Lizzie Borden Society Forum

I don't know how many teachers there are here, but I can tell you teens really love the Borden story. Most libraries, civic groups or high schools will enthusiastically welcome a presentation. These photos are from my last year teaching (1998) at the local high school. We had Lizzie Week, with displays in the library and topics in science class about new techniques in Forensics, CSI, famous cases including the O.J case, and true crime classics in English class and a look at trial procedures in Civics class. The week culminated with a field trip to Fall River with 2 busloads of 8th graders, a trip to all the Lizzie sites and to Heritage Park to see the mill display. Coordinating with the history class, we included the American Industrial Revolution into the study, including of course, Fall River textile mills.
It was a warm, fine day in June and we sang
"You can't chop your poppa up in Massachusetts" on the way up- as well as a enroute quiz with prizes and things to spot from the window.

Ed Thibault made a surprise visit with his famous Bondo skulls-which the kids appreciated. If you have not considered a presentation in your community, you'll be surprised to see how enthusiastically the concept is embraced by principals and community groups like granges, libraries, women's leagues, etc. We didn't have power point in 1998 but slides were okay!

Ed and his famous skulls. (slightly out of focus)

They travel in their own specially made suitcase

Lizzie scholars in the making

Displays are always crowd pleasers

At least one generation knows all about "leg o' mutton!"

This one's for you Ray-there's your man!

Thanks for the pictures! I see the one of Mr. Dube giving a tour at his house was in colour in the original in the newspaper.
I only have a b/w xerox copy. Cool!

I also see one of our members is on one of those display boards.

"World's Greatest Trials"? I never read it.
Thanks for the hint. From reading a similar book, it might be so generalized as to present nothing more than the writer's approach to the subject.
PS
Are they behind glass? It would be a shame to find any missing.

Shelley @ Sat Nov 11, 2006 2:32 am wrote:They travel in their own specially made suitcase

Is the skull on the left that of Abby? Right-handed person when face down.
Andy's skull should have damage on his left front, again suggesting right-handed person.
Feel free to disagree with the above comments on the recreations.

Shelley, are Ed's skull recreations still intact or now broken?

I read you lost a manniken dressed as Lizzie back in 1992 from a public place. Did anyone ever pay out that reward?

Yes, Ed's skulls are still intact after all these years. For friends of Eddie, he came home from the hospital yesterday after a week battling pneumonia and is doing well-and glad to be home. The manikin- oh, that WAS funny . I had made her for the 1993 Lizzie Expo at the Down Under Aussie Cafe. She greeted people at the door with a pear in her hand. Someone kidnapped Miss Lizzie and it made the front page of The Herald 2 days running. The Cafe offered a reward for her safe return- the police were on the prowl for her, and soon a kid came in with her none the worse for wear and collected the reward. Here are "Miz Liz", Eddie T. and Len on my sofa. Eddie would take Miss Lizzie for a ride in his car from time to time, which she enjoyed- and she always wore her seatbelt.

Shelley, I am really glad you started this thread. I tried doing some Lizzie things in my classroom a few years ago. Doreen Rappaport was even going to send me some copies of her book at a 'teacher's rate'. However, I had a principal who went fruitcake over the idea. I tried s very simple lesson plan, but because a parent had complained when we had tried it in the past, she refused to let me even say the "LB" word.

We have a new principal now, so I may try it again in the Spring. I may have to PM you for some ideas.





Tracy...

Oh great! I hope you have luck. The thing with principals is to integrate Lizzie with other studies, making sure to work in the mills, industrial revolution, the judicial system, etc. with it. There are even one or two good Lizzie books suitable for young people. (You be the Judge-You be the Jury). After presenting various important evidence to my gang, and going over information and testimonies,we "polled the jury" of 117 8th graders-and - Lizzie was NOT acquitted! Many had a doubt about Uncle John's involvement, and some thought there was an accomplice. We really had a great time making a timeline of the day (which I still have) , looking at the floor plan of the house, and having an instructive, although amateur evaluation on a simplified level, by breaking off into work groups to discuss various important areas of the case from crime scene investigation to witness statements and Inquest testimonies. . Then the groups presented these various aspects of the case to the whole class for discussion. A few students used the case as inspiration for creative writing papers as well, for English class.

It was fun, and displays were a plus which the library staff appreciated. As a result we now have more Lizzie and true crime type books in the stacks. I tried this same method with two of my other passions, zeppelins and Titanic. We had a lot of fun with helium and studying hydrogen and inert gases and their properties in Physical Science. Good luck- and let us know how it goes!

From my recollection of school days, the teacher presented the "facts" of a case, and let us draw the conclusions. I later learned that the "facts" can be one-sided.
I'm sure you did a good job in presenting unbiased facts.
Neither Emma or Uncle John did the murders, and we know Lizzie was found Not Guilty. Nobody accused Bridget of the crime then.

Wow, I'm impressed ray at your prudent rephrasing of your opinion!

Shelley, that was a case of wondering what was The Rest of the Story, as Paul Harvey would say!
Thanks!
(Also noted it was 1993 rather than 1992- thanks for the correct year).

The Centennial year was so exciting, that when 1993 came around, people were hoping there would be something more. Ken Souza and the owner of the Down Under tried to pull something together on a smaller scale. I do believe there were three "Lizzie Expos" before they sort of faded out. The first one was the most well-organized, with carriage rides and entertainment and Q&A in the old Central church hall. I remember the last one, which must have been in 1995, because that is when I met Ron Evans and had my first trip to the house. Miss Josephine had recently passed away. The house was still furnished with her possessions. I remember the television set being where the black sofa is now, and she slept in the diningroom. I am hoping there will be another conference while I am still able to crawl out to attend it! I am going to now have to look up the date on that stolen Lizzie mannikin story as all three Expos are now running together in my mind

You are good about wanting to get the date right.

I've found it here:
Fall River Herald News, 8-9-94
"Likeness of Lizzie disappears without a trace."

Also, I thought it pretty weird that in June of 1994, Josephine died, and John R. McGinn died on July 19, 1995, within a year. That is mother and son?

Good question indeed. Am not sure if John was her son. Maybe the obit for Josephine will mention that.
Ah, the thing about getting older- the years start to all melt together. Of course I always get the August 4th part right!

Those are some cool photos! I wish we had something like that when I was in high school. I took a criminal justice class when I was a senior, but we only covered the recent cases, that had been in the news. The furtherest we went back was the charles manson case.