Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-09
THE BORDEN MURDER CASE.
Assistant Marshal Fleet Tells About Find
ing q Hatchet.

ing u H8tchet.
The afternoon session Of the Borden murder
trial at New Bedford. Mass, yesterday opened
promptly at 2:15, the court room at this time
being crowded. The testimony of the morning
is considered very important and Assistant
Marshal Fleet, in conversation with a reporter,
said he was at a loss to understand where that
dress was Lizzie is alleged to have burned
when they went through the house. Certainly
they SAW nothing of it.
John Cunningham took the stand to finish
up his testimony. He detailed seeing Dr.
Bowen, Miss Russell and Miss Sullivan passing
up I'd street, and remembered seeing Officer
Allen going toward the Borden house He
went up afterward with Walter P. Stevens of
the Fall River Ne,cs and John Manning of the
GtO6e and examined the grass in the Borden
yards for footprints. They tried the
cellar door and found it was locked. This is
considered important for the prosecution as
showing that there was no way to get into the
house by the cellar.)
The testimony the first part Of the afternoon
was very tame. After cross-examination OF
Cunningham Officer Allen and Deputy Sheriff
Whom testified to their search Of the Borden
premises after the murder.
THE RATCHET IN EVIDENCE.
Then Officer Fleet was put on the stand.
After corrOborating their testimony he de-
scribed the finding of the handleless Ratchet
produced by the prosecution. This Ratchet
was found on the day of the murders in the
box down in the cellar. A fragment of the
handle showed fresh break, and the iron was
covered with ashes The outside cellar door
was locked. Saturday he examined the dresses
in the house very closely, but found no paint or
blood on any dress.
On the day of the murders witness went to
LiZzie's room and knocked on the door, and
DIR. Bowen opened the door and asked what
was wanted, and he told him. Then he closed the
door and opened it again, and said that Lizzie
wanted to know If it WAS absolutely necessary
to search that room. and he told him it was.
The doctor closed the door again. and finally
he opened it, and they went in and searched
the room. "Then / said to Lizze You said
this morning that you were in the barn half
an hour this forenoon. Do you say that nowY
Il did not say half an hour, sir. 1 said from
twenty minutes to half an hour well, Wen
call it twenty minutes. Is that correct?'
eyes she said.
81 asked then when she had seen her step
mother last. and she said when she was in her
room making the bed. She told me also about
the note which she had received. 1 found the
door between Miss Borden's room and Mrs.
Borden's locked. Up against the room door
leading into Mrs. Borden's out of LiZzie's was q
combination book case and desk and the door
was fastened with hook. In the guests cham
Der l noticed there was blood on the dressing
case and some on the pillows. There was
another door leading from her room which was
locked, but Lizzie got key and let us in.
I'VE searched that room. When we asked to
get into Mr.. Bordens room and she told us to
get the key from Maggie l went down and got
the key from Maggie and she showed us in
there. found the door bolted and locked, and
Mt no time did l open that door; then we went
into the attic and came down stairs and out Of
the cellar and found Dr. Dolan and the officers
there. In consequence Of what Officer Mulally
told me found in n box In the middle cellar
the head of hatchet the box was about twelve
or fourteen inches long and eighteen inches
wide. and four or five inches deep"
Here the counsel produced the Ratchet head
and asked the witness il this was the one he
found In the box and the witness said it was
Witness said the Ratchet was covered with q
heavy dirt or ashes, white ashes. on the blade,
upon both sides, and, in fact. all over it; the
box had dust on them, but not the same as on
this Ratchet.
Officer Fleet. in his cross-examination, said
that he thought he could have seen blood on
the clothes he examined if any had been there.
II there had been any paint there he believed
he could not have seen it unless he looked
closely. Court here adjourned until today.
Last nights sensation at Fail River was AS
sistant Marshall Fleets story regarding the AK
found in the Borden house. supposed to have
been used In the Borden murders. For many
weeks stories about the Ratchet and axes have
been published but during all the long ten
months that have clap ed he has scrupulously
kept the secret that the probable weapon was
found the day the famous butcheries were dis
covered.
His description Of the weapon was so exact,
so minute, his reputation for veracity and hon
orabie dealing in police and private matters is
SO well known here, that two-thirds OF the
population believe he has really found the
weapon with which the deeds we're committed.
Many of Lizzie Borden's friends feel very much
exercised over the testimony.