 AutoLite and its 96,000 dealers bring you the first lady of suspense, Miss Agnes Moorhead, in a true story of murder. Tonight's presentation of... Suspense! Tonight, AutoLite presents a dramatization of the most famous unsolved American murder mystery, Miss Agnes Moorhead as Lizzie Borden in The Fall River Tragedy. Hey, uh, Hap! Why the downcast look? My battery is dry, Harlow, and my car won't start. Well, Hap, that's one of the big reasons you should have an AutoLite stay-full battery. The famous battery that needs water only three times a year in normal car use. You mean... Why the AutoLite stay-full has over three times the liquid reserve of batteries without stay-full features. And this helps prevent one of the major causes of battery failure. The AutoLite stay-full gives longer life as proved by tests conducted according to accepted life cycle standards. That's the battery for me, Harlow. Well, then see your neighborhood AutoLite battery dealer. He's equipped to give you the best service money can buy on all makes of batteries. To quickly learn his location, just call Western Union by number... And ask for me, Operator 25. I'll gladly tell you the address of your nearest AutoLite battery dealer. And remember, from bumper to tail light, you're always right with AutoLite. And now with the Fall River Tragedy and the performance of Miss Agnes Moorhead, AutoLite hopes once again to keep you in... South Bend. Key from the pantry. You're Mr. Lippet from the magazine? Yes, I'm Elizabeth Gordon. Won't you come in? Come on in. I thought we might sit in the morning room. I have all the things in there. The newspaper, clippings, and pictures about the trial. You may sit there, if you will. They follow anybody who comes and shout their words. That has been part of my punishment. My whole life since the trial has been a punishment. The worst punishment that anyone, innocent or guilty, could ever face. They think I'm guilty. Everyone does. They always did, but I'm not. Jerry said I wasn't. You must forgive me. I'll pour you tea and tell you all about it. It was my father and my stepmother who were killed, if you will remember. It was a long time ago, father, where he lay on a couch in the living room. My stepmother upstairs where she'd been attended to the making of the bed. First, Dr. Bowen came over, and then in a little while, the police were there through. After some time had passed, I was arrested and brought to trial. And all my friends were witnesses against me. Donna, Mr. Foreman and gentlemen of the jury. Upon the fourth day of August, an old man and an old woman, husband and wife, each without a known enemy in the whole world, in their own home upon a frequented street in the most popular city of this county, under the light of day and in the midst of its activities, were first one, then another, very killed by unlawful human agency. Today, Lizzie A. Borden, the own daughter of one of the victims, is at the bar of this court, accused by the grand jury of this county of these crimes. As spokesman for the Commonwealth, it is my purpose to explain to you the grounds and the bases for that accusation. I believe the best way to do that is to call the first witness, Dr. S. W. Bowen at stand. Dr. S. W. Bowen. Yes, thank you. Raise your hand on the book. Do you sign this word, tell the truth, the whole truth over the truth, to help your God? I do. Please be seated. Dr. Bowen. Where do you live? 91 Second Street. That is in Fall River. Yes, in Fall River. Am I right in believing that address is directly across Second Street from where the Borden family lives? Yes, that is correct. Do you know the Borden family? I had been their physician and friend for 25 years. Did you know Mr. Borden's financial situation? Financial situation. Did you know if he were wealthy or not? Mr. Borden's estate, I do not hesitate to say, is considerably more than $300,000. To be inherited by whom, do you know? According to his will to be inherited by his wife. And upon the condition of her death. To be inherited by his two daughters. His two daughters. That is the prisoner, Miss Lizzie Borden and Miss Emma Borden. Yes. I see. On the morning of the 4th of August, where were you lost? I was working in the front garden. How long had you been working there? Between 9.30, as I can remember, and the time I was called to the Borden house. Had you seen anyone enter the house? Only Mr. Borden. The deceased. What time was that? Some minutes before 11, say 10 before. Tell us what you noticed. I saw him first coming up street. He turned through his gate and then I heard him knocking on his door. The door was locked? Yes. I could see that he had tried to unlock it with his key, but the door must have been locked from the inside. Presently he was let in by the maid, Bridget Sullivan. Had you ever known that to happen before? No. And you saw no one else enter the house the morning of the 4th? No. Now Dr. Borden, how did you learn of the trouble? The maid, Bridget Sullivan told me. She came across and said Lizzie had found her father and had called her to go for help. And you returned to the house with her? Yes. Who was there when you arrived? He went in the side entrance which led to the kitchen. Miss Lizzie Borden and a neighbour, Mrs. Churchill. You remember what was said at that moment? Yes, I do. I saw Lizzie and I said, Lizzie, what's the matter? She said, father's been killed or stabbed. I said, well, where is he? And she told me in the sitting room. Is that all she said in that conversation at that time? Yes, I went into the sitting room. Will you describe what you saw in the sitting room? Mr. Borden was on the couch. He had the appearance of a man who had been killed while he slept. Could you explain that, Dr. Borden? There was no facial constriction such as is found in cases where the victim fought death. Were there signs of a struggle in the room? None. And when you went out, did you speak to Miss Lizzie Borden again? Yes. You'll remember what you said. Yes, I asked her if she had seen anyone and she said no. And then I said, where were you? And she said in the barn to get some lead. Dr. Borden, who discovered the body of Mrs. Borden? I did. When? And I went upstairs to get a sheet to cover the body of Mr. Borden. I saw her body when I reached the top of the front stairs. You could see her body from the stairway. Yes. Could you see it from the hallway upstairs? Yes. Did you examine the body? Yes, she had been killed the same way as Mr. Borden. You know, sir, which of them died first? I believe it has been proved by Dr. Wood that Mrs. Borden died approximately an hour before her husband did. Thank you, Dr. Borden. That will be all. This lawyer's name was Mr. Moody. Oh, he was just full of hate. He had a way to fill everybody else with hate, with the questions he asked. He made all my friends' witnesses against me. Yes? Miss Russell, who lived next door south in his Churchill, who lived next door north. Mr. Moody made them say things to make the jury believe that no one could have gone into the house without being seen, and that no one had it. So the murders were committed by someone who was there. And Bridget Sullivan was the only other one there. But there wasn't anybody who suspected her. Just a witness against me, like the rest of them. Bridget Sullivan. How long have you known the prisoner? I worked at that house for almost three years. Would you say they were a happy family? No, sir. Will you explain what you mean, please? There were feelings between Mrs. Borden and the two girls. Miss Lizzie and Miss Emma? Yes. Mrs. Borden was a stepmother. They didn't like her. They show their dislike in any definite way? Well, Miss Lizzie never called her mother. The show is called her Mrs. Borden. Do you know why she did that? What started the feeling? Yes. There was an argument about some property. Mr. Borden gave some over to Mrs. Borden. Miss Lizzie thought his property should go to his own flesh and blood. How do you know this happened? I heard her arguing with her father. You remember the words that were spoken? They argued about the property and Mr. Borden said, mother has a right to it. And Miss Lizzie said, don't call her mother. She's a mean old thing and we hate her. By we, she meant her sister and her? Yes. And from that time, Miss Lizzie never called Mrs. Borden mother? Never that I heard. Miss Sullivan, what were you doing the morning of the murder? I've been washing windows. Who was in the house that morning? Miss Emma was not. She'd been gone since the day before of her two friends. Mr. and Mrs. Borden had breakfast and then he left. What time was that? Near nine o'clock. What about Mrs. Borden? She was dusting. She told me to wash the windows. Then I never saw her again. Will you repeat that please? I never saw her again. I even asked Miss Lizzie where she was and she told me she went out. Miss Lizzie told you her stepmother had gone out? Yes. She said a note had come and that Mrs. Borden had gone to see six friends. Did you see the note? No, sir. No one ever saw. Did you see Mrs. Borden leave? No, sir. If she had indeed left, which door would she have gone out? Front door, sir. And yet that was the door you unlocked and opened to admit Mr. Borden a few minutes before eleven. Yes. How was it locked? It was bolted from the inside. Did you lock it? No, sir. And obviously no one going out that way could lock it from the outside? No, sir. What about the other doors? They were locked. You're sure of that? Yes, sir. So no one could have come into the house that morning? I don't think so. Oh, I'm sorry. Now when you heard Mr. Borden knock on the door, you went to it. Yes, sir. Miss Sullivan, where was Lizzie Borden at that moment? Upstairs or on the stairway. How do you know that's where she was? Because when I was walking to the door, I heard her laugh. You heard her laugh? Yes, sir. And she came down the front stairs after I let her father in. What was she laughing at? I don't know, sir. She didn't say. Tell us what happened then after Mr. Borden came in. I heard her ask how he felt. She was in sick, and I heard her get the couch ready so he could lie down. By that time, I'd gone through the kitchen to the rear stairway where I went up to my room. And how long did you stay there? Twenty minutes, I think. And Miss Lizzie called from downstairs to say that her father had been killed. Did you speak to Miss Lizzie? Yes, sir. When she told me her father was killed, I asked her where she was. And how did she answer? She said, I was up in the barn. Thank you, Miss Sullivan. That will be all. Miss Lawyer, this Mr. Moody was awfully clever. You understand the Commonwealth had no physical evidence nor any witnesses to the murders. And Mr. Moody was trying to eliminate the possibility that anyone else could have done it, as they said. And I realized that innocence or guilt didn't make any difference anymore. Mr. Moody would have tried to do the same thing no matter what. To turn my friends against me, my doctor and my servant. Captain Harrington, being in charge of the investigation of the day of the murders, did you question Miss Lizzie Borden? I did. When I got there, I asked her if she knew anything about it. She said she did not. She found him when she came into the house. I asked her where she'd been, and she said she'd been in the loft, in the barn. I asked her how long, and she said she thought it'd been 20 minutes. And did you investigate that statement? I did. I went to the loft in the barn. The floor was thick with dust. When I walked across it, I left footprints. But there were no other footprints up there. There was no evidence that anyone else had been there? No evidence at all. That will be all, Captain Harrington. Thank you. I would like to ask the jury to pause for a moment in way the testimony heard that far. I'd like to remind you that it was given by persons who would rather not speak against the prisoner and who spoke only the truth under oath. Now, I should like to ask the prisoner, Miss Lizzie Borden, to take the stand. Autolight is bringing you Miss Agnes Moorhead as Lizzie Borden, with Joseph Kearns as Mr. Moody in The Fall River Tragedy. Tonight's production in Radio's Outstanding Theatre of Thrill's South Spence. Say, Hap, where were we? Oh, you were telling me about the Autolight Stay Full Battery. Oh, yes, the famous battery that needs water only three times a year in normal car use. Good starter, Harlow. Ah, that's the very best, Hap. By every positive plate in the Autolight Stay Full is protected by fiberglass retaining mats to reduce shedding and flaking and give longer life, as proved by tests conducted according to accepted life cycle standards. You've sold me, Harlow. I'm on my way to get a new Autolight Stay Full Battery. So, friends, have your battery checked soon by your neighborhood Autolight Battery dealer who services all makes of batteries. He'll gladly tell you whether your battery is right for these cold starting days. And if a replacement is needed, your Autolight Battery dealer has an Autolight Stay Full Battery for your car. To quickly learn his location, just call Western Union by number. And ask for me, Operator 25. I'll tell you the name of your nearest Autolight Battery dealer. Where you can be sure of getting an Autolight Stay Full Battery, the battery that needs water only three times a year in normal car use. And remember, from bumper to tail light, you're always right with Autolight. And now Autolight brings back to our Hollywood soundstage Miss Agnes Moorhead as Lizzie Borden in Elliot Lewis' production of The Fall River Tragedy, a true story well calculated to keep you in suspense. Oh, I remember the days so clearly when I was called to the stand. None of my friends would look at me, nor my sister. And then I realized that my father and my stepmother were more fortunate than I would ever be. You, Lizzie A. Borden, swear to tell the truth, the whole truth's up your garden. I do. Please be seated. Miss Borden, did you ever have any trouble with your stepmother? No. Miss Borden, do you mean not within that past year? No, about two years ago. Then you did have trouble with her. If you wish to call it that. What was it about? About my stepmother's stepsister, Miss Whitehead. Was it a violent expression of feeling? That was simply a difference of opinion. In regard to what? Some property. Her father's house was a sale on Fort Street, and my father bought her stepsister's share and gave it to her. To your mother? My stepmother. We thought what he did for her, he should do for his own flesh and blood. Did you at that time say to your father, don't call her mother, she's a mean old thing and we hate her? I, I don't know. I may have, but I don't remember. Were you always cordial with your stepmother? That depends upon one's idea of cordialness. Was it cordial according to your ideas of cordiality? Yes. I didn't regard her as my mother. I stopped calling her mother after the affair regarding her stepsister. Why did you leave off calling her mother? Because I wanted to. Have you any other reason to give me? No. Then that will have to be sufficient. Now, Miss Borden, we come to the morning of August 4. That morning, did you breakfast with your father and stepmother? No, I came downstairs at about nine. They had finished eating. Did you see your father? Yes. He was in the sitting room reading the Providence Journal. And your stepmother? Saw her in the dining room. She, she had a ducking cough. That was about nine. Yes. When did you see your stepmother again? After I had eaten a pear and come back into the dining room, she told me she had had a note and was going out to see a sick friend. She said she'd get the dinner. Did you see the note? No. Did you see your stepmother leave? No. Or did you hear her leave? No. How long did you stay downstairs? I'm not sure. I ate a pear and drank a cup of tea and then went back to my room. Your room? That's up the front stairs to the rear. Is that correct? Yes. That is across the hallway and a few paces to the rear of the room where your stepmother's body was laid about. Yes. How long did you stay in your room? I don't know. It must have been an hour. Did you see anyone up there? No, sir. Did you hear anything? No, sir. What were you doing? I was sewing a piece of lace on a garment. Do you know that medical examination has proved that your stepmother was killed approximately an hour before your father? Yes. Do you understand that to mean she was killed at approximately ten o'clock? Yes. Were you in your room at ten o'clock? I think I was. But you heard nothing. Nothing like the sound of a person being struck down a few paces away. No. That is extraordinary. Now, Miss Warden, you insist that you did not leave your room for close to an hour. Yes. Where was your father? He had left. He went downtown after nine. Do you understand that the front door and all the doors were locked from the inside when he returned a few minutes before eleven? Yes. Did you lock it? No, sir. Do you understand that the witness, Miss Bridget Sullivan, testified that she did not lock it? I heard her say that. Well, then who locked it? I don't know. Did you hear your father try to get in? Yes, sir. Were you still in your room? I was coming down. You had passed the spare room and were on the stairs. Yes. Did you see anything? If I looked in, I should have seen Miss Warden. I didn't look in. I didn't see anything. What did you laugh at? I did not laugh. Did you hear a witness's sworn statement that you did laugh? Yes. Must have been mistaken. I see. Now, when your father came in through the door, Bridget Sullivan had unlocked. You came downstairs. Yes. Did you speak with your father? I asked him how he was feeling and he said he thought he would lie down. And that is when he went to the couch in the sitting room. Did you help him? Yes. Yes, I went with him and covered him with a shawl. And then what did you do? I went up in the barn to get some lead. What kind of lead? For fishing sinkers. I was going to our farm in Marion and I was going to fish while I was there. When were you going fishing? Monday. The murders occurred on Thursday. You were going fishing on the next Monday? Yes. Miss Warden, why did you pick that particular time on Thursday to go to the loft in the barn to get sinkers? I don't know. It occurred to me, so I went to the barn. Did you pick the loft in the barn as a place to keep sinkers? No. My father had once told me there was some lead up in the barn. You know that search for fishing apparatus in your house is shown there was none there? I had none there, but there was some at the farm. Then did not that apparatus include sinkers? No, there were no sinkers on the line. How long it had been since you used the apparatus? Three years. And you remembered all those years that there were no sinkers? Yes. I see. How long do you think you were occupied in looking for sinkers in the loft? About fifteen or twenty minutes. Did you do nothing besides look for sinkers in that 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. Is that all you did? No. I went over to the window and I opened it. Why did you do that? Because it was too hot. I suppose that's the hottest place on the premises? Yes. Don't you think it would have been more comfortable if you waited until late afternoon to look for your sinkers rather than choose the hottest hour of an August morning? Perhaps, I would have. I'm sure you would have. From the window, could you see the house? Yes. How many pears did you eat in that twenty minutes? Three. You standing at that window see anybody enter the kitchen or the side door. I thought you said you could see the house. Not after you pass a jog in the barn, it obstructs the view of that side of the house. Miss Bourden, have you heard a witness, Captain Harrington, a policeman trained to make accurate observation, testify that there was no evidence whatsoever that anyone had disturbed the dust on the floor of the barn loft that no one had been there? I heard him. And you still insist that you were there for twenty minutes during which your father was killed? Yes, sir. Then how do you account for Captain Harrington's statement? I don't know. I'm afraid that Captain Harrington must have been mistaken. I was up in the barn. Mr. Moley was terribly clever. He suggested a motive, two motives, the hate for my stepmother and the inheritance. He suggested the story of being in the barn was false. He suggested that the story of the note in my stepmother leaving was false. He suggested that I was guilty, but I'm not. The jury said I wasn't. They found me not guilty. They didn't find acts. They didn't find blood stains or destroyed clothes or anything. Just circumstance. But it doesn't seem to matter what the jury said. Nobody else thinks I'm innocent. Lady Bourden, come here. That's why they punished me. But I am innocent. No matter what people think, I stood trial and I am innocent. I swear I am. I swear I am. And show me the pictures or the newspaper clippings. I saved them all to show somebody. Why are you leaving like this, Mr. Lippert? You haven't even finished your tea. I didn't finish. Presented by Autolite, tonight's star, the first lady of suspense, Miss Agnes Morehead. This is Harlow Wilcox speaking for Autolite, world's largest independent manufacturer of automotive electrical equipment. Autolite is proud to serve the greatest names in the industry. That's why, during the early months of 1952, the Autolite family will join together in saluting the leading car manufacturers who use Autolite products. Our Autolite family is made up of the nearly 30,000 men and women in 28 great Autolite plants from coast to coast and in still other Autolite plants in many foreign countries. Our family also includes more than 18,000 people who have invested a portion of their savings in Autolite, as well as 96,000 Autolite distributors and dealers in the United States and thousands more in Canada and throughout the world. Our Autolite family will salute the Hudson Motor Car Company on the next Autolite Suspense television program. If you live in a television area, check the day and time of suspense on television so that you'll be sure to see this show. And remember, be with us next week for another thrilling Autolite Suspense program on radio. Next week on Suspense, our star will be Mr. Richard Basshart, who will portray a man who found it necessary to commit the perfect crime, a tale we call The Perfectionist. In weeks to come, we shall also present Mr. Charles Boyer, Mr. J. Carol Nash and Mr. James Mason, all on Suspense. Suspense is produced and directed by Elliot Lewis with music composed by Lucian Morrowick and conducted by Lut Bluskin. The Fall River tragedy was written for Suspense by Gil Dowd. In tonight's story, Joseph Kearns was heard as Mr. Moody. Featured in the cast were Peggy Webber, Herb Butterfield, Ralph Sidon, Will Wright and Stuffy Singer. Agnes Moorhead may currently be seen in the Walt Krasna RKO Productions of Blue Vale. And remember, next week on Suspense, Mr. Richard Basshart in The Perfectionist. This is the CBS Radio Network.