St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-06-16
Evidence Regarding the Buy
ing Of PrussIe Acid Ruled
Out.
Defense Introduces Witnesses
Who Saw a Man Around
the House.
Contradiction Of Some Of the
Witnesses Of the
State.


yesterdays proceedings. The first wit
ness called was Charles II. Lawton,
a New Bedford druggist of twenty
years standing, and he was.followed by
other druggists, who were questioned as
to the character and uses of prussic
acid. The defense vigorously contested
every point of the governments testi-
mony looking to the prisoners attempt
to purchase prussic acid. Preliminary
evidence was introduced under objec-
lions and exceptions. Druggist Lawton
testified that he knew of no other than
medicinal purposes for which pruSSic
acid is used, and Daniel Hathaway,
analytical chemist, said it is unsuitable
for cleaning furs and very volatile,
while DR.. Dolan said that its vapor is
very poisonous. Finally, after consul
tation, the justice announced that
the preliminary evidence did not
come up to the proffer by the prose-
cution, and excluded the entire evil
dence of attempting purchase of
prussic acid. After introduction of ex-
hibits, the commonwealth rested its
case and recess of fifteen minutes was
taken. During the recess, the prisoner
talked earnestly with Mrs. Fessenden,
of Boston, the only lady who has spoken
to her in the court room.
The Defense.
After the recess Mr.. Jennings opened
the case for the defense. He said they
would show the previous spotlessness
of the prisoners character, and the
absence of intent, purpose, or oppor-
tunity. The prisoner sat with her
face buried i'll her handkerchief
during counsers plea. After dis
tiuguiShing circumStantial from direct
evidence and illustrating the dangerous
character of circumstantIal evidence,
ne said every link i'll the governments
chain of evidence must be proved be
yond a reasonable doubt, Including mo-
tive, wespon, exclusive opportunity and
inteut The defense would show the
relation between father and
daughter which excluded motive
for killing him, and the motive to XIII
the mother alone would not be enough,
for the government claimed that the
same person killed both. He claimed
that the weapon had not been connected
with the defendant. Exclusive oppor-
tuDity would be negatived by showing
that other people were around at the
time of the murder; tnat others
entered the barn before the officer who
testified that its floor was covered with
dust, and that the burned dress was
covered with paint. and was not worn
on the day of the murder. On the sub
ject of
Circumstantial Evidence
MIR. Jennings addressed the jury thus:
You are not to say how this mySteri-
Gus murder was committed, but to say
by whom. You are simply to answer as
to this defendant, to say you are salts
fed beyond a reasonable doubt that
she is guilty or innocent, and
reasonable doubt is doubt for
which you can furnish good reason.
want to say that there is. not one par
tical of direct testimony against Lizzie
Andrew Borden to connect her with
this crime; it is wholly and absolutely
circumstantial. 1t is not for you
to unravel the mystery of how
these people died, but TO say
whether this woman did the deed
or not. Unless by the evidence you can
tie this woman to the bodies OF the
murdered persons you must let her 90
free. We contend that with the evil
dence thus far produced there is no
motive shown for this woman to do
the deed. You will find that a
motive as one of the links I'D the
chain becomes of tremendous lmpor-
lance The governments chain Is that
whoever killed one killed the other,
and where they have assumed to show
motive for the killing OF her own
mother, there is none for the killing of
her own father.
In Measuring the Motive
you have got to apply it in this case as
between the girl and her own father.
The blood which was shown on the axes
has disappeared; the claw-headed
Ratchet has disappeared from the case.
The attempt has been made here 10
surround this house; to completely
shut it in; but we shall show
you that there were others about
that house or the day of the
murder. We shall show you that Med
Iey's cake-walk in the barn existed in
his own Imagination and that people
were IN that barn and all over it before
he went there; we shall show you that
Lizzie was in the barn just as she said
she was. We shall show you tina. this
dress was soied with paint gotten on
was burned there in broad daylight
with windows and doors open, officers
and other witnesses about. We shall
snow you that she had on the very dress
sine says she had on, the one gave to
the officer myself. We shall ask you to
see, III view Of the presumption of limo
cence, which the law says you shall
consider, that no blood was foun0 upon
her. and to consider the relations be-
tween father and daughter"
During the opening Miss Borden COW
cred her fearful eyes with her hand
kerchief. Martha Chagnon. a pleasant
little French girl, was the first witness
for the defense. She is daughter of
DR.. Chagnon, whose yard is in the rear
of the Borden yard. On the night pre-
ceding the Borden murder, Miss Chag-
non SAID she heard noise at about IL
o'clock at night. 1t
Sounded Like Pounding
on the Borden fence, and lasted FIVE
minutes. Marion Chagnon, mother of
Martha, confirmed her daughter, but
the purpose of their testimony was not
disclosed. Charles n. Clifford and |
Uriah Kirby both swore to having seen |
a strange man OH the steps of the latter's |
house, near the Borden residence, at IL |
o'clock the night before the murder. |
Clifford said the man would weigh be- |
tween $50 and 100 POUNDS. He seemed |
asleep. The witness spoke 10 the |
man and his hat fell off. The |
witness then went into the house. |
The man did not seem to have been |
He never saw the man be- |
fore or since. Kirby testified that he |
called out to the man who was on the |
steps without getting reply. His hat |
was pulled down nearly over his eyes. |
The witness shook him and finally left |
him there. The mysterious parsonage |
said nothing and did nothing.
Mark Chase, of Fall River, former |
member of the police force of that city,
swore that about 1850 a. III. of the |
day of the murders he saw buggy |
standing III front Of the Borden house. |
In the carriage was man with brown |
hat and black eoaI. lie had never seen
the man or the buggy before. DR.. Ben
jamin f. Handy, of Fall River, testified !,