Mondo Lizzie Borden

I was watching a stupendous documentary from the series Investigative Reports on the A&E channel on cable the other day and learned a new fact. The show was a rerun of the 1998 film “Peace, Love, and Murder.”

Review Summary

This documentary, part of the Investigative Reports series from A&E, examines the story of hippie-turned-fugitive Ira Einhorn. Narrated by host and producer Bill Kurtis, this episode looks at the life of the radical who played a major role in the antiwar peace and love movement of the 1960s. In 1977, Einhorn was arrested after his girlfriend was found murdered. With the help of some of his powerful associates, Einhorn was able to flee the country and escape incarceration for 20 years. After police caught up with him in France in 1997, Einhorn still managed to allude jail time. Investigative Reports interviews some of the people who have been involved in this case through the years, including law enforcement officials, lawyers, and members of the victim’s family who would like justice to be served. ~ Cecilia Cygnar, All Movie Guide

One thing jumped at me. Ira Einhorn, the killer, is also Ira Einhorn the organizer of the very first Earth Day in Philadelphia in the the 1970s.

CrimeLibrary.com confirms the report.

The Magic City Morning Star even has a piece from two years ago titled, “Ira Einhorn, Earth Day’s Dirty Secret.”

If you read a lot to true crime, as I do, you know all about Ira and the murder of his girlfriend, Holly Maddux.

And if this is not weird enough for you, Einhorn’s attorney was ARLEN SPECTOR. Yup, that Arlen Spector.

Arrested, Einhorn’s attorney was considering a run for the Senate. His name was Arlen Spector, of Pennsylvania. The darling of New Age society, politicians, Ivy League professors, and corporate executives alike, Einhorn had no shortage of friends during his bail hearing. With his great love for the earth, surely Ira would not have murdered anyone. Released on a mere $40,000 bail, of which he had to pay only ten percent, Einhorn fled to Sweden, remaining as a fugitive in Europe until 1997, when he was found living in France under another name.

While a fugitive, Einhorn was convicted in absentia in 1993, and sentenced to life in prison. The government of France, however, refused to extradite Einhorn unless the death penalty was taken off the table and he was promised a new trial. Eventually, this was agreed upon. Ira Einhorn, the founder of Earth Day, was once again convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison.

Today, we celebrate Earth Day, sacrosanct, proclaimed by none other than our Republican President George Bush, and every president since 1975, when President Ford first proclaimed and urged observance of Earth Day on the March equinox.

We’re living in a time where wacky is in, and life doesn’t mean very much.

While it is likely that Einhorn’s violent history is not shared by other Earth Day founders, the observance is nevertheless bizarre.

There you have it.

The Hatchet found a new Lizzie Borden image! Read all about it in this press release!

The newest issue of The Hatchet is now online for your viewing pleasure. The Hatchet is in its fifth year of publication and this issue marks #21. As the magazine is now an official adult, there will be a party!

Subscriptions for the ONLINE journal are still only $20 for four issues! You can subscribe here.

In this issue: a fantastic piece on Emma’s 1913 interview by Borden scholar and author Leonard Rebello; a story detailing the finding of the Lizzie Borden photograph (PLUS OTHER SURPRISES FOUND) by Stefani Koorey, Ph.D. (that’s me); another great installment of “Lizzie Borden Girl Detective” by Richard Behrens; a personal tribute to the late Neilson Caplain by his son Ron; a story about Lizzie’s Grand Tour by Shelley Dziedzic; an interview with criminologist, Professor Thomas Mauriello; a sweet plea about Edwin Porter’s grave by Sherry Chapman; a list of all residents of Second Street in 1892 (a massive accomplishment) by Harry Widdows; biographical pieces by Kat Koorey; and our regulars—Mary Elizabeth Naugle, Sherry Chapman, Douglas Walters, Eugene Hosey, and Denise Noe bringing in their very best work!

We have made some changes to the journal, the most obvious of which is the name. Now we are known at The Hatchet: Lizzie Borden’s Journal of Murder, Mystery & Victorian History. We are broadening our niche and promise to bring you the same level of scholarship and entertainment you have been used to.

The print copy of The Hatchet will be available later in the week through LuLu.com. Check back here for details.

If you would like to order back copies of The Hatchet in print, please visit our print-on-demand partner LuLu.com here.

On 16 October 1910, the Boston Daily Globe reported that City Marshal John Fleet had a high regard for Fall River.

If you remember, John Fleet was Assistant City Marshal under Marshal Hilliard at the time of the Borden murders of 1892. According to Commonwealth of Massachusetts VS. Lizzie A. Borden; The Knowlton Papers, 1892-189 3. Eds. Michael Martins and Dennis A. Binette. Fall River, MA: Fall River Historical Society, 1994, this is what we know of Fleet:

“FLEET, JOHN 1848 - 1916: born in Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire, England, son of Richard and Charlotte (Brown) Fleet. He emigrated to the United States as a youth and was employed at the American Linen Company in Fall River, Massachusetts. He then enlisted as a landsman in the United States Navy in 1864, serving a seventeen-month term. Following the Civil War, he returned to Fall River where he worked at various trades and married Miss Lydia Wallace of that city. In 1877, he was appointed to the police department and rose through the ranks from patrolman to city marshall, retiring in 1915. He died one year later in Fall River. It was as assistant city marshal in 1892 that he was called upon to arrest Miss Lizzie A. Borden for the murders of her father and stepmother. His extensive testimony at the preliminary and final trials concerned the police search for evidence at the Borden residence, providing detailed information about the hatchets found there.”

Interesting find by Harry Widdows. Thanks!

Today the Daily Hampshire Gazette ran a piece by Kristin Pepini about Mount Holyoke and the Borden case.

You might remember that the August issue of The Hatchet: Journal of Lizzie Borden Studies included brand new research on where Emma Borden went during her “away years” in the 1860s. It turned out that Emma went to Wheaton College in Norton. This fact was discovered by Kristin Pepe and she graciously shared that information on The Lizzie Borden Society Forum.

Here is the article:

This film, one of many more to come by Garden Bay Films, is a tribute to Eli Bence. You may or may not know who Eli was, but you should. He almost caused the conviction of Lizzie Borden! Mr. Bence was the man who testified at the inquest and preliminary hearings that he saw Lizzie Borden come into D.R. Smith’s apothecary, where he worked, the day before the murders on August 4th, and asked to purchase some prussic acid.

Bence’s testimony was ruled inadmissible in the trial. Had he been allowed to testify, Lizzie Borden might not be known as the woman who was tried and acquitted of the double murder of Andrew and Abby Borden.

You can read all about Eli Bence’s life in a wonderful piece by Shelley Dziedzic in the latest issue of The Hatchet: Journal of Lizzie Borden Studies. By the way, Shelley is the star of this Lizzie Mini film.

Bence’s final repose is in the lovely Riverside Cemetery in Fairhaven, MA.

My friend Neilson Caplain passed away yesterday. Neilson was a great man and a wonderful conversationalist.

He was an author, historian, collector, preservationist, past President of the Fall River Historical Society, and a true gentleman. He wrote regularly for The Hatchet and loaned me many items related to the case and Fall River. He also wrote regularly for the now defunct Lizzie Borden Quarterly.

He will be tremendously missed.

Neil’s obituary appeared today in the Fall River Herald News.

Neilson Caplain
CAPLAIN, Neilson M., 96 years old of Fall River died on Thurs., Nov 15, 2007 at Sakonnet Bay Manor in Tiverton. He was the beloved husband of the late Hattie (Kossoi) Caplain.

Born in Jamaica, NY he was the son of the late Samuel Jacob and Nettie (Zoline) Caplain. A graduate of Erasmus High School in Brooklyn, NY he attended New York University and was the Founder and President of U.S. Ring Binder of New Bedford where he worked for 30 years.

He was a member of Temple Beth El of Fall River, a Trustee of Charlton Memorial Hospital, Founder of the Fall River Marine Museum, Worshipful Master of the Watuppa Masonic Lodge, a member of the American Philatelic Society and Past President of the Historical Society of Fall River.

Considered to be a Lizzie Borden Aficionado he was a contributing writer for the magazine called “The Hatchet”.

He leaves his two sons, Ronald and his wife Claire Caplain, and Scott and his wife Susan Caplain all of Fall River; as well as 6 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren.

A graveside service will take place today, Nov. 16, 2007 at 12 o’clock noon at Temple Beth El Cemetery, North Main St., Fall River. Relatives and friends are invited.

In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to: The Lown Foundation, 21 Longwood Ave., Brookline, MA 02446. Shiva will be observed at his late residence, today from 1-4 P.M. and Sun., 2-4 and 7-9 P.M. The family was assisted with arrangements by SUGARMAN-SINAI MEMORIAL CHAPEL.

In a recent thread on the Lizzie Borden Society Forum, FairhavenGuy reported that 132 Green Street, in Fairhaven, the house where Emma Borden was staying on August 4, 1892, when the murders took place in Fall River, has fallen further into disrepair and a notice had gone up outside stating that.

Here are photos taken on the 3rd of July that confirm the sad truth that the building inspector has deemed the place unfit for human habitation.

It is also sad that Mr. Bruce is being thrown out of his house by the city of Fairhaven. I am of two minds here. On the one hand I say that a person should be allowed to let his house rot if he feels like it, for after all, it is his house, and last time I checked this was the United States of American, home of the free. And on the other hand, since I do not know the owner or his condition or particular eccentricities, I worry a bit that he might not have the means nor the inclination to fix the property.

I don’t know if the entire house, inside and out, is in as bad a shape as the front of the place, but it is a shame that it has come to this. And since we do not know the whole story, we might reserve judgment on the man and give him the benefit of the doubt.

I do know that this house has been slowly decaying on the front for some number of years. So I wonder how much notice the owner had to vacate and if the city truly has an ordinance or law about upkeep of properties. Perhaps FairhavenGuy will investigate further.

For those interested, here is a history of the town of Fairhaven, Massachusetts.