Fifth Day of the Trial.
There was a deathly stillness in the little court room as Prof. Edward
S. Wood of Harvard College, the expert in chemistry, upon whose
evidence it was believed so much would depend, was called to the stand.
Lizzie Borden did not look as strong as on preceding days, and the
look which she concentrated upon the countenance of Prof. Wood was
absolutely pitiful. Emma Borden’s face wore a slight flush and the
other members of the party did not stir a muscle. Every eye in the
room was upon the witness and not a sound broke the silence except the
startling testimony which the professor at once commenced to give.
He said: “I received a package containing two stomachs August 5. The
package contained four jars. The first one was labelled ‘Milk of August
4,’ the second was labelled ‘Milk of August 5,’ the third was labelled
‘Stomach of Andrew J. Borden,’ and the fourth, ‘Stomach of Mrs. Andrew
J. Borden.’ I opened the packages, which bore their original seals,
and found both stomachs perfectly natural in appearance. There was no
evidence of any inflammation. I opened and examined the contents of
the stomachs. The stomach of Mrs. Andrew J. Borden contained eleven
ounces of semi-solid food, the rest being water. At least four-fifths
and perhaps nine-tenths was solid food. The rest was water. It was
partially digested. The solid food contained bread or rather wheat,
starch and a good deal of fat. That is, the contents were chiefly
bread, or similar food, meat and oil. It also contained many vegetable
pulp cells; which might be potatoes, and also some vegetable tissue,
which might be apple or onion skins. The digestion seemed to be
advanced two or three hours. To the best of my opinion it had advanced
two and one-half hours more or less. The stomach was immediately tested
for prussic acid with negative results. There was no prussic acid
in the stomach. I made a more complete analysis later with the same
result. The stomach of Mr. Borden contained six ounces, mostly water.
Nine-tenths was water and one-tenth solid material. In connection
with Mrs. Borden’s stomach there were many solid bits of meat. In Mr.
Borden’s stomach the food contained but small quantities of starch. The
principal part of the solid food was vegetable pulp, and digestion in
his stomach had advanced three and one-half to four hours. Digestion
was very much further advanced than in the case of Mrs. Borden. There
was about two and one-half hours difference. There were a few shreds
of vegetable tissue in his stomach. I tested Mr. Borden’s stomach for
prussic acid with negative results. I did not test it for any other
poison, but there was no evidence of irritation in either. I have not
yet analyzed the milk.”
There was a pause as Prof. Wood concluded the sentences and a notable
relaxation of the tension which prevailed through the room. It was but
momentary, however, and in a second everybody was on edge again, as the
District Attorney propounded the next inquiry.
“Did you receive a trunk?” he asked.
“I did,” answered the professor. “I was in Fall River, August 9, and on
August 10 I received from Dr. Dolan a trunk. In the trunk there was a
hatchet and two axes, a blue dress skirt, a blue dress waist, a white
starched skirt, a lounge cover and a large envelope which contained
three small envelopes. One was marked, ‘Hair taken from Andrew J.
Borden,’ a second, ‘Hair taken from Mrs. Andrew J. Borden,’ a third,
‘Hair taken from the hatchet.’ On Aug. 16, I received from Marshal
Hilliard a box containing a pair of shoes and a pair of woman’s black
stockings. Of these I examined the hatchet. It contained quite a number
of suspicious looking spots, which looked as if they might be blood
spots. They were on the edge and handle. There were no blood spots,
however, on the hatchet, as my examination showed. The same was true of
the axes. Every spot that it seemed possible might be blood I tested,
and found no blood whatever on the instruments. On the blue dress there
was a stain near the pocket. It was a smirch and looked as if it might
be a blood smooch, but it was not. There was a lower stain of similar
appearance, but it was not blood. There was no spot whatever on the
blue dress waist. The white skirt had one very small spot, which was
plainer outside than on the inside of the garment. It was almost a
foot and six inches from the bottom. It was one-sixteenth of an inch
in diameter. That was a spot of blood, and there was no other spot on
the skirt. The carpet was light Brussels and had two dried pools of
blood. I recognized it as the sitting room carpet. The other carpet
was saturated. It was from the spare room and was found under the body.
There was a stain on the lounge cover, which looked like blood, but it
was not. The envelope marked hair from Andrew J. Borden, contained a
lock of white hair stained with blood. The envelope marked hair from
Mrs. Andrew J. Borden, contained a lock of dark gray hair, stained with
blood. The envelope marked hair from the hatchet, contained a hair of
red brown color. The root and end were there and the hair was like that
of a cow or some other animal. It was not a human hair. I next examined
the pair of shoes. On the bottom of the right shoe there was a stain
that looked like blood, but a careful testing showed that it came from
the tanning. There was no spot on the shoe, and I found nothing on
either of the other two axes.”
[Illustration: CAPTAIN DENNIS DESMOND.]
Then pent-up excitement could be contained no longer, and great sighs
of relief from the strain were heard as the professor concluded the
important portion of his testimony. The friends of Miss Borden looked
greatly relieved and the prisoner herself appeared easier, but there
was no change upon the placid countenance of the District Attorney. Mr.
Knowlton then asked some questions regarding the stains on the hatchet.
Professor Wood said the material that looked like blood was chiefly
wood and other fibres. There was a little stain and a long narrow
stain on the bended edge, and on the blade was a spatter of water and
iron rust. “I examined the stains on the handle for blood spots with
negative results.” This ended Prof. Wood’s testimony and Captain Philip
Harrington was called. He said: “After hearing of the murders, I went
to the house, and entered at the side door. Went into the sitting room
and on the lounge was a body. It was very much mutilated. Went up
stairs and saw Mrs. Borden’s body. Came down and looking into a room
saw Miss Lizzie and Miss Russell. I stepped into the room and asked
Miss Lizzie if she knew anything about the crime, and she said ‘No.’
She was cool and collected, and said she could tell me nothing at
all. I then asked her when she last saw her father. She said: ‘When he
returned from the Post Office.’ She said Maggie was in the house and
she was in the barn. I asked her how long she was there and she said,
‘twenty minutes.’ I asked her if she was sure it was fifteen minutes or
half an hour, and she said, ‘No, it was twenty minutes.’ Then I told
her she had better be careful what she said, and that to-morrow she
might have a clearer frame of mind. She made a courtesy and said, ‘No,
sir, I can tell you all I know now, just as well as at any other time.’
I asked her if she had seen anybody go by, and she said no. I said,
‘The barn is not a great distance, and as the screen door would have
made a noise if anybody had passed it, would she not have heard it.’
She said she was up in the loft. She said she saw nobody in the yard
or about. I asked her if she had any suspicion, and she told me about
a man who had angry words with her father about a store. She heard her
father say he would never let his store for that business. The man came
again about two months ago, and there was another angry interview. Then
she heard her father tell him the next time he was in town to call and
see about it. I asked her if the man was from out of town, and she said
yes, she should judge so. I said, ‘Miss Borden, I would advise you
not to submit to any further interviews. By to-morrow you may be able
to recollect more about this man.’ I asked her if she had heard her
father say anything about this and she said no. I then went down stairs
and Dr. Bowen was there. There was a small fire in the stove and what
appeared to be the remains of some burned paper lay in the fireplace of
the stove. The fire was very low.” Officer Harrington then detailed the
story of the search of the barn. The hay, he said, was tossed about.
[Illustration: REV. E. A. BUCK.]
When he had finished, the District Attorney read the short-hand report
of the testimony of Miss Lizzie Borden given at the inquest, and taken
by Miss White, the official stenographer. It was as follows: “My father
and stepmother were married twenty-seven years ago. I have no idea how
much my father was worth and have never heard him form an opinion. I
know something about what real estate my father owned.” “How do you
know?” Mr. Adams promptly objected. He said he did so on the ground
of the admissibility of a statement, which was detrimental to her.
Judge Blaisdell said he didn’t know that any statement the defendant
might make would not be competent. Mr. Adams argued in support of his
objection. He said any statement that did not bear directly on the
issue between the prosecution and the defence was not material. Judge
Blaisdell allowed the introduction of the question and the answer was
“two farms in Swansea, the homestead, some property on North Main
street, Borden Block, some land further south and some he had recently
purchased.” “Did you ever deed him any property?” “He gave us some
land, but my father bought it back. Had no other transaction with him.
He paid in five thousand dollars cash for this property. Never knew my
father made a will, but heard so from Uncle Morse.” “Did you know of
anybody that your father had trouble with?” “There was a man who came
there some weeks before, but I do not know who he was. He came to the
house one day, and I heard them talk about a store. My father told him
he could not have a store. The man said: ‘I thought with your liking
for money you would let anybody in.’ I heard my father order him out
of the house. Think he lived out of town, because he said he could go
back and talk with father.” “Did your father and anybody else have
bad feelings between them?” “Yes, Hiram C. Harrington. He married my
father’s only sister.” “Nobody else?” “I have no reason to suppose that
that man had seen my father before that day.” “Did you ever have any
trouble with your stepmother?” “No.” “Within a year?” “No.” “Within
three years?” “No. About five years ago.” “What was it about?” “About
my stepmother’s stepsister, Mrs. George Whitehead.” “Was it a violent
expression of feeling?” “It was simply a difference of opinion.”
“Were you always cordial with your stepmother?” “That depends upon
one’s idea of cordiality.” “Was it cordial according to your ideas of
cordiality?” “Yes.” Continuing: “I did not regard her as my mother,
though she came there when I was young. I decline to say whether my
relations between her and myself were those of mother and daughter or
not. I called her Mrs. Borden and sometimes mother. I stopped calling
her mother after the affair regarding her sister-in-law.” “Why did you
leave off calling her mother?” “Because I wanted to.” “Have you any
other answer to give me?” “No, sir. I always went to my sister. She
was older than I was. I don’t know but that my father and stepmother
were happily united. I never knew of any difficulty between them, and
they seemed to be affectionate. The day they were killed I had on a
blue dress. I changed it in the afternoon and put on a print dress.
Mr. Morse came into our house whenever he wanted to. He has been here
once since the river was frozen over. I don’t know how often he came
to spend the nights, because I had been away so much. I have not been
away much during the year. He has been there very little during the
past year. I have been away a great deal in the daytime during the
last year. I don’t think I have been away much at night, except once
when I was in New Bedford. I was abroad in 1890. I first saw Morse
Thursday noon. Wednesday evening I was with Miss Russell at 9 o’clock,
and I don’t know whether the family were in or not. I went direct to my
room. I locked the front door when I came in. Was in my room Wednesday,
not feeling well all day. Did not go down to supper. Went out that
evening and came in and locked the front door. Came down about 9 next
morning. Did not inquire about Mr. Morse that morning. Did not go to
Marion at that time, because they could go sooner than I. I had taken
the Secretaryship of the Christian Endeavor Society and had to remain
over till the 10th. There had been nobody else around there that week
but the man I have spoken of. I did not say that he came a week before,
but that week. Mr. Morse slept in the spare room Wednesday night. It
was my habit to close my room door when I was in it. That Wednesday
afternoon they made such a noise that I closed the door. First saw my
father Thursday morning down stairs reading the _Providence Journal_.
Saw my mother with a dust cloth in her hand. Maggie was putting a cloth
into a mop. Don’t know whether I ate cookies and tea that morning.
Know the coffee pot was on the stove. My father went down town after
9 o’clock. I did not finish the handkerchiefs because the irons were
not right. I was in the kitchen reading when he returned. I am not
sure that I was in the kitchen when my father returned. I stayed in my
room long enough to sew a piece of lace on a garment. That was before
he came back. I don’t know where Maggie was. I think she let my father
in, and that he rang the bell. I understood Maggie to say he said he
had forgotten his key. I think I was up stairs when my father came in,
and I think I was on the stairs when he entered. I don’t know whether
Maggie was washing windows or not when my father came in.” At this
point the District Attorney had called Miss Borden’s attention to her
conflicting statements regarding her position when her father came in,
and her answer was: “You have asked me so many questions, I don’t know
what I have said.” Later, she said she was reading in the kitchen and
had gone into the other room for a copy of the _Providence Journal_. “I
last saw my mother when I was down stairs. She was dusting the dining
room. She said she had been up stairs and made the bed and was going up
stairs to put on the pillow slips. She had some cotton cloth pillows up
there, and she said she was going to work on them. If she had remained
down stairs I should have seen her. She would have gone up the back
way to go to her room. If she had gone to the kitchen I would have seen
her. There is no reason to suppose I would not have seen her when she
was down stairs or in her room, except when I went down stairs once for
two or three minutes.” “I ask you again what you suppose she was doing
from the time you saw her till 11 o’clock?” “I don’t know, unless she
was making her bed.” “She would have had to pass your room, and you
would have seen her, wouldn’t you?” “Yes, unless I was in my room or
down cellar. I supposed she had gone away, because she told me she was
going, and we talked about the dinner. Didn’t hear her go out or come
back. When I first came down stairs saw Maggie coming in, and my mother
asked me how I was feeling. My father was still there, still reading.
My mother used to go and do the marketing.” “Now I call your attention
to the fact you said twice yesterday that you first saw your father
after he came in when you were standing on the stairs.” “I did not. I
was in the kitchen when he came in, or in one of the three rooms, the
dining room, kitchen and sitting room. It would have been difficult for
anybody to pass through these rooms unless they passed through while
I was in the dining room.” “A portion of the time the girl was out of
doors, wasn’t she?” “Yes.” “So far as I know, I was alone in the house
the larger part of the time while my father was away. I was eating a
pear when my father came in. I had put a stick of wood into the fire
to see if I could start it. I did no more ironing after my father came
in. I then went in to tell him. I did not put away the ironing board.
I don’t know what time my father came in. When I went out to the barn
I left him on the sofa. The last thing I said was to ask him if he
wanted the window left that way. Then I went to the barn to get some
lead for a sinker. I went upstairs in the barn. There was a bench there
which contained some lead. I unhooked the screen door when I went out.
I don’t know when Bridget got through washing the windows inside. I
knew she washed the windows outside. I knew she didn’t wash the kitchen
windows, but I don’t know whether she washed the sitting room windows
or not. I thought the flats would be hot by the time I got back. I had
not fishing apparatus, but there was some at the farm. It is five years
since I used the fish line. I don’t think there was any sinker on my
line. I don’t think there were any fish lines suitable for use at the
farm.” “What! did you think you would find sinkers in the barn?” “My
father once told me that there was some lead and nails in the barn.”
“How long do you think you occupied in looking for the sinkers?” “About
fifteen or twenty minutes.” “Did you do nothing besides look for
sinkers in the twenty minutes?” “Yes, sir. I ate some pears.” “Would
it take you all that time to eat a few pears?” “I do not do things in
a hurry.” “Was Bridget not washing the dining room windows and the
sitting room windows?” “I do not know. I did not see her.” “Did you
tell Bridget to wash the windows?” “No, sir.” “Who did?” “My mother.”
“Did you see Bridget after your mother told her to wash the windows?”
“Yes, sir.” “What was she doing?” “She had got a long pole and was
sticking it in a brush, and she had a pail of water.” “About what time
did you go out into the barn?” “About as near as I can recollect, 10
o’clock.” “What did you go into the barn for?” “To find some sinkers.”
“How many pears did you eat in that twenty minutes?” “Three.” “Is that
all you did?” “No. I went over to the window and opened it.” “Why did
you do that?” “Because it was too hot.” “I suppose that it is the
hottest place on the premises?” “Yes sir.” “Could you, while standing
looking out of that window, see anybody enter the kitchen?” “No, sir.”
“I thought you said you could see people from the barn?” “Not after you
pass a jog in the barn. It obstructs the view of the back door.” “What
kind of lead were you looking for, for sinkers? Hard lead?” “No, sir;
soft lead.” “Did you expect to find the sinkers already made?” “Well,
no. I thought I might find one with a hole through it.” “Was the lead
referred to tea lead or lead that comes in tea chests?” “I don’t know.”
“When were you going fishing?” “Monday.” “The next Monday after the
fatal day?” “Yes, sir.” “Had you lines all ready?” “No, sir.” “Did you
have a line?” “Yes sir.” “Where was your line?” “Down to the farm.” “Do
you know whether there were any sinkers on the line you left at the
farm?” “I think there was none on the line.” “Did you have any hooks?”
“No, sir.” “Then you were making all this preparation without either
hook or line. Why did you go into the barn after sinkers?” “Because I
was going down town to buy some hooks and line, and thought it would
save me from buying them.” “Now, to the barn again. Do you not think I
could go into the barn and do the same as you in a few minutes?” “I do
not do things in a hurry.” “Did you then think there were no sinkers
at the barn?” “I thought there were no sinkers anywhere there. I had no
idea of using my lines. I thought you understood that I wasn’t going
to use these lines at the farm, because they hadn’t sinkers. I went
upstairs to the kind of bench there. I had heard my father say there
was lead there. Looked for lead in a box up there. There were nails
and perhaps an old door knob. Did not find any lead as thin as tea
lead in the box. Did not look anywhere except on the bench. I ate some
pears up there. I have now told you everything that took place up in
the barn. It was the hottest place in the premises. I suppose I ate my
pears when I first went up there. I stood looking out of the window. I
was feeling well enough to eat pears, but don’t know how to answer the
question if I was feeling better than I was in the morning, because I
was feeling better that morning. I picked the pears up from the ground.
I was not in the rear of the barn. I was in the front of it. Don’t see
how anybody could leave the house then without my seeing them. I pulled
over boards to look for the lead. That took me some time. I returned
from the barn and put my hat in the dining room. I found my father and
called to Maggie. I found the fire gone out. I went to the barn because
the irons were not hot enough and the fire had gone out. I made no
efforts to find my mother at all. Sent Maggie for Dr. Bowen. Didn’t see
or find anything after the murders to tell me my mother had been sewing
in the spare room that morning.” “What did your mother say when you saw
her?” “She told me she had had a note and was going out. She said she
would get the dinner.” The District Attorney continued to read: “My
mother did not tell when she was coming back. I did not know Mr. Morse
was coming to dinner. I don’t know whether I was at tea Wednesday night
or not. I had no apron on Thursday; that is, I don’t think I had. I
don’t remember surely. I had no occasion to use the axe or hatchet. I
knew there was an old axe down stairs and last time I saw it it was on
the old chopping block. I don’t know whether my father owned a hatchet
or not. Assuming a hatchet was found in the cellar I don’t know how
it got there, and if there was blood on it I have no idea as to how
it got there. My father killed some pigeons last May. When I found my
father I did not think of Mrs. Borden, for I believed she was out. I
remember asking Mrs. Churchill to look for my mother. I left the screen
door closed when I left, and it was open when I came from the barn. I
can give no idea of the time my father came home. I went right to the
barn. I don’t know whether he came to the sitting room at once or not.
I don’t remember his being in the sitting room or sitting down. I think
I was in there when I asked him if there was any mail. I do not think
he went upstairs. He had a letter in his hand. I did not help him to
lie down and did not touch the sofa. He was taking medicine for some
time. Mrs. Borden’s father’s house was for sale on Fourth street. My
father bought Mrs. Borden’s half sister’s share and gave it to her.
We thought what he did for her people he ought to do for his own and
he then gave us grandfather’s house. I always thought my stepmother
induced him to purchase the interest. I don’t know when the windows
were last washed before that day. All day Tuesday I was at the table. I
gave the officer the same skirt I wore that day, and if there was any
blood on it I can give an explanation as to how it got there. If the
blood came from the outside, I cannot say how it got there. I wore tie
shoes that day and black stockings. I was under the pear trees four
or five minutes. I came down the front stairs when I came down in the
morning. The dress I wore that forenoon was a white and blue stripe
of some sort. It is at home in the attic. I did not go to Smith’s
drug store to buy prussic acid. Did not go to the rooms where mother
or father lay after the murder. Went through when I went up stairs
that day. I wore the shoes I gave to the officer all day Thursday
and Friday.” “I now ask you if you can furnish any other suspicion
concerning any person who might have committed the crime?” “Yes; one
night as I was coming home not long ago I saw the shadow of a man on
the house at the east end. I thought it was a man because I could not
see any skirts. I hurried in the front door. It was about 8:45 o’clock;
not later than 9. I saw somebody run around the house last winter. The
last time I saw anybody lately was since my sister went to Marion.
I told Mr. Jennings, may have told Mr. Hanscom.” “Who suggested the
reward offered, you or your sister?” “I don’t know. I may have.” Mr.
Knowlton now stopped reading, and announced: “This is the case of the
Commonwealth.”
[Illustration: STATE OFFICER GEORGE SEAVER.]
Col. Adams for the defence called Dr. Bowen who testified to the facts
as related in the interview published before. City Marshal Rufus B.
Hilliard was also called by the defence and gave his testimony which
was not different from that of the other officers. The evidence was
then concluded and the court adjourned for the day.