The Lizzie Borden Society archive

Forum URL:

1. "The Borden's Bones"
Posted by Carol on Apr-21st-02 at 5:56 PM

I have just read an article in the May/June 2002 issue of "Archaeology" magazine titled "Case of the Colorado Cannibal" by Andrew Curry.  The article is about Alferd Packer who was thought to have eaten and/or possibly murdered fellow prospectors in Colorado in 1873. 

That is interesting in itself but the author says in the article that in 1989 a George Washington University law professor named James Starrs dug up the victim's bones to study (for science).

That is interesting in itself too but the point the author also makes is that James Starrs was "known for digging up notorious bodies, including Lizzie Borden's parents and the outlaw Jesse James." 

There is nothing more in the article about the Lizzie case. I thought the prospect of disinterring the Borden's graves was rather remote even today as the family members (?) objected and had all along. Does anyone know anything about this?  Perhaps the author is mistaken.

The author is  mistaken, on some counts.

If you have a copy of Rebello, pages 354,55 &56 deal with this:
The bottom line was he WANTED to dig them up, but only was permitted to use radar scanning.

In Starr's other cases:
"Professor Starrs who examined the Borden's graves led a team of scientists in exhuming the body of a CIA employee who fell thirteen stories on Nov. 28, 1953.  It was alleged the CIA had given him LSD."

Also, he was interested in J.W. Booth's body for DNA but determined that would be "unsuccessful;  and conducted radar scans of Merriwether Lewis' grave, but did not seek exhumation.


(Message last edited Apr-21st-02  6:20 PM.)

If you have or have access to a copy of "Hash and Rehash" a video put together, I believe in 1992 for the Conference at Bristol Community College, Fall River, you can watch Dr. Starr as he tells of his desire to unearth the bodies of Andrew J. and Abby D. Borden.

Near the end of the video he bemoans the "family" of Lizzie Borden for not granting him his wish.  He is shown using the radar scanning device which he passes over the graves.

He claims that the skulls were not buried with their respectives bodies in 1892, but rather became "lost" and 'he' knows of their whereabouts.



BC

Thanks for the information which confirms the author of the article in Archaeology magazine was taking liberties with the word "digging up." 

I just read the Rebello pages and Starrs proposed desire to actually exhume the bodies got quite a bit of press at the time.

I wasn't a member of the Lizzie Borden Quarterly at the time of the first issue so haven't read the article mentioned in Rebello as appearing there on the Starrs inquiry. As far as I know the local library will not copy off for interlibrary loan any of the Quarterly pages for people across the country so I have no access to read this article.

Nowhere in the Rebello pages does it say WHAT the results were of the scan he did. Does anyone who has read any of those articles know?  I also don't have access to the video "Hash & Rehash" that Bob mentions.  Did Starrs ever say where he thinks the Borden skulls are?

I recently learned that Prof. Starrs lives not far from where I do.  Should I invite him for lunch, get him drunk and find out what he's done with the Bordens' skulls?  On the subject of Alferd Packer (that's the way he spelled his first name, according to my husband, who's a big fan): At the Interior Department Headquarters here in D. C., the employee cafeteria was for many years called "The Alferd Packer Room."  Kind of in inside joke...

Starr's "final" words in the 'Hash & Re-Hash' video are that basically he was unhappy with the "family of Lizzie Borden" for not allowing him the exhumation order from the courts.

He states empathically that he "knows" of the location and will wait to reveal it...so how really knows??? Only the good Doctor knows.

This thing with "good Doctors" seems to repeat itself over the years or am I missing something?  Just another theory.

BC

PS: Edisto, sounds like a real plan...get him over and BAM! get the inside scoop...I'll be waiting for that info...for sure.

(Message last edited Apr-24th-02  9:01 PM.)

Edisto, yes, invite Mr. Starrs over, charming him with not a liquid lunch but a breakfast of pears, mutton and johnnycakes.  Wear a blue and white dress with a dark spot on it.  See if, after he tells you about what he discovered with his scan and where the skulls are if he would like to read the autopsy reports.  Maybe he could do a forensic analysis by reading rather than observation of the real bones. He might be very interested that someone would ask him about one of his projects.

Carol.
I vaugly remember the article about Prof. Starrs, in Vol.1, No.2, April, 1993 issue of the LBQ.

I do not believe, however, that his lecture dealt with exhumation of the bodies or anything scientific other than the new info that the day had been proven to be not quite as hot as the Trial lawyers, a year later, would have eveyone believe.

I remember the author, Thibault, waiting on the edge of his seat for mis-information to creep into the speech, and was pleased that it didn't.  I think it was mainly a re-iteration of the facts of the crime.

Stef has all the jointly owned LBQ's so here's hoping she replies.  It's Final's week coming up....

Edit coming:

For anyone that wants further information on Starrs, see

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/archives/cover/1998/cover0313.html

The Bordens are mentioned beginning 9th paragraph from the bottom...

(Message last edited Apr-28th-02  4:55 PM.)

Ohmigawd!  She killed 'em with a pickax?  She has descendants living in Alexandria?  I've gotta knock on a few doors.  Better still, I think I'll hide in the bushes and throw a stick into his bicycle spokes. He won't need my suggested liquid lunch, since he has all that Guinness stashed under his desk.  I had no idea GW (where I've picked up a few credits) has such colorful characters among its faculty.

Yea, it was a well-written report.
We have Carol to thank for pointing Starrs out.
I think it's cool you read the whole thing!  kk

Carol,
I haven't forgotten your original question about the LBQ article.  I've just gotten Stef's e-mail to me after she re-read it for you.

She says: 
"No info in it on the digging up of the bones..(It's a )Critique of a humerous lecture Starrs gave in Boston for the American Academy of Forensic Science.  No new facts...The 'digging' was hardly mentioned."

Hi, am enjoying the great info on the weapons Kat and William.

I found this extra-ordinary piece in the book "Bones, Discovering the First Americans,"(2002) by Canadian journalist Elaine Dewar. She was visiting and interviewing various archaeologists from Canada, the USA and South America for her book.  While in The Museu do Homem Americano in Brazil, she came upon a display billed as "the oldest polished axe in the Americas--the date given on it was 9200 BP (before present)...It was very large, shaped like a crescent, a very pale green."

Most likely this particular weapon was still in the ground when the Borden's were murdered and so we can rule it out.

Dem bones, dem bones, dem funny bones...

Da tie bones connected to de nee bone, da nee bone connected to leg bone, de leg bone connected to de tow bone...

Dem bones, dem bones, dem funny bones.

Gosh I just love a catchy tune...don't you??

BC

That was funny, Carol.

BC, that was a huge coincidence:  My girlfriend and I just said that stuff this past weekend.

BTW:  Do you all know how to make attachments and post photo's?
If not we should have Stef and/or Harry give a tutorial in the Privy!