Lizzie Borden Took an Ax Page #5

Your report indicates

that you saw a small stain

on her dress.

I did.

But you determined

that it was not blood.

I saw a small stainthat looked old

and did not appear to be blood.

What did you do

when you observed the stain?

I asked Miss Borden

about the stain

and she told me

she thought it was

from a stew.

And that was

all you needed to hear?

Feet away

from two deceased souls,

both violently murdered,

that this possible

blood stain was stew,

and you left it at that?

Would you explain, for the jury,

the basic natureof your duties

when you arrive,

92 Second Street,

Mr. Hilliard?

I secure the area

known as the crime scene,

in this case, the house,

and I conduct

interviews with anybody

who might have been present,

uh, what is known as

the eyewitness.

Did you interview Miss Borden?

I did.

What did she witness,

according to her statement?

She discovered

the body of Andrew Borden.

She found her own father, dead.

Did you examine

Miss Borden on your arrival

for any marks

or for any blood

on her person?

Yes, I examined her for blood or injury.

Miss Lizzie,

could you please

show me your hands?

And you found neither?

I did not.

The records do indicate

that you did find

a small stain.

The nature of the assault

would have produced

much more blood

than a single stain.

Unsolicited!

Can the testimony adhere

to what is known

and not what is assumed?

Is this your first visit

to a violent crime scene?

It is not.

And is it your opinion

that a bloody crime scene

is likely to produce a situation

in which blood would be found

on the perpetrator?

That is often the case, yes.

Did you, on arrival

to 92 Second Street,

find any evidence of blood

on anyone in the house?

I did not.

Thank you.

Did Lizzie Borden

visit your pharmacy

in the days leading up

to her parents' deaths?

She did.

What did she wish to procure?

Potassium cyanide,

a very toxic poison.

Excuse me, Mr. Bence.

Will this powder kill

the rats in my attic?

She indicated that it was for

a vermin problem.

The Bordens

experienced extreme

gastrointestinal distress

prior to their deaths.

Could that be the result

of cyanide poisoning?

It could, yes.

Mr. Bence, did you sell

any potassium cyanide

to Miss Borden?

No. I did not.

Did either Abby or Andrew Borden

show any signs of

a defensive wound?

Neither did.

No marks or cuts on their hands?

No, none at all.

Anything to show

that they fought

for their lives?

No.

Can it be ascertained

that the first blow

to Andrew Borden

was enough to kill him?

Yes.

Evidence of incised

wound 4 inches long,

beginning at the cavity

of the left eye,

reaching to lower

edge of lower jaw,

cutting through nose,

upper lip, lower lip,

and slightly into bone.

So the first strike

was the fatal strike?

In my opinion, yes.

And how many times

was he struck?

Eleven.

So a single strike

with an ax killed him,

and then 10 more times.

Your post mortem report from the

scene of the crime indicates that

you found that

Abby Borden died

around 9:
30 in the morning

and Andrew close to 11:00.

How can you make such a determination?

Well, judging by

the state of rigor,

the condition of the wounds,

and the texture of the blood,

I would say

more than an hour

passed between each act.

So the picture

that's starting to form

seems to emerge thusly.

Someone killed Abby Borden

with incredible violence.

Then paused,

somehow, somewhere,

for almost two hours.

Then managed to

repeat the crime

on a second victim.

All without being detected by two women

who were in

and around the house.

Your Honor, as you know,

we've had the bodies exhumed

and the certain parts have been preserved

to be brought here

for your consideration.

- Order!

- Lizzie!

Order!

Order in the court. Order!

There are three exterior doors.

The front door,

leading directly

from the sidewalk.

All right.

At approximately 11:00 a.m.,

someone stepped up

to Andrew Borden

and struck him 11 times

with a hatchet-like weapon.

The blows left a 4-inch

gash through his temple

and cut into the boneof

his upper and lower jaw.

Thank you.

I've sent Alice Russell a note advising her

she's no longer welcome

in our home.

They're having metestify today.

Mr. Knowlton

will try to intimidate you.

Prepare yourself.

I'm nervous. I don't... I don't want to

say anything wrong.

What could you possibly say?

That I'm capable of murder?

No one in this town thinks

I'm capable of anything.

Just tell them the truth.

Good morning, Emma.

Would you,

for the members of the court,

describe your relationship

to the defendant?

She is my younger sister.

Has Lizzie ever shown

violent tendencies

or irrational tendenciesin her life?

Never.

Well, then how would

you describe her?

Kind, gentle, devoted.

She is deeply involved

in the church and

in the volunteer service.

And how would you describe

her relationship

with your parents?

She was a good daughter to them.

Obedient, respectful, loving.

Is this the ring your father wore

on his fourth finger?

Yes, sir.

Did Lizzie give it to him?

Yes.

Did he wear it often?

He never took it off.

Did your father love Lizzie?

Very much.

Did Lizzie love your father?

Of course.

Do you believe

your sister murdered

your parents?

No.

I do not.

Thank you.

You said, "Of course,"

your sister

loved your father,

because one assumes

a man's child loves him.

But Bridget Sullivan,

in the house for five years,

testified that

Lizzie never bought him

anything, ever.

Bridget Sullivan is not

the most reliable person

in the world.

Did she lie

on the witness stand?

She didn't see

everything that

happened with our family.

I suppose not.

I want to ask you

about the night

of September 15th,

when your sister burned a dress.

Yes.

You were with her

when she was

destroying the dress?

I was.

Did she tell you

why she was

destroying the dress?

We both agreed

the dress needed

to be discarded.

You both agreed?

Yes.

It brought back

too many terrible memories.

We hated having it in the house.

So I said to her,

"Let's get rid of the thing."

Lizzie, you can't burn that dress

after they've asked for it.

They'll think

you're hiding something.

Were you made aware

that the police inquest

wanted to see that dress?

Not until the next day.

Lizzie did not mention it?

Just go back to bed.

No.

I gave her

those exact instructions

on the day

the dress was destroyed.

Did you or did you not conspire

to destroy that dress

because you knew

there was blood on it?

No, I did not.

Did you or did you not

burn that dress

to destroy evidence of

your parents' murder?

No, I did not.

If Lizzie did

something that was wrong

by burning that dress,

then it was my fault.

I told her to do it.

Why did you tell her to do it?

Because it was

old and terrible

and we wanted it gone.

Because it was old and terrible

and you wanted it gone.

Emma!

Tell us the truth,

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