Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-06-10
Throws Fresh Light on
the Borden Case.
THE MISSING AXE HANDLE.
Mystery Cleared Up by the Adroit
Questioning of Gov. Robinson.


the Borden trial yesterday afternoon. The
succession of events leading up to the dis
tinguished attorneys statement con-
stituted one of the most important
features that have presented themselves
thus far In this celebrated case. The gen.
sral opinion about town is that 1t favors
phe defendant.
IL related TO the missing piece of the
handle of that hatchet blade which has
been 30 often held up and referred to in
evidence.
Up to the time when Officer Mullaly
gave his testimony no witness had testi-
fed to seeing the missing piece of wood.
Its mysterious disappearance caused no
end of comment, but Officer Mullaly
threw some light on the mystery yesterday.
This official stated that the missing por-
tion of the handle was taken out Of the
box In the cellar by Assistant Marshal
Fleet. who did not carry IL away, but
placed 1t back after he had examined 1t.
Mr.. Fleet had already testified In this
case, but he hadn't said word about the
handle.
The testimony OF Assistant Marshal
Fleet was resumed when the court was
opened. Ex Governor Robinson thrust
his interrogatory fork deep into this wit
ness when he held him over the fire Of
cross-examination Every little detail of
the search made by the witness and other
Fall River police officers in the Borden
residence was investigated by the lawyer
with minuteness, and every slip, big or
little, In his evidence was
Held Up For Public Inspection.
He was asked, among other things, IL he
had looked for blood on Bridget Sullivan's
dresses, and he replied that he had glanced
over them. but had not made very care
full examination.
Searching inquiries were made concern
ing the axes and handles.
The hatchet without handle, concern
ing which so much has been written. was
covered with ashes, the witness said, when
he took IL out of the box, and there were
other tools In the box in dusty condition.
He thought that the ashes on the hatchet
blade differed from the dust ON the other
tools.
"Now," continued the ex- governor, hand
ing the witness the small end of the handle,
'Iwant you to see IL you can discover any
sign of ashes on the end" The police off.
cial stated that he could discover no signs
on the handle, and he did not see any Oh Il
the day when the search was made.
Ex-Governor Robinson Immediately
picked him up on this point, and de-
manded il he did not say in his direct
testimony Thursday that there were ashes
on It, The evidence was produced, and it
was shown the previous statements in this
particular were now radically different.
Captain Phil Harrington
of the Fall River police force, who was an
ordinary patrolman in August last when
the murders occurred, was the next wit
ness. While describing the dress that
Lizzie Borden had on when he saw her on
the fatal morning Of August 4, he spoke
30 authoritatively of plaits, shirred fronts,
s,m-trains, bell skirts, etc, that Judge
Dewey grinned from ear TO ear, and the
spectators were not slow In following his
example. His accurate description caused
Attorney Rol inson to ask, in the cross
examination, if he had ever been in the
dressmaking or dry goods business. Wit
ness said he had not.
Relating the conversation which he
had with Lizzie Borden concerning the
tragedy, he stated that she stated To him
that her father had had angry words with
man about something which she was ig-
norant of three weeks previously. She
didn't know who the man was. He came
again to the house week later, and an-
other animated conversation ensued. She
heard her father say that he wouldn't let
his store anyway for such business.
The witness insisted, In the cross-exami-
nation, that Miss Borden had not spoken
to him about farm hand. whereupon
Attorney Robinson turned to his evidence
at the preliminary hearing, where the
witness testified that the defendant
Had Made Such a Reference.
Captain Harrington said that II he had
made such statement at the time of the
hearing. it was the truth. There were
other differences of minor Importance be-
tween the witness testimony at the hear
ing and the trial.
Captain Patrick II. Doherty is another
Fall River police official who has been pro-
NOTED to a captaincy since the Borden
murder He described particularly the
position of Mrs Borden's body In the up
per chamber, and the lock of hair that was
found on the bed in the immediate vicin-
ity. The hair appeared to have been sew
cred from the head.
In his conversation with Lizzie Borden.
she told him that she was in the b when
her father was killed and her attention
was attracted by scraping noise. The
witness asked her IL there was not q
IOrtuButse WOTkiuk iOf ncr IhIntr VINO
might have been implicated, and the
defendant replied that he would not harm
Mr.. Borden. When the witness and other
officers went to search Miss Borden's room
she sas inside with Dr. Bowen and Miss
Russell
She opened the door In response 10 his
summons, and asked II they could not
wait minute The door was then closed,
and reopened after the space Of time which
she specified had elapsed Captain Doherty
told Attorney Robinson In the cross-exam-
ination that the dress which the defendant
wore when he spoke to was
or Light Blue Color.
The following witness was Officer Null
laly. He also had talked with Miss Bor-
den about the tragedy, and he was in
formed by her that she had seen a man
wearing dark clothes around the prem
ises about the size Of Officer Hyds~sTte
officer inquired IL there was an axe OF
hatohet In the house. Miss Borden replied
that Bridget would show him where they
were Than followed ths prsviously rs-