Daily Texarkana Democrat., 1893-06-09
LIZZIE BoRDEN's TRIAL.
What Happened in the Borden Home
Before the Murder.

Before the Murder.
The famous Borden murder trial
was resumed Immediately after the
opening of the Criminal court at New
Bedford, Mass, yesterday morning.
The appearance of the prisoner, only
one short year ago bright handsome
girl, now a pale, haggard and care
worn looking woman, was the signal
for general movement on the part
of the curiosity seekers among the au-
dience, who moved hastily forward to
catch glimpse of the famous pris-
oner.
Miss Borden's personal appearance
on entering the court room told more
clearly than words could have done of
the terrible strain of the previous day.
She was pale, listless and evidently
nervous. Taking seat she glanced
swiftly over the court room, taking in
rapidly the various objects which met
her gaze.
Thomas Kiernan was the first wit
ness. He made the measurements of
the house and the room where the
bodies were discovered. He testified
to the view of Mrs. Borden's body
from the top of the stairway, saying
it could be seen from that point. This
was TO show that the prisoner could
not have failed to see the body from
the place where she stood ON the
morning of the tragedy and called
her father, as he was entering, that
her mother had gone out. Mr.. Kier-
nan said the body could not be seen
from Miss Borden's room.
John V. Morse was the next wit
ness. He is an uncle of the prisoner
and brother of the first Mrs. Borden.
He was a guest of the Bordens the
night preceding the tragedys That
night Lizzie went out somewhere,
and he heard some one come in and
go to her room. He slept that night
in the room where Mrs. Borden's body
was found. AS he entered the cham
Der he noticed that Lizzie's was
closed. 1t was closed when he went
down the next morning. He ate
breakfast with the family and left at
858 with Mr.. Borden. When he re-
turned later both the Bordens were
dead
Cross-examined by the defense the
witness declared he did not know who
the mysterious person was who en-
tered the house the night before the
murder and went to Miss Borden's
room. The person did not speak, but
he presumed it was Lizzie.
When the witness was testifying
Miss Borden regarded him with only
a casual interest. She chatted with
one of her counsel and laughed softly
to herself.
The defense grabbed eagerly at the
suggestion that stranger might have
entered the Borden residence and hid
until the next day.
In support of this theory counsel
brought out the fact that the front
door latched with difficulty, and might
have been unintentionally left open
that night.
Morse also helped the defense by
saying that he saw no officers in the
yard after he came back the morning
of the murders, and that the barn was
closed.
This contradicted the governments
claim that officers, by immediate ex-
animation of the barn, ascertained
that the prisoner could not have been
there al the time of the murder.
Bridget Sullivan, the servant of the
Borden household, was the next i'm
nnrtant wituesa She said tho nipht
before the murder she returned home
from visit at 1918 and thought all
the doors were securely locked. She
drank some milk and in the morning
was sick. She heard nothing during
the night. The doors were not open
when she went down stars and moth
ing seemed to have been disturbed
A recess was then token. q