Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1892-08-20
WITHOUT BAH.

WI r1OOl bRlN
Lizzie Borden Held to Answer the Charge
of Numbering Her Father and Step
mother.
FALL RIVER, Mass, Aug 1S.-Lizzie
c. Borden was arraigned in the secon
district court before Judge j. G. Blais-
dell Friday morning charged with the
killing of her father and stepmother.
The courtroom was crowded to suffoca
tion. Miss Borden's friends at court were
very few in number. Mr.. Morse, Bridget
Sullivan, Miss Emma Borden and City
Missionary Buck were present Miss
Borden, the prisoner, was represented
by Andrew j. Jennings She was
dressed in dark blue tailor-made gown
and wore black-lace hat adorned with
few red berries. She entered the court
room leaning ON Missionary Bucks
arm. She was somewhat nervous, but
did not show either tears or trembling.
She was given seat beside her coun-
sci. Her sister Emma and Rev. E.
A. Buck occupied seat in front of the
prisoners dock.
The trial was commenced by the en-
tering of plea signed and sworn to by
the prisoner. 1t recited that the pris-
oner objected to the opening of trial
before q justice who was already
sitting at an inquest held to
determine who committed the
crime charged against her. This
plea was overruled for the time
being. and the judge asked for the
reading of the complaint. The reading
was waived and Mr.. Jennings said he
would enter plea of not guilty. Dis.
trict Attorney Knowlton. who was con-
ducting the prosecution, insisted that
Miss Borden plead herself.
Augustus B. Leonard, clerk of the
court, asked her to stand up, which she
did firmly and without assistance. She
was then asked to plead to charges of
homicide and did so in very weak
voice at first, saying, mot guilty"
The clerk did not hear her and she
raised her voice and said in quite loud
voice, Not guilty." putting strong
emphasis on the first word.
Mr.. Jennings then began to argue
for the acceptance of his plea that his
client should not be examined at the
inquest. The proceeding was contrary
TO all law and justice. He, as attorney
for Lizzie Borden, had been refused
permission to enter and guide his client
while an inquiry was being made. 1t
was not to be expected of human
nature that the same judge could act
at an inquest and trial and decide
fairly in both cases The proceeding
was wholly unprecedented.
District Attorney Knowlton entered
r demurrer against the plea. He said
he knew more than twenty cases in his
career where similar proceedings were
gone through with, and they failed to
| attract attention because the crimes
were not attended by such extraordinary
circumstances as those which preceded
| this arraignment. The matters of an
inquest and the matters of trial were
| entirely distinct, and it was not COM
| plimentary to his houor's Judgment to
say that he could not act fairly in both
cases. There was hot sparring, the
prisoners counsel displaying pug
nacious powers.
The governments demurrer was
finally sustained and Mr.. Jennings filed
an exception. He moved for II trial at
once. District Attorney KnowltoD OBJ
jccted on the ground that an inquest
was still going on. He asked for
| continuance unJll MOnudy' august @E,
and it was granted. Mr.. Morse and
Bridget Sullivan were held as witnesses
in bail of $500 each.
Miss Borden was asked to stand up
and was committed without bail. She
left the courtroom leaning on Mr..
Bucks arm and was closely followed
by City Marshal Hilliard, who again
placed her in charge of Matron Russell.
Miss Borden was taken to Taunton Jail
later in the afternoon.
Marshal billiard said that there was
great deal yet to be proven before the
crime could be finally fastened upon
Miss Borden.