Lizzie Borden Society Forum

I was reading "Goodbye Lizzie Borden", where the auther, Robert Sullivan, says (1973) he interviewed the niece and namesake of Abby Borden. Her name is Abby Porter (Little Abby--now living in Rhode Island).

Anyway, thought on statement was interesting. It is this:

"For eighty years she has lived with her memories of the case and to her there is no mystery surrounding the deaths by violence of Andrew and abby. Lizzie killed them; slaughtered them; there was no note of equivocation in Mrs. Porters conversation-- Lizzie was quilty; and this is, or was, it."

Seems she was, her mind very convinced who did it--Lizzie.

I think you mean Abbie Potter.
Did you see her gravestone on Shelley's slide show site?

http://www.slide.com/r/4J0u-OthwD9kvw5V ... view=large

Yup, went back to the book to check the name. Yes it's Abbie Porter.

Abby Potter was directly affected by the case, so I'm not surprised she had a strong conviction about it. It may be that anyone with direct ties to the murders had a definite opinion about it. Perhaps even the population at large at the time was convinced one way or the other. A poll might have shown few "undecided" votes.

I think the majority of Fall River probably tought that Lizzie did it. She was shunned pretty much after the trial, even if she was aquitted.

You may be right snokkums, there were at least enough people who believed in her guilt to make it uncomfortable or impossible for her to socialize the way she wanted. Lizzie may have had a few friends who still believed in her, but I don't think she ever attained the social position she had aspired to.

I think that her ostracism was slow in coming. At first it seems she had a fair amount of support for her verdict. My opinion is that that support waned over time due to her not speaking of the case or pursuing the guilty party who had done the deed.

Yes SNOKKUMS: If your copy of Goodbye Lizzie Borden says "Abbie Porter" instead of Abbie Potter, you have a rare copy.

Many make the error between Porter and Potter. (Abbie Potter)

Her gravestone reads: ABBIE BORDEN POTTER.

Kat @ Thu Jan 17, 2008 11:06 pm wrote:I think you mean Abbie Potter.
Did you see her gravestone on Shelley's slide show site?

http://www.slide.com/r/4J0u-OthwD9kvw5V ... view=large

Strange that the gravestone gives her name as "Abbie Borden Potter." Shouldn't it be "Abby Whitehead Potter"? Are you sure that this is "our" Abby?

Though her grave stone reads "Abbie" Borden Potter, Robert Sullivan is consistent in referring to her as Abby Borden Whitehead Potter, that is to say, using the spelling of Abby with a "Y" instead of "ie".

Of interest to note: I can only wonder if Mrs. Abby Borden Whitehead Potter ever seen her name in print. She died the year Robert Sullivan's book, Goodbye Lizzie Borden, was published.

And of further interest. Robert Sullivan was left little time to enjoy his publication. Mr Sullivan died a year later.

I always thought it was awsome that Abbie Porter Whitehead was very adament about lizzie was the one that did the deed. She had no doubt in her mind that Lizzie did it. I always have wondered if maybe she thought that Emma had something to do with it too. Haven't seen anything in the book about that. I mean, both Emma and Lizzie weren't to fond of Abby. Guess we will never know.

bob_m_ryan @ Mon Jan 28, 2008 12:30 pm wrote:I think that her ostracism was slow in coming. At first it seems she had a fair amount of support for her verdict. My opinion is that that support waned over time due to her not speaking of the case or pursuing the guilty party who had done the deed.

I think so too. I did find a reference to Lizzie and Emma attending a meeting for Christian Endeavor in Boston as late as 1895. I think people were just as shocked at the Tilden-Thurber affair and the charge of stealing. Notice, Lizzie's old friends drop away and she takes on new ones like Grace Howe and Helen Leighton and her own servants.

Porter uses Abbie- the spelling "Abbie." So does Potter for that matter!

Who was the person who received the gift from Lizzie that started the Tilden-Thurber affair?

There were Thurbers in Swansea, but I don't know how they were related to Thurber from the jewelry firm. I've always wondered if there was some old grudge against the Bordens being played out here.