The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-06-20
MONTANA. TUESDAY MORNING JUNE 20 1893.


husband followed and walked down 70 one
Of the bnnkA He returned at 1890 O'clock |
and Of etched himself on ths sofa In ths
paSlov. Bridget Sullivan passed through
ehs reom . few moments later and asked
bin Il hs fsit we'll. He replied n The A.
hrmativs. and she. went upstsirs 10 The
third hooI 10 clean the windows.
Within half an hour the assa.sin's work
was done. The old man and bis wife had
been brutally murdered. There had been
NO outoEy; no one. 20 sho authorities
claimsd. was seen 10 entsS the house b.
tween 1890 and II O'Clock. and yst right In
town. within stones throw Of its city
hall. In nsighboYhood where persons wers
constantly passing. husband and wife were
stricken down and not soul knew the
fact until Lizzie Borden made her way
into the parlor and there found her faith
Or. body stretched upon The sofa in an
side and barley tonohinQ the floor. and his
face and head battered in. evidently caused
by numerous blows from ap sxs wielded In
the hands Of aome psfSon Who p0sssssed
unusual strength at the moment OF the AZ
tack. The attitude Of ths body was shat OF
com pleto Yeposs.
There was pol,csmsn's excursion that
day to Rocky Point, and II was some time
before an officer reached the house. OF
course tho excitement was intense. and II
was not until many days sfterwsrd that .
calm. dispassionate story OF the tragedy.
with all its lights and shadows, could bs Obj
tanned. Then II was that Lizzie told her
. moment dsviatsd. even during the trying
period Of her Incarceration in Jail.
This 10 her account: She had SLEPT late
that mo ming. and did net get mp until AZ
tor hcr stspmother had gone out. Passing
through the parlor, she saw her father and
out. she went to the barn 10 secure piece
of lead from which TO cut ''sinkers" for .
fishing excursion the following Monday.
While in tho barn she Thought she heard q
CRY Of distress, and running back TO the
house. she found her father In ths position
and condition described. She caIled
Bridget and the nsiohbors were notified.
Ten minutes later, when Mrs. Churchill
reached the house. IL was suggested to Liz
zis to begin ssarch for her mother. She
refused. Then Bridget and Mrs. Churchill
made hurried search Of the house.
Lying prone upon the floor Of her room.
with her arms outstretehed and her face
downward, was the body of Mrs. Borden.
The head rested in big pool of blood.
She had evidently been stricken down in
the same manner a. had boon her husband.
silently and with dispatch. The head WAS
crushed in and tho face and neck were
feaTiully cut. The blade OF ths axe must
have been as kesn A. razor. and the srm
which visldsd it strengthened BY maniacal
fury.
Then On alarm was raised and few 20.
licsmen came. Search Was Immediately
made for tho weapon, but II was not found,
nor has it been to this day. Next the po-
lice. the detectives. and the Newspaper men
sought for some motive for the crime.
~Ir fr1l nd hrt In
instance they ended in nothing. The first
theory Of the police WAS that some one
familiar with the house had concealed him
self on the premises and had committed
the murders with the ultimate view Of rob-
berry. but this idea was quickly dispellrd
when IL WAS found shat nothing was miss
ing from the rooms OF persons Of the de.
ceased.
Finally the police landed on the theory
that the crime had been committed by
Lizzie Borden to SECURE . half interest il
the estate. which was valued At $5O.000
Naturally the arrest of Lizzie Borden fol-
lowed, but she was oalm and composed and
vehemently asserted her innocence, posi-
tion she has stoutly main tanned ever since.
Her sister believed in her innocence. a. also
did her relatives and friends. ..-
Al one time In the search for clues IL waf
rumored that John w. Mo se. q relative OF
Mr.. Borden. who had spent the night prior
something about the tragedy. but be gave
proof positive that he was not in the vioin-
ity of the house al the time the assassin
was engaged in his or her work.
The preliminary hearings were held Aug.
&c, 81. 28, 30 and 81. and Sept. and 2. and
the result. while not eminently satisfactory
to the public, seemed to convince tho pros.
course, only such evidence as was peces-
sary to hold the accused was presented al
that time. The line Of IL tended to show
| that Lizzie was guilty, based purely on the
superstition that she must bs guilty be-
cause she had appeared 10 calm and
composed on the day Of the mu,-
des. and because some of the off,
gowns worn by the accused had two o.
three blood spots on it. An axe and .
hatohet. found In the cellar late on the dal
of the murder. figured in the hearings bu'
there was no proof positive that siths
weapon had been used by the assassin.
there was every reason to believe that Liz
zis Borden was insane. but Judge Blaisdsll
of Fall RIVER. promptly denied this
'My client 10 not insane" he said
and many persons believed then that b.
closed ths only loophole he had in cas-
the grand jury should bring In an indict
msnt. Three days later it was said that
part of the evidence laid before the gran,
jury referred to the alleged finding Of III.
burning fragments of . dress in the kitohsl
stove Of the Borden homestead after th
discovery Of tue bodies. Tie indiotmsn
was brought In Tuesday, Dec. G. twent.
jurors voting for 1t to one against. II va
agreed to begin the trial in February, bu
the wheels of Justice move SLOWLY and do
lays were frequent until recently, whom sh
way was smoothed for the trial.