The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-06-17
her handkerchief and gave way to her


shed tears over the casket." Mrs. Holmes
made very good witness. She is little
woman, with bright, Intelligent face.
She wore a low bonnet with modest col
ors, black dress, and long talma black
cape and gray gloves. There was quiet
dignity and refinement in her attitude
and demeanor. Her answers were
prompt. her tones firm.
She too put Mrs. Reagan in an embar-
RAISING position. Mrs. Holmes recalled
the publication of the ''You gave me
away, Emma, did you not?" tale. She
was in the matron's room at the Fall
River police station when Mrs. Reagan
said to her, referring to the published
story: "You know, Mrs. Holmes, that
it is not true; for that was the afternoon
we were talking about the breaking Of
the eggs" The witness placed this as
on Friday, August 26.
Mrs. Holmes recalled how excited and
disturbed Mrs. Reagan appeared as she
came into the room, accompanied by two
gentlemen. They had paper. Il heard
her say that she would sign it (the deni-
al) If Marshal Hilliard would grant her
permission" There was sensation at
the sharp, crisp emphasis with which
the words were spoken. @
The cross-examination was very brief.
1t was only to bring out the fact that
Mrs. Holmes and few friends were
privileged to be with Lizzie. The wit
ness did not know of anybody whom
Lizzie wanted to see being refused of
her own knowledge.
The Sisters Story.
Several other witnesses testified to
Mrs. Reagan's denial of the story of the
quarrel, and then came Miss Emma Bor-
den, the devoted sister, in a plain, mod
est dress of black and low black toque,
with purple filmy lace and feathers. Her
face was pale and her features somewhat
drawn. Her manner was ladyNke and
dignifed. She gave her testimony clear
ly and unreservedly. She presented the
documentary evidence of Lizzie's perso-
nal property, bank books showing de-
posit in B. McDurfee Trust COMPANY of
$170; deposit Union Savings Bank, $500;
deposit Massasoit National Bank, $1,000:
deposit Fall River Five Cent Savings
Bank, $541; certificate Fall River Ma
tional Bank; four shares of Merchants
| Manufacturing Company's stock, dated
April 8, 1883, and five shares of the same
stock, dated 1851 (the par of Merchants
| mill stock is $100), and this would make
| the total of Lizzie's possessions $4S11.
Emma presented an inventory of the
dresses in the clothes closet upstairs.
There were Is there belonging to her sis
er andsherself apd one belonging to Mrs.
Borden. She said that DR.. Dolan gave
| her his positive assurance that the search
of the house had been as thorough as it
could be without the paper was torn
from the walls or the carpets ripped up
from the floors
| Miss Borden's eye frequently strayed
to Lizzie's chair, where the younger sis
ter sat in close conversation with Cover
nor Robinson. There was no tremor in
Miss Emma' tones as she told of the
closeness of the search on Saturday, the
day of the funeral. Against the Com
monwealth's objection, she was permitt-
ed to state what Mr.. Jennings told her
concerning the search that day, ssthat
not box or a barrel had been left unex-
amined.''
She told the story Of the Bedford fcord
dress. 1t was light blue with darker
stripe, a very cheap material, which
cost 123 to Is cents yard. 1t appeared
it was made in May and not in March, as
Miss Russell put it.
when did Lizzie put it onT'
Oh, the very next morning, Emma
thought, and then the witness smiled
brightly, and Lizzie looked amused, too.
1t was aItableaux of rare interest, as these
two sisters faced each other, the life
of the one possibly hangingupon the ut
terance of the other.
Miss Emma's evidence was very direct
and straightforward MI. Jennings tried
again and again with undiminished
patience to get in the previous habit Of
Lizzie Borden in destroying old dresses,
| to get them out of the way. District
Attorney Knowlton's objections were
continuous and rapid. The court ex-
cluded answer after answer without ex-
ception, until Mr.. Jennings asked if
Lizzie had ever burned old dresses be-
fore. This too was excluded, after con-
and one exception was saved.
The story of the burned dress was
very simply told. 1t was the Bedford
cord, now old and faded. When the
house was painted in May and Lizzie
| supervised the mixing of the colors she
got some paint on that dress. On the
| Saturday afternoon of the funeral, when
| all dresses were turned over up stairs,
this old dress was brought to mind and
Emma said:
"Oh! Lizzie, you haven't destroyed
that old dress yet. Why don't you do
| it?' i3
4It was very dirty, very much faded"
said the elder sister. The skirt of this
| dress was larger than that of others of
Lizzie's dresses, except those made with
train. In washing the colors would
| run completely out Lizzie had no dress
which she could have worn over it, be-
cause all her dresses were made pretty
tight. And then Emma smiled.
The old dress had been put down stairs
because the pegs were all full in the
clothes closet. As Lizzie started to burn
the dress, she said: Emma, + think I
shall burn this old DRESS" said, re-
marked the witness, ''Why don't you?"
didn't see her burn it; the windows
were all open. Miss Russell was there;
she did say,
oh, Lizzie, I think that is the very
worst thing you cobld do
'sSoon after, Miss Russell saidsto the
sister that she had told Mr.. Hanscomb a
falsehood. / told her that she should go
at once and say to Mr.. Hanscomb that
she had, and in my presence she so told
him (the detective)."
Emma's denial of the Mrs. Reagan