Rufus Bartlett (aka “Bassett”) Hilliard – Fall River City Marshall

RUFUS BARTLETT HILLIARD

May 5, 1849

Rufus Bartlett Hilliard born in Pembroke, ME; later Chief of Police of Fall River 1886-1909.

December 30, 1912

Rufus B. Hilliard (FR Chief of Police) dies in Fall River.

Hilliard was the son of David and Elizabeth (Wilson) Hilliard. In 1879, he was hired by the Fall River Police Department.  By 1886 he was named City Marshall.  He  married Miss Nellie Smith Clark of Fall River.

It was Marshall Hilliard who was in charge of the investigation of the murders of Andrew and Abby Borden.  The fact half the police force was at an annual outing at Rocky Point was only a slight disadvantage compared to the fact this crime – a brutal double hatchet murder of a prominent banker and his wife with a “Borden” name in broad daylight – was an event outside the realm of comprehension let alone experience of this mill town founded by Bordens.  (Note: “The Hilliard Papers” were donated to the Fall River Historical Society two decades ago and will eventually be published and perhaps reveal Hilliard’s personal comments on the case).

Hilliard had advanced rapidly in the police department, partly perhaps to his savvy social networking, such as membership into the Republican slanted Washington Club.  In fact, Hilliard and Assistant Marshal Fleet advanced through the ranks like a pair of competitors in a foot race, with Rufus eventually leapfrogging over the more senior John Fleet.  Anyway, here is his Washington Club membership pin from my collection which I donated to the Fall River Historical Society on my last visit.  (Click on images for larger view).

As stated, half the force was out of town but the Marshal did manage to send nearly two dozen remaining officers to 92 Second Street.  Scrambling throughout the house, yard and barn looking for evidence and clues as to who could have done this dastardly deed, they trampled here and there, compromising the crime scene.  Hilliard himself went across the river to the Borden’s Swansea farm on Gardner’s Neck Road to check out the “Swede” who worked there.  Before he left and even after he returned neither Hilliard nor anyone else even thought of replacing citizen Charles Sawyer from doing back door guard duty with a member of law enforcement.   Sawyer had been commandeered by Officer Allen (first to respond) at around 11:20 a.m.  Sawyer finally asked if he could go home for dinner about 6:00 pm.

Hilliard’s boss was Mayor Coughlin, who gave instruction to handle the poor Borden girls lightly until they were sure they had grounds for an arrest.  The same applied when District Attorney Hosea Knowlton came aboard and took over the investigation the next day.

By Saturday, still without evidence, but Lizzie herself being the key suspect for the past 3 days, the Mayor and the Marshal called upon 92 Second Street and spoke to the sisters and Uncle John Vinnecum Morse in the parlor.  The Mayor asked the family to remain in the house and when Lizzie abruptly asked if anyone in the house was suspected, Mayor Coughlin stated:  “I regret to inform you, Miss Lizzie,  that you are suspected.”  Odd duck that she was, Lizzie responded with:  “I am ready to go now or any time.”  Coughlin back peddaled at that and assured the family they were only there to advise them to remain indoors.  Since the Marshal had an arrest warrant for her in his hip pocket one can just see him rolling his eyes at the Mayor’s remark.  That remark would work in Lizzie’s favor at her Trial when her Inquest Testimony was excluded on the basis she was virtually under house arrest as far back as August 6, 1892.

Hilliard shows himself to be a competent law enforcement “chief” (as he became in 1893) and it’s difficult to fault him for all the mistakes his “keystone kops” made that infamous day.  But golly gee, going to Swansea himself after being at the house and seeing Charlie-”ornamental painter” Sawyer at the back door and not replacing him with a uniformed officer, has always struck me as obvious negligence.

I also wonder if there were hushed conversations in corners of the Washington Club between the Marshall and some of its prestigous members.

Note:  The middle name of “Bassett” instead of “Bartlett” is used both in the letter from the FRHS President and in the link to the Hilliard Papers.  It’s also the name on the pin.  So which is it?  Bartlett or Bassett?

Preliminary Hearing FREE + Rebello & Knowlton Papers!!

UPDATE:

CONGRATULATIONS TO LINDA ROSE OF BUENA PARK, CA. WHO PURCHASED BOTH BOOKS FOR A TOTAL OF $500 – AT $250 EACH SHE GOT A BARGAIN!

STAY TUNED – MORE COMING!

Have you been looking for a free copy of the Preliminary Hearing in the Lizzie Borden case?  Have you been wanting affordable copies of Len Rebello’s Lizzie Borden Past & Present? And have you been on the hunt for the Fall River Historical Society’s The Knowlton Papers? Well, you’ve landed in the right place.

Central Police Station, where the Preliminary Hearing was held.

First, here’s another free and easy access to reading the entire transcript of the Preliminary Hearing.  Just click:

PRELIMINARY HEARING

EMAIL ME FOR PASSWORD.

I also have it as a separate page on this blog as you can see at the top of this page, but here you don’t have to do a cut and paste into WORD for printing.  You can print directly from this Writeboard format.  You can also export it to your hard drive!  How cool is that?!

It is, after all, the Season of Giving.

I’ll be giving lots more real soon as I’m about to trim down more of my Lizzie Collectibles at bargain basement prices.

Are you looking for these?

Well, I’ve got several of each and the prices will be the best you can get.    I’ll be posting more info about them along with lots of other collectibles soon, but if you can’t wait and want to be assured you get one (or both), email me at phaye@npgcable.com and make an offer.  (Some of the Rebello’s are autographed by the author and come with mylar covers.  All have the dust jackets.)

Point Reflections

A print of this collage, which I created back in 1999, still hangs on the refrigerator at the Lizzie Borden B&B.

(click on image for larger view)

Back from visit Northeast with scads of voice mail, emails and snail mail to catch up on. Some pointed reflections that I may elaborate on later:

1. Twisted Restaurant in Hyde Park.

2. Two FR senior guys at Rosario’s – turns out one has a home at Rim Country Club Estates here in Payson.

3. Letters from Mary Hartley to Grace Hartley at Vassar in 1897…re “cousin in the news again”.

4. Letters from Mary Hartley to Grace Hartley Howe full of gossip about the “Rock Street people”.

5. Victoria’s Secret girls at the Lizzie Borden B&B.

6. Long chat with Michael Martins and Dennis Binette re Lizzie, their book, etc. (photos selected, galleys done, index done; awaiting blueline, altho new stuff still coming in).

7. Scallops and Lobster at the Liberal Club with Manny A. and his wife.

8. GalleryX Exhibit piece “Two Sides to Every Story”….couldn’t find artists contact info or I would have purchased it right then and there.

9. Interior of Abby Grille (Central Congregational Church) since the recent vandalism. Sickening. I’ll post pictures later.

10. “Blood Relations” in New Bedford Saturday night, then our mad dash back to the Eagle. What a ride!

11. FDR’s house, Vanderbilt Mansion, Val-Kil – thank you Margaret, D.A.R. member, and resident of Hyde Park.

12. Max the cat in window of the “bahn” late at night; red glow background (from Exit sign), foggy. Stunning effect.

13. Blueboy in parlor – couldn’t stop laughing.

14. Ken Champlin telephone calls.

15. Fall River Library – new piece by Macomber donated in memory of Jerome C. Borden – my personal fav.

16. Visit to FRPD and chat with Asst Chief Moniz.

17. Nice visit and Chinese lunch with Bob Dube. (Wonderful new look to the parlor).

18. Mayor’s office re disposition of WPA artist project of murals at Kuss Middle School.

19.  Viewing the grounds at Vassar in Poughkeepsie where Grace and Mary Howe attended.  (Grace lived in an apt there while Louis lived with the Roosevelts a their huge house).

Lots to do, little time. More later.

Hosea Knowlton at Tufts College

Recycled post.

From my Lizzie Borden collection is this Tuft’s College graduating yearbook photograph of Hosea Morrill Knowlton, also showing his signature. Knowlton of course, was the District Attorney who prosecuted Lizzie Borden in her famous 1893 Trial in New Bedford, MA.

From time to time I’ll be posting “little known tidbits” about the people, places and things that factor in the Lizzie Borden case, so I’m creating this new category. I’ve not been able to find this photograph on the internet so perhaps its shown here for the first time.

Knowlton graduated from Tuft’s College in 1867. After he died of a stroke (December 18, 1902), Charles E. Fay, a Tuft’s College graduate of 1868, wrote a 6-page tribute to Hosea in the January, 1903 issue of The Tuftonian, the college newsletter. It is here that we get an insight into Hosea’s younger days and find that he was not without experience in college pranks. (By the way, it wasn’t until July 15, 1892, the Tufts Board of Trustees voted “that the College be opened to women in the undergraduate departments on the same terms and conditions as men.”)

(Right click to view larger type)

Hosea Knowlton had three sons and they all attended Tuft’s College.

Though it is often stated that Knowlton graduated from Harvard Law School, he did not. He attended there for a year but did not graduate. I was able to verify this last summer when I went on a business conference to Raytheon in Andover and spent all my spare time doing research on Knowlton at the Boston Public Library and State House.

When Frank Warren Knowlton, Jr. donated his grandfather’s papers on the Borden case to the Fall River Historical Society, he described his grandfather as “too brash, too cocky. He had a way of standing with his hands on his hips and maybe the jury thought that he was talking down at them.” Source: -Fall River Herald News, Sept. 1, 1989. (Note: It was Frank’s father, Frank Warren Knowlton (Tufts College 1899-1902), who engaged in an 8-year correspondence with noted author Edmund Pearson who resurrected interest in the case with his long essay in Studies in Murder.)

Hosea’s grandson donated The Knowlton Papers in August (see the Fall River Herald News article of Sept 1, 1989 below).

Pictured above: The often seen image of Hosea Knowlton as he appeared in 1893. Taken from the video Hash & Rehash, is this TV screen image of his grandson, Frank Knowlton, Jr. who donated “the Knowlton Papers” to the Fall River Society.

I had the pleasure of meeting Frank, Jr. at the 1992 Centennial Conference on Lizzie Borden at the Speakers Reception and again when both he and Andrew Jennings Waring (grandson of Lizzie’s defense attorney) joined me on a tour of Maplecroft. It was very interesting, though not surprising, that one stoutly believed in her guilt while the other stoutly believed in her innocence. I’ll never forget the dialog between the two out on the sidewalk after the tour of Lizzie’s house on French Street. Both are now deceased and the few letters I have from them are read now with a special melancholy and fond rememberence.

Who Was “Todd Lunday”?

The Fall River Historical Society (FRHS) is to reveal who the real “Todd Lunday” was in its new book:  Parallel Lives: A Social History of Lizzie A. Borden and Her Fall River.

Here’s a “teaser” from their site:

“Todd Lunday, the pen name for . . .

Portrait of _______ (1858-1923)

The “Mystery” will soon be “Unveiled” . . .

“Since 1893, the true identity of Todd Lunday, the author of The Mystery Unveiled:—The Truth About the Borden Tragedy, has been just that; a mystery!

Countless researchers, historians, and Borden afficionados have searched extensively, but to no avail.  Now, for the first time, the identity of Todd Lunday will be “unveiled.”

This book was first published by J. A. & R. A. Reid, Providence, Rhode Island in 1893.  It was re-printed in facsimile form in 1989 with a one page Foreward by Robert A. Flynn, King Philip Publishing Co. and limited to 1,000 copies.   In the Foreward, Mr. Flynn wrote:   (Click on image for larger view.)

In the “teaser” by the FRHS, (shown under the blank portrait frame) are what would be the birth and death years of the true author:  1858-1923. This means the author was 35 years old when the 56-page book was published,  and 65 years old when he died in 1923, four years previous to Lizzie’s own death.

By process of elimination we can now discard some of those previously thought by Bordenia scholars as the identity of “Todd Lunday”.  These are in no particular order.

1849-1930:  Albert Enoch Pillsbury, Mass. Attorney General at time of Trial.  Reluctant to personally prosecute this capital case, he was an anti-feminist undistinguished as Attorney General.

1861-1920:  Dr John William Coughlin, Mayor of Fall River at time of murders.

1864-1904:  Edwin H. Porter, police reporter for Fall River Globe, wrote The Fall River Tragedy: A History of the Borden Murders published in 1893.

1846-1923:  Leontine Lincoln, FR banker, President of Kilburn, Lincoln & Co.,  and grandfather of author Victoria Lincoln (A Private Disgrace, Lizzie Borden by Daylight).

1847-1902:  Hosea Morrill Knowlton, District Attorney who prosecuted Lizzie.

1863-Unknown:  Professor John Henry Wigmore, lifelong professor of Law at Northwestern University, he wrote critical essays on the Borden charge to the jury.

1853-1917:  William Henry Moody, assisted Knowlton;  subsequently became U.S. Supreme Court Justice.

1846-1905:  Edward Stickney Wood, Harvard medical doctor who testified as to no poison found in the stomachs, blood evidence, etc. at the Trial.

Unknown-1918:  James Dennan O’Neil, Managing Editor of the Fall River Globe (and my previous personal favorite).

1858-1922:  Dr. William Andrew Dolan, FR Medical Examiner – my second personal favorite.   (The dates are the closest and Dolan *did* have that quality of sarcasm, but unless the FRHS death year is wrong, he’s also not in the running).*

1848-1916: John Fleet, FRPD Inspector and later Chief of Police, early on suspected Lizzie.

1859-1893:  Philip Harrington, FRPD officer who also suspected her in the beginning of the investigations.

1853-1917:  William H. Medley, FRDP officer and later Chief of Police. His confusion in trial testimony did not deter him from future promotions.  (Note the same birth and death years as William Moody)

1849-1912:  Rufus Bartlett Hilliard (City Marshal 1886-1909)

1849-1923:  Andrew Jackson Jennings (Lizzie’s family attorney – no joke, I know people who believe it was him!)

I suspect the true author will turn out to be someone whose true name has not appeared in the better books on the case, i.e., The Knowlton Papers, Lizzie Borden Past & Present, but one who had a legal, medical or law enforcement background – or a combination of the three.  It will also be someone who had a firm grasp of the case and a caustic sense of humor.

*The FRHS could have gotten the date(s)  wrong, as they did with Mary Doolan, “the Kelly maid”, listed in The Knowlton Papers, p428, as being born in 1893 and died 1896.

P.S.  I have this book in digital format.  If you’d like to read it, send me an email. phaye@npgcable.com

Something New About Lizzie Borden

The Fall River Herald News carried this article on the much anticipated book, “Parallel Lives: A Social History of Lizzie A. Borden and Her Fall River” to be published by the Fall River Historical Society “before Christmas”  (3rd time we’ve heard that but this may be the year).

For example, we learn that Lizzie had a live-in travel companion named Trudy who traveled with her to Boston and Washington.    For more tidbits,  read the full article by clicking on the book title above.

Advance sales are available through the FRHS website.

Florence Borden and the Masquerade Party

When Lizzie Borden was in her teens and early 20’s she did attend parties with her contemporaries. She may have attended a party not unlike the one described in the handwritten letter below by Florence Borden, daughter of Spencer Borden. Flushed with the excitement of the evening’s events, the 15 year old Florence wrote “November 30, 1896″ at the top of the letter, but the postmark shows when it was mailed the next day, “December 1, 1895″.

Shortly after acquiring this letter for my collection, I took it with me on my next visit to Fall River and left a photocopy for Fall River Historical Society Curator Michael Martins to help me identify those named within the letter. He wrote a 9-page response and I include the first two pages here to save me time (and space) in providing background and identification particulars of a few mentioned:  (Click on all images for larger view)

Note:  Parker Hooper (born 1877) was the son of  William S. and Isabella Hooper who resided on French Street, three houses east from Lizzie.

Bertha Borden (born 1882) was the 15 year old daughter of Jerome Cook Borden & Emma Borden.  Jerome was Lizzie’s cousin who supported her during her Trial.

Young Florence is clearly thrilled with the costumes and those attending.  Her letter reflects an almost giddiness in her descriptions.  She lived in one of the two grandest homes in Fall River:  Interlachen

……and she spent that night with Marion Osborne at the other grand house:   the Carr-Osborne House

One generation behind Lizzie, these young ladies and gentlemen were the sons and daughters of Fall River’s elite society on “The Hill”.  And while they were only around 8-12 years old when the Borden murder case exploded upon the Fall River scene, they would know of Lizzie all their lives.   (Most would live long enough to have read Edmund Pearson, Edward Radin and even a fellow B.M.C. Durfee High School graduate, Victoria Lincoln.)

It would be less than two years after this party that Lizzie would be trumpeted again on the front pages:   the Tilden-Thurber shoplifting incident.   An oh, how these fine, cultured young people must have gossiped about that at other parties.

Note:  Florence doesn’t tell us if any of the ladies came dressed as Lizzie Borden with a hatchet sewed onto their skirt.  That would have been shockingly inappropriate.  Never would have happened.  But today?  Hell yes.

Emma Borden’s Classic Photograph

“Being single has great advantages in society and life. Besides, just because a woman is single all her days doesn’t mean she doesn’t have a rich and rewarding sex life.” -Stefani Koorey 8/30/09

Emma Lenora Borden, a Fall River spinster of a different age – may or may not have had a rich and rewarding sex life.   We just don’t know.

Emma Borden after sex?

She was Lizzie’s older sister and is shown here in the last known image of her taken from a newspaper artist sketch supposedly made on April 12, 1913.  It was published the next day in the Boston Sunday Post which carried an extensive interview by reporter Edwin Joseph McGuire.

We’ve yet to see photos of Emma in her old age.  Instead, what we see over and over is what I refer to as the “classic” Emma.  But how did it come to surface and end up the iconic image of Emma Lenora Borden?

Emma had possession of family albums as described in a previous post: Family album click HERE.

The “classic” Emma Borden photo shown below  – or a copy of it – was given by Emma to Emma and Lizzie’s friend, Mary Brigham, who had been a character witness at Lizzie’s Trial.  Mrs. Brigham had a son named Richard.  Richard married Florence Cook (who eventually was to become the Fall River Historical Society’s Curator Emeritus.)  When Mary Brigham died, her family albums went to her son, Richard (Florence’s husband) and when he died, Florence still kept possession of them.

Emma may have been around 20 years old when this photo was taken…perhaps at the same time the “young Lizzie” photo was taken.

In 1988, Florence prepared a provenance documentation page for the FRHS archives to cite the origin of the portrait and placed it in the back of the framed photo as shown below.  (Click for larger view).

(A copy of this page was given to me in 1990 by Florence Brigham and is from my private collection)

Since 1988, the FRHS has granted permission for this same image to be used in a number of books on the case.  But in this internet age, Emma’s grim countenance is now on hundreds of blogs and websites.  She would not have been pleased.Diminutive but incredibly energetic, the late Florence Brigham, Curator Emeritus of the Fall River Historical Society

Central Congregational Church auctioned for $250,000

Lizzie Borden’s former church on Rock Street

Here’s how it went down today in Fall River on the public auction of the former Central Congregational Church.

It’s like this: Raped, pilfered and left bleeding, a warden tosses $250,000 at her naked, scared body as if to say: ‘Here, put this on and come with me.’ And so she goes. Who would have thought all her past beauty and home town history could be bought off so cheaply?

Built in 1875, this Gothic Glamour Girl once before fell on hard financial times. But it was her own membership – composed of the shakers and makers of Fall River, that led the charge to raise the then astronomical price of $82,000 to save her. Thanks to the benevolence and deep pockets of some Bordens and Durfees, not to mention the banker Charles Holmes – the Central Congregational Church was saved. Saved by a handful of her citizens. And what was the purchasing power of $82,000 in 1889 dollars compared to today? Better sit down for this one: $1,868,784.

Flash Forward 120 years: Today’s auction of her raped and pillaged body had no real takers to feed and dress her and nurture her back to her glory and prideful days – none save the bank to whom she was already indebted. There were no deep pocket, benevolent individuals to step forward.   There were no “historical society” members (so often pleading for their own survival).  The roar of preservationist outrage for saving another tattered thread in Fall River’s architectural weave was nowhere to be heard. So for a mere $250,000 she is auctioned off today. She’s tattered, beaten and bruised. In need of serious attention, of which she will not likely receive, save for public safety. As the weeds sprout around her and her internal organs continue to deteriorate, this grand lady will succumb to the passages of time. The silence of the vox populi serves up less surprise than sorrow.

$250,000. Shame on you Fall River. Shame on the people in Fall River who have the financial means – but looked away. Not quite the same generation or values as those that rushed to the call for action in pledges on February 11, 1889.

Big Whoop: Lizzie Borden Sent Victorian Greeting Cards!

If I had a “BFD” category on Lizzie Borden, this post would go in it.  From the administrator of the Lizzie Borden Forum comes this statement:

“The Fall River Historical Society has once again allowed us a small glimpse into the world of Lizzie Borden from their soon-to-be-published Parallel Lives: A Social History of Lizzie A. Borden and Her Fall River.

This one is a doozie! Not only do we see Miss Borden in all her jocularity, but we are given in insight that shatters some entrenched myths about this most enigmatic woman.

Lizzie had a soft side.”

Here’s the card.

Well, of course she did.  It was a proper thing to do, and Lizzie was all about being proper with regards to the social customs of the times.  Sending greeting cards was a common practice in Victorian times and it’s no revelation that Lizzie Borden, always adhering to proper deportment (well, almost always) would send out such cards.   The reveal of such a card signed in Lizzie’s hand is hardly a “doozie”, hardly shows us her “jocularity”, and it hardly “shatters entrenched myths” about her.  Such claims are gross exaggerations, but I consider the source.

Lizzie Letters that have been published for years in various books already tell us much about her:  She was thoughtful, kind, valued the loyalty of her friends, was meloncholy at times, and fully understood what being a Borden meant in Fall River.

David Rehak’s book, Did Lizzie Borden Axe for It? was the first to print the newest found letter in Lizzie’s hand and I think we can make a pretty fair interpretation from it that Lizzie was somewhat vane, and loved the finer things in life.  We already know her home was tastefully furnished with expensive furniture, fixtures, wallpaper, drapes, and nick nacks.  Her pride (and understanding) of being a Borden was something she did not wish to diminish or change.  While she may have altered her first name from Lizzie to “Lisbeth”, she kept her Borden name and stamped its first letter on some of her possessions and even etched it in glass on one of the doors in Maplecroft.  “B” for Borden.  Yep, Lizzie understood the respect, social cache, entitlement, and expected deportment which came with the name “Borden”.

What will be interesting from the collection of letters, cards, journals related to Lizzie in Parallel Lives will be just when and to whom she wrote them and/or just when and from whom they were written to her.  This will serve to indicate who her little circle of friends and acquaintances were.  I’m especially interested in who they were in her later years as I wrote about HERE when detailing her neighbors and speculating on whom might have visited Lizzie at Maplecroft during her last years

I suppose we will continue to get these  little “peek-a-boos” from the FRHS to spike interest in purchasing their new book, an unnecessary endeavor for Lizzie  fans, Fall River history buffs, and Borden case enthusiasts.  It’s like a little game of lifting that Victorian skirt an inch at a time – beyond the tights and petticoats, as the skirt is lifted higher and higher, we await a profound discovery – but, alas, there will be none.

The book will deal primarily with the times in which Lizzie lived, i.e., the environment, customs, mores, day to day life in Fall River’s stratified society and the elite who ran it.

Lizzie Borden Preliminary Hearing – FREE

UPDATE (August 4, 2009)

“Stop and go no further!” cried the spinster.

“But I am for Truth, Justice & the American way!” bellowed the blogger. (LMAO)

**************************

By clicking the “Preliminary Hearing” page above, you can read the entire transcript of this proceeding in the Lizzie Borden case, absolutely FREE. You can also cut and paste the entire text into Word and save it to your hard drive for later printing if you wish.

The Preliminary Hearing in the Lizzie Borden case was held August 25, 1892 through September 1, 1892.  It was near enough to the murders that memories were sharper than when shared by the same witnesses at the Trial ten months later.

(Click on all images for larger view)

The first hard copy availability of this primary source document was made over 15 years ago through the Fall River Historical Society.  They received Defense Attorney Andrew Jenning’s copy, with his handwritten notes, and sold copies through their gift shop

At the time of the Hearing, newspapers reported on the daily testimony but it was the New Bedford Evening Standard that printed all of the Preliminary Hearing after the Trial -  including Lizzie’s Inquest testimony – which had been read into the record.

The book above contains the full transcript and although it is in very small print, it has wonderful illustrations.

I made copies of the original source document from the FRHS and bound them as shown in the first image above and sold them on eBay over a decade ago.  In 2000, I began transcribing the document in Word format and put them on CD’s as a Research and Reference source into this case.

The above image gives a description of the content of those CD’s, inclusive of my own transcription of the Preliminary Hearing.

I sold the CD’s for many years in different formats beginning in 2001.

Often times I sold the CD with other Lizzie collectibles.

The CD, with my own Word transcription has been copyrighted for years.

I also made a hard copy of my transcribed document from 2001 as seen above and this, as well as the CD’s have been sold or given away for years, including sold at the Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast in Fall River, MA.

Harry Widdows, Stefani Koorey and Kat Koorey edited their own version of a transcribed Preliminary Hearing and sell it through LuLu Press and the FRHS for around $40!

Now you can read this most interesting document absolutely FREE, cut and paste the text into MS Word and have it on your hard drive.  You can even do word searches.

Again, just click on the “Preliminary Hearing” page to this blog at the top and Enjoy!

Lizzie Borden & the Dutiful Escort

Lizzie Borden circa 1890

(Note: this image has not been photo-shopped by a  50 year old, financially strapped, unemployed spinster in Fall River).

Central Congregational Church

In various interviews at the time of the murders, Lizzie Borden had been described as “odd” by some who knew her.    During her younger years it has been said by Michael Martins, Curator of the Fall River Historical Society, she did not have the proper dresses to attend the elegant grand parties up on “the Hill”.  But it is now known Lizzie did attend some parties – according to the private journal of an old school chum of Lizzie’s – owned by an elderly descendant who is still living in Fall River.   However, there is nothing on record, as yet, of Lizzie ever having a boyfriend or romance during her teens and early twenties.  I suspect her alleged moodiness and being “odd” was a put-off by the opposite gender.

A few years ago, a letter was among papers again donated to the Fall River Historical Society by a descendant of a prominent FR family.  The letter is written by a gentleman who attended a reception at the Central Congregational Church welcoming back Lizzie and her travel companions from their 19 week Grand Tour of Europe.  In the letter he writes that Lizzie was the last of ladies awaiting an escort home and that he did his duty.  The reception was held November 11, 1890 – Lizzie was 30 years old.

Pure conjecture, but (taken from one of my scripts) it might have gone something like this:  (Please excuse the formatting as the Final Draft script software is not wholly compatible with the cut and paste as Word feature here.)

CUT TO:

INT. 1ST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH – ONE WEEK LATER – NIGHT

The Young People’s Society of Christian Endeavor is having a reception for the ladies return of The Grand Tour.  The church vestry is decorated with fresh flowers and there is an orchestra and refreshments.  Young men and women in fine clothes mix and talk with the ladies and others in attendance.   Older men and women of the church are also gathered.  It is all gay and laughter with lots of background conversations.  Lizzie, along with her travel companions, have been getting much attention from those asking about their trip.  Jerome Borden, a second cousin to her, stands talking with CHARLES HOLMES, banker.

CHARLES HOLMES

What surprises me is that old Andrew paid for any of it.

JEROME BORDEN

Not too far-fetched, from what I’ve heard.  I’ve noticed he seems to be much more at ease these past weeks, judging from his appearance at board meetings.

Mrs. Holmes walks over with Lizzie and Reverend Buck.

MRS. HOLMES

Charles, Reverend Buck has told me  Reverend Jubb has been talking of returning to England in another year.

LIZZIE

I hadn’t heard that.

MRS. HOLMES

Well, my dear, there is a great deal you have not heard.  We must find the time to catch up.

Jerome and Charles give a knowing look of gossiping women.

JEROME BORDEN

Where is your father and Abby, Lizzie?  Did they not come for the reception?

Lizzie looks at Jerome, then to Reverend Buck who recognizes the awkward moment.

REVEREND BUCK

I see Alice Russell waiving to us.  Shall we join her?

Reverend Buck takes Lizzie’s arm and walks with her.

JEROME BORDEN

Yes, I’m surprised they are not here.

MRS. HOLMES

Well, if the truth be told, all is not right in that house.

CHARLES HOLMES

Marianna.

MRS. HOLMES

I’ll say no more.  I’ll say no more.

MRS. HOLMES spots someone in the crowd. She waives her arm in the air.

MRS. HOLMES

Yoohoo!  Yoohoo, Mrs. Chase.  Excuse me, gentlemen.

She gathers her skirts and scurries across the room.

CUT TO:

INT. – CHURCH ENTRANCE

The evening has ended and the last of the people are leaving, saying goodbyes, getting into carriages.  One by one they leave, the ladies being escorted by the young gentlemen for carriage rides home. Lizzie is the last of the ladies left, a few young gentlemen still stand around, talking among themselves.  Mrs. Holmes and two other women are very much aware Lizzie needs an escort and no one has offered to take her home.

MRS. HOLMES

Excuse me Lizzie, I think I left my purse inside.

As she moves towards the few young men remaining, Mrs. Holmes taps one of the gentlemen motioning him inside.  She whispers something in his ear and with a slight grimace, he looks over his shoulder towards Lizzie.

CUT TO:

CLOSE ON LIZZIE who stands awkwardly staring blankly.  The young man reappears at the entrance stepping towards Lizzie.

YOUNG MAN

(tipping his hat)

Excuse me Miss Borden.  May I escort you to your home?

LIZZIE

Well, I…

Mrs. Holmes reappears at the entrance, with her purse in hand and cloak on.

MRS. HOLMES

We are leaving now, too, Lizzie.  Such a short walk we have for such fine night air.  I see you have an escort to take you home.  Goodnight Lizzie.  Goodnight.

Lizzie walks out of the church, the young man trailing after her, resolved to do his duty.

Lizzie Letters

Reading letters written in Lizzie Borden’s own hand is always a fun and interesting exercise.   We’ve found them in books, newspapers, estates, libraries, and private collections.  They keep popping up.  There are plenty more out there.   Lizzie was consistent in doing what was proper to the customs and practices of the time, and this included her letter writing.   Here is a sampling of some of the letters we know of which give us a glimpse into this woman who continues to fascinate.  Just click on each image for a larger, clearer view.

The noisy bird letter:

Brayton’s son discovered the letter in an old desk and subsequently gave it to the 1st Congregational Church who had it mounted and displayed in the Church office as you see above.

The Fall River Historical Society promises (again) to have the new book Parallel Lives out by the end of the year.  Part of the promotion are little ticklers like this intentionally cryptic letter written by Lizzie.  If each character (which disguises the true word) represents the actual number of characters in the word, translating becomes a little more easier.

Lizzie’s vanity case

A fairly new letter discovery was published in David Rehak’s book, Did Lizzie Borden Axe For It? (3rd edition, 2007, page 197).

She wrote this note just ten days after turning 52, and 20 twenty years after the murders. Also, this was written just 3-1/2 months after the sinking of the Titanic. The interesting provenance of this note can be found in Rehak’s book, which is a very entertaining read and reviewed HERE.

Translation:

“C/O A. Stomell & Co. The toilet case came to me safely
and is very satisfactory. I have a fitted suitcase with toilet articles in white, can you put a blue (bluish?) B. on each piece if they were sent? Very Truly Yours, Miss L. A. Borden, July 29, 1912″

Funeral Instructions

Translation:

My funeral to be strictly pri-
vate with a short prayer at
the grave.

At the house I wish read
“The Crossing of the Bar”
Also the 14th chapter of St. John
and the 23rd Psalm.
Also sung the first and fourth
verses of “My Ain Countrie”
& wish to be laid at my
fathers feet.

A small headstone to match
the others of my family
Lizbeth to be cut on the stone

Lizbeth Andrews (?)
with the date July 1861 (?)

The minister of the Church
the Ascension is to conduct (?)
the services.

Grave to be bricked.

Lizbeth A. Borden
March 31 – 1919
Fall River

Borden here, Borden there, Bordens, Bordens EVERYWHERE!

I regularly receive emails and letters from those interested in the Lizzie Borden case and usually because they have or believe they have a link to Lizzie herself.

As early as 1970, I began exchanging letters with people, many of whom were distant Borden relations or residents of Fall River during Lizzie’s life time, although one or two generations behind her.   For the early correspondence I am indebted to Florence Brigham, past Curator Emeritus of the Fall River Historical Society, who was so accommodating and helpful with her introductions and assistance in my early years of research.

In more contemporary times, letters have given way to emails in terms in quantity and frequency.  But the content seems to always have that recurring thread:  the writer is related to Lizzie Borden.  This isn’t surprising since we’re all only 14 degrees of separation from Kevin Bacon, why not 20 degrees of separation from Lizzie?  Seriously though, with a variety of internet search engines we can instantly find countless blogs and websites on the case to learn specifics from -

Andrew’s skull as presented at trial to:

The Drew Barrymore connection to:

Descendents of the Bordens

The Borden Project is one of my favorite sites because of the many photographs of Bordens.  When you get to the site, click on the “Photo Gallery” at the left and by the time you get to the 3rd and 4th pages you are at the 5th, 6th and 7th generations of Bordens.  When you see all those faces, the years they were born and died, the states they spread out to, is it any wonder that Bordens are everywhere?   And though the bloodline thins with each generation, the linkage is still there.

******************

My mother’s family were Bordens from Fall River, MA. What is interesting is that my family lineage were all male descendents, so the surname remained Borden until my mother. Your friend indicated that you were also a Borden and had done a lot of Borden genealogy and also that you knew quite a bit about Lizzie. Between a third cousin, Stephen Borden in Fall River, and my aunt, most of our family’s Borden genealogy is current.

Why I have contacted you is mainly to see how we might be related and also to ask you a question or two on Lizzie Borden. There was a grocer by the name of Edmund Whitehead located on 102 South Main Street during this period of Lizzie and the murder of her parents. Edmund Whitehead had married a Borden, Silvia L. Borden, oldest daughter of Stephen and Sarah Potter (Brayton) Borden. Silvia was the older sister of my great grandfather, Charles Edgar Borden. Anyway, Edmund was called as a witness at Lizzie’s trial in regards to the movement of Andrew Borden that morning. I am attaching a summary of Andrew Borden’s movements that morning and you can see the reference to Whitehead.

What has peaked my interest, and you may be able to offer an answer, is the half-sister of Lizzie’s stepmother, Abby. The half sister’s married name was Whitehead. I can’t find my reference at this moment, but I think her first name was Mary. My question: Was Abby’s half sister married to one of Edmund’s brothers? The Whitehead family came to Fall River in 1856, so I don’t think the town was full of Whitehead’s. Lizzie would be my fifth cousin, three times remove according to my cousin, Stephen Borden. But I would be interested in finding out if there is a connection with the Whitehead family.

I hope this email hasn’t confused the daylights out of you, I am open to any questions you may have on my family’s history. My great great grandfather, Stephen Borden, and the next two generations of male Bordens were all carriage painters by trade. So you can see I am not directly related to any of the Borden shakers and movers.

I hope to hear back from you,

Mary Clemens in Florida

*****************************

I came across your blog from the article in today’s Boston Herald. Very interesting! Last year I starting doing family research because my Mom always told stories of how her mom (my grandmother) would play in Lizzie’s house. My grandmother, Marion Haywood b. 1893, mother was Flora A. Borden. Anyways…traced it back to Lizzie’s G G Grandfather John Borden b. 1640 is my G G G G G G  Grandfather. Not sure how you would say we were related, but we were.Anyways…great web-site enjoyed it alot!

Bill

***************************

After reading Arnold R. Brown’s book regarding Lizzie Borden, I became interested in the aspect of the murder being done by William S. Borden, with the possible help of William Lewis Bassett.  I began researching these two people.  One thing of interest I found is that William Lewis Bassett left Fall River, Bristol, Massachusetts after 1900 and ended up across the country in Sunnyside, Yakima County, Washington, where he died after 1910!  After William S. Borden’s murder or suicide in 1901, it looks like William Bassett wanted to get as far as possible from Fall River.William Lewis Bassett’s mother, Peace, was the second wife of Charles Lott Borden.  Charles Lott Borden’s first wife was Phebe Hathaway, the mother of William S. Borden.It is probable that Ellen Eagan’s story of seeing William S. Borden coming out of the Andrew Borden house at 11;00 a.m. the morning of the murders is true.  My theory is that he and William L. Bassett went there that morning, between 10:15 and 11:00, to ask for money from Andrew Borden.  When Andrew refused, he was murdered by William S. Borden, a dangerous lunatic.  Abby Borden was probably murdered shortly before, between 10:30 and 10:45.

So, when I read the newspaper account of Pete Peterson’s story on your website, I wanted to see the whole newspaper account.

Sincerely, Patricia

***************************

Note:  “Slides” above from presentation to womens group at ASU 5 years ago.  There are letters I will post pending permission where applicable.

Carr-Osborne House

Lizzie Borden would have loved to have lived in this one:   The Carr-Osborne House at 456 Rock St., across the street from the Fall River Historical Society, is a Greek Revival, built by Joseph Durfee in 1843.  It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 and underwent an extensive renovation when Bob Karam of Karam Financial Group bought the property in 1985. It is also known as the Durfee-Carr-Osborne House.

From Fall River – A Pictorial History, Judith A. Boss, 1982.  (Right click for better image)

Frederico Santi & John Gacher bought the property from the Presbyterian Church for an incredible bargain at $28,000 back in November of 1977.  Having exquisite taste and a Newport business in antiques, these two gentlemen renovated the house and equipped it with the finest of furnishings. Some interiors can be viewed HERE.

When they decided to sell in 1985, it sold the very day the “For Sale” sign went up.  It was purchased by Karam Financial Group and converted into offices for Karam Financial Services.   The Karam Brothers, politically and socially connected, are a bit notorious in Fall River and own extensive properties from shopping malls to WSAR Radio and oodles in between.  These are the kind of guys who can pick up a phone and make things happen – or not.  It’s curious to ponder who may have tipped them off as soon as that “For Sale” sign went up….

The earliest pictures in Karam’s office of the house show cows grazing on the front lawn.

$28,000 in 1977.  Imagine that.  

Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast/Museum & “The Jennings Hatch”

The “Lizzie Borden House” or “Charles Trafton House” was built in 1845.  Fire prevention methods in almost all homes at that time was practically non-existant. There were virtually no escape routes save for the one, common-use stairway to many of the 2, 3, and 4 story homes built in that era.

When 92 Second Street (formerly 230) was made into a Bed & Breakfast in 1996 and opened up to the public for the first time, it was brought up to fire code for B&B buildings.

Kenneth Champlin in front of the Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast/Museum

Besides the usual sprinklers in the ceiling, the B&B has a number of fire extinquishers on hand, pull down alarms directly to the Fire Department and an escape hatch on the third, or attic, floor.  Guests on the second floor have access to both front and rear staircases.  Guests on the third floor, if unable to use the only staircase – the rear staircase – have this escape hatch.

In the Andrew Jennings bedroom, the escape hatch is directly over the front bathroom of the second floor.  The ladder placed inside can be easily thrust downwards against the lightweight covering providing a quick and easy escape to the second floor and only a few feet from the front staircase or easy access to the rear staircase.

Guests explore all the nooks and crannies of their rooms and often The House itself and take note of this emergency evacuation.

Speaking of houses, below is the so called “Brownell” house on Green Street in Fairhaven, MA.  This is the house where Lizzie’s sister, Emma Borden, was staying on August 4, 1892.  t has been literally “skinned” of its previous excessive debris.

For a comparison of what it used to look like,  CLICK HERE. Gone is the abandoned vehicle, dense over-growth, and the knee-high debris inside, though it still remains unsecured and empty.  This house was recently sold and a “Building Permit” is posted in one of the front windows.  Like an elderly woman with a festering cancer undergoing kemotherapy, she has lost all her hair.  Her skin is potmarked, bruised, discolored but she lives on….battered, weakened, awaiting the inevitable.  Question is:  Will it be demolished and cleared for new construction or will the new owners bite the  bullet for expensive infrastructure upgrades?

By contrast, the Fall River Historical Society’s curator is giving his house a cosmetic overhaul as shown below.

On Rock Street, only a few blocks from both “Maplecroft” and the FRHS.

All of the above photos were taken less than a month ago.

ADD ON: Fall River Trip Hi-Lites – Coming Soon-

Looking over my Salem pics, including the Leonard Pickel Lizzie exhibit, I think perhaps this one is the closest to a “Wow” factor. It’s a replica of the Andrew J. Borden burial plot at Oak Grove Cemetery and it’s pretty well done.

The dark mirrored background reflects on one of the last text “story boards”as seen on the right side. This gives the URL and phone number of the B&B in Fall River. Pickel had stated to the press he would have a computer where visitors could go to the B&B site and make reservations. But he must have changed his mind, because there isn’t one….that would be “interactive”. Note the one other visitor who was there the entire time I was.

Preliminary comments on Salem Lizzie exhibit: In two words – it’s Ho Hum. Far too text-heavy in the storyboarding style display – tho neatly done. Makes you feel like you’re reading a book – or could have skipped the exhibit and done just that. Nothing new except a 3-dimentional paper mock up of the Borden house and immediate neighbors – most out of proportion. Exhibit has no “Wow” factor, and contrary to what Leonard Pickel has been saying, there IS NO INTERACTIVE FORENSICS. THERE IS NO AUDIO, NO VIDEO, NO INTERACTIVE COMPONENTS WHATSOEVER. ONE JUST READS AND READS AND READS. TIRESOME. THERE IS NOT ONE SINGLE IMAGE THAT YOU HAVE NOT SEEN IN BOOKS OR ON THE MULTITUDES OF INTERNET WEBSITES ON LIZZIE BORDEN. NOTHING NEW – JUST A STRAIGHTFORWARD TELLING OF THE STORY. IT CERTAINLY IS NO MUSEUM BY ANY DEFINITION.

PEOPLE WITH DISCRETIONARY DOLLARS WILL OPT FOR THE WITCHCRAFT EXHIBIT NEXT DOOR – WHICH IS WHY THEY VISIT THAT AREA OF SALEM IN THE FIRST PLACE. It is well organized and he does plug the Lizzie Borden B&B at the very end.

I WILL GIVE MORE COMMENTS WHEN I PRESENT A STEP BY STEP TOUR THRU THE ENTIRE EXHIBIT WHERE YOU WILL SEE EVERY SINGLE THING THAT IS IN THERE AS I PHOTOGRAPHED EVERYTHING. THEN YOU CAN DECIDE IF THE ALMOST LAUGHABLE RE-CREATIONS OF THE COURT ROOM, “COMBINED” MURDER SCENES, ET. AL., ARE CHEESY OR “TRUE”.

*************************

I’ve been in Fall River at the Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast but this is just A QUICK CHECK IN. This 4th trip so far this year has been action and travel packed. I’ll have plenty to report about:

THE FIVE HOUSES OF THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD

WSAR RADIO INTERVIEW FEEDBACK

FORGOTTEN QUAKER’S CEMETERY

LIZZIE EXHIBIT IN SALEM

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY IN THE HOUSE

SERENDIPITY OF MEETING ARTIST JOYCE TENNEY AT THE B&B

VISIT WITH BOB DUBE’, OWNER OF MAPLECROFT

CARR-OSBORNE HOUSE AND THE BROTHERS KARAM

THE *OTHER* AUGUST 4TH STORY (TSK, TSK SK)

THE BEACH NEXT TO FORT TABOR

ST. ANNE’S CHURCH BASEMENT SHRINES – A HIDDEN TOURIST ATTRACTION

SWANSEA AND MEETING GARDNER DESCENDENTS

THE DUNKIN DONUTS MURDER MYSTERY

UPDATE ON THE LAST GASPS OF THE BROWNELL HOUSE –

(YES! I TRESPASSED AGAIN!)

JFK LIBRARY LITERAL BUMP-IN WITH CAROLINE KENNEDY SCHLOSBERG

FALL RIVER’S CORNY BLAH BLAH COLONY RAILROAD EXHIBIT

“ALONE” PAINTING FOUND AT ANTIQUE MALL

WHY FALL RIVER’S MOTTO: “WE TRY” SHOULD BE:

“WE TRY BUT JUST NEVER GET IT RIGHT”

AND SOME GREAT NEW STAFF & TOUR GUIDES/HOUSE MANAGERS AT THE B&B.

But it’ll have to wait until I get home next weekend.

“The True Story of Lizzie Borden” – or Maybe Not

EXPANDED UPDATE – SEE BELOW

UPDATE: According to this USA Today’s AP report, Mr. Pickel is planning to open up his alleged “True Story” of Lizzie Borden this weekend. CLICK HERE

Mr. Pickel continues to be under the erroneous assumption that most people don’t know what state, let alone what city, in which the Borden case took place. To that I say: “Mr. Pickel – just ask the Fall River Historical Society how many decades people have flocked there ONLY to see the Borden case exhibits. Inquire at Oak Grove cemetery how many people traversed their grounds solely to find Lizzie Borden’s grave until they finally painted footprints on the pavement guiding folks to the Andrew J. Borden family plot. Ask Robert Dube and the Silvia’s how many people have come on to their property or stopped to photograph “Maplecroft” for the past 40 years.

Most importantly, people have been flocking to 92 Second Street since Day One. Indeed, within days of the murders wagon and carriage drivers would transport disembarking passengers from steamers of the Fall River Line coming from New York and Boston requesting to be taken to the “Lizzie Borden house.” This was reported in the local papers shortly after the crime and continued when Lizzie moved to French Street. Visitors to Fall River for the past 116 years have continued to drive by 92 Second Street just to get a gander of the famous structure.

For 116 years local, regional and national papers have continued to write articles about the case. Dozens of books have been published, several documentaries have been made on “Fall River’s” Lizzie Borden. The #1 best selling book on the case, Victoria Lincoln’s A Private Disgrace, has had over a dozen printings and is still in print. Royalties continue to be paid out to her daughters, Priscilla Williams and Louise Lowe Kittredge. This book, written by native of Fall River who emphasized “Fall River’s” close-knit families, left no doubt in the reader’s minds WHERE this crime took place. People who have read only one book on the case, most always have read this one.

And when 92 Second Street was opened up to the public for the first time as the Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast/Museum in 1996, it put Fall River on the map as a tourist destination for all those interested in unsolved murders and the Lizzie Borden case.

The Lizzie Borden case is as iconic to Fall River as the JFK assassination is to Dallas.

If you can’t even quote the truth about the general public’s awareness of where these crimes took place, what confidence can one have in your ability to present the “true story” of Lizzie Borden at your Salem “exhibit”?

Get a clue, Lenny. Get a grip on the “true” story.

UPDATE:

Looks as if Pickel is already hawking his wares OUTSIDE the facility on a display table with some schlock emphera. This may be an indicator to the “quality” of his exhibit. Also, his statement regarding the exclusion of the Bence testimony on Lizzie’s attempt to buy poison is incorrect. It was excluded because it was deemed to be “too remote in time”, not because no poison was found in the bodies. This news footage uses an old image of the B&B at 92 Second Street, Fall River but includes the newly found photo from Emma’s cabinet photo album of Lizzie as a young girl.

CLICK LINK BELOW

FOX25 TV NEWS CLIP

“The True Story of Lizzie Borden” is what Leonard Pickel proposes to reveal to $10 ticket holders ($8 if you use his online $2 discount coupon) at his EXHIBIT, EXHIBIT, EXHIBIT (get it?) in Salem, MA. The “True” story??? Just how does he know what is true?

First and foremost: Lizzie Borden was acquitted on June 20, 1893 in that sensational Trial held at the New Bedford Superior Court. No one else was ever brought to Trial. The Who, How and Why continues to be a major mystery in this most compelling unsolved classic crime. Indeed, from books, blogs and bumper stickers we repeatedly see the phrase: “Lizzie Borden – Did she or didn’t she?” It is absolutely presumptuous of anyone to state – be it in a book, blog, bumper sticker, lecture, Youtube video, or anything else – that they can reveal or know the “true” story. Nobody does.

2005 photo of Leonard Pickel from his Haunted Times magazine website

The person with the most means, motive and opportunity certainly was Lizzie, but it was never conclusively proven and no one knows for certain if she did it. The good money says of course she did, but no one can prove or show that is true.

So I have to wonder just what TRUTH to the Lizzie Borden story Mr. Pickel will impart to his visitors? Is the “true” story going to reveal that Lizzie alone committed the murders? Even the Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast Museum and the Fall River Historical Society do not and never have been so presumptuous as to state whether or not Lizzie did it. Nor have they ever claimed to know the truth about Lizzie. Too many questions remain. Far too many.

Lee-ann Wilber, General Manager & co-owner of Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast Museum

Since the opening of the B&B in 1996, the tour scripts have been written for the tour guides to give facts of the case without asserting that Lizzie or anyone else in particular did the deed. They do not purport that Lizzie did it or didn’t do it, or that Uncle John or Bridget or William Borden committed the murders, or that Lizzie had a boyfriend named David Anthony who did it, or that her sister Emma did it, or that even Phoebe Bowen did it. Nor do they state that it is true that Lizzie was a lesbian, actually strangled or cut off the head of Abby’s cat, or that she was actually a shoplifter. None of this is known to be the truth.

But Leonard Pickel, by virtue of the name of his proposed EXHIBIT and from what he’s stated in newspapers, has the audacity to assert he will exhibit The True Story of Lizzie Borden. What yellow brick road is *he* on? The true story of Lizzie Borden will never be known. Whatever it was, Lizzie took it to her grave. Maybe Mr. Pickel has visited “the other side” and knows something we don’t.

Mr. Pickel is also repeatedly quoted in interviews that Fall River has never “embraced” Lizzie nor had the support of the city. Not true. There was a Lizzie Borden symposium in 1986 of which the city and community organizations supported. But it wasn’t until the highly successful 4-day 1992 Lizzie Borden Centennial that Fall River realized money could be made and that Lizzie was a source of new revenue for tourism dollars that they fully embraced her. She’s in both Chamber and City promotional brochures, city department websites, and the “LIZZIE BORDEN MUSEUM” is a prominently displayed huge BLUE I-95 highway sign on the approach to the Braga Bridge just entering Fall River.

Here’s the August 9th Boston Herald’s report of the current litigation wherein Pickel demonstrates his lack of knowledge regarding the relationship between the City of Fall River and Lizzie Borden.

In my opinion, Mr. Pickel not only does not have his thumb on the pulse of what Lizzie means to Fall River, he doesn’t have his hand on the hatchet to exhibit the True Story of Lizzie Borden.

Response to Leonard Pickel’s Open Letter re: Lizzie Borden Museum

The litigation I referred to a while back between Fall River’s Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast Museum

and the proposed True Story of Lizzie Borden Museum in Salem

can be read HERE as told by the Fall River Herald News.

I indicated I would comment on Mr. Pickel’s “open letter” below. My brief comments appear in color below:

“Leonard Pickel
http://www.lizziebordenmuseum.com | lizziebordenmuseum@gmail.com | 70.22.220.232

I find it interesting that a museum, which has not opened to the public as of yet, (we are working hard on that people, trust me!), has been dragged through the mud as much as The True Story of Lizzie Borden has.

“Home Haunter?” Do you even know what that means? I have built Attractions for Universal Studios, Madison Square Garden and 6 Flags Parks across the country. I have over 30 years in attraction design, own and edit the industry magazine, and own a convention. I am no hack!

Why don’t you at least wait for reviews of people who have been through the museum, or perhaps even tour the museum yourself, before casting disparaging criticism on the level of experience quality, amount of preparedness or fact checking. I think many people are wishful of a first class operation and anxious to see that is exactly what it turns out to be.

I contacted the FRHS many years ago about getting photos, and they assured me there would be no problem. Then when I was ready to purchase them, everything was different. They have been trying to put together a quorum to even have a meeting for 2 months now. We will be open before they decide if they are willing to assist us in developing the museum content. Sounds like you got the run-around. The FRHS is very proprietary about Lizzie. They are, of course, the repository of and safeguard to much of the physical evidence presented at the Trial. They have regularly scheduled Board of Director’s Meeting. Just how savvy are you, Mr. Pickel? hmmm?

I had all the most of the photos I needed already, what I was looking for was photos with the best resolution available. I just spent $15,000 enlarging photos for the museum, most of which have never been enlarged, or enhanced. Very exciting! You paid too much. Not very prudent for a business man. That’s a lot of $10 admission tickets just to cover costs of those enlargements. And you’re wrong about them never having been enlarged or enhanced. I have 3 feet x 5 feet enlargements in my collection which I’ve used for presentations going back to the mid 1980’s. But perhaps you have better resolution.

While a Lizzie Borden attraction has been in my thought since 1992, I did not have the funding and the right location at the same time until January of this year. I am a busy guy and was not willing to devote the time to fully develop this back burner project until it was real! By then time was short. If you’ve been successful with your Haunted House attractions at premiere venues, why didn’t you have the funding since 1992?

We are behind on opening because of building permit, construction, and contractor delays, and may not be able to open on Monday due to a Fire Alarm panel programming issue. But I am sure we will be open by the end of the week. Then I worry about the web site!! Your website is your branding. It is a primary marketing tool. A rush to open may sacrifice quality, and for visitors, initial impressions are lasting.

Will we be where we want to end up when we open? No. A museum as a constant work in process. We will be critiqued and fact checked by every person walking through the attraction, and we will make changes and corrections to the museum content as we go. Add better photos as they become available, and nuances as we or others thing of them. “Critiqued and fact checked.” You got that right.

We are in this for the long run! Taking our time now to get it right is what is important. “get it right’….I would certainly hope so. Advertising the “true story” puts the burden of TRUTH on you, Mr. Pickel.

As for the lawsuit rumor, there are some people who think they own Lizzie! And that no one is allowed to do anything with her without their permission, which they do not give anyone. Maplecroft tried to open a B&B at one time, and those plans were squashed by the self appointed owners of Lizzie. Too bad, I would have loved to spend the night at Maplecroft, wouldn’t you! “Maplecroft” DID open as a B&B, albeit for a short while. Nice research, Leonard.

So now they think they own the idea of a Lizzie Borden Museum, and no one can open one because they own it! They own Lizzie Borden!! I haven’t heard any person, organization or entity say they “own Lizzie Borden”. That’s YOUR phrasing. Clearly, the issue has been the word “museum”.

Sorry… I thought we were free in America, that pursuit of happiness thing, and monopolies were against the law. Monopolies? Monopolies? They ain’t got no stinkin’ monopolies.

The other thing that is against the law is slander! And when you announce a lawsuit in the newspaper, you had better stop wining and moaning and file the thing! All I have gotten so far are angry temper tantrum emails from some attorney, demanding that we take “Museum” off the logo and signage, demanding that we give them our URL, demanding that we take “Lizzie Borden” off of our logo and signage! Because they own Lizzie! Chill, dude your professionalism is showing.

So either file your lawsuit or shut the hell up! Someone didn’t shut up.

The sad part is that The True Story of Lizzie Borden is the best thing that ever happen to the B&B and the FRHS. There are 600,000 tourists that come to Salem each year. And most of them have no idea where Fall River is, or that Lizzie Borden lived there. Only an hour and a half south, we will drive more people to Fall River than the Fall River Tourism Board (if there even is such a thing), could ever dream of doing! Read my type Leonard, your exhibit is NOT the best thing that ever happened to the B&B and the FRHS. It hasn’t happened yet. The B&B has done very well for well over a decade. A first class exhibit in Salem would probably drive more tourists into Fall River, but not that much. People interested in the Borden case come to Fall River anyway. Why? Because its where the House is. Because it’s where the evidence artifacts are. Ask yourself why Willie Sutton kept robbing banks.

Our plan was to have an internet terminal, so people could find out the hours of the FRHS or rent a room at the B&B while in the museum. An internet terminal. How early 90’s. People have cell phones with internet access, text messaging. Again, good research, Leondard. Good out-of-the-box thinking.

But why would we do that if they are going to be ugly about the whole thing. If they don’t want the exposure, we can always tell people that, the Murder House is still a print shop, that the FRHS’s Borden exhibit is about the size of our men’s room, and that Fall River is in Rhode Island! Your charming professionalism is exceeded only by your creative wit, as displayed here.

-end

Note: I hope the trademark issue is resolved with no further litigation than the current Restraining Order and Temporary Injunction. I hope the Salem exhibit DOES open and I hope it is a first class operation as is the B&B and the FRHS. But “first class operation” means accurate information. And it has been very apparent to me that ever since Mr. Pickel had this idea (by his own admission back in 1992), he has done little to acquire or read source documents or become knowledgeable about the case and its principles. Something a curator would do. Something an historic B&B owner and manager would do. Something enthusiasts do. Like I said, I’m not holding my breath.

From Lizzie’s A-Twitter Be it Salem or Fall River!, 2008/08/03 at 7:17 AM”

116th Anniversary Weekend of Borden Murders

Tour Guide Kathleen describes discovery of the murders to visitors at the Borden house on July 31, 2008. (FRHN video)

How fortuitious that the fatal fourth of August falls on a Monday this year – 116 years later from the 1892 Borden murders that made Lizzie Borden an enduring fascination. This week day date allows for a long preceding weekend for the local media, particularly the Fall River Herald News, to do what it has continuously done from that very day (when it was known as the Fall River Globe), i.e., fill its paper with remembrances of the case and its iconic female enigma, Lizzie Borden. It is The Big Weekend for the Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast and the Fall River Historical Society.

Also, more vehicles will pass through the beautiful entrance of Oak Grove Cemetery and follow the arrows painted on the pavement leading to the Borden family plot than any other weekend of the year. And traffic on French Street, already congested with insufficient curbside parking, will be heavily traversed with the “lookie-loos” getting a gander where Lizzie lived the rest of her life – the once stately abode she named “Maplecroft”.  Lizzie died in the add-on bedroom over the veranda she had built as seen in this photo.

So it’s no surprise that the papers are full of Lizzie. It’s that time of year. Always has been, and (as long as the case remains one of the great murder mysteries) it always will be. The anniversary draws more tourists to Fall River and thats good business for the City and its tourist attractions. We can also look forward to the annual re-enactments and (don’t hold your breath) the opening of the Salem “Lizzie Borden Museum”. Come Tuesday, August 5, 2008, the local and regional papers will be still be full of Lizzie.

Yep, one long weekend. A virtual Lizzie bonanza for the media looking to increase viewership, radio listeners and on-site visitors! Free publicity all around. Especially for a town long suffering in its economic development that could use an infusion of revenue. No wonder they love her. Go, Fall River! Go!

On Monday, August 4th, I’ll post an updated Timelime of events the day before and the day of the murders.