Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1892-08-25
ON TRIAL FOR HER LIFE
First Day of the Hearing of
the Fall River Murder.
EXPERTS ON THE WITNESS STAND.

Room Crowded.
FALL RIVER. Mass, Aug. 2j-The
second district court room never before
held such a crowd as that which greeted
Judge Blaisdel this morning at 10
o'clock. II was the second day agreed
upon for the hearing Of Miss Lizzie A.
Borden ON the charge of killing her
father with an axe. Clergymen, laymen,
physicians and more than i50 ladies', who
were not directly connected with the
case were seated and standing in all
parts Of the room, while inside the rail
was an extraordinary crowd of reporters
and other newspaper workers Ladies'
occupied more than two-thirds of the
seats usually occupied by the curious
gang who usually flock into the lower
courts.
AT 1890 Mr.. Charles ]. Holmes
appeared with Miss Emma Borden on
/ his arm Following them came Mrs
/ Brigham. Mrs. Holmes and the Rev
/ Mr.. Buck. Miss Lizzie Borden came in
/ last with Marshal billiard
The sisters Don't speak.
Miss Bordens face gave evidence of am
extreme strain. She was handed to a seat
between her two legal advisers and
near settee on which her
elbow TO elbow, Miss Lizzie at her sisters
right hand. Not q word passed between
them
owe are ready TO proceed, your honor,
said District Attorney knowlton mt 1881.
Medical Examiner Dolan was called TO
the stand.
Medical Examiner Doiau Testines.
The witness testified to the position of
the bodies Of the murdered couple when
found, and TO sending their stomachs
to Professor Wood of Harvard
college, for analyzation. "Mrs.
Bordens body was dressed as You would
expect a housewife to be at that time of
day. II had an old handkerchief about
the neck that was bloody Witness did
not believe it was tied in knot and did
not rememb Der whether it was cut or not.
Surveyor IIiernan on the stand.
Surveyor Kiernan then took the
stand. Herman submitted plans Show
ing the interior and exterior of the
Borden homestead with measurements
of the rooms. description and measure
menis of the land, height of fences, To-
cation of the barn. etc. He saw blood
spots end located Them In the plans. 4
place in the plans showed whore piec,
of board had been taken from the Kitchen
Witness then described position of the
| blood spots. Lizzie bore an eXpressionles.
countenance and bit al the edge of q
palm leaf fan while Emma hid her face
behind similar article
Dolan Recalled.
Mr.. Dolan was called back to tn,
stand and the district attorney asked
him to describe the appearance Of Mr.
Borden's body when the cloth was lifted
from the dead mans face.
He answered 1T was the most ghastlj
thing ever saw
Mr. Adams objected to such a descrip
q tion and the witness went on. "The frs
, wound commenced at the right angle o
the nose on the left side, cut the cheek
r lips and chin The next wound com
menced at the frontal bone over the eye
o. cut the bone clean i'm two parts, brok
). the check bone and shattered the jaw
bone One of the other cuts showed ol
4 the left side Of the face. Almost over th
4 ear was crush wound one au'
\ a half inches wide and four inches lonl
n which literally. smashed the skull
There were ten wounds in the face anl
side of the head, all of them parallel
Nearly all of them were deep and Gu
through the bone A week after tn
4 murder ] saw all the vital organs of thl
cause of death
Mr.. Borden Died From shock.
Il "what caused Mr.. Borded's death?7
" Witness-"He died from shock
& The witness then told story OF tn
> bloodspots found in the room, saying tn
> side of Mr. Borden's head and face wa
., covered with blood. The shirt was blood
!. and the back of his clothes soaked. iii
:, head lay not on the arm of the sofa but i
! the angle The blood was not clotteC
= but fresh and still oozing from th
- wounds and the blood still warm Thi
!, was at 70. l1, when witness arrived at tn
Z house.
"a Reviewing the Blood spots.
e Five feet four inches above the sol
10 there were blood spots on the picture
a. Mr. Jennings cross examined the witness
'' itness did not know the direction
e. character or slope Of the blood spot
is The spots on the picture were difficult {
I'd find and could be seen only whe
IL the light fell on it from
ne certain point The piece
ps wood he saw in the marshals Off
ed exactly fitted the space where piece WI
xe cut from the door. Witness though
ld from the appearance of the spot of bloc
~ on the door casing that it was throw
lo from the sitting room toward q
kitchen. He then gave Mr.. Jennings
small sketch Of the piece of wood up,
which the blood was seen.
Witness-The spot was on the dinr
nr room side of the door casing did n
=, form any theory as 10 how this blo'
might have been thrown from an axe
n motion from the inside of the sitti
irl ROOM There were two spots, one of
ID. inch. the Other an inch west of the crac
nd I did not see any blood stains on q
rs. ceiling. / did not put upon the plan Z
he pile of boards in the yard near the fen
'yo nor the hay window in the barn
ais Jennings Would it be difficult for
a man to Jump the fence from the pile
.er lumbQri