More On Morse

[Kat]

Studying Morse more thoroughly because of the time spent with Jeffery's theory and looking up sources, last night I copied this anamoly from Morse's several statements.
He saw Bridget when he first came on Wednesday- he did see Bridget when he arrived- he did not see Bridget at all on Wednesday.

Inquest
Morse
99

Q. Was that about ten days before you came?
A. Yes Sir.
Q. So they were not expecting you that particular day, but were looking for you at any time?
A. Yes Sir.
Q. Who did you see at the house when you got there that noon?
A. Mr. Borden, that is Andrew, and his wife.
Q. And the servant girl?
A. Yes, I saw her first.
Q. Emma was away?
A. Yes.
Q. Now then, tell what happened that day.
A. Well, I went in there, and the first thing, I asked the girl, she was the first person I saw when I got there, I asked if Mr. Borden was at home, or Andrew, I dont know which. She said he was on the lounge.
_______

Preliminary

Q. On the occasion of this tragedy when did you come to the house; I am assuming that you did come.
A. Before this? On the third.

Q. What time on the third?
A. I left New Bedford on the 12.35 train.

Q. That would get you here about one.
A Down to his house I think about half past one.

Q. Did you dine there that day?
A. Yes Sir.

Q. Who did you see when you got there?
A. I saw Mr. and Mrs. Borden.

Q. Was Emma at home?
A. She was not.

Q. Lizzie, did you see her?
A. I did not.

Q. Did you dine with the family?

Page 237

A. No, they had got through dinner.

Q. Dinner was made for you?
A. Yes Sir.

Q. How long did you stay there after that?
A. Well, something after three.

Q. What did you do then?
A. I went over to Swansea.

Q. Did you go alone?
A. Yes Sir.
.....

242
Q. When you came the day before, how did you get in at the back door at noon?
A. The girl let me in, the servant girl.
________

Trial
127
Q. Whom did you see there on the Wednesday noon as you came?
A. I saw Mr. Borden, his wife, and Bridget Sullivan.


Trial
141
CROSS-EXAMINATION


Q. (By Mr. Robinson.) I have only a few questions, Mr. Morse. If I understand it correctly, on Thursday afternoon you arrived at the house about half past one?
A. I did.

Q. That was past the dining hour?
A. Yes, sir.

Q. So you didn't sit at the table at dinner with anybody in the family?
A. No, sir. They were in the room with me, not at the table.

Q. Mr. and Mrs. Borden?
A. Yes, sir.

Q. And do you know of your own knowledge who provided the meal that was set before you?
A. Mrs. Borden brought it in herself.

Q. Did you see Bridget Sullivan there at that time?
A. I did not.

Q. Did you see her that afternoon?
A. No, sir.

Q. Did you see her that night after your return?
A. No, sir.
........

142
Q. Then until your hour of retiring, I think you said (perhaps it may be repetition) that you didn't see Bridget Sullivan that night?
A. I did not.

Q. And to make it plain, from half past one when you first came until you went to bed that night, you didn't see her at all?
A. I did not.

Q. Do you know whether or not she was in the house, of your own knowledge?
A. Not of my knowledge.

Q. Do you know from your acquaintance there where her room in the house was?
A. Bridget's room?

Q. Yes.
A. In the attic in the southeast room.


What is the meaning of this?

[Kat]

Also I found that Morse contradicts:

Mrs. Churhill and Bridget supposedly did not go into the sitting room while Andrew's body was there.
Morse says that they were in there when he arrived back from Weybosset Street! And that Lizzie was then alone in the dining room. Why wouldn't he go to her first if she was alone? Trial 155

He says he thinks the cellar door was open.

He says he saw a man take the hatchets and axes and put them into a coarse bag. That was deemed a lie in the witness statements:
36:
Friday August 26.
J. V. Morse testified that one ax and three hatchets were taken from the house, put in a light colored bag of coarse material, and carried away. This is false.

(F. L. Edson, Constable)



He said he didn't notice any crowd outside and in fact didn't see anyone at all other than Sawyer and Bridget and that he saw Sawyer after he ate part of a pear.

His statements don't jibe with others.

What is all this about?

[Doug]

Regarding John Morse seeing Bridget on Wednesday afternoon, at the inquest, preliminary hearing, and trial he testifies he saw her (inquest: "first person I saw;" preliminary: "the girl let me in;" trial: "I saw Mr. Borden, his wife, and Bridget Sullivan.") Under cross examination at the trial Morse says he did not see Bridget at the time his meal was provided, or "that afternoon," or "that night." I interpret this as John Morse saying he did not see Bridget again after she let him in. He has already testified three different times that he did see her on Wednesday afternoon and twice specifies he saw Bridget when he first entered the Borden house.

I remain puzzled by John Morse's saying he did not see anyone around the house, except Sawyer and Bridget, when he arrived back there after the murders. By that time the police had been called and neighbors in at least the vicinity of 92 Second St. had been alerted something bad was happening.

[Susan]

I've always wondered that if there was indeed a huge crowd out front of the Borden home when Morse arrived; why are there no eyewitnesses that saw him show up and testified besides Sawyer. Are there any accounts of this that I am missing? It is a rather important piece of evidence if true that Morse just shuffled past a throng of people and moseyed into the Borden yard like nothing was wrong.

[diana]

I'm with Doug, here. I'm giving JVM the benefit of the doubt as far as not seeing Bridget after she let him into the house on Wednesday. She did not serve him any meals that day. She was out for most of the evening -- and I think he just means he didn't see her again that day.

She says she was aware of him leaving. But she also says she had the impression he was going "over the river" -- which indicates to me that she might have been listening to the conversation in the sitting room while she was doing her ironing in the kitchen. I think it's possible that she saw him leave or at least knew when he left -- but that he didn't notice her at that point.

As to JVM saying that Mrs. Churchill and Alice Russell were in the sitting room with Andrew's body -- I can only suppose that, as he admits at the Preliminary hearing, he "was so excited at that time" that he could not tell who the ladies were ... and maybe not where they were, either.

But, I have to admit the part about him arriving home and not noticing anything untoward in the yard is still odd. Even if a huge crowd hadn't yet gathered -- there probably was noticeably unusual activity.

[Robert Harry]

Sounds to me like Morse got flustered trying to get a previously agreed upon story straight. He can't remember exactly who he is supposed to have seen, so he keeps his account of people he saw to a minimum. He can't remember which ladies he is supposed to have seen, so he says he doesn't remember which ladies were there. To me, this waffling on the part of Morse seems to implicate him in the affair. I know that people telling the truth get little details wrong in the retelling, but it seems to me that traumatic moments would be impressed forever on one's brain. I cannot tell you, for example, what clothing people were wearing, but I sure as heck know the basic facts about who was there, who telephoned, and the correct order of events when my mom died. Methinks Morse smells fishy.

[Kat]

I'm so glad I think I can agree with those of you who propose the possibility that under Cross, when Morse replied he had not seen Bridget from "half past one when you first came" as meaning she did let him in but after that he did not see her. Thanks. It makes sense. I guess I should blame the question, in this case.

Now the question might become focused on Bridget? Why are all these questions then about whether Morse saw Bridget? Is this important?

Morse also said he did not go into the guest room to see Abby, yet it is in testimony that he did go in there.

I found so many conflicting statements last night in the Morse testimonies that I just stopped enumerating them, wiped them from my post, and thought I might write it up for The Hatchet!

[diana]

Morse also said he did not go into the guest room to see Abby, yet it is in testimony that he did go in there.

Are you talking about George Allen's testimony here, Kat? He says that as he was leaving the room he: "met Mr. Morse at the head of the stairs right in the---entering the room."

That's a pretty narrow staircase. Just for argument's sake, I wonder if it's possible that Morse continued up to the landing to allow Allen to go down stairs -- and did not actually continue into the room?

I'm defiantly championing Morse here -- although I know I'm in the minority.

[Harry]

I noticed that it was the defense (Robinson) who was peppering Morse with the questions of him having seen Bridget.

Since it was the day before I don't see it's importance. Maybe Robinson was hinting Bridget sneaked out and bought an axe.

[Kat]

Sorry Diana I did not give my citation originally. Since I had written some of this up years ago for the website it is in my brain and I neglected to share that.

http://www.lizzieandrewborden.com/Crime ... rsedoherty

Crime Library
Testimonies — Comparative

Morse and Doherty

CRIME LIBRARY    

   Testimonies — Comparative


Morse and Doherty

"Patrick Doherty, upon first visiting the guest room, where Mrs. Borden's body lay, had moved the bed "away from her head" to make the space wider. He then went to telephone the station, and when he returned spoke to Bridget a few minutes in the kitchen. He then went upstairs, returning to the guest room, and implies Dr. Dolan was also in the room."

" 'I saw Mr. Morse in the room when I got back from the telephone, when I was looking at Mrs. Borden's body. He stood in the room with his hand on the foot of the bed.' " (Preliminary Hearing, p. 330 - 332).

"Morse's testimony:

11:50 a.m.

'I went part way up the stairs. I did not go into the room at all, looked under the bed, and saw Mrs. Borden lying there'. . .'They told me' she was up there."

[Kat]

I noticed that it was the defense (Robinson) who was peppering Morse with the questions of him having seen Bridget.

Thanks Har. That's an interesting observation.
The defense eliciting in open court, basically, that Bridget was not around that Wednesday, or just that Morse did not see her? hmmmm. I wonder what they were getting at?

That was the day Lizzie was supposedly trying to buy prussic acid.
That was the day Dr. Bowen came over.
What else?

[Harry]

I've always wondered that if there was indeed a huge crowd out front of the Borden home when Morse arrived; why are there no eyewitnesses that saw him show up and testified besides Sawyer. Are there any accounts of this that I am missing? It is a rather important piece of evidence if true that Morse just shuffled past a throng of people and moseyed into the Borden yard like nothing was wrong.

I looked at Morse's own words from the primary documents as to what he said about what he saw when he returned that morning:

Witness statements - p3 Fleet’s notes

“ …. Remained at the house [Weybosset St.] from 9.30 to 11:20 A. M., or thereabouts. Left, taking horse car, and stopped at the corner of Pleasant and Second streets, and got to Mr. Borden’s house about or near twelve o’clock. Saw a number of persons around the house, and was told that Mr. and Mrs. Borden was killed. That was the first I knew of their deaths.”

Inquest - p105 - Q by Knowlton

Q. Was not there a good many people in the street about that time, when you came down?
A. I did not see anything to attract my attention at all.
Q. Did you not see anything to attract your attention to the house when you went by?
A. No Sir, saw nothing to attract my attention at all.

Preliminary – p253 - Q by Knowlton

Q. When you came up the street, who, if anybody, did you see before you went into the yard, as you came up Second street?
A. No one that I could recognize. There might have been a few men along, the same as generally. I did not see anything unusual about it.
Q. Which gate did you go into?
A. Into the north small gate.

Trial – p139 - Q by Moody

Q. When you got to the Borden house did anything attract your attention at first?
A. No, sir.
Q. Where did you first go?
A. Went into the back door, round the rear part of the house, to a pear tree.

Trial – p150+ - Q by Robinson

Q. And how did you approach the house, by what street?
A. Second Street.
Q. And to which door did you come?
A. I went into the rear door, back door.
Q. Now, as you passed into the yard by that Second Street entrance --- and that is the only entrance on that street, is it?
A. Yes, sir
Q. Did you notice anybody about there, particularly?
A. Not to draw my attention at all.

I'm not sure when he says in the Witness statements that he "Saw a number of persons around the house" whether that means after he went inside. Other than that he is consistent in saying that he saw nothing unusual.

Earth to Morse, Earth to Morse. Come in, Morse.

[diana]

Crime Library
Testimonies — Comparative
Morse and Doherty

Thanks, Kat. Doherty does seem clear in his assertion that he saw Morse in the guest room standing with his hand on the foot of the bed.

And sadly, I can't find anything with which to defend Morse's statements that he didn't notice any unusual activity in the yard. Especially after he initially said to Fleet that he did.

I find these contradictions very puzzling. What would he gain by saying he saw no one around the house when he got back? What would he gain by saying he didn't look at Abby's body?

If he was smart enough to mastermind a complex murder involving friends and family and ensure the life-long silence of these participants -- why would he lie about things that could be so readily disproven?

[Kat]

I was looking at it as lying- at first.
I can come up with probably a dozen inconsistencies.
Now I'm not sure it is exactly lying- I'm not sure what it is.

Partly, I think he is hard of hearing, and I don't think he is especially observant and maybe he had poor eyersight too?

This doesn't answer why, after 10 months, he couldn't study up and recall correctly, on the stand at the trial, personal things like the year his sister died or Emma's age or when Andrew married Abby. That's just the icing.

[diana]

Well, not trying to slam my own husband or anything -- but I just did a little test -- and he doesn't remember what year his sister married, what year his father died, or how old his nephew is.

[Kat]

Are they both almost 60?
Maybe that's it!
Good survey.

I was looking at the January, 1998 LBQ, because Jeffery referred to it as having info in there on Mrs. Doris Reed Grimwade, who he claims, by their own tree, they are related to Wm. Davis.
She is apparently the great niece of Wm. A. Davis. They are the direct line of Emma W. Davis, the older sister of William.

The atticle in the LBQ is entitled "John Vinnicum Morse"- 'I Sat On His Lap', by Mr. Bertolet.
The Bertolet's went to interview this Mrs. Grimwade, who was 98 in 1998.
She recalled Alice Russell teaching sewing in the schools and she shesays about Lizzie that her own mother thought her innocent but "mother came around. No one in Fall River ever believed Lizzie was innocent after the trial. They protected her throughout but there never was any chance of her being convicted. After all, she was a woman and a Sunday School teacher."

As for Morse: This Mrs. Grimwade sat on his lap!
She recalls:
"John Vinnicum Morse was a friend of the family. I was only about three years old when all this was happening with John Morse and what I remember is mother taking me to New Bedford because John Morse was visiting and she wanted to see him. He was an old family friend. And what I remember about it was sitting on his lap, and his white beard. What interested me most was a gold watch with a heavy gold chain with sort of an ornament. You put the watch in one vest pocket and then the chain and the thing to hold it down in another. The fob, I guess you call it, yes. When he was visiting they were very glad to see him. Mother made a special trip. She was the one who was most interested in the Lizzie Borden business.

...Aunt and Uncle...Mr. Morse was visiting there. I don't know if he was staying with them or not. He was there. John Morse was a friend, a very well-respected, well-liked friend of the family. Sometimes he stayed out in Pettinara with...the Davis', Charles and Isaac, had a farm out there and I don't know if he was staying with my aunt and uncle or just visiting them the way we were. They lived in an apartment on the second floor but I couldn't tell you what street.

What can I tell you about him? Everybody liked John Morse. I mean he was a welcome guest where ever he went. Another thing I can tell you about him that my mother told me, he never allowed you to talk about Lizzie Borden in his presence. He didn't want to discuss her at all. The whole thing was distasteful. Why should he get mixed up in it? And why should he have to talk about it afterwards? I don't know. You don't talk about things like that. He just got mixed up in it and didn't want to talk about it. He never discussed her afterwards. Nobody ever spoke of it to him."...

Jeffery contacted the son of Mrs. Grimwade, and met the grandson of Wm. Davis, but felt they were not being candid with him which made him suspicious. Even after reading this article on Mrs. Grimwade, Jeffery still believed in Morse's complicity in a conspiracy to murder Andrew Borden.

[Doug]

Mrs. Grimwade confirms in her recollection of John Morse that he was a well-liked person in many quarters. He had relatives and friends in the Fall River/New Bedford area that he contacted and visited, stayed with, had meals with, and so on. He also appears to have been popular and respected in his hometown in Iowa. As well, Andrew Borden liked him and valued his opinions and John Morse liked Andrew. Morse seems to have been "comfortable" financially; he had time and means to travel between Iowa and Massachusetts, engage in activities that he enjoyed, do a little horse trading, and essentially come and go as he pleased. John Morse was familiar with the personalities and family dynamics at 92 Second St. and I believe figured out more about what happened there on August 4, 1892, (and why) than he testified to or told. But I find it very hard to believe that Morse conspired with anyone to kill Andrew and Abby. What he might have gained (additional farm property? a share in money?) he already had enough of to be comfortable. Why at 60 years old would John Morse conspire to brutally murder Andrew and Abby and by doing so jeopardize his own lifestyle and risk the gallows?

[Doug]

Today is the anniversary of John V. Morse's birth (July 5, 1833). After Lizzie herself, and perhaps Bridget Sullivan, John Morse is the most interesting and puzzling character associated with the Borden mystery. Under suspicion from the first Morse never told all he knew or suspected about Abby's and Andrew's deaths. Had John Morse shared this information with the authorities Lizzie's acquittal might well have been a conviction.

[Kat]

Happy Birthday, JVM!

Wasn't that Morse Genealogy and family history in the June Hatchet really cool?!

I also wonder what he might have gained.
He didn't leave anything to the girls in his will, and even when the probate was over and they got a small share, Emma refused it.
Emma used to write to him quarterly, before the tragedy.
I wonder why or if she was on the outs with Morse by the time he died?

The girls didn't leave him anything either- tho he died before them.
Maybe he was in an earlier will of their's- we may never know...
We don't know if Emma & Lizzie Had Earlier wills. hmmmm...

[joe]

Happy 171st birthday Uncle John. After researching your background, I feel I know you personally. I think you'd tell me many things that we don't know about your life and the murders.
Joe

[Doug]

Yes, Joe's article about the Morse genealogy is interesting and valuable. Obviously a lot of effort and time went into researching the details and preparing the piece!

[Kat]

I was working offline last night on this Morse project- let's see if I finish it.
I've found, so far, 10 differences in what he claims as opposed to what others claimed. Then I will have to analyze WHY.

[Kat]

I've always wondered that if there was indeed a huge crowd out front of the Borden home when Morse arrived; why are there no eyewitnesses that saw him show up and testified besides Sawyer. Are there any accounts of this that I am missing? It is a rather important piece of evidence if true that Morse just shuffled past a throng of people and moseyed into the Borden yard like nothing was wrong.

I looked at Morse's own words from the primary documents as to what he said about what he saw when he returned that morning:

Witness statements - p3 Fleet’s notes

“ …. Remained at the house [Weybosset St.] from 9.30 to 11:20 A. M., or thereabouts. Left, taking horse car, and stopped at the corner of Pleasant and Second streets, and got to Mr. Borden’s house about or near twelve o’clock. Saw a number of persons around the house, and was told that Mr. and Mrs. Borden was killed. That was the first I knew of their deaths.”


I'm not sure when he says in the Witness statements that he "Saw a number of persons around the house" whether that means after he went inside. Other than that he is consistent in saying that he saw nothing unusual.

_________

Recall the first Witness Statements, as claimed by Williams in The Casebook, has handwritten notes which were transcribed thus:

pg. 18
"Assistant Marshal Fleet's Notes of His Interview with Lizzie Borden,
Bridget Sullivan, and John Morse

The only known records of the police investigations in these early days are the handwritten notes of Assistant Marshal John Fleet. He recorded his questioning of Lizzie, Bridget, and Uncle John on the day of the murders. Fleet's manuscript is printed here just as written, including spelling and punctuation errors and his abbreviations. Illegible manuscript is indicated by _____.

Source: Courtesy of Edward Sullivan."

pg.22
..."Saw a number of _____ around the house and was told that Mr. & Mrs. Borden was killed That was the first I knew of their death." ...

--The connecting noun was illegible. Someone either got the word from future statements or made one up.
Maybe he had said he saw a number of pears around the house?

[Susan]

Thanks, Kat. I guess thats where the confusion comes in from the "around the house". I take it as meaning Morse heard about the deaths from people that were in the house. But, I suppose it could and has been taken as people that were around outside the house too. Morse's actions don't sound so suspect if there wasn't a crowd out front and he moseyed into the yard and had a pear. But, if he came back for lunch with the Bordens, why was he eating a pear just before? It seems almost like a case of studied nonchalance, an act that was strictly for the viewers in the house; I'm innocent, I know nothing of what has happened in the house, if I did, I would be rushing in the moment I arrived.

[Harry]

Don't know if this makes it any clearer or not. From the New York Herald, dated the 7th:

". . . I went to the Post Office and several other places about town and finally to Daniel Emery's, at No. 4 Weybosett street. I stayed there until between quarter after and half-past eleven, when I started for home by street car. It was twenty minutes to twelve when I got home and heard of the murders. The house was full of policemen and people. That is all I know about it."

"Mr. Morse'" I said, "it has been asserted that when Lizzie Borden was away the week before the murder she went to New Bedford to see you."

"That is not true," said Morse vehemently. "She did not see me. I didn't get any letters from her either, though I heard she was at Marion."

He still doesn't state exactly how he was told or by whom.

He also denies vehemently seeing Lizzie in New Bedford.

[Kat]

I like Fritz's idea that Morse loitered in the backyard to make note that the cellar door was open.
But it wasn't.
So that gets really complicated.
He did spend the remainder of the day out back wandering around and a few times tried to drop the info that he thought he saw the cellar door open (or unlocked). It makes sense.
Morse, BTW, I think, has picked up a couple of pears but then says he ate one.
Sawyer didn't see any pear with Morse.
I hear it is not unusual to pick up fruit and eat it before lunch or anytime, in Fall River.

[Franz]

I've always wondered that if there was indeed a huge crowd out front of the Borden home when Morse arrived; why are there no eyewitnesses that saw him show up and testified besides Sawyer. Are there any accounts of this that I am missing? It is a rather important piece of evidence if true that Morse just shuffled past a throng of people and moseyed into the Borden yard like nothing was wrong.

I looked at Morse's own words from the primary documents as to what he said about what he saw when he returned that morning:

Witness statements - p3 Fleet’s notes

“ …. Remained at the house [Weybosset St.] from 9.30 to 11:20 A. M., or thereabouts. Left, taking horse car, and stopped at the corner of Pleasant and Second streets, and got to Mr. Borden’s house about or near twelve o’clock. Saw a number of persons around the house, and was told that Mr. and Mrs. Borden was killed. That was the first I knew of their deaths.”

Inquest - p105 - Q by Knowlton

Q. Was not there a good many people in the street about that time, when you came down?
A. I did not see anything to attract my attention at all.
Q. Did you not see anything to attract your attention to the house when you went by?
A. No Sir, saw nothing to attract my attention at all.

Preliminary – p253 - Q by Knowlton

Q. When you came up the street, who, if anybody, did you see before you went into the yard, as you came up Second street?
A. No one that I could recognize. There might have been a few men along, the same as generally. I did not see anything unusual about it.
Q. Which gate did you go into?
A. Into the north small gate.

Trial – p139 - Q by Moody

Q. When you got to the Borden house did anything attract your attention at first?
A. No, sir.
Q. Where did you first go?
A. Went into the back door, round the rear part of the house, to a pear tree.

Trial – p150+ - Q by Robinson

Q. And how did you approach the house, by what street?
A. Second Street.
Q. And to which door did you come?
A. I went into the rear door, back door.
Q. Now, as you passed into the yard by that Second Street entrance --- and that is the only entrance on that street, is it?
A. Yes, sir
Q. Did you notice anybody about there, particularly?
A. Not to draw my attention at all.

I'm not sure when he says in the Witness statements that he "Saw a number of persons around the house" whether that means after he went inside. Other than that he is consistent in saying that he saw nothing unusual.

Earth to Morse, Earth to Morse. Come in, Morse.

In my opinion, most probably, Morse's "Saw a number of persons around the house" should mean "aroud the house" outside, not inside, because his testimony was in chronological order and he said then "and was told that Mr. and Mrs. Borden was killed". He was told the news at the side door!

[Franz]

I was looking at it as lying- at first.
I can come up with probably a dozen inconsistencies.
Now I'm not sure it is exactly lying- I'm not sure what it is.

Partly, I think he is hard of hearing, and I don't think he is especially observant and maybe he had poor eyersight too?

This doesn't answer why, after 10 months, he couldn't study up and recall correctly, on the stand at the trial, personal things like the year his sister died or Emma's age or when Andrew married Abby. That's just the icing.

"Partly, I think he is hard of hearing, and I don't think he is especially observant and maybe he had poor eyersight too?"

Morse wasn't especially observant and maybe he had poor eyesight too? ...And the car number? his perfect alibi?

[Franz]

I'm with Doug, here. I'm giving JVM the benefit of the doubt as far as not seeing Bridget after she let him into the house on Wednesday. She did not serve him any meals that day. She was out for most of the evening -- and I think he just means he didn't see her again that day.

She says she was aware of him leaving. But she also says she had the impression he was going "over the river" -- which indicates to me that she might have been listening to the conversation in the sitting room while she was doing her ironing in the kitchen. I think it's possible that she saw him leave or at least knew when he left -- but that he didn't notice her at that point.

As to JVM saying that Mrs. Churchill and Alice Russell were in the sitting room with Andrew's body -- I can only suppose that, as he admits at the Preliminary hearing, he "was so excited at that time" that he could not tell who the ladies were ... and maybe not where they were, either.

But, I have to admit the part about him arriving home and not noticing anything untoward in the yard is still odd. Even if a huge crowd hadn't yet gathered -- there probably was noticeably unusual activity.

He "was so excited at that time". Certainly he was, he admitted himself.

But what were the real reasons of his excitment? I would like to know...

[Franz]

Happy Birthday, JVM!

Wasn't that Morse Genealogy and family history in the June Hatchet really cool?!

I also wonder what he might have gained.
He didn't leave anything to the girls in his will, and even when the probate was over and they got a small share, Emma refused it.
Emma used to write to him quarterly, before the tragedy.
I wonder why or if she was on the outs with Morse by the time he died?

The girls didn't leave him anything either- tho he died before them.
Maybe he was in an earlier will of their's- we may never know...
We don't know if Emma & Lizzie Had Earlier wills. hmmmm...

Is it possible that Lizzie and Emma, after having examined many times all the details of what happened that morning, after many discussions, reflections, formed their suspicion upon their uncle John?