The morning call., 1893-06-20
The Lawyers Begin Their
Arguments.
ROBINSON FOR THE ACCUSED.
He Argues That Lizzie Could Not
Have Committed the Turder of
the Two Old People.
Special TO THE MORNING CALL

house, scarcely one-tenth OF whom could
gain admission. A large proportion of
those in attendance were in fashionable
holiday attire. The defendant appeared
fresh and smiling.
Governor Robinson opened the proceed
ings with his argument for the defense.
He began by declaring the defendant
physically unable to commit the crime in
the manner in which it was committed; !;
and as for that, he said. it was only possi-
bic for a maniac-a devil-to do it. HI
asked the jury to bring their homes, hearts
and intellects Into their decision in the
case.
Governor Robinson then rehearsed
chronologicaly the events connected with
the crime. He saw no reason to connect
the defendant with it. There was no
direct evidence against Miss Borden, he
said. No weapon whatever and no
knowledge of the use of one had been
shown. The evidence shows that the
defendant did not know where the alleged
weapon was kept. There was no spot on
Eer from her head to her feet, with the
execution of one as big as pin head on
the skirt.
Lizzie Borden was at home the morning
the murders were committed. and if she
had gone upstairs and looked under the
bed she might have seen the body of her
stepmother. Both Lizzie and Bridget tell
about the note which called Mrs. Borden
out, and both were told about it by Mrs.
Borden. Lizzie said she had been in the
barn 20 minutes. An ice-cream peddler.
who knew Bridget, went by and saw
woman. but not Bridget, walking to the
house from the barn.
Five minutes recess was here taken,
and Governor Robinson's address was dis
cussed freely by the spectators, much dis
appointment being expressed about it.
Bridget, said the Governor after the
recess, when she heard that Borden was
dead said she would go to Mrs. White
heads and tell Mrs. Borden, if she was
there. Bridget Sullivan, who for two
years had been closer 10 the family than
any one else, never heard II quarrel be-
tween Lizzie and Mrs. Borden.
The speaker then related the fact of the
alleged -bInodstaf,Ied dress. and the burn
ing 9f it. II Lizzie Borden killed her step
mother at Gas, he asked, did she come
down and greet her father in the blood
stained dressP She must have changed
her clothing and changed it again after
the second slaughter. Lizzie didn't try TO
get Bridget out of the house. Don't you
think she would have sent her Oh some
errand if she contemplated these murders?
The attorney pointed out that the doctors
disagreed as to what had been used to kill
the Bordens, and touched upon the claw
headed hatchet and the hatchet without
handle. If these were not the implements
with which the murder was committed,
where are they?
The exclusive opportunity theory was
simply an anticipation which was not
realized. Anybody could have got into the
house by simply avoiding Bridget on the
outside and Lizzie on the inside.
The lawyer held that the young man
seen in The vicinity was an outside spy for
the woman committing the deed; that the
job had not been done by one person.
At this point the dinner recess was
taken. and the Ex-Governor resumed when
the court reassembled
If there had been any blood on the de-
fendant's hair, he said. those who were
bathing her face would have discovered it.
1t was o'clock when tile Ex-Governor
closed and District Attorney Knowlton
began to sum up for the prosecution.
Knowltod said:
However we may differ. we can agree
that this ls a most heartrending case.
The woman we are trying is n Christian.
It is hard to consider a woman guilty of
such a crime, hat the greatest criminals of
the world have been women, and we must
face this case as men. No one who has
told of it saw Lizzie Borden burn that
dress. While Mr.. Borden was down at
the bank that morning the assassin met
Mrs. Borden and killed her. 1t was
against her that the murderer's hate was
directed. Lizzie was the one woman in the
world who believed the old woman stood
between her father and herself"
The speaker reviewed the movements of
the family on the morning of the tragedy,
and said that up to the time when the
murder was committed there was no OPP
portunity for the assassin TO come in.
When that 2G0-pOund woman fell," he
SAID, 1T must have been heard by who
ever was in the house. II Lizzie was
downstairs she was in the passageway of
the murderer; if she was upstairs she
could not have helped hearing. She was
alone IN the house with the murdered
woman, and knew that by and by there
would come into the house the stem. INST
man, who would notice the absence of his
beloved wife.
''He came in aud she said TO him.
Mother received note and has gone out
but there was no note; there never was
any one sick, and the note story originated
with Lizzie Borden. Bridget Sullivan said
that the first she heard of it was what
Lizzie said"
The court adjourned with Knowlton's
argument not finished.
Judge Justin Dewey, who is presiding
at The trial in the Borden ease. was born
in Great Darlington, Mass, in a house
that stands close to the border line of tina:
town and the town of Afford. He studied
law in the Office of Increase Sumner, father
of G. A Sumner of San Francisco, and
after his admission to the bar was for five
or six years a partner in practice with his
venerable preceptor and until the latter
was commissioned Judge of the Southern
District OF Berkshire County. H. contin-
ued to practice law IN Great Barring Oh
until his own elevation to tie bench.
He was noted from hoyhood for his stu
dious habits. being of a very sober and
almost ascetic cast of mind. He very
lare.y laughs. His occasional smile seems