St. Paul daily globe., 1893-06-12
The Defense Processes Not to
Be Alarmed in the Bor-
den Case.
1t Will Show That the Borden
Family Often Burned
Dresses,
And That Lizzie Bought Paint
a Few Days Before the
Murder.
The Police Officers Getting
Badly Mixed Up in Their
Testimony.

FALL RIVER, Mass, June ll.-All
day long talk has been plentiful on the
subject of the Borden murders, and
there can be no denial that-it is gen.
eral opinion about town that the prose-
cution has thus far very weak case.
This opinion is being strengthened by
rumors current here to the effect that
Lizzie Borden's counsel will shortly eX-
plode bombshell into the camp of the
authorities. 1t is limited that the de-
Tense will show ccnclusively that Lizzie
Borden purchased some paint few
days before the murder, and that it was
not an uncommon thing to burn
dresses in the Borden household.
The fact that the girl burned
the suspicious dress In the day
light, when officers surrounded the
house, will also be related to show there
was not the slightest attempt at cou-
:cealment. The defendants lawyers do
not attempt to disguise their joyful feel
4ings because of the the present status
of the case, and the girls friends here
are Jubilant.
The Hatchet Incident,
with its accompanying details, Is the
source of much comfort; but while the
prisoners friends are buOyant, the
spirits of the police authorities are by
no means downcast. Officer O'Malley's
strange and unexpected statement
about finding the handle is, they say, in
keeping with the general tone of the
testimony given by him before in court.
He has been known several times to
take a position in less important
ceases, in defiance of the fact
sthat five or six other officers and wit
nesses testified positively that he was
wrong. One of the police authorities
thinks so little of the circumstance that
he will not advise the district attorney
to contradict Malley's alleged erroneous
statement. The matter of wrapping up
the hatchet, testified to in two ways by
Medley and Desmond, can be easily ex-
planned. They say both men did wrap
up the hatchet, Desmond wrappingit up
first and passing 1t to Medley, who after
ward opened it in the cellar to show
another officer. 1t is frequently ex-
pressed opinion here that the defense
has built mine under Medley's teSti-
mony, and will set it off before the case
is finally submitted.
Stenographfc Reports.
BY the events of tomorrow it will be
decided whether the government shall
go sailing along with free sheets, or pull
up, close-hauled, for long and tedious
notes of the stenographic reports i'll
quest, the government will feel SUI
,premely happy. 1t is believed, and
with reason, that upon this testimony
the government largely relies, and
while, in the event of its being allowed,
Lizzie must necessarily tai ke the
stand to refute the statements made at
that time under pressure, or TO tell her
story under totally different circum-
stances, it is felt that, should the jury
hear those first statements, nothing
which can be said at this day can coun-
teract the influence Of the previous
work. In conversation with Mr.. Moody,
this evening, he showed that he was
Firmly Persuaded
that the argument of the prosecution
for the admission of the testimony would
prevail. On the other hand, counsel for
the defense is equally confident that the
testimony will be excluded. In this
case, Lizzie will not go on the stand,
unless some more damaging evidence
comes up against her than has
vet been shown. Chief Justice Mason
and Justice Blodgett came down
from Boston this evening and were met
at the train by District Attorney Knowl-
ton, 1t is understood that they have
been consulting authorities prior to be-
ing called upon to pass judgment one
way or the other, relative to the phase
of the case to be presented in the morn
ing. 1t is authoritatively stated tonight
that the case is but just begun, and that
the medical expert testimony will take
UP quite a long time. DR.. Dolan will be
on the stand for longer period than
any witness yet, and at least two weeks
may be comfortably looked forward to
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