The Donaldsonville chief., 1913-05-10

| Porch or hIZLfe 6CfCcH
and power that the possession OF
large amount of money cannot fail to
give Lizzie Borden read the writing
on the wall. t was then she first be-
! gan TO feel the pressure of public opln-
ion-shat she first realized that former
cordial greetings were growing colder
and more cold-that friends who once
would stop for chat or drop In for
an informal visit passed her by with
scant mods and aVerted eyes-that she
came to understand the tremendous
force Of unexpressed criticism-that
the conviction came home to her than
which no earthly situation is more
crushing or more annihilating-tha
she was being stunned by every hui
man being, with an occasional rare
exception, who had formerly made up
her life and happiness. 1t was all the
more terrifying because 1t was, 50 In
/ defnable. There was no tangible fin
ger of scorn-no open declaration Of
hostility-just that insistent. madden
ing, universal aloofness.
/ Never Wore Mourning.
She was criticised because she did
not wear mourning for her parents.
Her every going in and coming out
was discussed, and all manner and
kind of construction placed upon every
ordinary, unimportant detail of her
mode Of living and acting. Some
thought she drove her horses too rap
idly and recklessly down the main
street. Some ayerred that she had
never shown the proper grief over
her fathers death. Others insisted
that she was making altogether too
/ sudden and too blatant display OF the
I. money that ehaa ascoIne to her with the
y murder of her father. She could do
nothing right. IL she tried to be happy
and forget the awful shadow that had
i come into her life her critics called
her heartless. Il she appeared On the
: streets in sober, subdued frame Of
, mind there were all sorts of gossip
ings and predictions and clackings of
, tongues-such an attitude could mean
} but one thing to their minds!
So the years went on, one after an
i other of her friends dropping away
: from her, until today Lizzie Borden,
looking for all the world like any
other stout, matron1y woman you
might meet on the street, is without
doubt the most isolated free woman
J in New England.
Seems Without Emotion.
She is today just what she was de.
scribed as being when she faced trial
for her life twenty years ago-a stolid
immobile, Unconditional appearing won.
an-her large, strong features ex.
pressing the same determination that
characterized her when she faced he1
accusers on the charge Of parricide
II this woman has ever had an emo
ton it can honestly be said that she
has invariably succeeded in conceal
, ing 1t from any human eye.
She goes about today just as she
went her way, firm-mouthed, direct
eyed and battling OF understanding dur
. ing the days following the discovery
Of the mutilated bodies Of her father
and her stepmother, during the In
quest that resulted in her arrest, day
> after day during the preliminary trial
at the end Of which Judge Blaisdel
found her probably guilty-throughout
the grand jury hearing when twenty
out OF twenty-one grand jurymen vot
ed to indict her-al1 during the eight
months of her confinement In Taunton
Jail while she waited the sitting Of the
superior courtpend during the Ions
hours Of her sta1enea days trial BY
r jury which END Ially ant, acquittal and
J release. ss as
) Months without aQ2fyisitor.
Not in fifteen years has Lizzie Bor
1 den attended the church where up tt
l her thirty-third year she was leader
3 working for charity-presiding a
? meetings of the Christian Endeavor
singing in the hoir-active in al
2 church soeials and gatherings. Not IL
r years has she entered any store o,
, shop in the city where she was borl
: and spent her girlhood and young
: womanhood as the younger daughte
: Of one Of the cityss richest and mos
: respected business men. Not to thu
l knowledge of anyone has she engaged
: in any charity for the past ten years
, Months pass by without a human
) foot crossing her threshold other thai
r those of menials and tradespeople. I
: visitor at the Borden door Is such
2 rare and curious sight as to occasion
5 comment throughout the neighbor
r hood.
r Not only the house of tragedy ol
Second street, where she was borl
and brought up and which Is still il
7 her possession, but also her presen