Again, forgive me for bringing up points that have probably been discussed before... like this one.
Does anyone really think Abby was still making the bed in the guestroom? The bed appears to have already been made. Or could she have been attacked right after, or did she run in there to hide under the bed (an interesting theory). What exactly WAS she doing in there? (I guess if we knew this we'd also know the answers to every other bit of bizzare question in this case.)
Abby in the guestroom
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DJ
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Do keep in mind that Mr. Morse did not bring a change of anything, not even a nightshirt, when he came down, and we can only speculate how long he had been wearing what he had on before then. He was not noted for his sartorial splendor, at least not at the time.
He rented a team the afternoon before and drove out to the farm in Swansea, then on to have supper with a relative, before driving back to the stable. In August. He was probably pretty-- shall we say-- ripe.
IOW: Abby had a job before her in cleaning up that bed.
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If Abby were in flight from someone downstairs, she would have had a better shot heading out the front door than up the stairs and into the guest room, given her ample girth.
She could have easily made it out the front, locks and all, than she could have made it to the guest room, before being overtaken.
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Remember, there were no defensive cuts on Abby's arms or hands. She was taken by surprise. Even if Lizzie came face on at Abby wielding a hatchet, Abby was a larger woman, and most probably could have overpowered her. I'm not saying that Abby would have come out of the ordeal completely unscathed, but she may well have survived it.
If she hadn't been taken by surprise, from behind.
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Abby had the bed made perfectly, down to the shams, when she was attacked. Chances are she knew her murderer, as it would have been natural for her to turn her attention to the sound of someone coming up the front stairs by glancing at the guest-room doorway.
He rented a team the afternoon before and drove out to the farm in Swansea, then on to have supper with a relative, before driving back to the stable. In August. He was probably pretty-- shall we say-- ripe.
IOW: Abby had a job before her in cleaning up that bed.
************************************************************
If Abby were in flight from someone downstairs, she would have had a better shot heading out the front door than up the stairs and into the guest room, given her ample girth.
She could have easily made it out the front, locks and all, than she could have made it to the guest room, before being overtaken.
**********************************************************
Remember, there were no defensive cuts on Abby's arms or hands. She was taken by surprise. Even if Lizzie came face on at Abby wielding a hatchet, Abby was a larger woman, and most probably could have overpowered her. I'm not saying that Abby would have come out of the ordeal completely unscathed, but she may well have survived it.
If she hadn't been taken by surprise, from behind.
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Abby had the bed made perfectly, down to the shams, when she was attacked. Chances are she knew her murderer, as it would have been natural for her to turn her attention to the sound of someone coming up the front stairs by glancing at the guest-room doorway.
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augusta
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Brian, this comes from Lizzie's testimony at the Coroner's Inquest, from "The Lizzie Borden Sourcebook", page 68:
A: She said she had been up and made the bed up fresh and had dusted the room and left it all in order. She was going to put some fresh pillow slips on the small pillows at the foot of the bed and was going to close the room because she was going to have company Monday and she wanted everything in order.
Q: How long would it take to put on the pillow slips?
A: About two minutes.
Q: How long to do the rest of the things?
A: She had done that when I came down.
Q: All that was left was what?
A: To put on the pillow slips.
Q: Can you give me any suggestion as to what occupied her when she was up there, when she was struck dead?
A: I don't know of anything except she had some cotton cloth pillow cases up there and she said she was going to commence to work on them. That is all I know. And the sewing machine was up there.
Q: Whereabouts was the sewing machine?
A: In the corner between the north and west side.
Q: Did you hear the sewing machine going?
A: I did not.
Q: Did you see anything to indicate that the sewing machine had been used that morning?
A: I had not. ...
Nobody knows who the company was that Abby was expecting on Monday, August 8.
There are some great source documents on this website under "Resources". [/i]
A: She said she had been up and made the bed up fresh and had dusted the room and left it all in order. She was going to put some fresh pillow slips on the small pillows at the foot of the bed and was going to close the room because she was going to have company Monday and she wanted everything in order.
Q: How long would it take to put on the pillow slips?
A: About two minutes.
Q: How long to do the rest of the things?
A: She had done that when I came down.
Q: All that was left was what?
A: To put on the pillow slips.
Q: Can you give me any suggestion as to what occupied her when she was up there, when she was struck dead?
A: I don't know of anything except she had some cotton cloth pillow cases up there and she said she was going to commence to work on them. That is all I know. And the sewing machine was up there.
Q: Whereabouts was the sewing machine?
A: In the corner between the north and west side.
Q: Did you hear the sewing machine going?
A: I did not.
Q: Did you see anything to indicate that the sewing machine had been used that morning?
A: I had not. ...
Nobody knows who the company was that Abby was expecting on Monday, August 8.
There are some great source documents on this website under "Resources". [/i]
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DJ
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Also-- recalling Morse's testimony off the top of my head-- I don't think Abby got a crack at the guest bedroom until after he left (even though he was sitting dowstairs), around 8:45. (He sat around for about an hour, after breakfast, even though the P.O. was open by 8:00 a.m., and he could have been on his merry way to visit relations from there, whom he turned out missing because he was late.)
Morse does say Abby was flitting about with her feather duster-- probably counting the minutes till he would vamoose and she could get up there!
Interesting thought:
If Abby could have had a crack at the guest bedroom earlier, before Andrew left, Lizzie might never have had her window of opportunity.
Morse does say Abby was flitting about with her feather duster-- probably counting the minutes till he would vamoose and she could get up there!
Interesting thought:
If Abby could have had a crack at the guest bedroom earlier, before Andrew left, Lizzie might never have had her window of opportunity.
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augusta
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That's an intriguing idea, DJ - if Abby didn't do up the guest room that morning ...
I would bet money that she would have got whacked anyway. With Bridget outside, and I'm thinking Lizzie was the lookout, she could have been bludgeoned in another room.
I don't think Lizzie knew Abby was going to be in the guest room that morning. I get the idea that she was killed at the first opportunity.
I would bet money that she would have got whacked anyway. With Bridget outside, and I'm thinking Lizzie was the lookout, she could have been bludgeoned in another room.
I don't think Lizzie knew Abby was going to be in the guest room that morning. I get the idea that she was killed at the first opportunity.