Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1893-06-09
BORDEN MURDER TRIAL
Now in Progress in New Bed
ford.


Impaneled---Outline of the Govern
ments CRse---the Evidence.
The trial of Lizzie Borden, on the
charge of numbering her father and step
mother, began at the courthouse in New
Bedford, Mass, Monday. Contrary to
| general expectation the task of finding a
jury proved comparatively easy, a panel of
II men being secured the first day.
Brief History OF the Case.
The horrible murders for which Miss
Borden is charged were committed at the
| Borden homestead in Fall River between
the hours of $50 and II 80 A. NJ. Aug. 4,
1892. The inmates of the household were
Mr. and Mrs. Borden, Lizzie Borden, and
Bridget Sullivan, the domestic. Ill feeling
existed between Miss Borden and her
father and stepmother on account of
trouble over the division of some property.
There is an older sister, Emma, not living
at home. On the morning of the murder
Mr.. Borden went out soon after breakfast.
Bridget was engaged outdoor washing
windows and Lizzie was engaged with va
riOus matters outdoor and in. When her
father came home toward noon she made
him comfortable on the lounge, and then
went into the yard, gathering and eating
some pears, being gone 10 or 10 minutes.
On her return she found that her father
had been murdered and called the servant,
sending her at once for DR.. Bowen, who
lived near by. Then she sat down on the
outside steps and was thus seen by Mrs.
| Addie Churchill, neighbor, and asked
what the matter was. She told Mrs.
Churchill of the murder of her father.
Mrs. Churchill came to the house at once
and asked for Mrs. Borden. Lizzie an
swered that she thought her stepmother
was not in, as she had received a message
that morning from a friend on whom she
thought she had gone to call. Bridget was
requested to look for her mistress, but she
objected to going alone and Mrs Churchill
went with her. As the two women ap-
preached the top of the stairs leading to
the second floor, they saw, on the floor of
the guest chamber, the body of Mrs. Bor
den. II was soon learned that She too,
had been murdered in about the same man
ner her husband had been, viz: with sever
al blows from some heavy, sharp instru-
ment, probably an axe or a Ratchet. The
bodies were horribly hacked and gashed
Miss Borden was arrested two weeks aft
err the murder, and has since been held in
Taunton Jail, excepting few days during
the preliminary hearing before Judge
Blaisdell, at the close of which she was
held for the action of the grand jury.
Public opinion has been sharply divided as
to Miss Borden's guilt. Those who have
maintained her innocence declare that, for
lack of any other solution of the crime
the officials have entered into a conspiracy
to convict her Others who have studied
the case closely believe that it is impossible
for any other person to have committed
the murders. The theory is, of course,
that in the absence of her father, she at
tackled and killed her stepmother, and that
after her fathers return she killed him
while he was lying on the lounge.
Throughout these 10 months she has re-
lained a remarkable composure.
The Trial.
At Tuesday mornings session of the
court District Attorney Moody outlined
the case for the state. He gave in detail
the reasons for believing Lizzie Borden
guilty, and produced sensation by saying
that the state would prove that Lizzie Bor-
den burned the dress which she had on the
morning of the murder, giving as a reason
to Mrs. Churchill that it was covered with
paint. Afterward, while the detectives
were at work on the case, her sister Emma
said: Lizzie, that burning of the other
dress was a big mistake. You ought not
to have done it," This visibly affected
Miss Borden, and she nearly tainted as
Mr.. Moody closed. In the afternoon the
Jury were taken to Fall River to examine
the Borden house and premises.
The Evidence.
: The most important witnesses examined
, on Wednesday were John V. Morse, an un
, Gle of Lizzie Borden, and Bridget Sulli
I van, the Irish domestic. Mr.. Morse is q
, man 80 years old, a plain, blunt lows
J farmer, who has lived in Massachusetts fol
three years past. He was a visitor at tn,
Borden's on the day and night before thu
e murder. He left in the morning, but re
e turned toward noon and was in the yarC
: when the murders were discovered. Blu
: the main point of his testimony was tina
after he went to his own room the nigh
e before he heard some one come up thu
: stairs and enter Lizzie's room. This wa
0 before Lizzie had retired.
A leading question raised by the defence
f is as 10 whether any other person thai
1 Lizzie Borden had an opportunity to com
I nit the crime. In this connection tn
i back screen door plays an important part
n the question being whether it was KEEP
: fastened so that no stranger could have en-
l. tered from the outside. Mr.. Morse testi
fled that he came and went by that doc
A and the lock was defective, so that it di'
3 not catch unless the door was slammed
s Anyone could open it by turning the kno
h sharply.
i Bridget Sullivan's evidence had been eX
s pected to make great sensation and to b
l. very damaging to Miss Borden. By eX
: Gov. RobinsOn's skilful handling of he
@ cross-examination, however, her evidenc
n helped Miss Borden rather than other
n wise. She could not say that the Border
s family had not lived happily together
e She had known of no trouble and no ang
a ry talk. Lizzie Borden and her stepmoth
g er had talked together in the usual way o.
r the morning of Aug. 4. Mrs. Borde
l. sent Bridget after breakfast to wash tn
IS windows. She was not sure that tn
II screen door was fastened after her, an
h she spent some minutes talking to neigh
# boris domestic with her back turned to tn
y house. so Il t there was ample chance fC
/ anyone to have entered the house unpel
- ceived. She became i'll before her outdoc
work was done and went upstairs and la
q down. She heard the clock strike IL an
d very soon after Lizzie called cut to her
" come down for her father was deaC
\ Bridget's examination occupied much les