Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-06-18
The Trial of Lizzie Borden.

The Trial of Lizzie Borden.
Despite the proverbial tendency OF news.
paper writer's to adorn whatsoever female
subject their pens touch. not one OF them
has vet described LIZZIE BORDEN as beau
tiful young girl.
Her age Is 81 and her disposition even
more than her years has made her an old
maid. She has never cared much for the
society of men. Some OF the reporters
and correspondents who are writing mp
her trial have gone so far as to say that
her face is pleasing" or interesting" v;
but beyond that moderate praise they
have not venturej. However. what is
more to the point ct the present time Is
that it Is conceded by all OF her biogra-
piers that Ler life, so far as her neighbors
know that life. has been that OF good.
Christian woman. II is doubtless true
that sho was at enmity with her step
mother-althcugh even this is donied-
but 1T appears that she was afectionate
towards her father. Here the prosecution
encounters q serious obstacle. Admitting
that she had malice toward her step
mother, what motive could she have had
for killing her father?
The prosecution seems also TO nave
failed in proving that LIZZIE BORDEN was
the one person who had tho opportu-
nifty" to do the killing. BRIDGET SULM-
VAN was the only other persons except
tho deceased and Lizzie known 70
have been IN the house. BRIDGET
IL not suspected-she Was in her room
wing down when LIzzIE's CRIES brought
her forth into the downstairs room
where Mr.. Borpry lay dead-but 1t has
been shown that whilst LIZZIE was in the
barn. whittier she says she went and
STAYED about q quarter of an hour. any
man concealed about the premises might
have done the numbering. Here, however.
the defence has to meet the evidence OF
experts showing that the wife was dead
for an hour or more before the husDahu
death. On the other hand. II is established
by two witnesses that LIZZIE was seen
coming from 1.-THE barn stable and car
riage-house we should call ito which
she says she went to get lead for slnkers
for fshing-line'. The testimony OF po-
lice officer who declared on the witness
stand that the dnst on the floor OF the
barn was untracked when he visited u
after the murder has been utterly extln-
guished by several witnesses who preceded
the officer to the barn and themselves
walked over tina. very floor.
The defence contends that while LIZZIE
was in the barn some other person slipped
into tho house and killed the two old peo-
pie and escaped.
The evidence that LIZZIE tried to make q
purchase Of prussic acid with which to
clean fur." Gas she alleged was ruled out.
1t was proved. however, that some days
before tho murders LIZZIE hal said to
neigh bors that she feared some one would
kill her father: that he was so rough IN
his manner also that shs had forebodings
of coming trouble. &c. Il is established
az fact that LIzz1r burned one of her
old dresses" new Bedford-cord dress"-
a day or two after the murder. She said
that she got paint on it some mouths pre-
vlous when the house was painted. Ihls
burning was done in the presence OF
others. and police officers were actually In
another part OF the house at the time.
What is more, the defence has proved that
LIZZIE did not wear that dress on the day
of the murders
Soon after the arrest of LIZZIE BoRDES
her sister EMxA visited her IN the police
station at Fall River. 1t is said that the
sisters quarrelled and separated in anger;
that LIZZIE said to EMMA, You gave me
away" &c. This EMMA positively denied
when called as witness by the defence.
And il has been proved that the matron OF
the station wished TO sign card for pub
lication IN the newspapers DENYING the
story, but the police marshal refused TO
give his consent to her so doing.
Thursday, st tho end of the day, the
counsel for the defence attempted to in
troduce sensational circumstance, but
the Commonwealth's lawyers fought 1t
tooth and nail and kept it out. 1t was the
story Of French-Csnadian wood-choppcr
living at Steep Brook, on the edge OF Fall
River. De saw lunatic with an axe in
the woods. The man was all bloody, and
kept saving. Poor Mrs. BORDEN" Poor
Mrs. BORDEN" This was on the day after
the murder.
Counsel for the defence had the priyi-
lege of putting LIZZIE on the stand TO tes-
tify in her own behalf. but declined TO
avail themselves Of 1t. She testified be-
fore tho coroner's inquest. but not before
the trial jury.
LIZZIE BORDEN has grown brighter and
brighter with the daily improvement III
her prospect. 1t was when the court
threw out the prussic-acid testimony that
she began to change her demsanoF. " She
sat up straight and firm. She opened
wide her big brown eyes, picked no her
bouquet and smelled 1t and put its
blossoms in better order. A rosy blush
came over her face"
The verdict of the newspaper who
have been reporting the trial Is that the
Commonwealth has not proved its case.
Many, indeed. go farther and declare their
belief that the accused is innocent.
Tomorrow argument of counsel begins,
and IN few days We shall know the
opinion Of the jury.