The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-06-07

lizzie IS TRANQUIL.
Surveyors Evidence in the
Borden Trial Slightly
FavorS the Accused.
WHERE A MAN MIHGHT LURK
A Dark Closet Under the Stairs.
The Body Not Visible From
The Guest Chamber.
WHERE A MAN MIHGHT LURK

New BEDFORD, Mass, June Z. 1S93.-At
the opening of the Borden murder trial this
morning the morbid curiosity of the
female portion of the community was
catered to. and nearly one half OF the
spectators were women.
Their necks were craned one way as
Miss Borden entered the room, looking
unconcerned and fresh as any one
possibly could under such trying circum-
stances. After she took her seat Mr..
jennings had five minutes converse
tion with her, and she appeared very
much interested, smile breaking out
occasionally as the talk proceeded.
Counsel changed locations this morn
ing SO that the defense could be nearer
Miss Borden.
Mr.. Kisran, the civil engineer who was
on yesterday, was recalled the first wit
ness. The cross-examination was re-
sumed by his pointing out the line De-
tween the Borden and Kelly houses and
the said line strucktwelve inches from
the hinge or east side OF
the door. aoor. The point point OF IT, contact tact
side Of Second street as to being the point
where there is the best observation. was
a question which came up for discussion
between counsel aud Court. Counsel for
defense contended that there was no need
of going into this with the witness. as the
jury had seenthe place, but the question
was allowed, aud the answer was that
witness thought 1t was.
POINTS OF VIEW.
He had made observations at other
points in the vicinity of che line referred
to. To lose sight of the barn door he had
oply 10 go south of the line. By going
lost. AT the point of contact. at the
southeast corner of the Borden
house, there is clinging plant
which obstructs the view from
any point in the vicinity OF Second
street. There is a fence at the front of
| the Kelly yard, but witness did not think
| that obstructed the view There IS a par
| titinn fence between the Kelly and
! Borden yards which at the front, near
Second streer, is four fee ten inches
high. 1t is a picket fence. Next
east is shed, and beyond that
to the east high board fence.
six feet high. and that forms
| the boundary between the Borden yard
ard yard which is part OF DR.. Kelley's
| property. Mr.. Grove occupies the
premises. but witness could not say
whether it was sometimes called Groves
yard or not. On the east side of the Bor-
| den premises there is q six feet bosrd
! fence; on the north side. beginning
at the street there is low
as far as the east side of the Burlington
| house, to well house, which stands
close to the Borden barn. There il a
| trout door on the Borden barn tnot on
! plau). Witness was asked to give dImen-
| sions, but the court stated that it was
| mr. ho ~,
| end of the vast side of the barn. A plan
of the cellar of the Borden house was
| next shown.
| A LURKING PLACE.
| When witness was making measure
| ments of the lower floor his attention was
| called to the closet in the front hall of the
| Borden house. He was asked Ii his at
| tention was called to the fact that one
could 90 in there anu be hidden with the
/ door completely shut. He described 1t
! bv saying man went in and he shut the
| door on him. There was no difficulty in
closing the door. While the man was in
! there the door was left ajar and the
man in the closet could not be seen by
| witness. Witness was eight or ten feet
from the closet door at the time ard
about the same distance from the trout
of the house. When witness was near the
parlor door his attention WAS called to the
man, but before he had time to verify
WQ6Cu6F u0 cOulu SEE nlui OE uOb u6
moved to the door OF the closet and then
he did see him. There were some things
in the closet at the time; carpet sweeper
and some pieces from the dining table
COULD THE BODY BE SEEN.
Witness had made experiments as to
what could be seen of objects on the floor
of the guest room from the stairs. His
assistant had lain down on the floor be-
tween the bureau and the bed; then he
(wjruess) went down stairs and came up
in the ordinary way.s
Said wltness:-"I saw the man stretched
on the floor. from the stairs, and the
point from which first saw him was the
centre OF one of the stairs which brought
my eye just on the level with the foor
A short distance above l couldn'5 see
him, That was when was particularly
LOOKING to see him. When was stand
ing on the floor could not see him.
Witness could not say whether he had
been moved or not"
Soon after the tragedy he was request
ed by DIR. Dolan. on the 10th of August,
to take measurements, and ne did SO.
but did not know whether the bed was
fixed or not. Then the distance between
the bed and the bureau was "a inches:
the distance was the same when he was
making the experiments with his
time was placed with his
heard. about three feet from the mop
board. His feet projected beyond the end
of the bed, but witness did not know how
far; the bed was six feet and seven inches
long. II is feet could not be seen from
any portion of the stairs when witness
was looking for him.
Witness had made some measurements
of the sofa in the sitting room, at the re-
quest of DIR. Dolan, aud said the length
WAS seven feet one lncn over all; the
width two feet three inches; at each end
was pillow or arm, which was OF
cylindrical form. and between those two
arms was four feet eleven inches. The
seat WAS eighteen inches high, and top
OF arm twenLy-eight inches.
The sofa was against the wall and pro-
jected by the door half an inch. 1t WAS
Mr.. Phillips, Mr. Jennings associate,
who went into tire closet to make the ex-
periments, but could not say how long he
stayed.
The front door of the Borden house
was noticed by witness, but could not say
how it was hung. The fences between
the Borden and Grove lots have barbed
wire on the side, ali of the back fences
have barbed wire on them at the top.
Did not notice any at the bottom. Witness
said he took the location of wnat were
shown him as blood spots by DR.. Dolan
on August l6. There were some on the
kitchen door, feet and 6 inches from the
spot where Mr.. Borden's head was said to
have lain. 1t was on the side of the door;
| it Was on the architrave OF the door, or
the side casing; there was one on the
dining room door, also on the cnsing,
I01< inches from thH Hnof he other lax