There are references to Mr. Fish in several newspapers.
The Aug. 9 issue of the Evening Standard had this to say:
"A Fish Story.
One George B. Fish, of Hartford, Ct., has sent out "his belief" that Miss Lizzie did not commit the deed, but she and Mr. Morse concocted the scheme and hired some one else to do it. He states that the daughters did not live pleasantly with Mrs. Borden and gives as a cause for this unpleasantness the division of some property which the girl's own mother had left to Mr. Borden, had given it to his second wife instead of to the daughters. The property was a small house valued at perhaps $1,000, etc.
We have it on excellent authority that no such property ever existed, either in the form of a house or other property, and Mr. Fish's opinion is as worthless as bearing upon the case as his statements are unreliable.
This one appeared in the FR Globe, August 6, in an article which covered the funeral:
"... Among those who went into the house early was a Mr. Fish of Hartford Conn., who is a nephew of the deceased woman. Miss Lizzie received him with marked coldness of manner. ..."
So there appears to be some animosity before Mr. Fish expressed his opinion.
A lengthy article appeared in the same paper, Aug. 9. Here's the key parts:
MR. FISH'S BELIEF.
He Tells of the Differences in the Family.
HARTFORD, Conn., Aug. 9. – The Post this morning says of the Borden tragedy at Fall River: Mrs. Borden has a sister living in Hartford at 48 Bellevue street, although now absent in Fall River. She is the wife of George B. Fish, a yard tally man on the N.Y., N. H. & H. R. R. When a Post reporter called at the family residence this morning, he found that Mrs. Fish, her son, George H. Fish, and her grandson, Frederick S. Fish, were all in Fall River, but George B. Fish, her husband, was at home. ....
At the time the murder was committed his son, George H., and his wife, were visiting his wife's parents near Fall River, a Mr. and Mrs. Sperry, and upon the receipt of the news, went directly to Fall River. Mrs. Fish and her grandson went directly from Hartford. Mr. Fish was very willing to talk, although he knew but little except what he had read in the papers. He had thought the matter over and over again, and the more he thought of the more it seemed to him that Lizzie Borden was the guilty one. It seems that Mrs. Borden was not the real mother of the two daughters, Lizzie and Emma, but was Mr. Borden's second wife. They have never been on the best of terms, and in the house have merely been civil to Mr. Borden's second wife, and nothing more. The cause of this unpleasantness was over a division of some property which the girl's mother had left to Mr. Borden, who had given it to his second wife instead of the daughters. It was a house valued at perhaps $1000, and Mr. Fish said it was an absurdly small sum for them to quarrel about, as they had all the money they could spend and went to Europe whenever they wanted to go. Mr. Fish does not think that Lizzie herself did the deed, but that she and Morse concocted the scheme and hired some one else to do it. When asked what her object would have been in doing this, Mr. Fish replied: "Simply to get them out of the way. No one made any money out of it, nor could they in any way by murdering the couple." Mrs. Fish is expected home tonight. "
However, the next day Aug.10, the Globe printed this:
"HAVE NO THEORY.
Fish Family Disagree with the Grandfather.
Do Not Believe Lizzie and Morse Concocted the Deed.
.........
HARTFORD, Conn., Aug. 9 - Fred S. Fish and the grandson of Mrs. Geo. B. Fish, who is the sister of the murdered Mrs. Borden of Fall River, has just returned from the funeral of Mr. and Mrs. Borden, which he attended with his grandmother. He says that the members of the family do not agree with his grandfather, George B. Fish, that Lizzie Borden and J. V. Morse concocted the murder of Mr. and Mrs. Borden. The other members of the Fish family disagree with Geo. B. Fish but have no theory to advance."
The Boston Advertiser reported on Aug. 29, during the Preliminary hearing:
".... Among those who were present was Mrs. Fish of Hartford, Conn., a sister of the murdered woman. ..."
No wonder Lizzie was looking for sinkers!
First, Hiram let her have it, then George Fish tells this story - although this Fish story does seem to be slightly more truthful than the yarn Uncle Hiram gave out.
