Bring back my Emma to me....

[Haulover]

***We need to see not only the schedules in effect on August 4th but also Dr. Bowen's telegram to Emma telling her the trains to take. Since he said he returned to his home to check the train schedules I'm assuming he included the details in his telegram.***

that's another good point.

in all probability she got home as quickly as she could.

if there was a direct route that day at 12:30 -- if emma got the message around 11:30, i don't think she could have actually readied herself and been on that train at 12:30 -- anyway. 1892 AND gender?

i've been watching "gunsmoke" every morning at 6:00 am -- matt would have been on a horse immediately and beat the 11:30 train; maybe miss kitty could do it.

[FairhavenGuy]

Just so we can see the routes.

RED is the route Emma took home via Taunton.

BLUE is the New Bedford to Fall River line.

The yellowish color is the line from Myricks to Fall River.



New Bedford to Taunton is the oldest route, beginning July 1, 1840.

Fall River to Myricks was added in 1845.

Fall River to Taunton, through Dighton, was added sometime after 1845.

The direct New Bedford to Fall River line was added about 1875.

[Susan]

Thanks, Chris. So, did the New Bedford line actually stop just outside of Fall River or is that some sort of map typo? I'm thinking whether Emma took the red route or blue route, she probably would hire a carriage to get her home. But, were those carriages like taxis today? Pay for the amount of the trip or was there just a flat fee to hire one? It may have influenced her choice of what line to take.

[FairhavenGuy]

The New Bedford line went right into Fall River. After passing through Westport, it crosses between North and South Watuppa ponds, as Route 6 and I-195 do today. The tracks, I think, are still there. A modern map shows train tracks ending at Plymouth Ave. less than a 1/2 mile from Second Street. That is, in fact, closer to the Borden House than the train tracks from the Fall River to Taunton line, which run along the Taunton River. In Rebello (page 569) a map shows the Bowenville Depot in the north part of Fall River close to where the Taunton and Myricks lines branch. That's a lot farther from 92 Second Street than the New Bedford line.

[Kat]

Christopher is right in what he says about needing exact info for the day. We were offering alternative ways of looking at Emma's reason for coming into town at the time she did- within reason.
I would think that trains ran schedules which were most closely geared to their client's needs. I don't think there would be a huge difference in the times, except for otherwise adding another run as demand dictated. I also think that once the shedule was made, people would then depend on that so big changes would be bad for business.

It's just an alternative view which might exonorate Emma's character. Personally, I think she would head back as soon as she could.
Now is the question why didn't she take a "cab" all the way?
It might be an interesting question and answer.

There were 3 RR stations in Fall River on the Boston line:
Bowenville, Wharf & Ferry Street, in 1889.

[Susan]

Sorry, I notice I didn't put it in my post, but, what I had meant was whatever station in Fall River that Emma ended at, she would have to hire a carriage to get her home. I'm thinking that if she packed a trunk and bags, she couldn't walk home with all that. That is an interesting idea, would it have been cheaper to hire a ride back home in a carriage vs. a train? Do we have prices for the train along with the schedules?

Thank you, Chris. I thought maybe the one train line ended sooner, hence a longer trip from the station to get to the Borden house.

[Kat]

Yes, I understood about the cab carrying luggage to the station and home from the station, but you also gave me the idea of a "stage" or other conveyance, horse-drawn, which might be quicker if not cheaper but probably not.
I wonder why Emma did not hire a ride/carriage?

Here is the Evening Standard ad for Old Colony RR, which FHG quoted. Here also is an ad for the stage. Dated August 5th, a Friday, 1892.

[Harry]

Let's not forget that when Lizzie was acquitted that's exactly what she did do -- hire a carriage. This is in Rebello, page 253+, and was taken from the Boston Daily Globe, dated 6-21-1893:

"Lizzie quietly left the court house for the stable with the assistance of her black coachman, Little Abram Lee. It was Mr. Lee who drove Lizzie to and from the court house during the trial. Reporters and the crowds assumed Lizzie was headed for the train station. At 5:32 p.m. Emma, Lizzie, Mr. and Mrs. Holmes, and Att. Robinson were on the rocky road from New Bedford to Fall River in Kirby & Hicks Stable's brand new landau. It was drawn by two black horses set off with gold mounted harnesses.
The first two miles was up and down hills and comparatively smooth traveling. The new landau traveled cautiously to avoid bumps from the construction of a new electric street railroad. In a little over an hour, they reached 67 Pine Street, the home of Mr. Charles J. Holmes to celebrate the verdict. The next morning Emma and Lizzie went to Second Street."

Gov. Robinson, did not accompany them to Fall River. They dropped him off at the Ash Street jail in New Bedford before proceeding.

Of course the "girls" were in the money then, while Emma in 1892 had to make do on her $4.00 a week allowance. I think the money would have been a non-issue if the seriousness of the situation was realized. Another reason to know what was in that telegram from Dr. Bowen.

[Susan]

Well, I tried to search for some prices for train vs. stage or carriage. I found 1884 prices for a train line to Boston:

The Boston & Albany, the New York & New England (soon to be called the New York, New Haven & Hartford) continued to operate trains over the B & A lines to Boston. As a result of this rail connection at the Highlands, the rail service through Upper Falls was very prosperous . The freight tonnage was heavy and the passenger traffic brisk, not only to Boston and return (especially of Saturdays) but between the villages as well. This was mainly because of commuters to the factories at Upper Falls and the knitting mills in Needham. The fare between stations was 5¢ for the round trip, Newton Highlands to Boston 25 ¢, and $16 for a three month 180 ride ticket from Upper Falls to Boston.

From this site:
http://www.channel1.com/users/hemlock/M ... tation.htm

I couldn't really find anything on stagecoach fares, but, I did find
this site that has info on Fall River in the past, not quite 1892, but, interesting nontheless.

http://www.sailsinc.org/durfee/phillips3-4.pdf

[wintressanna]

thanks for this info :)

[john]

"matt.........................be carefull."

[john]

if the telegram to emma just said somebody was "sick" at the house, as lizzie implied in her instructions to dr. bowen, emma might have known that anyway and been in no hurry to get back home. it must have said something more though because she did go pretty promptly.

[Kat]

Thanks Susan. That's from Phillips' History of Fall River. Stef just sent me 2 of those chapters from on-line within a month or so, though we have the books.

It's a PDF download, folks.

[Audrey]

In thinking of Emma's $4 a week allowance...

When you look at the prices Chris posted you can see that she had a generous allowance...

[Audrey]

Another thing I thought of...

I wonder if Emma ever thought Lizzie was a drama queen and paid little heed to the telegram.

I wonder if Dr. Bowen signed his own name or sent it in Lizzie's name???

[john]

dr. bowen didn't say. but copies were probably kept at the telegraph office, and possibly still are.

[Allen]

I have only been able to keep up with a few threads lately, but my homework is finally starting to slow down to a trickle .Soon it'll be Spring Break and doesn't that weeks vacation sound good! I have went back and read this thread from the beginning to make sure I was caught up and I have a few questions. May seem irrelevant but here they are:
Does anyone know how much it cost to send that telegram? Would the office that received it have retained a copy of its contents as well? And could the reason Emma did not rush back to Andrew's side if she believed he was sick, be because he had already been sick for a few days? Wasn't she aware of this? If she received the telegram from the Dr. Bowen could she have thought he was just trying to inform her of something she was already aware of if it was just worded that Andrew was "sick"?

[Audrey]

But, if she had known he had been ill to get a telegram from the family doctor should have struck terror into her-- if she cared about her father.

If she had NO prior knowledge as to what was going to happen-- and was 100% innocent in the deaths you would think she would have rushed to his side thinking he was seriously ill...

I don't think Ms Emma was the milquetoast she has been portrayed as...

[theebmonique]

Melissa,

Spring Break is always good. We teachers like it too. Are you going through a P.O.S.T. course, or are you going after a regular college degree ? Do you have to take general credit classes like English and such ?

Audrey,

I too think that if Emma were 100% innocent it would tend to make her want to hurry back. If she was even a bit aware of what might happen, I would think she may not feel as if she had to rush...but then if she didn't rush...how would that look ? I am still a bit on the fence about whether or not she 'hurried' back...and 'why/why not'.

Was Emma aware of Andrew and Abby being sick in the days prior to the murders...had Lizzie notified her...or had she gone to Fairhaven before all the sickness occured ?


Tracy...

[Allen]

Melissa,

Spring Break is always good. We teachers like it too. Are you going through a P.O.S.T. course, or are you going after a regular college degree ? Do you have to take general credit classes like English and such ?

Tracy...

When I am through with my current schooling I will have a bachelors degree in Criminal Justice. I planned on eventually going for my Masters. Yes, I do have to take core requirement classes, I think this is what you were referring to. I also enjoy those very much. Core requirements include College Composition I &II, Sociology, Psychology, Speech Communication (got used to giving speeches, but man were my palms sweaty),Statistics, and College Algebra.Then I have the criminal justice classes themselves. I also took classes that were not part of my course requirements,simply because I enjoyed them. These included a history class that covered the history of the United States, and a class dealing only with Shakespeare. I had Hamlet coming out of my ears by the end of the semester. That was my professor's favorite. Well anyway, I'm way off topic, but I enjoy talking about my classes because I enjoy going to school very much. It is one of the best things I have done for myself. . I apologize.

[FairhavenGuy]

We keep saying the telegram may have said Andrew was "ill" or "sick," so as not to shock poor Mrs. Brownell or Mrs. Delano (both of whom were up there in years.) But couldn't the message have said something like "You must return home soonest! Take 3:40 via Taunton." or "Urgent! Return on 3:40 train."

In the inquest interview, Bowen says he checked the railroad schedule and concluded Emma couldn't come on an earlier train. He probably noted the train time in the telegram.

[Smudgeman]

Yes, I believe Emma returned home as quickly as she could. But isn't it interesting that Lizzie didn't want to shock the elderly women, didn't want Bridget to see her Father, almost as if she already knew what the dead bodies looked like, just take my word, they are most certainly dead!

[john]

how do you know that mrs. brownell was elderly? the only estimate of her age at the time i've ever seen was that she was about 24 years old. further, lizzie said "there is 'an' elderly woman there," and she didn't want to alarm her, probably meaning mrs. delano. singularly, 'an.'
if emma's alibi was checked as thouroughly as the rest of the case, we probably don't know much about it.

[FairhavenGuy]

We know that Mrs. Rebecca (Delano) Brownell was 78. Her brother, shipbuilder Moses Delano, was 72. His wife Amanda F. Delano was 74.

Emma's friend was Miss Helen M. Brownell. She was a 54 year old dressmaker.

Moses was born July 21, 1820 in Rochester, MA. (Present-day Rochester, Mattapoisett or Marion)

Rebecca (Delano) Brownell was the widow of Capt. Allen Brownell (1801-1884). She was born Aug. 2, 1814, also in Rochester. She married Allen Brownell on October 19, 1837. Capt. Brownell died June 16, 1884. Rebecca died March 24, 1897, at age 82.


Rebecca and Moses Delano were siblings, children of Joshua and Eunice (Ellis) Delano.

Helen Mar Brownell was born in March 27, 1838. She was the third of five children, the others of whom had all died by 1892.

We know this from various Fairhaven records and genealogical research.

The whole gang of them is listed at 19 Green St. in the town's 1892 street directory. It was Moses Delano's house.

[Kat]

"the only estimate of her age at the time i've ever seen was that she was about 24 years old."--john

Do you know where you got that information from?
____________

Evening Standard,Aug. 5th, 1892

..."It is now ascertained that Miss Emma Borden, a daughter of Mr. Andrew J. Borden, one of the victims of the Fall River tragedy, was visiting the widow of Alan Brownell of Fairhaven, who resides in the east part of the town. She returned to Fall River yesterday. Miss Borden has many acquaintances in this city."
.......

--Emma may have not even been at the home of her hosts when the telegram came.

_______

Also, About Lizzie's letter and the illness of the elder Bordens. Here is something from the Evening Standard, Aug. 24th:

"Fall River, Aug. 24. --- It transpires that at the coming trial of Lizzie Borden, her letter-writing will form a feature of the evidence both for the State and the defence. The prisoner has told an intimate friend since her arrest the story of a letter which she wrote to her sister Emma, who was at the time visiting in Fairhaven. The letter was mailed two days before, and reached its destination one day before the murder. It contained a description of a singular experience which Lizzie said she had the Monday night before the murder. She was on her way to the house, according to the letter, at about 8 o'clock in the evening, and upon entering the side gate she saw a suspicious character in the back yard. The man ran at sight of her, and this action of his created much uneasiness in Lizzie's mind. She could not rest without making further inquiry into the matter, so she watched the yard from the upper window of her room, and saw what she concluded was the same man walking through the yard. It was dark and she could not give a good description of him. From the other things she saw, Lizzie concluded that the house was being shadowed.

The circumstances as above related were told in the letter which Lizzie wrote the next morning and mailed to Emma at Fairhaven. Emma thought the matter rather strange and she showed the letter to several persons there who read it and who, it is said, are willing to testify to its contents. Emma then destroyed the letter.

The matter first came out at the inquest when the district attorney asked Lizzie if she had seen any suspicious characters about the house. To this question Lizzie replied that she had not on the day of the murder, but that she had on Monday night. Then she told the story of the letter which has since been investigated by the police and proven to be in the main correct."

--It's possible, if Lizzie wrote to Emma on Monday evening and the letter was sent on Tuesday, and received on Wednesday, then Lizzie may not have written Emma again until the Wednesday- which was mailed on Thursday morning. Therefore, since the Bordens were sick Tuesday night and Wednesday, Emma probably did not know about it. It seems Lizzie wrote about a Monday night prowler- and the Thursday letter which was returned may have had the illness info in it. Chances are Emma did not know that Andrew and Abby were sick, unless she had some prior knowledge and in on the upcoming crime.

[Kat]

Then Emma's hosts are interviewed by the paper:

Evening Standard
Thursday, August 25, 1892 Page 8

"From Yesterdays Third Edition.

LIZZIE BORDEN'S LETTER.

Emma Friends in Fairhaven
Seen This Afternoon.

Mrs. Allen Brownell No Recollection
of the Circumstance Related.

The Missive May Have Been Shown
to Her Daughter.

Immediately upon the receipt of news from the Standard's special correspondent in Fall River in relation to the singular experience of Lizzie Borden as related by her at the inquest, given on the first page, a Standard reporter called at the residence of Mrs. Allen Brownell on Green street in Fairhaven, where Emma Borden was on a visit to Miss Helen Brownell, a daughter of Mrs. Brownell above named. Unfortunately Miss Brownell was not in town, and when the newspaper man stated that he had called for the purpose of ascertaining as to the truth of the alleged statement of Miss Borden that she had shown such a letter to her friends in Fairhaven, Mrs. Brownell said she could not say whether she had or not. She certainly had not shown such a letter to her, and she could not say whether Emma had shown such a letter to her daughter or not. She remembered that Miss Borden had had several letters during her visit, but could not remember whether she received one the day previous to the murder or not.

When asked if her daughter would not have been likely to have mentioned the fact if such a letter had been shown, Mrs. Brownell replied, 'Yes, I think she would.'

In speaking of the tragedy, Mrs. Brownell did not hesitate to speak strongly in support of Lizzie's innocence. She said that both of the girls always spoke in endearing terms of their father. Emma, she stated, had intended to remain in Fairhaven all Summer."

--OK, who do you trust?

[Susan]

Thanks, Kat, interesting find. If that newspaper article is right about Lizzie's letter, she notified Emma about strange, shadowy men about the house, but, she didn't notify Andrew as far as we know, how strange.

[john]

"the only estimate of her age at the time i've ever seen was that she was about 24 years old."--john

Do you know where you got that information from?
--kat

yes, but i don't at this time have the source - more to follow...

[Kat]

inquest
Lizzie
A. About two weeks ago—
Q. Was you going to tell the occurrence about the man that called at the house?
A. No, sir. It was after my sister went away. I came home from Miss Russell's one night, and as I came up, I always glanced towards the side door as I came along by the carriage way, I saw a shadow on the
91 (48)

side steps. I did not stop walking, but I walked slower. Somebody ran down the steps, around the east end of the house. I thought it was a man, because I saw no skirts, and I was frightened, and of course I did not go around to see. I hurried in the front door as fast as I could and locked it.
Q. What time of night was that?
A. I think about quarter of 9; it was not after 9 o'clock, anyway.
Q. Do you remember what night that was?
A. No, sir; I don't. I saw somebody run around the house once before last winter.
Q. One thing at a time. Do you recollect about how long ago that last occurrence was?
A. It was after my sister went away. She has been away two weeks today, so it must have been within two weeks.
Q. Two weeks today? Or two weeks at the time of the murder?
A. Is not today Thursday?
Q. Yes, but I thought you said she was gone two weeks the day of the murder?
A. Is not today Thursday?
Q. Yes, but that would be three weeks. I thought you said the day your father was murdered she had been away just two weeks?
A. Yes, she had.
Q. Then it would be three weeks today your sister went away, a week has elapsed?
A. Yes, it would be three weeks.
Q. You mean it was sometime within the two weeks that your sister was away?
A. Yes. I had forgotten that a whole week had passed since the affair.
Q. Different from that you cannot state?
A. No, sir; I don't know what the date was.
Q. This form when you first saw it was on the steps of the backdoor?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Went down the rear steps?
A. Went down towards the barn.
Q. Around the back side of the house?
A. Disappeared in the dark; I don't know where they went.
Q. Have you ever mentioned that before?
A. Yes, sir; I told Mr. Jennings.
Q. To any officer?
A. I don't think I have, unless I told Mr. Hanscomb.
Q. What was you going to say about last winter?
A. Last winter when I was coming home from church one Thursday evening I saw somebody run around the house again. I told my father of that.
Q. Did you tell your father of this last one?
A. No, sir.
Q. Of course you could not identify who it was either time?
A. No, I could not identify who it was, but it was not a very tall person.
--
You're right, Susan. Lizzie did not tell her father about the recent prowler- but supposedly she told Emma!? What's the point in that? Especially if Emma destroyed the letter!
Sounds fishy...

[Susan]

And Lizzie also told Alice Russell about it, why not notify her father?

Trial Volume 1, page 378, Alice Russell:

"She told me of seeing a man run around the house one night when she went home. I have forgotten where she had been."

Hmmm, thats odd, considering Lizzie had said this happened one night on the way home from Alice's house. The whole thing is weird. [/i]

[Kat]

Something just occured to me. If the object was to expedite Emma's return from Fairhaven, wouldn't it have been simpler (and faster) to have Marshal Hilliard telephone the Fairhaven police, explain the situation, and have them get hold of Emma rather than depending on Bowen and the telegraph?

Found an interesting item in The Fall River Globe, Aug. 8, 1892:

[This was Monday, supposedly. There were still officers around keeping order in the street.]

"Mr. Morse came to the front door and asked for a hack. On being told that there was none handy he walked across the road to Dr. Bowen's and used a telephone. The police ended their search in the house at 11:30 o'clock and going to the barn began ripping up floors and examining everything closely."

[FairhavenGuy]

In 1892, Fairhaven didn't really have a police department. There were some constables appointed by the Selectmen. Fairhaven didn't even have a Town Hall in 1892--the cornerstone for Town Hall was laid in May 1892 and the building was dedicated in February of 1894. Before Town Hall, public officials used their personal offices for conducting business.

We had had phones in town since 1880, but I have no idea who might have had them.

In 1892, I'm really not sure how one would call "the police," in Fairhaven. But I guess the local telephone operator might have known who to put the call through to.

[Harry]

Thanks Chris, that's the kind of useful information that makes it easier to understand Emma's trip back.

A pat on the back to Doug65oh for even thinking of it. That possibility had never been considered before.

There doesn't appear to be any attempt to contact Emma other than Dr. Bowen's telegraph.

Dr. Bowen, when he checked the train schedule, must have realized the circuitous route and length of time involved in her return. He could have sent his own driver and carriage for her.

[Kat]

Do we think Dr. Bowen had a telephone?
It's worded in such a way that it could be an assumption on (my?) part- the meaning of the phrase is ambiguous:

he walked across the road to Dr. Bowen's and used a telephone

He walked across the road-- and used a telephone.

It doesn't really say he used Dr. Bowen's telephone...

[FairhavenGuy]

Kat, based on what I know of Fairhaven's earliest phones, it seems that doctors were among the first to have phones. In Fairhaven, Dr. George Atwood, the general practioner in the center of town, was among the first to have a phone. The drug store was another early telephone location.

I would guess that someone of Dr. Bowen's status would have had a telephone by 1892.

[diana]

Regarding whether Dr. Bowen had a telephone. In his trial testimony there is this:

"Q. When was the autopsy or official examination for the purpose of getting at the cause of death made on the body of Mr. Borden?
A. I had the telephone message to be there at 3 o'clock."

This doesn't say for sure that he had a telephone in his home, of course. He could get his messages from another source. But, like Chris, I'm inclined to think that because he was a doctor, he would have been one of the few to have a telephone.

In the witness statements, Lucy Collett says she was telephoned at home by Dr. Chagnon's clerk and asked to attend to the Chagnon house while they were away. So both Dr. Chagnon and Dr. Collett had telephones.

[Kat]

Thanks you guys. This is news to me.
I wonder why the police went around the corner to Spring Street to use the phone?
I also wonder if Bowen telephoned for the train schedule when he stopped back home?? And why can't they take a telegram from him over the phone? As a Doctor, he might even have an account at the telegraph company!

[diana]

At the Preliminary hearing, Bowen says: "As I was going out, Miss Lizzie asked me if I would not telephone or telegraph to her sister. I said I would do anything for her that I could." I can see why he would telegraph rather than telephone Emma -- there may not have been a phone where she was staying.

But that's a good point, Kat. If he did have a phone in his house, why wouldn't he just call and dictate the message to the telegraph office?

At the inquest he did say he had to pay for the dispatch. So perhaps that was the reason he did it in person?

[Kat]

As a doctor, he may have a running credit account at the telegraph office. In his line of business, he probably sent a lot of telegrams. I think people did have credit accounts back then?

OMG- he could have called anyone! This is getting more complicated!

[Allen]

Did the friends Emma was staying with have a phone? I know it was uncommon, but just a thought.

[Kat]

I'm beginning to wonder if telegraming was cheaper than phoning?

Recall in The Knowlton Papers they were always telegraming each other, Pillsbury and Knowlton and everybody making and breaking appointments. Or they would say please telegram or call...didn't they? They had a choice. We're lucky to read some of these- a phone call might have left no notation.

[Audrey]

He may have wanted to appear in public, ie- the telegraph office as a sort of "celebrity". He had some HOT news/gossip and was eager to be the man of the hour???

[FairhavenGuy]

I don't think it will be possible at this date to determine whether or not 19 Green Street, Fairhaven, had a telephone in August 1892. I know of no directory available for that time. One might scan some social notes in the Fairhaven STAR for a note, but after the first few people were hooked up in 1880, I doubt that would be considered very newsworthy.

The phones I know of are just Dr. George Atwood, druggist Levi Snow, Cyrus Hunt of the Atlas Tack Company, and Mrs. Mary Rogers, the mother of Standard Oil Company millionaire Henry H. Rogers. (They say Henry used to call his mother daily from his office in New York.)

[Harry]

We know that Dr. Bowen also stopped at the drugstore after sending the telegram. To pick up medicine? Morphine? Bromo caffeine?

Or to make a telphone call? Arnold Brown's book (page 159, paperback) has this:

"Unlike the Borden house, Dr. Bowen's house had a telephone. If nothing else, its use could have served as an alibi or an excuse had he been pressed for why he went there first. He was never pressed, and so the alibi was never used. Remember, in those days all telephone calls went through switchboards and were placed by operators with memories and billing pads in which each and every call was recorded for charges. However, calls to Western Union were made direct and were gratis. Public telephones, being prepaid, had less switchboard memory, but were far more scarce in those days than they are today. Baker's drug store had a public telephone. (The newspapers will tell you about a telephone call later. It was not to Miss Emma. All those in a position to check seem to agree that Miss Emma received the telegram he promised Miss Lizzie he would send. Emma arrived home about seven hours after the telegram was sent. This delay was never questioned.)
Dr. Bowen was never asked or questioned about the Samuel Flint whom he met and talked to at the drugstore. "

Of course, Brown's book has conspiracies a-plenty and should be looked at in that light. He also has no footnotes or supporting references for these claims of telephones at Baker's and Dr. Bowen's.

[diana]

There were a lot of telegrams back and forth in those days; maybe because phones were still few and far between. And it's possible that lawyers may have been more comfortable keeping their communications in written form and thus able to be referenced -- having dealt with issues in this way for years.

I'm just speculating here -- but looking at Dr. Bowen's inquest testimony, I'm wondering if he did go into Baker's drugstore for any reason other than to share his news with a friend. He must have been bursting to tell someone. Maybe he saw Flint standing on the street and knew him well enough to confide in him.

Although his first answer sounds as if he was inside the drug store when he saw Samuel Flint -- he follows this up by saying that Flint was "stood at the corner". I'm wondering if he saw Flint standing on the corner as he left the telegraph office, and took him inside the drugstore to convey the news because it was too noisy or too public to tell him outside?

"Q. Who was the first person you notified of the thing?
A. The first I spoke was in Baker’s drug store, Samuel Flint was in the store, stood at the corner, I told him Mr. Borden was murdered.

Q. That was on your first visit down town?
A. I went directly from the telegraph office right to the store across the street.

Q. You wrote a dispatch there?
A. I wrote a dispatch, and paid for it, and sent it. . . .

. . . Q. After writing the dispatch you told Mr. Flint?
A. Yes. I went directly across South Main street. I was well acquainted with Mr. Flint, and I told him about it, and then left him and got into the carriage and drove back again to the Borden house, and went in a second time."

[FairhavenGuy]

Perhaps it's stereotypical, but the idea of busybody telephone operators listening in on conversations might have swayed some folks from using the phone for particularly confidential information. With the old phone system before the days of direct dial (around 1940 in these parts) you might not have known who could be listening in on your conversation. (Actually even today you can never be sure. . .)

Might telegraph operators have been considered less likely leak news?

[Susan]

I think thats a valid point about the phones and party lines. Though the town knew quick enough what was going on at the Borden home, Dr. Bowen may have wanted to keep the private message to Emma as private as possible.

[Kat]

So do you'all think a telegram cost about as much as a phone call back then? I wonder if Bowen ever got re-imbursed?

[Susan]

I searched high and low and couldn't come up with any exact prices for an 1892 phone call vs. a telegram, but, from what I could find, the telegram sounds cheaper.

1866-1900: Western Union's Dominance
The period from 1866 through the turn of the century was the apex of Western Union's power. Yearly messages sent over its lines increased from 5.8 million in 1867 to 63.2 million in 1900. Over the same period, transmission rates fell from an average of $1.09 to 30 cents per message. Even with these lower prices, roughly 30 to 40 cents of every dollar of revenue were net profit for the company. Western Union faced three threats during this period: increased government regulation, new entrants into the field of telegraphy, and new competition from the telephone. The last two were the most important to the company's future profitability.

From this site: http://www.eh.net/encyclopedia/?article ... graphic.us


In the last year of Bell's patent monopoly (1894), telephone service cost $50 to $150 per year in most cities, and as much as $250 per year in Chicago or New York. The average non-farm worker in 1893 earned just $450 per year. Even a doctor or lawyer making ten times that amount might think twice before installing a home telephone.

From this site: http://www.thebhc.org/publications/BEHo ... ougall.pdf


Even in the earliest days of telephones and telegraphs, people were concerned about wiretapping. In the 1860s, before the modern telephone was even invented, many state courts in the United States enacted statutes that prohibited anybody from listening in on telegraph communication. By the 1890s, the modern telephone was in widespread use -- and so was wiretapping. From that time on, it has been illegal in the United States for an unauthorized person to listen in on somebody else's private phone conversation.

From this site: http://people.howstuffworks.com/wiretapping4.htm

[john]

Audrey is the best of mesegerees by much.