New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-06-13
INQUEST EVIDENCE EXCLUDED
MISS BoRDEN's COUNSEL GAIN folNl'
HER TESTIMONY BEFORE THE CORONER At FALL
RIVER RULED CIT BY THE COURT
THE LAWYERS ARGUMENTS.

THE LAWYERS ARGUMENTS.
New.Bedford. Mass. June 12-liaving ia'en III y"
effort 10 place the testimony LAzze boru'n I"' "'
August nj the Coroner's inquest before TINS jury NV
prosecution proceeded 10 the final s'ae oi us .'
This was the Offering OF the medical testimony. IL Is
said nv the District Attorney that he VIII require
,ro moro DAYS IN which to finish his case. How
much time the defence will occupy depends On
whether they place Lizzie Borden on the s'ad OF o
70 they decide not do their other Witnesses Va"
he examined easily in two days. II she taxes u.
stand she must expect TO struggle LOT an VI u''
time against the District Attorney III lA]N' pV',,n
,s innocent. she ought to go on the stand Inc ~"
10 m a., ,ho fact Of n defendant refusal 10 take
,ha witness stand In his own behalf must not w
on.,rued 70 his disadvantage. II Is all wei enough
Cor the law 10 say that. but human mierehCes "i'
M, a thing that can be regulated by statute L'he
the wind. they come and 60 as they hs'' Al """ls
has been Inferred. when person accused Oh al III,
t.mons crime fails TO stand up and defend h'ms.n
With all the resources in his power ana espee'aiis
with his personal declaration Of where he was aiiu
,ha, he was doing at tl,s time when the offence nj
legged against him was committed tha' lie Is s'i''
That inference Is natural ana inevitable
The newspaper men hcreabouts who have ioio"eu
,hs from the beginning unite in saying that was
not always conducted by the State with mat lar anu
decent spirit which has been so Distinguishing leauc
of SIS presentation here. Lizzie Borden was uhuer
suspicion within hour after the murders were as
covered Police Officer Medley, when on the STAND
last week. testified that he was one Of the first po-
ncemen 10 reach the scene Of the Tragedy. lie san
he was there at half past eleven. Mr. Borden could
not then have been dead than twenty minutes.
lie askys Lizzie where she when the thing hap
pened and she told him out In the barn. one
would suppose that Mcdlcy's first impulse would have
been 10 take n look about the house. to see II per-
chance the murderer were not somewhere concealed.
But that did not seem strike Medley. With n
and tim
he dashed at for the barn to see IL he could
discover Lzzies footprints in the sediment OF dust
on its floor. Already, then 1t seems she was under
suspicion. l had my doubts OF Medley's story, but
II 4, unques,ionably true that the police arrived
quickly at the conviction that Lizzie the guilty
party. 80 did District Attorney knowlton, from the
particular second OF time when Medley and Fleet
arrived at the Borden house until Ilzzie's arrest
seven DAYS later. After she gave her evidence at
the inquest every step she took was watched, every
word she uttered overheard. Spies were at her
heels day and night. Day and night the house was
guarded and under the pretence OF making searches
through II police officers surrounded her 20 thicky
that she could scarcely turn around without
stumbling them.
Now, bear In mird that this young woman, guilty
or innocent Of that offence. had never before been
suspected Of the slightest deviation from an honorable
not to say lawful rule Of conduct. She had lived
for thirty three years In quiet and orderly home
there on The comment. she was well eNu
Gated. well brought up. She had all the money she
needed to spend. had travelled abroad, and had
ceivcd all the advantages that with wealth and
respectable social position She had not figured In
society was used 10 noise hustle, or agitation
OF any kind less than anything else was she used
20 men, She was naturally brave and strong She
had positive mind and an extremely even tempera-
ment. But guilty or innocent. what must have been
her irritation under the conditions that surrounded
her Immediately after that crime was discovered II
innocent with her intelligence she at perceived
that the circumstances OF the pointed with dark
suggestions at her. Scores Of people stood around
watching her. asking all kinds OF questions. then
going of 10 compare notes to her answers. and
coming back 10 harass her with more. She saw
that she suspected. Her nerves were In a con
dition Of fearful excitement and her physician was
prescribing morphine TO quiet them. Guilty or inno-
cent II any wonder that she at times confused
and that there occasions when she gave answers
not wholly consistent with and directly contra
cictory OF those she hal given at other finest
TRAP SET BY THE STATE.
At the ED OF a week OF this kind Of thing, with
the funeral as small incident OF IT. she taken
before Coroner and there subjected 10 in
Quiry not merely searching and severe but deliberately
and distinctly contrived 10 entrap her. District
Attorney Krowlton conducted this examination. 1t