Lizzie Borden Society Forum

I've read somewhere that there were only celebrations on New Year's Day instead of the night before during the Victorian (and maybe Edwardian?) era also. I wonder if she ever had any lavish parties at Maplecroft for her theater acquaintances?

I don't know- that's a good question.
Maybe one of our Victorian/Edwardian experts might have a speculation.

Wouldn't it be great to see Maplecroft restored, and it all lit up at night with a gathering of everyone from the Forum in costume. Ah yes, I do dream big!!

I think in the beginning when she was running with the actor types she might have had a party, but in later years she probably was quieter.

Maybe with twelve wacks with a hatchet?

I agree with Snokks. Lizzie probably celebrated with actor friends early on but celebrated by herself with a glass of something as she got older.

-1bigsteve (o:

Besides, who wants spend new years with ab accused axe murderer? Even though she was aquitted people still thought she was guilty. And who wants to go to a party thrown by her?

Once the "prestige" of hob-knobing with the rich and infamous wears off people start thinking, "Hmmm... I wanted to buddy up to an axe murderer? What was I thinking?" I'm sure Lizzies's "friends" came to their senses and jumped ship, leaving Lizzie all by herself.

People who live reclusively feel the isolation during holidays more than the average person. I wonder if Lizzie, like so many others, ever contemplated suicide during a holiday?

-1bigsteve (o:

For what it's worth, Daniel Webster was supposedly quoted as saying:
*Suicide is confession.*

Somehow I think Lizzie/Lizbeth was too strong a character for that. And we never heard of a confesssion.

Would you think she might do that in order to hurt someone else? Is that ever a motive in suicide?

Kat, you are partially correct regarding Daniel Webster's quote. His actual quote is: "There is no refuge from confession but suicide, and suicide is confession." Source: http://quotationsbook.com/quote/7827/

I have never heard of anyone committing suicide in order to hurt someone else. It is my understanding that suicide is a cry for help, or a wish to escape undesirable situations, although I my be wrong. In a murder case, any things possible.

However, I don't believe that Lizzie would have committed suicide in order to hurt someone else or, for that matter, as a form of confession. If she did kill Andrew and Abby, I believe she most likely felt justified in her actions and therefore would have had nothing that she would have felt guilty, shameful, depressed, or anything else, about. I think this would be true of Lizzie, whether she acted alone or helped someone else in committing these murders.