Lizzie Borden Society Forum

I got to wondering why Morse left via the back door on Thursday morning.

According to his testimony, he and Andrew stayed in the sitting room after breakfast engaged in “general conversation” until John left. He indicates that, although Abby went in and out of the room a number of times, Andrew only went through to the kitchen once and was just out of the room for few minutes.

The sitting room is closer to the front door than the back door. When I went to the house, I remember being struck by the proximity of the ‘murder couch’ to that front door.

John apparently went into the front hall to get his hat off the coat rack there – so why didn’t he just go out the front door when he was headed for the front street anyway?

At the trial, both the prosecution and defense attorneys ask Morse about the door he used.

Moody asks:
Q. “In going from the sitting room out of doors, where did you go and out of which door did you go?
A. Went out the rear door.
Q. That is what is called the screen door?
A. Yes, sir.” (Trial, 135)

And Robinson :
Q. “Going out the side door?
A. Yes sir.
Q. Not going out the front door at all that morning?
A. No sir.
Q. Not going into the front hall after you came downstairs that morning?
A. Oh, I stood in the door and took my hat off the rack, which is right close. That is all.”
(Trial, 149)

On page 241 of the Preliminary Hearing, JVM is asked where Andrew was when John left. The wording of his answer is confusing (to me at least).

“When I came in [sic] [?], Mr. Borden came out through the kitchen into the back hall, and unhooked the door, and he hooked it, and the last words I heard him say was “John, come back to dinner with us.”

At first, I thought that John might have availed himself of the barn privy just prior to leaving and this accounted for him saying he came ‘in’ -- but then I noted that, at trial, Moody is specific with his question and asks which door Morse used when “going from the sitting room out of doors”.

It’s a trifling point, but if he did go into the front hall to get his hat and Andrew was still in the sitting room – why not just continue on those few steps to the front door rather than go back through the kitchen?

At least one of the locks on the front door needed a key to be opened, I believe, even from the inside. Was the key in the lock at the time that he left?

Oh well -- never mind ....

While I was looking up the answer to Melissa's good question about the key (which, BTW, appeared to have been left in the lock, according to what Bridget says) -- I found the following -- posed to Morse.

Q. Now, when you went out, you went to the side door, as I understand you?
A. Yes Sir, when I went away Thursday morning.
Q. Was, or was not that the usual way for leaving the house? Was it your usual way for going out of the house?
A. I commonly went out that way." (Prelim, 252+)

And then he says that Andrew almost always went out that way, too.

So maybe those three locks were just daunting enough to make the side door seem the easier exit.

i agree, i think that's exactly it, the front door would just have been more trouble with all the locks. side door was simply easier.

Even today, I almost never leave the house by the front door. I dont know of any folks who routinely leave their homes by their front doors as a matter of fact. Residents, family and close friends always come and go through our back door.

When the doorbell rings for the front door, I know its a couple of well dressed women handing out religious tracts. Or trick or treaters.

Certainly in 1892 front doors and front parlors were only for strangers and special guests.

I think it's far, far more unusual that Andrew had to enter by the front door upon his return. I'm sure he must have gone first to the back and for some odd reason found no one there to unhook the screen for him.

I agree with Fairhaven Guy--maybe this is unusual in other areas of the country. We've ALWAYS used the side door (or rear door, depending on the house) for family, close friends, and regular trades people (newspaper delivery, UPS, pizza delivery, etc.) comings and goings. I don't even carry the front door key on my keyring.

The front door means "Company," like they visit at Christmas time only or it's Publishers Clearinghouse coming to give me a million bucks(lol).

Until we cleared out the garage and got a garage door opener, we (in the south) always used the front door. My neighbors all use their front doors too. It looks odd to see people park in their driveway and all troop to the front door, but they do. Around here the side door is to the garage, and all the back yards are fenced.
Of course, this does not answer why Andrew in 1892 in Fall River did not let Morse out the front door when it was closer to his hat and sitting room etc. But if Morse knew that front door needed to remain locked that day he certainly would have avoided it.
Lizzie avoided it also.
He can say what he wants about his habits now, there are no more Andrew and Abby to gainsay him.