Source: Moody’s opening statement at the trial of Lizzie Andrew Borden held from June 5 – June 20, 1893
Burt, Frank H. The Trial of Lizzie A. Borden. Upon an indictment charging her with the murders of Abby Durfee Borden and Andrew Jackson Borden. Before the Superior Court for the County of Bristol. Presiding, C.J. Mason, J.J. Blodgett, and J.J. Dewey. Official stenographic report by Frank H. Burt (New Bedford, MA., 1893, 2 volumes). (Micro- text, Boston Public Library: 1971). Timeline of Prosecutor Moody © 2001 Kat Koorey
Aug. 4, 1892, Thursday
“A little after 6 a.m.”
Bridget comes down first. Goes down cellar and gets fuel. Builds fire in stove. Went to the door and took in the milk. (pg.63-64).
“A little before 7 a.m.”
Mrs. Borden comes down. (pg.64).
“Next Mr. Borden comes down…goes out in the yard”, etc. (pg.64).
“A little after 7 a.m.”
Mr. Morse first seen at breakfast. All have breakfast. (pg.64).
“7:45 a.m.”
“After breakfast the first one to depart is Mr. Morse.”
“Mr. Borden lets him out.” (pg.64).
c. 7:50 a.m. (?)
“Soon after Mr. Morse went away” Lizzie came down. While she was there (kitchen) Mr. Borden went upstairs. Bridget went out to the yard to be sick. (pg.64).
“9- 9:30 a.m.”
“When she( Bridget) came back Mr. Borden had apparently gone down town.” (pg.65, 67).
Lizzie “was not in the kitchen.” (pg.65).
“Mrs. Borden was in the dining room.”
Bridget received instructions to wash windows. (pg.65).
“Not far from 9:30 a.m.”
Mrs. Borden “apparently” told Lizzie about making up bed in spare room and would go back up to put two pillowcases on…”and she was killed within a very few moments after she left the room (D.R.), because no living person saw Mrs. Borden from that time until her death, except the assailant.” (pg.65).
“Bridget went into the kitchen and dining room and sitting room to close the windows in the sitting room and dining room and there was nobody there – neither the prisoner nor Mrs. Borden.” (pg.66).
9:30- 10:05 a.m.
Mr. Borden “was at the banks, between half past nine and a little after ten o’clock.” (pg.67).
10:29- 10:31 a.m.
“I am not quite sure which (time)- he was at the store of a Mr. Clegg, who fixes the exact time.”
10:40 a.m.
Mr. Borden is headed “in the direction of his home,”…”a moment or two’s walk…to his house.”
10:33 a.m.(?)
Mrs. Kelly see’s him at his front door “at 27 or 28 minutes of 11 which cannot be reconciled with the other time that I have stated here,”…”the clock by which she obtained this time was not one which could be depended upon.” (pg.67-68).
10:40 a.m.
“…Real fact is that at 20 minutes to 11 Mr. Borden started to his house, which was but a moment or two’s walk away.” (pg.68).
10:45 a.m.
“…Could not have been far from 10:45 when Mr. Borden returned.” (pg.70).
Bridget “had partly washed one of the two sitting room windows (inside) when somebody was heard at the front door.” (pg.67).
“Bridget let him in.” (pg.68).
“The prisoner from the hall above made some laugh or exclamation.”
Mr. Borden went to dining room.
Lizzie asked if there was any mail.
Mr. Borden heard from Lizzie that Mrs. Borden had gone out; she had a note from “somebody who was sick.”
Mr. Borden took his key and went upstairs.
Mr. Borden came down. (pg.68).
Bridget had finished the sitting room windows and was starting on the dining room windows. (pg.69).
Prisoner again appeared from front part of house, got ironing board and began to iron handkerchiefs.
Told Bridget about note.
Asked her if she was going out.
Bridget finished her work and was about to go upstairs when Lizzie told her of “cheap sale of goods downtown.”
Bridget went upstairs. (pg.69).
11:15 a.m.
Call came to the” Marshal of Fall River”, who gave directions to an officer…(who) looked at his watch and found that it was 11:15. (pg.70).
10:45- 11:15 a.m.
“Therefore the time between Bridget’s going up stairs and coming down again must be diminished on the one side by the time consumed by the washing of a window and a half in the sitting room and two windows in the dining room and the putting away of the cloth and the water. On the other side the half hour between eleven o’clock and half past eleven must be diminished by the acts of Bridget and the acts of Mrs. Churchill and the acts of Cunningham which I have described.* I shall not attempt to fix that time; you can fix it better and measure it better yourselves when you come to hear the evidence of what was done by Bridget between the time Mr. Borden came and the noise was heard up stairs and what was done between the time when the alarm took place and the alarm reached the station house and the Marshal of Fall River.” (pg.71).
*(Mrs. Churchill is called over from next door, arrives to find Lizzie wants someone to go for a doctor, and she hurries away “diagonally across the street” to the stables to give the alarm and is seen and overheard by Cunningham, who phones the police and newspapers.). (pg.70).