Mondo Lizzie Borden

Saturday, December 19, from noon until 2:30, you can meet Rory Raven, the author of Wicked Conduct, a new book on the Sarah Cornell story—another famous Fall River murder.

Here are the details of the book from the Historical Society’s website.

Here is a big story about the book by Deb Allard in today’s Herald News.

If you can’t make it to the book signing, you can purchase your copy on Amazon.com at a discount.

The Literary Hatchet publishes contemporary short fiction, poetry, prose, photography, cartoons, and humor by established and emerging writers and artists from around the world. Subjects range from mystery, murder, macabre, horror, monsters, ghosts, and things that go bump in the night.

The next issue is due to be published soon and we are accepting submissions until Friday, December 18, 2009 at 9 pm.

Please submit your creative work to peartreepress (at) mac.com.

Please visit the website for The Literary Hatchet and download the last three issues for FREE.

From Roman Holiday. The voice of Audrey Hepburn.

UPDATE: here is an even longer and better story about the latest mock trial in Taunton.

The third and final mock trial, LIzzie Borden Redux, has ended with the jury again finding for the defendant. Lizzie Borden was set free once again.

These retrials were quite interesting. I attended all of them and they were very different from one another. The actors and the judges were the same, but the attorneys for each of the events were pulled from the local areas. In New Bedford we had lawyers defending and prosecuting from New Bedford. Same with Fall River and Taunton.

One of the great good things about these shows is that we got to sit in these splendid courtrooms. The New Bedford courtroom was the best, of course, because it was in that very space that Lizzie was tried and acquitted in 1893.

I videotaped all there events as well, and in the coming days will be posting them to YouTube so you can watch the entire event, city by city, for yourself.

The retrial this week in Taunton was noteworthy because several members of the bar who had tried the Big Dan trial were playing roles. And for this showing, the jury of the audience acquitted Lizzie by the largest margin yet.

The story has been picked up by the AP. Here it is.

A great deal of work went into these productions, and the actors are to be commended for their work. With three different sets of lawyers, each approaching the case in a different way and asking different questions, they performed admirably. It was charming, albeit inaccurate, to have Lizzie herself testify at these mock trials, but even with her giving her story, she was still set free each time. The jury had to admit that there was no evidence to convict her of these heinous crimes. Perhaps if Lizzie had testified back in 1893 a similar outcome would have been in store for her.

Another observation I would like to make is that the living breathing recreation was a great historical event. Even with one as versed in the case as I am, I still learned new things, realized bits and pieces that had gone unnoticed before, and had a greater appreciation for the process of law by seeing these trials. It was as if one were watching the real thing, in a way, and for that, nothing can rival it as a learning experience.

Sometimes it was just the way an attorney phrased something that made me think anew about this case. For instance, when the defense attorney, who was trying to show there were other suspects not pursued and therefore doubt could be cast on Lizzie’s guilt, pointedly declared that Bridget Sullivan was the only one in the house that day who had direct access to a bucket of water and cleaning implements. If she was the killer, she could have changed clothes and bathed and no one would be the wiser. It was a thought that I had never entertained before hearing this lawyer make his case.

All in all, these mock trials were first rate and if you missed even one of them you should consider yourself deprived.

I have been waiting for this. For a year or more, Google maps had one road on their street view of Fall River: President Avenue.

Well, now they have mapped out a lot of the city (leaving out a great deal too, I might add). You can travel down Fall River’s streets and see the “for rent” signs, look at the deepening potholes, and feel saddened that the new courthouse doesn’t fit in with the architecture of the surrounding neighborhood.

One thing that I think is really cool about this, however, is that it looks like they came by 92 Second Street on August 4th! When you see that street view you see the tent in the side yard that is erected to offer visitors cookies and lemonade and a place to sit while waiting for a tour.

You also see people waiting outside for their tour and if you look very closely, you see a reenactor at the side door. Cool huh?

There have been so many events in the past few months centering on Lizzie Borden that I have been hearing folks say that they are in Lizzie Borden overload. Lectures, trial reenactments, plays . . . . and they are not yet over.

On November 19, the last trial reenactment will be held in Taunton. My tickets arrived yesterday. I wanted to see each one as they are different from one another—-the lawyers change which changes everything! The questions are not the same and the focus of the prosecution and defense reflects the change in council each performance.

But after the trial redux, I think that will be the end of Lizzie for 2009. Oh, I almost forgot, the next issue of The Hatchet will be out soon. Announcements to follow in a day or two.

WATCH JILL AS LIZZIE ON THE THE RHODE SHOW!

LIZZIE BORDEN LIVE !!!
THE LEGEND COMES TO LIFE
Written & Performed by: Jill Dalton
Directed by: Jack McCullough
Music by: Larry Hochman
Lighting Design by: John P. Boomer

HALLOWEEN NIGHT

ALL HALLOWS’ EVE CELEBRATION

Saturday, October 31, 2009
8:00 pm
Doors open @ 7:00 pm
$ CASH BAR $
PRIZES & SURPRISES

The Eagle Performing Arts Center
35 North Main Street, 2nd flr
Fall River, MA 02720
Advance Tickets ~ $25.00
WWW.LIZZIEBORDENLIVE.COM
Click on “SCHEDULE ” or purchase at the door
or call the Eagle @ 508-989-9207

Costume Contest & Halloween Costume Parade after the show
1st Prize: One night stay in the Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast. ( …if you DARE !!! )
2nd Prize: One year subscription to: The Hatchet: Journal of Lizzie Borden Studies
Third prize: 2 tickets to the Providence Ghost Tour (good thru Nov 14th)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

…Think you know her?…Think again…
“Sweet, innocent, witty and savagely murderous”

JILL DALTON As: Lizzie Borden
Winner Jacoby Award: MOST OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS

“The nod goes to Jill Dalton for her Lizzie Borden in “Lizzie Borden Live.” She runs the gamut of emotions in her performance from that of a mild Christian woman to a ruthless murderer. Her reenactment of the murder of her mother (it was my stepmother!) and father is a chilling scene in this play and Dalton, who also wrote the script, vividly brings it to the audience.”
Jacob Schaad Jr., The Cape May Gazette

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Fall River Mayor Robert Correia praised the play saying that it was powerful and
exceptionally performed.

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“If she was innocent, that was an incredible price to pay,” said Bristol County District Attorney Sam Sutter, who attended the play with his wife. “If she was guilty, she got what she deserved. But it raises aspects and a side of this story I never had considered.”

Dalton is nothing less than superb in her depiction of the character, as her Lizzie is alternating sweet, innocent, witty and savagely murderous. The audience is left to decide which Lizzie is the real one.” Cape May Star Wave

“I heartily recommend you see Lizzie Borden Live. . . . complex and most interesting Lizzie, in the person of Jill Dalton. Cape May Star Wave

“Absorbing performance . . . Dalton runs the gamut of emotions from supposedly mild Christian woman to that of a ruthless murderer.” Cape May Gazette

“Everything from Jill’s facial features (like Lizzie herself) to the way her voice can change throughout the play makes for compelling and oddly sympathetic viewing.” Exit Zero

“Truly superb . . . the script is fascinating. Jill Dalton is an astonishingly talented actress – she changes her mood and characters in a split second. The play should get a Pulitzer.” Charles Alexander, writer for Time Magazine

“Miss Dalton’s performance is a tour de force” Richard Behrens, The Hatchet: Journal of Lizzie Borden Studies

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Produced by: Up the Hill Productions

Lizzie Borden Live was originally commissioned by: East Lynn Theater Company, Cape May, NJ

www.lizziebordenlive.com

A short clip from the Monsterquest investigation of the Lizzie Borden B&B.

MonsterquestLB

Short piece on Fox Providence on the opening of the Lizzie Borden exhibit, A Tale of Two Cities, held at Gallery X in New Bedford, MA. This appeared on TV October 15, 2009.

Investigation Discovery has posted this Lizzie Borden quiz. Nine little questions. What did you score?

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.

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: