Lizzie Borden Society Forum

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote the following letter to Joseph Conforti, author of "Lizzie Borden on Trial." I post the meat of that letter here along with his reply.

Hello, Mr. Conforti,

Recently I started reading a new book on the trial by Cara Robertson entitled "The Trial of Lizzie Borden: A True Story." In going over the notes I made several years ago when reading the three-volume work on the trial by Widdows and Koorey, together with their book on the preliminary hearing, it occurred to me that the subject of Abby's going to market the day of the murders was not a matter of any importance to the attorneys. It was no more than mentioned. At the preliminary hearing, you'll remember, Lizzie was asked three or four times about the conversation she had had with Abby when Lizzie came down for breakfast. Each time, she testified that Abby had told her she intended to get dinner for the family, though Lizzie herself wanted nothing.

My question to you is this: Doesn't it strike you as a significant oversight on the attorneys' part that no inquiry was made about what Abby (supposedly) returned home with from market? If she had in fact gone there, she would have returned with food, needless to say. And Bridget, who did the cooking, would have certainly been able to testify that no new food had been placed in the icebox or pantry that day--which would have demolished Lizzie's assertion. (Bridget, after all, remained at the Borden house until after the funeral on Saturday, when she moved out for good.) What's more, what is the likelihood that Abby wouldn't have encountered Bridget in the kitchen or thereabouts with the things she'd bought at market?

Please tell me what you think. You shouldn't hesitate to tell me if you think I'm on the wrong track.

Conforti's reply (excluding his writing about Robertson's book):

You raise a good question that I wish I had thought of. I do think it was an oversight. I’m not sure why it never came up.

My understanding was that Abby never made it out to the market. After breakfast she did some dusting downstairs and then went to freshen up the linens in the guest room... but didn't make it out of that room the 2nd time. If I'm remembering correctly

Hello, she_done_it, welcome to the forum.

I agree with LABR. Abby didn't make it out of the house that morning.

You present a great question! It was not only an oversight on the part of the attorneys, but on the part of the Fall River Police Department a well.

Thank you, LABRhush & twinsrwe. I certainly wasn't suggesting Abby had actually gone to market. It was LIZZIE who claimed she had. I believe she lied about both the caller-with-note and her stepmother's going to market. Needless to say, there's not a particle of evidence that Abby had gone out anywhere that morning.

What I meant to say in my post is that if anyone had had the presence of mind to check to see what Abby had supposedly brought home from market that morning, they wouldn't have found anything. (All they had to do is ask Bridget, after all.) The lack of fresh groceries would have been another proof that Lizzie was lying about what was said in the conversation she'd had with Abby that morning.

Ah I see what you're saying SDI! Ha. Ok. Well, as far as I know Lizzie made a reference to Abby asking her what she wanted for dinner because she intended to go to the market. Are you saying Liz made a comment that Abby had returned from the market? (Other than the ol' "i wish someone would go look upstairs, I think I heard her come in " post murder comment)?

I'm not sure I understand your question, LABRhush. I didn't make any allusion to a comment made by Liz that Abby had returned from market. I AM aware that when there was discussion among the first responders about the Mrs., all Liz said was that she "thought" (!) or she was "positive" (!) that she'd heard Abby come in. Liz didn't explicitly refer to the market in saying so. But it doesn't matter; what matters is that Lizzie claimed at the preliminary hearing that Abby told her she was going to market (besides visiting some sick person).

Hello Ethancampbell, welcome to the forum. I think the police department figured out relatively early in the investigation that Lizzie was lying about Abby going to the market, as well as receiving a note from a sick friend. Back in those days, a woman would never have gone to the market before doing their household chores, so it was rather obvious that Abby had not gone to the market.

I'm still right there with ya Twins! Welcome Ethan ☺