Theories Advanced.
By Monday morning following the tragedy, the fact that some member of
the Borden family was suspected of the crime by the police, became a
matter of public comment. But withal there was nothing to substantiate
this suspicion, except that the officers kept up their daily and
nightly watch of the house and its surroundings. Public sentiment began
to be divided. The police had a large following who believed implicitly
in their ability to ferret out the crimes, and it soon became noised
about that no less a person than the District Attorney himself was in
hearty co-operation with the officers and shared with them the fear
that some member of the household was the author of the crime. Whether
this rumor was based upon fact or not will be decided by those who
follow the course of subsequent events. Friends of the Borden household
became mightily aroused to the trend of public opinion and to the now
undisguised work of the police. Four days had passed and the officers
of the law seemed to find no other clue than that which kept them
inside the Borden yard. Those people who found that it was beyond the
pale of human conception to suspect that the crime could have been
committed by a member of the household, began to rally to the support
of the suspected parties; and their influence was felt in certain
quarters; yet it did not disarm the frightful suspicion, cruel and
groundless though it might have been.
The public had been led to suspect that arrests would be made on or
before Saturday night. People became confirmed in the view that there
never would be a conviction and sentence of the guilty party. Up to
this time, absolutely nothing but circumstantial evidence, had been
discovered, and for the most part it was fair to suppose that no
evidence of any other nature had been gathered. This was an unpleasant
conclusion to reach and men did not arrive at it cheerfully, but they
were forced to accept it, nevertheless. They saw but one bright spot in
the murky horizon, and that was a tiny one. The government might sooner
or later strike a clue which would put them on the right track of the
assassin, who, whether male or female, might break down and confess.
But if the assassin had no confederates and kept his own counsel, he
was safe. Such was the course of reasoning pursued on Monday, and it
seemed to be logical.
The police had been terribly in earnest in their work and they had
pursued it efficiently and effectively. They had been severely
criticised as they undoubtedly expected to be, but perhaps that was
unjust. At the start they were caught at a disadvantage, they were the
victims of circumstances which could entangle them but one day in the
year, and perhaps a mistake was made when they did not take absolute
and immediate possession of the house, barn and yard and place a guard
in every room. Yet had this been done the well meaning public would
perhaps have been more caustic in criticism. If they did make a mistake
it was a matter which no human being could sit in judgment upon. They
had to deal with a horror calculated to stagger any detective force in
the world whatever its training, skill or experience. An unparalleled
horror it may be, but one without an equal in the annals of New England
crime. That a false step was taken during the first hour of the
commotion was not surprising.
[Illustration: INSPECTOR WM. H. MEDLEY.]
Among the many theories which were advanced as to who was responsible
for the crime, that of Mr. John Beattie, then an Alderman of Fall
River, will suffice to show how deeply the people had thought upon the
subject. Mr. Beattie said in a published interview: “My theory—and
it is mine alone—is one formed from the circumstances of the case.
The brain which devised this crime was cunning enough to devise
beforehand, the means to escape detention. Supposing it was a woman,
she was cunning enough to wear a loose wrapper which would have covered
her clothes, and gloves which would have protected her hands from the
stains of blood. If so there was time to burn both wrapper and gloves
in the hot fire, which was known to have been burning in the kitchen
stove at the time of the tragedy.” The Alderman’s theory is simply
given here to show the trend of public opinion, and while it was
perhaps his own, there were many conservative people who shared it with
him.
On Sunday two “outside clues” came up for consideration of the
authorities. Special officers, Harrington and Doherty, were sent out
to find one Thomas Walker and succeeded. The man was taken to task
concerning his whereabouts on Thursday and he told his story. He was a
tailor and worked for Thomas Carey on Main street, had been recently
married and moved into a tenement belonging to Andrew J. Borden, which
was located on Fourth street. The rumor had been that Walker had
experienced domestic troubles and after a long period of temperance
had taken some intoxicants. Three weeks before the tragedy Mr. Borden
called at Carey’s shop and had a talk with Walker. The rent was due and
Mr. Borden wanted it paid or else he wanted Walker to move out. After
some argument the tenant concluded to move and did so. It was rumored
that unpleasant words had passed between the two men and the police
deemed it advisable to give Walker a chance to make an explanation. Mr.
Walker told so straight and clear a story of his whereabouts on that
day that it was taken for truth and especially so when Mr. Carey, his
employer, corroborated every statement which he had made.
The other clue was to the effect that a Portuguese had been seen
burying a bloody hatchet on the Borden farm in Swansea. Officer Medley
visited the farm and searched in vain where the axe was alleged to have
been buried. He found a Portuguese laborer who had been on the farm all
day Thursday and who had killed some chickens for market.
Another clue which showed a strong point in support of Miss Borden’s
story of having been in the barn was that told by one Hyman Lubinsky.
He said that while driving on Second street at 10:30 a. m., on
Thursday, he saw a woman in the Borden yard; noticed her walk from the
barn to the side door on the north and enter. The description which he
gave of the woman fitted that of Miss Lizzie and it appeared to verify
her story of having been in the barn as before stated. This man was not
introduced by the defense at the preliminary trial.
But there was a clue which caused no end of comment, both personal and
in the press. Information reached the police that Officer Joseph Hyde
had seen a suspicious looking stranger in the vicinity of Second street
on that morning. On the following Tuesday, Dr. B. J. Handy, one of the
best known physicians in the city, made public the fact that he also
saw a very strange appearing man on Second street on the morning of the
murder between 10:25 and 10:45 o’clock.
The doctor took some notice of this man and in the afternoon while in
conversation with his wife he became more and more impressed with the
idea that the stranger had some connection with the awful crime. This
theory became a matter of much importance and Dr. Handy did not at
this time know that Officer Hyde was reported to have seen a similar
person. Dr. Handy’s statement was that at some time within fifteen
minutes of 10:30 o’clock that morning he was driving down Second
street. When as he was passing the residence of Dr. Kelly,—which
is the next house south of the Borden premises,—his attention was
attracted to a pedestrian walking slowly along the sidewalk near the
Borden house. Ordinarily the face of a stranger would not excite much
interest in the mind of Dr. Handy, inasmuch as he was continually
passing the streets of the city on his professional calls. In this
case, however, he looked twice at the passerby, and even turned in
his carriage to inspect him more closely. Just what caused him to do
this the doctor did not definitely explain. There was a peculiarity
about the man which he could not exactly describe. The individual was
about 30 years of age, five feet five inches in height, weight perhaps
about 125 or 130 pounds. His clothes were of light gray of just what
cut and texture the doctor could not positively state; nor could he
tell whether the man’s hat was of felt or straw. It was not the dress
which attracted Dr. Handy, it was the man’s features, which he saw. He
was pale, almost white; not with the ghastly pallor of a sick man, but
rather the whitish appearance of a man whose face had not been touched
by the sun’s rays; who might have been in confinement, or whose work
was of such a nature as to keep him constantly in a cellar. There was
something beyond this paleness which aroused the doctor particularly to
observe him, and that was that he appeared to be in a state of intense
nervousness.
Within an hour after Dr. Handy had heard of the terrible tragedy and
within three hours after he had seen the queer looking stranger he had
in his own mind decided that the unknown knew something of the murders.
He communicated his suspicions to the police and gave a complete
description of the man. More unfavorable comment was directed at the
authorities because they failed to find this man as readily as they
did other suspects than was apparently absolutely necessary. Column
after column of the leading newspapers were devoted to the discussion
of this stranger until he became known as “Dr. Handy’s Wild Eyed
Man,” and while the police were accused of neglecting this seemingly
important clue there are trustworthy men who know and can show beyond
contradiction that he was sought after in the most diligent manner.
So faithfully in fact did the officers search for the stranger, all
the while neglecting, if it may be called by that name, to follow more
plausible clues; many of them finally said they were forced to the
conclusion that the wild eyed man was a myth, and that with all due
respect to Dr. Handy’s opinions and conclusions. But myth or reality
some of the friends of Miss Lizzie insisted that he be materialized
if the former, or produced if the latter. There was a man known to
the police as “Mike the Soldier” and he in a measure seemed to fit
the description of the “Wild Eyed.” Pursuing the plan which Marshal
Hilliard did from the beginning, of following every clue no matter how
trivial or unimportant, his men were sent in every direction to hunt
the curious stranger. “Mike the Soldier” was discovered, as will be
seen later.
[Illustration: MR. ANDREW J. BORDEN.]
[Illustration: PLAN OF THE BORDEN HOUSE AND YARD.]
[Illustration: GROUND PLAN OF THE BORDEN RESIDENCE.]
[Illustration: SECOND FLOOR BORDEN HOUSE.
1. Room where Mr. and Mrs. Borden Slept.
2. Chamber.
3. Miss Emma Borden’s Bed Chamber.
4. Miss Lizzie Borden’s Bed Chamber.
5. Guest Chamber where Mrs. Borden’s Body was Found.]