The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-05-26
THECOMNGBORDEN TRIAL.
The State is 10 DO Represented by
Two District Attorneys
THE STORY OF HOUSE ROBBERY
And the Part Il VIII Play In the Prose-
cution-why Mr.. Borden DISCONTINUED
Police Investigation-The Government
Wants This Evidence Admitted,

Boston, May 70. -Attorney General
Pillsbury will not try the Borden case.
District Attorney Knowlton Of Bristol
county, assisted by District Attorney
Moody of Essex county, will re present
the commonwealth. Such recent tests a
Attorney General Pillsbury has made OF
his strength show that, while steadily
gaining, he is not yet able to undertake
the protracted strain and labor of a CAPT tai
trial, without risks which his ply stefan
will not allow him to incur.
There has been no application for or sug-
gestion of postponement, and there is no
reason TO doubt that the trial will proceed
Mt New Bedford on June 8, as assigned.
II it is not ruled put as inadmissable,
the robbery moro than a year before the
double tragedy occurred will play a most
important part in the trial.
A couple of feeble attempts have been
made within n year to tell the
Story of the Affair,
which may never be fully known, but the
reporter, who wa alert enough TO catch
the thread Of the story, was ~unregardful
enough to call a writing desk a safe, and
90 ON to the end Of the chapter.
The fact IL that on June "a, 1891, An
drew J.. Borden discovered that a large
old-fashioned writing desk at his home
had been opened and money, street car
tickets and a gold watch belonging TO
Mrs. Borden distracted. The latter was
particularly priced because of its as
sociations, although not otherwise valu-
able.
Mr.. Borden Immediately reported the
affair to the authorities, with the request
that IL be kept a profound secret. 1t was
kept quiet for over a year., IA had it not
been for the terrible Developments in the
family last August the robbery would
almost have been forgotten. In any event,
1t never would have reached the public
prints. 1t is understood that the fasten-
ings on the desk had been tempered with,
although the final entrance may have been
effected with a key which fitted the lock,
either by accident or intention.
1t is a coincidence that an officer was put
upon the case who knew the Borden family
thoroughly. In fact, it may be said that
he had in q sense grown up with the
daughters.
There had been a series of robberies in
n o. ikiNth Jhbt DICCtoihS thiS, III q yOubk
mar was finally tripped up with a lot of
different sized keys in his possession; but
there seems to have been something dis
tinctive about this theft that
Did Not Indicate an Expert.
Mr.. Borden was q director In the street
railway company, and the tickets stolen
were those issued only to directors. Con-
sequently, being of such limited issue, it
was comparatively Easy to trace the thief
the minute the tickets were presented.
The amount Of money taken was not
large.
A watch was kept on the street cars for
several weeks, but just what the detec-
tive's work disclosed will not be known
before the trial. for, suddenly. Nh. Borden
told the officers to drop the case. IL is said,
however, that the tickets were traced to
some person.
1t does not appear that anything else
was taken from the house at this time, nor
were any other of the houses in that
neighborhood robbed.
The state will argue that the ordinary
thief must nave known that the use of
the street car tickets would have led to
early detection and that the watch was of
small value.
luc TODDtTy, III ~ Sdiu, Wdb COIniuIlItu
ct n time when some of the family must
ave been about the house. MI. Borden
had n safe in his house at the time, which
was filled with valuable papers; yet its
contents remained unframed, seemingly
indicating hat the robbery was not the
work of an accomplished craftsman.
On the other land it is said hat the de-
Tense will urge that there is not, and never
was, any evidence whatever connecting
Lizzie Borden with the robbery, that the
suppositious theory is
Created Solely by the Suspicion
cast upon her by her arrest for the MUIR
ders, and that the very fact that the rob
berry was committed during the presence
in the house of members of the family
only serves toprove the possibility of some
n also having entered the house from
outside and committed the murders.
1t is limited also that it may not be i'm
possible TO show that Mr.. Borden's only
reason for disseminating the police investi-
cation was that the thief had returned the
watch and in return a been promised
immunity from prosecution.
1t is also said that there has never been
a general opinion among the authorities
that any evidence was secured upon which
the police would nave dared to make an
arrest.
The question of whether the evidence
on this subject will be admitted is a
serious one, but 1t is understood that the
government will fight hard to get it in a.
a part Of its chain Of circumstantial evil
deDce.