Lizzie's reaction to Anna Borden

[camgarsky4]

Lizzie garnered an enormous amount of attention, and often praise, for her composed demeanor, which extended from the day of the murders to the trial acquittal.

Another exception to Lizzie's stoic demeanor was her reaction, specifically her body language, when Anna Borden took the witness stand at the trial.
Anna's appearance and testimony seemed to have caused a marked emotional reaction out of Lizzie.

Below are four newspaper articles providing a consistent description. There are additional articles with similar descriptions. I've left out both the FR and Boston Globe reports.

Fall River Daily Herald June 15, 1893. Page 3.
One moment later, the most trying time for Lizzie and Anna Borden arrived. Miss Anna stepped up to the stand and after taking the oath was obliged to remove a veil. Miss Lizzie slid far down into her chair, hid her face behind her fan, and never once looked into the bright eyes of her whilom friend.

Whilom definition = formerly; in the past.

Fall River Daily Evening News June 14, 1893. Page 5.
The exclusion of Miss Anna Borden’s testimony was a good point in favor of the defense and apparently a great relief to the witness. During the few moments that she was on the stand Miss Borden stared at her fan and did not look up.

San Francisco Examiner June 15, 1893. Page 2.
The nearest she came to giving away to her emotions to-day was when her friend and cousin, the very pretty and gentle-faced Anna Borden was called. She pressed her black fan close to her forehead at the first sound of the witness’ voice, squeezing it even more convulsively over her eyes, until its edge was bent in a narrow semi-circle. Then, with her left hand still holding the limp-stemmed white flower, she raised her handkerchief to her eyes.

Portland Daily Press. June 15, 1893. Page 1.
Miss Anna Borden stepped down and out. Lizzie Borden raised her flushed face from the recess of her opened fan and again there was a slight glistening of the eyes. Neither of the two former friends looked at each other once while Miss Anna remained in the court room. Lizzie’s face sought refuge in the fan for all period.
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What emotions or thoughts were racing through Lizzie's mind as Anna Borden was up on the stand? Was she concerned about what would be said? Was she embarrassed to have someone she likely held in high regard, as a witness against her in a courtroom? Something else?

I suspect Anna and Lizzie had a closer friendship than has been suggested in the Borden case materials I've read. To spend around 19 weeks at the side of someone touring Europe, including 2 weeks in a steamship cabin, would seemingly create a pretty strong bond. I've also added a couple of news snippets below that support the concept that the friendship extended well beyond the Europe excursion.

While the Boston Globe may have participated in yellow journalism and certainly editorial malfeasance with the October 10th reporting, on August 15, no one had the slightest idea that Anna Borden might be a witness at the trial ten months later. The reporter would have had zero reason to even know her name and falsely connect it to Lizzie's July 30 visit to Marion (which we know occurred).

Boston Globe August 15, 1892. Page 3.
However, she (Lizzie) promised to join the cottage party from time to time, and on the 30th of July she and Miss Anna H. Borden, a Fall River friend, but not a relative, went over to Marion and spent the day with the ladies there.
There it was that their plans were made for her to come for several days, which she was to have done on the Monday following that bloody Thursday.

Fall River Globe June 14, 1893. Page 8.
Her sister, Emma, was over to see her yesterday morning, but came home on the midday train. Miss Anna Borden, who was said to have been the closest friend Lizzie had, was about the court house yesterday, and Chief Hilliard admitted that she had been summoned.

[Steveads2004]

I have been "off the case" for a bit so excuse me for my ignorance of this topic. IIRC Anna Borden was Lizzies friend that she went to visit in Marion. Was this the person that destroyed the letter that Lizzie had written shortly after she was accused? Why would Lizzie have such an extreme emotional reaction to her being called as a witness, and why did she not testify?

[camgarsky4]

Hi! Welcome back!

You are likely thinking of Elizabeth Johnston, who received a letter from Lizzie while Elizabeth was in Marion. Reports are that she destroyed the letter after being told by Jennings that she did not have to tell Officer Medley what the letter stated. Medley included in the witness statements the information about Jennings and Elizabeth not choosing to disclose the contents of the letter. The destruction of the letter is known via newspaper reports, so is less definitive.

Anna Borden was being asked to testify about comments which Lizzie purportedly said to her during the Europe trip. The defense objected under the grounds that the trip was 2 years before the murders and therefore should be excluded. The judge agreed and Anna did not have to complete her testimony.

Why Lizzie so visibly reacted to Anna's appearance on the witness stand is the question. Apparently it was so obvious that many reporters noticed. Since this seems to have been an outlier behavior on Lizzie's part, it does make it a highly interesting question to ponder.

[Steveads2004]

Thank you camgarsky4! That explains that and answers my question! I wonder what Anna had on Lizzie to make her react like that!

[camgarsky4]

Focusing on Anna & Lizzie's time together in Europe, based on the newspaper articles pasted below, indications are that Anna and Carrie Borden broke away from Lizzie and Ellen Shove early on, to join Lizzie Brayton (whose home eventually became the Fall River Historical Society) and Miss Mowry (high school French teacher) in visiting Norway and Sweden. Since Miss Mowry returned from Europe in early September, that would imply that Ms. Brayton and the Borden sisters likely rejoined Lizzie Borden on the European continent for the final two months of the adventure and then returned together on the same steamship.

Miss Mowry resigned her position as French teacher a couple weeks after Lizzie and groups return in early November.

In addition to the newspaper reports below, Parallel Lives pages 242-246 provide itinerary details for Lizzie's travels. It does not note Lizzie as visiting Sweden and Norway.

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[Kat]

Well done with news research! I think Lizzie had her pride, and ashamed of being on trial. This is a Victorian woman who wished for the status due her in society, and here she is incarcerated, being ogled by the public and written about by newspaper men, sweaty in June, probably had gained weight, could not possibly keep up with her appearance under jailhouse conditions.
Ducking behind the fan- that’s actually one of the reasons ladies carried a fan…

The trip to Europe probably changed Lizzie remarkably- and part of the proof are these pictures, and another part would be her being granted the bigger bedroom at home.
BTW, Lizzie’s swoon in court was said to be at the end of an attorney’s oration- she was not in the courtroom when the skulls were, or the casts of the skulls, rather.

After reading about Miss Mowry changing schools, maybe a European Tour changed her too- seeking an Academy position? That’s interesting.

IMG_3380.jpeg

Kind of *Before* and *After*- Wow

So, she has Continental polish now, a smattering of different languages probably, more confidence, an exposure to fashion…these are the things she wanted to create her metamorphosis- she arrives home, and then…what? She has a bigger room, she’s talked herself out describing her trip, but Fall River is the same, the friends are of old, the parents are the same, the family is the same…she has changed but they haven’t. That’s disappointment and frustration…

[camgarsky4]

Thanks for the correction on the skull swooning....I have edited my opening post to remove that reference.

[camgarsky4]

Lizzie was on trial for a capital crime. If her only reason for evading eye contact w/ Anna Borden was social embarrassment, that would be remarkable. Anna was apparently willing to share a confidential conversation or lie about Lizzie. What she tells the jury might result in either a lifelong prison sentence, or more likely, being executed.

The late Victorian age certainly had many social parameters that strike us as odd. If that was the reason Lizzie avoided eye contact, this would certainly be an example.