Mondo Lizzie Borden

I lucked onto this site by Christopher Blake that features 360 degree views of cities all over the world.

Mr. Blake has created some fantastic images of Fall River places. I highly recommend them to you as they are truly incredible.

Here the links to his work on Fall River, Massachusetts. Click on the words below the photos and you will be amazed!

St. Marys of the Assumption

Fall River Library Hall

Santo Cristo Church

Fall River Library Entrance

Battleship Cove

Durfee High School

Braga Bridge from Shipwreck

St. Anne

Pirates Treasure Box Near the Braga Bridge

Narrows Gallery of Andrew Kusmin Exhibit

Narrows Exhibit Metalsmiths3

The Stage at the Narrows

Another View of Battleship Cove

Annie’s Artifax at the Narrows

Moonglow Expressions & Dream Weaver at the Narrows

Elin Noble Gallery at the Narrows

Once again, Lizzie Borden has been found innocent in the murders of her father and step-mother in 1892. The crowd who attended last night’s mock trial, presented in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Superior Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, voted almost 2-1 to acquit her of all charges.

This trial was different than the one in New Bedford, held last week in the very courtroom where Ms. Borden was tried. The lawyers for this trial were from Fall River and Somerset. The actors and the judges were the same, but the questions posed to each witness were different. This is an unscripted event, with the actors playing Emma Borden, Bridget Sullivan, Dr. Dolan, and Lizzie Borden being forced to be on their toes to answer whatever the lawyers will throw at them. I have to say they are tremendously gifted in remembering facts and details of this case. They are quite believable as the characters they play.

The lawyers for both sides have taken this mock trial very seriously. They are prepared and ready to do battle. It is sometimes dramatic and exchanges can get testy. They have been admonished by the judges at times for making statements without asking questions, or asking a question that is soon objected to by the opposing counsel.

Everyone here really knows their stuff.

I must say, after seeing two of these mock events, the evidence is just not there to convict Lizzie. I can’t imagine what went though prosecutor Knowlton’s mind way back in 1893. He must have felt that he was going to lose before it even started.

If you missed last night’s event, you can read more about it in today’s Herald News.

One last version of this mock trial will be held November 19 in Taunton. Tickets are needed for admittance.

To obtain tickets, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to “Lizzie, Redux Request” in care of Clerk Magistrate Marc J. Santos, Bristol County Clerk of Courts, 9 Court St., Taunton, MA, 02780.

Last night I attended the fifth Lizzie Borden lecture, sponsored by the Fall River Historical Society, held at Bristol Community College.

It was a talk by Kim Dennis, Canadian clairvoyant/medium, who said that Lizzie Borden came to her during a session she had at her home in Calgary with a woman named Lizzie. After the woman left, a soul remained, and she identified herself as Lizzie Borden (the woman who Kim was doing the reading for had mentioned that she had been joshed about her name, and that the only Lizzie she knew of was Lizzie Borden).

Ms. Dennis said the spirit told her answers to questions and volunteered some info as well. Here is “Lizzie’s Story”:

Lizzie freely admitted that killed both her parents but she had reasons.

Lizzie had tried to kill Abby a few weeks before with poison but nothing came of it.

That morning she was eating oatmeal with Abby and found out that her father was planning to leave all his money to Abby’s family, and she had it with her.

Lizzie had issues of abandonment because of her mother’s death.

Lizzie had a lazy eye.

Lizzie had a brother named William and a sister named Alice.

Lizzie was a kleptomaniac and thought that if she could get away with murder she could get away with stealing too.

Lizzie was a sociopath who had no conscious. She had no feelings and exhibited none to the police. She was calm and collected. No emotion.

Lizzie was not sorry for what she did, but she only planned on killing Abby. She went out to the barn to clean up after killing Abby, and had plans to go to the library so someone else could discover the body, but Andrew came home early and she had to kill him or she would be accused of killing Abby.

Lizzie had two dresses, blue ones, that looked similar, and she burned one.

Lizzie had chloroformed a cat for mange but also chopped off its head, which was unnecessary—it showed her sociopathic tendencies.

Lizzie stayed in Fall River because she liked the notoriety. But she only went out at night.

Emma left in 1905 because she read something Lizzie wrote and realized that Lizzie had killed their parents, so they never spoke again.

There are cats that haunt the B&B. She has seen Andrew there too, but he walks around outside the house, circling the property.

Lizzie hid the hatchet in a drawstring purse and got rid of it at a later date, it will never be found.

when someone asked if a woman could hit someone with a hatchet so many times, she said yes, it was an emotional hate-filled event (this to me didn’t jibe with the sociopath description).

Lizzie is kept around because everyone is constantly calling her here. If people could just accept that she killed them both, she could move on.

Ms. Dennis and her traveling companion, a woman who introduced her, are writing a book about Lizzie (or it will be part of a book). The woman is a Canadian journalist.

Ms. Dennis confirmed all this information with the folks that work at the Lizzie Borden B&B.

You can read the story in today’s Herald News here.

Kim Dennis, psychic medium, will present a lecture titled “Lizzie Borden – Her Side of the Story” on Monday, October 19, at 6:30 pm, at Bristol Community College in Fall River, MA.

The event is free and sponsored by the Fall River Historical Society.

If Lizzie Borden could tell her story, what would it be? Canadian clairvoyant and medium Kim Dennis believes she was contacted by Lizzie who is ready to reveal the truth behind the Borden murders. Find out how Kim first became aquainted with Lizzie in her living room, and how she paired up with a journalist to document and accurately verify her “insider” information with a trip to Fall River in 2008 and a stay at the Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast. The revelation will astound you and the details may put to rest the theories and finally bring peace to the 117 year old mystery.

Here is Kim speaking about her gifts:

Read it here in the Herald News.

The photographs in this article in the Herald News were taken by me at the last mock trial in New Bedford in September.

Every day, it seems, we hear of even more events that revolve around Lizzie Borden. Something is definitely in the air!

Here is a recap of what’s ahead for the month of October. Check back soon for all the events for November!

October 14, Wednesday, Lynn Public Library, Lynn, MA, 7-8:30 pm.
The Delvena Theatre Company will once again present their play “The Trial of Lizzie Borden,” where the audience serves as the jury.
The Lynn Public Library is located at 5 North Common Street | Lynn, Massachusetts 01902 | Phone: 781-595-0567.
For further information.

October 16, Friday, Fairhaven Town Hall, Fairhaven, MA, 7 pm.
Donations accepted and light refreshments will be served.
Jules Ryckebusch will present a lecture titled “Lizzie Borden: Myths and Legends”
Info on the Town Hall.
Story about the lecture.

October 19, Monday, Bristol Community College, Fall River, MA, 6:30 pm.
Free. Building C, Room 111.
Part of the Fall River Historical Society’s Lizzie A. Borden Lecture Series
Kim Dennis, psychic medium, lecture titled “Lizzie Borden – Her Side of the Story”

If Lizzie Borden could tell her story, what would it be? Canadian clairvoyant and medium Kim Dennis believes she was contacted by Lizzie who is ready to reveal the truth behind the Borden murders. Find out how Kim first became aquainted with Lizzie in her living room, and how she paired up with a journalist to document and accurately verify her “insider” information with a trip to Fall River in 2008 and a stay at the Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast. The revelation will astound you and the details may put to rest the theories and finally bring peace to the 117 year old mystery.
For further information.

October 22, Thursday, Fall River Superior Court, Fall River, MA, 7 pm.
Free.
Lizzie Borden Redux, a mock retrial of the Lizzie Borden trial of 1893.
To obtain free tickets, mail a self-addressed stamped envelope to “Lizzie, Redux Request”, care of Clerk Magistrate Marc J. Santos, Bristol County Clerk of Courts, 441 N. Main St., Fall River, MA 02720. There will be two tickets issued per request. Tickets will be honored until 20 minutes before the performance, after which there will be a general admission until capacity is reached.
For further information.

October 23, Friday, Providence, RI, 7 pm.
Providence Ghost Tour, featuring some “haunts” of the Borden sisters.
Check out the web site here.

October 26, Monday, Bristol Community College, Fall River, MA, 6:30 pm.
Free. Building C, Room 111
Jill Dalton, award-winning actress, lecture titled “Lizzie Borden Live: From the Page to the Stage”

Jill Dalton’s Lizzie Borden Live combines historical facts with theatrical license as she portrays one of the most famous women from the annals of America’s Victorian past. This is a fascinating look at how the actress took a historic character and adapted her for the stage. Who knows? Lizzie may just make an appearance.
For further information.

October 31, Saturday, Eagle Performing Arts Center, Fall River, MA. 8 pm.
Tickets $25. At www.lizziebordenlive.com Click on ‘Schedule’ page or call (508) 989-9207.

$5 off for students, seniors and current union members (available at the door only)
If you like come dressed as your favorite character from the story or any costume you wish. Prizes for best costume
Grand prize: One night stay at the Lizzie Borden B&B (If you dare!)
Second prize: One-year subscription to The Hatchet
Third prize: Two tickets for the Providence Ghost Tour
For further information.

PearTree Press is in production for a podcast related to all things Lizzie Borden. We have several episodes ready to go, but . . . .

we need a name.

We offer a few suggestions, but would rather you think of a new one in the last spot on the poll. Be creative, but the words Lizzie Borden should be in the title, so folks can find it!

Would you help us?

The Fall River Herald News ran a story today about the recent lecture by Cara Robertson on the legal aspects of the Lizzie Borden trial.

You can read all about it here!

The images are from the Herald News. The story is by Deb Allard.

The FRIENDS OF OAK GROVE CEMETERY
Is pleased to announce the publication of our
2010 Calendar

These high quality, full-color calendars are spiral bound and printed on heavy cardstock. Our calendars feature photographic contributions by Mary Beth Rigby and William Moniz as well as historic images donated from private collections. Layout by Ann Keane. Additionally, the birth dates of notable historical figures are observed throughout.

Limited quantities of our calendars are available for $15 and make a wonderful holiday gift.

Shipping is an additional $1 per calendar. Those in the Fall River area may arrange for pickup. Please call or email to reserve your copy or to arrange for pickup.

Payment may be mailed to:
The friends of oak grove cemetery
96 colfax street
Fall river, MA 02720
Ph: 508-642-9636

I got mine at the Oak Grove Cemetery Tour on Sunday. They are lovely! Buy yours today!

Here is the link to the Friends of Oak Grove Cemetery website.

It was another full house last night as Cara Robertson presented her talk titled “What the Jury Heard: Evidence in the Trial of Lizzie Borden.”

It was extremely interesting and the points made by this amazing legal scholar and Lizzie Borden expert were profound. Unfortunately, there was no recording made of the talk as the material presented is part of her unpublished book, so if you were not there, you will not get to see it again.

The talk focused on two legal issues in the trial: the exclusion of Lizzie’s inquest testimony and the prussic acid testimony of Eli Bence and others. To me, the most interesting conclusions drawn by Cara concerned the way the gender of the defendant worked both in her favor and against her—how each side used her femininity to generalize and stereotype her according to their positions of her guilt or innocence.

It was standing room only once again!

Cara Robertson is an independent scholar and lawyer writing a book on the trial of Lizzie Borden. Educated at Harvard, Oxford, and Stanford, she served as a law clerk at the Supreme Court of the United States and as legal advisor to the UN War Crimes Tribunal in the Hague. Her writing has been published in The Boston Globe, The Raleigh News and Observer, and the Yale Journal of Law and the Humanities.

There will be NO lecture next Monday as that is Columbus Day, but in two weeks, on October 19, medium Kim Dennis will reveal what she has channeled concerning this case.

Monday, September 28, 2009.
6:30 pm
Bristol Community College, Fall River, MA
Building C, room 111

NOTE: Last week’s lecture was AGAIN standing room only, so please arrive early!

Annette Holba, Ph.D., author

Lizzie Borden as “Conscious Pariah”: A Discussion About Private Life

Lizzie Borden and the Borden murders are often sensationalized and exploited in some fashion by contemporary media. From the 1975 made-for-television movie, The Legend of Lizzie Borden, to some more recent mediated offerings that have exploited the Borden story through the slasher film genre, The Curse of Lizzie Borden (2006) and The Curse of Lizzie Borden 2: Prom Night (2008), it is evident that the stories lose factual basis and they are potentially exploited. This presentation enters the conversation about the Borden phenomenon through an alternative lens intended to shed a different light on the person, Lizzie Borden. Unmarred by her post-trial reputation and disconnected from some of the theories that have come and gone in the last one hundred years, this presentation looks at some of Lizzie’s public action as a parallel to one of the twentieth century’s most significant female political theorists, Hannah Arendt. Lizzie Borden made life choices in the aftermath of the murders that are consistent with Hannah Arendt’s notion of a “conscious pariah,” a label that Arendt gave to herself in the aftermath of her noteworthy critique of Adolf Eichmann in Eichmann in Jerusalem (1963). Lizzie also made conscious choices in her public life that perhaps she knew would be in disfavor with the larger public. Consequently, we can learn more about Lizzie as a conscious pariah in her environment that might offer more constructive insight for ongoing contemporary public discourse.

Dr. Annette M. Holba is Assistant Professor of Communication Studies in the Communication and Media Studies Department at Plymouth State University, New Hampshire. She earned her B.A. in Law & Justice Studies from Rowan University, her M.A. in Liberal Studies from Rutgers University (Camden), and her Ph.D. in Rhetoric from Duquesne University. She has articles published in The Hatchet: Journal of Lizzie Borden Studies, World Leisure Journal, PRism, Cosmos and History: Journal of Social and Natural Philosophy, The Pennsylvania Speech Communication Annual, New Hampshire Journal of Education, Florida Communication Journal, and The Review of Communication. Dr. Holba has a book chapter in Media(ted) Deviance and Social Otherness: Interrogating Influential Representations, and is the author of Handbook for the Humanities Doctoral Student; Philosophical Leisure: Recuperative Praxis for Human Communication; and co-editor of Philosophies of Communication: Implications for Everyday Experience; and Lizzie Borden Took an Axe, Or Did She?

If you don’t have ticket, I guess you could still join the standby folks who are hoping some don’t show for this event . . . .

The mock trial of Lizzie Andrew Borden is this evening in New Bedford, in the very courtroom she was tried in in 1893. I wonder how strange it will feel to be there listening, and judging, the case, pretending we are back in time and trying to figure out a woman’s guilt or innocence.

I have heard that every other recreation or mock trial has found Lizzie not guilty. We shall see if this is again the case.

Details on the event will be posted later or tomorrow. As a member of the audience/jury, I am wondering how I will be voting!

Monday, September 21, 2009.
6:30 pm
Bristol Community College, Fall River, MA
Building C, room 111

NOTE: Last week’s lecture was standing room only, so please arrive early!

Bonnie Mendes, Director of the Somerset Public Library and Ann Rockett-Sperling, educator

Parallel Lives: A Social History of Lizzie A. Borden and Her Fall River
Readings from the Fall River Historical Society’s upcoming publication

Relying on an extensive number of previously unpublished manuscripts and diaries, including a plethora of material gleaned from private collections, Parallel Lives provides unprecedented insight into Lizzie’s world, into Her Fall River. Researched and written for the Society by its curatorial staff, Parallel Lives uses the time span of the family of Andrew Jackson Borden as the framework around which the story unfolds. No attempt is made to retell the story of the Borden murder case, but, rather, a picture is painted of the Fall River Lizzie knew. It was a city of sharp contrasts, where a privileged few, entrenched on “the Hill,” lived their lives surrounded by the factories and laborers that were their lifeblood, with one unable to exist without the other. Fall River is brought to life: the people, the sounds, and the events that formed its history. Parallel Lives takes the reader back in time and provides a never-before-seen look at her life, and the environment in which she lived it. Here we meet a flesh and blood Lizzie in full color—a woman who was anything but the icon created by those who did not know her personally. Those who did painted an entirely different picture of the mistress of Maplecroft—and the stories they had to tell are here collected for the first time in Parallel Lives.

As the Library Director of the Somerset Public Library, Bonnie Mendes is well known in the local community. A Somerset native, she attended Fitchburg State College, obtaining her degree in English with a concentration in American Literature. After graduation, she began work in the Reference Department of the Fall River Public Library, thus sowing the seeds of her passion for Fall River history. She attended the University of Rhode Island, graduating with a Masters in Library and Information Science in 1986, and at that time began work as the Reference Librarian at the Somerset Public Library. She currently holds the position of Library Director, and is a candidate in the American Library Association’s Certified Public Library Administrator program. An avid reader, she is involved in a number of professional library associations as well as many community organizations. Visit the website for the Somerset Publc Library!

Ann Rockett-Sperling, a retired elementary educator in the Fall River Public School System, is an active member of the Fall River Historical Society.

View Larger Map

I created a short film on the history of the Quequechan River, Fall River, Massachusetts, for the recent lecture titled “The Hidden Divide—The Struggle for the Quequechan Watercourse: Private Rights versus Public Interests.” This was part of the lecture series commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Massachusetts Superior Court.

I uploaded the film to YouTube, but it is in a format too large to display on this blog.

If you would like to see it, please visit YouTube at this link.

Feedback will be appreciated.

Yet another tantalizing tidbit from the Fall River Historical Society’s new book, soon to be published, titled Parallel Lives: A Social History of Lizzie A. Borden and Her Fall River.

This one is a stunner! Soon, very soon, we will be able to view, read, and consume a letter or letters from Lizzie’s incarceration in Taunton in 1893! Oh, what intimate thoughts and fears might be contained within those pages?

I can’t wait.

Read all about it here.