The Popular Officer Harrington- an Update
Officer Harrington of the Fall River Police Department had some serious doubts about Lizzie Borden from the very hour after Andrew Borden’s death. Called to give testimony on a number of observations he had made on August 4th- none brought so much reaction from Lizzie as Harrington’s precise description of what she was wearing when she changed her clothing up in her room shortly after the body of Abby Borden had been found in the guest room by neighbor, Addie Churchill.
“It was a house wrap, striped with pink and light stripes, alternately. Pink was the predominate color. In the light stripe was a diagonal formed by lighter stripes, some parallel and others bias. It was fitted to the form in a tailor-made manner. It had a standing collar. It was closely shirred, gathered closely at the front. From the waist to the neck it was puffed with a number of folds. On either side, directly over the hips, was a narrow red ribbon. This was brought around in front and tied in a bowknot. It was cut with a demi-train or bell skirt which the ladies were in the habit of wearing last year.”
Newspapers reported that Lizzie smiled broadly at this unusually detailed report issuing from a male, and actually laughed softly and turned around in her seat to see what the crowd which was packed into the small courtroom thought about it all.
Trial Testimony of Officer Phillip Harrington, June 8, 1893.
Philip Harrington was born on April 17, 1859, making him just one year older than Lizzie Borden. The son of Irish immigrants, James and Mary McCue Harrington, Phillip was one of four children born to the couple in Fall River, having an older brother, James, younger brother John and a younger sister, Mary. On October 25, 1883 he married for the first time, a Miss Julia E. Sullivan, the daughter of John and Margaret Sullivan from Ireland. He had been appointed to the police force on March 2, 1883. Phil was well-liked by his associates and very popular in Irish and Catholic social circles in the city. Sadly, Julia died on March 21, 1886 of Phthisis (pulmonary tuberculosis) at their home at 33 Borden St.
On February 10, 1893 he was appointed Captain and went on to duty at the central station first as a night officer, then on to daytime duty. His second marriage to Kate Connell, daughter of John (O’)Connell, ticket taker for Old Colony Steamboat Company, was quite an event in fashionable Catholic circles and was performed at St. Mary’s ,right across the street from the Borden house on October 11, 1893. “Kate”, Katherine T. Connell was the sister of Lizzie, David and William Connell. Originally the family surname was O’Connell but the “O” was soon dropped after the family patriarch arrived on American shores from Ireland and settled at 25 Whipple Street which is located just behind St. Anne’s church.
Capt. Harrington had not been well for some time but was feeling better the day of his nuptials. In May, a few months before his wedding, his brother James had died . Philip had lost his mother, Mary McCue Harrington in 1872 and his father James in 1881. There was only his sister-in-law, Bridget and his sister Mary, to attend his wedding from his own family. The wedding took place at St. Mary’s in the shadow of the Borden house on Second St.
Stopping off in Newport before taking the night boat to New York to commence his honeymoon, Harrington was taken violently ill with pneumonia and could not continue. He lingered some days in excruciating pain, nursed faithfully by his bride. He passed away on October 28th at the home of Councilman McCormack, who had been one of the wedding ushers.
The wake held on Whipple Street continued right up until the hour of the Requiem Mass- 6,000 mourners passed by the coffin. The funeral on Halloween was one of the largest seen at St. Mary’s, with the city marshal, police force and friends packing the church to capacity. A thousand more stood outside the church and joined in the procession to St. Mary’s Cemetery on Amity St. Harrington lived long enough to see Lizzie Borden acquitted. He was 34 at the time of death.
His widowed bride, Kate, remarried to Michael Robert Skelly in 1909 after years alone on Whipple St. She never had children. She is buried in St. Patrick’s . Phil Harrington is buried in St. John’s Cemetery on Brightman St. with his parents and brother, but lives on in the Borden saga due in large part to his detailed description of that famous pink and white- striped wrapper worn by Lizzie Borden on August 4. 1892.
