Lizzie Borden Society Forum

As members know, Lizzie testified that she had a conversation with Abby when she came downstairs a little before 9:00 that Thursday. It was during that conversation that Abby told her about the caller and note. Now, if a caller had come, Lizzie would have certainly heard the bell, even though she was upstairs at the time. Yet, curiously, she never mentioned hearing the bell at the preliminary and was never asked if she'd heard it. For that matter, correct me if I'm wrong, no friends or officials asked her about this the day the murders were committed. What's more, it seems odd that Lizzie wouldn't have expressed surprise to Abby that a caller had come without her (Lizzie) hearing the bell. Also, John Morse testified that before he left that morning at 8:45 (he was sure of the time because he had checked his watch) he hadn't heard anyone one come into the house or leave it. If HE had heard the bell, he certainly would have mentioned it when he testified, but he didn't. So, it seems to me that if the bell had been rung, it would've had to have been between his leaving and the conversation between Lizzie and Abby--a matter of some 10 or 12 minutes. But, of course, the bell never rang because no one rang it.

Addendum: Bridget would also have heard a caller ring the bell. She'd been inside all morning--except very early when she stepped out to bring in the milk and when she went out to vomit. But when she stepped out to vomit, Lizzie had already been informed about the caller because she'd spoken to Abby before she entered the kitchen where she discussed breakfast with Bridget. After that discussion is when Bridget stepped out. At trial, Bridget testified: "I didn't hear any bell that morning."