The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-06-08
Witnesses.
SPECIAL TO THE NEWS.

SPECIAL To TIE NEWS.
NEW BEDFORD, June 8-The Borden
trial is advancing rapidly. Two OF the
most important witnesses have testified.
OF them 1t can fairly-te said that the
government has learned nothing, and
the defense much. Tuesday night the
consensus of opinion. based upon the
governments claims, was that the de-
fense needed all it's resources. Many
felt that the government had success
fully passed the ordeal of the grand jury
aud won. It's claims m ust, therefore, be
based upon known facts.
But as claims are not facts 1t was noted
yesterday the government had difhcult
task ahead of IL. That statement Is more
true and forcible now. In brief. the tes-
timony of Bridget Sullivan and John V.
Morse is not as damaging as 1t was at
the first hearing. AT that time Brldget
Sullivan stood on the witness stand and
repeated her apparently weli-iearned
lesson not only with confidence but with
n show OF bravado. Noone believsi then
thai the commonwealth had by any
means exhausted her knowledge OF the
case. 1t was confidently claimed that
only SO much of her knowledge was
brought forth as was needed Now ~
appears that she not only Told all sne
Knew then, but that she knew positively
then many Things which sne does not
know positively nov.
1t is upon Bridget's testimony almost
wholly that the theory of EXCLUSIVE
opportunity" has rested. lf so lts toun.
daton was severely shakea by Bridgets
testimony yesterday
Bridget's Testimony Not Damaging.
Laying aside the irrelevant testimony
IL appears that Bridget went out into the
ward about o'clock to wash the win
dows. Except for an instant when she
was in the house TO get cup she was III
the yard until nearly 1920 O'Clock. Dur
ing that hour and a half the screen door
was unlocked. BY her own confession
il further appears that by far the most
OF that hour aud a half was speat by her
in such a portion OF the yard that she
could not see an yone soingin or out OF the
screen door For all she knows or could
see a dozen people might have entered
and escaped from the house entirely
without her knowledge.
Points in Lirzie's Favor.
Beside the fact that the screen door
was Unlocked it also appears that the
window ia the pantry In the rear hall
was also open and anyone might easily
have secreted himself in there or got in
or out the window. Furthermore Bridget
could not say that the cellar door was
locked. Lastly IL was shown tnat the
windows are so high above the level OF
the ground that persons within the
house Juld not easily be seen Dy anyone
on the walk outside unless those within
It od n .ar the win loW.
All o. these facts are new. At least
their especial emphasis ald c .ose con-
nection with Bridget are new conditions
with which the government must con-
tend when 1t tries TO prove the theory Of
exclusive opportunity" Exclusive op-
purtu lity is not 50 firmly grounded
whel 1T appears that Tor a full hour or
more the public had practically free ac-
cess To lae house and that plenty OF
places Of concealment were also available
In the house.
Rebinson's Handling of witnesses.
Ex-Governor Robinson proved himself
au exert in his handling of this witness.
Her testimony heretofore has been very
positive. Yesterday she stated at first
that she did hook the screen door when
she came In from washing the win dows.
Litter sne said she did not know whether
sue did or not. Finally she became con-
fused and said sic didn't know anything
about 1t or wnat sIe did say. There was
another point at which ner testimony
was less strong than ma beea anticipat-
ed. l. was the family re "A ions of the
Bordens. Upon the alleged Quarrelliug
and disagreement betweel the daughters
ana the parents is founded the motive,
and explanation Of the deed.
Bridget testified that their relations
were friendly so tar as she knew. She
had never seen them quarrel. Even on
the morning OF the tragedy Mrs. Il rden
anu IL zzle had passed. some pleasant
words IN her hearing. The girls ala NOT
usually eat with their father anu mother,
but otherwise she had seen no outward
evidences oil any illfeeling exi ting. She
was not ,ven prepared To say that the
failure 10 eat toge ether had no. been due
t. the TACT that Inc giris rose later in tie