Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-20
1t is Believed That He Has the Best
of the Argument.
OF THE DEFENSE.
Judge Dewey Delivers the Charge
to the Jury.
FAVORABLE FOR THE DEFENSE.
The Famous Case Ended and Verdict
Awaited.

Special Disratch TO The Evening sta-.
NEW BEDFORD. MASS, June 20.-District
Attorney Knowlton. who resumed his plea for
the conviction Of Lizzie Borden at o'clock
this morning. is making great speech and as
he proceeds more and more OF those who have
looked for a sure acquittal are becoming pre-
pared TO a disagreement of the jury. Very
few outside of those connected with the states
case look for a conviction.
II by any chance a conviction is secured it
will be the charge of numbering Mrs. Bor-
den, not the father.
There is no doubt that the state has always
relied more on its exclusive opportunity"
theory with reference to the killing OF Mrs.
Borden than of Mr.. Borden, though they have
said very little about il.
Indeed. it becomes apparent from Mr..
Knowltons argument that the state has
adopted the strategy of concentrating its fire
upon the murder of the father. and thereby
directed the force Of the defense 10 that point
leaving the charge contained in the first indct-
mont almost unrefuted save by the denial of
the prisoner.
On the testimony Of Lizzie and Bridget the
two murders were committed under entirely
different circumstances. When Mrs. Borden
was killed it If agreed that Lizzie was in the
house and Bridget outside washing the windows.
When Mr.. Borden was killed Lizzie says she
was in the barn and Bridget in the attic,
quite a different state of things. as is evident,
and a condition OF affairs which makes the
charge respecting the murder Of the step
mother much more serious than that OF killing
the father.
But those who have read the testimony will
recall that almost all the efforts of the defense
/ has, aar tad In axnisin ne
stances of the second crime and open doors for
! the exit of the assassin. Nothing has been adj
duced TO show what Lizzie was doing when her
mother killed. nor why she failed TO hear
| the rhock Of the murderers attack
| District Attorney knowlton was quick TO take
| advantage OF this loophole in the defense. He
! sand. ''God forbid mat ANYBODY should have
| committed this murder, but somebody did. and
| when have found that she WAS killed. not by
| the strong hand of man. but by the weak and
Intellectual blows Of woman. when i find that
| those are the blows of hatred rather than of
strength, when find that she Is left alone at
| the very moment of murder. shut up IN that
house where every sound went from one end TO
the other. with the only person in all Gods
| universe who could say she was not her friend.
with the only person in the universe who could
be benefited by her taking away, and when
fird. as found. and a. yoa must find. II you
answer your consciepccs in this case. that the
story told about a note coming Is as false AS the
| crime ITSELF i am not responsible, Mr.. Fore
man. you not responsible for the conclu-
sions to which you are driven"
| IL is generally conceded today that Mr..
5 Knowlton has the best of eK-Gov. Robinson in
, argument
The distinguished LAWYER from Chicopee in
iured the symmetry OF has plea by his evident
effort TO bring his argument into what he con
ceived to be the appreciation OF the iarme-
E jury. He has used the Yankee yernacGlar and
dealt in homely worie and rustic illustrations.
He has the sympathy of many Of the jurymen.
possibly all. But he failed to take advantage OF
some appeals that could not but have failed -
move the jury, independent of calling or Soca-
ton.
With Jury chosen because every man on il
was a father what chance was there TO touch
the tenderest and noblest nerve that led 10 the
/ heart With a girl of spotless life and Chris
tian career trembling in the prisoners box and
actually facing a scaffold what a chance there
was to win sympathy for her
With thick volume of evidence that almost
directly after the homicide she had been cut of
, from friends and relatives, henlmed around by
spies and made conscious that whole police
force had combined TO twist every breath and
motion into proof of her guilt. what field Tor
invective. for scorn. for denunciaton. for ridi-
!; Guile and addition a LAWYER had at hand.
With all the chief elements Of the case against
e her dissipated, broken down, disprOved and
set at naught what an opportunity there was
for a triumphant confident, imPresslonabls
| demand for an acquittaL
Gov Robinson plea did not move the heart
as it ought to have done. ~ the plea of Mr.
e Jennings certainly did at the preliminary hear
ing in Fall River.
\ District ATTORNEY Knowlton's plea appealed
. to the Jury not as farmers. but AZ men. No
~ grace of speech. ornament Of orato-y Was
/ considered too good for these the farmers OF
a Bristol county. with whom the eloquent dis
e trict attorney has lived for fifty wears. IL IL
,e possible that he knows them better
n than the advocate for the defense. and
e that beneath their rustic exterior he sees the
It native appreciation OF oratory. native 10 those
whose school readers were made up OF extracts
l. from the speeches of Webster and Choate. Pat
= rick Henry and William Writ The measure OF
"a the effectiveness of these two methods can best
,f be read in the verdict.
IF If there is a disagreement MIR. Knowlton will
, be entitled to the credit Of having used the
e slender threads of evidence left the state cas-
" with marvellous skill Ii there Is al
acouittal Governor Robinson wall be
@ accredited with having sacrificed tbs
e opportunity of making such speech as he Il
At able for the sake of winning the case for his
he client in homelier fashion and II conviction, =
De remote contingency Is believed. il viii he =
e victory for the inekorable circumstances thai
lie hedged in the accused girl No man Will weai
n the laurel care to wear IL.
lie The fact that Judge Dewey charged the iury
Of is believed to be fact favorable TO the defense
ID District Attorney Moody said at the breakfss
i'll table this morning: Judge Dewey II the bea
ee man who could charge jury for the defense
at A reasonable doubt in his eyes il as big ss
ms mountain.
r, THE JURY HAS THE CASE.
Va SO the famous case goes to the jury and tn
h- whole country wants 10 hear the verdict
r The suspense in the case of the accused girl
in terrible She steeled herself like flint to with
ne stand the onslaught of Mr.. kno~lton, an
r barely moved her eyes from his face during a
m his plea. Steadfast. sef-poised at the end ss q
the beginning. resolute Lizzie Borden is reso
Mt lutte Lizzie Borden still
IL