The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-08-15
FOR LIZzIE'S DEFENCE.
The Best Legal Talent in the Coun-
try Will be Called.
THAT STAR CHAMBER INQUEST.
The Number IL Growing OF Those Who
Think n Public Inquiry Would Have
Been More Just-Gossip is stin Rife
About tho Fall River Mystery.


FALL RIVER. Aug l5.-The immediate
friends of Lizzie A. Borden are planning
for her defence when the case against her
comes TO trial, should the preliminary
examination on the 22i result in finding
of probably guilty. The names of several
leading attorneys OF the country are being
considered In the course Of selecting a
suitable senior to Mr. Jennings in the
trial. AMONG distinguished criminal
counsel who have been recommended are
Gen. Roger A. Pryor Of New York. Solo
mon Lucas. ESQ. of Norwich, Conn, and
John Andrew Taylor OF Brooklyn, who. In
the past has won some critical cases, and
who defended Carlyle w. Harris.
Gen. Pryor's ability has had illustration
In this neighborhood in the famous
Canonchet cases of the Sprague's. His
legal acumen and his oratorical power
were both widely recognized in the part
he took with others, In those cases. Lucas
is one OF the keenest examiners in New
England, and has held the highest rank
in criminal cases In Connecticut for
years. Taylor is incisve, eloquent, ora
torical, and above all (as will be recog-
nizei as necessary in the present case),
simply tireless in his efforts in behalf of
client. He is about 80 years of age
Lucas is nearly as old rs Taylor. Gen.
Pryor Is several years older than either.
or course. comment i still rife as to the
possible revelations afforded thus far by
the inquest. The number is growing of
those thinking persons who say that IL
should have been public Inquest. As
suredly, much newspaper error ana con-
lecture which cannot help the case would
nave been avoided IL the inquest had been
public, and ground for misjudgment Of
the police and the district attorney would
have been removed thereby; but, as Dick
ems said OF the simile, dead as a door
NALL" which he thought should have
been, Dead as a coffin nail, "the wisdom
of our forefathers is in the practice of
privacy on su ch occasions, aud our un-
hallowed hand must not disturb 1t.
The Rev. K. A. Buck returned from
Taunton, having spent the night there,
Saturday afternoon, and was so busy
until evening. when he retired early, that
he could see no one not directly connected
with the case or with his parish work.
Mr.. Buck Is growing infirm and has to be
guarded lest he overdo. The strain of
the past week has been quite noticeable
In him.
Illustrations of the smallness and hard
ness of Andrew j. Borden multiply. A
well-known stonemason relates one. He
was member Of a committee appointed
by the knights of Pythias to confer with
bOTQcu dDOut ItdsluR bue lou Oh
which the A. j. Borden Block on South
Main and Anawam streets now stands.
During the conference Mr.. Borden pro-
posed TO lease the lot for twenty or fifty
years, on a sliding scale Of its assessed
valuation, and requiring but per cent.
on that amount, upon condition that the
Pythians erect building on the spot, to
cost at least $4,000, the building. at tue
end of the lease, to belong to the estate.
THAT" said the committeeman, after
remarking at the previous stages of the
proposition how favorable 1t was" that
knocked the whole thing. We wanted
him to provide for the sale to the estate
at a figure to be fixed by judges, but he
would not listen to that"
A neighbor who knew the family for
years said last evening that he could see
no motive on Lizzie's part for desiring to
kill her stepmother, for il was always by
tie stepmother's iItercession that she
got anything which her 'ather was not
willing for her to have.
He cited the piano, to which the old
man objected persistently until Mrs.
Borden presented the girls right to
piano. He could not see the use of such
"A thing. but he yielded.
Emma was told that il n young man
came to see her. it was her money he
wanted, for there WAS nothing about her
that anybody would want; and beaux in
the case OF either of the girls were rigidly
discounteuanced.
Emma gave In, crushed and spiritless,
to this kind of domination, but Lizzie
was more independent and would give
her father IA pice of her mind occasionally.
When Lizzie went to Europe it was her
own monev-money drawn from mill
stock-which carried her. Her father,
said this neighbor. would not give her
the money, and she proceeded to mort
gage her mill stock TO get the wherewith.
IF he wanted six eggs continued the
speaker, "he would take an old basket and
walk over to the farm-Swansen and back
for them, rather than buy them at a
store" The neighbor like many neigh
bors, did not believe that Lizzie killed
the old man, but he thought she had rea-
son to detest his penuriousness.