New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-06-12
AT THE BORDEN TRIAL.
A PECULIARLY BEWILDERING CASE.

POINTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE BY THE
PRosECUHoN-HIsToIY OF THE
MURDER.
tFRoM STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIDrSpD
New-Hedford June ll.-ln the history Of crime
there have been few cases of homicide more be-
wilderng than that now being tried in this city.
In 1t there is no element of romance, decent or
otherwise. Whoever killed the aged Borden
couple exposed evcn less of motive than Of pee.
sonallty. II must have been a revcngeful crime.
and yet nothing is in sight TO warrant the belief
that either Of the victims hated by anybody
to the extent that ordinarily prompts murder. The
prosecution has not yet produced its promised
evidence to show that there i'll feeling BE-
tween the prisoner at the bar and her stepmother.
1t has not promised TO show i'll feeling between
her and her father Its theory is though as yet
no whit of evidence has appeared to support the
theory, that Lizzie had long hated Mrs. Borden:
that she suspected her father of intending to d.
vert considerable part of his fortune her st,p-
mother and possibly TO some Of her stapmother's
relations; that she killed the stepmother TO pre-
vent this, and then killed her father 70 make the
prevention complete and to acquire her Inheritance
promptly. II therc were a lover in the case whose
own necessities and avaricn might have prompted
such horrible performance the theory would
seem reasonable But Lizzie was a single woman
without serious admirers. thrty-thrre years oh
Sh" does not appear to be avaricious or 10
attach any moro value to the possession of money
or to the rights Of inheritance than people ordi-
narily do. She and her sister were her fathers
only children. The woman with whom she lived
as her stepmothcr had been Mr. Borden's wife
for nearly the whole period of Lizzie's life She
can scarcely remember her own mother, and all
she ever had of motherly and affection came
from Mrs. Borden. Her father seventy years old
and in the nature Of things would soon have
died. Her stopmothcr sxtv-threc, very stout,
and not especially vigorous. Even if it be true
that between Lizzie and the stepmother there
a certain amount of ill feeling, though
Bridget Sullivan, who lived in the family two
years, says she never sign of it, but found
them always friendly in their relations and even
if her father had made gifts to Mrs Bordon's
relatives, incurring the displeasure Of his chill.
dren thereby, though Of that there is as vet no
proof, state Of facts is not produced which
would he likely to prompt murders so atrocious
upon two people already on the verge Of their
graves, and by young woman who until that
time had lived an orderly, respectable, quiet,
peaceful, domestic life
NO ONE ELSE TO SUSPECT.
II is true that there is no open TO even
the slightest suspicion except Lizzie. No act Of
robbery was committed at the time Of the murders,
and il il impossible 10 suspect that the murderer
did the killing and then, hearing Lizzie approach
from the barn, where she said she was occupied
in the hunt for piece of timed iron TO fix
screen with, deemed il wise to run away before
he ransacked the house for valuables, because
the two people killed in different rooms,
one upstairs and one down. and because there
undoubtedly interval of time between
the killing Of Mrs. Borden and the killing Of her
husband The murderer, had he been a robber,
would undoubtedly have improved that interval
of time Certainly he would have paused long
enough to relieve Mr. Borden of his watch and
whatever money he had in his pockets. If
Lizzie is not justly accused, no motive can be
suspected Of any one else except that Of re-
venge for some business quarrel, and that motive
could scarcely have extended to Mrs. Borden, who
was undoubtedly the first killed.
II is a curious circumstance, explained to some
extent by the extreme latitude permitted to the
prosecution in drawing out its evidence, that
every witness for the prosecution has redeemed
its assurance OF what he would testify to, only 10
weaken, to become confused, to qualify himself.
to make changes and admissions as he got
into the hands of Ex-Governor Robinson for cross
examination. The States case has been perfect
IL
way. 1t has been rkldled with holes before the
defence had done with it. This is not trne OF
one witness or two. but of all, and ii is
especially true of the police officers, on whom
the State mainly relies. The trial has proceeded
quietly, smoothly swiftly. There have been no
yas'ages-at-arms between fhe counsel, no ac-
cusations that unfair methods being
plOyed by either side no effort to eNasperate.
Tho prosecution has simply taken its witnesses.
after another, asked them whatever II had
10 ask has then turned them over to the de-
fence, which has asked them whatever il had to
ask, and the witness has gone. Twenty witnesses
have been examined, and the amazing fact is
that neither side has taken single exception.
Such thing is unheard of in criminal jurispru-
dence in New-York The court at New-Bedford
has not been called upon to make more than half
a dozen rulings. If one side has objected to q
question it has generally been withdrawn, md
when the Court has said that it was not proper
question, that has ended il. more orderly
trial never was known, indeed could not be i'm
agined.
NEw.BEDFORD MUCH STIRRED.UP.
Ncw-Bedford is greatly excited about it, Old
as the town is, and its history goes far back
into the earliest days of Puritan adventure, its
people are still lively and progressive They
are toned up every summer by visitation OF
city people who come either in transit to Martha's
Vineyard and Nantucket, who come TO stay
and TO enjoy the lovely breezes, the beaatiful
shrubs and flowers and the magnificent bay
which render Ncw-I}cdford a rare and charming
place. These people are not sleepy, therefore, nor
dull They fill the courtroom an nman through
ont the sessions There is a gathering of street
crowds in the morning when the prisoner arrives
and at night when she goes away. She comes
in coupe with colored driver and the
deputy sheriff sitting by him, all done up, as
ever they are, in their impressive swallowtail
coats of Wcbstcrian blue, with their uncount-
able brass buttons, and their general appearance
Df respectable dccrepitude, and another deputy