In
the household I was sometimes called Maggie, by Miss Emma and Miss
Lizzie. I am twenty-six years old, unmarried; have been in this country
seven years last May. Was born in Ireland; came first to Newport, Rhode
Island. After a year there, went to South Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. I
came to Fall River four years ago; went to work for Mrs.. Reed. Had
been working for Mr.. Borden two years and nine months at the time of
his death. There was no other domestic servant, but a man from the farm
used to come and do chores; his first name was Alfred; I don't know his
other name.
They
used to keep a horse in the barn until about a year before Mr.. Borden
died. After the horse went they didn't use the barn for anything.
My
work was washing, ironing and cooking and sweeping. I did not have the
care of any of the bedchambers except my own. My room was in the third
story, right over Mr.. Borden's, and his was over the kitchen.
Q. Who did the
chamber work in Mr.. Borden's room and Mrs.. Borden's?
A. I don't know. Themselves did it. I don't know which of them.
Q. Who took care of the rooms belonging to the daughters?
A. Themselves took care of them, as far as I know.
I
remember Mr. Morse coming to the house sometimes, and staying over
night. I saw him after dinner on the Wednesday before the deaths. Mrs.
Borden got dinner for him; I washed the dishes. I did not go out that
afternoon; I guess I was ironing. Monday was regular washing day. I
dried the clothes on Tuesday, that week. Did the washing down cellar in
the washroom. I locked the cellar door after I hung out the clothes.
There
was no change in that door, down to the time of the murders; so far as
I know it stayed bolted. There was more or less traffic on Second
Street-folks, carriages and teams. I went up to my room Wednesday
afternoon, say about quarter to five. I left the screen door hooked.
Mr. and Mrs. Borden were sick on Wednesday morning. I was well until
Thursday, when I got up with a headache. When I went to the front door
on Wednesday to let Dr. Bowen in, the door was spring-locked; when I
went out to my friend's on Third St. that evening, I left the back door
locked. I let myself in with a key. The back door had two spring locks
and a bolt; I locked all of them when I came in, and hooked the screen
door, too. I went to the ice chest, took a glass of milk and went to
bed.
The
milk was left at the door every morning at five or half-past. I washed
a can every day and left it on the doorstep at night; the milkman took
that can and left a full one, so there was an exchange of cans everyday.
Next
morning I felt a dull headache as I got up. I came down at 6:15, went
down cellar for wood, started my fire and went down again for coal.
Then I unlocked the back door, took in the milk and put out a pan for
the ice man, and a pitcher with some water in it. When I went in again,
I hooked the screen door. I worked in the kitchen and dining room,
getting breakfast, and didn't go in any other rooms.
Mrs.
Borden was the first one I see that morning; she gave me orders about
breakfast; it was about half-past six.
Mr.
Borden came down in about five minutes; he went into the sitting room
and put the key of his bedroom on the shelf. He kept it there. He then
came out into the kitchen, put on a dressing coat and went outdoors
with a slop pail he had brought downstairs. The screen door was locked
until he went out. I was in the kitchen; the windows of the kitchen
look out into the back yard. Mr. Borden emptied the slop pail; then he
unlocked the barn door and went into the barn. Then he went to the pear
tree, picked up a basket of pears and brought them into the house. He
washed up in the kitchen and went in to breakfast. When I put the
breakfast on the table I saw Mr. Morse. For breakfast there was some
mutton, some broth and johnnycakes, coffee and cookies. The broth was
mutton broth.
After
they had their breakfast, I ate mine and commenced to clear things up.
Then I see Mr. Borden and Mr. Morse going out by the back door. Mr.
Borden let him out, came to the sink and cleaned his teeth at the sink,
and took a big bowlful of water and took it up to his room. First he
took the key off the shelf in the sitting room.
Five
minutes later Miss Lizzie came through to the kitchen. I was washing
the dishes and I asked her what did she want for breakfast. She said
she didn't know as she wanted any breakfast, but she guessed she would
have something, she guessed she would have some coffee and cookies. She
got some coffee, and she was preparing to sit down at the kitchen
table. I went out in the back yard. I had a sick headache and I was
sick to my stomach. I went out to vomit, and I stayed ten or fifteen
minutes.
When
I came back, I hooked the screen door again. I didn't see Mr. Borden
after he went up to his room. I finished my dishes and took them in the
dining room. Mrs. Borden was there; she was dusting the door between
the sitting room and dining room. She had no covering on her hair. She
said she wanted the windows washed, inside and outside both; she said
they are awful dirty.
After
that I didn't see Mrs. Borden any more until I found her dead upstairs.
I
didn't see Miss Lizzie anywhere about. I can't say exactly, but I think
this was about nine o'clock. Then I cleaned off my stove, went in the
dining room and sitting room, shut the windows I was going to wash, and
went down cellar and got a pail for to take some water. I didn't see
anybody in the rooms. I got a brush in the kitchen closet, filled my
pail and took it outdoors.
As I
was outside, Lizzie Borden appeared in the back entry, and says,
"Maggie, are you going to wash the windows?" I says, "Yes." I says,
"You needn't lock the door; I will be out around here; but you can lock
it if you want to; I can get the water in the barn." I went to the barn
to get the handle for the brush.
First
I washed the sitting-room windows-on the south side of the house-the
Kelly side. This was away from the screen door. Before I started
washing, Mrs. Kelly's girl appeared and I was talking to her at the
fence.
Then
I washed the parlor windows: the two front windows. Between times I
went to the barn and got some water. I washed the dining-room windows
and one parlor window on the side. I went to the barn for water twice
while I was on the south side of the house-went round by the rear-and
went three or four times more while I was working in front or on the
other side of the house. Then I went past the screen door to the barn.
During
all that time I did not see anybody come to the house.
Then
I got a dipper from the kitchen and clean water from the barn, and
commenced to wash the sitting-room windows again by throwing water up
on them. When I washed these windows, I did not see anyone in the
sitting room, and I did not see anyone in the dining room when I washed
those windows. I went round the house rinsing the windows with dippers
of water.
Then
I put the brush handle away in the barn and got the hand basin and went
into the sitting room to wash those windows inside. I hooked the screen
door when I came in.
I
began to wash the window next to the front door. Had not seen anyone
since I saw Lizzie at the screen door. Then I heard like a person at
the door was trying to unlock the door but could not; so I went to the
front door and unlocked it. The spring lock was locked. I unbolted the
door and it was locked with a key; there were three locks. I said
"pshaw," and Miss Lizzie laughed, upstairs. Her father was out there on
the doorstep. She was upstairs.
She
must have been either in the entry or at the top of the stairs, I can't
tell which. Mr. Borden and I didn't say a word as he came in. I went
back to my window washing; he came into the sitting room and went into
the dining room. He had a little parcel in his hand, same as a paper or
a book. He sat in a chair at the head of the lounge.
Miss
Lizzie came downstairs and came through the front entry into the dining
room, I suppose to her father. I heard her ask her father if he had any
mail, and they had some talk between them which I didn't understand,
but I heard her tell her father that Mrs. Borden had a note and had
gone out. The next thing I remember, Mr. Borden took a key off the
mantelpiece and went up the back stairs. When he came downstairs again,
I was finished in the sitting room, and I took my hand basin and
stepladder into the dining room. I began to wash the dining-room
windows. Then Miss Lizzie brought an ironing board from the kitchen,
put it on the dining-room table and commenced to iron. She said,
"Maggie, are you going out this afternoon?" I said, "I don't know; I
might and I might not; I don't feel very well" She says, "If you go out
be sure and lock the door, for Mrs. Borden has gone out on a sick call,
and I might go out, too." Says I, "Miss Lizzie, who is sick?" "I don't
know; she had a note this morning; it must be in town."
I
finished my two windows; she went on ironing. Then I went in the
kitchen, washed out my cloths and hung them behind the stove. Miss
Lizzie came out there and said, "There is a cheap sale of dress goods
at Sergeant's this afternoon, at eight cents a yard." I don't know that
she said "this afternoon", but "today"
And I
said, "I am going to have one." Then I went upstairs to my room. I
don't remember to have heard a sound of anyone about the house, except
those I named.
Then I laid down in the bed. I heard the City Hall bell ring and I looked at my clock and it was eleven o'clock. I wasn't drowsing or sleeping. In my judgment I think I was there three or four minutes. I don't think I went to sleep at all. I heard no sound; I didn't hear the opening or closing of the screen door. I can hear that from my room if anyone is careless and slams the door. The next thing was that Miss Lizzie hollered, "Maggie, come down!" I said, "What is the matter?" She says, "Come down quick; Father's dead; somebody came in and killed him." This might be ten or fifteen minutes after the clock struck eleven, as far as I can judge.
I run
downstairs; I hadn't taken off my shoes or any of my clothing.
Q.
What was the usual dress that Miss Lizzie Borden wore mornings? Will
you describe it?
MR. ROBINSON. Wait a moment; we object to that.
MR. MOODY. Not as having any tendency to show what she had on that
morning.
MR. ROBINSON. I object.
MR. MOODY. I don't care to press it against objection.
The WITNESS. Well, she wore a—
MR. ROBINSON and MR. MOODY. Wait a moment.
Q. I will call your attention, not asking you when it was worn or what
part of the time it was worn, to a cotton or calico dress with light
blue groundwork and a little figure. Does that bring to your mind the
dress I am referring to?
A. No sir; it was not a calico dress she was in the habit of wearing.
Q. I did not ask you about the habit, but—
MR. ROBINSON. That should be stricken out.
MR. MOODY. Certainly.
The CHIEF JUSTICE. Let it be stricken out.
Q. Do you remember a dress of such a color with a figure in it?
A. Yes sir.
Q. Will you describe that dress that I have referred to as well as you
can?
A. It was a blue dress with a sprig on it.
Q. What was the color of the blue; what was the shade of the blue?
A. Light blue.
Q. And what was the color of what you have called the sprig on it?
A. It was a darker blue, I think, than what the under part was.
Q. Did it have any light spots or light figures in it?
MR. ROBINSON. This is very leading now
A. I don't remember.
MR. ROBINSON. I would like to have the witness describe the dress; she
is competent to do that. Was the last question answered?
[Question read]
MR. ROBINSON. I move that that be stricken out.
MR. KNOWLTON. I object. I contend that the question is not leading.
MR. ROBINSON. I understand he does not propose to go any further with
it.
MR. MOODY. I do not.
MR. KNOWLTON. That is all-to negative the fact of a white figure in it.
MR. ROBINSON. Well, we will have no talk about it now. Let it stand as
it is.
When
I got downstairs, I saw Miss Lizzie, standing with her back to the
screen door. I went to go right in the sitting room and she says, "Oh,
Maggie, don't go in. I have got to have a doctor quick. Go over. I have
got to have the doctor." I went over to Dr. Bowen's right away, and
when I came back, I says, "Miss Lizzie, where was you?" I says, "Didn't
I leave the screen door hooked?" She says, "I was out in the back yard
and heard a groan, and came in and the screen door was wide open." She
says, "Go and get Miss Russell. I can't be alone in the house." So I
got a hat and shawl and went. I had not found Dr. Bowen when I went to
his house, but I told Mrs. Bowen that Mr. Borden was dead.
I
went to the house, corner of Borden and Second streets, learned that
Miss Russell was not there; went to the cottage next the baker shop on
Borden Street, and told Miss Russell. Then I came back to the Borden
house.
Mrs.
Churchill was in the house, and Dr. Bowen. No one else, except Miss
Lizzie. She was in the kitchen, and Mrs. Churchill and I went into the
dining room, and Dr. Bowen came out from the sitting room and said, "He
is murdered; he is murdered." And I says, "Oh, Lizzie, if I knew where
Mrs. Whitehead was I would go and see if Mrs. Borden was there and tell
her that Mr. Borden was very sick." She says, "Maggie, I am almost
positive I heard her coming in. Won't you go upstairs to see?" I said,
"I am not going upstairs alone."
I had
been upstairs already after sheets for Dr. Bowen. He wanted a sheet,
and I asked him to get the keys in the sitting room, and Mrs. Churchill
and I went up to Mrs. Borden's room and she got two sheets, I guess. Mrs. Whitehead is Mrs.
Borden's sister; she lives in Fall River.
Mrs.
Churchill said she would go upstairs with me. As I went upstairs, I saw
the body under the bed. I ran right into the room and stood at the foot
of the bed. The door of the room was open. I did not stop or make any
examination. Mrs. Churchill did not go in the room. We came right down.
Miss Lizzie was in the dining room, lying on the lounge; Miss Russell
was there.
Q. Up
to the time when Miss Lizzie Borden told her father and told you in
reference to the note, had you heard anything about it from anyone?
A. No sir, I never did.
Q. Let me ask you if anyone to your knowledge came to that house on the
morning of August 4th with a message or a note for Mrs. Borden?
A. No sir, I never seen nobody.
CROSS-EXAMINATION
Q.
[By Mr. Robinson] You were called Maggie?
A. Yes sir.
Q. By Miss Emma and Miss Lizzie?
A. Yes sir.
Q. But that was not unpleasant to you?
A. No sir, it was not.
Q. Not at all offensive?
A. No sir.
Q. Did not cause any ill-feeling or trouble?
A. No sir.
Q. Did Mr. and Mrs. Borden call you by some other name?
A. Yes sir, called me by my own right name.
Q. Did you have any trouble there in the family?
A. No sir.
Q. A pleasant place to live?
A. Yes sir, I liked the place.
Q. And for aught you know, they liked you?
A. As far as I know, yes.
Q. It was a pleasant family to be in?
A. I don't know how the family was; I got along all right.
Q. You never saw anything out of the way?
A. No sir.
Q. You never saw any conflict in the family?
A. No sir.
Q. Never saw the least-any quarreling or anything of that kind?
A. No sir, I did not.
Q. Now the daughters, Miss Emma and Miss Lizzie, usually came to the
table, did they not, as the father and mother did?
A. No sir, they did not.
Q. I thought you said they did.
A. No sir, they did not.
Q. Didn't you say this morning that they ate at the table with the
family?
A. Nobody asked me whether they did or not.
Q. You did not say so this morning?
A. No sir, I don't remember anybody asked that question.
Q. Didn't they eat with the family?
A. Not all the time.
Q. But they did from time to time and day to day, did they not?
A. Yes sir.
Q. What?
A. Sometimes the family-most of the time they did not eat with their
father and mother.
Q. Did they get up in the morning as early as the father and mother?
A. No sir.
Q. So they had their breakfast a little later?
A. Not all the time—sometimes. But sometimes they would be down with
the family, more times they would not.
Q. How was it at dinner?
A. Sometimes at dinner; a good many more times they were not.
Q. Sometimes they were out?
A. I don't know where they were; I could not tell.
Q. You don't know whether out or in?
A. Sometimes I knew they were in the house.
Q. Were there sometimes when one would be at the table and the other
was not?
A. Yes sir.
Q. Whether or not you heard Miss Lizzie talking with her mother, Mrs.
Borden?
A. Yes sir, she always spoke to Mrs. Borden when Mrs. Borden talked
with her.
Q. Always did? A. Yes sir.
Q. The conversation went on in the ordinary way, did it?
A. Yes sir.
Q. How was it this Thursday morning after they came downstairs?
A. I don't remember.
Q. Didn't they talk in the sitting room?
A. I heard her talk as she came along.
Q. Who spoke?
A. Miss Lizzie and Mrs. Borden.
Q. Talking in the sitting room?
A. Mrs. Borden asked some question and she answered very civilly. I
don't know what it was.
Q. When you heard them talking, they were talking calmly, the same as
anybody else.
A. Yes sir.
Q. There was not, so far as you knew, any trouble that morning?
A. No sir, I did not see any trouble with the family.
Q. You heard them talking over things about Christmas time, didn't you?
A. I don't know; I did not stay much in the dining room when the folks
were eating at all.
Q. I don't mean that; but you heard them talking over about Christmas
things?
A. No sir, I don't remember that.
Q. Have you forgotten that?
A. No sir, I did not.
Q. How was Lizzie towards Mrs. Borden if Mrs. Borden was not feeling
well?
A. I don't know. Mrs. Borden was not particularly sick when I was there
except twice.
Q. Did not Lizzie treat her properly and help her? A. I did not see
anything; I know that she was sick one time and none of them went into
the room while she was sick.
Q. Haven't you testified before about this?
A. No sir, I said when Mrs. Borden spoke to them, they spoke to her.
Q. You testified at the inquest?
A. Yes sir.
Q. Do you remember what you testified there?
A. Yes sir.
Q. Did you in answer to this question, "Did they talk pleasantly?" say,
"Yes sir," and "they talked over things at Christmas, and if anything
was the matter with Mrs. Borden, Lizzie did all she could for her."
A. I did not know what was the matter between them.
Q. Didn't you testify that?
A. I don't remember anybody asking me that question.
Q. Do you say you did not?
A. I don't remember anybody asking me that question.
Q. Mr. Knowlton was there asking you questions, was he not?
A. Yes sir.
Q. Did you answer this, "Did you know of any trouble between Miss
Lizzie and her mother?" and say, "No sir, never a word in my presence."
A. No sir, I never heard them talking between them.
Q. Do you think you have told us today just as you have twice before?
A. Yes sir; I have told all I know and all I can tell.
Q. I don't ask you that. What I want to know is whether you have told
it today just as you did before?
A. Well, I think I did, as far as I remember.
Q. What do you say now you did when you came in from out in the yard
when you went out and were sick and vomited?
A. I commenced to wash my dishes.
Q. Let me finish the question. What did you do as to the screen door
when you came in?
A. I hooked it.
Q. Did you say so before at the other examination?
A. I think so.
Q. Do you know so?
A. I am not sure.
Q. You are not sure?
A. No sir.
Q. Let me read and see if you said this: "When you came in from
vomiting, did you hook the screen door then?" And the answer: "I
couldn't tell, I don't know whether I did or not." Did you say so?
A. Well, I must have hooked it because—
Q. Well, that isn't it. Was that the way you testified: "I couldn't
tell, I don't know whether I did or not?"
A. I don't know what I testified. I testified the truth as long as I
remember. As far as I know I told the truth and nothing more.
A. I don't remember anybody asking me
Q. I do not imply that you did not. I merely want to know if you recall
testifying over there at Fall River that you couldn't tell whether you
hooked the door or not when you carne in from vomiting?
A. Well, I suppose I don't know whether I did or not. It is likely I
did, for it was always kept locked.
Q. You say now that you do not positively recollect one way or the
other?
A. Well, I won't say; I can't remember whether I locked the screen door.
Q. You remember now that you testified that you did lock it, don't you,
just now, a few minutes ago?
A. Well, I generally locked the screen door.
Q. That isn't what I asked. You said a few minutes ago that you hooked
it at that time, didn't you?
A. Yes sir.
Q. Well, now you say you don't know whether you did or not. Isn't that
so?
A. Yes sir.
Q. You say now you don't know. Am I right?
A. I don't know whether you are or not.
Q. Well, will you tell which way it was?
A. No sir.
Q. Did you hook it or did you not?
A. I know I must have hooked the door for I always—
Q. No, that isn't it. Did you hook it or did you not?
A. I don't know whether I did or not.
Q. Now do you recall what you testified at the inquest about their
eating together? I have asked you about it. Have you a clear memory
about it now?
A. I don't know if they asked me anything about it.
Q. Well, were you asked this: "Did she generally get up to breakfast?"
And you said: "Very seldom, she generally carne down about nine
o'clock."
A. Yes sir.
Q. "And then helped herself to breakfast."
A. Yes sir.
Q. "Did she always eat at the same table with Mr. and Mrs. Borden?" And
your answer: "Always did eat dinner and supper when she was in the
house."
A. Yes sir; she ate the meals when she was in the house.
Q. That is so, is it? "They always ate together when she was in the
house, except when she was out on an errand." Is that so?
A. Yes sir; they always ate at the same dining room.
Q. Always ate together in the dining room?
A. Yes sir.
Q. You say if anybody was careless and slammed the screen door you
could hear it?
A. Yes sir.
Q. But it was easy enough for anybody to go in and out that door and
not let you hear it, wasn't it?
A. Yes sir; they could.
Q. Plenty easy?
A. Yes sir.
Q. Now if nothing had happened that morning, Miss Sullivan, nothing
unusual had happened that day, would there be any reason why you should
remember that Thursday more than any other day?
A. What do you mean?
Q. About what happened, what little things were done?
A. Why, no; there was no reason that I should remember that day any
more than any other day-not before.
Q. Could you tell us just what Mrs. Borden did the Tuesday before when
she came downstairs?
A. The Tuesday morning?
Q. Yes.
A. Why, she went in the sitting room as usual.
Q. Well, not as usual. I want to know what you remember about it?
A. Why, the woman came downstairs and wanted to know what was for
breakfast and so forth, and went into her sitting room and stayed there
until her breakfast was ready.
Q. Well, do you know what time of the morning Miss Lizzie came down
Tuesday?
A. I don't know if she was in the house at all; I can't remember.
Q. You don't know whether she came down or didn't come down?
A. No sir.
Q. And do you know, if she was in the house, anything about what she
did Tuesday?
A. No sir; I do not.
Q. When you first went out, as you got ready to go to work, you saw
Mrs. Kelly's girl there?
A. Yes sir.
Q. And you went over to the fence and talked with her?
A. Yes sir.
Q. Where was she?
A. She was over in her own yard.
Q. What part of the yard?
A. She was in the yard, front of the house, going to wash windows.
Q. And you went over to the fence in that corner and stood there
talking with her?
A. Yes sir.
Q. The screen door over on the other side of the house was open,
unlocked, all that time?
A. Yes sir.
Q. Can you tell me any reason why a person could not have walked into
that door and you not seen him?
A. Why, of course they could.
Q. Then, also, at one time you went to washing the windows on the front
end of the Borden house?
A. I washed them in the sitting room first.
Q. I know, but you did at one time wash the end windows in the parlor?
A. Yes sir.
Q. And would there be any difficulty then in a person going into the
side door when it was unhooked?
A. Yes sir, anybody could come from the back yard, but not from the
front.
Q. They could; no trouble at all. When you were talking with Mrs.
Kelly's girl, the field was pretty clear, wasn't it? That is, there
wasn't much in the way; you stood, back to the Borden house, talking
with the Kelly girl over the fence?
A. Yes sir, I was.
Q. And you could not then see-as you stood you could not see the front
gate or the side gate or the side walk?
A. I think I could see the front gate; I am not sure.
Q. You could if you looked?
A. Yes sir.
Q. But if you were talking off that way and the front door was down
there, you could not see it, could you?
A. No sir.
Q. Had you ever gone to let Mr. Borden in on any other day at the front
door?
A. No sir. I don't remember.
Q. What?
A. No sir, I did not.
Q. Let us see if we understand it right. All the time that you lived
there did you ever go when he came to the door and couldn't unlock the
door?
A. I don't remember.
Q. Don't remember that you did?
A. No sir, I don't.
Q. After you let Mr. Borden in you say you heard Miss Lizzie laugh?
A. Yes sir.
Q. And you say she was upstairs somewhere?
A. Yes sir.
Q. And you didn't see her on the stairs?
A. No sir.
Q. Didn't see her at all?
A. No sir. I didn't look.
Q. You heard the sound of the laugh?
A. Yes sir.
Q. Was that all?
A. Yes sir.
Q. And there was talk with her father about the mail?
A. Yes sir.
Q. And what did he say?
A. I don't know.
Q. You don't know what was said?
A. Only I heard her tell her father her mother had a note and gone out.
Q. Did you hear what he said about that?
A. No sir.
When
I got back to the house, after going for Miss Russell, Miss Lizzie was
in the kitchen. After I came downstairs, she was on the lounge in the
dining room. I did not see any blood on her. Not on her face or hands,
or anywhere. As far as I can remember, her hair was in order.
Q.
You simply say that you didn't see anybody come with a note?
A. No sir, I did not.
Q. Easy enough for anybody to come with a note to the house, and you
not know it, wasn't it?
A. Well, I don't know if a note came to the back door that I wouldn't
know.
Q. But they wouldn't necessarily go to the back door, would they?
A. No. I never heard anything about a note, whether they got it or not.
I don't know.
Q. Don't know anything about it, and so you don't undertake to say it
wasn't there?
A. No sir.
Q. Will you fix the time when you got through washing the windows
outside?
A. Why, I can't tell anything about it.
Q. Can't tell very near anyway, can you?
A. No sir, I can't. I don't know anything about the time, and I didn't
take no notice of any time. I didn't have no occasion.
Q. Well, a good many things that day aren't very clear in your mind,
are they, clear in your recollection?
A. As far as I remember; as far as I know.
Q. But you are not certain of a good many things?
A. Well, I am not certain about the time, because I never noticed
anything about the clock or anything else except eleven o'clock. I know
I noticed that.
Bridget
Sullivan's testimony was interrupted to allow the court to hear another
witness-MRS. CAROLINE KELLY, next-door neighbor of the Borden's. Mrs.
Kelly, mother of a young child, was unable to be absent from her home
in Fall River more than a few hours, and Bridget Sullivan (whose
testimony has been given here, for convenience sake, as continuous)
briefly left the stand while Mrs. Kelly testified.
Mrs.
Kelly was the only person on Second Street who saw Mr. Borden return to
his house. On her way to keep an appointment at a dentist's, she saw
her venerable neighbor come out the yard at the side of the house-after
unsuccessfully trying to enter at the side door-and go to the front
door. She noticed that he carried a small parcel-a lock which he had
picked up in the street-and that he bent over to try to open the front
door with his key. Usually they exchanged greetings, but this time Mr.
Borden evidently did not notice her. Mrs. Kelly, taking the time from a
clock at which she had looked when leaving her house, fixed the time at
twenty-eight minutes before eleven, but later investigation showed that
the clock was slow.