Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-09-05
a GREAT MYSTERY.
Probably the Borden Case VIII Isemai.
Unexplained for Many Years.

Probably the Borden Case VIII Remain
Unexplained for Many Years.
The Borden case is likely to remain
for many years the most remarkable
in the criminal history of this coun-
try. 1t seems incredible that two
people should be murdered in the
heart of a village, in broad daylight,
one OF them in room the interior of
which was in plain view Of the street
where people were constantly pass
ing, with neighbors near enough to
hear any outcry and with people
passing through the house and likely
to disturb the murderer at any mo.
ment, and that the murderer should
escape after having mutilated the
bodies with insane frenzy, and should
leave not the faintest trace in coming
or going. True, the police, with
characteristic stupidity, jumped at
the conclusion that the daughter of
the murdered couple had committed
the murders. But this was evidently
nothing more than an unsuccessful
attempt to hide their own incompe-
tence. The trial has shown that they
had absolutely no evidence to base
the accusation upon. Scarcely less
extraordinary than the murders was
the central figure of the trial. A
young woman of gentle birth and
education. fresh from the horror Of
having discovered the mutllated re-
mains of her parents, is thrust into
prison charged with their murder,
and, after years confinement,
brought forth to be tried for her life
Most women would have broken down
under the strain; the pail OF horror
would never again have been lifted
from their lives. Yet Lizzie Borden
has been cheerful, almost light
hearted, throughout, and the day OF
her acquital she declared was the
happiest of her life. There was
something uncanny and almost re-
pulsive in this inability to realize the
horror of what she had passed
through. The revolving death of her
parents is lost sight OF in the relief
from the disagreeable experience of
her incarceration and trial There is
evidence of the hard New England
life in this strange conduct, and it is
seen not less clearly in the action OF
Miss Russell. So far as two such
people were capable of experiencing
the sensation of friendship, Lizzie
Borden and Miss Russell were friends.
Yet, on the witness stand, the latter
displayed the utmost hostility to the
accused, and framed her evidence so
that, where her direct testimony did
not tell against the prisoner, the i'm
plication did. This young woman
seemed to find a bitter satisfaction in
giving the strongest evidence against
her former friend. AS psychological
studies, these two young women are
interesting.
The deep interest that the case has
excited throughout the country is
shown by the attention it has re-
ceiyed from the daily press. One of
5he New York dailies addressed queries
10 the leading criminal lawyers
throughout the United States, and
the opinion expressed by them is al
most unanimous against her guilt.
Another daily selected Jury of men
prominent in various walks of life,
had varbatim copies of the evidence
delivered to them each day, and re.
ceiyed from each sealed verdict on
the completion of the trial. Among
the more prominent names on this
jury are Edward Everett Hale,
Thomas L. James, Samuel Gompers.
De Lancy Nicoll, Mrs Lucy Stone,
and Albert A. Pope. Had the evil
dence been more conflicting than it
was, the experiment Of having such
jury would have been interesting.
A remnant