Lizzie's novelist friend?

This the place to have frank, but cordial, discussions of the Lizzie Borden case

Moderator: Adminlizzieborden

Post Reply
User avatar
Harry
Posts: 4061
Joined: Thu Dec 04, 2003 4:28 pm
Real Name: harry
Location: South Carolina

Lizzie's novelist friend?

Post by Harry »

The Source book (page 345) has a newspaper article covering an interview with Nance O'Neil dated June 4, 1927 from the New Bedford Standard. In part it says:

"... Miss Borden was accustomed to come frequently to Boston, to the Bellevue, to enjoy plays and concerts, and the company of a few friends, among whom Miss O'Neil recalls Mrs. Mary A. Livermore, and a brilliant woman novelist and her husband, who were not merely friends, but warm companions of Lizzie Borden. ..."

Any idea of whom this woman novelist could have been?
I know I ask perfection of a quite imperfect world
And fool enough to think that's what I'll find
User avatar
Susan
Posts: 2361
Joined: Thu Apr 22, 2004 10:26 pm
Real Name:
Location: California

Post by Susan »

Too bad the article doesn't mention the timeline to which Nance is referring. There was Edith Wharton who was married and fits in the time frame from after Lizzie's aquittal. But, she divorced her husband in 1913 after he had a nervous breakdown. So far, that is the only woman writer I could find that might fit the bill, I'm sure there are others.
“Sometimes when we are generous in small, barely detectable ways it can change someone else's life forever.”-Margaret Cho comedienne
mbhenty
Posts: 4427
Joined: Wed Feb 15, 2006 1:20 am
Real Name:

Post by mbhenty »

:smile:

Yes Harry! Here's a possibility.

Below is a collectable book right from Lizzie Borden's personal library. Though not signed or initialed by Lizzie it is inscribed to Lizzie by the author. The question is how well she knew the author Huntington Smith.

Huntington Smith, who's real name was Anna Harris Smith was the founder of the Boston Animal Rescue where she was president for almost 30 years. Originally she worked with her husband as a journalist at his paper in Boston called the Beacon. Anna was a humanist working with a society that visited and assisted the needy. So she was quite the person.

Now whether she was friends with Lizzie I don't know but it was probably very likely. At the very least Mrs Huntington Smith met Lizzie and inscribed her book to her.

So, can this be the novelist the paper is speaking of? Mrs. Huntington Smith was from Boston and the paper mentions Lizzie and Boston etc.

So, this could be a possibility.

Mrs Huntington Smith's book takes on an entire new value. Not only is it inscribed by the author, but to Lizzie no less.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
mbhenty
Posts: 4427
Joined: Wed Feb 15, 2006 1:20 am
Real Name:

Post by mbhenty »

:smile:

Here you go Harry.

I just discovered another connection between Lizzie and the author Huntington Smith. It appears that Mrs Smith purchased the land for the Pine Ridge Pet Cemetery in Dedham, Ma., where Lizzie's dogs are buried.
User avatar
snokkums
Posts: 2545
Joined: Sat Jan 08, 2005 10:09 am
Gender: Female
Real Name: Robin
Location: fayetteville nc,but from milwaukee
Contact:

Post by snokkums »

Here is what I found out about Mary A Livermore. Mostly personal stuff.

Mary A Livermore was an American journalist, philanthropist, and leaturer during the 19th century. During the Civil War, she worked in hospitals, was a correspondant for several journals, an author and edited her husbands newspaper.

She was born in Boston December 19 1820 and graduated from the Boston Public Schools and then attended Female Seminary in Charleston Mass. She graduated after 2 years instead of the alloted 4 and joined the teaching stafff teaching Latin and English.

When the Civil War broke out Mary went to the front lines as a nurse and was often under fire.

Some other stuff I read I gather she and her husband lived in Chicago and did traveling and leaturing.

That's about all I could get.
Suicide is painless It brings on many changes and I will take my leave when I please.
User avatar
snokkums
Posts: 2545
Joined: Sat Jan 08, 2005 10:09 am
Gender: Female
Real Name: Robin
Location: fayetteville nc,but from milwaukee
Contact:

Post by snokkums »

Oh, should have put this in my last post. If you plug in her name and hit the google search button, you might find out more than I did.

Good luck with it Harry!
Suicide is painless It brings on many changes and I will take my leave when I please.
User avatar
kssunflower
Posts: 545
Joined: Mon Dec 31, 2007 5:31 pm
Gender: Female
Real Name: Cindy
Location: Kansas City

Post by kssunflower »

Huntington Smith was Anna's husband and a director with the Rescue League, so this was probably the couple Nance was referring to.
User avatar
Harry
Posts: 4061
Joined: Thu Dec 04, 2003 4:28 pm
Real Name: harry
Location: South Carolina

Post by Harry »

mbhenty @ Tue Feb 03, 2009 12:23 am wrote::smile:

Here you go Harry.

I just discovered another connection between Lizzie and the author Huntington Smith. It appears that Mrs Smith purchased the land for the Pine Ridge Pet Cemetery in Dedham, Ma., where Lizzie's dogs are buried.
Wow, great finds, MB! You've had your Sherlock Holmes hat on. Image

It would certainly be a possibility. Their common concern for animals would probably have led to a friendship or at least brought them into contact.

Again, GREAT finds!
I know I ask perfection of a quite imperfect world
And fool enough to think that's what I'll find
User avatar
Harry
Posts: 4061
Joined: Thu Dec 04, 2003 4:28 pm
Real Name: harry
Location: South Carolina

Post by Harry »

Susan & Snokkums, thanks for the input.

It's great when fellow forum members participate!Image
I know I ask perfection of a quite imperfect world
And fool enough to think that's what I'll find
User avatar
Harry
Posts: 4061
Joined: Thu Dec 04, 2003 4:28 pm
Real Name: harry
Location: South Carolina

Post by Harry »

I know I ask perfection of a quite imperfect world
And fool enough to think that's what I'll find
mbhenty
Posts: 4427
Joined: Wed Feb 15, 2006 1:20 am
Real Name:

Post by mbhenty »

:smile:

Yes Harry!

The book "Four Footed Friends" at one time was in the hands of a small child with a crayon. A couple of pages, including the front cover, has scribbling in crayon.

I like to think that this was done at Maplecroft, that Lizzie had a tiny visitor and gave her/he the book to play with, but this is very unlikely and not the facts. This would mean that Lizzie kept crayons. Don't know about that?

But I chose to believe it, and it will be my little fact. Anything to humanize Lizzie's kindness, which is all but lacking in the printed world.

The book above was a great find. When it went up for sale through auction it failed to reach reserve in two separate auctions. Both times I was the high bidder, thus eventually the book ended up in my hands.

When you don't have children your pets and your books take their place.
Four Footed Friends now sits proudly on my shelf where it is well loved.

Got to go burp a book now.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
User avatar
snokkums
Posts: 2545
Joined: Sat Jan 08, 2005 10:09 am
Gender: Female
Real Name: Robin
Location: fayetteville nc,but from milwaukee
Contact:

Post by snokkums »

kssunflower @ Tue Feb 03, 2009 10:53 am wrote:Huntington Smith was Anna's husband and a director with the Rescue League, so this was probably the couple Nance was referring to.
Ok, I missed something here. Who is Huntington Smith? Is it someone lizzie knew?
Suicide is painless It brings on many changes and I will take my leave when I please.
User avatar
kssunflower
Posts: 545
Joined: Mon Dec 31, 2007 5:31 pm
Gender: Female
Real Name: Cindy
Location: Kansas City

Post by kssunflower »

Snokks, I was just adding to mbhenty's post about Anna Smith. Sorry for the confusion.
mbhenty
Posts: 4427
Joined: Wed Feb 15, 2006 1:20 am
Real Name:

Post by mbhenty »

Yes Snokkums:

Harry mentioned that Lizzie was seen with a well known novelist in Boston. We were trying to sort out who it could be.

I brought up Mrs. Huntington Smith. Mrs. Smith was married to a newspaper editor named Huntington Smith. Her real name was Anna Harris Smith.

The connection with Lizzie is that Lizzie had Mrs. Huntington Smith's book in her library. Mrs Smith inscribed the book to Lizzie. Whether this was the author mentioned by Harry in the first Post above in which Lizzie was seen with in Boston is just a guess on my part; but an educated guess.

Chances that Lizzie was well aquatinted with Mrs. Huntington Smith is a good bet. Why else would Lizzie have a children's book inscribed to her in her personal Library. My guess is that Mrs. Huntington Smith was friends with Lizzie.

Some may call Lizzie what they like but, if one studies her last will and testament they will discover that Lizzie was very generous with those who were close to her. Again, chances are that Lizzie could have made contributions to the Boston Animal Rescue League which was founded by Mrs. Huntington (Anna Harris) Smith.

The Fall River Animal Rescue League was not started till 1913 or 14 so, before that time if Lizzie wanted to help animals Mrs. Smith's organization would be a good source. One can imagine how they easily could have been friends.

Below are a few pages from Mrs. Huntington Smith's book FOUR FOOTED FRIENDS.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
mbhenty
Posts: 4427
Joined: Wed Feb 15, 2006 1:20 am
Real Name:

Post by mbhenty »

:smile:

Here is some interesting info:

If one goes to the Fall River Animal Rescue League Web site, the same organization which Lizzie left a substantial (huge) amount of money at time of her death, and checks out the section of their site under "History" there is no mention of Lizzie.

But check the wall behind the people in the photo supplied with the site.

My, my..............


http://www.faxonarl.org/about.htm






:study:
User avatar
snokkums
Posts: 2545
Joined: Sat Jan 08, 2005 10:09 am
Gender: Female
Real Name: Robin
Location: fayetteville nc,but from milwaukee
Contact:

Post by snokkums »

No problem. I did miss something. Thanks mb henty. Sometimes I do that. LOL.
Suicide is painless It brings on many changes and I will take my leave when I please.
User avatar
Kat
Posts: 14756
Joined: Sun Dec 28, 2003 11:59 pm
Real Name:
Location: Central Florida

Post by Kat »

That's good stuff you guys.

I have a question- animal stories, are they considered novels? Do we know what else she wrote?
(I'm on ancient laptop that cannot search as well as hold this page at the same time... :smile: )

The time frame for what Nance claims would have to be before Mrs. Livermore died. According to Hoffman, her dates are 1820- 1905. He says she died in Melrose, MA. I don't know where that is.

Yes I was looking in Lizzie's and Emma's wills for Mrs. Smith too, but did not find her.
User avatar
Kat
Posts: 14756
Joined: Sun Dec 28, 2003 11:59 pm
Real Name:
Location: Central Florida

Post by Kat »

OH!
The book "Four Footed Friends" at one time was in the hands of a small child with a crayon. A couple of pages, including the front cover, has scribbling in crayon.

I like to think that this was done at Maplecroft, that Lizzie had a tiny visitor and gave her/he the book to play with, but this is very unlikely and not the facts. This would mean that Lizzie kept crayons. Don't know about that?
--partial MB

I bet it was our old gal pal Ruby Cameron! :wink:
mbhenty
Posts: 4427
Joined: Wed Feb 15, 2006 1:20 am
Real Name:

Post by mbhenty »

:smile:

Yes Kat:

That's where the kink in my discovery develops. Mrs. Huntington Smith was not a novelist, or at least I have never seen any novels written by her.

The only other book that I know of written by Mrs Huntington Smith was written under her real name: Anna Harris Smith. This was an inspirational book of verse called "Golden Words for Daily Councel". She also wrote for her husbands newpaper.

Keeping in mind how reckless journalists can be with the truth and how they love to embellish, and how many journalists have ears like fruit filled turnovers; flipped closed or full of raisins, I have seen it over and over again how they get it worng.........., especially description thus, the word novelist could mean writer.

So the fact that a "journalist" describes the writer as a "novelist" she/he could mean "writer who writes books".

Of course, this is a play on ideas and the writer is most likely not Mrs Smith.

................but who's to know, could be, could be.

:study:
mbhenty
Posts: 4427
Joined: Wed Feb 15, 2006 1:20 am
Real Name:

Post by mbhenty »

:smile:

To amend my post above a-bit........

I went looking to see if Mrs Anna Harris Smith or Mrs Huntington Smith (both the same person) had written anything else.

It appears she wrote two other books called:

A Longfellow Calendar and A Tennyson Calender

Both along the lines of inspiration. Not novels.

Below is a site with an example of one of them.



http://books.google.com/books?id=rnznuM ... lt#PPP1,M1





:study:
User avatar
Shelley
Posts: 3949
Joined: Tue Jul 25, 2006 8:22 pm
Real Name:
Location: CT
Contact:

Post by Shelley »

Yes, my first thought was the "dog lady" because I recall one of Lizzie's books on EBAY last year which I bid on- about Animal Vivisection- the title was something like that. In any event it was very much against using animals in laboratories and dissecting them (dogs) for science. Of course, there were so many lady novelists! Hard to know for sure. Some of them even wrote under initials or used a man's name so it was hard to tell the gender.
User avatar
Kat
Posts: 14756
Joined: Sun Dec 28, 2003 11:59 pm
Real Name:
Location: Central Florida

Post by Kat »

Thanks MB.

I was wondering also if Miss Nance had her facts straight. Being an actress, she might be making a good story better by putting all the famous women together in one place at one time- when possibly it was on different occasions.** That part doesn't really matter except if an attempt is made to figure out what year that could have happened in Boston. Livermore was getting pretty old.

Still, it's a good story- I can picture these strong famous women walking along shoulder to shoulder down Newbury Street in Boston and some martial music in the background like a music video! Lizbeth, Livermore, Nance and the famous Novelist. :wink:

Maybe William can ascertain a date?

**Well, maybe Nance doesn't exactly say that- but that's what it sounds like to me and what I picture from the newspaper blurb...
Post Reply