The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-06-20
SEATTLE. TuEsDAy. JUyE 90
THE BORDEN TRIAL.


ts.s murder Of her father and stspniosher.
wi:Ach began At New Bedford, Mass. on
Monaay. the 5th inst. probably closes
teaay. This trial. which has lasted two
wseks, has excited the deepest interest
thspaghout the whole country. No mnr-
der trial has been so fully reported by the
less.ing newspapers OF the East since Prof.
jean w. Webster. of Harvard college. vas
tYiesi for the murder Of DR.. Parkman at
Boston in 1850. Andrew Borden. of Fall
River, Mass. and his wife were found
mssdercd In their dwelling house last
suusmcr; the murderer killed them with
ahatehes. splitting their heads open with
repeated blows. The dead body of the
woman was found lying in an upper cham
bet. where she had been struck down
wtsts she VAS at work. Mr.. Borden vas
killed while lying on the sofa in the sit
ting room about II O'Clock in the fore
noes. The condition Of his wife's body
proceed that she had been killed about two
hogss before, or shortly after o O'Clock,
whes, she went up stairs to dust the cham
bers. Mr. Borden's watch and money
were found upon his person; no robbery
had teen committed.
The crime had clearly been committed
by acme person from motives Of revenge
or interest, or it was the act of lunatic.
The only persons known to be in the house
whet, the murder was committed were the
accused. Lizzie Borden. and the servant
girl. Bridget Sullivan, upon whom not tho
sligatest suspicion rested from the first, as
she Fsas eyonerated by the testimony Of
Lizzie Borden, who first discovered the
dcad body Of her father and summoned
tho servant from her chamber to her as
distance. Suspicion was first directed to
Lixzie borden by her statement to several
OF ths steighbors when they arrived on the
sceiie Of the murder that her stepmother
had go. note from some ono who was
sick aud had como out earlier in the
morning Asked where the note was.
shc said she did not know: she
thought probably that Mrs. Borden
had burned II in the kitchen stove.
This ssose has not been found nor has any
person been found who wrote the MUIR
derett Mrs. Borden any note of this char
ter or the morning OF her murder The
statesaeats of Lizzie Borden after the
murder and before the coroner's inques.
were e most contradictory character
and she was finally held for trial.
The &ntecedents of the accused were en-
tireiy respectable. She Is quiet. respec-
table sl,iaster. abou; 81 years of age, tie
tcach9F Il a Sunday school class: a very
intelligent. we'll educated. wcll-hred per-
eson. with no more eccentric,y than might
be espegted of woman who had led n
loneie ard rather renuIsive domestic life
with rich father of misery habits and a
stepnt}iher who was as avaricious and
rarsipannious rs her husband
The prosecution have in this trial pro-
ceeic'i upon the theory that Lizzie Borden
had ga exclusive opportunity" to com
mis ths crime; the state tried to prove
that iie murderer could not have escaped
from tho house between the time of Mr..
Bordc'ts death and the discovery of the
crime 'sthouT being seen by Miss Borden.
the servant girl and the neighbors. This
would, 81 course, have narrowed down the
Borden.
The state. however, did not succeed in
showas; bcyond doubt that iizsie Dor
den has ;his exclusive opportunity" for
the co9a<el for the defense Ayeget. that
somc aRe could have been concealed in
the hoasr during the preceding night aud
during the forenoon aud then have 60
capei ~}5hout attracting attention. aud
proved Ia; the front door did not lock
easily ASA that closet in the unD.r hail
way erA.s have securely hidden a person
who Lad entered without leave. The
sistc. therefore. "seii down" ~ IS effort
g. rSe.o the exclusive opportunity. -
The stsie produced handles Aatche,
which exactly fitted the wounds
Ia the sA9ls ol Tie murdered. ana Il pro~rd
that VI *s boylcn baraed tbs blue dress
she wore on the morning 81 she murder on
the Troan tha; II MSS stained with ratnt
hat she hrTned it Nrenly an the presence
al a trsrs1 4 ausi ~ day.teAt, with the WIZ.
doNs a'i soors ol4cn. The state failed -
eoaGne ! Esie Borden w.thin the e,re,e
of "e1 a,e,ye opportunity" AMI il failed
to proSace AIRY evidence tending n,s,.
lively sad without contradiction n 6x
the eriras upoa her. The state failed -
show sa.hcicnt motive on the par, AZ
llxzie Harcsen. assuming tha. she Is saae
70 ccwnsiS such horrible murder. The
rgosseu.saa ''ieii dowa" completely hsn
the ece-s ruled thai the testimony II
lssle .ssrdea Mt the inquest mas, 10 ex.
Guided 80 the ground thai al the ;inae 81
tie iucss she VAS in effect . prs
caer act that her testimony was
IN no seHse voluntary. The exclusion
OF tbs 7esGnNny. which Miss Rardsa
gave al SO saSaesa when the district at
sorney & sssioDed aey and size nsaae con
sraaseso cvri.es ~ questions ~ 20 her
WHEREAS 81 'as tire he. father anus,
have hsea ettcAs red. Was fatai 20 ,As
Prosecutors ehAnce % conviction. With
che exs'assen q sa.s testimony. waieA
proved g.ssste Fogesva = liAr. she p-s.s,.s,.
ssoa n>sses have desrslr~i q secastn~ a
convsc,isss \ Disagreement y all TIA,
could r. expected. and All aoqasstai $
most prssasale.
Acseslss.sss. saGs Lizzie Borden IA,