The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-06-16
Thu BORDEN MURDER CASE
Evidence on the Part of the State
Concluded.
OPENING FOR THE DEFENSE.
The Prisoner Overwhelmed with Floral
Offerings.
An Outline of What the Defense Proposes
to Prove-The Previous spotless
Character of the Prisoner-The
Family Relations.

NEW BEDFORD, Mass, June 15.-The
tenth day of the Borden trial opened with
big crowd. The prisoner was over
whelmed with floral offerings and APP
peared in excellent spirits, despite the
seeming disheartening proceedings of
yesterday.
The witnesses today were the druggists,
who testified as to the use of prussic acid.
The defense vigorously contested every
point OF the prosecutions testimony,
which went TO show that the acid was not
used for other than medicinal purposes
and was unsuitable for cleaning furs, the
purpose for which Miss Borden said she
wanted it. Finally court excluded all
testimony in regard to the purchase OF
pruSsic acid and the commonwealth rested
its case here.
After recess Mr.. Jennings opened the
case for the defense. He said they would
show the previous spotless character OF
the prisoner and the absence of intent,
purpose or opportunity. Defense would
show that the relations between father
and daughter excluded a motive for kill
ing him, and motive to kill the mother.
1t was not enough for the government to
claim that some person killed both. He
said the evidence against the prisoner
contained not particle of direct testi-
mony, but was wholly and absolutely cir
cumstantial. We shall show you there
were others about the house on the day
of the murder, and that people were in
the barn and all over it before it was ex-
amined, and we shall show you
that her dress was soiled with
paint early in May and was burned
without any intent to deceive the officers
and other witnesses. The prisoner
had on the very dress she said she wore,
and we shall ask you to consider that no
blood was found upon it or her. During
the opening the prisoner sat with her face
buried in her handkerchief, crying.
Martha Chagnon testified that at about
II O'Clock on the night preceding the
murder she heard noise like the pound
ing on Borden's fence.
| Charles n. Clifford and Uriah Kirby
both swore to having seen the strange
man near the Borden residence at the
same hour.
Mark Chase sWore that he saw a buggy
standing in front of the Borden house al
II O'Clock on the morning of the murder;
in it was man whom he never saw be-
fore nor since.
DR.. Handy testified that on the morning
of the murder he saw in the neighbor-
hood a medium sized young man, very
pale and acting strangely. Mrs. Hart
testified to the same effect.
Walter p. Stevens sWore he went into
the barn on the morning of the murder
and heard people walking about in the
upper part. This contradicts Officer
Medley's testimony.
Herman Robinski testified that he saw
a woman come out of the barn on the
morning the murders were committed
and go to the stairs at the north side Of
the house.
After some other testimony the jury
retired while counsel arpued the adniSsi-
bility of the evidence of Joseph l.. May
who found man covered with blood neal
the Steep brook August 10th and whs
talked about the Borden murder. TIL,
question was reserved until tomorrow
and the court adjourned.