Lizzie Borden Society Forum

In the book "Be the Judge, Be the Jury, The Lizzie Borden Trail", I found this:

"I came down at 6:15 am and started the fire. I unlocked the back door, took in the milk, hooked the screen door, started breakfast. About 6:30 Mrs. Borden came down staris. Mr. Borden came down 5 minutes later. Mr. Morse came shortly after. I served breakfast and cleaned up. Mr. Borden let Mr. Morse out by the back door. He hooked the screen after him.

Five minutes later, Mrs Lizzie came down. I was feeling nauseous, so I went outdoors. I came back about 15 minutes later and hooked the screen door. About 9 am, Mrs. Borden called me into the sitting room and trold e to wash the windows inside and outside. I didn't see her until I found her dead upstairs."



First of all, I thought Lizzie found her. Second, why didn't she go get Lizzie? In the way that she putting the events of the day that happened, it seems she found Mrs. Borden in the morning. I know LIzzie happened to be upstairs when Andrew came home. It was reported (by Bridget, Ithink) that she heard Lizzie laughing upstairs).

Am I just reading this wrong or what?

Bridget DID find Abby, but that was after Lizzie had "found" Andrew, had Bridget summon help, and several people were there at the house. Lizzie asked at least a couple of times if someone would not go and look for Mrs. Borden. That is what Bridget is referring to.

Snookums - If that passage you posted was taken directly from the book, the author condensed the events. Bridget had to get both coal and kindling to start the fire. And I think while the fire was starting, she folded some clean laundry. The ice man is not mentioned at all, who came with his ice during that time. Bridget ate her breakfast, I believe in the dining room. And Bridget washed the breakfast dishes.

What may confuse a reader is where it's said, "I didn't see her {Mrs. Borden} again until I saw her dead upstairs." It should have said something like, "...until I saw her dead upstairs several hours later." There is absolutely no time frame there, and a person could take it as any time at all.

Is that Doreen Rappaport's book?

That book is a basic introduction to the case and trial. I would consider a tertiary work, after the main secondary works (Pearson, Radin, Lincoln, Sullivan, Spiering, Kent, and best of all Brown).
Your estimates may vary.