Lizzie Borden Society Forum

In spite of Booth, the profession's tarnished image of N O'N's day pertained more to actresses, who were considered on a social level with prostitutes. Stage-door Johnny's and all that-- remember "Life upon the Wicked Stage" from "Show Boat"?
I think, when women got the vote on the cusp of the '20s, along with the '20s themselves, helped break down a lot of the prevailing stereotypes regarding the trade, several decades too late for Lizzie.

You're welcome, DJ!

This item is a partial from Harry's transcription:

The Fall River Daily Globe, Saturday, September 3, 1892, 7

LIZZIE LOCKED UP.

Her Home For Two Months Is
Taunton Jail.

An Opinion That She Will Be
Proven Insane.

Story Of That Dress Pattern
Bought In New Bedford.

[--excerpt]

When Lizzie Borden said “Good Bye” to Marshal Hilliard in Taunton jail yesterday afternoon in response to a courteous adieu, she exhibited no more nor no less feeling than she showed when Officer Harrington and Marshal Hilliard first laid the hands of the law upon her three weeks ago Thursday.
. . . .

One of the prosecuting officials in the case, who has had peculiarly good opportunities for studying the defendant, made the following authoritative statement last night. He said:
“On the day of the murder, and very frequently since that time, I have talked with Lizzie A. Borden, and have watched her closely. . . .

“Her eyes have been very unnatural, and the way she has used them is identical with that of a person mentally deranged. This has been noted when her countenance was in repose, when it was not possibly assumed. The expression I have seen her wear time after time has been surely indicative of mental disturbance.
“She has looked wilder and more irresponsible half of the time the past fortnight than any person I have seen in the Taunton hospital in months. My opinion has been corroborated by an expert who was led out of curiosity to attend the hearing one day and observe her.
“As firmly as I believe she committed the murder, just so firmly do I think it the work of one insane. People may say, why doesn’t she show signs of disturbance now? It is well known that a person may be comparatively sound on all matters but one. That is the way I think it is with Lizzie.”
Etc.

--this was transcribed by Harry

This next offering pertains to Marion, and the friends there. It reminds me of the topic about the letter Lizzie sent to Miss Johnston. That topic might be found and a link put there to this item.
[Harry transcribed this one, too. I look it up in my files, then find it if he has typed it, then re-format here and add the tags to a copy/paste]:

Fall River Daily Globe, 8-15-1892

FIRM IN FAITH

Are Her Marion Friends In The
Innocence of Lizzie.


A Boston Globe reporter called at Marion yesterday where the party of Fall River friends, of whom Miss Borden was to make one, are summering in the cottage belonging to Dr. Handy. The house sits close beside the waters of lovely Sippican harbor, a portion of Buzzard's Bay, and away beyond the village, on what was formerly known as Charles Neck, and now goes by the name of Blake's Point.

Staying at the cottage are Mrs. James F. Jackson, the wife of ex-Mayor Jackson, who was passing Sunday at the cottage: Miss Anna C. Holmes, Miss Elizabeth M. Johnston, Miss Isabel J. Fraser, Miss Louise Remington, Miss Mabel H. Remington and Miss Mary L. Holmes.

They talked freely at considerable length, reviewing their plans with which Miss Borden had been connected, their sad frustration and their knowledge of her. Much of the time the talk was entered into by all the ladies, while during the rest of the interview the opinions and statements of one and another followed each other so closely it is impossible, and not at all important, to quote each one's remarks by themselves.

With unhesitating unanimity they declared their perfect belief in Miss Borden's innocence of any complicity with the crime.

"I," said one of the ladies, "and several others here, have known Lizzie Borden since she was a little girl. She has never changed, save to grow older in years from what she always was, self-contained, self-reliant and very composed. Her conduct since her arrest is exactly what I should have expected," to which there was a chorus of assents.
"The very idea of her killing Mr. and Mrs. Borden is preposterous. Her stepmother and she were not fond of each other, a state of affairs that, as everybody knows, is not uncommon between second wives and grown up daughters. As for Lizzie and her father, they were without being demonstrative very fond of each other."

"We arrived on Friday, the 22d of July, and the Sunday before that would be the 17th, said one. "I saw her at church, and urged her again to come when we did, but she said she did not think she ought to.

"Her father and mother were going across the river where they had a farm, as they have always done in the summer, and Lizzie said her father, who would be in town every day and get his dinner at home, would be all alone if she went away. She felt as if she ought to stay at home at least part of the time to see that everything went all right.

Still she was urged to go over to Marion with the party and told that her father could get his dinners at a restaurant or at the hotel, but Lizzie said he would not do that, and moreover there were often little things about his business in the way of writing that she helped him about.

However, she promised to join the cottage party from time to time, and on the 30th of July she and Miss Anna H. Borden, a Fall River friend but not a relative, went over to Marion and spent the day with the ladies there.

"Do you," was asked of the cottage party, "believe Miss Borden could have been acting under a religious frenzy? Awful deeds have been done by religiously crazed people."

"Lizzie Borden is a Christian woman, who lives up to what she professes; but her religion has never been anything but an inconspicuous undercurrent of her life. She has too much common sense to let anything run away with her."

"And she is a monument of straightforwardness," added another. "I never shall believe, even were she convicted of the deed, that she committed it, unless she were to confess it herself, and then the marvel would be greater to me that she had concealed her act than that she did it.

"This is her character. If she had a reason sufficient for herself for murdering those people, it would be like her to say she did it and give her reason."

Less than any woman they ever knew, said all the ladies, is Lizzie Borden a woman capable of double dealing of any sort, or of concealment. Outspoken always, frank, fearless and perfectly honest of purpose and action, these intimate friends count her.

Lizzie's trip to Europe was chaperoned. The group of "girls" for the Marion trip (all but one an adult) included a married woman, Mrs. James Jackson. Single women simply did not travel unescorted.

I would suspect most actresses were single and in that era single women were expected to stay home and get married or be dependent. Actresses' independence alone was a threat to the social structure. Add to that their traveling unchaperoned for extended periods of time.


BTW, just for accuracy, the Victorian era ended in 1901. Technically Lizzie's blast for Nance at Maplecroft in 1904 would have been in the Edwardian era. Though, obviously, social customs and attitudes didn't die with Victoria.

And, ironically, Harry-- if memory serves correctly-- King Edward VII had several affairs with actresses!
I think the ol' double-standard really played hard against women of the stage.
Thanks, Kat, for further newspaper info. That Marion group seemed really tight. I can't believe Miss Johnston kept the letter's contents all to herself and Mr. Jennings. I'm also thinking of Lincoln's theory that Lizzie was keeping close tabs on No. 92 because she had wind of another property transfer to Abby, which was to have been completed Aug. 4th.

To bring to light more *personal* views of Lizzie/Lisbeth/Lizbeth:

"Centenarian recalls Lizzie Borden"

"...Mrs. Alice Dean will have a full century of life upon which to look back [in 1975].

...'When I knew her [Lizzie]...she was a perfect lady. She was very religious...she never went anywhere without her Bible. She was wonderful to us,' said the soon-to-be centenarian, who mentioned that she used to visit the Borden household, sitting on the very couch upon which the mutilated body of Lizzie's father was found.

Mrs. Dean recalled that she lived near the Borden household and that she and a cousin would go there often to be treated to ice cream and cake. Mrs. Dean recalled Lizzie as being a 'very mannish looking person...she always wore men's hats and shoes, totally unlike her sister, who was very ladylike.
--partial, from The Standard-Times, New Bedford, October, 1975

"But she baked the best muffins. . ."

...Joseph D. Hopkins of Somerset, Massachusetts...Lizzie's former Sunday paperboy would have defended the memory of the infamous ax murderess.[sic]

'She made the best muffins on the Hill,' Hopkins said. 'I'd go to the train station and pick up all the Sunday papers she took in those days and then walk up to the Hill section. She always invited me in for a snack and a little conversation...and she was a good tipper, too.'

Hopkins said he'll never forget this 'nice lady,' adding that 'while the rest of the rich people on the Hill would owe me for about three weeks' delivery and then try to claim they only owed me for one week, Lizzie Borden always paid on time and always gave me a quarter, big money for a kid in those days, you know,' ...

. . .[more- from Mrs. Brigham:]. . .
'Yes, I hear all kinds of theories about Lizzie,' Mrs. Brigham told a recent visitor,'but I think that she wasn't quite right mentally. You have to remember that years ago when a son or daughter had a mental problem or disorder of some kind, the father would protect them- almost hide them away.'--partial from The Spectator, Somerset, Massachusetts, Jan. 5, 1978

Kat, thanks as usual for all the digging and transcribing. Such firsthand remembrances of the Maplecroft years are fascinating.

You're welcome!

Yes I agree that the insights into Lizzie are fascinating.
I'm hoping to keep adding Lizzie stories- I hope I don't have to resort to transcribing Pearson's stories!

Here is "nervous Lizzie"- the "Little Bird" letter as a download.
Sorry I don't know the newspaper or date.

That is a very interesting note. The only thing I can think of is that Mr. Brayton owned a rooster. I didn't realize how loud they actually were until a neighbor on the next street about 4 houses down decided to get one. The first morning I heard it I couldn't believe it.

I have to say Lizzie sure had great penmanship.

Yes Nadzieja:

Chances are that it is very doubtful that the bird was a rooster. For one thing, though the John Brayton Jr. house was enormous, the backyard was very tiny........very little room for farm animals. The Brayton house and Maplecroft are not much more than 100 feet apart, and Lizzie's front porch would face the back of the Brayton house and his back porch.

If you investigate you will find that Pet Bird ownership peaked during the VICTORIAN ERA. No proper household was complete without an ornate wood bird house with a singing canary or two.

Most were placed near an open window or judiciously located on a back veranda or front porch. When Lizzie had written her complaint it was almost summer, late May, a time when windows were opened and the Victorian Home aired out from the long winter shut-in.

Though the word used by Lizzie may be "CROW", she probably did not mean like a rooster but crow as in singing. If you look up the meaning of the word it also means to sound out in pleasure or happiness such as: "Johnny crowed with delight." (sorry about the english lesson.)

Also, she calls it a "little bird."

(As a child we owned several birds, some of them canaries. Once they begin singing they can go on all morning long. We found that they would sing when placed near a window, on the porch, in the sun, or when they seen other birds outside the window at the bird feeder.)

Thus, it is more likely that Mr. Brayton had Canaries or even a parrot. Not so sure it was crowing or that it was a farm animal such as a rooster in the middle of a high society neighborhood; though some Victorians were eccentric.

Below are a couple of Victorian examples. Look closely at one to find bird cage.

Don't worry about the english lesson mb, I love words. I must say that first picture is beautiful. I didn't realize birds were so popular back then.
What is that cage made out of, it looks like wood?

Yes, Nadzieja, wood cages were the order of the day in Victorian Times.

The one you see in the photo is probably made of red mahogany.

This is just a guess but, I would imagine many types of woods were used, bamboo being a popular tropical one that I have seen often in old photos.

I have a question: The news item says John Brayton, the banker with the bird, was next door, but the note was found by Brayton Jr., of Westport Point. (Rebello says Jr. was in partnership with Jennings.)
Did Jr. live next door, or at Westport Point?

Yes Kat:

I can't pretend to know much about the Brayton family, but I do know a bit. Brayton is to Somerset what Durfee is to fall river. Whether they settled in Somerset before fall river or whether it is the same Braytons I cannot say. Some time later the Braytons of fall river settled in Westport, Ma.

Just as recent as 1997 a John Summerfield Brayton (the 4th JSB) of Westport Point passed away. He was a direct descendent of the original John Summerfield Brayton of Highland Ave, fall river, who was the father of John Summerfield Brayton Jr.of Belmont Street, fall river, and which owned the little bird.

So, John Brayton Jr. lived across the street from Lizzie in a huge Stick Style Steep Roof Victorian. Some time later the Braytons ended up in Westport Point.

I would guess, and this is only a guess, Brayton Jr. could have had a summer place at Westport Point, a house by the sea, so-to-speak, a get-away, similar to Borden's Swansea farm on the Coles River.

But, to conclude, John Summerfield Brayton Jr., son of John S. Brayton of Highland Ave, did live across the street from Lizzie and was the Brayton with the "little bird".

Below is a photo postcard of the old JSB brick home on Highland Ave.

Then a photo of the old Stick Style Wood home of JSB Jr. home on Belmont Street. This is a view of the house as Lizzie would have seen it only that the photo was taken from the Davenport House. Lizzie would have been much closer.

The last pretty scene is a view from the Harbor at Westport Point. (If you remember Kat we visited there on our visit to Westport half mile from Horseneck Beach.

One more note. Checking the fall river directories, in the middle 20s John Brayton Jr. was no longer living near Lizzie. Below is a photo of the house
on Robeson Street JBS Jr.moved to and how it looks today. He moved to Robeson Street and was living there in the 20s. Thus an address given for JBS Jr. must have been a second home or summer home.

Thanks for the pictures. So nice to have them!

I did finally check the 1896 City Directory and it said Brayton Jr was at 97 Belmont and Brayton the banker (no Sr. designation) was at "Highland & Meridian."

If the note was in 1900 and written to the banker Brayton, that would be at Highland and Meridian? Is the newspaper incorrect?

I read your post and understood it I think- you are saying the note was to Brayton Jr the attny, not to Brayton the banker, yes?
Do we have the envelope?
Thanks!

Oh yes! Harry and I always recall the beauty of the Point, fondly! Thanks!!

Yes Kat:

That address you found, Highland and Meridian, is only half correct. At one time Meridian Street was known as New Boston Road; for example, it you look up contemporary news on Sarah Cornell, when she died newspapers give the address as New Boston Road. Today that portion of New Boston Road is known as Meridian Street.

So, The information you found should have read "corner of Highland and New Boston Road. Meridian Street is about 2 miles away from the Brayton estate on Highland Ave.

Now, not sure whether JSB Jr. had a law degree but most of the Summerfield Braytons were into banking. John Brayton Jr., the guy with the little crowing bird, went on to be President of the B.M.C. Durfee Bank.

Again, there must have been some error by fall river newspapers. If you read the envelope which contained the note sent by Lizzie, it was addressed to Belmont Street. At the time John S. Brayton Jr. (the guy with the little bird) lived on Belmont Street. His father John S. Brayton lived at Highland and New Boston Road.

Making inquiry into a fall River 40s city directory I discovered that John Summerfield Brayton Jr. (again the guy with the little crowing bird) was still President of the Durfee Bank and now living in the beautiful country looking house in the photo below. Banking life was good.

Also of intrerest: The house in the photo below is a little more than 2 blocks from his first house on Belmont Street and less than 2 from his father's Brick estate on Highland Ave.

The JSB Westport, Ma connection must have come much later.

The move to Westport could have been made by JSB Jr's. son, JSB the III. Now JSB the III had a son who finally lived in Westport. But even this JSB the IV was born in fall river. (but this could mean he was born in the hospital) Of course the Westport connection is all guess on my part.

To conclude: John S. Brayton Jr., the man with the little bird, lived on belmont street across from Lizzie Borden.

Thank you. It is Jr who rec'd the note then- the envelope address is just what I needed to understand.

I included designation *attny* because Rebello says in his book that Jennings and that Brayton Jr were in law practice together at one point, 1890-92 (pg. 196).

Let's see if this download works...

More on Lizzie

The last word is "words", Kat.

I admire those who can read others handwriting!
Thanks!

Can you all get the download?
It's the song snippet "Lizzie Borden Took An Ax" that is from the *Legend* movie.

Lizzie description 1893

Lizzie's pew at CCC. Please notice the arrow on the the lower left.

Has anyone ever had a professional interpret Lizzie's handwriting?

Yes Angel: There's a book written by Michelle Dresbold (Free Press Publishers, 2006) called "Sex, Lies, and Handwriting" which contains a couple of pages (3 or 4 pages) devoted to the study of Lizzie's handwriting to determine guilt.

In her book Ms. Dresbold makes a handwriting connection between Lizzie and Mike Swango, the Hillside Strangler.

She calls Lizzie's handwriting "Mechanical" and people with that sort of handwriting lack emotlion, claiming that Lizzie's method of writing "lacks spontaneity". In doing so Dresbold claims that this sort of mechanical writing is very common of prisoners.

In one passage Dresbold makes a claim that Lizzie starts her letter "M" by making a little loop in the shape of an axe.

But in the end Ms Dresbold makes an error in fact which makes her evaluation of Lizzie's handwriting interesting but dubious at best.

This writer claims that at Maplecorft Emma moved out and Nance moved in. If she made a mistake with about this little fact, why should we accept her expertise in evaluating handwriting?

Still, a fun read if one is interested in that sort of science. My interest in purchasing the book was the passage on Lizzie. Whether the book was worth it's cost, I have yet to read it in its intirety to judge.

If your interest in the book is limited to the few pages about Lizzie, read it at the Library.

I remember reading somewhere (but cannot remember) that if a person's "p" has a high beginning it shows a lot of anger. If you look at Lizzie's p, it is extremely high.

Was the analysis done without knowing it was Lizzie's handwriting?

Hi Harry

Not sure you are asking me, but?

Ms. Dresbold gives a little history about Lizzie Borden and the murders in her narrative, thus she knew who she was analyzing.

It would be interesting to speak to Ms Dresbold and try and discover where she came up with the false fact that Emma moved out and Nance moved in.

Thus, a highly recognized writer, fancy hard cover book, big publishing firm, and she gets her facts wrong.

Who is *Mike Swango* the Hillside Strangler?
If it's the famous case I'm thinking of that was cousins Kenneth Bianchi and Angelo Buono.

There is a report done by a phrenologist too that claims to read Lizzie's character by her head and face shape- and also say he had not recognized Lizzie's picture!

I think her hand is hard to read, altho a member here thought she had nice writing.

Stefani noticed something odd in the note: if we turn it we can see the slash-like marks of a hatchet blade! It may not be too unusual tho, for the times?...

Oopsj Sorry Kat. That line should read " between Lizzie, Mike Swango and the Hillside Strangler."

Swango was a nurse or doctor who poisoned a bunch of patience and fellow workers with arsenic and other drugs. If you remember this was not to long ago, early 80s or early 90s. Swango poisoned 30 or 40 people and is serving life.

I studied the scores of signatures on the Articles of Secession (SC), and the lower-case "p's" are crested, as are Lizzie's. Remembering back to my own penmanship instruction-- we were supposed to crest the "p's" as well.
Admittedly, her tendency to do so is pronounced. The most striking thing about her handwriting, to me, is the slant. I noticed no such tendency on the hundred-plus signatures of the aforementioned document.
Anyway, it's a "pointy" handwriting. I want to go through and chop off all those "p" crests!

mbhenty @ Tue Jan 27, 2009 1:06 am wrote:

Hi Harry

Not sure you are asking me, but?

Ms. Dresbold gives a little history about Lizzie Borden and the murders in her narrative, thus she knew who she was analyzing.

It would be interesting to speak to Ms Dresbold and try and discover where she came up with the false fact that Emma moved out and Nance moved in.

Thus, a highly recognized writer, fancy hard cover book, big publishing firm, and she gets her facts wrong.

Thanks, MB. Knowing who the subject is makes any analysis suspicious. All you have to do is read up on the person.

Yes, having Nance move in takes away from it even further.

Thanks for the clarification, MB

Fall River Globe, May 9, 1902
Bothering Lizzie
Grown Boys and Girls Unwelcome Callers at Miss Borden's

The home of Miss Lizzie A. Borden on French street has been a target for the mischievous actions of grown boys and girls the past few nights. They have been so annoying to the woman that the attention of the police has been called to it and for the past few nights officers from the northern police station have been 'rubbernecking' in the neighborhood till long after curfew should ring. The police have maintained the strictest secrecy in this respect, but the sight of the officers in plain clothes has been inquired into by persons who saw them. The police were given to understand that the offenders were 'hill' boys and girls. Their misdemeanors consisted in such despicable tricks as trampling over the lawn, lambasting the side of the house with decayed eggs, ringing the door-bell at late hours, tieing the doors and not infrequently calling Miss Borden vile names when she came to the door. The police have evidently been unable to get on the trail of the offenders, since no prosecution has yet been made.


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