Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-21

THE JURY WAS OUT OVER AN HoUR-sCENEs OF
ENTHUSIASM IN THE COURT ROOM WHEN TEE
VERDICT WAS ANNOUNCED CHIEF JUSTICE
CoyGRAIULArEs THE ACCUsED-TAKEN BACK
TO FALL RIVER.
As announced in postscript edition Of THE
STAR yesterday afternoon, Lizzie Borden was
acquitted at 4:30 o'clock Of the murder OF her
parents, with which she had been charged
Disagreement had been the expectation Of
almost every one, and very few expected even
that before today. At its very close the de-
Tense developed surprising weakness and the
government developed a surprising strength
This rather unsettled the understanding of the
most acute. After the jury went out at 315
the court took recess, the judges and lawyers
remaining in the court room. 1t was the in
tention then to wait for a verdict until 5 o'clock
and then call the jury in aud instruct it to
bring in a sealed verdict. il one was found
before O'Clock this morning.
But at 430 the deputy sheriff on guard at the
door Of the jury room was told to notify the
court that verdict had been found. The
court sent back word for the jury to come in
At just 4:36 the twelve men entered the court
and the verdict announced.
The scene in the court room while the jury
was being polled and was announcing its YER
dict was u most impressive one. Perfect
almost desth-iike-sience prevailed. The
spectators sat awed and expectant and hung on
every word with intense interest. Every eve
was on the twelve men who held the womans
fate in their hands. Every person in the
crowded court room seemed to be STRIVING to
read in their features the result of their DELHI
erations.
Occasionally an eye would rove to where sat
the woman who was the central figure i'll the
case. She was unable to completely conceal
her nervousness. but the tense. hard lines OF
her face and her general demeanor plainly told
how severe was the struggle to repress the con-
ticting emotions which struggled for the
mastery within her BOSOM
| WAITING FOR THE VERDICT.
| The court room was packed The last act in
the drama WAS about to be played, and al we're
ness the exit of the players.
| During the absence OF the jurors the spec
| tators and the court officials occupied them
selves in the varied ways in which the weary
moments are passed at such a time. Restless
spectators drew their watches and consulted
them, aud little knots discussed the probable
| result of the jurors deliberations.
| Suddenly amid the hum of conversation, the
door through which the jucors must come
| opened The effect was instantaneous. Perfect
quiet reigned.
''Sor GUILTY"
Slowly the Jurors filed to their box and re-
sumed the seats they had vacated when retiring.
Then Clerk Borden broke the silence with the
poll of the jury. followed by the customary
question: MIR. Foreman and gentlemen Of the
jury. have you agreed upon a verdict
Calmly and clearly came the reply from
! Foreman Richards: I'VE have"
Then followed a few seconds of awful sus-
Pense. while the assembiaSe leaned forward and
/ listened to the next question.
| Gentlemen of the jury. now what say you, is
/ the prisoner guilty or not gUilty?"
| Not guilty Foreman Richards had spoken;
/ the decision of twelve good men and true had
| been made.
| LIZZIE BORDEN PAINTS.
| The pen ia almost powerless to describe the
scene which followed For sixty seconds
/ there was not a sound Then the crowd OF a
thousand men and women broke into a cry of
JOY and approval that rang far outside and told
the waiting thousands about the court house
that Lizzie Borden was q free woman.
Lizzie had stood while the foreman spoke.
| When he had finished she started. stepped for
| ward, put out her arms as ii she would throw
them about the neck Of Mr.. Richards. and then
sank to the floor an inanmate mass of over
| strung. exhausted humanity.
SWEPT FROM THE ROOM.
The bombastic sheriff made no attempt to
| restrain the shouts and hurrahs OF the crowds
the reporters vanished from sight; only the
three dignitied judges were calm.
The multitude swept from the room in a
minute and there we're left only the judges. the
Jury the lawyers, Lizzie Borden. her sister
Emma and uncle. John V. Morse. DIR. Bowen
was there and he at once applied restoratives &c
the unconscious woman. In ten minutes she
was conscious. but apparently oblivious to any
of her surroundings. 7 his condition continued
half an hour. during which the three judges
patiently sat in their places and waited.
| hon RDwen
BILE of taking part in the formalities necessary.
| The judges nodded briefly and in three min
utes Miss Borden was free Then Chief Jus
tice Mason stepred down from the bench, and
reaching out both his hands toward Lizzie Bor
den. he grasPed her right hand and said: "Misi
Borden. your trial was n fair one.your acquitta
just verdict. Let me congratulate YOU"
CnUERs FOR MISS BoRDEs.
| In ten minutes it seemed every man, woman
and child in New Bedford knew that Miss Bor
den had been found not gully, and littl
later when her carriage was driving to the rail
! rogd station. though The curtains were drawn
it was known that ehe was inside. and the wild
est en- husiasm greeted her ali along the way
Six months ago people believed her guilty; to
,lay thew know she is not, because jury ha
said so rpou the best evidence the state coult
produce.
LIZZIE LEAVES FOR HOME.
Judges Dewey and Blodgett shook hand
with Lizzie as she walked out OF the court room
with no deputy sheriff al her side. entered he
: carriage and was driven TO the Old Colony de
pot, where she took train for Fall River. Sh
= was accomp panied by her sister. Emma; he
uncle. John '. Morse; Rev. Mr.. Jnbb. he
! pastor. and Rev. Mr.. Buck. her stanch and TN
q yielding friend.
= After her recovery from her fainting spe
she wept Historically. this woman. who, durin
h ten months of imprisonment and care al
a | worry has maintained the outward appearance
of the most indifferent person IN the world
q wept like a little child and she seemed no NOR
. able 10 restrain her tears than as il gfea
. and terrible and lasting sorrow had come upo
4 her.
!. And there were tears everywhere one looked
B Every woman in sight who had heard the now
!. had handkerchief at her ewes, and every tea
). was tear of joy.
= FALL RIVER AROUSED.
u The people of Fall River were surprised tbs
"a Lizzie had been adjudged mot guilty For
|. time the excitement was nearly as intense as o
l. August last, when the horrible butchery wa
rerpetrsted. While the most conservative pee
= pie admitted that disagreement of the Jur
might follow. it was not expected that after dt
If liberation of only one hour and six minutes
,e verdict of acquittal wou.d be rendered.
A. After the result of the trial became know
,r and the fac: stated that Miss Borden would +,