Lizzie Borden Society Forum

Sorry- I just had to post this!
I'm looking at a Florida Design magazine and came across these special toilets.
I saw this bejeweled one and thought of Lizbeth!
I went to the website and grabbed a couple to show you'all! Swarovski crystals!

Wowweee!

Talk about sitting on the throne!!! They've come along way, but still pretty much keep the same shape, don't they?

I wonder if any of Lizabeth's toilets are still in Maplecroft.

shakiboo @ Mon Jun 18, 2007 4:23 am wrote:Talk about sitting on the throne!!! They've come along way, but still pretty much keep the same shape, don't they?

LOL. Good one, shakiboo.

Lizzie takes it everywhere!

Good one, Kat! When I first saw the silver crystal toilet, I thought the seat was encrusted with gems too, ouch! Seriously, though, they seem totally in line with Lizzie's taste for the best and most expensive. Wonder if they come in a gold tone version?

Fargo @ Mon Jun 18, 2007 9:21 am wrote:I wonder if any of Lizabeth's toilets are still in Maplecroft.

I wonder what is left of Lizzie at Maplecroft!?
The news article of when the Silvias were selling the place back in 1980 say that the Mrs. was going to take a mantle when they moved.

I seem to recall when Mr. Dube's son, Mike, joined us for a short while said that there were some Lizzie items up in the attic of Maplecroft still. What those items are is anyone's guess. Hmmm, that reminded me, didn't we see an eBay sale for Lizzie's clothes dryer in the past? It was some sort of wooden clothes rack sort of thing that I assume was from Maplecroft?

But, do they flush!

One of my customers had two toilets in the bathroom facing each other so the husband and wife could talk while they were...

I often wonder if "famous" people take their toilet seats with them when they sell their houses? I got that idea when I read of Naomi Judd one day, when she worked as a real estate assistant, sat down on Paul Newman's toilet lid and squealed under her breath, "I'm sitting on Cool Hand Luke's throne!" Could you imagine your toilet seat showing up on eBay?

Thank you for those photos, Kat. Now I know how the rich do it.

-1bigsteve (o:

Susan @ Tue Jun 19, 2007 4:20 pm wrote:I seem to recall when Mr. Dube's son, Mike, joined us for a short while said that there were some Lizzie items up in the attic of Maplecroft still. What those items are is anyone's guess. Hmmm, that reminded me, didn't we see an eBay sale for Lizzie's clothes dryer in the past? It was some sort of wooden clothes rack sort of thing that I assume was from Maplecroft?

I don't remember seeing Lizzie's clothes rack but I would like to know what all she left behind at Maplecroft and the murder house. You can tell a lot about a person by the stuff they own. Of course it is so easy to pick up something at an antique store for a song and place it on eBay as Lizzie's for mega bucks.

-1bigsteve (o:

Susan @ Tue Jun 19, 2007 8:20 pm wrote:I seem to recall when Mr. Dube's son, Mike, joined us for a short while said that there were some Lizzie items up in the attic of Maplecroft still. What those items are is anyone's guess. Hmmm, that reminded me, didn't we see an eBay sale for Lizzie's clothes dryer in the past? It was some sort of wooden clothes rack sort of thing that I assume was from Maplecroft?

Here's the topic about the clothes rack. Leave it to Harry to have started that one!
The link is gone tho- too old.
I'm pretty sure someone *saved* the picture tho.
http://lizzieandrewborden.com/Archive20 ... Sdryer.htm

Here's Lizzie's clothes rack from that EBay auction.

That is an oldie. I've never seen one like that. I'll add that photo to my collection.

-1bigsteve (o:

WOW! HARRY, thanks for the memory. My mom had one just like that in the kitchen. You would slide the rack up on its rail, which was bolted to the wall, and the rack would lift out and spread out like a fan. Mom used it to dry clothes near the kitchen stove. I remember they were all over when I was a child...........

Thanks, Kat and Harry, thats the one. Its great that Stefani thought to copy the description, the wording is tricky(or should that be Trickey?). It states that it was in Borden's home from 1897 to 1927, but as Stefani pointed out, which Borden home? 92 Second Street or Maplecroft? Didn't the girls sell the old house in 1902 or something? Despite that, it would still be considered the Borden home. But, would the new owners, at the time, of #92 have gotten rid of the clothes dryer the year Lizzie died?

Makes me wonder what other treasures of Lizzie's are still in the attic of Maplecroft? Yes, she left her diamond jewelry and expensive rugs and such to people. But, there may be more mundane, everyday items that weren't worth anything then, but, would have us squealing with delight to see now.

Thanks Har! Yay!

According to Rebello's book, Lizzie Borden Past & Present, pg. 594, the house on Second Street was sold to John W. Dunn,June 15, 1918.

And now we also recall that Lizzie's burial instructions were dated March 1919.
Maybe she was ill then? Maybe a bad gallbladder attack? Sells Second Street and makes burial arrangements?
Poor Lizzie.

Hey, if you really want one, there is one on auction on EBay right now. Starting bid only $9.99.

http://tinyurl.com/3xckdq

Thanks for the info, Kat. I don't know where that year came from in my mind? Your idea of illness sounds plausible, it does seem so odd that Lizzie and Emma would hang onto that house for that long only to sell it then.

It got me wondering about wills and following Rebello's Land Transaction Timeline we see that Emma signed her will November, 1920. But Lizzie did not sign hers until January, 1926 (R594).

What I was wondering was if Lizzie had been ill, did she make a will during that 1918-1919 period. I mean why would she give burial instructions without having a will?

Now I'm wondering if she had one, only to destroy it later and make a new one? And then I started to think about whether Lizzie seemed the *type* to make new wills all the time?

I would put my money on Lizzie making a will in/before 1918. I can't imagine her not having one. Wealthy people make and keep wills more than the average person. One reason is because the rich don't like the idea of the public knowing that they died intestate. Image means a lot to the wealthy, especially in Lizzie's day. Having a will also gives a comfortable feeling to a person.

I think Lizzie had a will made when she got the money. I think her father had one too when he died.

-1bigsteve (o:

Well, one thing going on in this country in 1918 was a pandemic of Spanish Influenza and people were dropping like flies everywhere. It would have been a smart move to think about making a will and getting one's assets in order. Here is an excellent article on the horror in this country.

http://virus.stanford.edu/uda/

Shelley, that would certainly make sense. It's hard for us to realize how devastating that Spanish flu epidemic was. I'm sure a lot of people were very alarmed.

Boston was particularly hard-hit due to its port. Yes, I had no idea until I read that link above just how devastating the influenza was in this country. There have been comparisons recently with the bird flu scare.
Lawyers were making a good income I bet, putting people's affairs in order! There was no knowing when and how it would strike. The story of the four ladies playing cards, with three dying of the influenza before the evening was over was an eye-opener!

Perhaps Lizzies "burial instructions" in 1918 was a "quick off-the-cuff remark" that was the direct result of her fear of dying from the flu before she could get to her lawyer's office to make a will, if it was hitting people that fast. She may have just wanted someone to know what to do about her body in the event that she drops dead all of a sudden.

-1bigsteve (o:

I would not be surprised Steve. After going through the horrors of WWI, how tragic to have to endure another horror of this magnitude, spread in large part as a result of troop movements in WWI and returning troops.

I have studied the lives of many Titanic passengers over the years and none is so sad as Col. Archibald Gracie who survived the sinking by a miracle, spent the night waiting for rescue on that upside down collapsible lifeboat only to die nine months later, after finishing his Truth ABout The Titanic. His daughter died in an elevator crash in Manhattan and his other daughter died in 1918- of Spanish Influenza. The flu struck poor and rich alike. People were wearing face masks over their mouths in the streets. I wonder if Lizzie did?

Here's a worthless but wacky bit of personal family trivia Shelley. When it was out sister and her daughter went to the movies to see Titanic 25 times.

The burial instructions were 1919. Tracy posted them at the "Lizzie's Funeral" topic area in the Lizzie Borden section:




What I was thinking of is the kind of melodramatic spinster who keeps her friends and family and servants close by a kind of psychological manipulation by claiming they will be in her will or are now written out of her will- it's a control thing.
That's what I was wondering.

I wanted to revive this topic so ya'll could get Lizbeth's handwritten burial instructions.
It's the post just above this one.
Click on the pic and can save it for your files.