New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-06-17

Fall River people, all acquantanccs Of tn" police
officers and they all at that time freely 'oi'
of their visit 10 the barn. The police must nave
known that Mcdlcys story could he iinpcachca'
If they didn't, they were grossly incompetent
detectives If they did. they give occasion u
doubt their integrity. The first of these INFER
cnccs might be accepted but for the fact that
throughout this trial the stories OF the ponce
men have been so often scf-coniradictory, ana
arc now BY the defendants witnesses so often
and so positively denied. From the time uov-
ernor Robinson worked the fact out OF Oihcer
Mullaly that tire handle Of the Ratchet TO WHICH
police suspicion finally attached was louhI
by Officer Fleet in the same box where he foun1
the head. Fleet having previously sworn t'a'
the handle was not there at all and had never been
discovcrcd-from that time the police testimony
has been breaking TO pieces Perhaps the worst
example OF this is the last-thc story OF Mrs
Reagan. the matron of the Fall River police
station She sworc that Oil the 10Th OF August
Lizzie being then confined a prisoner in the
matroa's room. Emma visited her and the two
sisters had a quarrel. She said she was III the
room sll the time AID yet the only part of the
Quarrel she heard was Lizzics charge. Emma,
you gave mo away" Emmas reply LIZZIE, l
did not give You away, and Lizzics fctor'ins
declaration Yes, you did give Inc away, mt l
shall not give TT an inch. Then Mrs. Reagan
polished up her story by telling how Lizz", VINO
was lying the sofa, turned over ana refuse"
to have anything further TO do with her sister,
and how they parted without saying eooIpS'
THE POLICE MATRON's EVIDENCE DlsPo ED OF.
Mrs. Reagan told this story boldly. The cross
examination was directed TO discover whether shc
had not, when that story got out, declared that
it was wholly false, and that she was not wit
ness 10 any such quarrel or 10 any quarrel. one
was asked whether she had not offered to si9h Il
paper continuing this denial and hal rot been
restrained from doing so by the positive INT 'rpn-
siton of Marshal billiard. All this was positively
denied by Mrs Reagan. She insisted that She
J ad overheard the quarrel that II occurred pre-,
ciscly she had testified: that she never den "a
having overheard il. and never offered to SIN inc
paper To-day Miss Emma l'orocn solcmny as
sured the jury that no such quarrel ever o'rufI'd
that j izzie never said anything of the KIND TO
her nor she TO Lizzie: that when the story I nr>'
camc out in the newspapers, SIC went 10 MR.;
Reagan about il, and Mrs Reagan dld deny II ana
offer 10 sign tie paper.
1t is not hard to find ont who is the pcrJnrrr
lere. The defence produced half dozen wit
resses 10 whom Mrs. Reagan did DENY 1t: they
put the correspondent of " The Ncwiork lIcral
on tho stand He said that he was present wnea
the paper, and the Marsha forbade her doing
anything of the kind. The prosecutor called
Marshal billiard in rcbnttal, but oddly enough, h'
didn't rebuff at all He said that Mrs, Reaean
came TO his Office with Mr. Buck. Mr.. Back
handed paper 10 him and said that Mrs Reagan
was willing to sign il if he said 50. lie GLANCED
at it, and tod her tina: size must not sign II, bd;
must 90 10 her roori and attend 10 her business.
Now, what was the Use Of the prosecution bring
ing forward such testimony as that Of the Reagan
woman? They must have known that She had
been living at some time either when she told of
the Quarrel or when she expressed her willingness
to deny it, 1t is the simple truth that you cannot
touch the police testimony at any point without
evoking a hollow sound and if Lizzie Borden is
acquitted somebody ought to be made 70 pay dearly
for the unconscionailc wrong that has been in
fic.ed upon her Al these policemen have been
promoted since the BoItcn tragedy. Wherc ,l'cn
they were special officers and patio!mcn, they
are now captains, inspectors ana assistant mar
shals Their salaries have been increased Whai
are these rewards for? 1t looks "a if that wer"
a question for the Grand jury of Bristol County
10 find the answer 70. ard il is 10 be hoped that
and s,rviceablc in assisting the Grand jury in
solving that question than he has been in driving
Lizzie Borden 10 her peril.