New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-06-08
LIZZIE BORDEN'S ORDEAL.
THIRD DAY OF THE TRIAL.
JOHN v. MORSE AND BRIDGET SULLIVAN
ON THE STAND.
THE STATE TRYING TO PROVE THAT ONLY TN
PRISONER CAN BE REASONABLY SUSPECTED
OF THE MURDER-A STRONG CHAIN
OF cIRcUMsrANTIAL EVIDENCE
(BY TELEGRAPH TO ruK rRrBuNE.J


to prove Is that nobody else be reasonably sus'
pected Of the crime; that she mpy be so suspected.
and, therefore, that she must be guilty. Judged Dy
Its effect In carrying this conviction, the evidence
thus far submitted is undeniably strong. 1t has
been presented In much the way that scraps OF
n torn paper might, when all collected, be put to-
gether Gradually the writing Is shown in something
like the original form, with most OF the letters In
place, the torn edges fitting. Whoever struck the
blows that ended the lives OF those two old people
broke mp a queer household and drew the curtain
down upon q drama of domestic life strange ana
disa grccable.
They 10 to work early down here Everybody u
up and at 1t long before the Is supposed to nss
In New-York. Court assemblies at o'clock and IL
doesn't adjourn until S. 1t works, too, all the while.
The judges and lawyers trying Lizzie Borden at
gnIopng pace. Witness after witness is drawn on
and chased of the stand almost before the significance
OF what Is said can get lodgment In the jurys
mind. The defence has made no factious opposition
to the prosecutors methods or proceedings. II
does not object for dramatic effect, gain time, %
even to confuse the Jury with false issues. 1t II
amazingly considcrate Of the prosecutors rights
ard feelings perhaps Thinking that no jury can bs
found which will agree 10 hang person because no
other person con be found who Is more likely to de-
serve It.
TIE third day Of this extraordinary trial has gone
without presenting any physical spectacle that differs
from the scene with which the first day opened. Tho
gray haired Judges sit with sernly decorous de-
meanor, watching every movement Of the Witnesses
counsel prisoner; listening inteny to every word
and speaking only occasionally as the objections os
arguments Of counsel require their interposition
The prisoner, with the calm melancholy which has
so notceaby distinguished her manner conducs
and speech since that fatal 4th OF August and Of
which her exhaustion yesterday was an expression
rather than contradiction, sat quietly listening to
the evidence, only and then indicating By look
or attitude more than an ordinary interest In the
proceedings. She permitted to sit by the side Of
her counsel instead OF In the prisoners dock.
The important witnesses to-day were John V.
Morse, the prisoners uncle, who was paying visit
TO the Borden house the day OF the murder, and
Bridget Sullivan, the solitary servant OF the family
who has been for the last year in the States sale
keeping to be ready for the ordeal through which she
passed to-day. The evidence OF these witnesses
significant only In scraps, and In order to make
the story clear which these little tdbs OF evidence
supposed to tell 1t is necessary to bear in mind
the theory according to which the State presents them
THE STATES THEORY OF THE CRIME.
District Attorney Moody alleges that the murder
OF Mr.. and Mrs. Borden was committed on Thursday
morning. August H. at some time after half-past
o'clock and be H. He asserts tat during thar peiioi
OF time the two victims OF the tragedy with Bridget
sullivan and uszie Borden were the only persons IN
the Borden house. He claims that the extraordinary
habit which the Bordens had Of locking and double
locking the doors Of their premises. which habit on
that day I'm full force, prevented the ready IN
gress of assaant. Bearing these points In mind.
the testimony OF Morse. the uncle, and Bridget the
cook Is In many respects important but whether 1t
convcts Miss Borden adds to the natural mprob'
ability OF daughters killing her father, Is question
which every person must answer for himself.
Morse Is an elderly man, not handsome 10 look upon,
but with the general appearance OF All honest, fair.
minded, New England farmer lie answered the ques-
tiors put 10 him deliberately, carefully, as though no
wished to obey the oath he had taken to speak the
truth the whole truth, and nothing hut the truth. 40
nearly as was humanity possible lie is the brother
OF Lizzi.s mother. old Mr.. Borden's first wife. who
died In 1901. The second wife, by the way, who
WIS sxty-three years old when she was killed. was
married to Borden In 1864, that H. as the prose.
cution asserts, she the object Of Lizzie's pro-
found and bitter hatred. fellows that the prisoner
| had put mp with her for long while.
THE DAY OF THE MURDER.
| Mr. Morse came into this neighborhood from the
| West three years ago. Whenever he went to FAN
River 1t his habit to stop at the Bordens house.
He did Wednesday, August 3. the day before the
murder, and guest there on August 4. when the
murder committed 50 that II Lizzie IS guilty,
with all the days Of the year to select from for the
commission of her crime, she deliberately chose ono
when her uncle at the house and liable nj any
| moment to interrupt her horrible work.
Mr.. Morses stay at the Bordens on the day an"
| during the night before the murder, was eh'irey
without coincidence. lie found the elder boruehs
allng and general ply ysical ndisposuon preVaihhs
| in the family. lie occupied room dstlhs''sheo %
the gueschamber. Oh the second noor III the horu'
west corner OF the house. lie had good nights
| sleep and got up early. The m rning WAS not Ie
went downstairs into the paror, and presently Mr.
| and Mrs. Borden appeared. The three at ABOUT
| 7 o'clock had breakfast together the two Bouen
| girls Emma and Lizzie. falling t. appear winch
| Bridget Sullivan explained when she took the stahd
bv saving that they generally and had breakfast
at later hour than did their father ana stepmo'her
Afer breakfast Morse into the sittingroom, and
remained there until quarter before ocioeh' ME-
and Mrs. Borden and Bridget the COOK, passing N
| and ont OF the room their ordinary household
| occupations seemed to require. At the hour ]uss
mentioned Morse went downtown and attended TO
various matters OF business, accounting In his evidence
for his whereabouts quite clearly during this interval
until forty minutes past H. At about that hour he
presented himself again at the BOsiens' house and
was met with Information that bis brother rinlaw
was dead. Mr.. Morse makes oath that from the
time OF his arrival the Bordens' house the day
before the black tragedy until his return from his
business errsnds In the city at IL 40 the next day.
both murders that hour having been committed, b
had not met Lizzie Borden.
ALLEGED MOTIVE FOR THE MURDER.
! Borden was worth. by agreement Of counsel was
| In court to-day admitted between S250,O00 and
100000. He died without makng q will. The
state ascribes to Lizzie the motive OF having killed
him to get his money. and to prevent II from being
diverted to Mrs. Borden and her relatives The
state bases this theory the fact which II inerds
to prove that at some time prior and not very close
to the tragedy Borden had rendered financial assist
ance to orr OF Mrs. Bordens relatives. and had
encountered the protests and iwill Of his daughters
for so doing. To this incident is ascribed, also.
some part OF the hatred which the State says Lizzie
entertained toward her stepmother, though when it
occurred Lizzie and the stepmother had been living
together Oh terms commonly reputed to be good
during practically the whole period Of Lixzies Mfc
At one time It halfsuspected that Morse
might have been In colluslon with Lizzie. That is
not alleged. But 1t win naturally occur to inquire
| why, II she did the killing and her uncle was not
In colusion did she select the occasion Of his visit
for the murderous ASSAULT Or, II he In collu-
sion, how did II happen that he and she did not
come together far anybody knows. until after
tie affair was overt
When at forty minutes past II O'Clock Morse got
| nnrSo