What is the most difficult question you can ask someone about the Lizzie Borden case. ?

[Steve887788]

This question is only for the greatest Borden minds out there.
It has to be true and verifiable.
Something that only you think YOU know.

[InvestigatorGal]

Sounds like a fun challenge Steve, but aren’t the things that are true and verifiable the same things that everyone knows already? It seems like it’s the unverifiable material that poses the hardest questions. Nonetheless, I enjoy a challenge so I’ll put my mind to it and see if I can come up with a question. If I totally misunderstood, please let me know.

[Steve887788]

maybe to Ask a question that is not that popular

[mbhenty]

Of course, the most academic and inquisitive question one can ask is, who killed the Bordens?

And there are a host of reasonable follow up questions such as, why were they killed, and where is the axe, or how did the killer get away without being seen, etc.

One question I find of interest, probably because I myself have never married, is why did the Borden girls not marry. Lizzie, though not beautiful, was far from unpleasant in physical appearance. And Emma, though plain and unassuming, was not ugly. And physical attributes aside some of the most monotonous if not downright ugly individuals (I should speak?) have landed attractive partners. And I understand that the reasons for not marrying are many if not complicated. Which may beg the question. Would you marry Lizzie Borden. And if so, would you sleep with one eye open?

[Steve887788]

I would be scared to live on French Street as her next door neighbor - or have a loud bird as a pet.

[mspitstop]

If Lizzie committed the crimes, where is the weapon?

[Steve887788]

If Lizzie committed the crimes, where is the weapon?

That's an easy one - they had a whole box of weapons in the cellar that Lizzie told the maid to get for the Fall River police. So they could find the smoking gun and arrest her for the double murders.

[leitskev]

They never found the murder weapon, Steve. There was gilt from a new hatchet in Abby's wounds. But even before that was determined, the cops knew they hadn't found the weapon, which is why they kept searching for days for it, and why they seem to have tried to rig the crime scene so that that broken hatchet could be presented as the weapon. Police testimony(Mahoney?) claimed the handle was originally right beside the hatchet head in the tool box.

[Steve887788]

Police testimony(Mahoney?) claimed the handle was originally right beside the hatchet head in the tool box.

Correct there was conflicting testimony between assistant marshall Fleet and officer Mullally - Mullally testified that there was a handle - Fleet said there was no handle.

And in 1892 most of the policemen that were regular police officers on the Borden case were promoted the next year to Captains or other higher ranks and Mullaly was not promoted and stayed a regular patrolman. Why is that ? - Hmm. Was somebody was caught in a lie ?

[camgarsky4]

Mullaly gave his testimony contradicting Fleet at the June '93 trial. So this would have been after any promotions awarded earlier in the year.

That said, Mullaly was a patrolman for 31 years...dying suddenly of a heart attack upon getting home from his shift in 1908. His 'death' article trumpeted his well known honesty, but for some reason career growth wasn't part of his life experience.

[Steve887788]

So if there was a handle that was found - why was it put back in the box ? Meaning to say - if the person that broke the handle did so by accident or on purpose - what would be the reason to keep it ?
And I would agree that Mullaly was honest and Fleet did not seem to be a very nice person - actually seemed pretty agressive in his attempts to want to keep asking Lizzie questions. So having said that. I guess we can come to the conclusion that Fleet lied about the hatchet handle. But it's a weird thing to lie about.