Crime Scene-Andrew Borden #2
The house on Second Street has many visitors over the year, both day tourists and overnight guests at the B&B and all without exception gravitate to the black sofa, a close copy of the original upon which Andrew J. Borden breathed his last. So many have sat for photos on this piece of furniture that the original one put in the sitting room in 1996 has been reupholstered twice and has retired to the gift shop while a second black sofa had to be purchased for the sitting room. The sitting room, crime scene of the second August 4, 1892 murder is little changed today from what it was 116 years ago. The windows are original, the doors and moldings, mop boards and fireplace are just the same. There were 2 chairs, a sofa, a tripod table and a small center table in the room. The closet under the staircase was used for hats and old coats and jackets. It is a deep closet, with the original hooks intact today. Considering the blood spatter pattern, the general consensus was that the killer most likely stood near the diningroom doorway near the head of the sofa to administer the blows to the dozing head of Andrew Borden. The photo montage below is a 360 degree view of the room beginning north, clockwise around the room.
https://picasaweb.google.com/109993181558388557388/SlideAlbumCrimeScene2?authuser=0&feat=directlink
2 Comments
JJ
I’m wondering if it isn’t more likely Dr. Dolan in the photograph? Harrington was in uniform that day, brass buttons and a badge would have been prominently featured on the front of the coat. Photographer Walsh testified that Dolan was in and out of the rooms while the photographs were being taken, and Dolan directed him as he took them. This makes sense because the photos were ultimately taken for Dolan and Hilliard’s use, so Dolan would have wanted certain angles and distances represented. Walsh remembered other people coming and going as he took the photos but he couldn’t remember them by name. The photo in question is a graphic example of someone in the room, and Walsh had to be aware of it. He made no effort to identify the person as anyone other than Dolan by implication, nor did the attorney questioning Walsh attempt to have the person identified as someone other than Dolan. Apparently no one else who saw the photograph, including the person in the photo, identified the individual as someone other than Dolan nor did they attempt to clarify Walsh’s testimony about it.
administrator
It is most likely Officer Harrington, who would become Captain Harrington and died in 1893, falling ill on his wedding day and taking to his bed in Newport at his wedding reception. He never recovered. Buried in Saint John’s- no stone.