smell in house

Cheryl · Post by **Cheryl** » Sat May 26, 2007 5:02 pm

Hi everyone. I'm new to the forum. My name's Cheryl and I live in Orlando. I've been reading your posts for some time now, and I've really enjoyed them.

I first read a book on Lizzie Borden in the 70s. Can't remember which one it was. Found the whole thing fascinating, but didn't give it another thought until this past January when my husband and I decided to take a road trip to Massachusetts for Spring Break. We took our two kids aged 12 and 9. I remember reading somewhere that the murder house was a B&B, so I booked it for March. Since staying in the home, my interest in the case has just exploded!

I was very curious to know if anybody ever experienced an unusual smell in the home. During our tour on the 3rd floor, the guide (it wasn't LeeAnn, someone whose name I can't recall) and I stopped short when we smelled the most awful, rotting smell. It was a cross between mildew,
rotting food and vomit. It lasted only 3 seconds, and it was gone. Nobody behind us smelled it, and it never came back. After the tour, the guide told LeeAnn about it and the two described that they had not smelled this in over a year and a half. And back then, it had only been
a nuisance on the second floor. I would assume if it were a dead animal
in the walls, or mildew the smell would not come and go like that.

Cheryl

Shelley · Post by **Shelley** » Sat May 26, 2007 6:09 pm

Sounds disgusting. In the nine years I have been there on weekends, I have never smelled it. I slept up there last night in Bridget's room, and it was warm- it was record heat in the city -93 degrees, breaking the 1932 record. Dave has burned the jonnycakes once or twice- but other than that. . . ..

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Sat May 26, 2007 6:19 pm

I stayed in Bridget's room last week and and didn't smell anything. I did awaken several times the first night. Each time I had a thought and my first time was: "I love this place." Then I awakened and thought "I hate this place." Then I slept again and awakened with "I love this place."
I figured it could be residue of all the different personalities of those who had lived there through the past 162 years.

Cheryl · Post by **Cheryl** » Sat May 26, 2007 7:10 pm

Thanks for the responses. A bit odd, I thought.

Two questions:

1) Are there any police photographs of the inside of the barn?

2) And what do you recommend I read first? LeeAnn had so many books, I must admit I was a bit overwhelmed with the choices and chose instead to spend much of my time chit chatting with the other people staying overnight.

Harry · Post by **Harry** » Sat May 26, 2007 9:23 pm

Hi Cheryl, welcome to the forum.

Just last week I slept in the Knowlton room and no smell. Last August I slept in Bridget's room, no smell.

How curious no one else on the tour smelled it. Another Borden mystery.

As for photos of the inside of the barn, sad to say I've never heard of nor seen one. There is a brief glimpse when they were tearing it down. We got to see the narrow stairs that led to the loft. It's hard to imagine Lizzie, pears in hand, climbing those steps all to save a few pennies on fishing sinkers.

Michael · Post by **Michael** » Sat May 26, 2007 10:20 pm

Cheryl, hello and welcome to the Forum. Lots of interesting discussion (and people) here. Regarding what you should read: Victoria Lincoln's "A Private Disgrace: Lizzie Borden by Daylight" is quite interesting - Even if I don't "buy" every aspect of her theory, I agree with most of what she says regarding Lizzie and the murders. There is also, of course, the great Leonard Rebello book, "Lizzie Borden: Past & Present" - if you can find it. If you want a really "quick" read on Lizzie, I recommend "The Borden Tragedy", by Rick Geary - short, sweet, and to the point. Of course, LizzieAndrewBorden.com also contains many writings of interest. Best wishes and, again, welcome.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Sun May 27, 2007 1:49 am

I have posted barn views before: here are a couple.
This one is from Terence Duniho's collection

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Sun May 27, 2007 1:51 am

This is from The Pic Album
Harry reminded me of the newspaper views.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Sun May 27, 2007 1:53 am

I agree about The Geary illustrated novel as being one of the best first books to read on the crime.

Societygirl1892 · Post by **Societygirl1892** » Sun May 27, 2007 9:12 am

Hi Cheryl,
I have stayed at the house numerous times, but did experience any smells like the one you described. I have slept in the rooms on the second floor, and all but one on the attic level. It's the one next to Bridget's that I haven't stayed in.
Welcome to the forum.
There are so many good books, so it depends on if you want to go fiction or non-fiction. Len Rebello's reference book is the best thing ever (at least I think so), but I started with the Victoria Lincoln book, and then Robert Sullivan.
Hope that's helpful!
Pammie

Fargo · Post by **Fargo** » Sun May 27, 2007 10:14 am

I seen a sketch of the interior of the loft of the borden barn somewhere, but I am not sure what book it was in. I am thinking Rebello, the Lizzie Borden Sourcebook, or maybe Charlie's Scrapbook. I think it said the sketch was from a newspaper. I will look for it.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Sun May 27, 2007 11:19 am

I think there is a newspaper sketch of the barn loft, too.

Fargo · Post by **Fargo** » Mon May 28, 2007 4:58 am

I didn't find any interior barn sketch in the sourcebook. There is a sketch on page #48 of Rebello. There is another sketch on about page #26 of Lizzie Borden did she?... or... didn't she? The pages from the New Bedford Evening Standard. Unfortunately the pages in this book are not numbered.
It does not say where the sketch came from.

The front window seems too small and it is off centered, not in the middle. Maybe the artist put the window to one side as it would be hidden by the beam that is shown in the sketch if he drew it the way it really was.

Like the sketch of the Borden neigbourhood from the Boston Globe in June of 1893. The white coloured house that is behind the Borden house seems further to the north than it actually is. That is if it is the same house that is there today and if it has not been moved since 1893.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Wed May 30, 2007 11:00 am

I hadn't forgotten the barn loft, Fargo!
Here is the illustration from the Did She Didn't She? book. Good memory!

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Wed May 30, 2007 11:11 am

In the Prelim., Fleet says there is a "partition" partly in front of the west window.

This is cross-exam- sounds confrontational, by Adams:

Q. Did you see a work bench up there in the second floor of the barn?
A. I did not notice any. I think there was a bench.
Q. Was there not some sort of a bench there, what is commonly called a work bench, which might be used for a variety of work, carpenter work, and any work of that sort?
A. I think there was something of that kind there.
Q. Did you go to these windows?
A. No sir.
Q. Was there anything to prevent your going?
A. There was on one end.
Q. Which end?
A. On the west end.
Q. What was there to prevent it?
A. I think there was a partition there, I am not sure.
Page 363
Q. So you cannot get to that west window?
A. No,; I could have got there well enough.
Q. What kind of a partition?
A. A wooden one.
Q. How high up?
A. I would not be sure, probably six or seven feet.
Q. Running from north to south across?
A. No, it does not go right across, only on one end of it, on the south west end of the barn.
Q. There is a partition that runs across?
A. Corner ways, yes sir, one corner.
Q. What is it for?
A. I do not know.
Q. That prevents your going to that west window, does it?
A. No I did not say that it did.
Q. I understood you to say you did not go there because there was something that prevented you, that there was a partition?
A. I said there was a partition there. I did not go to the west window.
Q. Did you not say that was the obstacle that prevented you from going to the west window?
A. It was there; but I do not know as it could have stopped me from going, if I wanted to go.
Q. My examination now is directly to this point, why you did not go to the west window. I understand you to say there was an obstacle in the nature of the partition six or seven feet high?
A. I am not sure about that.
Q. How will you leave it, was there anything to prevent your going to this west window, when you went up there?
A. I could not really say, but my impression was there was a partition there, and it did not go to the window. I did not go to the window, did not go to either window.
Q. You do not mean to leave it there was anything there that would prevent you from going to either window, if you had happened to want to go there?
A. Not if I had wanted to.
Q. Do you remember how the hay was piled when you got up into the barn?
A. Yes sir, it was piled on the north west part; in fact all on the north side of the barn was hay.
Q. That left the passage way, or the place to walk, on the side of the barn, that the door was, namely on the south side?
A. That left a passage way there.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Wed May 30, 2007 11:22 am

That's a lot of testimony! Hope you'all got thru it OK.

I posted all of it because it goes toward explaining that view of the west window- I think the artist tried to show the partition and that made the window look small.

Also it will help us orientate ourselves with the front window in the loft, and where the hay was.

Angel · Post by **Angel** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 1:50 pm

Cheryl @ Sat May 26, 2007 5:02 pm wrote: I was very curious to know if anybody ever experienced an unusual smell in the home. During our tour on the 3rd floor, the guide (it wasn't LeeAnn, someone whose name I can't recall) and I stopped short when we smelled the most awful, rotting smell. It was a cross between mildew,
rotting food and vomit. It lasted only 3 seconds, and it was gone. Nobody behind us smelled it, and it never came back. After the tour, the guide told LeeAnn about it and the two described that they had not smelled this in over a year and a half. And back then, it had only been
a nuisance on the second floor. I would assume if it were a dead animal
in the walls, or mildew the smell would not come and go like that.

Cheryl

Could it have possibly been blister beetle poison horse urine perhaps?

theebmonique · Post by **theebmonique** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 11:06 am

Or...maybe somebody in the tour group was experiencing gaseous expulsion ?

Tracy...

twinsrwe · Post by **twinsrwe** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 12:21 pm

theebmonique @ Sun Jun 03, 2007 9:06 am wrote:Or...maybe somebody in the tour group was experiencing gaseous expulsion ?

Tracy...

OMG, Tracy, that is just tooooooo funny!!! Sounds like a good possibility, though.

twinsrwe · Post by **twinsrwe** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 12:49 pm

Partial quote by Cheryl @ Sat May 26, 2007 3:02 pm wrote:...

I was very curious to know if anybody ever experienced an unusual smell in the home. During our tour on the 3rd floor, the guide (it wasn't LeeAnn, someone whose name I can't recall) and I stopped short when we smelled the most awful, rotting smell. It was a cross between mildew,
rotting food and vomit. It lasted only 3 seconds, and it was gone. Nobody behind us smelled it, and it never came back. After the tour, the guide told LeeAnn about it and the two described that they had not smelled this in over a year and a half. And back then, it had only been
a nuisance on the second floor. I would assume if it were a dead animal

in the walls, or mildew the smell would not come and go like that.

Cheryl

Cheryl, were you in a room on the third floor when you smelled the odor?
Did Lee-ann happen to say what she thought the smell may have been?
Also, did she mention the location of the smell when it was on the second floor? Or, how long the smell lasted?

Cheryl · Post by **Cheryl** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 4:33 pm

You guys are so funny...and yes, for the first second I smelled the funk,
I thought it might be a dead rat in the walls, or possibly a mildew problem, and so I didn't say anything for not wanting to embarrass the tour guide. Inside I'm thinking...thank God we're sleeping on the second floor.

It excited the tour guide enough (I wish I could remember her name,
she was wonderful) to quickly tell LeeAnn as soon as the tour was over.
The two just discussed that it was a problem periodically on the second floor about a year and a half ago. They tried to "get rid of it", and apparently did for well over a year! They affectionately called the entity
"The Smelly Ghost".

twinsrwe · Post by **twinsrwe** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 7:28 pm

Partial quote by Cheryl @ Sun Jun 03, 2007 2:33 pm wrote:...

... They affectionately called the entity "The Smelly Ghost".

Good name for it.

Thanks for not being offended by our humor, Cheryl.

stuartwsa · Post by **stuartwsa** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 10:21 pm

Perhaps it was Casper's brother Gaspar?
(Sorry, I couldn't resist.)

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 11:30 pm

Gaspar the Smelly Ghost? I think you have a comic book there, Stuart! Can you draw?

theebmonique · Post by **theebmonique** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 12:32 am

Was your tour guide named Eleanor ? She is great !

Tracy...

twinsrwe · Post by **twinsrwe** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 1:42 am

I like the clever name, of Gaspar, stuartwsa!

Great title for a comic book, Kat. Maybe there are twin ghosts; Casper & twin brother Gaspar! Both have made 92 Second Street, their home away from home; one loves to inhabit the second floor, the other third floor.

and

those Smelly Ghosts...

What do you think, stuartwsa?

The sound alike names, remind me of my childhood. As I have previously mentioned on the forum, I am a twin. My twin brother's name is Jerry. (Judy and Jerry). My sister, Mary, is three years younger than I am; unfortunately, she appears to be older than she actually is. I, on the other hand, appear to be younger than my actual age, which by the way, is just fine by me!

When we were growing up, people were always confused as to who the twins were; nine times out of ten they were certain the twins had to be Mary and Jerry, because their names rhymed.

To make an already confusing situation even more confusing, my mother dressed my sister and me in matching outfits!

stuartwsa · Post by **stuartwsa** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 9:40 pm

I haven't done any cartooning since high school! But I'll get out a paper and pencil and see if I can come up with anything.

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