1. "Hiram"
Posted by augusta on Jul-31st-02 at 5:57 PM

I read an older thread about Hiram Harrington, but can't find it now to add onto it.  (Sorry.)
Just wanted to say that Hiram said he had an extensive interview with Lizzie after the murders.  But a reporter said he was in there for four minutes.
I would consider both sides when reading his comments about the family.  It all could be sour grapes.
I wonder if Lizzie was serious in saying Hiram is her suspect, or if that was her way of getting a little revenge on him.

Hiram could "spin the yarns" for sure and he was, according to her own words, despised by Lizzie.  I read a blurp, although I can't recall where, that Emma and Lizzie may have been victims of abuse.

Not sure who the abuser was, maybe Daddy Dearest, maybe Uncle John, or maybe Uncle Hiram.  Whatever the case it seems well established in the works of many writers that Lizzie did not care for Uncle Hiram.

Of course the feelings were mutual so there was never any love loss between the Harringtons and the Bordens of Second Street, at least from the Borden sisters.

I have read that Andrew J. did care for his younger sister, Hiram's wife but they seldom saw one another.  Hiram was a blacksmith by trade and a "gold prospector" by self design.  His occupation alone would not sit well with Andrew J. as blacksmith was near the bottom of the social food chain.

Once the murders occured good ole Uncle Hiram made his face known to the crowd of cops and then made his famous "personal interview" with his "beloved" niece.  Blah, Blah, Blah, Uncle Hiram.

In any event I think ole Hiram thought he'd make a "mint" off his "insider" knowledge of the crime but it never went anywhere of course.  As for Lizzie I sincerely believe she felt Hiram had a hand, or two, in the one or both murders.

But she never made her true beliefs known and like this case it's all in how WE preceive it.  That's my line and I'm sticking to it...

BC

Hiram seems to me to be like the guy who sees an opportunity at being famous and takes it. He has a lot to say about Lizzie and her relationship with her father, and yes I also saw that for all he supposedly talked to Lizzie about, that he was with her about three minutes---leaving one to understand he made up most of his "interview" with her.

He is a spotlight junkie. Wants some attention. Has a bit of insight as a member of the family, and cashes in on it. Like Faye Resnick, sort of. Sells his story and impeaches himself in the process. I sort of feel sorry for him, in a way. What did he look like? I don't remember if I have seen a photo of him (watch one be on my web site and I look like an idiot in asking this!). I see him as tall and skinny, full of energy, wired.

(Message last edited Jul-31st-02  11:51 PM.)

After Edisto re-read Hiram's *Interview* in the Privy (pg.2), she remarked that he sounded pretty erudite, for a blacksmith.  If you re-read his testimony, you'll find he then really does sound like a blacksmith!

I think the core comments that are probably original to him, were the utterances about (supposedly) Lizzie claiming to have made Andrew comfortable and being solicitous of his welfare & health, before leaving for the barn visit.  He said this was foreign to her nature and she could not have acted so, period!.  I think the embellishments are made up by a reporter. So really what he said could take 3 minutes to find out..."Lizzie where were you when this happened...How did this happen?" (My spec. quote).

It seems Mr. Fish had quite some obvious opinions on the matter, also.  His family seemed to have been embarassed by HIS remarks!
[Note the evocative two words contained in the word "embarassed" that describe VOLUMES!]

As I mentioned once before. Since Hiram was in the house for only a few minutes (as reported?), and many other things were going on, it is most unlikely that he personally observed and recorded that story. Porter's story is most likely a provocation designed to "smoke out" and get comments by others. It didn't work. [See my earlier comments on this topic.]

John Douglas mentions the use of publicity as a technique to get suspects talking. Did you read this?

George Armstrong Custer's father was a blacksmith, and so were his forefathers. That didn't prevent his father from being elected Justice of the Peace. There were many changes in American society after the rise of corporations and capitalists after the Civil War; not all for the better. Murat, Custer's hero, was also a stableboy. Only in democratic republics could a person rise on his talents.

Arnold R Brown's book says Hiram Harrington's description of himself as a "blacksmith" was understated. Brown says it was more like owning a Cadillac dealership in the better part of town.

Does anyone dispute this? Why? Did Uncle Hiram cater to the carriage trade?

The only obvious way to tell how "Erudite" this certain "blacksmith" was, is to compare the remarks attributed to him, by newspaper, and His Testimony.  That's the only way one can judge for themselves.

FALL RIVER DAILY HERALD, Aug. 6, 1892, from CASEBOOK:

[Excerpt--attributed to Hiram Harrington]

'Last evening I had a long interview with Lizzie Borden, who has refused to see anyone else.  I questioned her very carefully as to her story of the crime.  She was very composed, showed no signs of any emotion or were there any traces of grief upon her countenance.  That did not surprise me, as she is not naturally emotional.  I asked her what she knew of her father's death, and, after telling of the unimportant events of the early morning, she said her father came home about 10:30.  She was in the kitchen at the time, she said, but went into the sitting room when her father arrived.  She was very solicitous concerning him, and assisted him to remove his coat and put on his dressing-gown;  asked concernedly how he felt, as he had been weak from a cholera morbus attack the day before.  She told me she helped him to get a comfortable reclining position on the lounge, and asked him if he did not wish the blinds closed to keep out the sun, so he could have a nice nap.  She pressed him to allow her to place an afghan over him, but he said he did not need it.  Then she asked him tenderly several times if he was perfectly comfortable, if there was anything she could do for him, and upon receiving assurance to the negative she withdrew.  All these things showed a solicitude and a thoughtfulness that I never had heard was a part of her nature or custom before.  She described these little acts of courtesy minutely. "
.................................

HIRAM HARRINGTON  at  INQUEST   (p. 134+)[Excerpt]

Q.  You and he did not speak? You and he were unfriendly? You and he were not on good terms?
A.  We never had no words, or anything of that kind. Some years ago I thought he was hard, and I cut his acquaintance; that is, he came to my house, and I would leave the room; and he very soon saw I cut his acquaintance; and he did mine.
Q.  But you continued on good terms with the rest of the family?
A.  Yes, friendly to them.
Q.  That takes in the wife and the daughters?
A.  Yes.
Q.  Did you go to the house any?
A.  No, I did not go to the house, any more than sometimes on business, that is, sometimes my wife wanted to send a letter or to invite the girls, or something of that kind, I would go to the house; sometimes I met him at the door, and have spoken.
Q.  Do you know what the relations were between the daughters and the mother?
A.  I did not go into the house; all I can tell is hear say, that is from them. The step mother never mentioned it in my presence.
Q.  Did Lizzie?
A.  Lizzie has, yes.
Q.  What has Lizzie said about it?
A.  I dont know as I could put anything together now to tell you, any more than to tell you there was some difficulty some way. She thought ..she equivocated. I dont know as I could put enough of it together now, I can just give you an idea. I can't remember words that were passed at the time, any more than just this much, that she thought she equivocated.

--This just doesn't Sound like the same person speaking in both transcriptions.
--I don't know as Porter wrote for the Fall River Daily Herald
--I just noticed, looking at my "Witness" list, that none of the extended family members were ever after this, called to testify (in Prelim or Trial...)
--No Fish, No Whiteheads (fish, too?), No Harrington's of any kind!.

I agree with you, Kat.  That does not sound like the same person at all!  Hiram's trial testimony comes across as the man I've always thought that he was, as for the Herald article, someone must have put quite a spin on ol' Hiram's interview!

I have often wondered too why no other members of the family, particularly on Abby's side, were allowed to testify at the trial.  They knew Lizzie and the whole family, they probably could have shed some insight.  And, they probably could have a moment of retribution for all the snubs and slights Lizzie placed on Abby's family.  The Whiteheads, I'm sorry, but, I always think zits when I hear or read that name.  Is it a type of fish? 

Apparently it is a type of white-headed BIRD.
My mistake.
I was thinking of "Whiting".

Since the Borden girls held the title on their house, the Whiteheads must have realized what side their bread was buttered.
Maybe they had no personal animosity towards the girls the way Uncle Hiram had. Being snubbed and insulted by old Andy may have something to do with it. I remember, "the girls loved their Aunt Lenora" (name?). But she would not visit them because her husband was not welcome. Anyone know why?
Was AR Brown right in saying "blacksmith" (an independent owner operator of his important business) was not a low-caste trade?

I believe the girls inherited 1/2 the Whitehead house, not the TITLE.
The Whiteheads wouldn't be in any worse position as to ownership, than they were originally when Andrew bailed them out by purchasing 1/4 share.
The buttered-bread doesn't really apply, because the Whiteheads were willing to sue for the remainder of that house, anyway.
I'm sorry, but do not recognize "Aunt Lenore" or the uncle to which you refer. (Are these the Harrington's?  What's the question?)

Aunt Lurena, isn't it, that was Andrew's sister and married Hiram Harrington? 

I read that Andrew thought that Hiram didn't have much ambition and was a blacksmith and Andrew thought he wasn't good enough for his sister.  But I wonder if those hard feelings didn't go deeper than that - if there wasn't another reason for their dislike for one another.

I don't think Lizzie spoke to Hiram at all when he went in there.  Was there a witness who heard this talk?  She thinks Hiram killed her father, yet this article would have us believe that she agreed to see him and give him this 'exclusive' and she would not see anyone else???