The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-10-27
HISTuRY1S
MYS TE|RIES
THE BORDEN MYSTERY

THOUGH there have been crimes
= which stirred the public feeling
more deeply, the mystery connected
with the murder of Andrew J. Borden
and his wife, wealthy residents OF
Fall River, Mass, contains elements of
the unusual which lift 1t far above
other similar problems and make 1t
fit subject for a critical examination
by the most distinguished detectives
of fction-sleuths who are always far
more successful than those OF real
life.
Andrew Borden was seventy years
of age. His wife was sixty-four, and.
although they were afterwards found
to be worth some 100000, they lived
modestly In comparatively small
house, and employed only one serv-
ant, Bridget Sullivan. This maid-of-
all-work, and Lizzie Borden, Mr.. Bor-
den's daughter by his first wife, we're
the only persons In the house at the
time the murders were discovered and
suspicion naturally attached Itself to
the stepdaughter, as Bridget had not
the slightest motive for the crime.
After breakfast, on the morning OF
August 4, 1897 Mr.. Borden left the
house to attend to an errand In the
nelghborhood, and Mrs. Borden went
upstairs to arrange the guest room In
preparation for some expected visitors.
Mrs. Borden, as was afterwards
brought out at the trial, left the first
floor at $50, and 1t was the last time
that she was seen alive.
Both Lizzie and Bridget Sullivan
were in the kitchen at ten o'clock
when Mr.. Borden returned to the
house, and, finding the front door
the only other entrance-locked, came
in through the back way and went up
to his room which communicated only
with the back part Of the house and
could not be reached from the front.
1t was about fifteen minutes later that
Lizzie Borden went upstairs, and
moment later. shrieked out that her
father had been killed. Both the old
man and his wife had been murdered,
practically chopped TO pieces, for
there We're no less than twenty-nine
wounds on the two bodies, while the
rooms In which they were found we're
spattered with blood almost TO the
ceiling. Investigation showed that
Mrs. Borden, whose body was dis
covered In the guest room. had been
struck down while Lizzie Borden was
talking to the servant on the first
floor. only short time before; while
Mr. Borden had had time only TO reach
his room before being felled by a
blow that severed his skull.
In spite Of the lack Of evidence
against her. Lizzie Borden was ar
rested and charged with the two MUIR
ders--but was acquitted on the first
ballot OF the jury, as II was shown
that it would lhave been impossible
for her to have killed her step-mother,
changed her blood-spattered clothes;
returned to the first floor where she
talked to Bridget Sullivan for half
an hour and then to have gone up
stairs, killed her father and again
change her clothes before giving the
alarm, to say nothing Of dlsposng Of
the weapon which she had used.
On the other hand, as the prosecu-
ton pointed out, there was no other
person who possessed both the motive
and the opportunity. Lizzie Borden
had quarreled with her step-mother
some time before. Her fathers will
left the major portion OF his property
to his wife, unless he survived her,
In which case 1t was TO go to his
daughter. The front door and NIL the
windows on the first floor had heen
locked. Therefore no one could enter
without passing through the kitchen,
where both Bridget Sullivan and Lizzie
Borden We're ut work. Finally Lizzie
Borden had discovered the crime
which nj once led to the suspicion that
she had committed It,. But even the
counsel for the state had to admit that
the blood-spattered walls and the to-
tai lack of any blood stains on Miss
Borden's clothing presented an in
surmountable obstacle, so far rs her
guilt was concerned.
Her acQuittal, however, not only
added another classic to the mysteries
Of crime, but presented two questions
apparently impossible Of solution by
any reasonable hypothesis: How had
the murderer entered the house when
the only available entrance was
through the kitchen where the two
women were working? How had he
managed to commit two crimes of this
nature and escape, with clothing which
was certain to have been thoroughly
blood. stained. without attracting the
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