The Lizzie Borden Society archive

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1. "Musnt lose a clothes pin or two"
Posted by adminlizzieborden on Jan-8th-02 at 9:38 PM

By harry on Saturday, 11/24/2001 - 07:15 pm [Edit] [Reply] [Msg Link]  
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In Bridget's testimony at the Preliminary, page 16, she makes a statement about Andy's peculiar habit:

Q. Do you know whether Mr. Borden had anything to do about seeing that the back door was shut up?
A. Yes Sir. He always seen a Monday, or whatever day the clothes would be taken in, that it was locked; for he always took in the clothes line himself.

I can just see him gathering up the clothes off the line. What an odd thing for him to do when he had a maid, two daughters and a wife. This was the chauvinist age as well as the Victorian.

 
By stefani on Saturday, 11/24/2001 - 08:05 pm [Edit] [Reply] [Msg Link]  
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I read it to mean that he took in the "line" not the clothes. That Bridget was not allowed to be in charge of the cellar door lock. She had to do the laundry, and bring it in, but the old man locked the door. I guess you could read it that he took in the laundry, but I couldn't picture it!

 
By kat on Saturday, 11/24/2001 - 10:00 pm [Edit] [Reply] [Msg Link]  
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I once was running and hit a line like that, which was practically invisible, and actually spun a summersault in the air and landed on my back.
The point being those things are dangerous if you don't notice them, especially if your eyes aren't too good.
If Andrew "took the line down" does he also put it up? If so, it may hang too high for the females in the family to remove(those dresses WERE long)-and it was his job to make sure the door was secured every week...

 
By tina on Sunday, 11/25/2001 - 10:25 am [Edit] [Reply] [Msg Link]  
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Yeah, I also read into it that he took in the clothes line, as oppossed to the clothes. I doubt he took in his own laundry really!
Tina

 
By raystephanson on Sunday, 11/25/2001 - 05:52 pm [Edit] [Reply] [Msg Link]  
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He took in the line to prevent if from being stolen. As the tallest in the family, he could easily reach the hooks or nails that held it.
My opinion, I wasn't present.