The morning call., 1892-08-21
MYSTERIOUS MURDERS.

In the long list of awful murders which
stains the history of New England, the Boz
den murder will figure as one of the most
horrible. 1t transcends the most sensa-
tonal French murder in atrocity, and unless
new evidence comes 10 light or the criminal
is impelled by remorse to confess. it bids
fair TO be wrapt in mystery for all time
At the town of Fall River, in Massachu-
sets, there lived en- August 4. a man named
Andrew I. Borden, aged 20. his wife-who
was his second wife-aud two daughters By
bis first wife, Lizzie. aged 50. and Emma,
year or two younger. Aman named Morse,
a relative of the family, was staying in the
house, and there was one servant named
Bridget. Borden was rich, worth million
and half In well-selected securities. He
was in Door health. He had been heard to
complain that he did not get along with his
daughters. who treated him unkindly.
On the morning of the 4th of August Bor-
den went out after breakfast, visited the
bank, returned home and lay down on the
sofa In the sitting-room. During his alb
sence some one attacked his wife in her
bedroom. chopped her down with an ak
and murdered her with repeated blows of
the weapon on the head. She was large
woman. weighing 200 pounds. but no one
heard her fall. At the time Of her murder
the only persons who are known to have
been in the house are Lizzie, the daughter.
and Bridget, the servant. Morse was abb
sent On business. Emma was visiting
friends. Borden. as stated, was at the bank.
Lizzie says she spent part of the morning in
the barn cutting Sinkers out OF sheet of
lead. Bridget says she was in her attic
room doing nothing
When Borden lay down on the sofa Lizzie
adjusted the cushions for him. and it is sup
posed that he fell asleep. Almost immedi-
atelY afterward lie was murdered. His
head was chopped to pieces and battered
with an ax. Then followed wild screams
from Lizzie. in response to which the serv-
ant and neighbor came in. They found
Lizzie standing by the dead body. In reply
to inquiries she said that the dead mans
wife was out, but search soon revealed her
lying dead on the floor Of the room upstairs.
On hasty survey Of the facts the detec-
tiveS arrested Lizzie and placed her in jail
Oh suspicion of numbering her father.
The detectives theory hangs pretty well
together. Lizzie Is a robust masculine
woman. with strength enough TO WELD an
AK. She had no sofr ness in her disposition
| and was never known 10 have had an ad-
mirer. Six years ago she became member
-
class in the Sunday-school. The man
Morse. who seems TO have gained her conf
denee. told her that her father was about TO
make a Will bequeathing the bulk of his
property TO his wife. This, according to
the detectives, was the motive for the crime.
Affidavits from two druggists have been
obtained. 10 the effect that Lizzie had ap-
piled to each Of them for pTussic acid; one
Of them refused to supply her; the other
furnished the drug on the assurance that il
was 10 be used to poison rats. Vigorous
search revealed the weapon with which the
murders were committed under a pile of
clothes In the basement. 1t was a sharp
| thin-bladed Ratchet with handle two feet
! long. Near it stood bucket OF water and
| two or three towels, on one Of which there
were blood stains. In an old boiler was
found a piece Of half-burned cloth, with
| hooks ana eyes on ii. 1t is not easy TO see
how Lizzie could have burned an apron or
skirt after committing the murder and be-
fore the neighbor and servant came into
the room where Borden lay. Bat altogether
there is good deal of circumstaDtial evil
dence which somehow seems TO fit TO-
gether.
On the other hand there were many peo-
pie in Fall River who knew Of Borden's
wealth. and who may have known that at
the hour Of the murder there would be no
man in the house but himself. Lizzie says
that she saw that morning two suspicious
looking strangers hanging round the house.
a physician who passed the house that
morning noticed a pale and nervous man
lettering in the street opposite. A woman
living in the rear Of the Bordens
saw. on the evening before the muir
der, a man leap the Borden fence and
afterward heard a noise in the Borden
barn. The barn was examined and place
was found where some one seemed to have
slept. The theory Of the defense is that
a robber crept into the house early that
morning, and being detected by Mrs. Bor-
den, killed her; that he waited for Boz
den's return, and as soon as Lizzie had gone
to the barn to cut sinkers he entered the
parlOr and murdered him; but that her re-
turn foiled his design to loot the million
aires safe. and that he fed hastily, throw
ing his weapon under pile of old clothes In
the basement.
Able counsel have been retain ed for the
| prosecution and for the defense, and the
| public may feel assured that no effect will
| be wanting to elicit the truth
1