The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-09-02
FOR THE DEFENCE.

Mr.. Jennings opened the argum ent for
the defence. He said among other tn ings
that the complaint alleges that on the
4th day of August Andrew j. Borde
was killed by his daughter. He ap-
preached the subject with feelings wide
ly different from any other case he had
ever handled. Mr.. Borden was not only.
his client, but his friend, and had any
body told him four weeks ago that he
should now be pleading for the daug hter
of his old friend, he should have said it
was beyond the bounds of credibility.
That Andrew j. Borden was murdered
there is no doubt, and that the time of
the murder has been established there is
no doubt. The alarm was given at lib
to 11.15, and we know so far as we can
know from the evidence that
between Mr.. Borden's last entrance to
the house and the alarm from 25 minutes
to half an hour covers the time fully.
What took place after he got there?
Bridget Sullivan told her story and she
left him in the sitting room reading a
paper. Within half an hour Andrew J.
Borden had to go into the house, have
his talk with Lizzie, if he had one, go
up stairs and down stairs, and lie down
on the sofa, unless he was killed and
placed on the sofa afterwards. The
time must be reduced to from 10 to Is
minutes for the commission Of the deed.
1t is found that
After the Alarm
had been given the bodies were where
they have been SO often described as be-
ing and any man of common sense would
have said at once on seeing them that
this was the work of an insane man, OF
of man who was as black as black could
be. There was an unnecessary brutality
about it that suggests internal hatred
and revenge OF insanity.
This case is one of circumstances and if
there are those which weigh against the
defendant you are bound to observe
those which are for her equally as well.
The theory of the government seems to
have been that the crime was committed
by the inmates of that house. All their
work seems to have been directed by that
one idea. The isolation of the Borden
house has been shown. 1t is claimed
that no one could get out as there were
people all around to see who passed and
repassed, if any there were, and the at
tempt is made to show that no persons
were seen. What is the fact, however?
They knew the house has been burglar
lied within two years and the barn brok-
en- into within two months and the facts
are not disputed. We show something
the police ought to have discovered, the
stranger within the gate, as told by Mrs.
Manley. They have spent night and day
following up clues to convict Lizzie Bor-
den, but know nothing about Mrs. Man
ley and the man she saw. Why? Be-
cause they are not looking for anybody
outside.
The extraordinary thing is that the
police can't find the man DR.. Handy saw,
but they can find the axe or axes Lizzie
Borden killed her father with. There is
the fact that strange men were there who
have not been found. These men got
there and the neighbors didn't see them,
and doesn't it follow that others might
have gone in and yet not have been seen
by the neighbors.
lodging about the house, and it hasn't
been contradicted. Isn't it entitled to
some weight? Mrs. Chagnon heard some
body making noise at the fence on the
division line the night before. We say
that this goes to break down the govern
ment's claim that
This Deed was Committedi
by some one in the house.
So far as we know, Morse, Lizzie and
Bridget Sullivan were the only persons in
the house at the time with the murdered
persons. Mr.. Morse having accounted
for his time, leaves the others alone, the
youngest daughter and the servant. Here
Mr.. Jennings called attention to the
words youngest daughter" She was
the pet of the family, the one whose
fingers were last clasped by the dead
father and the one whose head last rested
against his breast
Lizzie here burst into tears and Mr..
Jennings was himself almost in tears.
Continuing, he said he did not believe
that either Bridget Sullivan or Lizzie
committed the deed.
Now Andrew j. Borden couldn't have
got into the house before 1916. There |
are 20 minutes of Bridget's time not &C
counted for and nobody has asked her,
On the side of the prosecution. what she |
was doing all that time. If she could do |
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