What is a Tidy?

[camgarsky4]

What is a tidy? Is it the same thing as a doily? Google hasn't helped me get an answer.

Dr Dolan Prelim Hearing testimony: page 88
Q. On the sofa was the body (Andrew) lying?
A. Yes Sir.
Q. Describe its position exactly.
A. At the head of the sofa, which was to the west, there was a Prince Albert coat folded up, that was placed on top of, I think an afghan, some knit cover, and on that was placed a small sofa cushion with a piece of the tidy on it; on that rested Mr. Borden’s head. His two feet were on the floor; and he lay in the position as if he had been asleep.

[Kat]

Yes, I think that's right, like a doily. It would be decorative, but also serve the purpose of protecting the fabric from constant rubbing by hands, or oils transferred from skin or hair.

You know, I was recently thinking about Andrew lying on the couch for a nap, and what Hiram Harrington said in "interviews" that Lizzie would never be solicitous in urging Andrew to lie down, making him comfortable, asking did he want the window left that way etc., that it was not in her nature. (Then, of course, would come the old speculation, that Andrew was standing when attacked. If he was standing, there could have been someone else there...)
Why would Hiram bring this up? What was he getting at?

[camgarsky4]

I think Hiram was telling us that Lizzie did not naturally demonstrate caring actions, like worrying about Andrews comfort.

That would match with some our of belief that Lizzie lacked much empathy or compassion for others.

I also believe (surprisingly similar to Victoria L's line of thinking) that Lizzie sprinkled doses of truth into her August 4th story. So I think she was closing the blinds to block the Kelly's visibility into the room and in her 'nice' version, she was adjusting the blinds to get sun out of Andrews eyes.

Andrew was lying down on sofa when he was killed, so that turned into "I helped dad into a comfortable position'.

She actually explains a lot about that morning in her inquest testimony if you carefully segregate the occurrences from her story. (at least that is my theory)

[Kat]

Well, in the Witness Statements it records that Hiram says the culprit "will be one of the household" in context with the earlier comments. And in Lizzie's Inquest, Hiram is the only person she says has not been friendly in years to Andrew.
So, Lizzie is pointing at Hiram, and Hiram is pointing at Lizzie - at minimum, seems extremely awkward to me! You'd think, if Hiram was as solicitous of Lurana and her chronic illness, at such a terrible time, he'd keep his mouth shut about family difficulties. It didn't seem to hold much weight in any investigation, either, so why be mean?

[camgarsky4]

I've spent a little time thinking on the Hiram dispute with Andrew. I think it is rooted to the time both young families lived at the Ferry St. house. Presumably we have all had 'episodes' with our in-laws and are glad we didn't live with them. But Andrew and Hiram did live together....for years. I suspect family tensions got testier and testier as the years at Ferry St. rolled by. It is likely the tension exploded into a massive crescendo.

There were definitely some high emotional events during those years, including Hiram losing his only child, that could be the core cause of a long running family feud.

I have been meaning to pull together a 'starting post' on this topic for a while....maybe in a week or two (after I read the juicier parts of the new book), I'll do that. It will make for some interesting banter.

[Kat]

Hiram states he cut Andrew after Andrew wanted Lurana to pay some part of a utility bill after they had agreed about the disposition of the Ferry Street property, upon the death of Abraham. Hiram considered Andrew a hard man (in business) even with his own sister. But, I think you're probably right that there might be deeper issues, so maybe what Hiram exposed was just the tip of an iceberg...I wonder if Abraham was a bad example to these men and their families when they lived together, or whether he was so nonchalant about money that that attitude might have caused Andrew to be so strictly business-minded...hmmm...