Lizzie Borden Society Forum

As to the wounds, the Left side glancing blow in-and-of-itself would not be fatal. If it were the first wound, she could have been standing, and facing the attacker. Any of the rest could have rendered her unconscious or killed her so it makes sense the rest were from a prone posistion. HOWEVER, the first blow could have been sufficient to stun her preventing her from screaming, and the second blow could have been the glancing blow, explaining why she didn't scream. The order of the blows won't be known fully, but would be crucial. Ironically, with today's microscopes, we could get a fair idea of the order of the blows to a limited extent. If you hit a skull, it sends out small cracks in all directions. If your next blow is near, it will also send out cracks, which will be terminated (Stopped) by the already existing cracks from the first blow, showing us that the first blow indeed was already there first. With so many blows to Mrs. Borden, we could have gotten a fair idea of the order. Of course we wouldn't know if the incised flap wound in the front of the head came first or what order, so it isn't perfect. In re-reading the autopsy, the 4 wounds on the face were contused wounds, meaning probably perimortem bruising. This may be caused by the face striking the floor since they were above the eyes. The problem with the 'already squatting' theory is that pesky blow on the Left side, the famous flap of skin blow. It surely came from the front, and presumably from a standing position. It could be that she was squatting, was hit in the back of the neck, turned her head to HER right, and upwards, looking over her right shoulder to see what hit her. If the attacker then swung at her face, caught her in the left cheek, the blow would LOOK as if she had been standing...purely speculation. I wish I was good at Computer animation software, I'd reconstruct her wounds from the skull pictures, then project the trajectory of a sharp object causing the wounds, and plot the directionality. I saw this done with JFK's skull once.

Kat wrote:Thanks you guys!

In the Preliminary Hearing, Dr. Dolan specifies that in his opinion the first wound to Abby was delivered while she was standing, facing the assailant.

144+
Q. What of these wounds on the head, in your opinion, if any of them, were given while the person were standing up?
A. I would say the glancing scalp wound, which I spoke of, on the left side, that did not mark the skull; that flap drew right back.
Q. Now you tell us of a glancing scalp wound on the left side of the head over the left ear?
A. Yes Sir.
Q. You think that wound might have been given under what circumstances?
A. While standing up, and facing.
Q. That was not necessarily fatal?
A. No Sir.

Thank you, Kat. I always forget about Dr. Dolan's opinion. For some reason, I have it stuck in my head that Abby was struck from behind, and never saw her attacker. Of course, if Dolan was correct, then that is evidence against a stranger being the killer I think. Whoever killed Abby must have been someone she knew, someone who could walk up close to her without raising her suspicion. Surely, if Abby had suddenly seen a stranger approaching her in the guest room, she would have shouted, or backed up, etc.

Am I making sense at all? Or am I just being stubborn about my contention that only Lizzie could have committed the crime?

Welcome back, Kat!!! You have been missed; it's so good to hear from you.

Darrowfan wrote:

Kat wrote:Thanks you guys!

In the Preliminary Hearing, Dr. Dolan specifies that in his opinion the first wound to Abby was delivered while she was standing, facing the assailant.

144+
Q. What of these wounds on the head, in your opinion, if any of them, were given while the person were standing up?
A. I would say the glancing scalp wound, which I spoke of, on the left side, that did not mark the skull; that flap drew right back.
Q. Now you tell us of a glancing scalp wound on the left side of the head over the left ear?
A. Yes Sir.
Q. You think that wound might have been given under what circumstances?
A. While standing up, and facing.
Q. That was not necessarily fatal?
A. No Sir.

Thank you, Kat. I always forget about Dr. Dolan's opinion. For some reason, I have it stuck in my head that Abby was struck from behind, and never saw her attacker. Of course, if Dolan was correct, then that is evidence against a stranger being the killer I think. Whoever killed Abby must have been someone she knew, someone who could walk up close to her without raising her suspicion. Surely, if Abby had suddenly seen a stranger approaching her in the guest room, she would have shouted, or backed up, etc.

Am I making sense at all? Or am I just being stubborn about my contention that only Lizzie could have committed the crime?

Surely if anyone, whether she knew them or not, had struck her in the head with an axe she would have shouted, or backed up, etc.

That she was facing her assailant and was dealt a glancing blow - one most assuredly painful blow - means she must have cried out. No one but a mute remains silent at that point.

So we can know with some confidence that Mrs. Borden screamed or cried out. Where would have been Bridget? Where would have been Lizzie? Whoever HAD to have heard it is our killer.