Lizzie Borden: Warps and Wefts

With Halloween fast approaching, a few fearless souls are looking for a frightful weekend getaway at a spooky location.  The Travel Channel had placed the Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast in the top 10 spookiest destinations 8 years ago at #1, even above the Winchester Mystery House.  Lizzie’s place is still on the top ten list, at #1 along with #2. The Bell Witch Cave in Tennesee, #3 The Villisca Axe Murder House in Iowa, #4 The Stanley Hotel in Colorado, #5  Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Kentucky, #6 Sorrel Weed House, Savannah, Georgia, #7 Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, California, #8 Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia, Pa., #9 The Myrtles, Louisiana, #10 Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery, Chicago.  http://www.toptenz.net/10-creepy-places-in-america.php  This Saturday 12 intrepid people will attempt to stay the night at Lizzie’s house.  Rooms have been booked for months.  October is second only to the murder anniversary month, August. Will the annual Halloween seance turn up any new clues?

Visitors and guests who visit the Borden house are intrigued by all of the pears they find inside.  For those in the know about the case, they smile and understand the reference to Lizzie’s alibi about being in the hayloft munching the fruit when her father was murdered, and sometimes humorous testimony about all of the pear-eating by the occupants of #92 on August 4th.  August 4th is also the one day of the year when the house re-enactment troupe, The Pear Essential Players, are in residence recreating the fateful day for visitors.  Did the police check Lizzie’s alibi and look for pear cores in the hayloft? Or would Lizzie smoothly have admitted to eating those pears cores and all?

Introducing Lorraine Gregoire as Lizzie 2009

John V. Morse, Lizzie’s mother’s brother, had spent the night before the murders at the Borden’s house in the guestroom where Abby Borden would be hacked to bits the following day.  Although John had a good alibi for the times of both killings, he was an early and favorite suspect.  John had some training as a butcher, and was a jack of all trades around a farm.  Some think he knew about, or was an accomplice to the deeds, although no motive seems clearly apparent.  He also received no money or property after Lizzie was acquitted in June 1893.

Joe Radza, an eighth grade teacher from Warren, Ohio will be playing the role of Uncle John Morse this year on August 4th at the Borden house for the annual re-enactments. Uncle John’s behavior when he returned for lunch has always seemed peculiar to students of the case. John bypassed the growing crowds by the Borden’s gate and went into the back yard by the barn and picked up and consumed several pears before ambling slowly up the side steps and going inside to see what was going on.  He had a reputation as a peculiar old guy in his boater and old gray suit and string tie.  Did he know more than he confided to the police?

The Pear Essential Players present the annual re-enactment of the famous Borden murders on Tuesday, August 4, 2009 at the scene of the crime on Second Street in Fall River.  For more information on times and tickets, please visit http://www.lizzie-borden.com/

July 1st is getting mighty close to the big week in Fall River when Jill Dalton reprises her smash hit from June 20th- Lizzie Borden Live.  Also making a “comeback” will be the irrepressible Mutton Eaters on hand to add a bit of period dash to the streets of Fall River, the Borden’s house on Second St. and the trolleys.  The Mutton Eaters are an armchair sleuth group devoted to Borden research and interpreting the roles of key historical characters in the case.   It will be a big week for the little troupe as Tuesday August 4th will be the re-enactments at the house where it all began as the Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast Museum marks the anniversary of the famous crime.  Lizzie Borden Live will once again sparkle at the new -old Eagle on Friday and Saturday, August 7&8. Get your tickets early!

Andrew Borden knew a thing or two about home improvements and value.  The cast iron radiators he put in when the family moved into 92 Second Street in 1872 are still going strong today. Here is a photo taken on the day of the crimes in 1892 of the radiator in the front hallway.

Today, the same radiators heat #92 .  The current boiler is also located in the same place in the cellar that was the location in 1892. Oh, to get a metal detector under that boiler!

The bedroom furniture in the guest room today is such a very good replication of what was actually in the room on the day of the murders that guests to the house think it is the actual furniture.  Abby’s head is seen in the old sepia photographs lining up at the middle knob on the dresser as she lay on the floor between the dresser and the bed.  There was a small folding canvas camp chair in front of her head and the sewing machine was in the northwest corner where the large armoire is today.  The green dress in the corner was worn by Elizabeth Montgomery in the 1975 film The Legend of Lizzie Borden and was designed by Guy Verhille for the Paramount Studios production.

The diningroom holds a great fascination as a place where many things transpired during the week leading up to the murder.  After being served seafood in this room on Tuesday evening, August 2nd, the family became violently ill Tuesday night. Abby Borden sought help from the physician across the street on Wednesday morning.  Uncle John arrived later Wednesday afternoon and partook of lunch in this room before leaving for errands in nearby Swansea.  On the day of the murder, this was the site for the ”Last Breakfast of Abby and Andrew Borden” and Uncle John before the threesome would part company forever. The menu is memorable: mutton, mutton broth, over ripe bananas, sugar cookies, jonnycakes and coffee.  The diningroom is also the last place Abby is seen alive by maid, Bridget Sullivan as she discussed the noonday meal with Lizzie before going upstairs to her grisly end.  Later, when Mr. Borden returns home, Bridget, in the diningroom, overhears what will be the last conversation between Lizzie and her father before Bridget goes upstairs to the third floor to lie down.  At some point around eleven o’ clock a killer will pause in the doorway between the diningroom and sittingroom shown in the photo above, before striking down Mr. Borden.  The corpses of the two murder victims lay in the dining room from Thursday through Saturday morning.  Mrs. Borden’s stomach was removed in this room. 

This is today the room where overnight guests share their breakfast.