Hey, Kat,

[eprattlbg]

I really respect your knowledge on this. Why didn't John Morse notice anything when he arrives back at second street after the murders? I mean, how could anyone not notice a huge crowd around a normally quiet neighborhood?

[Kat]

Well that's a hard one!
I don't know about Morse- he's quite a character. I think we have as many ideas about what Morse was like as we have members.
I personally am not wholly convinced that at the time he returned, there were as many people outside as has been described, but only because I was not there.

All the people who showed up: cops, reporters, neighbors, civilians, and friends would have to be mapped out thru everyone's testimonies and witness statements and the timing compared before I myself could figure how many was a crowd. I've thot there was a possibility a few were in the barn or on the other side of the house maybe when Morse arrived, and he might not have seen them. But then he goes and gets some pears and at that point he should be able to see the yard and hear people in the barn- so that is no explanation at all.

The time may be important- he may have arrived back earlier than he thought.

Have you been to the Borden house? We were meeting a group there one visit and as we approached, a bit late, there were 5 people outside waiting and it looked like a big crowd to me!

I wouldn't call it a quiet neighborhood, once I've read about all the businesses on that street (with extra research being published by Harry- and by Mary Naugle). But I don't think it matters if it was busy or quiet, it's still a conundrum.

Ask anyone here the same question and maybe you too have a reason or theory?

[Ad]

Uncle John is most certainly an enigma!

His odd behavior upon his arrival back at the Borden household after the murders has always struck a sour cord with me. Kat, you mentioned that five people gathered at the house were noticeable to you as a crowd.

It’s pretty safe to say that there was that many there when he arrived. Why didn’t this concern him, or at the very least, arouse his curiosity? If I were to arrive at my parents house (or other family members) and found even *one person that I didn’t recognize* standing around in their yard. My first reaction would be to find out who they were and what reason brought them to be standing in the yard. Questions would be asked and answers expected.

He was returning to join the Bordens for dinner; why would he fill up on pears? Why would he initially arrive at the Borden household without a suitcase, grip, or even a small bag of personal effects….toothbrush, hairbrush, shaving gear/scissors or clippers for his beard?

He had a finger in the pudding somehow; his alibi is flawless and logged like a documentary and yet he can’t remember a lot of the conversations he had with Andrew and family.

A conundrum, to say the least!

[snokkums]

I think he either had something to do with it and wanted to get in with Lizzie to get their stories right, or he wanted to get in there to see what the Lizzie's story was, if she did act alone.