Lizzie Borden Society Forum

I've heard many references to this, but I didn't know exactly where it originated. I think it's been discussed many times since I joined though. There was a story that Lizzie was working out in a gym.

The Witness Statements page 45-46:

Fall River, 28, 1892. The following is the result of my interview last Saturday night with Mrs. Whitehead. I could not reach her mother Mrs. Oliver Gray, ( the stepmother of late Mrs. Abbie Borden) until today. I found her at the home or Mr. Benj. Covell at the top of Second street. I questioned her at length as to whether there was anything new that had come to her mind since she was last seen. She stated that Officer Harrington had been to see her, but since that time she had heard a great deal. She also stated taht Mr. and Mrs. Case had gone to Tiverton R. I. or Little Compton, to remain away until after this Borden case had been disposed of; and that Mrs. Case was the woman above all others that was needed to let light in on Lizzie's actions. Mrs. Gray had heard of the scandal story as coming from Mrs. Case direct. She also stated that for years, whenever she, or any of Mrs. Borden's , visited the house on Second street, they were totally ignored by the girls, Lizzie and Emma. I then read your anonymous letter to her. She said that was true, every word of it, although she could not imagine who the writer was;and that her sister Mrs. Borden, Mrs. Fish in Hartford, was the one, and her daugther in law,that was referred to. I then pressed the old lady very hard as to what was said as coming from Mrs. Churchill. She demurred, finally admitted seh got her information from Mrs. Potter and her sister Miss Dimon, the milliners on Fourth Street. I then looked up the above mentioned ladies, and found them very hard people to handle. I was with them both two hours, and elicited the following; Lizzie Borden has been practicing in a gymnasium for a long time, and she has boasted of the strength she possessed not to these people, but to others. The place where she practiced was supposed to be in the Troy Block. I also elicited the fact that one George Wiley, a clerk in the Troy Mill is the one who is authority for the statement that Mrs. Churchill made that she (Mrs. Churchill) said, that there was one thing she saw in the house the day of the murder, tht she would never repeat, even if hey tore out her tongue.

It's important to note that particular section of the witness statements was submitted by Edwin D. McHenry -- the detective involved in the Trickey/McHenry affair. His credibility is pretty suspect.

It's hard to assess the statement written by McHenry, as Diana says, because it is by someone who we know was not on the -up-and-up.
Also, we don't know the date of the written statement. There's not a way to deduce whether this was nearer in time to the October travesty, or if it was contemporary to the crime. There's not a clue in here as to when this statement was written or submitted.

Also, do we have anything to corroborate this rumor? Have we read it anywhere else?

Just getting a mental picture of Lizzie darting about a gymnasium and completing calisthenics boggles my mind....

Of course, truth be told-- I cannot imagine anyone willingly going to one of those places.

Workout = a naughty French word


Tracy...

Filthy!

Kat @ Fri Dec 02, 2005 12:11 am wrote:It's hard to assess the statement written by McHenry, as Diana says, because it is by someone who we know was not on the -up-and-up.
Also, we don't know the date of the written statement. There's not a way to deduce whether this was nearer in time to the October travesty, or if it was contemporary to the crime. There's not a clue in here as to when this statement was written or submitted.

Also, do we have anything to corroborate this rumor? Have we read it anywhere else?

In the archives there's a post which has the McHenry/Trickey story as well as some great responses to the story. It's a pretty good thread.

It looks to me like McHenry mixed in a few true stories with a few fake tales. For example, he talks about the house being robbed and some of Abby's things being taken. I think he may have heard that story from the cops in Fall Rivers. He then adds on a story about a witness saying they actually saw Lizzie wearing Abby's watch.

Here are a couple more interesting McHenry tales:

He talks about Bridget and how he and his wife investigated her. The article goes on to say this:

"I investigated her (Bridget) career from the time she landed in America to the time of the death of her intended husband a month before the murder."

I never heard anything about Bridget being engaged. Am I reading this part right or am I confused on this part?


Another interesting part is the "boyfriend." You can see where some sort of got their theory from. Now I hope I got this part right: A Mrs. Frederick Chace claims she and her husband along with their daughter went to the Borden house on Aug. 3rd the day before the murder at about 7:30pm and heard Andrew say, "You can make your own choice and do it tonight. Either let us know what his name is or take the door on Saturday, and when you go fishing, fish for some other place to live, as I will never listen to you again. I will know the name of the man who got you into trouble."

Now, two things, first there is another post in this thread which points out that Alice Russell testified that Lizzie was at her house at 7pm, not at home. The other thing is, this part seems to be saying that Lizzie was pregnant. Which of course we know she wasn't. And there's no mention of an abortion.

Anyway, this article seems to have spawned a few tales. Btw, were the names of these witness ever proven to be real?

I had transcribed the Evening Standard's rendition of the Trickey/McHenry story in the Privy- but it does't look like it made it into the Privy here- only the comments.
Is it in the archive, or are you referring to what's in the Privy?

Here's the link to what was written on the subject- the comments:
viewtopic.php?t=35

I do know the original version is a bit longer than what was in the Standard- Gramma was right- and that between Harry, Stef and myself working on that, it will probably show up on the website in the near future.

Kat @ Sat Dec 03, 2005 1:34 am wrote:I had transcribed the Evening Standard's rendition of the Trickey/McHenry story in the Privy- but it does't look like it made it into the Privy here- only the comments.
Is it in the archive, or are you referring to what's in the Privy?

Here's the link to what was written on the subject- the comments:
viewtopic.php?t=35

I do know the original version is a bit longer than what was in the Standard- Gramma was right- and that between Harry, Stef and myself working on that, it will probably show up on the website in the near future.

I went to the archives and then to search. I put in Trickey/McHenry and this is what I came up with. I hope it's ok, to put it here:

My transcription:
: The GLOBE NEWSPAPER HOAX/Trickey/McHenry Aritcle REPRINT in EVENING STANDARD"


"THE DETECTIVE'S STORY.

The following is the story of Detective E.D. McHenry of Providence in detail:

I was called on to the Borden case Aug.5, and after looking matters over in a general way, called my wife and domiciled her at the Wilbur house, to gather what information she could prior to having her interview with the Borden woman, if such action were necessary.

I concluded Bridget Sullivan was the first person to proceed against in the inquiry, after learning of her term of service, and my wife went and interviewed her in the garb of a sister of charity.

She elicited from her all that she knew about the family affairs, and then I called upon her, then Marshal Hilliard did, then two other officers on his force, and finally we all compared notes--that is, Marshal Hilliard and I compared them, and we found no discrepancies worthy of note in the servant girl's statement.

It was then proposed to investigate her record, as the statement about her being offered money is very material, and we held it back, personally feeling that she might have a spirit of revenge against Lizzie and my wife and I were not going to prejudice the case in any way.

I investigated her career from the time she landed in America to the time of the death of her intended husband a month before the murder.

Upon my return we made another examination, and she stood the test satisfactorily, and both Marshal Hilliard and myself were satisfied that she had told the truth.

I then turned her over to my wife again, and she worked her, thinking that we might have overlooked something in our inquiry, but the only thing new that we got were the names of the parties whose statements we procured and who have given their affidavits to the district attorney. I mean Mr. and Mrs. Chace and the others, whose testimony grew and was developed from that original source.

I was especially detailed to investigate her motive, and my wife was left to interview the parties mentioned, no matter where she found them.

She made several trips, one of which was into New York State, with success. I began my work by investigating Mrs. Borden's life.

Marshal Hilliard had his whole force at work upon two theories.

One was, has Mrs. Borden an enemy in the world outside of her home who could possibly have committed the murder? The other was an equally difficult line of action, and pertained to the movements of those in the Borden house on the fatal day.

I concluded my part of the work without discovering that Mrs. Borden had an enemy outside her own family, and I had a long interview with the medical examiner, the mayor and the marshal, and learned from the doctors the estimated difference of time in the deaths of the two people.

I then began a different line of investigation taking the statements of Bridget and the ones that Lizzie had made, to the marshal, the deputy marshal and others; then the time, then the condition of the weather, and other similar important facts.

I then spent 20 minutes in the hayloft of the barn, then had a weight dropped inside of the house to ascertain if I could hear it, and began writing a letter so as not to appear as if watching for the sound. From my position I heard a 20-lb. weight dropped in the room where Mrs. Borden was killed, I being in the same position that Lizzie described at the inquest, , that she was in at the time of the murder of Mr. Borden.

This experiment was tried at 10 o'clock in the morning on a day that corresponded in temperature to Aug.4. I then ascertained how near the door there was any lead such as could be used for sinkers, and learned from those who went into the barn first without stating to anyone what my position was, the position of things in general.

I found by measurement that exactly three feet and six inches from the door was a box , containing 21 1-2 pounds of sheet lead, of which I have a sample.

One glance of the eye to a stranger would locate the box beyond question as she entered the barn, while it's position to one acquainted with the premises could not for a moment be doubted. I then searched the outside premises in the rear, taking into consideration that the pile of boards had been shifted. I caused the adjacent yards and lumber piles and mortar boxes and cesspools to be examined for a weapon.

I carefully scrutinized every inch of the barb wire for a stain of any kind such as the murderer, if fleeing from the premises that way, would be likely to leave behind him. I found nothing.

I then examined the barb points within the range of the lumber pile with similar results. The result of my examination led me to believe it was an impossibility for one to have escaped that way without being seen and heard by the people in the vicinity.

Moreover, the street door had no stain of any kind upon it such as it ordinarily would have if pushed open by a red-handed assassin. I examined all the interior of the house with especial reference to possible exits, but found no trace of anyone's departure nor any stains.

"The second day of my wife's sojourn in Fall River, she learned the complete story that Mrs. Ronald has told, and I got her statement in person.

Then Officer Harrington and myself began to hunt for Mahany. We found him and he identified Mrs. Ronald as the person he had met.

My wife sent me a dispatch about the statement of the Chace people, whom she found in New York State, and as a result the order for breaking open the safe was given. I kept out of Mr. Jennings' way as much as possible, knowing that certain parties were shadowing me all the time in the interest of the defence.

I then to my own satisfaction secured a motive, being all the time cognizant of what the marshal's forces were procuring, I saw that our lines of action were coinciding at every stage.

Then I detailed my sister to substitute my wife and sent the latter to Marion to interview people there.

She secured a copy of a letter that is in the hands of the district attorney, which I did not see, and therefore cannot speak about. I then returned home, procured my men, and put them on the train of Mr. Hanscom and Mr. Jennings.

Later they were taken off and sent back to Providence, where they found a lawyer's clerk who told them a few weeks before the murder Lizzie had been to Providence and purchased, among other goods, a lamp and some crockery.

I learned subsequently where she made these purchases, but they did not cut any figure in the murder beyond tracing her movements around the city, and from what was said to me it will be necessary to make further investigations before I can tell where else she went and whom she saw during that visit in the city. I am not at liberty to state the name of the lawyer from whom most of my information on this end of the case came.

During the inquest I was familiar with everything that occurred in Mrs. Reagan's room between Lizzie and her callers.

In the rear of the matron's room was a bath-room, with a thin partition dividing it from the sergeant's sleeping room that opens out of the patrolmen's dormitory. For several days I or my representatives were concealed under the bed in Lizzie's room, listening to the conversation that occurred, but finally, owing to the presence of Mr. Adams, counsel for the defence, whom I feared would discover the deception practiced, the city marshal had two boards in the partition between the bath-room and the sergeant's room taken out, and a cloth covering substituted, in which there were small holes, allowing me to see and hear comfortably.

I was within 17 feet of Lizzie Borden when the trouble between her and her sister occurred. Lizzie Borden deliberatly kicked her sister three times, threw biscuit at her and called her a 'd__b__.' I have full and complete notes of that interview.

Lizzie charged her sister with giving her away. She accused her of wanting to see her hanged, and said that it was because with her out of the way Emma would come into the entire fortune. She said she never would give in; that she would die first. And she said that Emma, her sister, had been the one person whom she thought she could trust with her secret.

She said that she never would forgive her in the world. Emma told her that she only did what she did to benefit Lizzie's case, and Mr. Jennings had learned the fact only in her interest.

Lizzie added that she would under no circumstances have told him anything. It seemed to me that she was almost insane in her manner at the time.

Besides Mrs. Reagan, who has made affidavit to the above facts, there is another beside myself who has likewise deposed.

"Peter Mahany, timekeeper in the Troy mill, residing at 103 Pleasant street, Fall River, will testify:

On the morning of Aug.4, 1892, I left my house at 25 minutes of 10 o'clock, as I had to call at Dr. Kelly's home on Second street next door above the late Andrew J. Borden's residence. I reached there about 9:45 o'clock, and as I passed the Borden house I thought I heard a cry or groan of distress. I was not sure, but as I got to the steps of the doctor's house I heard it again, and I did not go in, but came back to the sidewalk and saw a young woman with a baby standing listening. In a window on the second floor of the Borden house I saw a face, and after the look that I had, although there was a cloth or black cap or something around the person's head as she looked out, still I positively recognized the face of that of Lizzie A. Borden, the younger daughter, whom I have long known. I saw her when she slammed down the window and then disappeared from it. I asked the young woman with the baby if she had heard that terrible cry or groan, and she said yes, and added it had scared her terribly and sent a chill through her. She told me that she had also seen the woman looking down at her.

Mrs. Chace's Evidence

Mrs. Frederick Chace, wife of Frederick Chace, owner of the Chace mills at Fall River, and residing at 198 Fourth street in that city, will testify:

I have known Andrew J. Borden and his wife for over 15 years. On the 3rd day of August, 1892, early in the afternoon, I met Mr. Borden on Main street in Fall River, and talked to him a few minutes. He asked me to come over that night with my husband, and I promised him we would and I asked him how he and how Mrs. Borden were.

He said she was very well but he was troubled a great deal about what he had talked of previously, and he thought if I and my husband came over it would cheer him up a good deal. I told him we would certainly come and then left him. About 7:30 o'clock that evening my husband, my daughter, Mrs. Manchester, and myself arrived at the Borden house.

My daughter had come to our house for tea, her husband being away for a couple of days. It thus happened that she accompanied us to the Bordens'. She is very jolly, and Mr. Borden thought a good deal of her, and we thought she would tend to cheer the old folks up, which was another incentive for us to take her along.

We were accustomed to enter the Borden house by the back door, as we were well aware, and had been for a long time, of the condition of affairs in the family. As we went to the door Maggie or Bridget, as she is properly called, was on the stair-way and must have been coming down and stopped there, as we thought.

First we shook the screen door, and Bridget then came down toward us.

After we started up the stairs, intending to go to the sitting-room, we heard loud and angry voices in the dining-room, and above all heard Mr. Borden's voice. I was satisfied at once that the servant girl had been on the stairs listening to the quarrel.

The first words I heard were: 'You can make your own choice and do it tonight. Either let us know what his name is or take the door on Saturday, and when you go fishing fish for some other place to live, as I will never listen to you again. I will know the name of the man who got you into trouble.'

We felt awfully embarrassed, and turned around to each other, and I said to my daughter 'Fay', as I always called her, 'do go and get Bridget and send her ahead of us, as it would be awful to walk right in upon them.'

This I said in a whisper. Just then I heard Lizzie answer: 'If I marry this man, will you be satisfied that everything will be kept from the outside world?' Then Bridget came to us, and word was sent in to Mrs. Borden.

I said to my husband, referring to Lizzie: 'That girl will be the means of great trouble if she is not wise to-night.'

Mr. and Mrs. Borden received us in the dining-room, whither we repaired, and were received pleasantly.

Lizzie turned around and went off without recognizing us, to the front of the house. She was dressed in her street apparel, and we did not know whether she had just come in or not. The old folks later said that she was going out.

Pretty soon Mrs. Borden said to her husband: 'You must not get so angry with Lizzie, as she has a terrible temper, and there is no telling what she might do to herself.'

Mr. Borden said: 'I would rather see her dead than have this come out.' I then spoke up and said: 'Now Mrs. Borden is right. You ought not to get so angry with her. Be gentle and try to find out who this man is, and whether he is made of anything at all he will marry her, and everything will be nicely settled.' Mr. Borden said: 'No, I have my suspicions and have had all along, but if I am right I will never recognize this man in the world. She has made her own bed, so let her lie upon it.' Mr. Borden added. 'To think at my time of life that such a terrible scandal is about to overtake me is terrible. You cannot advise or do anything with Lizzie; she will have her own way, come what may of it. By the way John Morse is visiting us. He may be here at any minute. Now we know, Mr. Chace, that you never could bear him, as you say. But when he does come in don't let on a word to him about what has occurred to-night, as we don't want him to know that we have discovered anything as yet.'

We then turned on to other matters, and did not refer to Lizzie's trouble again, except saying sorry that things were so and hoped that things would turn all right again. At 9:10 we left for home, bidding Mr. and Mrs. Borden goodnight.

"MR. CHACE CORROBORATES

Mr. Frederick Chace of 198 Fourth street, Fall River, will testify:
I have known Andrew J. Borden and wife over 16 years, and have visited him at his home and he has visited me in mine. We were very close friends, and he has told me a great deal about his family troubles.

I knew his wife to be a most self-sacrificing woman. She has been insulted grossly in my presence by both of his daughters, and on one occasion Lizzie said to her, before me, that she wished her to make less noise in the room we were occupying, as she, Lizzie, was busy with a scholar and our conversation annoyed her. I asked Mrs. Borden if she were taken that way often, and the latter said, 'Oh, she has spells when she is very nice.'

One time later on she said that Lizzie had never addressed her by any title for over four years. I then said to my son-in-law Mr. Manchester, just what I heard about her and the way I knew she treated her stepmother.

He said something derogatory of Lizzie afterwards, and she learned of it, and then we fell from grace so far as that end of the family was concerned.

Andrew has repeatedly told me about expecting trouble from her, and said he did not know how to avoid it. Then he said there had been a robbery at his house in 1891, and that nothing had been taken except what belonged to her stepmother, and that he had heard it said that my sister, Mrs. G. J. Sisson, had said that she had seen Mrs. Borden's watch in Lizzie's possession after it had been stolen, and that she recognized it. 'Now, Fred.' said Mr. Borden, 'find out the truth of this from your sister and let me know if it is true. I believe it is but I want to be sure.' I then told him that my sister had told me so some time before and that I believed her.

He said, 'Well, I can account now for a great many things,' and he called Lizzie to the door and said in my presence,'I want you to get Mrs. Borden's watch and other articles and have them returned at once; that is all I have to say.' Lizzie gave me a look that i will always remember.

This was in February, 1892, about Washington's birthday week. I also corroborate, in detail, the statement of the quarrel at the Borden house the night prior to the murder as made by my wife in her statement for the authorities and confirmed by my daughter."

-------------------------------
"NEITHER AFFIRM NOR DENY.

District Attorney Thinks He Knows
Where The Story Came From

District Attorney Knowlton was seen this forenoon and asked concerning the developments in the Borden case published in another column. He said he had not read the story, but thought he knew from what source it came, but would not tell at the present time. He was asked in the light of the published story if he would not make a statement concerning certain phases of the case, and declined firmly and courteously to say anything for publication.

State Policeman George F. Seaver was asked concerning the published story, and said he knows nothing concerning it's origion or truth."



--Smaller headlines on the 11th of October:

"THE BORDEN STORY
-----------------------
Detective McHenry Sold it to a Reporter
-----------------------
It Is Proved to be a Lie In Several Particulars
-----------------------
Branded as a Gigantic Fake by Reputable Persons
-----------------------
How it is Looked Upon by the Citizens of Fall River
-----------------------
Latest Developments Following the Publication of the Yarn"

("Boston , Oct.11.--The Globe today says...")---end

It's great that you found this post. Generally, things from the Privy should stay in the Privy...otherwise, it's no longer Privy.


Tracy...

This is what Rebello says about McHenry on pages 164-165:


The Boston Globe published an article on Monday, October 10, 1892, that was quite damaging to Lizzie Borden. The author, Henry G. Trickey, allegedly obtained the information from Edwin H. McHenry, a Providence, Rhode Island detective. Within ten hours the Boston Globe discovered that the information was false. The Boston Globe, possibly fearing a lawsuit by Lizzie, quickly retracted the story and published and apology to her, Wednesday, October 12, 1892.

Profile: Edwin G. McHenry was a bootblack (shoeshine boy), a bartender in New York, and later, a private detective in Providence, Rhode Island in 1886. He presented himself as a Pinkerton detective but was never employed by the Pinkerton Agency. He opened a detective bureau with a Mr. Weeks (or Wiekes) in 1889. During that time, they devised a scheme whereby merchants and bankers could purchase a certificate for $25.00 and up that would enable them to buy protection for employees losses. Mr. McHenry's "operators" as he called them, would provide surveillance. However, the number of operators to cover all those who purchased the certificates did not exist nor were there enough operators to carry out the protection. Mr. Weeks soon disappeared after he wrote a bogus checks to friends and failed to pay barroom debts. He was incarcerated at Joliet Penitentiary for forgery.

Mr. McHenry was later involved in two cases of fraud and deceit in Boston, Massachusetts. He had purchased two diamonds from Mr. George A. Bassett, a diamond broker. McHenry claimed he purchased one for himself and another for Mr. George Williams. The latter never existed and Mr. Bassett began court action against Mr. McHenry in Providence, Rhode Island. Mr. McHenry was, at the same time, a defendant in a suit brought against him for purchasing furniture on an installment plan for the Flint Company with a receipt that "...bore strong marks of having been doctored." He was successful in court but only due to a technicality and had to forfeit the furniture.

In January 1891, the Rhode Island Legislature passed an act that would control private detective businesses. Prior to its passage, McHenry and an agent secured signatures to appoint himself as a licensed detective. Signatures of support for McHenry came from Chief Justice Matteson, and several associate judges and members of the bar. The board aldermen never questioned the signatures of support and voted to appoint McHenry as a full-fledged detective. He then established the McHenry& Company Detective Bureau in Providence, Rhode Island.

Mr. McHenry was in New York the day of the Borden murders. He arrived in Fall River on Friday morning, August 5, 1892. He went to City Marshal Hilliard. It was then, according to McHenry, with authorization from Mayor Coughlin and Marshall Hilliard that McHenry was employed to work on the Borden case. McHenry was paid $105.60 by the City of Fall River for his services.

It was alleged McHenry sold the information he had on the Borden case to Henry Trickey. Mr. Trickey persuaded the Boston Globe to publish his article. The Globe printed the article but soon learned the information was fabricated. The Globe quickly retracted the story and published an apology to Miss Borden. Mr. Trickey left the United States shortly after the Globe scandal. On December 3, 1893, Mr. Trickey was killed while trying to board a train in Canada.

Mr. McHenry left Providence, Rhode Island, and went to New York City with his wife Nellie. In 1894, His wife obtained a divorce for adultery. McHenry was in Buffalo, New York, in 1895. He was in partnership with Frank H. McDonald in the International Detective Agency for one year. He then opened McHenry's Detective Bureau in 1897, later renamed McHenry's Secret Service. In January, 1917, McHenry was incarcerated in Cranston, Rhode Island, for default of bail. He was arraigned and sentenced in federal court on June 13, 1917, for falsely representing himself as a U.S. Secret Service agent. His initial plea of "not guilty" was withdrawn and he pleaded "nolo." Mr McHenry was sentenced to serve seven months in the Providence Country Jail in Cranston, Rhode Island. His whereabouts after serving out his sentence are unknown.

theebmonique @ Sat Dec 03, 2005 12:30 pm wrote:It's great that you found this post. Generally, things from the Privy should stay in the Privy...otherwise, it's no longer Privy.


Tracy...

I understand what you're saying and agree. The thing is I stuck to the article which is from a newspaper and I don't see why that would be Privy? I didn't post any replies. I do hope all of us can see the whole article as some point.

EDIT HERE:

http://www.lizzieandrewborden.com/Archi ... chenry.htm

It's from the Archive- it was brought out of the Privy by me, previously.
The question's been answered.

However, for future reference, anything in the Privy here should only be brought out by the person who placed it there- at minimum, it's a courtesy- and only their own text.
Things are placed in the Privy for a reason.

What I would like to know is were any of these witnesses even real? Or did McHenry just make up all of these names? I would think if any of them were real some reporter would have gone and questioned them.

The Boston Globe, the very paper that printed the article on the 10th, the next day on the 11th, as part as its back-peddling, printed the following:


"NEVER HEARD OF THEM.

Miss Emma Denies Knowledge of Any
of the Witnesses.

FALL RIVER, Oct. 10. – This evening Andrew J. Jennings took the list of the witnesses up to the Borden house and laid the names before Emma Borden.
Emma examined them carefully and said she had never heard of any such people. She was asked particularly about Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Chace, who were said to have overheard a quarrel between Mr. Borden and Lizzie on the night before the murder. Miss Emma promptly said:
“There never was any one of that name ever visited our house. I never knew any such family.”
Miss Emma’s attention was called to a Mrs. Sissons’ testimony as to Lizzie’s caution to Bridget to keep her mouth shut, which it was alleged she uttered at the funeral. She did not know Mrs. Sissons, but she knew every one who was present at the funeral of Mr. and Mrs. Borden, and was sure that no stranger attended the services."

Almost everything coming from McHenry has a grain of truth in it. And just that, a grain. Most of it is pure BS. He sprinkles in just enough real names to make it sound plausible but the whole article is hogwash.

I've always thought the Frederick Chace story very interesting as Frederick is a popular first and middle name in the Chase/Chace family which has many roots in Portsmouth Colony and in Bristol County. There are also Sissons in the Chase family and Macombers in various branches. So if McHenry lied, it was a knowledgeable lie. It does bring to mind the idea that the story was a purposeful plant.

While this Frederick Chace had been staying on Fourth Street, Chase Mills, NY, still exists in St. Lawrence County with a current population of 600 (ZIP 13621). The nearest places you might find on a map are Ogdensburg, NY and Massena. I believe there was a Chase with a sawmill in early Massena history and there was a Reverend Chase (Methodist) who was responsible for renaming Norwood, NY, also in St. Lawrence County from its previous name of Potsdam Junction.

Chase Mills is so small today that I'm not sure how much of a historical record there is of the place.

Harry @ Sun Dec 04, 2005 2:02 pm wrote: Almost everything coming from McHenry has a grain of truth in it. And just that, a grain. Most of it is pure BS. He sprinkles in just enough real names to make it sound plausible but the whole article is hogwash.

I think you summed up the whole Trickey/McHenry junk better than anyone could.

I like the title of the article he posted:

"NEVER HEARD OF THEM."