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1. "Jonathan Clegg Obituary"
Posted by Harry on Feb-18th-02 at 9:02 AM

FALL RIVER GLOBE,  MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 1923 Pgs. 1,5

JONATHAN CLEGG PASSES AWAY

Widely Known Resident - Ill a long time; Active in Business  Many  Years; Was Witness in Borden Murder Case.

One of the best known residents of the city in the person of Jonathan Clegg, died yesterday afternoon at his home, 117 Warren street. Deceased was in his 81st year, and although his health has been poor for some period, the end came rather unexpectedly.

He was a native of England, He came to this country 50 years ago, and had always since lived in this city. He was employed in the local mills at first and at one time kept a hat store on Main street, later in the insurance business. He retired four years ago. Mr. Clegg was twice married. His first wife was Emily S. Burn, who died in 1890.

In 1892 he married Christina Frances Oman, who survives him. He leaves one daughter, Mrs. Arthur O'Keefe, who lived with him. Mr. Clegg was a member of the Republican city committee for many years, and was always interested in the public welfare, although he had never held an elective office. He was one of the oldest members of the Fall River Cricket Club, and was also a member of U. S. Grant Lodge, Sons of St. George.

Mr.  Clegg was an important government witness in the Borden murder case. At that time he had a hat shop on North Main Street in what is now the lobby of the Mohican hotel, and was moving his shop to South Main street. Andrew J. Borden was the owner of the building into which he was moving his store. On the day of the murder, August 4, 1892, Mr. Borden was crossing the street in front of the North Main street shop and Mr. Clegg ran out and called him. He took him in his shop and asked him if there would be any increase in rent in case the new shop should be successful. Mr. Borden told him he would not raise the rent in his lifetime. Mr. Borden then went to his home on Second street and met his death.

Mr. Clegg was always deeply interested in matters of public welfare. He was a man of sterling character, frank and outspoken for what he thought was right, and leaves a host of friends who will sincerely regret to hear of his death. the funeral services will take place Wednesday afternoon at 1 o'clock.

Something very interesting. Clegg asked Andrew Borden if he would ever raise the rent if his business took off, and Andrew replied that "no" not as long as he lived. That doesnt sound very stingy or miserly to me. Maybe the accounts of Andrew being really cheap have been exaggerated or perhaps his money-grubbing ways softened with old age. Maybe he was stingy in some things and not in others. The W.C.T.U. got all that office space in the Andrew J. Borden Building on South Main cheap.

In Jonathan Clegg's testimony he tried to mention what was SAID between him and Andrew on the morning of the murders but, as always, he was refrained from doing so by the lawyers (it happens all throughout ALL the testimony). But perhaps it would have been material for Clegg to show this non-stingy side of Andrew to even out the unsympathetic accounts of him as a hard businessman.

Yea, that was very frustrating when that happened!  The questioner would say something like. "Well, I won't ask you what was said..."  At first I thought that meant they'd get to it later on, but when they didn't, I figured it must be some rule of court proceedure... but is it "hearsay" if Clegg reports, firsthand what a dead man told him, when the dead man can't be cross-examined?  I thought that was allowable...(?)