The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-08-26
Yesterday Afternoon.


an adjournment the court recon
vened at o'clock yesterday afternoon.
Inc room was nearly as we'll filed as at
the morning session. DIR. Dolan again
took the stand and In eight minutes his
direct examlnation was finished. He
the cross examination was conducted by
Attorney M. o. Adams.
The principal thing developed by At
torney Ada sas' long examination was the
exposure of the slip-shod methods OF the
police force and medical examiner, one
of the results OF which is the imprison-
ment OF Miss Lizzie A. Borden. The
principal government witness made n
confession to this, all owing to the fact
that his final search was delayed, and
that only a partial autopsy was held
shortly after the bodies were discovered.
DR.. Dolan's official reports eliminated Of
technicalitIe, were as follows: Before
proceeding with the autopsy called the
attention of the witnesses summoned by
me to the appearance and position of the
body, and caused them to carefully OBJ
serve the same.
The report then proceeded as follows:
"Thc left side OF the face and head was
cut and smashed by no less than twelve
distinct blows OF an axe or large hatchet.
further declare 1t my opinion that said
Andrew j. Borden came to his death
from a shock, the result of blows with an
axe (large batchet).
Dated at Fall River, County OF Bristol,
this Sth day of August A. D., 1892.
(Signed) w. A. Dolan, Medical Exam
iner."
This was the report of the examination
made August 4th of the body of Andrew
j. Borden, 70 years OF age.
The report on Mrs. Andrew j. Borden,
81 years OF age, says: "The autopsy pro-
ceeded as follows: On the left side OF
k1 koa ha q
and one half inches long, one quarter.
inch wide. On the right side OF her head
was a number OF cuts penetrating the
brain, so intermingled rs to be practical
ly impossible to count"
This "partial report" upon which
counsel for the defense dwelt sarcastical-
ly at some length, was not sent to Judge
Blaisdell until August Sth. This portion
OF the governments case is most clearly
given in the actual testimony, which was
rs follows:
@. Why didn't you make a complete
,utopsy? Wasn't the mayor theref
Didn't he give you authority A. Not
then.
@. When. Didn't you make on autop-
~ on the Sth OF August? A. i made n
partial report; there has been no official
@, Onicialf What are you but an on
ciai? Did you make report OF the au-
hs
Never mind te whom; did you make
a repor;f A. To whom?
q. Did you make a reportr
Witness did not answer and Mr.. Ad.
ans appealed to the court as to the pro-
priety Of the answer. The Judge thoag ht
the question ought to be answered, and
witness said he had made a report to the
district attorney August 14th. This re-
port was the result OF second autopsy
taken at Oak Grove cemetery, q week or
more after the tragedy.
The story Of finding an axe with blood
stains and hair upon 1t was verified by
DIR. Dolan's statements. 1t appeared to
DR.. Dolan that all the wounds except
one could have been inflicted while the
body lay on the floor. Mrs. Bordcn's
hair was "down," that is, not knotted
up, and was slightly inclined to gray.
One of the blows cut the hair as smoothly
as razor would, but by the other
wounds the hair was matted.
Mr.. Adsms pressed witness about put
ting his fingers into the wounds In Mrs.
Borden's head, then asked him II he
washed his hands after he had handled
the dead bodies. To this DIR. Dolan said |:
~ am quite positive did not wash my
Mr.. Adams went directly for the hatch
cts and asked DR.. Dolan IL he picked
them up. DIR. Dolan said yes, and the
lawyer said: "You pick ID that hatchet
up with your bloody handsf Didn't you
get blood on the bands?"
DIR. Dolan said: snow, not to evade
this question, remember I washed my
hands in the sink room down stairs be-
fore found the hatchets. Iswear posi-
tively.v
"Ob, Oh" said Mr.. Adams, "you re-
member II now"
Mr.. Adams wanted to know II DIR.
Dolan thought that the hatchet with the
peculiar claw head was the identical one
which produced the crushed wound in
Mrs. Borden's head. lie thought IL
could have done IL. The hatchct was
very sharp. and witness tried his thumb
on II. IL looked rs ~ IL had been recent
1y ground. II bad seven or eight spots
OF what looked like blood. Didn't touch
IL or try TO wipe IL of.
There were, on the axe he found, two
spots that looked like blood on the blade
and on the handle was n knot hole M
large as the end OF lead pencil that was
full OF what looked like blood. This
look "a like old blood and witness did
not attach any importance 10 the stun he
found In the knot hole. Was searching