interesting items in Churchill's testimony

[leitskev]

According to Churchill, Bridget led the way up the stairs in the search for Abby. But it was Churchill, behind her on the stairs, that saw Abby. The reason this is interesting is because there are great debates here about the guest room door being closed early, with some insisting that Lizzie would have seen Abby's body herself earlier if the door was open. However, based on this testimony, Bridget didn't see it when she went up the stairs. Churchill, behind her, was the one to see it.

As always, witness testimony is subject to error, so it's possible Churchill is misremembering.

There's also interesting cross direct on the dress. Churchill claimed the dress Lizzie was wearing was not the one Lizzie ultimately gave the police. If I remember right, this testimony is contradicted by Bridget's testimony that it was the same. Dr. Bowen couldn't remember the dress.

But again, we see the challenge of witness statements. In cross, Churchill was asked what Bridget was wearing. She said "I don't know. A Light calico, I think." So she didn't remember, and then added light calico probably because that's what she guessed the servant would be wearing at that time of year. She doesn't say what color light.

Churchill also had more trouble remembering white Mrs. Bowen was wearing when she came over.

I am not suggesting Churchill was lying about Lizzie's dress. I am saying her testimony could not be relied on at all. Churchill goes out of her way, despite not being asked during the trial, to say that Lizzie at no time shed tears that day. Of course, we know Lizzie did cry on several occasions, but on the whole, she seemed composed. THIS more than anything made the police think she was guilty. They expected her to be collapsing into a Victorian heap. Churchill obviously felt the same way, or at least came to feel that way in the following days or weeks.

Meanwhile, her mind is processing and creating her memories of that day.

Churchill also testified to rubbing Lizzie hands, fanning her face. She would have seen ANY blood on her hands or hair. She didn't. Later, when Lizzie was lying on a couch, Churchill might have seen blood on her shoes. She didn't.

I wonder what Churchill's ultimate theory of what happened was? She must have thought that Lizzie killed Abby, changed clothes, then killed Andrew, and changed again. There would not have been time for Lizzie to put on the still-wet clothing from the Abby killing, so this would leave Lizzie with two dresses she need to hide. Lizzie managed to do all this, apparently, without Bridget noticing any change of clothing at any point

[leitskev]

Bridget's testimony: 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.

So that's a bit different than what Churchill described.