The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-05-24
THE SIX KNOT|Y POINTS.
They Are Raised by the Prosecution
in the Borden Case.
THE ARGUMENT OF THE DEFENSE
Will Tend to show Inconsistent heories,
and Is Considered to he strong
Enough tn Probably Insure Miss
Borden's AcquittaI. It Is Claimed.

NEW BEDFORD, Mass, May 4-Consid-
cradle excitement was caused here yester-
day afternoon by the drawing Of nearly 80
Jurors for the Borden murder case.
1t is understood that the government
will bring into prominence six leading
features in the coming trial Of Lizzie A.
Borden.
These are C) the alleged burning Of a
dress by the defendant on the day follow.
ing the murders; (2) the mysterious rob
berry Of Andrew Borden's safe some
months before his death; () the alleged
strained relations between Lizzie Borden
and her father and stepmother; az the
finding of the Ratchet with which the muir
ders are alleged to have been committed;
o. the failure OF all other clues except that
leading to Lizzie Borden to offer any ex-
PLANTATION of the crimes: (6) the lack Of OPP
portunity for any other person to have
committed the deed.
Regarding the alleged burning Of a
dress, it Is said that the defense will prob
ably not offer a denial, but will put in an
explanation felt to be
Sufficient to Destroy the Weight
of the governments contention. 1t re-
mains TO be seen how satisfactory the ex-
PLANTATION may be. This is an important
point.
The robbery OF Mr.. Borden's safe, while
undoubtedly mysterious and possibly,
when unexplained, tending to throw sus-
picion upon some member Of the family,
1t is said can easily be met by the defense,
in so far as removing any conclusive rea-
son for laying it at Lizzie's door. This
whole episode will probably be treated as
q hearsay exaggeration.
1t is a very serious question, however,
whether the government can put in this
evidence, for IL is held that IL is inadmis-
sible, unless possibly il might be intro
duced as tending TO show the relations ex-
listing between the defendant and her
father. Even upon this claim, however,
IL Is held hat the court may not admit
the
Evidence About the Robbery.
While il is generally understood that
the family relations were not altogethe r
pleasant five years ago, the defense will
set out TO show that more recently the
family relations had been altogether pleas
ant m harmonious.
AS to the Ratchet, there Is no probability
that the government will put in any
Ratchet other than the one shown at the
preliminary hearing; and all talk of the
recent finding of other hatchets is abso-
lutely without foundation.
In all probability the defense will not
put forth with any insistence any explana-
ton of the crimes, devoting itself chiefly
to the defense Of Lizzie Borden to the
charge against her; but it is extremely
likely that the presence Of other persons in
the neighborhood of the house, DIR,
Handy's "wild-eyed man. and other
similar points brought out at the pre-
liminary hearing,
Will Again Be Emphasized.
The state, Of course. will again insist
upon the theory ad RANGED previously, that
It shows by the process OF exclusion that
no other person than Lizzie Borden had
the opportunity to commit the crimes, and
that no other person has been found upon
whom any suspicion can rest. that she
must ave done ii.
The defense, however, will insist that
this theory Is not consistent with the Ell
dence of the state, which il will undoubt-
edly argas allows abundant opportunity
for some other person to rave entered the
house, committed the murder and escaped
without detection.