Lizzie Borden Society Forum

Found this interesting 1902 article where "our" Dr. Dolan performed a pretty sensational operation for the day:

That's interesting. I wonder what year it was. Sounds rather Frankensteinesque & one wonders if something like that from multiple donors would "take".

I didn't think they even thought of that type of operation in 1902. That must have been quite an operation. Also very compassionate coworkers who went to help her. Was there ever any follow up on how well she did?

I was looking thru my cache today and found this segment of a Boston Globe article I had saved as a JPEG.
It's about Dr. Dolan getting items out of that hole in the Borden backyard.
(The date and paper I have written on the bottom. There are 2 parts.)

The second part:

Thanks, Harry and Kat, interesting articles. I know we are to take most newspaper reports with a huge grain of salt, but, it is interesting that in the article Kat posted, it mentions Andrew's coat and shirt. I don't have the list of items buried in the back yard handy, but, I don't believe that a man's coat or shirt is mentioned in the items buried? Should the list be amended according to this article, Andrew's clothing most probably would have been buried along with Abby's at the time?

Thanks for the article Kat. It was quite interesting, why would John Morse pay $5 (quite a bit of money at the time) to have the clothes buried? If they told him to dispose of them don't you think he would have burned them instead?

This was dated the 9th and so is a record of the first digging up. I think they re-dug up the rest on the 11th, the last day of the inquest. That day they did the second autopsy. They checked something against Abbie's wound- probably her "waist" or blouse- to check the cut mark made by the hatchet.
The hatchet mentioned in this article of the 9th is the claw-head hatchet. It was found in the chopping block in the cellar. It didn't have blood after all- I think this reporter was reaching when he opined they were doing all this to check the hatchet.

Yes Susan
Here you go--
Witness Statements, pg. 42:

ALBERT E. CHASE

Fall River, Mass. August 5, 1892. The following articles and wearing apparel were this afternoon taken from a washtub in the cellar wash room of the Borden House by orders of the City Marshal and Medical Examiner, and were buried under my direction in the yard back of the barn.

1 sofa pillow and tidy, one large piece of Brussels carpet, one roll of cotton batting, one sheet and several pieces of cotton cloth, three towels, one napkin, one chemise, one dress, one pair drawers, one skirt, two aprons, one hair braid and several pieces of hair from Mrs. Borden’s head from five to eight inches long, one neck tie, one truss, one piece of black silk braid or watch guard.

I also found mixed in with the hair of Mrs. Borden a piece of bone, which from it nature I took to be a piece of Mrs. Borden’s skull, it was cut so smooth, that I thought it might be of use in determining what kind of instrument was used, as the bone and hair both had the appearance of being cut with a very sharp instrument; I gave this piece of bone to Dr. Dolan.

About the middle of the next week Dr. Dolan ordered all the articles dug up. After taking out pieces of clothing and of the carpet, they were ordered buried again. This time they were all put in a box.

The Evening Standard
Saturday, August 6, 1892 Page 2
Blood Stained Clothes Buried.

Yesterday afternoon, under the direction of Officer Chace, the blood-stained clothes, which the family were anxious to dispose of, together with portions of skull which had been cut from the head of Mrs. Borden, were buried near the house. Just what Medical Examiner Dolan will say when he hears of this is not known. Earlier in the day he had forbidden any such interment.

The Evening Standard
Monday, August 8, 1892 Page 1
An Inquest a Certainty.

There is no doubt that there will be an inquest, and it is hoped it will reveal something of importance. The authorities to-day are looking for the arrival of District Attorney Knowlton.

It is believed that Medical Examiner Dolan will spring a surprise. He has been working harder than any man interested in the case, and he has had the least to say. It is believed that he will introduce some very important evidence at the inquest.

It is probable that he will have the bloody clothes worn by the murdered people, which were buried in the yard of the Borden house, in the rear of the barn, dug up and produced in court. These clothes were buried at the request of Mr. Morse, who still remains at the house.

It is believed that when witnesses are placed upon their oath something stronger in the way of direct evidence will be brought out. The inquest will, of course, be private.