Monthly Archives: September 2010

Hatchets in the news today

29 Wednesday Sep 2010

Posted by in Hatchets and Axes, In the News, Murder Most Foul, True Crime

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Hatchets:  Not just a Victorian weapon of choice.

Elderly fruit vendor in Melbourne http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/man-jailed-for-killing-wife-of-50-years/story-e6frf7jx-1225914909320

Australia:  76-yr-old man is sentenced in wife killing, 36 blows to the head

http://manningham-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/keen-to-go-back-home/

Breaking news in Nebraska:  Angela Mann’s murder trial http://www.ketv.com/r/25194981/detail.html

Iowa’s Lucas Faulkner hatchet murder trial -Iowa http://www.kimt.com/content/localnews/story/Wright-County-Murder-Trial-Delayed/gnml05_swUqRun0BHzVWug.cspx

California Death Row inmate Kevin Cooper waits for execution in 30 year old case  of four 1983  hatchet slayings http://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/news/ci_16191554

San Diego- Border Patrol agent Rivera on 10 million dollar bail awaiting trial for hatchet attack http://colorlines.com/archives/2010/09/as_border_patrol_expands_so_do_reports_of_misconduct.html

Texas man wanted hatchet in homeless man slaying http://lubbockonline.com/crime-and-courts/2010-09-15/grand-jury-indicts-confessed-killer-homeless-stabbing

Nance at The Players Club

28 Tuesday Sep 2010

Posted by in "Lizzie Folks", Famous Victorians, On stage, Potpourri, Victoriana

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With Nance O’Neil off-Broadway until October 9th, playgoers may like to know that the famous Players Club has a full-length portrait of Nance as Lady Macbeth in the diningroom.  See link below to the Player’s Club and a link to a  mixed review of Nance as Lady Macbeth here below as a pdf file:

nancereviewNYTimes.

http://www.theplayersnyc.org/members/content/view/21/35/

Actress Gloria Stuart dies at 100

28 Tuesday Sep 2010

Posted by in "Lizzie Folks", Legend of Lizzie Borden, On Screen

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Actress Gloria Stuart, best known today for her role in 1997’s Titanic as the elderly version of Rose, passed away in her home in Los Angeles on Sept. 27th. Her birthday was last July when she turned 100 years old. Born on July 4, 1910, Her first appearance at Universal was in 1932.  At the age of 87, the nomination – her first – made her the oldest person ever nominated for an Oscar.  She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2000. Her biography “I Just Kept Hoping” recounts her 70 plus years in the film industry.

In 1975, she appeared in The Legend of Lizzie Borden at the age of 65, in the role of a lady shopper in a store where Lizzie is busy thieving.

Another Hatchet Job

27 Monday Sep 2010

Posted by in Famous Massachusetts Cases, Murder Most Foul, Potpourri, Victorian True Crime, Victoriana, Violent Victorians

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There must be something in the Massachusetts water supply- or is it all about the hot days of August in New England?  This story by Joan Patrakis of the Andover Historical Society comes from the Andover Townsman Online and tells of another local lady who went on a rampage with a sharp -edged tool, this one  in August of 1895.  Not most people’s ideal of Victorian Motherhood.

“Saddest of all is the story of Mrs. Beard whose shocking case rivals that of Lizzie Borden. In 1895 she was declared insane after she viciously attacked her daughter and friend with an ax. The victims survived but the incident rekindled suspicion of her guilt in the deaths of her two young sons who had died in a tragic house fire 20 years earlier. Mrs. Beard was brought before a jury at that time but the case against her was dropped despite there being possible evidence of arson and questions about her sanity. She lived out her life in a Maine asylum.”

Although the attack itself occured in Old Orchard, Maine, where the Andover woman had a summer cottage, Mrs. F.R. Beard was from Andover where she maintained her primary residence.  The attack occured on the morning of August 26th , with grievious wounds inflicted upon the body of her daughter, Josephine Beard, a Boston school teacher who was in bed at the time of the attack.  A college friend from Andover, Miss Winona Graffen who was rooming with the Beards, received two serious flesh wounds. Mrs. Beard recovered her composure apparently, and accompanied the two girls to the hospital in Portland. (source, NY Times August 26, 1895)

West Coast loves Lizzie

27 Monday Sep 2010

Posted by in "Lizbits", Borden Family, Case Personalities, Famous Massachusetts Cases, Just Plain Lizzie, On stage

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Lizzie Borden has jumped the bounds of just New England lore. West Coasters love Lizzie too!  The popular play, Blood Relations is on tap for December in Olympia, Washington.  http://www.olytheater.com/index.htm  Not only transcontinental, Miss Borden and that hatchet are on the way to becoming transglobal, thanks to the Internet and the Travel Channel!

Blood Relations by Sharon Pollock
Directed by Tim Samland
December, 2010
Venue: The Midnight Sun“In 1892 Lizzie Borden was tried for the double murder of her father and stepmother. She was acquitted but the crime was never solved. 10 years later, at tea with an actress, Lizzie suggests a game in which the actress will portray Miss Lizzie and Lizzie will take the role of Bridget, the family’s maid.”

New crop of Lizzie shows for Halloween

24 Friday Sep 2010

Posted by in "Lizbits", "Lizzie Folks", Borden Family, Borden House Interiors, Case Personalities, Famous Massachusetts Cases, Just Plain Lizzie, Lizzie T.V., On Screen, Second Street Happenings, Spooky Lizzie's - Paranormal Second Street, Travel Channel

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The Travel Channel kicked off Ghost Adventures tonight with an episode filmed at the Lizzie Borden B&B this past May- one of several which will be airing between now and Halloween.  This episode’s 7 minute clip from the shoot comes at the end of the show and features B&B guest interviews, comments from house co-owner, Lee Ann Wilber, seance highlights with Liz Nowicki, a local Fall River medium/psychic, and features house/museum employees in the roles of Abby and Lizzie.  The Rev. Bob Richardson plays Andrew Borden.  The episode will be airing several more times over the next few weeks.  For the schedule, visit the link below.

Most Terrifying Places in America

http://www.travelchannel.com/Schedule

                                                             Kathleen Troost-Cramer as Lizzie Borden

 

Rev. Bob Richardson as Andrew Borden

Shelley Dziedzic as Abby Borden

Another Lizzie Borden ditty

24 Friday Sep 2010

Posted by in "Lizbits", Just Plain Lizzie, Lizzie tunes

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On MTV news in August 2010- just in case you missed it. “How Heavy the Axe” by Sword. You may want to turn down the volume a little first if you are over 40. If you can catch the lyrics- you have great ears! First, you’ll need to endure a commercial for Cotton- the Fabric of our Lives- not a bad connection to Fall River, the former Cotton Capital. Link below.

how heavy the axe

Lizzie Borden Rides Again

24 Friday Sep 2010

Posted by in "Lizbits", "Lizzie Folks", August 4th, Borden Family, Case Personalities, Just Plain Lizzie, Lectures & Exhibits, Lizzie Borden & the Arts, On stage, Theories, True Crime, Victorian True Crime

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Chances are you have not heard of the Garst Museum in Greenville, Ohio unless you are a fan of  Greenville- born world traveller and TV star Lowell Thomas whose adventures enthralled millions on radio and later television.  Or perhaps sharpshooter Annie Oakley, about whom the Garst has produced a world-class exhibit about her life. 

As part of their autumn lecture series, another famous lady will be featured as subject of a one-woman show as Christy Igo takes on Lizzie Borden- no sharp-shooting pistol, but a hatchet just as deadly.

(photo of Ms. Igo from http://www.lizzieborden.info/_wsn/page2.html)

“Sunday, October 10, 2010 at 2:00 p.m., Christy Igo’s program “Lizzie Borden: A Life” is coming to the Garst. It is full of laughter, mystery, and horror as she brings  Lizzie Borden to life to tell HER STORY of the murder of her beloved  father and step mother. This crime is one of the bloodiest, most notorious and mysterious crimes of the 19th century!
In 1892 Lizzie Borden was found NOT guilty by a jury of her peers. Most of the towns folk of Falls River, Massachusetts DISAGREED. The trial received worldwide media attention. Lizzie became a celebrity. The gruesome details played out in the daily newspapers.

Did she or didn’t she? Modern law students still argue the case. You be the judge.
Christy Igo trained at Ohio University’s Professional Actor Training Program as well as at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. She has worked professionally all over the North Eastern United States.  She has worked in film, commercials and documentaries. She formed HerStory productions in 1999 to produce and perform original one woman shows about inspirational women from history.

The Garst Lecture Series are free to the public, thanks to a grant from the HOPE Foundation and the Harry D. Stephens Memorial Trust. This lecture may be more suitable for mature audiences. For more information please call 937-548-5250 or online at www.garstmuseum.org.”

Lizzie Borden The Rock Musical

23 Thursday Sep 2010

Posted by in "Lizbits", "Lizzie Folks", Case Personalities, Famous Massachusetts Cases, Just Plain Lizzie, Lizzie Borden & the Arts, Lizzie tunes, Murder Most Foul, On stage, Theories, Victorian True Crime, Violent Victorians

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This just in from Andy Propst via Theatermania.com for all those wondering about Lizzie Borden, the rock musical which is included as part of  new theatre projects during the National Alliance for Musical Theatre’s Festival of New Musicals in Manhattan this fall.

The annual Festival of New Musicals will held in New York City on Thursday, October 21 and Friday, October 22, 2010 for a select audience of NAMT members, producers and other musical theatre industry professionals

http://www.namt.org/

“Steven Cheslik-DeMeyer, Alan Stevens Hewitt and Tim Maner’s musical about murderess Lizzie Borden will feature Carrie Cimma in the title role, along with Jenny Fellner, Marie France Arcilla and Beth Malone. The piece will be staged by Victoria Bussert, with music direction by Matt Hinkley.”  The production website is at   http://lizziebordentheshow.com/index.php/axe/about/ for more.

For a sampling of some of the musical selections  http://lizziebordentheshow.com/index.php/axe/media/

“A rock roadshow retelling of the bloody legend of America’s first and favorite axe-wielding double-murderess and Victorian hometown girl
by Steven Cheslik-DeMeyer, Tim Maner, and Alan Stevens Hewitt.”

Most recently the show ran for six weeks in fall 2009 at the Living Theatre in New York as a full-length original rock musical, produced by Took An Axe Productions.

Lizzie Borden’s B&B makes Yankee’s top 75

22 Wednesday Sep 2010

Posted by in "Lizbits", Borden Family, Borden Spaces and Places, Crime Scene, Fall River, Famous Massachusetts Cases, Just Plain Lizzie, Lizzie in Print, Murder Most Foul, Potpourri, Read All ABout It

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 The new issue of Yankee Magazine has a great article called “How New England Are You”, which lists the top 75 things every good yankee should see and do.  The Lizzie Borden house in Fall River comes in at #72 along with Salem and haunts of the Boston Strangler!  See link below.

http://www.yankeemagazine.com/issues/2010-09/features/things-to-do/7

After the Axe

21 Tuesday Sep 2010

Posted by in "Lizbits", "Lizzie Folks", "Lizziewear", Case Personalities, In the News, Just Plain Lizzie, On stage, Read All ABout It, Theories

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(photo by Beau Allulli) “Nance O’Neil”: Rachel Brown (standing) and Jonna McElrath in this play at Access Theater

Reviews still coming in for the new production by the Blue Coyote Group.  Much praise has been lavished on the costume designer, and word has leaked that a “theory” about the crime is suggested in the production.   The interaction between Lizzie and her sister Emma is praised by critics  as a strong element in the play, and the play in general is receiving positive reviews. Get down to the Access theatre soon , for the play closes October 9th!

David Rooney’s review: http://theater.nytimes.com/2010/09/21/theater/reviews/21nance.html

 

Yankee Magazine’s 1992 article

15 Wednesday Sep 2010

Posted by in "Lizbits", "Lizzie Folks", August 4th, Borden Family, Case Personalities, Fall River, Famous Massachusetts Cases, Lizpix, Lizzie in Print, Read All ABout It, Theories

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If you neglected to clip and save this for your Lizzie Borden Centennial Collection, Yankee Magazine now has it in the archive, also available in pdf format, complete with photos to print out.  Arnie Brown and Professor Starrs are featured.

http://archive.yankeemagazine.com/article/did-lizzie-borden-really-take-ax-and-give-her-mother-40-whacks

Did you miss this one?

14 Tuesday Sep 2010

Posted by in In the Marketplace, Lizzie in Print, Murder Most Foul, Read All ABout It, True Crime, Victorian True Crime

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(photo from Amazon.com)

(photo from Amazon.com)

Published in 2003 by Trina Robbins and Max Allan Collins, this one is still available on Kindle or paperback through Amazon.  It is a smorgasboard of ladykillers, thoughtfully organized under sections such as “They Did it For Love”,  “They Did it For Money”, “Bandit Queens and Gun Molls”, “Fabled Femmes Fatales”, “ and  ”Shoots Like a Girl- Women Who Missed”,  here’s a cozy read for a cold autumn’s night! 

For preview pages (some containing great cartoon graphics of Lizzie Borden with other femmes fatales), visit this Amazon link to preview and order now!

http://www.amazon.com/Tender-Murderers-Women-Who-Kill/dp/1573248215/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1284516190&sr=1-1#reader_1573248215

Lizzie Borden by Tiago Finato

13 Monday Sep 2010

Posted by in "Lizbits", Famous Victorians, Just Plain Lizzie, Lizzie Borden & the Arts, Potpourri, Read All ABout It

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Have you seen the portrait of Lizzie Borden by Tiago?  Currently, Mr. Finato is painting  a portrait of the new Fall  River Mayor.  The Lizzie portrait shows Lizzie with a slightly ominous gaze! http://fineartamerica.com/featured/lizzie-borden-tiago-finato.html

To learn more about the young Brazilian artist, read his bio here http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/tiago-finato.html?viewcomplete=true

New Play Makes a Debut

11 Saturday Sep 2010

Posted by in "Lizbits", Murder Most Foul, On stage, Read All ABout It

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The Huntsville Times- by Sara Cure  Dateline: September 9, 2010

“HUNTSVILLE, AL. – A new play written by Wayne Miller called “The Ax” will debut at the Renaissance Theatre, 1214 Meridian St., this weekend. Performances will be Friday and Saturday, both at 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2:30 p.m.

Although the play’s title conjures up morbid images, Miller said it’s really a farce.

Based on the Lizzie Borden case, an ax belonging to a famous serial killer in the early 1900s basically has a life of its own. It’s soon in the possession of a man who has a weird interest in collecting serial-killer memorabilia.

The man’s wife is a stereotypical repressed housewife who is not satisfied with her place in life. To make matters worse, her husband is cheating on her. She then starts to hear the ax communicate with her and it offers a solution to all of her problems through violence.

“Even though it sounds grim, it will be a fun and humorous experience,” Miller said.”

The Sisters of Abby Borden now online

07 Tuesday Sep 2010

Posted by in August 4th, Borden-related gravesites, Case Personalities, Fall River, Fall River families, If Walls Could Talk

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The latest in the series of “Mutton Eater” short articles is available for the month of September.  It is a tale of sisters-  Abby Borden and her two siblings Priscilla and Bertie in one corner versus the Borden sisters Emma and Lizzie in another!  As in most lives, the Gray girls had their share of tragedy, hard work and joy, but they, unlike Emma and Lizzie enjoyed motherhood and grandchildren.  In the Borden case, where nearly all the main players are women, here are two more stories to add to the potent mix which ended in the events of August 4th 1892.

Graves of George and Priscilla Gray Fish in Hartford, CT