1. "A Murderer On The Stairs?"
Posted by Kat on Sep-15th-02 at 3:47 AM

I'm still tryimg to figure out why Lizzie swears Andrew did not go upstairs when he came home, contrary to what Bridget says.

Also, WHY would he have to go from the screen door which was supposedly locked against him, around to the front to try his key, to be let in.

If this was planned--That Andrew HAD to enter by the front door that day, I was trying to figure out why.

Now, Lizzie puts herself in 2 impossible places at the time of his arrival.  *Impossible* because not logical as to events testified to:  She is on the stairs, yet doesn't let Andrew in, according to her. --OR-- She is in the kitchen, but no one asks her why she did not let Andrew in the screen door if he came there first.

I wondered if he was not meant to come in at the side entrance that day, because there was an assassin hiding out either on the back stairs going UP or on the stairs going DOWN to the cellar.

If Andrew came in that way that morning he might possibly have wanted to go straight upstairs to his room.

By letting him into the front of the house & stalling him with questions as to the mail, and answers as to Abby's whereabouts and making him comfortable on the couch etc, maybe Lizzie kept him from those back stairs and that is why she SWEARS he did not go up..because he did not, because it was not in the plan that he should be on those stairs.

An assassin hiding there was the nearest reason I could come up with as to why Andrew was kept downstairs (if Lizzie is correct).

But, then wouldn't Bridget have to pass this assassin on the back stairs when she went up to take her nap?  Both she and Lizzie testified that Bridget went up to her room. 

Exactly.
Bridget would sorta hafta know, wouldn't she?

Perhaps the answer is simply that Lizzie did not see Andy go upstairs and Bridget did? Lizzie may have been involved with her reading. Andy could have gone thru the dining room and not thru the kitchen.
That's my assumption; what's yours?

Inquest
Lizzie
Pg. 67+
Q. You knew she was washing windows?
A. She told me she was going to. I did not see her do it.
Q. For a large portion of the time you did not see the girl?
A. No sir.
Q. So far as you know you were alone in the lower part of the house, a large portion of the time, after your father went away, and before he came back?
A. My father did not go away I think until somewhere about 10, as near as I can remember; he was with me down stairs.
Q. A large portion of the time after your father went away, and before he came back, so far as you know, you were alone in the house?
A. Maggie had come in and gone up stairs.**
......................
Q. How soon after your father came in, before Maggie went up stairs?
A. I don't know. I did not see her.
Q. Did you see her after your father came in?
A. Not after she let him in.
..................
Q. Can you give me any judgment as to the length of time that elapsed after he came back, and before you went to the barn?
A. I went right out to the barn.
Q. How soon after he came back?
A. I should think not less than five minutes; I saw him taking off his shoes and lying down; it only took him two or three minutes to do it. I went right out.
....................
Pg. 84+
Q. Did he not go up stairs to his own room before he sat down in the sitting room?
A. I did not see him go.
Q. He had the key to his room down there?
A. I don't know whether he had it; it was kept on the shelf.
Q. Don't you remember he took the key and went into his own room and then came back?
A. No, sir.
Q. You don't remember anything of that kind?
A. No, sir; I do not think he did go up stairs either.
Q. You will swear he did not?
A. I did not see him.
Q. You swear you did not see him?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. You were either in the kitchen or sitting room all the time?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. He could not have gone up without he had gone through the kitchen?
A. No, sir.
----------------
**--Here's a curiosity:  Lizzie has Bridget going up stairs BEFORE Andrew came home...which I had noted here before...BUT then she has Bridget come back down to let in Andrew (?)

Wasn't the classic testimony that Lizzie was on the stairs (going down) or in the kitchen when Andy returned and knocked to be let in?
Maybe Lizzie is remembering wrongly?

If Lizzie was in the kitchen she would have had to be sitting towards the back of the house in order not to be seen from the side door.  But, I still think Andrew would have "halloed" to see if Bridget or anyone was about to let him in.  Is it possible that Lizzie was sitting there hearing her father calling to be let in and ignored him just to aggravate him?

The Inquest testimony posted was in answer to your querry as to who may or may not have seen Andrew go upstairs.
It's just testimony.
I can't know which girl is right.
Bridget says he did...Lizzie said he didn't.
My question was speculation as to maybe why he didn't go upstairs--that maybe he was deliberatly prevented.
Another scenario may be valid.
Anyone may speculate here on this.  You're welcome to, if you like.

AR Brown says Lizzie was in the kitchen and yelled for Bridget to come and open the front door. Not only was it the servant's duty, but Lizzie was a lazy lass girl (pardon my spelling).

But, wouldn't it make sense then if Andrew was at the side door just for lazy Lizzie to call her into the kitchen to unhook the screen door?

Rays, which book is A.R. Brown's?  I think I might have it, but, am not sure what the title is? 

AR Brown wrote only one book on Lizzie Borden (or anything else). He died in 1999, but had written on other things.

"Lizzie Borden: The Legend, the Truth, the Final Chapter"

One item on the LAB board said his book was originally 1150+ pages, but he had to cut it down to 320 for publication. Its like a 4 hour movie; not commercially salable unless very, very popular (10 Commandments in 1956?).

Thanks, Rays!  Yes, I do own it! 

I haven't read Len Rebello's book, and probably never will. I think he used an Obituary notice for proof of something about Willy's nominal Dad. My own limited experience is that a person's life is prettied up for an obit. The example on Lizzie?

Too expensive and of little popularity for a small library to stock.
Maybe a two-part publication would have been better. Say a 320 page book for popular appeal. Then a low-cost supplement directly mailed to buyers. He could wait until there was enought orders on hand, then directly contract with a publisher.