Mondo Lizzie Borden

A new, yes new, haunted purse, supposedly belonging to Lizzie Borden is on sale on eBay.

Here is the seller’s ad—-the caps are their’s, not mine. I would never yell at you!

THIS VERY SPOOKY , VERY OLD , LEATHER PURSE, WITH CHANGE PURSE STILL ATTACHED, IT IS NOT IN BAD CONDITION, COULD BE USED BUT I WOULD FRAME IT! IT IS SAID TO HAVE BELONGED TO THE FAMOUS MURDERESS,LIZZIE BORDEN,WHO WENT INSANE AND MURDRED HER BOTH PARENTS, WITH AN AX, IN THE 1800S NOW I HAVE HAD VERY RARE ITEM, FOR OVER 20 YRS, BEACAUSE OF ITS HISTORICAL VALUE,AND MY ATTRACTION TO THIS ONCE IN A LIFE TIME FIND, I PURCHASED IT IN FALL RIVER, MASSACHUSETTS AT A SALE, BACK THEN, THE MAN WHO SOLD IT TO ME TOLD ME THAT HE KNEW THRU HIS GRAND FATHER, ANDREW , ANDREW BORDEN WAS , ( LIZZIES FATHER, THAT SHE WAS ACCUSED OF KILLING WITH AN AX.) A VERY FAMOUS NEW ENGLAND MURDER, ! HE SAID THAT HIS GRANDFATHER AND HER FATHER ANDREW ,WERE FRIENDS, THEY WERE A WEALTHY FAMILY, AND I WAS TOLD IT WAS LOANED , TO ONE OF THE RELATIVES FOR AN OUTING, AND NEVER RETURNED, BECAUSE THERE WAS NO CONTACT AGAIN AFTER THE BRUTAL MURDERS,AND PUBLICITY, OF ONE OF THE MOST HORRIFIC , COLD BLOODED MURDERS IN ALL OF AMERICAN HISTORY,WHEN HE DECIDED TO SELL IT, THIS MAN WAS IN HIS LATE 80S. AND WHEN I PICKED IT UP HE TOLD ME THAT HIS WIFE DIDNT WANT IT NEAR HER ,GRANDCHILDREN, AND ASK HIM TO TAKE IT OUT OF THE FAMILY HOME! LIZZIE WAS SAID TO BE SEEN IN THE EARLY DAYS, ON OCASSION CARRING THIS PURSE DAILY TO AND FROM THE BANK IN TH MORNINGS , PERHAPS RUNNUNG ERRANDS FOR HER FATHER!IT BEING A PART OF HISTORY, IS ENOUGH BUT I HAVE SEEN THE GHOST OF LIZZIE BORDEN WHEN I HAVE BEEN ALONE IN MY ROOM , SHE IS CRAZED LOOKING, AND I HAVE SEEN HER MANY TIMES, STANDING THERE WITH HER AX, AND ALL FULL OF BLOOD! I KNOW YOU WILL SEE HER TOO ! THIS IS A VERY VERY HAUNTED ITEM, NOT A TOY OR FOR MISUSE, SO PLEASE BE READY FOR IT! GOOD BIDDING

Starting bid? only $29.00.

Now the stranger part of this story is that not one month ago on eBay was yet another haunted Lizzie Borden purse. They were asking $500 for that one as a starting bid. No one wanted it, alas.

Here is that description:

As told to me by my mother, this purse was given to my great grandmother by Lizzie Borden.

My great grandmother immigrated from Italy via New York. Her journey to Boston/Maine led her to Fall River/New Bedford area, where she worked for Lizzie Borden doing laundry and sewing for a few weeks. Upon her departure Lizzie Borden gave my great grandmother this purse which has been handed down from generations.

Inside this purse were 2 coins : a silver dollar dated 1890 and a one cent penny dated 1853.

The purse is in immaculate condition as well as the coins. Black sequence with (I believe )is a silver base.

The problem with this beautiful purse is that when it is taken out of storage, strange things happen to the people and those around them that have handled it. We have had strange sensations of being watched, touched, strange sounds, shadowy figures as well as weird feelings, especially when alone. Circumstances seem to occur that things even break.

So is this a simple outbreak of Lizzie haunting her accessories? Or perhaps, an epidemic of insanity among eBay sellers? A sucker is born every minute, said a banker named David Hannum (no, not PT Barnum!).

If one of my faithful readers actually purchases this “haunted” purse, please email me and let me know when you see the “crazed looking,” axe weilding matron of Maplecroft.

From AP News, 1987. Look carefully at the bottom left corner. Thar she blows!

Someone is selling an original Porter on eBay. The starting bid is $500. Depending on condition, an original Porter can sell for $300 to $1500.

The seller’s ad has a few inaccuracies, however.

THE LOT IS ONE BOOK. LIZZIE BORDEN TRIED TO BUY ALL THE COPIES OF THIS BOOK. MY ESTIMATE IS THAT LESS THAN FIFTY COPIES WERE CIRCULATED. THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY ESTIMATES TWENTY. THE AUTHOR EDWIN PORTER WAS THE POLICE REPORTER FOR THE FALL RIVER GLOBE. IT WAS PUBLISHED BY THE PRESS OF J D MUNROE OF FALL RIVER IN 1893. IT HAS 312 PAGES. IT IS IN FAIR CONDITION. THIS CONDITION IS ABOVE AVERAGE FOR THIS BOOK. IT WAS THE COPY OF DR RICHARDS – A FALL RIVER DOCTOR. NO RESERVE. LET ME LIST SOME OF THE PROBLEMS. THIS IS NOT A VERY HIGH QUALITY BINDING. THE BINDING IS LOOSE AT THE FRONT AND BACK. THE GOLD LETTERING IS FADED OR WORN. THE TOP AND BOTTOM OF THE SPINE IS WORN. THE CLOTH COVERING IS WEARING THIN. THE PAPER IS AGING AND TURNING BROWN. THIS IS THE ORIGINAL PRINTING. THERE IS A RECENT REPRINT AVAILABLE. I PRESUME THERE WAS NO DUST JACKET WHEN ISSUED. I DO NOT HAVE A DUST JACKET. THE NAME ‘RICHARDS’ IS WRITTEN IN PENCIL ON THE FIRST PAGE. THERE ARE NO TORN PAGES. I BELIEVE THE 1893 EDITION WAS ONLY PRINTED ONCE. THUS, I REFER TO THIS AS THE FIRST EDITION.

The part about fifty copies in circulation and the Fall River Historical Society saying there were less than twenty. Bunk. However, it is wonderful to see the honest and straightforward description of the condition of the book. Good work there. One must know what one is getting before investing so much money. Pity there are not a lot more photos. And I would like to know the state of the end papers.

A very rare look at the inside of Lizzie Borden’s Maplecroft, from 1992. Enjoy!

On eBay right now is a framed image of a woman for sale: Vintage Oval Convex Curved Bubble Glass Picture Frame.

Seems the interest was not going as well as the seller wanted so they added this note on December 29th: “Could this photo be of Lizzie Borden? I did a Google search and the similarity is amazing! Look on Google for yourself and decide.”

13 bids so far. Hmmm. Namedropping Lizzie Borden on eBay seems to have its advantages.

Is it Lizzie? Nope. But then the seller doesn’t say it is, do they?