Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-08-18
The Real Reason Why Lizzie Borden
Was Arrested for Murder.
WHAT BRIDGET SULLIVAN SAW,
And Not What She Guessed, the Cause Of
the Apprehension.
sOME OF THE FACTS NOW LEAKING OUT


Sullivan. The arrest followed immediate
" after her examination at the inquest
The onlv intimation that has been made
public was the remark credited to Bridget:
81 am not surprised that they arrested
Lizzie Borden"
To-day it was learned why she was not
surprised The leak came through one of
the officials who was present at the examina-
tiou. That official said to-day to an inti-
mate friend: ut was what Bridget
saw, Rot what she heard or
what she guessed. that led to Lizzie
Borden's arrest There were two important
points, and they did not occur to her mind,
agtated and shocked as she was at the time
of the discovery of the crime, until she had
a well defined idea of what the police sus-
pected. Bridget said that she heard Lizzie
down cellar hunting for something directly
after Mr.. Borden went out to go down town,
and some time after that she saw what she is
positive was the hatchet, lying half-hidden
in the sitting room. She heard Lizzie down
cellar before she went outdoors to wash
windows; also saw the hatchet when
she came inside to get some water to COM
plete her work.
snre That Lizzie Had the Hatchet
Whether the hatchet was then stained
with blood the official did not state.
Bridget saw it, and from certain indications
which she described to the officials, was sat-
isfied that it had been in the hands of Liz
zie, whether before or after the murder of
The stepmother she was, of course, unable
TO state.
1t was a strong point for the Government
1t was necessary to connect Lizzie with the
MN 1rf}or in
BILE. and Bridget did that for them. With
Lizzie down cellar and the hatchet upstairs,
conclusive point was established, and ac-
cording to the theory of the police it is
simply this: Either the woman secured the
weapon for herself or for an accomplice,
and in either case she had such guilty
knowledge of the crime as to warrant a
chirge of murder in the first degree.
The police can show, they say, that Lizzie
Borden was either the principal in the
murder or an accessory before the fact, and
everything they have secured thus far indi-
Gates the former, although there are few
loopholes which might admit the fact that |
she was an accessory, but they are few |
and far between.
A Theory Too Hard to Believe.
If, however, she was an accessory, it will |
throw out an idea that the woman was in
sane, and the police at present are strongly |
inclined to that theory rather than believe
that this Christian girl, with so strong
reputation for piety and missionary labors,
committed the heartless, cruel murder that
they have shown the killing of Andrew
and Abbey Borden to have been. That she
could have cold-bloodedly devised such q
crime with another person is almost beyond
their credulity, although all police officials
follow the principle that nothing is impos-
sible in crime. Why are the police so posi-
tive that no blood was spattered on the cloth
ing that Lizzie wore, when, as they claim,
she committed the murder? Because the
examination of the rooms where the muir
ders were committed shows that no blood
was spattered. This point is one which, if
published, could not possibly have resulted
in harm to the States case, yet the police
have persistently refused to discuss it.
However, it was learned Just how much
blood was about the rooms, and why it is
believed that Lizzie wore the same dress in
the crime without having made
stains on it. The officials admit that she
may have prepared for the crime by put
ting on an outside wrapper, but they also
claim that results show that such action was
and was probably not carried
out
Lifeblond Soaked All Around.
Where Nh. Borden's head rested on the
pillow the hleblood that oozed from the
soaked into the curtains, and run
ming down on the floor, stained the carpets
with great spots of gore. Upstairs, in the
,qGare room, the carpet near where the
body of Mrs. Borden lay was saturated. |
But this blood did not spurt. As the blows
were struck it flowed after the bodies had
been left as they were and the murderer or
murderess had flown from the ROOM
Mr.. Borden's head, as he lay on the sofa,
was no more than eight inches from the
nearer decreasing. There was not drop
of blood on that, from top to bottom, when
the officers arrived, but on the opposite
casing, three feet or so distant, were two |
tiny drops, not SO large as pea On the
Dashboard, below the back of the sofa was
B tiny speck, as if one drop which had I
forced itself through the sofa had BY chance
struck there. There was none on any por-
ton OF the wallpaper in the room.
The nearer decreasing might have been |
washed, some say. But if that was done |
the paint, recently cleansed, would certainly
show signs where soap and water had been
put on.
Upstairs the condition of affairs was about
the same. About the walls there was only
one tiny drop, and this was found on the
molding of the Dashboard, perhaps IL or Is
inches from Mrs. Borden's head. On one
The size of dime, both irregularly shaped,
but with the points away from the body, |
showing the direction from which the drops
,ame.
Only Five Drops Of Blood.
There were no specs whatever on any part
,t the bed or on the other furniture of the
'ooms These five drops constitute all. the
blood found beyond the pools about the
rrh off |
\ ork was done up and the assassin had
escaped from the rooms.
Medical Examiner Dolan, whose work on
he case has won many 'encomiums from
hose who have watched the course of
vents, is satisfied, and SO are the police,
hat there was absolutely no squirting of
blood from the wounds, and that there was j
lot necessarily one spot on the clothes of
he accused person. The five drops found
anne, it is believed, from the hatchet as it
vas swung through the air in delivering the
epeated murderous blows on the defense
ess heads of the victims. That is all there ,
S to the blood spots, and while, perhaps, one
II two tiny drops may be found on the dress
lizzie wore, the police do not expect them
nd do not by any means consider them
ecessary in establishing their case.
A much more important link in the chain !
# evidence which the Government is seek
ng to weave around the prisoner is the 8
tatement that Andrew j. Borden had not
My contemplated making will, but that
e had had several conferences with his :
aughters in relation to the matter, each !
ne of which ended in q row.
Some of the Expected Testimony.
1t is expected to prove the fact that Mr.. ]
'orden met with considerable opposition =
rom his daughters to the plan
-hich he entertained for disposing of his