Forum Title: LIZZIE BORDEN SOCIETY Topic Area: Fall River and Its Environs Topic Name: Mayor Coughlin before he was mayor  

1. "Mayor Coughlin before he was mayor"
Posted by harry on Jul-11th-03 at 11:20 PM

Found this photo of the good mayor at the age of 29 before he was elected mayor, dated 12-3-1890.

There is also a photo of John W. Cummings, who was the brother of James  T. Cummings, the lawyer who accompanied Bridget at the Inquest and Preliminary.

http://www.rootsweb.com/~ussnei/JWCoughlin.htm



(Message last edited Jul-11th-03  11:32 PM.)


2. "Re: Mayor Coughlin before he was mayor"
Posted by Tina-Kate on Jul-12th-03 at 12:57 PM
In response to Message #1.

He was a cutie!

Strangely, 1 of the few people for whom Rebello does not provide a Profile.


3. "Re: Mayor Coughlin before he was mayor"
Posted by Tina-Kate on Jul-12th-03 at 1:12 PM
In response to Message #2.

Looking for info, I found this thread in the archives --

(Coincidentally, Kat calls Henry Trickey "cute" in this thread).

http://lizzieandrewborden.com/Archive203/FallRiver/FRcoughlin.htm

He seems to have been the same age as Lizzie.  Wonder if he's another former schoolmate?

(Message last edited Jul-12th-03  1:13 PM.)


4. "Re: Mayor Coughlin before he was mayor"
Posted by Tina-Kate on Jul-12th-03 at 1:25 PM
In response to Message #3.

An even better thread, & another great Harry find (thanks, Harry!) --

http://www.lizzieandrewborden.com/Archive703/FallRiver/FRMayor.htm

Unfortunately, I cannot seem to access the URL given.  I'm glad you posted the info, Harry.

(Message last edited Jul-12th-03  1:28 PM.)


5. "Re: Mayor Coughlin before he was mayor"
Posted by Susan on Jul-12th-03 at 3:35 PM
In response to Message #2.

  I agree, Tina-Kate!  Stopped to check out Harry's post and was like, Hellllllllo. 


6. "Re: Mayor Coughlin before he was mayor"
Posted by Doug on Jul-16th-03 at 7:51 PM
In response to Message #1.

An interesting link in Harry's message number 1. There are historic articles and references from the Lizzie Era as well as "people" information and old pictures of Fall River, New Bedford, and Taunton. Check out the site map!


7. "Re: Mayor Coughlin before he was mayor"
Posted by Tina-Kate on Jul-16th-03 at 11:56 PM
In response to Message #6.

Thank you for pointing that out, Doug.  So easy to get side-tracked & miss out on things.


8. "Re: Mayor Coughlin before he was mayor"
Posted by Doug on Jul-17th-03 at 6:10 PM
In response to Message #1.

Here is an interesting coincidence regarding two key players in the Borden case. I discovered this while reviewing some of the Fall River city directory information supplied with the Southern New England Irish link in Harry's message number 1.

At the time of the murders Alice Russell lived at 33 Borden St., a short walk down the street and around the corner from the Borden home at 92 Second St. This is the house where Lizzie visited Alice and  uttered her doleful predictions on the evening of August 3, 1892. Alice previously lived at 96 Second St., next door to the Bordens, and had moved from that address in 1890 or 1891.

According to the 1891 Fall River city directory records shown in the Southern New England Irish website Police Officer Philip Harrington, who had once apprenticed with Borden & Almy and who began to suspect Lizzie early on in the murder investigation, lived on "Eight Rod way corner Buffinton." But in the SNEI Fall River city directory listings for 1889 and 1890 Harrington's address is listed as 33 Borden St!

(Message last edited Jul-17th-03  6:29 PM.)


9. "Re: Mayor Coughlin before he was mayor"
Posted by Kat on Jul-18th-03 at 4:38 AM
In response to Message #8.

Jeesh!  I didn't know there was so much to that site Harry posted!
I'll have to look again.  Thanks to you both!


10. "Re: Mayor Coughlin before he was mayor"
Posted by Susan on Jul-19th-03 at 3:17 PM
In response to Message #9.

I looked in the 1891 city directory, our Bridget Sullivan is not listed at all.  Hannah Reagan is, the matron from the police station, she boarded at 72 E. Globe. 


11. "Re: Mayor Coughlin before he was mayor"
Posted by Doug on Jul-20th-03 at 4:15 PM
In response to Message #10.

Yes, I looked for Bridget Sullivan, too, and she was not in any of the three city directory lists (1889, 1890, 1891). Otherwise it appears there may have been as many Sullivans as Bordens living in Fall River during those years!


12. "Re: Mayor Coughlin before he was mayor"
Posted by Kat on Jul-20th-03 at 9:03 PM
In response to Message #11.

What does that mean that Bridget wasn't in there?  Do you know?


13. "Re: Mayor Coughlin before he was mayor"
Posted by Doug on Jul-22nd-03 at 11:19 AM
In response to Message #12.

Kat, I suspect it means nothing more than that "our" Bridget Sullivan was overlooked when the Fall River city directories for those years were being compiled. Also, the Southern New England Irish website notes that the city directory information it shows is still "in progress" for the years 1890 and 1891, though a lot of other Sullivans are listed for those years. I looked up Mary Doolan, who was the domestic for Dr. Kelly's family next door to the Bordens, and she is not listed in any of the three years either.

There is a "Miss Bridget Sullivan" shown in an 1889 entry as living at 25 Mulberry in Fall River, however the listing indicates she is a householder so I don't think it is our Bridget. According to Rebello our Bridget came to Fall River in 1888 and first worked as a cook and then as a domestic for two other families before going with the Bordens in 1889. There are also a couple of other Bridget Sullivans at other addresses (14 Sixth and 179 Pine rear) who are listed as widows.

Among other familiar names I have found in one or more of these 1889, 1890, and 1891 lists are Alice Russell, Charles Sawyer, Dr. Michael Kelly, and Dr. William Dolan. The 1889 and 1890 entries show Dr. Kelly with his office and home address as 169 South Main. The 1891 entry has him at 96 Second. The 1889 listing for Dr. Dolan shows his office and home address as "60 Second corner Borden" meaning he at one time also lived and worked in the Borden's neighborhood. In 1890 and 1891 he is shown at 200 South Main.


14. "Re: Mayor Coughlin before he was mayor"
Posted by harry on Jul-22nd-03 at 11:40 AM
In response to Message #13.

There are a great many of the policemen involved in the Borden murders listed in the 1891 directory.

Right now I have a mini-project underway gathering up all the addresses of the key people and locations in 1892 or as near to as possible.  I have over 40 names and over 20 locations accumulated with the source for each.

I don't know how much of use it will be when finished.  One thing I did find was that Jerome C. Borden lived at 44 Fourth St.  That makes him live directly opposite Sarah Whitehead at 45 Fourth St.  I wonder if they spoke.

(Message last edited Jul-22nd-03  11:50 AM.)


15. "Re: Mayor Coughlin before he was mayor"
Posted by Doug on Jul-22nd-03 at 12:03 PM
In response to Message #14.

This sounds like an interesting and useful project, Harry. It will help illustrate another way that various people involved with the case were likely acquainted and/or connected both before and after the murders happened. While Fall River had experienced tremendous population growth in the years before 1892 I think it was in some ways still a "small town." For example, whether or not the Whitehead family and the Jerome Borden family "spoke" they surely "knew" each other.


16. "Re: Mayor Coughlin before he was mayor"
Posted by Kat on Jul-23rd-03 at 1:54 AM
In response to Message #13.

The reference to Pine Street reminded me of something, I wasn't sure what.
I've been looking at Rebello's book and found a reminder that Lizzie's friends the Chas. Holmes lived at 67 Pine Street, renumbered now to 381 and supposedly still standing.  [R.255]

We also had presented on the Forum the list of Lizzie's girlfriends and that reminded me to check and found Mabel Remington taught at Pine Street School. (R.64)

There is a play called "Nine Pine Street" and I've always wanted to know why a play based on the Bordens was called that?


17. "Re: Mayor Coughlin before he was mayor"
Posted by Kat on Jul-23rd-03 at 2:25 AM
In response to Message #16.

That is really cool info Har & Doug!

Here is Pine Street, in relationship to Second Street.   Sorry I couldn't figure out the numbering.



(Message last edited Jul-23rd-03  2:26 AM.)


18. "Re: Mayor Coughlin before he was mayor"
Posted by rays on Jul-23rd-03 at 2:06 PM
In response to Message #13.

But WHY did Bridget change jobs so quickly? Her choice, or something else? That's an interesting question.


19. "Re: Mayor Coughlin before he was mayor"
Posted by harry on Sep-27th-03 at 9:07 AM
In response to Message #14.

A mini-project I have been working on off-and-on is the addresses of people and places in 1892. So far I have accumulated 63 addresses of major names and 35 of minor.  In addition, 36 addresses of businesses and places.

One of the major addresses I was lacking was that of Marshal Hilliard. I just discovered by piecing two things together that he lived on Whipple Street, and that he was the neighbor of Lucy Cahoon.  She was an aunt of Abby Whitehead, Sarah's daughter, and where little Abby was staying the morning of the murders. In fact it was Hilliard, while standing in his yard, who told Lucy Cahoon of the murders.

This is per Sullivan, page 34+ and the Jan 2002 LBQ, page 21.

It's not of any importance but I found it interesting.


20. "Re: Mayor Coughlin before he was mayor"
Posted by Tina-Kate on Sep-27th-03 at 10:39 AM
In response to Message #19.

That is interesting, Harry.  "Small world" isn't it?

Fall River reminds me a lot of the place where I grew up; a small city, but there was always considerably less than 6 degrees of separation between everyone in town.  You usually discovered the connections when something negative happened.  My Dad used to say no one could ever have an affair there because if you went out, someone who know someone who knew someone was bound to see you & report back!

Oooh my Dad's funniest story this way --

My Dad used to work in an plant office he shared with another man & a secretary.  One of the workers came in one day & was telling the other man about his evening.  He'd gone over to a friend's place & their grandson was there.  He went on & on about what a little hellion this child was, hyperactive, etc.  My Dad listened til the guy got in as deep as he could go, then he said to the guy, "Do you realize you're talking about my grandson?"  The poor man was mortified.  My Dad laughed & agreed that yes, the child could be a terror.  You never knew who might be related to who!


(Message last edited Sep-27th-03  10:46 AM.)


21. "Re: Mayor Coughlin before he was mayor"
Posted by harry on Sep-27th-03 at 2:36 PM
In response to Message #20.

I like your father's story Tina-Kate. Talk about getting egg on your face! Your father to say the least was understanding.

Abby Potter said Hilliard told them late in the afternoon when he got home on the 4th. They knew nothing about it. Whipple St., where Lucy Cahoon lived, was only about 4 to 5 blocks south of 92 Second St.  Maybe the news didn't spread as fast as we are led to believe.

Fall River was both a small and large town at the same time. In the 1900 census Fall River had a population of over 104,000 and was actually the third largest city in Massachusetts. Only Boston and Worcester had a larger one.  The 10 largest were:

Boston 560,892
Worcester 118,421
Fall River 104,863
Lowell 94,969
Cambridge 91,886
Lynn 68,513
Springfield 62,659
Lawrence 62,559
New Bedford 62,442
Somerville 61,643


(Message last edited Sep-27th-03  2:37 PM.)


22. "Re: Mayor Coughlin before he was mayor"
Posted by Tina-Kate on Sep-27th-03 at 3:53 PM
In response to Message #21.

What could my Dad say?  My nephew was a monster @ around 2-3 yrs old.  (He's now a nice young man of around 30)  I feel sorry for the poor guy, not even dawning on him the boy had TWO sets of grandparents..let alone 1 was right there!

Where I grew up, the population was more in the region of New Bedford.


23. "Re: Mayor Coughlin before he was mayor"
Posted by Kat on Sep-28th-03 at 1:38 AM
In response to Message #22.

That's when 'lil Abby remembered that when the news came that Abby was slaughtered the aunt let go the window and it landed on her 'lil fingers! 

Why don't we know anything about George Whitehead.
You both remind me by saying things like that--& it can be forgotten that people who marry into families also have families.
So why wasn't George Whithead ever a suspect?  He might have thought he'd get Abby's share.*
I see in Rebello he died in 1898 but I don't know of what.

*I put it this way because back then it was written that Mr. Fish inherited what the girls gave, not Priscilla.