Lizzie Borden Society Forum

Quoting from "Lixxie Borden, The Legend, The Truth, The Final Chapter" pages 32 and 33

"He was openly charged with the billing the bereved for amounts far in excess of the services and he is crdited with having purchased coffins shorter than normal at a price that had been trimmed accordingly and then fitting his too tall client into these in a manner that would not show when they were viewed in the usual waist up fashion."

I have the latter part of the statement, that he purchased shorter coffins, but never heard that he charged to much for his services. Any ideas or comments on this?

I believe you will find reference to this about Andy charging for services that were not provided. in the first sentence of your post. I think I read it 40 years ago in a reprint of Edmund Pearson's "Trial of LB".
Other writers have repeated this same charge.

"Shorter coffins"? Maybe, but one poster explained how legs could be doubled up or adjusted for coffins - "one size fits all adults". That sounds like the kind of gossip directed against an undertaker disliked by others.
The much more serious charge is that Andy "loaned money" to his clients then foreclosed on their homes when they couldn't pay up in 30 days!!!

RayS --" The much more serious charge is that Andy 'loaned money' to his clients then foreclosed on their homes when they couldn't pay up in 30 days."

I read something about that too in the book I am reading. Thanks for the info RayS. You know me I am going to ask a question.

If you are reading Brown Snokkums, and listening to Ray tutoring you in what you ask, then I feel overwhelmed and probably will not respond.

I'll say one thing for Brown: he must be a darn good writer, if he's able to bowl over sensible people like Ray and Snokkums. I also admire his energy and perseverance in digging up every bit of foul gossip he could find.

It really must be fun to read Browns book!

Airmid.

I'll read just about anything about Lizzie: the good the bad and the ugly. lol

Airmid @ Sat Aug 19, 2006 4:33 am wrote:I'll say one thing for Brown: he must be a darn good writer, if he's able to bowl over sensible people like Ray and Snokkums. I also admire his energy and perseverance in digging up every bit of foul gossip he could find.

It really must be fun to read Browns book!
Airmid.

As I remember it from 40+ years ago in Pearson's "Trial of Lizzie Borden" he repeated the same charges. I think there was a court case where Andy was forced to repay a client for overcharges. That's the proof, not just gossip. I think that was a comon trick then.

Going over the charges for my Mom's funeral 2 years ago, I found a repeated charge for an item. I called up and this charge was removed.
After My Dad died I went to the hospital to get his watch back, it had disappeared from his belonging. Sentimental value, it cost $40 (Father's Day present f rom me some years earlier).

Let this be a lesson to you: institutions are run by people w/ faults.

snokkums @ Sat Aug 19, 2006 9:10 am wrote:I'll read just about anything about Lizzie: the good the bad and the ugly. lol

Well have you read the Source Documents?

Yes read everything! I believe in reading.
I also hope you are making up your own mind, that's all I could ask.