Is the Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast Haunted?

The explosion of interest in the paranormal in today’s society has resulted in several “ghost hunting” investigative t.v. shows, cottage industry “entertainment mediums” who proliferate the ‘net with their blogs and websites, bona fide mediums and psychics whose best-sellers help launch their own talk shows, increase manufacture and sales of evp recording devices, increase demand for Ghost Hunter University applicants, and hundreds of bookings at the Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast. Why is this? Why now at this time, post 9-11 in this new millenium? What is it in our culture, our society, that draws people from all professions, and all religious and educational backgrounds? I don’t know, but I do know that it’s a phenomena which continues to grow as well as those who would capitalize from it. It’s the American way.

The Lizzie Borden house from the north looking south from the space the Churchill house used to occupy. The “side door” is on the lower left.

People like to visit and occupy the same space in a different time where notable historical or notorious solved or unsolved crimes took place. Thus, the Borden house is a magnet to those seeking that experience. They come in droves for the day time tours to hear the tale and see the spots and take pictures and relish in the “I was there” experience.

Lizzie Borden, as I’ve often said, is a one dimensional persona, encapsulated in a inaccurate quatrain forever doomed to be perpetually marketed as wielding a bloody axe upon the noggins of her stepmother and father one sticky-sweaty day in early August 1892. But she is so much more than that and the story of Lizzie Andrew Borden and Fall River are so much more than that. 92 Second Street draws scholars to the case – flocking as if to Mecca to soak up the richness of the environment, impervious to the tales of the premises being haunted. They register disdain about ghostly apparitions and things that go bump in the night. “Bah! Humbug!” they say and they say it with every confidence that they shall enjoy another quiet, undisturbed slumber through the night. And they do. Repeatedly. Every visit. No paranormal activity whatsoever. For years.

So then, if we look for it will it be there? Or is it there to be felt, seen and heard by some but not by others? Well, I can tell you my experiences as one who was first inside 92 Second Street in 1977 and spoke with then owner, John McGinn, nothing was said about any paranormal activity. And I’ve stayed overnight at the B&B since 1998, often having the entire house all to myself – no one – no one but me inside. In all those years, in all those stays, I’ve only had 3 experiences, and one doesn’t really count. I’ll tell you briefly about them:

#1. November 3, 1999 – Martha McGinn gave me a key to come and go as I was the only guest and would be the only one inside the house that night. I went down to the cellar with a few clothes to wash and suddenly I saw it! Holy Pshaw!! ANDREW BORDEN LAID OUT IN HIS COFFIN AT THE FOOT OF THE STAIRS!!! My heart leaped. For a nano second. It was only Martha’s prop from her Halloween party a few nights previous. But damn, did that look real.

#2. August 4, 2006. The B&B was filled with paranormal investigators, psychics, mediums, ghost-writing authors, etc., all talking about this new entity in the house. I listened with the ear and mind of a skeptic. “If you want it, it will come.” Exhausted from the day and night’s activities, I went to lay on a cot down in the cellar, away from it all. Everyone was upstairs. I was alone. I lay on my side and in a few moments felt 3 fingers slide down my back. Distinctively 3 fingers. Medium Liz Nowicki – Boston Herald photo

Not a spider, not cobwebs, but fingers. I leaped up and yelled: “Who’s there?”. For the first time EVER, I was scared and I bolted upstairs and outside to smoke a cigarette with a shaking hand. Relating what I had just experienced, I was told that it was a new, hostile entity that came thru a portal from all the seances conducted in the house. Oh fine, thought I….after all these years now I gotta think twice about this house being active. Me. Senior Skeptic #1. (For more about this experience click this link to the podcast.  It was like I was paranormically divirginized. I could never view or feel the same about 92 Second Street again. I was deflowered. And I didn’t like  it.

#3. September 29, 2007. Ghost Hunter’s University booked the whole house. In addition, a number of psychics and mediums were in attendance. Donald Woods and I sat in on a seance conducted by local medium “Liz”. Liz is a very sweet and attractive lady who can “read” people and sense “things”. She regularly conducts seances for guests who want them at the B&B. Never having sat in on any seance and quite frankly believed them to be faked, I thought I would check this out.  Read about her HERE.

About 16-20 people in the room – 6 seated at a round table. Liz’s back was to the sealed up fireplace. My back was towards the parlor door. I had a clear unobstructed view of all at the table. Without detailing all the questions asked by Liz and the other guests, I’ll just state what happened. The table moved. The table not only moved, it lifted from the carpet, it turned several times 360 degrees, it tilted about 80 degrees, it rocked and rolled. Trickery? Knee-cap momentum? Finger grips? Wires? Well, I’ll tell you this. I bent down several times and looked underneath the table. I walked right up *to* the table and crouched down and observed everyone’s legs, feet, knees, arms and hands. I did this several times. I moved in closer and eye-balled all hands and fingers watching for pressure, grips, slides, whatever. That table moved even when everybody’s hands were completely off the table and their feet were flat on the floor and no body parts came in contact with the table! Conclusion: THE LIZZIE BORDEN HOUSE IS ACTIVE. Does that mean it’s haunted? Well, for some, things do go Boo! and Bump in the night, but no one’s ever been hurt or morphed into some axe-wielding creature creating bloody bedlam.

Lee-ann Wilber, co-owner, swears there are children in the Knowlton Room on the third floor. She kindly leaves them toys in the trunk. But I highly doubt they are the legendary drowned children of Andrew’s uncle, Ladowick Borden and his deranged wife because those kids were one and two years old and would not have the dexterity to play with the marbles so often heard. But there’s something. There’s definitely something. And prior to two months ago I would have still been saying “Bah! Humbug!”

So as we approach another Halloween – an almost sacred night for those entrenched in the occult, and for those psychics, mediums, and ghost-chasers whose antennae are at peak performance every October 31st, let all who read here that I, Faye Musselman, being of sound and skeptic mind, do hereby testify that 92 Second Street is “active” with unknown spirits and paranormal activity.

But is it haunted per se? That doorway to my mind is yet to be opened.

Lizzie Borden YouTube Photo Rip-Off

Here’s a Lizzie Borden YouTube video (among a couple hundred of them) that was posted less than a year ago.  Seems the person just snatched a bunch of photos off the web and put them to music.  The interesting thing is, while most are in the public domain, several of the images are mine.

Having neither the time nor inclination, I’ll not bellow “Copyright Infringement!”  I’ll leave that to others who may also recognize their own photos here.

Lizzie Borden’s Will and Who Got the Cars

Lizzie Borden died on June 1, 1927.  Her highly publicized Will was probated for six years.  We learn much from those probate proceedings.  For example, Undertaker Winward charged $696.70 for her funeral arrangements.  We learn that Lizzie’s two cars, which were not listed among her bequests, were subsequently given away to her chauffeur, Ernest A. Terry,  and business manager, Charles C. Cook as assigned assets disposed of in the 4th and Final Probate Accounting.

Conformed Copy of the original of Lizzie Borden’s Last Will and Testament.

(Right click images for better viewing)

There were 4 Probate Hearings as follows:

Proceeding	Inclusive Dates	Held
1st Accounting	June 24, 1927 - May 1, 1929	October 2, 1931 (Fall River)
2nd Accounting	May 2, 1929 - Jan. 1, 1932	February 17, 1933 (Taunton)
3rd (Substituted) Accounting	Jan.1, 1932 - Nov. 28, 1932	February 17, 1933 (Taunton)
4th Final Accounting	Nov. 28, 1932 - March 3, 1933	March 24, 1933 (Attleboro)

Conformed Copy of the original probate documents as filed with the probate court in Fall River.

As executor of Lizzie’s Will, Charles C. Cook had listed his services at $10,000.  That was reduced to $5,000.  There was also the initially unreported sale of the Henry house (for $10,000 on April 14, 1928) adjacent to Lizzie’s that was contested by the primary “human” heirs, Grace Hartley Howe and Helen Leighton.   As if the money and the “so called Baker lot” were not enough, Mr. Cook ended up with the car below.   He had served Andrew Borden in his business interests and then Lizzie and her sister for the past 35 years.   He had earned Lizzie’s respect and gratitude for his loyalty and discretions.  Perhaps, like Lizzie, Charles had his own sense of entitlement.

The vehicles pictured below are for illustrative purposes and not the actual cars.

1923 Lincoln Sedan went to Charles C. Cook.

Charles C. Cook was born March 28, 1854, and died on  September 28, 1934, only 18 months after the final probating of Lizzie’s Will.

1924 Buick Sedan went to Ernest A. Terry

Ernest A. Terry was born January 26, 1886,  and died October 11, 1955.

Both these cars would have been garaged in the special structure Lizzie had built for her first automobile in 1913.  It still stands on French Street but is used for storage.  Robert Dube, owner of “Maplecroft” tells me that when originally constructed there was only the center doors.  The doors on both ends were added years later.  Dube showed me the original drawings.

Rear of Maplecroft showing the area behind the Swift residence to the right.  This shows the pathway on which Lizzie wanted to have a driveway built to her garage with it facing towards Belmont Street.  Due to restrictions set forth in the sale at the time, she was not able to build where she wanted.

Besides Ernest and Charles and the cars – both Grace and Helen gained from the “residuals” of the estate.  In addition to the furniture, carpets, books, jewelry, silver, glassware, etc., they were given cash payouts earned from interest on properties and stock dividends earned since Lizzie’s death to the final accounting – a period of 6 years. Grace was in Fall River on March 3, 1933 to sign (along with Helen Leighton)  the Fourth and Final Accounting of the Probate of Lizzie’s Will, wherein they both received $6,000.  That was a chunk of change to receive in the middle of the Depression.

The very next day Grace Hartley Howe, cousin to Lizzie Borden and wife of the private secretary and chief political strategist to Franklin Delano Roosevelt,  was in Washington, D.C. for the inauguaration of the President of the United States of America.  She and Hartley took the train.

Why she and Helen chose not to keep these cars is a puzzlement to me.

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.

Ownership of the House Next Door to “Maplecroft”

UPDATE:  Not only do I get emails like this one from “JC” (also scroll down to see “Recent Comments” on the right side of this page) but there were several negative comments on the FRHN online site about Ms. Koorey.  People posted that she was not liked, had caused some grief to friends of people in Fall River, and was all about “look at me! Look at me!” in her unabashed self promotion.  I’ve found out Ms. Koorey demanded the FRHN remove those comments.  Clearly she’s frantic to protect a reputation that is already tarnished.  Here’s “JC’s” comment with the IP address partially deleted by me:

—–Original Message—–
From: JC [mailto:donotreply@wordpress.com]
Sent: Saturday, June 20, 2009 1:12 PM
To: phaye@npgcable.com
Subject: [Tattered Fabric: Fall River's Lizzie Borden] Comment: “Ownership of the House Next Door to “Maplecroft”"

New comment on your post #2512 “Ownership of the House Next Door to “Maplecroft”"

Author : JC (IP: 71.2211.clsp.qwest.net)

E-mail :

URL    :

Whois  : http://ws.arin.net/cgi-bin/whois.pl?queryinput=71.22

Comment:

“What a great listing for researching Fall River online.  Thanks for the links.

btw, sk is not received well here in FR.”

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Stefani Koorey posted on her blog, “Mondo Lizzie”, about a grass roots project which attempts to put people in touch with the history of the houses they live or lived in to foster pride in their community.  Below is the video posted in the Fall River Herald News of 6/18/09.

A separate article explains the project further and provides the link to the project home page and it can be read HERE.

It confused me when Stefani referred to “my house”, implying ownership of  328 French Street  – the house next door to “Maplecroft” (where Lizzie Borden resided for the entire second half of her life).  Stefani has incorporated this property with its ownership history into the project as  if it were her own house.

At the project home page given in the second article, a nifty comprehensive listing is provided of public access sites for researching data on properties, such as deeds, mortgages, grantor/grantee, etc.  I used many of these over the years and thanks to the digital age, over the past several years access can be done “remotely”.  Using these public records sites for property research is easy.

For example, if you don’t know who the owner of a property is you can find out through the public access records of  PATRIOT PROPERTIES which is very easy to use.  This fairly new public records online site gives information on sale price, assessed value, deeds, mortgages, any liens, etc., etc.  Pretty cool, huh? Just type in the Fall River Street name and scroll down to the property address and click to get the information.    By typing in the street name of  “French” and scrolling down to the address of 328, you get the name of the owner -  and it isn’t Ms. Koorey.

Bristol County Registry of Deeds on Rock Street

The  BRISTOL REGISTRY OF DEEDS online public access is fairly new, i.e., the past year. By typing in the name of the person or business who owns the property and clicking Search, you get information on Deeds and Mortgages, date of sale, etc.   (I used to have to wait until my visits to Fall River and spend hours inside the Registry of Deeds on Rock Street to get this type of data).

If you’ve already tried these two resource sites you’ll see how easy it was to verify true ownership of 328 French Street.  One has to wonder why a person would convey a false impression as to their status as a property owner, especially when that person makes it known they quit their tenured teaching job as a junior college theater history professor to move to Fall River primarily to live next door to “Maplecroft” and chase the Lizzie Borden legend.   Sadly, when Ms. Koorey was on WSAR Radio this week helping to promote the Lizzie Borden Live! play, she asked the radio host, Mike Herren, to mention on air that she was still looking for a job.  He did and I was quite embarrassed for her.  I wondered if she chose to give an impression of being a Fall River property owner to lend more credibility to her project which is targeted for Fall River property owners?  Perhaps that impression was better than merely stating she was a transplanted Floridian to Fall River of just one year.

Meanwhile, and more importantly, for those wanting to do further research, here are the public records resources:

• Deeds and Abstracts list land owners. These are found at the Bristol County Registry of Deeds, 441 North Main Street.
• Maps and Atlases show the city from the past. These can be found at three locations: The Fall River Public Library in the Fall River Room, the Bristol County Registry of Deeds, and the Fall River Historical Society.
• City Directories tell us who lived at what address and what their occupation was. City Directories can be found in Microfilm at the Fall River Public Library, in an incomplete set at the Bristol County Registry of Deeds, and at the Fall River Historical Society.
• Published histories about the City of Fall River are available at the Fall River Public Library, and online at the Keeley Library.
• Old copies of the Fall River Daily Globe [1889-1929], the Evening Herald [1905-1928], the Daily Evening News [1868-1926], and the Fall River Herald News [1929-present] can be found on Microfilm at the Fall River Public Library. There are also reels of microfilm with other early Fall River newspapers, a few dating from before the Civil War. Recent issues of the Herald News are available in print. Old newspapers can be a valuable source of information as well as providing a portrait of daily life in different time periods; unfortunately, they are not indexed and often lack a table of contents, so researchers should be prepared to spend some time, especially with 19th century materials. Also note that newspaper obituaries were not standard until around the 1920s; ancestors who died in the 19th or early 20th century may not have had a printed obituary.
• US Census Records are on Microfiche at the Fall River Public Library, and online through AncestryPlus.com (use this source for free with a Fall River Public Library card) at the Fall River Public Library. Census Records are available for the years 1850, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930.
• Water Permits indicate when water mains and/or meters were installed, which can then be used to verify the date of construction of a building. You can find this information by calling the Fall River Water Department at 508-324-2720.
• Survey of Historic Properties are forms that were completed when the city was applying for historic status from the Massachusetts Historical Commission. These pages contain valuable data and information regarding properties all over the city of Fall River. You can find this information at the Fall River Historical Society.
• The Obituary Index can be used to research people and relatives who lived in your house. The index is online at the Fall River Public Library.
• The Fall River Collection at the Fall River Public Library has materials relating to the people and history of Fall River. The collection includes vintage postcards, maps, vital records, city documents, church records, family histories and books. Here you will find information on immigrant groups, businesses, mills, the Fall River Line, schools, churches, historic buildings and the history of Fall River.
• Other sources at the Fall River Public Library include: Vital Records – Various city demographic records, such as births, marriage intentions and deaths, are available in microfiche for the years 1803-1889. These are not indexed and are arranged by date, not name, so searching can be a challenge. Draft Registration Cards – World War I draft registration cards are available on microfiche. Local Histories and Genealogies – Many books of Fall River, Massachusetts and New England history are available in the Fall River Room. There are also genealogical and biographical works, including some individual family histories. 
Church Records – A limited number of church records have been transcribed and are available in the Fall River Room.
• Fall River Property Assessment Data is now online at Patriot Properties.
• Local Fall River History Slides are online.
• Durfee High School Yearbooks are online for selected years.

Gay’s Studio Photo of Christian Endeavor Society Ladies (?)

Gay’s Studio at 257 N. Main

The purported image of Lizzie Borden below is NOT Lizzie.  Whether or not this group of ladies were members of the Central Congregational Church Christian Endeavor Society, as the owner of the original photograph believes (he was half owner of the Carr-Osborne house), is a matter of conjecture.   As a matter of fact, the legitimacy of this being Lizzie Borden was debated, investigated and brought to a rightful conclusion years ago  in the now OOP Lizzie Borden Quarterly.

“Here is a photo take in the late 19th century. A group of young women who pose for a studio portrait. Perhaps a church group. A few years ago this platinum print was described as possibly the Christian Endeavor Society of the Central Congregational Church of Fall River, Mass. The thought was that this image include Lizzie Borden.

We still have never been able to confirm that notation. Various scholars of note have debated the subject of this photo. The pencil notation “Gay” was the leading photography studio of Fall River and the style and pencil signature is consistent with the era of this mounting. This image was found in storage in a Fall River home and purchased around 1984-85.

We did receive a signed letter from a noted authority on Lizzie Borden in which they stated: “I have little doubt that the figure at the lower right, middle row is Lizzie Borden.” “It was her official duty as treasurer of that society (Christian Endeavor Society of the Central Congregational Church) that kept her from going to Marion with friends on the fatal day of August 4, 1892.” “At the time of the murders, and later at the trial, there was never any reference made to a Lizze look-alike.” A number of years ago The Fall River Historical Society had a different opinion and declined to authenticate the image. Inquiries?”

By clicking HERE you will find the source for the above. Scroll down on the first page to “Emphemera” and click that and scroll down to more info on this photo.

Lizzie Borden and the Fall River Animal Rescue League

It’s been a week of Portuguese Water Pirates.  No wait.  That’s wrong.  In any event, in honor of Bo Obama, here’s a recycled post tribute of Lizzie Borden and the Animal Rescue League of Fall River.

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Lizzie Borden not only left a huge amount of money to the Animal Rescue League of Fall River when she died on June 1, 1927, but she was also one of its initial financial contributors when it was created in 1914.  Her friend, nurse Helen Leighton and Helen’s friend, school teacher Gertrude Baker were there at the beginning and became founding members of the League.

Helen Leighton

Gertrude Baker

Below is the founding document establishing the League as a corporation by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.  (Right click images for larger view).

Reading over the Annual Reports from my collection, its interesting to contrast how the League began.  Here’s a sample Report and a history document recapping its early beginnings.

Click on the link below for a scanned image of the April 15, 1926 “12th Annual Report of the Secretary” of the Animal Rescue League of Fall River who, at that time, was Annie E. Allen.

12th Annual Report-1926

Little did the Board of Directors know that less than 14 months later they would be the recipients of large bequests from the Wills of Lizzie ($30,000) and Emma ($20,000) Borden.  Subsequent “Annual Reports” reveal these monies were invested so well that income is still derived from this fund.

The “History” tells us that early fundraising after its incorporation was done in private homes – perhaps even Lizzie’s?  And that they even dressed up as playing cards and had various games.  I like to think Lizzie participated and had some fun.  Stuffy Emma would probably have deferred even if she had still be living at “Maplecroft”.   It was the League who took care of the burial of Lizzie’s dogs according to later Reports filed.

history-1

history-2

Today, the Faxon Animal Rescue League, (formerly the Animal Rescue League of Fall River) located at 474 Durfee Street, pays tribute to the Borden sisters by keeping their photographs on the wall in their lobby.  You can see their pictures in the upper right corner of that photograph as is shown here.

The Month of April – Lizzie Borden

So here’s a partial and selective extraction from my continuous work-in-progress Historic Timeline of Fall River and Lizzie Borden.

April 18, 1774	Paul Revere and William Dawes warn “The British are coming.”
April 19, 1775	Minutemen of Lexington and Concord battle British regulars and start the American Revolution.
April 01, 1778	Oliver Pollock invents the dollar sign, i.e. “$”.
April 30, 1789	George Washington becomes the first U.S. President.
April 4, 1803	First town meeting held at home of Louisa Borden.
April 30, 1803	US more than doubles its size thru the Louisiana Purchase.
April 1, 1844	Abraham Borden invests money for his son Andrew & William Almy to start furniture business. (Andrew is 22 years old).
April 24, 1844	Andrew, Abraham & William Almy purchase lot on Anawan St. for $1500.
April 20, 1854	William S. Borden, son of Deacon Charles L. Borden, is born (Arnold Brown’s “illegitimate son of AJB”)
April 22, 1854	City Charter adopted for Fall River, establishing 6 Wards.
April 22, 1854	James Buffington elected first Mayor of Fall River. Southard Miller elected Alderman of City of Fall River.
April 17, 1859	Philip Harrington, later to be Captain of Fall River Police, is born.
April 3, 1860	Pony Express service begins in St. Joseph. Mo.
April 9, 1865	General Lee surrenders to General Grant, ending Civil War
April 10, 1865	Nathaniel B. Borden dies; former Mayor, Senator, mill owner and bank president. (Married 4 times).
April 14, 1865	Abraham Lincoln assassinated at Ford Theater. (Lizzie is almost 5 yrs old.)
April 26, 1865	American Civil War: Gen. Joseph E. Johnston surrenders to Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman at Durham, NC
April 26, 1872	Andrew buys 92 Second St. house from Charles C. Trafton for $10,000. (Lizzie is almost 12 years old).
April 19, 1873	Bessie Borden born. Daughter of Jerome C. Borden.
April 25, 1873	Emanuel Taylor, mill worker, has his arm cut off on machinery. Dr. Seabury Bowen summoned and performs surgery.
April 24, 1884	At 6 PM fire started amongst cotton in the basement of Sagamore Mill No.1
April 14, 1890	John Morse goes to Warren, RI to visit his Uncle Charles Morse for a year and a half. (LR75-76)
April, 1892	Borden barn is broken into while Andrew and Abby are at Swansea farmhouse.
April, 1892	Lizzie tells dressmaker Hannah Gifford that Abby is a “mean, old thing”.
April 3, 1893	Emma & Lizzie sell 74 acres of land to Leander E. Gardner. (LR556)
April 10, 1893	Judge Blaisdell resigns as Judge of the Second District Court.
April 24, 1893	District Attorney Knowlton writes Attorney General Pillsbury that he’d like to “get rid” of the Trial of the case.
April 16, 1894	New Bedford Bar Association formed. Hosea Knowlton is founding member.
April 17, 1897	UFO crashes in Auroa, Texas, dead “alien” found and buried. (Dallas Morning News p5)
April 19, 1897	First running of the Boston Marathon.
April, 1899	Rev. Buck tenders his resignation to Central Cong. Church after 32 yrs of service (HistoryCCC194)
April 17, 1901	William S. Borden is found dead hung from a tree in Fall River with empty bottle of Carbolic Acid by his side..
April 1, 1902	Lizzie purchases east side of Belmont from Mary Swift. (LR559)
April 3, 1905	Nance O’Neil begins 3-week engagement at Tremont Theatre in Boston; leaves for Australian tour one month later.
April 18, 1906	San Francisco earthquake and fire kills 452.
April 22, 1909	John Morse travels from Iowa to Boston.
April 15, 1912	White Star liner Titanic sinks on her maiden voyage after hitting an iceberg; 1,500 die.
April 6, 1913	Boston Sunday Herald special edition: “Lizzie Borden 20 Years After the Tragedy” by Gertrude Stevenson.
April 13, 1913	Boston Sunday Post publishes interview with Emma Borden by reporter Edwin Joseph McGuire.
April 29, 1913	The all purpose zipper is patented.
April 6, 1917	Woodrow Wilson signs Declaration of War against Germany, allowing U.S. to engage in World War I.
April 15, 1919	Strike by Boston operators disrupts telephone service throughout New England.
April 9, 1920	Melvin O. Adams dies at the of 70 in Boston, Mass.
April 15, 1920	Bandits kill guard, shoot paymaster at shoe factory in Braintree, MA (Sacco & Vanzetti case).
April 14, 1924	Lizzie forms a partnership with Jacob Dondis in her half share of the AJ Borden Bldg on So. Main and Anawan.    (LR56)
April 29, 1924	Hannah B. Reagan, former police matron, dies at the age of 73 in Fall River.
April 8, 1927	Two way test of “Television” with AT&T President Gifford & Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover.
April 13, 1933	Emma’s estate sells Maplecroft. (LR561)
April 27, 1933	The play: Nine Pine Street opens on Broadway at Longacre Theatre starring Lillian Gish as Lizzie Borden.
April 18, 1936	Louis McHenry Howe dies at Bethesda Naval Hospital;  Eleanor Roosevelt contacts Grace Howe (Lizzie’s cousin and major legatee) in Fall River and notifies her of her husband’s death. Louis lies in state in the East Room of the White House.
April 19, 1936	Grace and son Hartley travel from Fall River to Washington, DC.
April 22, 1936	President Franklin D. Roosevelt attends Louis McHenry Howe’s burial funeral in Fall River at Oak Grove Cemetery.
April 10, 1944	Orrin Augustas Gardner, cousin and major legatee in Emma’s Will, dies in Deighton, MA.
April 13, 1945	Franklin D. Roosevelt dies. Harry Truman sworn in as President.
April 22, 1948	Premier of Agnes DeMille’s Fall River Legend ballet in NYC.
April, 1952	Edward R. Snow’s radio broadcast stating a boy found undisturbed dust in barn loft on August 4, 1892.
April 10, 1982	Edward Rowe Snow dies at the age of 80.
April 6, 1997	Memorial for Hartley Howe at Fall River Marine Museum where he had been a Trustee.
April, 2003	Robert Dube’ files application with FR Planning Board to build single home on driveway of 306 French; some neighbors protest; Dube’ later rescinds application.
April 8, 2003	The Herald News reports Robert Dube’, owner of 306 French St. (“Maplecroft”) is listing home for sale at $725,000.
April 27, 2005	Demolition begins of Leary Press adjacent to 92 Second St.
April, 2008	Third printing of David Rehak’s Did Lizzie Borden Axe for It? Is published. Contains newly found Lizzie letter.

Fall River Police Dept

Fall River, MA., like so many other cities across the nation struggling to provide necessary services in the face of ominous budgetary shortfalls, is laying off 149 employees.  Even worse, 98 of those are policemen and firemen.  Now when a city lays off  “first responders” you know it’s in trouble.

With its unemployment already nearly 14% (and we all know with high unemployment comes an increase in crime) Fall River is reverting back to its 1976 levels of uniformed police coverage.  Even Lizzie Borden would not be pleased.

From the Fall River Police Department website here is their Uniform Police Compliment of 1976.

In 1976,  they had 12 men in patrol cars, 10 on walking beats and 1 K-9 unit.   The Fall River Herald News reported there would be only 10 patrol cars, no walking beats, and special police services cut or eliminated altogether.  This is not good news, and my heart goes out to those men and women losing their jobs.  An unpopular mayor is looking at restructuring departments,  and outside challenges to look closer at salvaging some of these jobs is still being raised.

Having worked for the Long Beach (Ca.) Police Department for 11 years in a non-sworn capacity (Vice, Narcotics and the  Deputy Chief’s office) and having a father who’s a retired Watch 3 Captain (night Chief) and several cousins who are police officers and sheriff’s, I know about the “culture of cops”, aka “the brotherhood.”   Unless you are a law enforcement officer or someone in your immediate family is one, it’s very difficult for the average citizen to truly realize and appreciate the job they do.

Old Station on Bedford Street

I’ve met several Fall River police officers over the years, beginning in 1977 at the old station on Bedford Street. Police Chief Henry Ramos led the Department during the turbulent times of the mid and late 1970’s and was, in fact, the incumbant Chief  when I was first there.    I remember going inside  the old Station, cramped and dingy as it was,  and inquired if they had any police records on the Lizzie Borden case.  And yes, I got the eye-rolling look but the officer at the counter near the front door was courteous and chatted up the case with me for some time before directing me to the public library.

During Lizzie Borden’s Day, the image below was the Central Police Department from officers were dispatched to 92 Second Street.  After investigations, trial and her acquittal, those officers progressed within the department, several becoming Police Chiefs, and Lizzie outlived most of them.  But can you imagine the conversations these men had over the decades talking about that incredible case in which they all took part.   Would love to see some of *their* private correspondence!

Central Police Station

City Marshal Rufus B Hillard (1886-1909) Arresting officer of record Lizzie Borden

	Born in Maine on May 5th, 1849 Appointed May 15th 1879, went on duty May 21st 1879 Appointed Day Patrolman March 1880 Appointed Sergeant in February 1882 Appointed Asst. City Marshal March 2nd 1883 Appointed City Marshal March 29th 1886 Retired on a pension of $950 year June 15th 1909, to be paid weekly. Died Monday morning December 30th 1912
	City Marshal John Fleet (1909-1915)
	Born in England on March 29th 1848 Appointed February 27th 1877, went on duty March 5th 1877 Appointed Day Patrolman on March 1st 1879 Appointed Sergeant on Feb 1st 1881 Appointed Captain on March 1st 1882 Appointed Asst. City Marshal December 22nd 1886 Appointed City Marshal November 8th 1909 Retired on pension of one-half pay in effect May 31st 1915 Died at his home at 12:30 PM May 10th 1916 NOTE: This is the transition period from City Marshal to Chief of Police.
	Chief William N Medley (1915-1917)
	Born in England on January 6th 1853 Appointed Steward February 2nd 1880, went on duty February 18th 1880 Appointed Patrolman on March 1st 1882 Transferred to Day Patrolman on April 1st 1886 Appointed Inspector with the rank of Lieutenant on February 10th 1893 Transferred to Night-Lieutenant at the 3rd Division as Inspector Appointed Assistant City Marshal on January 21st 1910 Promoted to the rank of Chief of Police on September 27th 1915 Killed in an automobile accident at intersection of Linden and Locust Sts on September 15th1917
	Chief Martin Feeney (1917-1931)
	Born in England on January 1st 1886 Appointed Patrolman on December 30th 1885, went on duty January 1st 1886 Appointed to the permanent force on July 12th 1886 Promoted to Inspector with the rank of Lieutenant on February 10th 1893 Promoted to Chief Inspector with the rank of Captain Reduced to rank of Lieutenant when rank of Chief Inspector was abolished on May 18th 1895 Transferred to the 1st Division as Day Lieutenant on February 18th 1903 Promoted to the rank of Captain to command the 3rd Division on November 2nd 1903 Transferred to command the 1st Division days on February 24th 1905 Transferred to command the 4th Division on November 5th 1909 Transferred to command the 1st Division on December 12th 1914 Promoted to the rank of Deputy Chief of Police on November 5th 1915 Promoted to the rank of Chief of Police on November 5th 1917 Retired on February 9th 1931 on half pay

Other officers involved in the case:
Captain Patrick H. Doherty (1896)

Captain Desmond

Captain Francis L. Edson

Random Shots of Fall River

Here’s some shots I just picked at random from my different digital albums of Lizzie Borden’s home town – Fall River. Also some of nearby locales. Enjoy.

Mary Borden Hartley rests near her father, Cook Borden – the mother and grandfather of Grace Hartley Howe.

The beautiful church seats at The Narrows, 45 Anawan Street.

Staircase at The Narrows – imagine the millions of steps up and down by the factory workers, holding the railing, descending after a 14 hour day.

Central Congregational Church

Academy Building Courtyard fronting on Second Street

Sitting Room closet shows bounded Trial transcript. and my “Journey to Maplecroft” game on second shelf.

Rear view of the “Kelley house”, directly south of 92 Second.

The “Henry House”

Kennedy Park

Main Library, post renovation.

Sitting at the bench, New Bedford Superior Court

Oldest house in Fall River

One of the few remaining “grand” carriage houses

Lafayette-Durfee House

From the corner of the grand old carriage house looking at the former Sarah Brayton house.

Seashells at the sea shore.

Center courtyard off the kitchen at Central Congregational

You can’t stand here and get this shot anymore.

Refrigerator at Lizzie Borden B&B.

Home for the Aged – rear view.

Views from Swansea, across the street from Marconi’s

Bet you’ve never seen this shot before.

David Rehak book, Did Lizzie Axe for It?  has first time published portrait of Andrew Borden seen above.

Center Street as seen through window of New Bedford Whaling Museum

Old Gardner cemetery in Swansea

Newport

The Amish Lizzie film – “Bordenia”

Look!  There goes Dr. Bowen rushing down Second Street in front of the Borden house!

A more contemporary (2004) photo of 92 Second Street shows the now demolished Leary Press attached.

This photograph, used as evidence in the 1893 Borden trial, shows the House as it appeared at the time of the murders.  (Note no “Leary Press”)

So what’s the point of this you may ask?  Well, Cameron Munson is filming his Bordenia and this is the house he selected in Amish Country to depict the Borden homestead.  Carson Grant, who wrote the “Bordenia” article,  studied under Lee Strasberg  (but then, hasn’t everybody?)  and stars as Andrew Borden.  He writes:

“The house we are shooting the murder scenes has a similar design to the original Borden’s home.”

Wrong.  See above.   Gadzookskies.  There’s a million Greek-Rivival homes still standing all across the country and this is as close as they could get?  I have more to say on this score but first in the “here we go again” department, Grant writes:

“The clopping of the horse hooves on the cold winter pavement outside my Rt. 340 Bed and Breakfast room this 5 am morning, offers a gentle awaking to a full day of shooting on “Bordenia” directed and written by Cameron Munson. A retelling of an American legend, the Fall River story of the Borden family, and Lizzie Borden’s part she played in the ax murders of her father and stepmother.”

There it is.  The perennially inaccurate reference to the murder weapon being an axe.  Arrrggghhhh.  May I say it again?  Thank you.   Arrrrgggghhhh.

So back to the filming location – and this one deserves a smirky chuckle:

“Our film location, Intercourse, Pennsylvania offers a quiet Lancaster township, off-season to the warm weather tourists who flock here to enjoy the pastoral surrounding of Amish farming, dining, crafts and culture. Quilting, needlepoint, wood furniture making, tin, metal and pottery wares are some of the handwork one will find on a stroll along the main street markets and restaurants.”

Intercourse, Pennsylvania.  A wonderful B&B in Intercourse. Hello.  Fall River has a wonderful little B&B.  It’s called THE LIZZIE BORDEN BED & BREAKFAST.  Again.  See above.

I’m sure they contacted the owners, Donald Woods & Lee-ann Wilber who actually welcome documentary and theatrical filming in and on the premises.  But for whatever reasons – and whether they contacted the owners or not -  they chose to film the ” Borden House” in Intercourse, Pennsylvania.

Intercourse.  That’s phucked up, dude.     Then again, maybe Amish is to Quakers as Pennsylvania is to Massachusetts.   Hmmm.  Don’t think so.

Well, let’s keep our eyes and ears open to the film festival circuit and maybe we’ll see Dr. Bowen racing down “second street” after all.   (nyuck, nyuck).

“Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore”

No, not the 1974 Scorsese film but instead the public sentiment in Fall River about Lizzie Borden that surfaces at varying levels of interest and concern.  The town, chamber of commerce, businesses involved in tourism, history buffs, and the resident curious care but not so much for others who believe she should be kept in perspective within the bigger picture of the place in which they live.  So when a new Fall River resident criticizes the sale of a piece of property remotely connected to the Borden case – the 4th estate – and the natives – speak out.

Yesterday’s Fall River Herald had a piece in “Our View” which illustrates this sentiment quite well.   Below is an extract, but you can read the full piece HERE.

“Thumbs down to those criticizing the purchase of 18 Hillside St. by Charlton Memorial Hospital, which plans to combine the land with other area property purchases to use for parking or an expansion of hospital services. The purchase is drawing some controversy because the house at one time was rented to Alice Russell, a friend of Lizzie Borden who testified she saw Lizzie burning a dress in the kitchen stove three days after the 1892 double murders of Andrew and Abby Borden. Lizzie was tried and acquitted of the crimes.
“I am saddened by how Fall River takes care of its history,” said Stefani Koorey, author of “The Hatchet,” a quarterly publication about the murders. “I am sickened that another piece of the story that is Fall River will soon face the wrecking ball.”
First of all, a brutal double murder hardly represents Fall River’s identity, and any suggestion that it does is rather insulting to the city’s 92,000 residents, most of whom will never have any connection to a capital crime. The murders were simply one moment in the city’s history, albeit a famous moment.  Secondly, 18 Hillside St. played no part whatsoever in the historic events. Russell, who was not even a central character in the grisly drama, moved into the house in 1909, 17 years after the murders, long after her friendship with Lizzie Borden had ended.  Any connection to the Borden story is pure fabrication. Charlton shouldn’t think twice before swinging the wrecking ball.”

The “Alice Russell” house

Here is the original Herald article (and the outraged responses) that prompted the “Our View” article.  It gives the background of the property and the Alice Russell connection.  Click HERE.  Not exactly the kind of press Stefani Koorey likes to see of herself.

“This home is at best on the extreme periphery of the Borden saga, if it were Maplecroft itself, that would be a different story. Also, for the record, grand jury indictments are not ‘handed down’, they are handed up.”

“first of all the mayor has nothing to do with this situation, second im so sick of lizzie borden this and lizzie borden that.. fall riverites should be ashamed of lizzie borden. what did she do to benefit fall river anyway….if Stefani was so sickened about the house she could have bought it herself, where does she get off even making a comment about it and why does the herald news even print that crap… Go charlton memorial hospital, you are making fall river a better place every day. progress is progress….”

“What history does this house have except that Lizzie Borden visited it? Lizzie Borden –that’s something Fall River should preserve. I we going to preserve all the houses on 4th and 5th street 100 years from now and say the ‘Bloods’ and the ‘Cripts’ lived here and killed 100 rival gang members???”

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On another note (no pun intended) here’s a little known opera titled “Maplecroft” depicting Lizzie’s post trial life by Paul J. Bothelho produced in 2001.   The video is dark and surreal, the music stunning.  Click HERE.

Jill Dalton and Lizzie Borden Live

LIZZIE BORDEN LIVE plays only two days at the Columbus Theatre this weekend, November 14th and 15th. It will be shown on the smaller Cinematheque theater stage, much smaller than the stage when I saw this performance twice in Sedona. As there are only 200 seats for this brief 2-day run, only 400 people in the New England area will get the opportunity to see this wonderful one-woman play. If you live in the area, be one of the 400!

Below is my original review of Jill Dalton’s outstanding performance:

Spent a long weekend in Sedona, AZ with three of my geocaching, quad-riding friends for the purpose of seeing Jill Dalton’s original one-woman play, LIZZIE BORDEN LIVE at the Canyon Moon Theater.

The theater is nestled in the back of a gallery store-front in an outlet stores shopping mall in the Village of Oak Creek, just on the outskirts of Sedona.

Right click for bigger image

It is a considerably long run as can be seen by this schedule.

Click HERE for a history of its runs and info on other’s responsible for this wonderful production.

Jill Dalton has done a few t.v. stints per her IMBd profile but one would not know from that what an incredible actress she is nor of this brilliant script which she herself wrote.  Jill is distinguished by having won the 2007 Jacoby Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actress for her portrayal of Lizzie Borden in this play.

The lovely Jill Dalton

Lizzie Borden Live is a one-woman play in one act-one scene set in Fall River in 1905 at Lizzie’s home “Maplecroft”, and runs approximately 90 minutes.  There are no other actors and no musical interludes.  Dalton is on the stage the entire time.  Though looking nothing like Lizzie Borden in 1905, Jill Dalton quickly has you in suspended belief that she is Lizzie.

From the Cape May (NJ) County Herald

The more familiar one is with the principals and nuances of the Borden murder case, the more appreciative one is of Dalton’s research and the brilliance of her script.  The dialog she has written when speaking in the “voice” of others is taken from the legal proceedings or newspapers of the time.  She exposes those principals as Lizzie views them in her mind, be they friend or foe, and gracefully sways in and out of moods using her hands and arms and general movement and expressions on stage to accentuate her shifting emotions.  She has us mesmerized.

From Lizzie Borden Live website

Jill gives us a performance that compels us to see this woman as a 3-dimensional human being beyond the one dimensional persona from that inaccurate quatrain so repeatedly quoted and serving to cement the caricature of this enigmatic woman.  She puts us inside Lizzie’s head and Lizzie’s heart, but more than that there is a multi-layered texture to the portrayal she maintains and upon which she builds  when transitioning to the child Lizzie, to the young Lizzie, to the Lizzie accused, and to Lizzie alone.  And while we feel for this woman we can fear her as well, for Dalton’s acting talent portrays a Lizzie that is raging within herself but asks us to question our own selves about that same rage.  It is frightening and forceful.

East Lynn Theatre Company

There is also much light-heartedness to this Lizzie within the play, and at times we chuckle and laugh out loud at her words (again the cleverness of the script).  But nothing impressed me more than when Lizzie tells us of her Grand Tour to England, Italy and France in 1890.   With a sudden switch in stage lighting we are transported to Paris and we are in an almost dreamlike state as Dalton depicts Lizzie’s passionate emotions at the height of her life’s happiness in enchanting Paris.  She twirls and spins and laughs as a young girl and tells of her travels and we are so happy for her – for these 19  weeks of blissful joy before suddenly being back in Fall River.  This was one of my favorite parts of the entire play and Dalton’s acting was absolutely incredible in pulling off this transition and heightening our suspended belief.

From the Canyon Moon theater website.

When Dalton interjects Nance O’Neil into the play those who are familiar with the facts will get more out of the dialogue than those who have little to no knowledge of this component to the Borden saga.  But here again the script does not lead us to a definitive conclusion as to whether they were lovers or just friends.  And her one-way dialogue with Nance on the phone is spot on to those familiar about Lizzie Borden’s history with the manipulative Nance O’Neil.

What is extraordinarily powerful, however, is Dalton’s performance by word, tone, and expression regarding the abandonment of her life-long surrogate mother and confidant – her sister Emma.  And just on the heels of that – the abandonment of her friend, Nance.  Dalton’s performance at this point in the play stirred my heart, put an absolute hush in the audience and kept the entire audience riveted to every single word and movement.  It was an acting tour de force the likes of which we seldom see on stage.

From the East Lynn Theater Company

I can’t say enough about the brilliance of this script and how Jill Dalton gives us many Lizzies throughout the play and yet ultimately only one emerges:  A multi-faceted woman of real flesh and blood with all the same feelings and foibles we all have.  What Dalton has accomplished is given us a Lizzie we can hold on to.  She’s made her less allusive by allowing us to see through Lizzie’s eyes, laugh with Lizzie’s own spirited humor, and feel sorrow at Lizzie’s torment and depression.  But Dalton goes to just the edge and no further – sculpting a Lizzie so finely that her portrayal neither erodes the mystery of the woman herself nor diminishes the variables and allure within this most facinating case.   Indeed, Jill Dalton’s absolutely stunning performance in this play – so aptly titled – truly gives us: Lzzie Borden Live.

I so loved the experience because of Jill’s performance I’m going back before it closes.  If this play comes to your area, do not miss it!!

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 Salem Exhibit Interview – Cringe and Moan

You will never find a more inaccurate, inarticulate, ill-informed and ridiculous telling of the Lizzie Borden case as you will in this interview by Peter Alachi with Michael Hios filmed at the “Lizzie Borden True Story” exhibit in Salem, MA.  Keep in mind that Michael Hios is a partner of Leonard Pickel, owner/operator of the Salem Exhibit and has been utilized to create display pieces for the haunted houses Pickel has produced for various organizations.

Michael Hios may have made the skulls which are sold in the gift shop at the Exhibit, ergo, his vested interest for people to come and see it.  You can see those skulls as they are displayed HERE.

One can feel for Peter Alachi doing the interview as Hios struggles to tell the “story” and often prompts Hios with appropriate answers.  The inaccuracies of Hios comments will make Borden buffs cringe and moan.  Pitiful.  Truly pitiful.  YOU’VE GOT TO SEE AND HEAR THIS TO BELIEVE IT!!!

PART I:

PART II:

PART III:

Michael Hios website

St. Anne’s Church & It’s Notable Shrine

Located on South Main Street, across from Kennedy Park in Lizzie’s Borden’s Fall River, is this magnificent Catholic Church built by French Canadian immigrants in the early 1900’s.  It is one of the iconic skyline structures immediately recognizable upon the Braga Bridge approach to Fall River.

This structure was put on the National Historic Register of buildings in 1983.

St. Anne’s Parish was founded in 1869 when there were about 500-600 French families in the city.  The Church was founded in 1894.  In 1900, Fall River had a population of slightly more than 100,000 people, of which nearly 40,000 were French.  The surge of French Canadian immigrants at the turn of the Century came from the agricultural crisis in Quebec.  They had a profound influence in the labor, language and culture.  Even by the 1930’s, Fall River still kept sort of a French flavor, and even today one comes across more French and Portuguese names in its local politics, legal profession, and many of the middle class businesses.

French Canadians rose to prominence in Fall River, including Edmund P. Talbot, Fall River’s Mayor from 1923-1926 and again from 1929-1930.   Past Mayor Edward M. Lambert, Jr. is Franco-American.  Ties to church and community is what kept the former mill workers (including the Portuguese and Irish) to remain in Fall River while most of the founding families split when the hard times hit.   Now the French Canadians and those from the Azores are the weavers of a restored tapestry to Fall River’s rich history.  Their hands are no longer on levers and pulleys and spindles,  but their fingerprints are all over what is left and plans for what will be.

Little known to tourists and passing visitors (mostly because it’s not advertised in city brochures) is the below ground level Shrine to St. Anne within the Church.  One has to know where to enter:  an unmarked outside door on the north side.  According to Fall River “Officer Dave” whom I met at the Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast, the Church at one time opened up this space for the homeless.  In short order there were thefts, vandalism and even a death.  The space had also become a safe haven for illicit drug use.  So the parishioners had to re-think that whole be-kind-to-those-less-fortunate thing when it came to free and easy 24/7 access to the Shrine of St. Anne.

The subterranean Shrine is open most all hours to the general public.   It is spacious with a number of “exhibits, as I prefer to call them.  The Shrine of Mother Theresa is astonishingly realistic from all angles.

I forgot what or who this was supposed to be.  I just remember it striking me as rather creepy.

St. Anne was Jesus’ maternal grandmother – although you won’t find that in the bible.

Candles for prayer.

After you delight in the “Shrine Exhibit”, just down the road at Globe Four (really Five) corners, at Globe and South Main is one of the best secrets in town.  You can get the best soft serve ice cream anywhere, right here, in this little French Canadian nieghborhood.

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”.

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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.

Lizzie Borden: Democrat or Republican? Listen to WSAR Radio Friday, August 29, 2008 at 8:00 am

I was invited back to WSAR Radio – this time to talk about one of Fall River’s most accomplished – if not notorious – women – Grace Hartley Howe – also a cousin to Lizzie Borden. Tune in if you’re in the area.

What was, if any, Lizzie Borden’s political affiliations? August 26th is “Women’s Equality Day” and as every indication tells us Lizzie was one to assert her rights, (by virtue of her sense of entitlement or legally) she most likely exercised her right to vote as ratified by the 19th Amendment in 1920.

Did she vote for the first time for Democrat James Cox or Republican Warren G. Harding? In 1924, did she vote for Calvin Coolidge who had been Harding’s Vice President, or did she vote for progressive Democrat John Davis?

She didn’t have much of an opportunity to exercise her hard-fought right to vote before she died in 1927. But because of her cousin, Grace Hartley Howe (1874-1955), Lizzie Borden may very well have been a staunch Democrat.

Grace Hartley Howe as Fall River Postmistress

Grace was one of the two major legatees in Lizzie’s Will. Her mother, Mary Borden, was the daughter of Cook Borden, Andrew J. Borden’s uncle. Grace married Louis McHenry Howe (1871-1936) – first secretly and then a second ceremony in Fall River on May 6, 1899.

When Louis Howe met Franklin Roosevelt in 1911 he began a life-long career of service and devotion to FDR, becoming not only his best friend but private secretary when FDR was Secretary of the Navy and later chief political strategist and “keeper of the secrets”. Louis McHenry Howe is attributed as having encouraged FDR to fight his battle of infantile paralysis and persuaded him to continue on with his political career. He was FDR’s speech writer, confidant, manager, mentor and trouble shooter.

After Roosevelt was elected his first term as President of the United States, Louis lived in the White House and Grace lived in Horseneck Beach, with Louis coming home on weekends. Grace busied herself raising her two children, Mary and Hartley, and often went weeks at a time without seeing Louis. But in the 1920’s and 1930’s and beyond she would be a tireless fundraiser, campaigner and active member of the Democratic Party. I would not doubt that Grace received political contributions from Lizzie for Democratic and social causes to which she was involved.

During the 1920’s it’s very likely Lizzie and Grace visited each other in their respective homes in Fall River, Horseneck Beach in Westport, New York and Washington, D.C. During this time the Howe’s and Roosevelts also visited at each other’s homes. Lizzie very well may have visited Grace in Westport when Mary and Hartley were growing up. And would Lizzie and Grace have discussed politics?

Grace Hartley Howe is seated to Louis’ right, who is directly across from Eleanor Roosevelt

When Louis died in 1936, it was Eleanor Roosevelt who called Grace in Fall River and gave her the news. Prior to his funeral services at Oak Grove Cemetery in Fall River, which both Eleanor and FDR attended, Mr. Howe was honored in Washington.

Prior to Louis’ death, Grace’s work within the Democratic Party coupled with the cache of her husband’s service, she was on an upward trajectory. Below is the article of how she became appointed to the Secretaryship of the Democratic State Committee in 1933. She was a Delegate at the 1934 Democratic Convention.

And after Louis’s death, FDR appointed her Postmistress of Fall River. Grace continued with her many political, civic and social activities. Grace resided on Locust Street (shown below) in Fall River, a few short blocks from Lizzie’s home, “Maplecroft” on French Street. Grace lived there when Lizzie died June 1, 1927.

In 1938, two years after Louis died, Eleanor Roosevelt came to visit Grace as told in this FRHN article that recaps Grace’s life and service to the Democratic party.

Grace died in 1955 after being in a coma for many weeks. At that time she lived in a lovely little cottage on Martha Street (still there) in Fall River with a nice view of the Taunton River.

Throughout her husband’s political career it was rarely reported in the papers of the link between Lizzie Borden and the Howes. That link would be too close for comfort. Notoriety from an 1892 scandal certainly was not needed to surface and hinder the ultimate goal of making FDR President. But it was Louis McHenry Howe himself who was the source of the “Emma did it” theory. I found verification of this in Fulton Oursler’s book, Behold This Dreamer! during his visit to the White House. But although Louis said it tongue in cheek, the Bordenia urban legend was born that Grace’s husband believed Lizzie’s sister did the awful deed of August 4, 1892. The story Louis told Oursler was typical of his sense of humor. (I’ll address that in a future blog entry).

With her relative and close friend, Grace Hartley Howe, so entrenched in democratic politics through her husband Louis McHenry Howe, could it be that Lizzie Borden was a Democrat? I say yes. In an interview after Lizzie’s death, Grace remarked of the many charitable acts and donations to which she gave. I just bet some of Lizzie’s money went to those very causes in which her cousin Grace solicited.

And here’s the part that has never failed to amuse me: Had Lizzie Borden lived a mere five more years she very well might have been invited to the White House. Think of it: Through her cousin’s friendship with Eleanor Roosevelt, Lizzie Borden, accused and acquitted of the most sensational crime of the century, might very well have chatted it up with Franklin Delano Roosevelt, President of the United States.

Discreetly, of course. ;

“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”