The Handleless Hatchet Revisited

by Stefani Koorey

First published in April/May, 2004, Volume 1, Issue 2, The Hatchet: Journal of Lizzie Borden Studies.

On March 5, 2004, my sister Kat and I had the great good fortune of being interviewed on camera for the upcoming Unsolved History segment on Lizzie Borden currently in production by the Discovery Channel. We traveled to Fall River to participate in the project and were filmed at the beautiful Fall River Historical Society. 

If this were not enough excitement for one day, following the interviews we were granted the rare opportunity to personally examine the handless hatchet—the “possible murder weapon” that was presented at Lizzie’s trial. Curator Michael Martins graciously gave us his permission to also film and photograph the trial exhibit and share those images here with you.

The handleless hatchet is kept in the vault in an archival box and wrapped in tissue during the winter months when they are closed. We wore archivist’s gloves while we made our examination, at the request of the Historical Society. 

I had never entertained the idea that this was, in fact, the murder weapon that had killed Andrew and Abby Borden that fateful day, but I must admit that after looking at it up close and extensively studying its markings, shape, and the rough cut of the wood, I am revisiting this issue in my mind. I cannot know with certainty that this was the implement of murder, but as I was holding it in my hands I was struck by the possibility of its use in the gruesome murders. What if this hatchet was the one, I asked myself? What if I now was looking at a weapon that had once cut Andrew’s left eye in two, had been embedded in Abby’s fleshy shoulder, had extinguished the life of two innocent and unaware people 112 years ago? I was quite overwhelmed by the notion. My mind then wandered to the knowledge that regardless of the provenance of this tool in my hands, it had been presented as an exhibit at the trial, had been held by the prosecution and the defense, had been examined by the jurors and quite possibly by Lizzie herself. In that, I was certain that I was holding history. 

I hope you enjoy these new images. They are single frames taken from digital video.