The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-06-21

might have been tempted 70 get rid OF =
girl NE vas forced to marry by lore for an
oshe1giri.
Bus in the Borden case the women folks
had snade mp their minds that she Was
guiIt:'. aad abou, her crime there Is moth
ing 81 romantic PASSION. OF womansy jeai-
cusy and consequent passionate ysnd.c-
tivensss. Lizzie Borden is not "a good
womsn gone wrong. she has not been
Wild; passionate woman who has loved
mott wisely but too well. and has tried
10 right her wrongs in the blood OF
her oetrayer: she Is either absolutely
innocent or guilty: and having resolved
that she 10 guilty the woman folk
have denied her all sympathy. From their
standpoint she Is nothing but hard-faced.
cold. :austere. sour ''oid msid'' who. in
herissng her fathers avariee, believed that
her Earnmonicus stepsnosher would OBJ
tain large amount Of property that would
othessxise go to herself and her sister. For
this tsason the woman fox believe she
bis.etly hated her ssepmother and finally
killed her and killed her father to COM
piesssthe crime. knowing that If he sur
vived he would feel morally certain that
his daughter WAS the mnrderess Of his wife
and great her in accordance with this con-
victim
vitwing Lizzie Borden from the stand
poin: of the women folk who believe her
guilty. their total Withholding OF all COM
passion or sympathy for her during her
trialts entirely natural: the woman did
not 10 wrong because of love" for any.
body that took the curdIed form OF pas
sionlse resentment or revenge; she went
wrong purely because of relentless. cold.
blocked hate for her stepmother; hate
thatiwas not born out OF crossed love, but
out sof disappointed avarice. This fairly
expiiins why Lizzie Borden has not re-
ceiyid any flowers. fruit. or any sort Of
ovation during her trial. The women all
Thought her guilty. and finding no touch
or dior of the "grand passion" in her
guilt have nothing but face of flint for
her Is repulsivs. hldeous parricide.
Ttss majority OF the men probably
thought her guilty. but believed her
insaje; the minority who believe her
INNOCENT take no very deep interest in her
because she is no longer young. and was
nevsf beautiful, or even handsome or
pretty; she has always led retired life.
neitSer seeking social sympathy nor in
vitiilg it from others. Even nov that she
has .een acquitted her fate il miserable
oneJ she is doomed to social exile
the lest Of her days unless the author
Of she Borden murders 10 discovered:
| she :cannot live In Fall River; she
can five nowhere In America with any
comfort until the executor Of the Borden
mur{ers is exposed to the light of day.
Untl that day the life Of Lizzie Borden,
IL sh,, 10 sane, II . life Of social ostracism
and Snoral exile. If she is really innocent
she j the most unfortunate Of ali women
in the world; If she is guilty and sane she
Is thp NEST repulsive; II che il guilty but
insane. ~ seems probable. she is entitled
| TO compassion as an insane woman held
responsible by public opinion for her In.
saneiac..
Viewed In any light, her position - .
most unfortunate one. The verdict Of the
juryshas saved her from punishment at
the Sands OF tho law. but it has not saved
her from her own conscience nor from the
terrI2ie suspicion that will always attach
10 her until the real criminal, if she 10 in
nocent, shall have been found