence in the
Dung woman herself to prove that they
7ere right. So, as Messrs. Jennings and
dams, are both of opinion that 1t would
q decidedly poor move to admit guilt
nd plead insanity. and as they refuse
ONT blank to do any such thing, and as
be doctors will not positively declare that
he is wrong in her mind, 1t is very proba-
lie that the case will come before the
urors to morrow forenoon with exactly
he same status as that with which it left
hem week ago last Monday, and they
7ill be called upon to ballot for or against
n indictment.
Lawyer Jennings, in his argument at the
earring in Fall River before Judge Blais-
ell when 1t was ordered that Lizzie Bor-
en- be held for the grand jury, declared
hat no matter who committed the murder
was the deed of maniac. At the same
ime he declared with great force that it
vaa not Lizzie A. Borden. So he certainly
i'd not commit himself to any theory of
Iizzie's insanity unless in the course of
vents it happened that overwhelming
roof of the young woman's guilt was
'rought forth. Then he could go back to
lis original argument and declare again
hat the murder was committed by the |
land of maniac.
But this overwhelming proof of her
,uilt has not been offered to the public yet,
nd it is thought that it has not been Of