5. The egg story. First off, I don't even know this whole story. I first heard about it over on the Lizzieandrewborden.com site and later I found a post that went into more detail about it. So, do you really think Lizzie bet Hannah Reagan she could break an egg? If that is the "egg thing." I'm still not clear on that story.
--DWilly
Trial
Hannah Reagan- questioned by Jennings
1221
Q. Can you tell us anything that you recollect about that day except what you have already related?
A. No, sir, only that Miss Borden looked more excited---
Q. Never mind. ---What is that?
A. Only that Miss Borden was more excited when you left the room than she was before you came into it.
Q. Now let me go a little further and see if I can refresh your recollection. Don't you remember that Mrs. Holmes was there that afternoon and you had some conversation about an egg?
A. About what?
Q. About an egg.
A. I remember about the egg, but I couldn't tell you whether it was that afternoon or not, sir.
Q. What was it about the egg?
A. The breaking of an egg.
Q. Well, what was said or done?
A. We were talking in the afternoon, me and Lizzie Borden, and I says, "I can tell you one thing you can't do," and she says, "Tell me what it is, Mrs. Reagan." I says, "Break an egg, Miss Borden," and she says, "Break an egg?" I says, "Yes." "Well," she says, "I can break an egg." I says, "Not the way I would tell you to break
it." She says, "Well, what way is it, Mrs. Reagan?" So I told her that she couldn't break it the way I wanted her to break it, and I said I would bet her a dollar that she couldn't, and she said she would bet me a quarter, and in the afternoon some one fetched Lizzie an egg, and Miss Emma Borden was sitting down beside her, and I
told Miss Emma Borden to get a little ways away, "because," I said, "if she will
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break the egg the wrong way it will destroy your dress," and she did get the egg, and she got it in her hands, and she couldn't break it, and she says, "There," she says, "that is the first thing that I undertook to do that I never could."
Q. Was Mr. Brigham there that afternoon?
A. Yes, sir. There were parties in the room that afternoon.
Q. Didn't you have quite a pleasant time that afternoon, all of you?
A. Yes, sir. We laughed about the egg, the breaking of the egg.
Q. Had quite a pleasant time all the afternoon, didn't you?
A. The day of the breaking of the egg we did, laughed and talked.
Q. If it was that afternoon, why, you had quite a pleasant afternoon that afternoon, didn't you?
A. The day of the breaking the egg, we talked it over, sir.
Q. Well, the afternoon of the breaking of the egg you weren't very much disturbed, were you?
A. No, sir.
Q. Had quite a pleasant afternoon that afternoon, didn't you?
A. Well, I don't know as it was very pleasant, not to me.
Q. Weren't you talking and laughing about that a good deal?
A. Well, yes, talking about the breaking of the egg.
Q. Wasn't that afternoon of the egg episode about as pleasant an afternoon as you had had while Miss Lizzie was there?
A. I can't answer that.
Q. Didn't Miss Emma take part in it?
A. No, sir, Miss Emma didn't take part in it.
Q. Wasn't there at all?
A. Miss Emma was sitting in the room when Lizzie had the egg in her hand.
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Q. Did she take part in the talk about the egg?
A. I can't tell you, sir. I don't remember.
Q. The day that this conversation took place that you have repeated, was it a quarrel between Miss Emma and Miss Lizzie, this consultation which you have repeated?
A. On the 24th of August?
Q. Yes.
A. I don't know. I can't tell you any more than what I heard, sir. I couldn't tell you whether it was a quarrel or it wasn't a quarrel.
--It sounds like maybe Lizzie had a crush on Mr. Jennings?
