The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-06-11
BORDEN CASE IN TATTERS.
TIE" HOoDOo RATCHET" mas TURNED
UrON THE PROSECUTION


Wrapped Up That Ratchet and Had 10
Carried oT-An object Lesson In Contra
dictory Testin,ony-Ano'ber States Wit
ness with ~ Remark ably Good Memory
Who Cnnr Rememsrr-StIii There are
Things that are Not Tet Explained Away.
NEw BuDroRp. June 1O.-The handleloss
hntchet-now generally known az the hoo
doc hatchet-continusd its demonish FRANKS
In tho trial OF Lizzie Borden for her life to-day.
1t chopped another great holo In the case. Of
which 1t Is tho m ost i'm portant feature since
the only theory OF tho murder that has been
advanced is that Lizzie Borden butcher
cd both her parents at the end OF
thrty-two years OF an upright life.
Whatever damages that theory simply
increases tho mystery that shrouds the
murders. It IL as II tho cause was .
deep and ritch-dnrk well. and the Common.
woath had said: I'VE will rig up o search
light and throw It's glare in the we'll and light
UP the very bottom OF It." They took ten
months to build the lamp. and on the first day
In court set It up with q great flourish In New
Bedford. They turned on the blaze. and IL
seemed very powerful but tho light only
desnons the darkness.
The Commemorative lawyers pretend to
point out objects In the inky space. but those
NhulsH nke pnantOmb NJ SECOND Rloncos
They fi.hed up the hoodoo Ratchet with o
triumphant blaze OF boasting. but It is be-
witchsd. 1t turned on Thorn. and they
have heen lodging its blows ever since
they began to try to deal with 1t.
That Ratchet 10 the most sensational ex-
hibit In this most sensational case. 1t played
the mischief with the Government all day Fri.
day. and instead Of resting to-day the court
was no sooner opened than 1t flew at It's own
guardians. and began choppins and hack
ing thelr case pretty nearly as badly 40
the bodies OF Mr. and Mrs. Borden wore
chopped. The Commemorative lawyers
had been guarding It as they would
guard Aladdin's lamp. II they could get hold
OF 1t. but to-day. after 1t had set their Wit
nesses all awry and shivered their testimony
30 that it could be soon through, those law
yers tossed the unholy thing on the table at
which Lizzie Bordon's lawyers always sit, and
there they loft it lying. as II they wished to
disown it.
THE Sun has told OF the excitem emit In court
whom q policeman stepped beyond the stereo-
typed story that all tho police OF Fall River
tell on behalf OF the Government and said he
had seen the missing handle in the Same box
whore the Ratchet blade was found. The
lawyers for Miss Borden saw to 1t that
no one should speak to tho Assistant Marshal
who had said he found the blade but had said
nothing about the handle. that being UNDER
stood to have been burned or stuck In the
stove wrapped up In paper by the prisoner.
Then the Marshal came bnck and Raid that he
saw and found no handle. fatty contradicting
the man who was with him and said the
handle was found.
After that there was another exciting con.
test outside tho court room between the two
sets OF lawyers. The District Attorney. Mr..
Knowlton. sent two officers to the Borden
homo to get the box In which the blade was
found. and the handle OF 1t was In it. Miss
Bordsh's sister. Emma. lives in that house.
and her lawyer saw to 1t that their antagonists
were kept out That was what happened.
Miss Lizzie's chief counsellor. Andrew J.. Jen-
nlngs. had better luck. He got the box. but
the highly important handle was missing.
Who took 1t can only be guessed at. Had it
becn found 1t would have played hob with tho
theory that Miss Borden burned 1t. However.
tho policeman who saw It proves as good witt
ness for Miss Borden rs the handle itself
This famous box marked "Muscatel Grapes"
In blue the dominant color in this case-was
on the tail before the jury this morning.
A new glass OF flowers was before thsJ udges
"a bunch Of neutrality-suspicious. with the
glasses of carnations that have lasted all the
week. 1t stood between the deep red carns-
lions that typify bloody guilt and tho gontlo
pink ones that stand for matdenly suffering.
change In the carnations WAS noticed. The
guilty onas were dropping and their heads
hung down around their vase The others,
emblematic OF distressed maidenhood. were
erect.
Miss Lizzie Borden hos been likencd to a DO.
because heretofore her spirits -
early morning have correspondent with whsA
tho day WAS to bring forth for or against hor.
NJ = "A
this morning. She seemed depressed.
To be sure the evont OF the day
stimulated her so that she left the
court room bright and vigorous woman. but
that does not mend ths fnct that her spirits
belied her God fortune earlier in the day.
BY the way. the strangers who are here begin
to notice that Lizzie Borden's face 10 Of type
quite common here in New Bedford.
They met Lizzie Bordens every day and
about town. Some hive even
come In the court room. Some are fairon
some are younger. some are coarser but all
have tho same general cast Of features-heavy
In the lower face. nigh In the cheek bones,
wide at the eyes. and with heavy lips and
deep line on each side OF the mouth.
1t will 10 Interesting to the ladies to know
hat all the reporters even the one who writes
his have been mistaken about the material
of which is made the dress which she wears In
court every day 1t is simply black crepe.
1t will Interest both sexes to hear that
Bridget sullivan. as she visits hsr friends i'd
no Kitchens on tho Hill. Is fond OF saving that
III. scarcely knew Lizzie Borden when she
Jaw her in court the first day. she has grown
20 fat. Evidently as the District Attorney
would say prison fare Is better than tho
o,tine OF mutton. cold soup. cookies. and
:reen leas she used to got III her cheerless
lUuo in Fall kiyer.
The reports to TIE SuS tho last few days
ave seemed to take the mart OF the lmpris-
ned old maid. II Is true that tho old Puritan
uirit which still wouiu burn witches II IL
AIRED has not yet sunk into the nature OF The
us's correspondent. and yet II there was o
iitch to be burned the tull and true account
4 Il would DO here set forth.
The reason why the reports have seemed to
avor Lizzie Borden is very interesting. tits
bat the case made out against her By the
iovernrnont has boon steadily melting. Ikea
ako o Ice In tho sunshine. The presentation
y District Attorney Moody on Monday has
ow been nearly all met by the evidence OF
tile let That they outlined.
There ia yet 10 come the contradictory and