The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-06-17

n 0oSbOAf WIS the
came swarming into the house and the
full extent of the tragedy was revealed,
Both Mr.. and Mrs. Borden were found
dead with their skulls cloven in a dozen
places.
Mrs. Borden had been struck from be-
hind, and the murderer had then stood
over her and rained blow after blow
upon her until she was dead. Mr.. Bor-
den had been attacked as he slept and had
received ten blows on his temple and
forehead. Evidences Of the murder were
on the walls and ceilings Of both rooms
Lizzie Borden had worn a clean blue
dress before the murder. She wore the
same spoJless dress after the crime.
She was arrested and tried for the muir
der. Everything she wore. even to the
soles of her shoes, was submitted TO the
minutest scientific examination by ex-
perts. with the result that no blood OF
trace of blood was found.
On examination Lizzie said that she had
had no occasion 70 use an axe or Ratchet
such as the murder was undoubtedly
committed with. She did not even know
that her father had a Ratchet. There was
an old axe on the chopping block in the
cellar, but no evidence Of the crime was
found upon IL.
At the trial it was developed that the
crime had surely been committed with a
Ratchet, and that Ratchet with broken
handle had been found in the cellar OF the
Borden house
The break was an old one, however,
and there were no stains whatever on the
blade.
IF my father had a Ratchet" said
Miss Borden. 81 knew nothing about it"
Miss Borden testified that on several
occasions she had seen spieious-looking
men lurking about the house. One night
before the murder. as she was coming
home, she saw the shadow of a man on
the house at the east end. Before that
she had seen somebody run around the
house.
On the morning of the murder Dr. Har-
dy saw man standing on Second street
near the Borden house. He was CHASTITY
white and seemed greatly agitated.
It was developed that Thomas P. Walk
er. a tailor working for John carey,
whose place of business is within short
distance of the Borden house, owed Mr..
Borden one Months rent for a house on
Fourth street. When asked to pay Walk
or had used threatening language,
The fact was also developed that An
drew ]. Borden had given testimony in
the case of mutiny on the ship Richard
J. Borden, which had convicted the ring
leaders who then swore vengeance on
the witness.
Lizzie Borden was acquitted of the
l. l.,
old life. Upon receiving her inheritance
she and her sister moved to house on
French street, where they still reside.
Time passed and the murder became
a memory. But there We're those who
continued 10 marvel over the strange
lack of evidence at the trial of Lizzie
Borden.
Where was the weapon with which the
crime was committed? Where were the
blood-stained clothes-the tangible trail
which would lead to the perpetrator OF
the CHASTITY deed?
Mrs Margaret INLAND lives in little
apartment over MONEYS tailor shop.
fronting on Main street and opening in
the rear on a network of narrow passage
ways and implanted sheds.
Moneys tailor shop is the second house
from the corner of Spring street. The
corner house is occupied by a music and
stationery store.
On the Spring street side, behind the
music store and fronting on Spring street,
is a furniture store. In the angle formed
by these buildings in the rear there are
q dozen dark places where a criminal
might hide himself away from the police.
In March last Mrs. INLAND discovered
that she needed fuel. In the rear of
Moneys tailor shop there was an old
shed that had formerly contained wod
and rubbish.
Mrs. INLAND went out to this shed to
break up some boards for her stove. Be
ing a somewhat heavy woman she broke
through the decayed floor and plunged in
to a hidden coal heap up to her knees,
Here was treasure she had not an
ticipated. She procured scuttle and be
gan to clear the coal away. She came
upon a parcel wrapped in newspapers
and heavily wrapped with Irvine.
It had evidently lain there for years.
Upon the wrappings there were full
brown blurs as though some fluid had
soaked through and dried.
She carried the package upstairs and
showed it to her daughters. She upwrap-
ped the coverings and discovered a blood
stained Ratchet.
There were stains of blood on the ham
die near the blade and others near the
enc Of the handle, leaving the width
of two clinched hands between.
There were also stains of blood and
rust on the blade. Save for these marks
the Ratchet was new.
The thought flashed into the mind Of
the excited woman that it might be the
Ratchet that the Bordens We're killed
with, but she said nothing about her
find except to her own immediate family
and to two Of the employees of Moneys
tailor shop. She placed the Ratchet in
closet and forgot about it.
The decayed flooring in the shed trou-
bled her. however. and the premises be-
ing owned by the Bordens, she went TO
the agent of the estate. Charles z. Cook.
to have repairs made.
Mr.. Cook sent Walter Osborn. the jani-
tor of one OF the Borden buildings. over
TO see about it
While he was repairing the floor for
some reason or other he asked Mrs. Nj
land for a Ratchet.
II have none" she said sbsent-minded-
"; but wait" she added quickly. Il
have one that I found in that hole under
the floor I'll set st for you"
When she brought out the Ratchet, the
5anitor. after inspecting It closely, offered
her 81 for It New hatchets OF that iden-
teal kind can be bought in the hardware
stores near by for 70 cents.