Putting a picture with a name.

[FactFinder]

Inquest testimony of Lizzie Borden:

Q. Did you ever have any trouble with your stepmother?
A. No sir.
Q. Have you, within six months, had any words with her?
A. No sir.
Q. Within a year?
A. No sir.
Q. Within two years?
A. I think not.
Q. When last that you know of?
A. About five years ago.
Q. What about?
A. Her stepsister, half-sister.
Q. What name?
A. Her name now is Mrs. George W. Whitehead.

A photograph of Civil War veterans from Fall River, Massachusetts. Number 19 is listed as being George W. Whitehead on the back. I'd like to start putting a few more pictures with names of places and people associated with the case that maybe haven't been seen quite so often. If this is the correct George W. Whitehead he would have been Abby's brother in law.

[FactFinder]

Dr. Michael Kelly. Dr. Kelly and his wife Caroline lived right next door to the Borden's and Mrs. Kelly testified at the trial as having seen Andrew arrive home on the day of the murders. The more I read about the people and businesses that were on Second street the less I believe it was a "bad" neighborhood. Dr. Kelly evidently moved to Second street from a "handsome and commodious abode" on Third Street. Mrs. Churchill's house was the home of a former Mayor. Dr. Bowen lived there as well. It might have been a "bad" part of town in Lizzie's mind though because it wasn't on the hill. The biography and photograph come from A book called History of Fall River published in 1906.

Michael Kelly, M.D. - In the person of Dr. Michael Kelly this city has one of it's most public-spirited citizens; a college graduate of high attainments, a student of the very best literature, and a physician of skill, versatility, and courage. Withal there is none more modest, none less desirous of notoriety, none more deferential towards the ethics of his profession, and nobody with greater respect for the amenities and others' opinions. Dr. Kelly is a son of the Emerald Isle, where he was born April 20, 1856. He attended the schools there until he was fourteen years of age. In 1870, he came to Fall River, and in 1874 entered Holy Cross College, in Worcester, Mass., where he was graduated in the class of 1879 and received the degree of bachelor of arts. In June, 1896, the college conferred on him the degree of master of arts. In 1881 Dr. Kelly began the study of medicine in Bellevue Hospital medical college. He took the full course of three years, devoting all the time available to preparing himself for his life's vocation. There was no yielding to the allurements of student life, for Dr. Kelly understood the seriousness of the problem of making his way in the world with the endowment of brain and brawn which he possessed, and left no way open for repining over negligent opportunity. The fruit of his application and zeal was gathered in 1885, when the diploma of doctor of medicine was handed him at the finish of the course, and he was enabled to satisfy his ambition to start his professional career in the home of his adoption. Choice of location was not unwise, as has been demonstrated by the large measure of success the doctor enjoys. He is a specialist in the treatment of diseases of children. During an epidemic of small pox in 1899, Dr. Kelly was drafted for service by the Board of Health. His knowledge of the scourge proved a blessing to the city and to those afflicted, for out of sixty cases treated there was but one death at the pest-house. Dr. Kelly belongs to the Fall River Medical Society, the American Medical Association, and the Massachusetts Medical Society. Being especially prominent in the deliberations of the local body and showing an intelligent interest in the most abstruse topics. He is also a member of and examiner for several fraternal organizations and medical bodies. Mayor John W. Coughlin appointed him City Physician in 1890. By virtue of the office he became chairman of the Board of Health for three years. Perfunctory work was not permitted during his connection with that body. The record then made led to Dr. Kelly's selection as a member of the board for another term of three years by Mayor John W. Coughlin in 1906. Benevolences appeal strongly to the practical sympathies of the physician, and his spare time is offered freely to the Union Hospital Training School for Nurses, the Seaside Home, for puny infants, and St. Ann's Hospital. He is also on the staffs of the City Hospital and the Union Hospital. The wedding of Dr. Michael Kelly and Miss Caroline Cantwell, in 1890, was one of the social events of the year. They occupy a handsome and commodious abode at 255 Third Street, and have three bright children --Christopher, Philamena, and Eva. A large and well selected library adds to the charm which the doctor finds in his attractive residence and the members of his household.

[FactFinder]

Street views.

[FactFinder]

Street Views.

[Franz]

Thank you, Factfinder, for the posts, very interesting.

But have you found any picture of the Second Street with many people in it?

[FactFinder]

Franz, I know you are trying to establish that Second street was deserted so you can put your co conspirators in front of the Borden house unseen. South Main street was the next street over from Second street. There were almost as many businesses located on Second Street as there were on South Main. What makes you think there was some sort of void on Second street where no one visited each other and there was no traffic to these many businesses and it was deserted? People of the time admitted that Second street was a busy thoroughfare. Witnesses, newspapers, even the defense lawyers admitted it was a busy thoroughfare. Why should we not take the word of people who were there to know if it was or not instead of surmising 100+ years later that it wasn't because one witness said they didn't notice anyone on the street? V. Wades store was the next building over from the Borden house. You have the Borden house, Dr. Kelly's house, and then V. Wade's store. There is testimony that several witnesses were standing outside the store chatting. We have an ice cream peddler on his rounds. We have a man collecting payments for newspapers. Right across the street a little further down we have several witnesses who were at Hall's stable. Mrs. Churchill going to the market, Mrs. Kelly on her way to the dentist, so many witnesses said they were on that street at around that time. But because one witness said they didn't notice anyone the street it's your contention that the street must have been deserted?

[Mara]

Franz must remember that in the late 19th century, photography was still a new technology. "Action shots" routinely taken with high-speed lenses were still in the future. It was an expensive technology, too. For those reasons, setting up a camera to take pictures of a famous location, such as the Borden house, would be done at a time on a windless day when the sun was in the best position; ideally, this would coincide with a day when there would be no one on the street to jostle the camera, distract the photographer, or cause motion blurs by walking into the frame at the moment the shutter clicked. The photographer might well have canvassed the neighborhood to let people know he would be taking some pictures and to ask if they'd steer clear for a little while.

If anyone is waiting for the one great AP/UPI action photo of a typical weekday morning on Second Street in Fall River, c. 1892, it's doubtful they are going to see it. The closest we might come are the historic photos FactFinder has just shared, some of which were taken more than a decade after the Borden murders, which explains the lack of blurry figures in them (faster shutter speed). News media had very little use for photographs in the 1890s. They were difficult, if not impossible, for most newspapers to print, and even when they could be printed, the "dot gain" of newsprint often made them less revealing than a well-done pen and ink sketch. This is why newspapers covering the Borden trial used such sketches of the key players. The one or two photos used in the trial to orient the jury were taken under the controlled conditions I described, precisely to reveal the house and grounds (and of course the murder victims) for the lawyers' purposes. We shall have to content ourselves with these photos and, as FactFinder points out, the many corroborating statements of contemporaries concerning the environment around the Borden house that day.

It's possible John Morse could have walked down Second Street, entered the Borden yard through the gate leading to the side of the house where the famous screen door was, gathered himself a pear or two in the back yard and walked back to the house without seeing people who were beginning to gather (having arrived mostly from the other end of Second Street) at the front door of the Borden house and inside. How many times have all of us walked to a familiar place, such as home or office, without registering much detail about our surroundings because we think we have no particular reason to? Women in urban settings today are cautioned to be more alert to safety threats precisely because it is in our nature NOT to.

[Franz]

Franz, I know you are trying to establish that Second street was deserted so you can put your co conspirators in front of the Borden house unseen. South Main street was the next street over from Second street. There were almost as many businesses located on Second Street as there were on South Main. What makes you think there was some sort of void on Second street where no one visited each other and there was no traffic to these many businesses and it was deserted? People of the time admitted that Second street was a busy thoroughfare. Witnesses, newspapers, even the defense lawyers admitted it was a busy thoroughfare. Why should we not take the word of people who were there to know if it was or not instead of surmising 100+ years later that it wasn't because one witness said they didn't notice anyone on the street? V. Wades store was the next building over from the Borden house. You have the Borden house, Dr. Kelly's house, and then V. Wade's store. There is testimony that several witnesses were standing outside the store chatting. We have an ice cream peddler on his rounds. We have a man collecting payments for newspapers. Right across the street a little further down we have several witnesses who were at Hall's stable. Mrs. Churchill going to the market, Mrs. Kelly on her way to the dentist, so many witnesses said they were on that street at around that time. But because one witness said they didn't notice anyone the street it's your contention that the street must have been deserted?

FactFinder, I don't want to establish that the Second Street was deserted. But I think that it could have been not busy all day, all moments, in continuation. In other words, it could have been deserted sometimes, even only for a very short time.

The contemporaries and the neighbors of Lizzie knew certainly very well that street. Among them there were a number of people thought Lizzie was innocent, weren't they? If I understand well, the Borden case devided the public opinion in two from the very beginning of the story.

[Franz]

... For those reasons, setting up a camera to take pictures of a famous location, such as the Borden house, would be done at a time on a windless day when the sun was in the best position; ideally, this would coincide with a day when there would be no one on the street to jostle the camera...

Thank you Mara. I love the photography and thank you for the little photography story you mentioned in your post.

Would you like to tell me what time would be the moment that the sun was in the best position to take a picture of the Borden house?

You said that "...with a day when there would be no one on the street". what day would it be that there was no one on the (Second) street to jostle the camera? In those photos posted by FactFinder, we can see a lot of people. If in the Second Street the case was the same, could the photographer asked the police's help to forbid people to pass by in order to take a good picture? or were there "naturally" deserted moments in the Second Street that permitted the photographer to do his work? I mean, if the Second Street were busy like the Wall Street, the photgrapher could not do nothing else but take pictures with all those people, right?

I remember that Bridget testified that when she returned from Dr. Bowen's house, she didn't notice anyone in the street (I apologize if my memory betrays me.)

[Mara]

Franz, the photographer would figure out the best sun exposure. It varies based on the time of year. And again, in order to ensure a good clean shot, such as was needed for the trial, people would have kept out of the camera's range for the time it took to get the picture. I doubt police were needed for this.

Of course there could have been naturally "quiet moments" -- perhaps on Sunday mornings when many people would have left their homes to attend church and were stuck there for a while. Would a photographer hired by the court or one of the attorneys to take that picture have worked on Sundays? I doubt it. So I think that shot was set up with neighbors' cooperation to clear the decks.

What's your point, Franz? That because we have one or two photos of the Borden house from 1892-3 showing a relatively deserted street, that it was exactly so on the day of the murders? Respectfully, I have to say that makes no sense at all.

Just an afterthought: It's probable that the most famous of the Borden house photos used in the trial was taken in winter, specifically so there would be no leaves on the tree in front of the house to obstruct jurors' view of the house details they would need to keep in mind as they listened to testimony. We have to remember that, unlike in the photo, the tree was in full leaf on August 4th, further supporting the argument that even if there were people coming to the house, he might not have noticed them.

Edited to add: It seems to me that Franz's intruder theory would work better if the area were densely crowded and very noisy. The calmer the street, the more likely an intruder would stand out and have a rough time escaping unseen. I have to admit I'm rather puzzled by this idée fixe.

[FactFinder]

All very good points Mara. As usual your insights make a lot of sense to me. I had not thought of the idea that the time of year the photographs of the house might have been taken were also a factor, thank you for pointing that out.

[Franz]

Franz, the photographer would figure out the best sun exposure. It varies based on the time of year. And again, in order to ensure a good clean shot, such as was needed for the trial, people would have kept out of the camera's range for the time it took to get the picture. I doubt police were needed for this. It's not rocket science.

Of course there could have been naturally "quiet moments" -- perhaps on Sunday mornings when many people have left their homes to attend church and are stuck there for a while. Would a photographer hired by the court or one of the attorneys to take that picture have worked on Sundays? I doubt it. So I think that shot was set up with neighbors' cooperation to clear the decks.

What's your point, Franz? That because we have one or two photos of the Borden house from 1892-3 showing a relatively deserted street, that it was exactly so on the day of the murders? Respectfully, I have to say that makes no sense at all.

Just an afterthought: It's probable that the most famous of the Borden house photos used in the trial was taken in winter, specifically so there would be no leaves on the tree in front of the house to obstruct jurors' view of the house details they would need to keep in mind as they listened to testimony. We have to remember that the tree was in full leaf on August 4th, further supporting the argument that even if there were people coming to the house, he might not have noticed them.

Edited to add: It seems to me that Franz's intruder theory would work better if the area were densely crowded and very noisy. The calmer the street, the more likely an intruder would stand out and have a rough time escaping unseen. I have to admit I'm rather puzzled by this idée fixe.

Hi Mara, if Bridget did testify that she didn't notice anyone in the street at a certain moment, do you think that her testimony made no sense?

I observed very carefully all the photos of the Second Streeat of that time found in websites, and it seems to me that its street scene was very different from that of those ones that the photos posted here by FactFinder demonstrated.

[Franz]

Another consideration: I think in the street those who observe people most intentionally should be ... the police. But in August 4th 1892 most of the policemen in Fall River were out of the city. What a marvelous coincidence!

[Mara]

Franz, as I said, the lone photo of the Borden house (with the leafless tree) taken in winter for the trial WAS very different from all other photos showing Fall River street scenes -- because it was specifically set up to show just the house with no obstructions, so the jury would have it as a good reference while listening to the testimony AND because, as I also mentioned, those other street scenes were taken much later in time, some of them almost 20 years later. Apples and oranges, my friend. Or perhaps I should say, bananas and pears. ;)

Bridget's testimony that she didn't notice anyone else while she was running around from one house to another doesn't impress me with regard to your insistence that Second Street was barren on the morning of the murders. She had a mission, she was upset. If she HAD paused in all her hurrying to notice anyone other than the people she'd been sent to find, I would think that very strange.

[FactFinder]

Younger than I've seen.

[FactFinder]

From a book called Men of Progress: One Thousand Biographical Sketches and Portraits of Leaders in Business and Professional Life in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts published in 1896.

Dolan, William Andrew, M.D. , of Fall River, was born in Shirley, July 28, 1858, son of Andrew and Jane (McBride) Dolan. His father was a native of Dublin, Ireland, and his mother of Portabello, Scotland. His parents moved to Fall River when he was an infant, and the city has since been his home. He was educated in Fall River public schools and at St. Josephs' college, St. Joseph N.B. (affiliated with Laval University), graduating there in June, 1879. he studied medicine at the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania and upon his graduation therefrom, March 15, 1882, entered St. Peter's Hospital, Albany, as house surgeon. After a year in the hospital service he began general practice in Fall River, and has since been actively engaged there. Since 1892 he has been medical examiner for the Third Bristol District, appointed to this position by Governor Russell, and as such was the medical official in charge of the celebrated "Borden murder case." He is now also visiting surgeon to the Fall River Hospital and St. Vincent Orphans' Home, and examining surgeon for several life and accident insurance companies. He is a member and ex-censor and councillor of the Massachusetts Medical Society, and a member and ex-president of the Fall River Medical Society. He was one of the founders and and for some years treasurer and member of the executive committee of the Clover Club, the most prominent social club in Fall River: he is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks, and of the Catholic Knights of America. He also belongs to the Boston Life and Underwriters' Association. In politics he is a Democrat, but not active in political work. He has been a justice of the peace for several years, by appointment of Governor Ames, Dr. Dolan was married March 29, 1883, to Miss Nellie B. Hussey. They have three children : Thomas, Nellie B. and William A. Dolan Jr.

[FactFinder]

Also from Men of Progress: One Thousand Biographical Sketches and Portraits of Leaders in Business and Professional Life in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts published in 1896.

[Nadzieja]

Hopefully I can post this picture. It's a young Dr. Seabury Bowen before he moved to Fall River. He lived across the street from the Bordens.

[FactFinder]

Several more photo's I've found.

[FactFinder]

Hopefully I can post this picture. It's a young Dr. Seabury Bowen before he moved to Fall River. He lived across the street from the Bordens.

Wow, that is a very cool picture!

[Curryong]

Interesting photographs all round! Incidentally, apparently the New York newspaper, the 'Illustrated Daily News', launched in 1919, was the first American newspaper to routinely use photographs in its pages rather than sketches and etchings. I wonder whether any photographers were present outside the court-house during the Borden trial, trying for photographs of witnesses, jury or a glimpse of the lady herself!

[Franz]

Thank you FactFinder and Nadzieja. I have never seen these pictures before.