Lizzie Borden Society Forum

One of my photos showed what looks like cat toys under a couch in the parlor. I think I remember from the tour a story that there may be a ghost cat in the house. Did Lizzie have cats? How many?? What was the story about the ghost cat?

Are you planning to show any of these photos you say you have?

Yes, really....don't wan't to keep something this good to myself. The cat toys were real though.... I hope, they were under a couch, someone there that day did say they left cat toys out for the ghost cat. Saving the "ghost photo" to show Ed the tourguide, want him to see it first and then someone will have to tell me how to get photo on to this website, I will share I promise.

Thanks to Audrey's advice, a lot of us use photobucket.com. It's a place to store your photos. You download them to a free photobucket account...then when it says 'picture added', you can right click/copy on the IMG url (it will be under your picture). Then, go to the forum, and 'paste' it into a post. The picture can 'seen' by you if you 'preview' your post, and then by all of us (who are anxiously waiting) when you 'submit' your post.


Tracy...

We do have a ghost cat in the house - Max. The theory goes (which I and others present on our tours) that Abby had a cat - and Lizzie didn't like it (of course) and cloriformed it and choped it in two and buried it in the backyard.

Someone put 2 and 2 together when they thaught we had a ghost cat in the house, and named him Max. He's playful and big boned.

Ben

Cute. I can't imagine Lizzie not liking a cat.

Thanks for responding Ben.
What is the source for this story, do you know?

Of course Lizzie hated it It was Abby's cat I love animals especially cats but I kill it too just because it was hers

/\ I take it you don't like Abby, Liz?

Nope I side with Lizzie and Emma

Hey Ben, would you know of the origin of the cat story?

Sorry, Kat but I do not know the origin of theory - it is used on all our tours (at least Leeann's, Dee's Eleanor's and mine) - who know's, it might just be made up for sport (hopefully not, actually definately not) and I will try to find out where this thing started at!

I hoe to see some of you at the inn sometime !

I am appalled to the nth degree that a story like that would be part of the tour.

When I'm there this summer kindly forewarn me when that part of the talk comes up.

I am one who thinks there should not be anything included in the tour that cannot be substantiated. If no one knows where it came from, it evidently cannot be substantiated. All this accomplishes is it fosters the myths about the case and keeps them going.

Yes...I think the truth would be best for the tours. Lord knows this story has plenty of myths already...no need for more. The story in itself has MUCH to entertain tour guests with.


Tracy...

People have reported seeing a tabby cat on beds and roaming the halls even hearing it meow. Abby had a Tabby cat

It is funny, but being the first time I visited the B&B several things stuck in my mind from the tour. The ghost cat was one, whether real or not, it was said several people experienced what they thought was a ghost cat. I could actually visualize it from the story and since I have not seen a ghost animal it was very intriguing to me for some reason. Also, in the dining room, I had a very eerie vibe about the table, in fact, that is the only room I was "spooked" in.....believe me I have had a lot of ghost experiences in my life, especially growing up in a haunted house. I was so freaked by the feeling I had in the dining room that I really did not pay too much attention to what was said about the room. I think Ed mentioned that one of the bodies was put on the table after their death, not sure whose, I was just glad to leave the dining room. I really got a horrible feeling from that room. I could feel a presence in the house, most strongly in the dining room, but also in the parlor and the front stairway. I felt no presence in the rest of the house.

The bodies were not put on the dining room table, though.
They were on undertaker boards in the dining room.
People didn't need to desecrate their dining room table...

Who says Abby had a tabby?
Or is that a funny rhyme?

I see these ghost pictures, and they're interesting, and I look back at what was here a few months ago, and arguing whether Lizzie was left handed, and I wonder, could we be coming into tourist season?

Kat Abby's niece said so in Robert Sullivans book "Good bye Lizzie Borden"

Yes, Abby Potter said that Lizzie killed Abby's cat which was bothering her guests- and that she took it to the cellar and chopped off it's head. I think she was pretty old when she told that story, Thirdhand! (Lizzie told Abby, Abby told my mother, my mother told me...) She also claims there were *latches* in the house to open the doors, and there weren't. The house can have original doorknobs and no dead cat, or they can have not original knobs (which Potter claims as "latches") and a dead cat, but not both, I don't think...

Also, the chloroformed cat is from a news item telling the story of Lizzie buying chloroform saying it was to kill a cat, as stated by the pharmasist who knew her.
Someone seems to have put the 2 stories together and included a backyard burial?
I knew the sources, I was just wondering if anyone else did.

Sullivan:
"...she told Aunt Abby and Abby told my mother..."

"Ninety years old in 1973..."

Rebello, 81:

"'Nailing The Poison Story / Neither Nor Any Relatives Bought Prussic Acid at Brow's,' Boston Herald, August 8, 1982: 2.

It was claimed Lizzie made a second attempt to purchase prussic acid at Walter J. Brow's Drug Store at 62 Second Street. A Boston Herald reporter interviewed Mr. Brow to verify the rumor. Mr. Brow said Lizzie traded at his store and had known Lizzie for the past twenty years. He assured the reporter Lizzie did not purchase any prussic acid. He recalled that Lizzie stopped trading at his store about four years ago. Her last purchase was chloroform, stating she wanted it for the purpose of killing a cat. Mr. Brow states Miss Borden asked for the stuff in rather a surly manner, and he answered just as saucily. Miss Borden paid for the chloroform and went out. She has never been in the shop since."

I have a hard time believing Lizzie killed a cat...

I think the decapitation of A's cat is just a juicy story...

The chloroform? I sure hope not!

Agree with Audrey.

With all that Lizzie left to the Animal Rescue League...I think Abby Potter's story is as Audrey says..just a juicy story.


Tracy...

It's for that very reason I can not accept it...

I can accept (and do) that she hated Abby--but to kill her cat? IF (and to me it is a big if) she did kill her she did it in a passive way. Of course if she hacked A&A to death why not decapitate a cat?

She really is an enigma isn't she?

Oh well "Off with it's head"

Oh well "Off with it's head"

Like Audrey, I DO NOT think Lizzie killed any cat. Liz, I realize your quote comes partially from Alice in Wonderland, but what do you mean by it ?


Tracy...

We had discussed in the past the possibility that Lizzie wanted to put an ailing or dying cat out of it's misery, ala the movie I Remember Mama.

I have a picture from a *Boy's Projects* book from the time period and it gives instructions on how to make a chloroform box to use to stun and kill butterflys for collections.

Ur so smart Kat!

She cut it's head off but I truly am skeptical too

Liz,
I know that the literal meaning, in this case, of 'off with it's head' means 'cut it's head off'. It just seemed to me that you were saying it so non-chalantly...as if chopping off a cat's head was no big deal. So, I was wondering if you really thought of it as no big deal ?


Tracy...

not really

Let me make sure I understand what you are saying...you really think chopping off a cat's head is no big deal ???


Tracy...

nope if she had good reason

well her reason does not count

LOL...make up your mind Liz.


Tracy...

LOL

Okay you can kill a cat if there is a good reason but I don't tahink Lizzie should have IF she did