Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-19
kNALYZING EVIDENCE


ant TO put him on the stand in suc]
Eases ana you VIII not.as you go to your room
depart from this understanding You mus
iea'e oui rumors. reports, statements whcl
you neard before the trial commenced, ant
leave out every single thing which Mr.. Mood,
said ne was going to prove unless he did it; b,
mas spoken for the commonwealth and the com
nionweaith expects him to do Just what he sale
ne was going to do. He said he would claim
and prove this defendant was preparinp a dan
| gerous weapon
=, he mas not proved it, has he? And many
things offered in faith by him have been
serlcAen out by the court because they were no,
proper. The commonwealth came here intend.
1 ing 70 90 the best things, but were not allowed.
| Ihey were going to prove that this Young lady
went out to buy poison, Blu. it was not proved
IT was not allowed. and shall expect the dis.
| srict ATTORNEY 10 get up and say SO or shall be
disappointed in him. They were going to
sno" you the defendant had contradicted her-
S sel, put the court said this was not proved.
40" you are gong to say, Il rather think
mat Messrs knowlton and Moody would
not have offered this if they had not
proof. but this won't do. Decide this case
| from the evidence on the witness stand, and
nothing else, SO YOU will leave those things ont
no poison. no instrument appeared, no state
ment made under oath by her that YOU know
anything about. l don't care what Won have
Ieao. MY intention is not to distort facts, but
10 ma out Just how we stand; things that are
no. In dispute will not touch. and trust 1
VIII not by single letter step over the line of
proof or deal uujustly with the commonwealth
SO dear TO US all "
GOV. hoblnson then began a chronicle of the
events connected with the crime and its discoy-
cry va as they appear in the evidence.
Inc prisoner sat in the dock with her face
covered with a fan while he analyzed the evil
dence. o
ANALYZ1NG THE EVIDENCE
Al'er eauhoning the jury to disregard certain
parts OF the district attorneys opening as not
proved by the evidence, the ex-governor pro-
ceeded to dispose of certain points Of the prose-
cutlon evidence in detail. The only connection
between defendant and the crimes was the blood
spot on the skirt, which was explainable as men
straat blood The proposition that Lizzie must
nave seen Mrs Borden's body when upstairs
was unsound, because the BODY could he seen
from only one stair, and there she would not
ssop ana look IL she did not suspect wrong
liZ2les statement that her mother had received
a ho,e and gone out was plain if Mrs. Borden
VOC. .oio DOM Lhzzle and Bridget about it, and that
they could not believe Lizzie lied about if
Lizzie e varying statements that she was in the
YARD ana the barn were reconciable
The testimony of three men proved
thh' fubInski saw the defendant
coming to the house from the barn. aud there
Tore her statement of her whereabouts at the
nmr OF the murders was true. When Lizzie
spoke about going upstairs tor Mrs. Borden
she meant the front stairs, because all knew
she could not be up the back stairs. as a sheet
had been obtained from there. Lizzie's laugh
was assumed
The ring buried with Mr. Borden shows her
affection for him. The custom Of locking doors
was not to lock daughters from the parent. but
for protection.
Had the defendant committed the crime she
would not have given alarm SO soon The |
emotion at 49, r..
crime was not assumed. Family sickness. de- |
PENDANTS conduct before the murders and her |
visit to the cellar afterward we're no evidence of
a guilty mind
The burning of the old things was custom
IN many houses and the burning of the Bedford |
cord dress was thus explained. The dress worn
on the morning of the murder was not changed
TIL noon. The Bedford cord dress hung till
sunday morning III the closet which the officers
searched. Defendant could not have committed
bo'h murders without changing her dress be-
tween them. Matron Reagan's story was false
Experts differed az to which Ratchet could have
been used, and he argued tha. none of those
produced was used. Exclusive opinion was
He detailed The manner IN which
an outside assassin might have committed the
crime.
Recess was then taken.
Scenes In the Court Room,
Special Dispatch TO The Evening Star
tS-In6 great
battle for Lizzie Borden's life is now going on
IN the court room. Every inch of standing
room is taken. scores Of LAWYERS. especiallv
" no have not attended before, gathering today
70 hear the arguments Of ex-Gov r pbinson and
District Attorney Knowlton.
1t is historic event The battle will rank
With the greatest efforts of Choate, and with
ebsters plea in the famous White trial where
he picture OF the sleeping old man familiar to
I'll the reading books WAS drawn
NO TWO lawyers i'll this state could be more
leariy matched than eX-Gov. Robinson and
District Attorney Knowlton Both are scholars
full OF years of experience. without
ceiling az yet even the touch of ace If their
positions were reversed neither would be SO
tronG. Gov. Robinson has the warm heart | ,
lie natural eloquence needed to espouse the ,
ause of the defendant.
Mr.. knowlton has the hard head. the incisiye !
lscernment, the remorseless logic. that can ,,
'est press uUon jury the demand of outraged !
nd violated law more than all Each thor :
ughly believes in the side he advocates, and il .
; matter OF conscience as much as pro- .
esslonal emulation that excites the best efforts ,
{ each
Ex-Gov. Robinson began speaking shortly
fter o'clock. 6
The defendant WAS present and listened .
ntenly to every word. As is usually the case,
he was responsive to kind words and his
athletic references to herself.
oo'' A'ooiuroH oPeneu Win n graphic de- ,
crlption OF the crime He turned to the fury :
one point and raid: Tho finding of judge =
alsdeii of the district court in Fall River !.
orthy man as he may be. is of no sort of con u
equence here and has no sort of influence or =
bhgatlon over you. We would not be safe If
these great crises our lives hinged upon the !.
ecision OF a single man in prejudiced and !.
xclted community. No. we walk awav from
ali River, We come down to the broad sea. 3
lore, we sniff the breezes of the sea and there X
freedom; here is right; here are YOU gentle
en.'' a.
The eloquent speaker urged that it was q
hysicaify and moraiv impossible for Lizzie q q
} have committed the crimes. He paid a !.
enerous tribute to Mr.. KnowIton's shrewduess =,
recognizing his great popularity in the ~
,unty from which the jurymen were dawn
with his wel-earned reputation and his
gh standing at the bar he would have no need IN
search for hurels for his fame and he ia ono -
the last men that would demean himself so ~
even to think of it. lie stands above the :,
iserdbie assertions that unthinkiny people will n
AXE, and he walks into this court room oniy as =,
lie representative of the commonwealth of W.
massachusetts,, that is yours and mine and his. =,
Id says gentlemen. all have 10 show you is the W
Sc we have against this woman. And if the =
sc have had brought to me by the Fall River 9,
,ilce - not sufficient you have any doubt -.
'out 1t he Will say. if he speaks what his heart W
'ompts him to utter. For Gods sake, saw 80 Ii
Re men. and Bristol county will be the happier a.
I'd the securer afterward" a
Gov. Robinson sscoring of the Fall River notice ~
id incidentally of the blue-costed fraternity I,