The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-06-10
WILL NOT TESTIFY.
Lawyer Adams Says Lizzie VIII Not Take
the Witness stand.


the Witness stand.
SPECIAL TO THE NEWS.
NEW BEDFORD, June 10.-The News is
officially informed by Melvin o. Adams,
counsel for the defens,, that the state
ment that Lizzie Borden will testify In
| her own benalf Is entirely unauthorized
and false. Her counsel have had no
thought Of asking her to testify. and
| they have now no intention of doing So
| III in the light of evidence hereafter Of
| fered by the government 1t shall appear
| wise To have her take the witness stand,
| there Is possibility that such course
| may be adopted, but at present no such
| col clusion has been reached and IL Is
| very improbable that IL will be adopteh.
| because the prosecution has put in almost
| all of its evidencs as to Lizzie's acts on
| the day Of the murder.
The character of this evidence which,
| by the way. is, with the exception OF
Bridgeps testimony, exclusively the evil
| Interesting. The whole OF yesterday
was devoted to 1t and the net result was
IN addition to the strength OF the de-
| fense. The crossexamination of these
officers has doubtless seemed stupid TO
| the public. The minute details are ap-
parentiy irrelevant TO the main question.
| and hence the spectators watched the
| prisoner more than the witnes 'es.
But the Persons Life
may depend upon the two main points
which, when sifted from the verbiage If
yesterdays seven hours testimon Y,
stand out prominently as fundamental
10 the governments Claims. Ia general
| way the value of the whole OF the testi-
| mony Of the police force has b.en i'm
| peached. Yet to particulariZe the main
| issues attention Is called to the charac-
| ter of the search Of the house made at
various times, aud TO the search Of the
| barn.
IL the memory of the officers Is to be
| relied upon, the search OF the house was
| SO careless as to be almost criminal in it's
| inefiiciency. The statements of the ofii-
| GERS disagree in not only seemingly un-
essential particulars, but most vital
| questions. Officer Fleets contradictory
| statements have already been noted.
| His evidence yesterday was no more logi-
| Cal. Compared with mis- evidence at Fall
| River, it was In conflict frs quently.
His most positive evidence and 1t was
| emphasized by the keenest piece of gen
era1ship displayed thus far In the trial,
was In regard to the finding OF the
hatchet blade. he was positive that the
blade aud a very short piece OF the handle
| was all that was found.
Officer Mullaly testified that what ap-
| peared TO be the remaining part of that
| handle. freshly broken piece of a
| hatchet handle was found at the same
| tune. And he was equally as positive IN
| his statement AS had been Mr.. Fleet.
Here Was q Fiat Contradiction
| on most important fact. Ex. Governor
Robinson asked to have Mr.. Fleet
| brought back, but he was keen enough
| to understand that that IL the two men
were allowed to meet there was posi-
bility that a symmetrical story might be
arranged. Quickly Mr.. Jennings's as
| sistant and detective were dispatched
| To the hallway and entrances to the court
| room. Officer Mullaly was watched by
"A deputy sheriff and Officer Fleet
| was successfully led again to the witness
box. There he was induced to restate
| his evidence and again he asserted that
nothing but the small portion of the
baudle was found In the cellar or any
where else by him. 1t was plain that
either Mr.. Fleet or Mr.. Mullaly was
wrong, and Officer Mullaly Oh the whole
told the straighter story OF the two.
Officer Fleets testimony conflicts with
that OF others as TO was first In the barn
All Were There First.
He says he was there first. Medley
says lie was there first, and Doherty
thinks ne was there first. Ole says the
door was open another says 1t wasn't.
One says the window was open another
says it wasn't One says basket was
found both upstairs and down In the
barn containing iron and lead another
thinks 1t wasn't. And SO it
goes" 1t seems to have gone far enough
to have determined the TACT that the Of
Gcers are not successes as witne ,ses for
the prosecution. Officer Medley did not
| testify at the hearing at Fall River. 1t
Is broadly hinted that his evidence will
correspond to his name before ex-Gov
ernor Robinson gets through with MIN.
| 1t is upon the evidence OF these men
| that the facts of Lizzie's visit to the barn
| is TO be determined. III they cannot agree
| upon some account OF their examination
| OF the barn when looking particularly
| for evidences of her visit, and when or
| dered especially TO look for that sdistinct
purpose, the defense will claim with
| show of reason that their examination
| Vas not careful aud that their state
ments are not entitled to weight.
| Already some members OF the jury ap-
| pear to be disgusted with the evidence
handed in by the prosecution. While
| the officers were testifying yesterday
there was more than Que out OF the
| twelve who became not only restless but
| looked bored So apparent was the fact
| to all who watched them inteutly that
| Chief Justice Mason Was Compelled to
Speak
| word OF warning to them just before
they retired. He advised them to come
to no hasty decision before the evidence
was all In, and the case finally turned
| over 10 them. He admonished them to
keep their minds in completely free
| and receptive state until all the witnesses
on all sides bad been heard. Such ad-
| vice in the midst of "A trial is significant.
| IL ay be early yet to predict that any OF
| the jurors have arrived at conclusion,
but IL would not seem impry bable that
such Is a fast.
To return TO the testimony again |:
| There is little importance attached to
| the possible finding of the rest Of the
| hatchet Landle. Some assert that the
| claim OF the prosecution that Lizzie was
| preparing murderous tap ms bsfors the
| day OF the tragedy means that there is
| evidence to show that she was prep ring
| a hatchet, aud that this Is the hal chet.
BY Others however. and this is the most
conservative aud generally accepted view,
| II is thought that reference only was
made TO the alleged attempt TO purchase
prusslc acid No evidence ia support cf
tue former theory has yet been advanced
and IT, Is believed that all the witne ,ses
have been called who know anything OF
Itnzia's artions on the few davs previaus