Am I Missing Something Here?

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Mon Sep 05, 2005 3:53 am

In a news item in the Fall River Daily Globe, dated February 16, 1897, p.1, there was this note, after a header which was listed as
"Double Crime Recalled":

"More than one legal reputation was made in the celebrated trial. Of the attorneys, ex-Governor Robinson is dead. Mr. Knowlton, the chief prosecutor, who held Lizzie Borden as a child upon his knees and with whose children the woman whom he tried to convict of the double murder had played in her school days is now attorney general of his state."

This particular segment was brought to my attention when Sherry Chapman submitted her fine article on the Tilden-Thurber affair which was published in the previous Hatchet issue.

I never heard of this- does anyone have any info?

Harry · Post by **Harry** » Mon Sep 05, 2005 6:48 am

Methinks the writer has his "facts" discombobulated.

Sheriff Wright, the warden at the Taunton jail, was at one time a neighbor of the Bordens in Fall River, and the Wright's daughter, Isabel, was a playmate of Lizzie's.

Judge Blaisdell, who according to Lincoln, "... had known Lizzie since childhood..." had several children about Lizzie's age, both boys I believe.

Knowlton was born in 1847 and therefore was 13 when Lizzie was born. He didn't marry until 1873. The Knowlton's had seven children but all would have been too young to play with at least a teenage Lizzie. Knowlton did succeed Pillsbury as Attorney General but it was after the trial.

It looks like the writer threw all the facts into a pot and thoroughly stirred before serving.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Mon Sep 05, 2005 11:08 pm

Thank you. Was Knowlton's home in New Bedford? If so, his children would not go to school in Fall River, right?

nbcatlover · Post by **nbcatlover** » Tue Sep 06, 2005 7:02 pm

Knowlton lived in New Bedford close to the courthouse. Here's a picture of his home in New Bedford (it will scroll on to other homes after a few seconds):

http://members.aol.com/asig128b/nbwhali ... owlton.htm

He died at another home in Marion, MA, which is a faculty house at Tabor Academy.

FairhavenGuy · Post by **FairhavenGuy** » Tue Sep 06, 2005 8:40 pm

Hey nb, Leave to to Al Signorella to have such a nice photo of the Knowlton house. (Last time I passed it, two Wednesdays ago on my way down Union Street from the zoo with Emily, I remember I'd told the forum folks I'd get a picture of it. Didn't have my camera, though.)

Al's website/CD roms have a huge number of good photos of our area, assembled into slide shows by town. His spelling's not the greatest and some of the history gets a bit screwed up, but overall they're not too bad for a self-taught amateur.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Tue Sep 06, 2005 11:42 pm

Thanks, everyone.
Nice link Cynthia!

So, Knowlton's children would go to which school in New Bedford?

The Marion place was a summer rental, wasn't it?
Or did he own that too?

nbcatlover · Post by **nbcatlover** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 8:01 pm

Hey, Fairhaven Guy--I didn't know it was Al Signorella, but I enjoyed the photos.

Kat--this one says he lived at the Marion House during the trial. That doesn't seem practical.

I thought Marion was a summer home while he was Prosecutor, though I thought he was living full time in Marion when he died.

http://www.s-t.com/daily/08-98/08-08-98/t03ho135.htm

Note: price listed is 1998 price--not today!

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Thu Sep 08, 2005 4:29 am

It also says the trial was in 1890.
Thanks for the item. I think I saw that a long time ago, from Harry.

Wasn't Knowlton's family under quarantine at some point near to trial date? Maybe he had to go to Marion to work up his case if the family was sick?