Bridget leaving

[Marg]

Hi all,
I found this on an old post:

The Cases That Haunt Us:

117+
"The day of the murders, Bridget left the house, never to return.

But I thought she hung out at the house at least until the trial was over.
I understood she stayed with friends the night of the murders but then returned the next day.
Help?

thanks:)

[augusta]

Hello, Marg - Bridget did not leave the night of the murders totally. It's a complicated answer, and at the moment I can't remember where it's written. There is probably an old thread on here that tells it. I am thinking the information is in the trial testimony.

Let's see. Well, the very first night she spent the night across the street - I think with Mary Doolan, the work girl of the Kellys.

I think she did work at the Bordens for a day or few afterwards and slept there it seems once or twice. But she did get a job working for - I'm thinking the jailer's family? Josiah Hunt's family? And it seems that she moved in with her cousin (Dennis?) at that time. I don't know what happened to her after the trial.

It's said that she went back to Ireland. It's said that Andrew Jennings told her never to come back to the United States. It's said that she went but came back to Anaconda, Montana and married a John Sullivan and died when she was like in her 80's having had no children. But I haven't seen proof of any of that. One thing that makes it hard is that Bridget didn't know what her birthday was. Though she had no children, apparently a niece sprang up in Montana and has said she was Bridget's niece. And the niece did a little talking after Bridget's death. Not much, but some.

I will try to do better than this for you. I'll check a few places and post again.

[augusta]

When Bridget testified at Lizzie's trial (pgs. 294/295 of the old pages) Mr. Moody questions her thusly:

Q: A word or two about your present residence. You understand that you are detained as a witness by the Commonwealth in the place in which you are now?
A: Yes, sir.

Q: Have you been permitted to go in and out evenings?
A: I go in and out all I please.

Q: And live in the family of the sheriff, the keeper of the jail?* And do the work in that household, do you?
A: I do the cooking up to this time.

Q: Did you remain at the house after the homicide any length of time?
A: I staid (sic) there. I went out Thursday night and slept out in Mrs. Miller's girl's house, and Friday night I slept in the house.

Q: You mean Mrs. Miller's house** with the girl?
A: With the servant. I slept with her Thursday night.

Q: On Thursday night?
A: Yes, sir, and I came back Friday morning, staid there all through the time and did the work and Friday night I went out and came back and slept in the house.

Q: In the Borden house?
A: YES, sir, *** and Saturday night I left for good as I thought, and came back Monday and Mr. Miller**** said I should not leave the house until he came and took me out.

Q: You did not stay there Saturday night?
A: No, sir, - or Sunday night.

Q: You were not there Sunday morning?
A: No, sir.

Q: Were you there Sunday at all for any part of the day?
A: No, sir, I came there Monday morning.

* = In the trial testimony, page 260 of the old pages, Bridget testifies that she has been living with Josiah Hunt's family, the keeper of the jail, on Court Street in New Bedford, since she left the Borden house.

** = Mrs. Miller's house/the servant: Bridget refers to the large home of Southard Miller and his wife, kitty corner across the street from 92 Second street. Dr. Bowen, his wife and their daughter, Florence, also lived there, as did the artist Franklin Miller (son of Southard and his wife) and a Mrs. Wyatt also had a room or apartment in the house.

*** = My own capitilization and red font. This is the only night Bridget stayed in the Borden house after the murders took place.

**** = This could mean Mr. Southard Miller or his son, artist Franklin Miller.

I'm glad you asked that question, Marg. Tho it has been discussed before on this forum, you can probably see how it can be hard to remember the answer. I hope this helped you.

[augusta]

Sorry. Double posted.

[snokkums]

Seems that after the murders, there really wasn't alot written about Bridget. She just kind of dissappeared. A lot of speculation.

[Yooper]

I expect Bridget was happy to become anonymous after the trial, the Bordens had cost her enough of her life by then. She didn't need any stigma from the murders preventing future employment.

[LizbethTurner]

I expect Bridget was happy to become anonymous after the trial, the Bordens had cost her enough of her life by then. She didn't need any stigma from the murders preventing future employment.

Right. There were any number of reasons no one wanted to hear from Bridget at the time, and just as many reasons for her to say nothing.

Unfortunately.

[snokkums]

One of the things I have always wondered about is why no one ever got hold of Bridget after the Borden girls died. You know, a reporter or something like that. I know there was one time that she was bad sick and summoned a friend to tell her something serious. You know, death bed confession, but by the time the friend got there, Bridget was all better. I have the attitude in the one instant, that Bridget wanted to get off her chest what happened that day, but we'll never know. But I am still curious as to why no reported or book writer never approached her about a story.

[Yooper]

There's a couple of possibilities. Bridget might have moved away from Fall River and used an assumed name at first if she was tired of the notoriety. Another possibility is that she may have been approached about her story and was unwilling to publish it. There may have been no new information she could provide. If she had falsified or withheld information during the trial, she may have been subject to legal penalties. Even if she had known that someone else was lying to the court, she should have told someone at the time it happened, not at some later time.

[snokkums]

There's a couple of possibilities. Bridget might have moved away from Fall River and used an assumed name at first if she was tired of the notoriety. Another possibility is that she may have been approached about her story and was unwilling to publish it. There may have been no new information she could provide. If she had falsified or withheld information during the trial, she may have been subject to legal penalties. Even if she had known that someone else was lying to the court, she should have told someone at the time it happened, not at some later time.

I can understand keeping a low profile. I don't think that is something I'd like to keep reliving.As for maybe coming out with the story of what happened years later, and it wasn't like what she tesified too, isn't there a statue of limitations to legal stuff? You know, the system has so long to come after you kind of thing? and you're probably right, there might not have been anymore to add to the story. Just a thought anyway.

[LizbethTurner]

There's a couple of possibilities. Bridget might have moved away from Fall River and used an assumed name at first if she was tired of the notoriety. Another possibility is that she may have been approached about her story and was unwilling to publish it. There may have been no new information she could provide. If she had falsified or withheld information during the trial, she may have been subject to legal penalties. Even if she had known that someone else was lying to the court, she should have told someone at the time it happened, not at some later time.

Yes, all of this is really common sense, isn't it?

Then, as now, the undertanding was that the hired help would not talk about what went on in the home. Therefore, even interviewing the help about intimate family matters was very much not the done thing.

Still, we don't know that Bridget wasn't approached by a journalist. She probably was. What we do know is that she needed subsequent employment, and she wouldn't be employable in the future if she testified against her employers.

After the trial, I'm certain the authorities and the upoer classes in Fall River just wanted the whole thing to go away.

[snokkums]

I think you are right about this one. Bridget needed employment, and if she blabed, she wouldn't be working. And I, too, think everyone, including Bridget just wanted to go on with their lifes. Besides, there might not have been anything to add.

[Yooper]

What would Bridget have gained by coming forth with information which would have incriminated Lizzie? She would have compromised her employability as well as her own credibility as an honest person. She would have made others appear inept, and she would have been the cause. She would have spent a large portion of the rest of her life as the Borden maid, in some respect, due to the notoriety. There was an article published some time after the trial referring to Alice Russell as a traitor for her dress burning testimony at the grand jury and later at the trial, so damaging testimony after the fact might not have been well received by the public. In my opinion, there are a lot more good reasons for Bridget to keep her trap shut than to blab any new information, and that is assuming there is new information.

[snokkums]

But, you know, I wonder if she wrote relatives about the people she was working for. I mean, when I was in the military and stationed aboard, I did write to my family and tell them what I was doing (as much as I could of course, be in the service). Just wondering if maybe she didn't write and tell them about her employer.

[LizbethTurner]

Unless letters turn up, we can never know who wrote what to whom.

[snokkums]

You're right about that, or if she ever wrote any letters to relatives at all. Who knows. Just a thought.

[augusta]

Snookums - Lizzie could not be charged for the same crime twice. The law is the same today, called "double jeopardy".

There is no statute of limitations on a murder case, and technically the Borden murders are still open. I am very much perturbed that Professor Starrs was stopped from disinterring Abby and Andrew's bodies to find out who really did it. And that the Robinson case files on Lizzie are closed.

Andrew Jennings was afraid of some piece of information getting out (I don't know what) that could allow Lizzie to be charged with something else regarding the case.

The New York Times, in an article about Lizzie Borden's death, says that, "Other persons connected with the trial also have died, except for a sister, Emma, and possibly Bridget Sullivan, a servant in the Borden home, who was a leading witness and returned to her home in Ireland later."

It'd be interesting to know where they got that piece of information from.

[Yooper]

Lizzie could have been tried as an accessory to murder, which is a different charge with respect to the same crime.

[LizbethTurner]

Andrew Jennings was afraid of some piece of information getting out (I don't know what) that could allow Lizzie to be charged with something else regarding the case.

We can't know what he was afraid of, of course - but my instinct is a charge of destroying evidence.

[augusta]

Yooper's possible charge (accessory to murder) was the only one I could think of, until Lizbeth's post of destroying evidence.
I wonder what other possibilities there are.

In the olden days, cities often had some laws that today are laughable. Like no taking your hat off in certain places or things that today make little sense.

If Lizzie were charged with one of those, some could be:

- Leaving monthly paraphanelia in the kitchen.
- Discussing monthlies with a male.
- Going to the cellar after dark.
- Eating cookies for breakfast.

[LizbethTurner]

Another serious charge that could be brought against her would have been hindering the investigation and/or lying to officials. I'd say she certainly did both of those.

Another bogus charge could have been:

Viewing brains before dinner time.

[augusta]

You know, I think that one was it. That was funny, Lizbeth.

Yes, the lying and hindering should be possibilities too.

[snokkums]

I like that one too. She had to have lied. with I the hindering the investigation, I can see that one too. She just couldn't keep her story straight as to where she was. I think they might have been able to get Emma on some of those charges. I don't think she was been very truthful either.

[LizbethTurner]

More bogus charges:

Interfering with her stepmother's housekeeping

Ruining Emma's vacation

Interrupting Andrew's nap