Lizzie's Flower Pot

[Kat]

Transcribed by Harry. It's The Boston Globe- their first publication of the Borden murder story. Oh My Gosh!
Note the flower pot.

The Boston Globe, Thursday, August 4, 1892 - 1, 5

"BOTH DEAD.

Fiendish Murder in
Fall River.

A. J. Borden and Wife
Butchered.

Daughter Swoons at the
Fearful Sight.

One of the City's Wealthiest
Families.

For Days Have Dreaded
Poisoning.

Servant Saw Borden Just
Before Murder.

Both Skulls Crushed and Heads
Hacked to Pieces.

Portuguese is Suspected of
Bloody Deed.

Seen Hanging About House at
Early Hour This Morning.

FALL RIVER, Aug. 4. - A most brutal and shocking murder stirred this city as it has seldom been stirred this morning, and no crime has ever been committed here which could compare with it in fiendishness.
Andrew J. Borden, a highly respected business man, 68 years of age, and his wife, a most estimable lady of advanced years, were literally hacked to pieces in their quiet home at 92 2d st.

The house is a two and one-half story structure, surrounded by a well-kept yard and barn, and is located in a thickly settled neighborhood.
The family consisted of Mr. and Mrs. Borden, an unmarried daughter, Lizzie, and a servant named Bridget Sullivan. Another unmarried daughter is away on a visit to relatives.

For some days past, Mr. and Mrs. Borden and Miss Lizzie had been feeling poorly, and yesterday, or the day before, they suspected that their food was being tampered with, and that they were suffering from poisoning.
They had determined upon an analysis, according to the servant, but as far as can be ascertained were not in possession of any definite information which would confirm their suspicions.

Yesterday afternoon Mr. Borden was so unwell that he did not attend a meeting of the Massasoit Bank directors as was his custom, and his friends inquired concerning his health.

This Morning He Felt Better,

and between 10 and 11 o'clock went down town and transacted some business in the First National Bank. Thence he walked up North Main st., and at 10.30 was seen standing on the corner of Anawan st., where he owns a handsome brick block. He gave orders to certain workmen, and then crossed the street and walked directly to his home.
When he entered his house the servant was in the kitchen, and Miss Lizzie Borden, the daughter, was sleeping in her room upstairs.

Just what happened afterwards is not known.

At 11.15 Miss Borden awoke and descended the stairs. She passed into the front sitting room on the first floor, and there a sight met her eyes which caused her to cry out in horror.

Lying on a lounge, with his face towards the ceiling, was the body of her father. The head was covered with wounds from half an inch to six inches in length, and the wall of the skull had been crushed in. One gaping cut extended from the forehead diagonally across the face to the shoulder blade, and had evidently been inflicted by a butcher's cleaver or broadaxe. The unfortunate man's blood had flowed on to his shirt front and stained the sofa pillow.

Mrs. Churchill, a neighbor, happened to be passing at the time and noticed the agonized expression on Miss Borden's face. She hastened in, and Bridget Sullivan, the servant, also ran to Miss Borden's assistance when she heard her scream.

"Where is your mother, Lizzie," inquired Mrs. Churchill.

Miss Borden, who retained remarkable control of herself, replied that her mother had gone out. She had received a message some little time before asking her to call on a sick friend, and the daughter supposed that she had gone on an

Errand of Mercy.

Still the door leading out to the back yard was open contrary to custom, and the young lady feared that the conclusions regarding her mother might be incorrect.

In company with Mrs. Churchill she went to her mother's room in the northwest corner on the second floor, where the poor girl's worst fears were realized.

Stretched in a sickening pool of blood was the wife and mother. The body lay between the bed and a dressing case, and the skull had been battered in, apparently by the same weapon which had been used on Mr. Borden, although the nature of the wounds suggested that the murderer had dealt his blows with the blunt edge.

Miss Borden swooned, and Mrs. Churchill and the servant at once raised an alarm.

Unfortunately the first notice sent out was to the effect that there had been a stabbing affray on 2d st., and it was said that there had been a row in a yard. A few moments later the most intense excitement prevailed when it became known that Andrew J. Borden had been murdered, though it was fully an hour before the details of the awful tragedy reached the public. Business in the centre of the city was practically suspended and men in all walks of life flocked to the scene.

City Marshal Hilliard sent several officers to the house, and they are working on the case at present, while all quarters of the town are being scoured.

The first rumor that reached the police had it that Mr. Borden had been struck near the barn, and had walked back to the house and thrown himself on to the lounge to die. Investigation proved, however, that the story was not true, as there was no trail of blood leading into the room where the body was found. The carpet was not stained, and there were no

Indications of a Struggle.

Dr. Bowen, who resides near the murdered man, was the first to enter the house after the crime was committed. He learned the following facts: When Mr. Borden returned from the bank, he removed his coat, put on a thinner garment, and sat down on the sofa to read a paper.

The servant, Bridget Sullivan, passed through the room on her way up-stairs to wash the windows, observing Mr. Borden and remembering that he was not as well as usual, she asked him how he was feeling. "No better or worse than yesterday," was the reply.

Bridget passed Miss Borden on the stairs. The latter went out through the room in which her father was sitting, and entered the barn to get a piece of iron, with which she intended to mend a flower pot.

She thinks that she was not absent from the house more than five minutes. She, too, noticed that her father was occupied with a newspaper, and merely nodded to him. When she returned the frightful scene which has been described met her gaze.

Dr. Bowen is positive that Mrs. Borden must have entered the room where Mr. Borden sat just as the murderer finished his bloody work, and that the fiend chased her up stairs to her room, where he struck her down, as the blows were inflicted by a person who stood beside her.

As stated the city is paralyzed by the most terrible page in its history made this morning, and all kinds of rumors are afloat as to the perpetrator of the dark deed.

On the most reliable authority, however, it is learned that about 8 o'clock a Portuguese laborer, whose name is not known, called on Mr. Borden.

The man had been employed on the latter's farm across the river, and

Asked Mr. Borden for His Pay.

He was told that there was no money in the house, but Mr. Borden said that he would get it for him later. It was supposed that Mr. Borden went down town on this errand.

It is also surmised that he had some difficulty with the laborer in question, and that the man laid in wait for him.

Another theory which does not obtain much credence is that the deed might have been perpetrated by one of Mr. Borden's tenants. This much is known, that up to 2 o'clock this afternoon there is no trace of the murderer, and that the weapon has not been found.

The police have crossed Slade's ferry bridge, and are searching in Somerset, where Mr. Borden's farm is situated. The bodies have not yet been removed, and thousands of sightseers are surging about the house.
Nothing was taken by the murderer, and it is conceded that he was not intent upon plunder.

Mr. Borden was a reserved, courteous gentleman, who amassed a fortune when a member of the firm of Borden & Almy, undertakers. He retired from business many years ago and invested largely in real estate. He was president of the Union Savings Bank, a director in the B. M. C. Durfee Safe Deposit and Trust Company, and was interested in several of the manufacturing corporations of the city.

Deceased was of a retiring disposition and never figured prominently in public life. He was twice married, his second wife, who was murdered yesterday, being a daughter of the late Oliver Gray. Two unmarried daughters by his first wife survive him."

[Haulover]

i'm speechless. i wonder why abby got the blunt edge?

thanks for posting it.

[Kat]

Yes it's very odd- the great Boston Globe.
I was aghast.
I had been reading all the other dates up to around August 20th, but was just recently given the August 4th coverage.

There are things in there I never heard of- like Lizzie was asleep, she swooned, she screamed, she was only gone 5 minutes, and that flower pot!

[Elizabelle]

Thanks for posting that article. It was a very interesting read. Quite a number of details in the article are very different than what I've read through the trial transcripts.

The part where Dr. Bowen suspects Mrs. Borden came into the house, discovered Mr. Borden's body and attacker, and ran upstairs where she was followed & killed, is certainly an intersting scenario.

[Susan]

Thanks for posting that, Kat, interesting. A flowerpot? Now where did that come into the picture? From broken screens to sinkers to flowerpots.

[Nancie]

Good Post Kat, this is a sample of all the newspaper coverage, the media,
we can believe some of it but they just want to make a good story. It
brings out snipits of real things though and very worthwhile. They were the
ones that were actually there!

[Kat]

Yes, I think they are very good for atmosphere and little behind-the-scenes looks at things.
Plus there is a certain element of surprise and thinking something which might be official may be buried in there like treasure and which could have been suppressed later in the legitimate sources.