Lizzie Borden Society Forum

Comparing testimony between various people and at the various official hearings simetimes reveals differences. With even such things as Dr. Dolan's arrival at the Borden house on the morning of the murders there is confusion in the testimony.

Here's what Dr. Dedrick said in the Witness statements, page 22:

“I was going on a call to Whipple street, when I saw Dr. Dolan drive along Second street like mad, and stop at Mr. Borden’s. ... "

Here's what Dr. Dolan said at the Preliminary hearing, page 112:

Q. Where were you when you got any information from anybody as to the occurrances at this house?
A. In front of Andrew Borden’s house.
Q. Was that the first you heard of it, there?
A. Yes Sir.
Q. Did you get any information causing you to go there?
A. No Sir."

It's a minor thing but it points out the necessity of not taking any one source as Gospel.

Personally, I've always been a little suspicious of Dr. Dolan just happening to be driving along Second St. at that very time. He said that he just came from a house call on Fourth Street,.

Ah, the days of house calls....

It is odd how Dr. Dolan never mentions who exactly told him out front of the Borden house what was going on. Was there a commotion that attracted his attention and caused him to stop? In the Preliminary, Dolan gives the time that he entered the Borden house at 11:45 AM. Would there have been that many people out front at the time to draw his attention?

Dr. Dedrick, at WS, p. 22, stated that “I was going on a call to Whipple street, when I saw Dr. Dolan drive along Second street like mad, and stop at Mr. Borden’s. When I returned, there was a large crowd there,
and I went in."

If we have Examiner Dolan arriving at three-quarters past eleven... What time was it Morse said he lolligagged about the back yard eating the pears? Noon, or a bit before, wasn't it? He too described "a number of persons" present.. WS, p. 3

Thanks, Doug, I don't have the source documents at hand anymore, they went with my hard drive. I need to download them again very soon!

So, according to Dedrick in the Witness Statements, there was a crowd out front of #92. Well, I guess then that Dolan did have a reason to stop and see what was going on then as he was passing by.

I believe Morse said he arrived about 11:45.

From the Pelim:
11:45 a.m.

Got home "about quarter to 12; I do not know exactly." Did not look at watch. (pg. 244, 245).

Noticed ". . . Nothing that attracted my attention. . . I did not notice anything about the place." (pg. 244).

". . . might have been a few men along, the same as generally. I did not see anything unusual about it." (pg. 253).

Came "Into the north small gate. . . I went around to the pear tree"-(didn't see anybody in the entry way by the screen door)-stayed out under the pear tree "two or three minutes." (pg. 253).

11:48 a.m.

First learned what happened "at the door," by way of "I think the servant girl." (pg. 244).

Mr. Sawyer was inside the house.

"The first man I saw in there was Dr. Bowen," and "I think two policemen." (pg. 244).

More's Timeline:
http://www.lizzieandrewborden.com/Crime ... yMorse.htm

Here's a new picture of Dr. Dolan, which makes him come *alive*.

Wow! He looks so twentieth century. Was this taken much later, or does he just have a more progressive look to him?

--Lyddie

I don't know when this was taken. It's a picture from the video History's Mysteries.

According to Rebello (the book, not the fellow) the good Doctor attained the age of 64 years, passing in 1922. It's a pure guess but from the looks of the photo there it could be he in his early fifties...taken anywhere between 1910 and 1922. Slightly over fifty there I'd say, tho not much....

Distinguished looking devil, that's for sure!!

Thanks Doug-Oh. So Dolan was, at least partly, Twentieth Century!

Ayup... that he was. Very well thought of too from the sound of it...

Thanks, Doug! That's exactly the impression I had of the photo's vintage. He was a young doctor at the time of the murders then. HMMMM. . . wonder if he was married yet? Maybe he was driving by with the intention of courting the fair young Lizzie.

I'm sorry. I've fallen under the influence of Agnes de Mille, who claimed that the mysterious men in the carriage were Pop Lincoln and an unidentified potential beau. That woman has more garbagey gossip in her book--the hammerthrown cat! the corpse Lizzie is said to have stripped of her fancy underthings! Puhlease!

--Lyddie

Dr. Dolan rushed to the murder house ... But he said he just happened to be driving by ...

Could it be possible that it was Dr. Dolan who paid the house call to Morse's niece on 4th Street that morning? And Morse's niece mis-spoke and said "Bowen" instead of "Dolan"? Or the cop or reporter copied the name down wrong?

Interesting that Bowen didn't want to be associated with that 4th Street house, and Dolan did not name the person he saw...

Would Dr. Dolan be making a house call, as medical examiner???

Would Dr. Bowen be Morse's niece's family doctor? Dr. Bowen's private patients were pretty much high society people, except when he worked in the hospital(s).

Is there anything in the primary sources or the newspapers of the day that shows that Bowen's visit to Morse's niece house was checked out? All I know is it was said and then dropped. I am inclined to think that it was checked out but it was neglected to be written down. And the phone call to Morse at the 4th Street house. Who called? Would the cops have let Morse get away with him not telling them what that phone call was about? That sounds absurd. Morse was a prime suspect. The prosecutors were highly intelligent.

It's like Emma's trip to the Brownells in Fairhaven. It is said they checked it out, but it's said like that - with no details. With the Bowen/Morse thing, I haven't even read that they did check it out.

I never did believe Dolan just happened to be passing by the murder house. Fabulous picture, Kat! Thanks!

Dr. Dolan at the Preliminary hearing under cross-examination, describes how he happened upon the Second Street debacle. He went from his office to Fourth Street, and after leaving there he must have noticed something as it sounds as if he asked someone (maybe what was going on over at #92?) and after that he may have gone there "like mad" (but he doesn't say he rushed) there :

Page 112

Q. Where were you when you got any information from anybody as to the occurrances at this house?
A. In front of Andrew Borden’s house.
Q. Was that the first you heard of it, there?
A. Yes Sir.
Q. Did you get any information causing you to go there?
A. No Sir.
Q. Where had you been when you came to that spot?
A. Been to my office.
Q. You were on your way where?
A. I was on my way then from making a call. I made a call in between being at my office and coming to that place.
Q. You left your office at what time?
A. I should think half past eleven.
Q. And were you driving?
A. Yes Sir.
Q. Where did you drive to?
A. I drove to a house on Fourth Street, I think No, 86, I think that was the call, Fourth Street.
Q. Did you get out and go in?
A. Yes Sir.
Q. Stayed there about how long?
A. Five to seven minutes.
Q. Then driving from there to this place?
A. Yes Sir.
Q. Then in consequence of what somebody said to you, you went into the house?
A. In consequence of what I asked, I was driving by, and saw ---
Q. I did not ask you that. You have answered me, and I will accept it. It was in consequence of what you asked that you went into the house?
A. Yes Sir.
......

Also, in his direct testimony at the first he is asked if he is a "practicing physician" which he agrees to and which is probably his main source of income.

We don't know for sure that Daniel Emery is related to Morse's niece:
"Would Dr. Bowen be Morse's niece's family doctor?-Augusta
But it's possible that Bowen was the doctor for the Morses who lived in Fall River, I suppose- but it might be more likely that he was physician to the Emerys if he was called to their house, as this niece was from Minnesota.

Harry, wasn't Dr. Bowen the one who was seen driving like mad in the statements given to the Jennings team? Do you remember that?
(Proceedings, I think, if defense, or maybe The Knowlton Papers, if State?)
Maybe the Dolan is the misprint? Maybe Both were seen driving fast?...

I haven't checked...

ooops

Kat @ Fri Feb 11, 2005 8:07 pm wrote:Harry, wasn't Dr. Bowen the one who was seen driving like mad in the statements given to the Jennings team? Do you remember that?
(Proceedings, I think, if defense, or maybe The Knowlton Papers, if State?)
Maybe the Dolan is the misprint? Maybe Both were seen driving fast?...

It's in Knowlton, HK113, in an unsigned letter:

"Fall River Dec 2nd/92
I have a few words of importance that I think will be of service in
Lizzie Borden's Case. on the day of the murder I was coming towards Fall
River from the Shove Mill, where I met Doctor Bowen and a young man
In a Carriage, driving so fast that I turned around to look after them. I
thought at the time that someone was dieing and He was going to see
them. I am well acquainted with Him, but I never saw Him look so wild in
my life before, it was 15 about minets to eleven. the young man
was sitting on the left side of the Doctor. I met them near the Slade
School house, the Doctor had hold of the reins with boath hands, driving for dear life. has Doctor Bowen ever been questioned were He was on the morning of the Murder. this is the truth and nothing but the truth"

The Slade School was south of South Park (now Kennedy Park) on the corner of Slade St. and South Main. This is quite a distance from Second St. and the opposite direction from Fourth St. where Dr. Dolan claims he came from. It is even a greater distance from Weybosset St. where it it alleged that Dr. Bowen visited.

Thanks Har! I knew you would be able to put the area in perspective, too!
.....
Here you'all without Rebello:
Dolan said he was coming from 86 Fourth Street- while #45 (Whitehead) here is about even with where Spring Street hits Second Street.
Here is a map of the numbered houses in Fall River, 1892, from Rebello's book, Lizzie Borden Past & Present, pg. 563.

Note that on Second Street the house numbers go higher as they proceed south. This implies, if we compare that with Fourth Street, that #86 could be past Rodman, south.

It looks like #86 Fourth Street could be as far down south as Morgan Street as the cross-street, according to the 1895 map. The next block after Spring is the 60's in house numbers.