Lizzie Borden: Story of her Life Not Quite Right

A new telling of the Lizzie Borden story appeared today on the Rotten Works blog. The writer, RottenOne, gets the story somewhat right. The basic gist is there, and fairly well told, as far as the truth of the matter is concerned. However, like almost all writers on the case these days, and speakers for that matter, the author makes some egregious errors of fact and substitutes fantastical exaggerations instead of sticking to the real story.

Let’s start with paragraph 2: “Their house was small with no indoor plumbing and no hot running water.” Not true, McGee! Andrew had the water department connect to the house almost as soon as the service was available in his part of town.

This from the Lizzie Borden Quarterly (“Research Discovers an Unknown Side to Andrew J. Borden,” July 1997), “At Andrew Borden’s Second Street home, the connection for city water (applied for under Account No. 223) was made on June 19, 1874 by Cook and Grew, plumbers. The house was outfitted with not one, but two, faucets. Water rates as published by the Fall River Water Board were $5.00 annually for one faucet and $2.50 annually for each additional faucet, thereby resulting in a $7.50 water charge for the Borden residence.”

Paragraph 3: “To try and restore peace Andrew Borden has guests come to the house and has Lizzie spend time with their more affluent relatives. This seems to only make matters worse. But it was during one of these family visits that the crime occurs. After one of the cousins has spent the night and left the house, Abby is upstairs tidying the room. It was while she was cleaning the room that she takes 19 blows to the head. Within a few minutes Andrew Borden comes home because he isn’t feeling well. After lying down for a few minutes he gets 11 blows to the head. Eleven savage blows that completely destroy his face. Both parents are dead within a matter of minutes.”

This is the first time I have heard that Andrew invited people to his house, affluent relatives, to make Lizzie feel better. Source please. And it was not a cousin who arrived the evening before the murders, but Lizzie’s uncle, John Vinnicum Morse, the brother of her deceased mother. While Abby did indeed get whacked 19 times, Andrew’s blow count was ten. The blows did not completely destroy Andrew’s face as the attack was focused on his left side.

Paragraphs 7 & 8: “And then things begin to spiral out of control. Lizzie is taken into custody and questioned. She gives conflicting testimony and defiantly refers to Abby as her step mother, not her mother. Lizzie is arrested and charged with three counts of murder, one for each parent and one for the pair.

During the trial many additional details come to light. Lizzie is said to have tried to buy poison a few days before. She is said to have burned a stained dress. It’s later found Lizzie is questioned without her attorney present and she’s been given sedatives by the doctor who came over to investigate the crime.”

Lizzie was not taken into custody at this time. In fact, she appeared at the Inquest on her own volition, which was held from August 9-11. A warrant had been issued on August 8, but was not served. She appeared without counsel at the Inquest, and was under the influence of morphine, which was being administered by Dr. Bowen. She was not charged with the crimes until after the Grand Jury indicted her on December 2, 1892. Lizzie was thought to have attempted to buy prussic acid the day before the murders, not a few days before.

Paragraph 11: “Undaunted, Lizzie does indeed buy her big house on the hill; a 14 bedroom complete with housekeeper and servants.”

Maplecroft has 14 rooms. Not 14 bedrooms. This is not a mansion, but rather a large house.

Paragraph 12: “Emma, who realizes there will be no peace living with Lizzie decides to take her leave and move out. She moves away and it’s the last time the sisters speak. Lizzie remains alone until her death, never quite achieving the status she craves.”

We have no evidence that Lizzie and Emma never spoke again. They owned property together and had later business dealings after the time Emma moved out. Lizzie never married, but I wouldn’t say she remained alone until her death. She surrounded herself with friends. She had servants living in her home. And I am not sure just what status Lizzie craved . . . and how anyone can know this enigmatic woman’s mind so well as to state this.

Like I said, this is one of the more accurate descriptions of the case! Mostly the story is well told and thoughtful. It is a good attempt at the case, but one that, in the end, furthers the myths of this case in ways that do not contribute to the scholarship.