Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1893-06-23
BORDEN MURDER Case.
CONTINUATION OF THE TRIAL
AT NEW BEDFORD.

Mother at Fall River-Her Testi-
mony at the Inquest Excluded.
On the third day Of the Borden trial Civil
Engineer Herman was the first witness ex-
amiRed. He testified as TO the location Of
the bodies when they were found. James A.
Walsh, photographer, showed views Of the
Borden house. Surveyors and photOgra-
piers evidence being concluded, john V.
Morse, uncle of the prisoner. took the stand
On crOsS-examination he swOre that
on reaching the Borden house after the muir
der he saw officers in the yard that the
barn door was closed and he heard no one
inside. This contradicted the Governments
claims that officers. by immediate exam
inatiOn Of the barn. ascertained that the pris
Oner could not haze been there at the time
of the murder. A. G.. Hart. Joseph Short
Heve and James Mather, witnesses. called
after five minutes recess fixed the time when
Mr.. Borden was last seen. Cross-examina-
ton developed nothing but slight confusion
and uncertainty as to the exact time Miss
Borden yawned and looked on listlessly.
Mr.. Moody then called Bridget Sui
Ivan to the stand. Bridget SUIli-
the strongest witness OF
the day, but while her testimony placed Liz
zie Borden. the accused. in the home at
the hour Of the murders, the effect of
1t was weakened by the statement. re-
iterated with emphasis, that between the
accused and her stepmother, there had
never been, to witnesses knowledge an I'M
kind word. When the cross-examination Of
Bridget had been concluded the court ad-
jOurned. The line OF defence was indicated
by calling on witnesses to testify that the
person who committed the murder might
have been concealed in a closet
When the fourth day of Lizzie Borden's
trial had ended, from the vague and I'M
shapely mass of evidence produced by the
prosecution, the finger of accusation seemed
to the spectators TO point still more directly
at the prisoner. The first witness was Doc
tor Bowen. the physician VINO was sum-
mOned to the Borden residence after the
bodies had been discovered. He told
the situation OF the bodies, and said
that apparently nothing had been
disturbed in the rooms. On crOSs-examina-
ton he testified that he had prescribed NOR
phine for Miss Borden to allay nervous
excitement. The doses were increased
to double strength and had a ten
dency to affect the memory. Mrs.
Churchill. who lived in part of the
Borden house, testified to occurrences just
before the murder. She said that Miss BOr-
den was pale and excited afterthe murder
as to attract considerable attention. Miss
Alice Russell was then called. She described
Miss BOrden's burning the dress Sunday
after the murder Witness went out and
came in again and saw Miss Borden stand
ing near the cupboard door and tearing
or ripping small portions OF the dress. Rob-
inSOn>S crOSS-examinatiOn failed to shake
Miss RusSell's direct testimony. On redirect
she testified, against objection by defense,
that the cupboard in which witness saw q
part of the dress at the time of the burn
ing was used only for kitchen utensils. Then
there came a string OF officers. Two
points were made off George Washington
Allen, policeman. One was that table, I'M
spattered with blood. was found within three
feet Of the front of the sofa where Andrew
Borden was found dead. The other was
the production of a blOodstained and tat
tered handkerchief of the bandanna variety,
found on the floor. and not hereto
fore produced. Both these things are
pretty sure to mean something eventually.
Deputy Sheriff Francis H. Wixom swOre,
from his recollection of army wounds, that
Mrs. Bordens blood was coagulated when he
saw it. while Mr.. BOrdenS was not. This
helped out the prosecution theory that Lizzie
Borden killed her stepmother before break
fast, and then. after long chat with Bridget
and q peruSal of an old magazine, killed her
father. The clanking of the hatchets and
axes began with the examination of John
Fleet. Assistant City Marshal of Fall River.
He told the old original story of how he had
cross examined Miss Borden right after the
murders, and she had said ''She wasn't my
mother-she was my step-mother. My
mother died when | was little
girl He identified the two hatchets and
two axes, already known in the case. and
the new Ratchet head. He had found it, he
said. in a box on the cellar shelf on the Sat
urday aftert the murders. Officer Cunningham
testified that Immediately after the murders
he found the cellar door locked. This was
considered a strong point for the prosecu-
ton.
On the fifth day of Miss Borden's trial
there were more women than usual in the
throng that tried to gain admission to the
court room. Assistant Marshall Fleet was
the first witness called. His cross-examina-
ton was continued by Ex-Governor Robinson.
Robinson led Fleet into contradiction of his
testimony Of the day before that the broken
part of the Ratchet handle was covered with
ashes like the blade. He also said he put the
handleless Ratchet back where he found it.
and that it WAS not produced at the prelim-
mary hearing, and that he didn't testify
about it at this time because he didn't
think it was used for the murder. Police
Captain Harrington was caueI next
He testified that the prisoner said she LEFT
her father reading paper and after tw enty
minutes found him dead. and that she said
the motive was not robbery. as every. hing
was right about the house. Harrington ties
titled that the prisoner not in tears dur
ing the interview on TIE day of the murder.
and that she was very positive as to the exact
time she was in the barn. He described very
fully the prisoners dress at the time. On
croSs-eXamination be contradict ed Fleet as TO
the place where the Ratchet was found. Of
fcer Doherty then described his experiences
at the Borden house
There was less of a rush of spectators to
the Borden murder trial on the sixth day
than usual, the day opening warm and
muggy. The first witness called was Lieu.
tenant F. L. Edison. of the Fall River Police.
He testified to Intellectual attempt to
search the Borden cellar for the hatchet
handle sworn to by Mullaly. On cross
examination he described the thorough
search of the cellar after the murder