Lizzie Borden Lawsuit Hits the air

Same story, different papers/venues.

And this from LaCrosse, Wisconsin:

Brad’s Desk 8/22

August 22, 2008 by Brad

Lizzie Borden Took An Ax…And Helped Our City’s Sales Tax

THERE’S A FIGHT IN MASSACHUSETTS OVER WHO GETS TO CAPITALIZE ON A NOTORIOUS MURDER CASE.
MORE THAN A CENTURY AFTER LIZZIE BORDEN’S PARENTS WERE KILLED WITH A HATCHET, YOU HAVE THE STRANGE SPECTACLE OF TWO BUSINESSES IN MASSACHUSETTS FIGHTING OVER WHO GETS TO USE HER NAME TO ATTRACT VISITORS. LIZZIE WAS SORT OF THE O-J SIMPSON OF HER TIME. SHE WAS ACQUITTED OF MURDERING HER PARENTS, BUT THERE’S STILL THAT LITTLE POEM ABOUT THE AX AND ’40 WHACKS.’ THE MURDERS HAPPENED IN FALL RIVER, AND THE MAYOR THERE SAYS THE CASE IS ONE OF HIS TOWN’S TOP TOURIST ATTRACTIONS. IF YOUR TOWN BASES ITS TOURISM INDUSTRY ON A GRISLY DOUBLE MURDER, YOU NEED HELP. BUT THEN THERE’S SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS, WHICH CAPITALIZES ON ITS DUBIOUS REPUTATION AS A TOWN THAT HELD WITCH TRIALS. AND IT’S SALEM WHICH IS FIGHTING WITH FALL RIVER OVER WHO GETS TO CLAIM LIZZIE BORDEN AS A FAVORITE DAUGHTER. SHEESH.

THE HOUSE WHERE THE MURDERS OCCURRED IS NOW THE ‘LIZZIE BORDEN BED AND BREAKFAST’…AND THAT BUSINESS IS SUING TO STOP A MUSEUM IN SALEM FROM USING THE BORDEN NAME. THE STAFF AT THE B-AND-B HAS BEEN TOLD NOT TO COMMENT TO THE MEDIA ABOUT THIS. NICE. THE OWNER OF THE MUSEUM IN SALEM CLAIMS HIS BUSINESS WILL HELP BOTH COMMUNITIES. I’M NOT TAKING SIDES ON HOW THIS TURNS OUT, BUT IS THIS GOING TO START A TREND OF MAKING MONEY OFF REAL-LIFE CRIME? WHEN I WAS A KID, MY FAMILY STAYED ONCE IN DEADWOOD, SOUTH DAKOTA…BEST KNOWN AT THE TIME AS THE TOWN WHERE WILD BILL HICKOK WAS SHOT WHILE PLAYING POKER. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF ED GEIN’S HOMETOWN IN CENTRAL WISCONSIN OPENED A ‘BATES MOTEL’? THE GEIN CASE INSPIRED THE MOVIE ‘PSYCHO.’ COME TO THINK OF IT…HAS ANYBODY BOOKED TRIPS TO JONESTOWN LATELY?