Case Personalities
People and personalities in the case
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An Omen in the Night Sky
In 1835, the year Samuel Clemens, writer, reporter, and publisher was born, Halley’s Comet passed over. Twain vowed that he would not die until he saw the famous comet again. Then, just before Twain died, Halley’s Comet passed over. He died the next day–April 10th, 1910 at 6:30 p.m. For all the fame Twain enjoyed, his life was greatly marked by failures and heartrending deaths and tragedies in his family. As Twain lay dying under the tail of the comet, the Titanic was laid down and building in Belfast. The ship would have a sad and notorious end.
Recently astonomers, thanks to a painting by Frederic Church, finally figured out what phenomenon Walt Whitman and others witnessed in the night sky in July of 1860 and mentioned in Leaves of Grass. http://www.aolnews.com/science/article/walt-whitman-meteor-mystery-solved-by-astronomer-sleuths/19502614?icid=main|htmlws-main-w|dl1|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aolnews.com%2Fscience%2Farticle%2Fwalt-whitman-meteor-mystery-solved-by-astronomer-sleuths%2F19502614
As Sarah Morse Borden lay upon her birthing bed in the house on Ferry St., on July 19th, high above in the sky, a massive meteor was hurtling toward earth. The New York Times, Smithsonian, and Harper’s Weekly all covered the event, with Scientific American calling it “the largest meteor that has ever been seen.”
Breaking into many smaller pieces, it produced a parade of fireballs in the sky on the evening of July 20th as Lizzie Borden lay in her cradle on her first day of life. She would also become- notorious.
Walt Whitman died in 1892- the year of the Borden murders. Here is the poem, “Year of the Meteor”-
Year of meteors! brooding year!
I would bind in words retrospective some of your deeds and signs,
I would sing your contest for the 19th Presidentiad,
I would sing how an old man, tall, with white hair, mounted the
scaffold in Virginia,
(I was at hand, silent I stood with teeth shut close, I watch’d,
I stood very near you old man when cool and indifferent, but trembling
with age and your unheal’d wounds you mounted the scaffold;)
I would sing in my copious song your census returns of the States,
The tables of population and products, I would sing of your ships
and their cargoes,
The proud black ships of Manhattan arriving, some fill’d with
immigrants, some from the isthmus with cargoes of gold,
Songs thereof would I sing, to all that hitherward comes would welcome give,
And you would I sing, fair stripling! welcome to you from me, young
prince of England!
(Remember you surging Manhattan’s crowds as you pass’d with your
cortege of nobles?
There in the crowds stood I, and singled you out with attachment;)
Nor forget I to sing of the wonder, the ship as she swam up my bay,
Well-shaped and stately the Great Eastern swam up my bay, she was
600 feet long,
Her moving swiftly surrounded by myriads of small craft I forget not
to sing;
Nor the comet that came unannounced out of the north flaring in heaven,
Nor the strange huge meteor-procession dazzling and clear shooting
over our heads,
(A moment, a moment long it sail’d its balls of unearthly light over
our heads,
Then departed, dropt in the night, and was gone;)
Of such, and fitful as they, I sing–with gleams from them would
gleam and patch these chants,
Your chants, O year all mottled with evil and good–year of forebodings!
Year of comets and meteors transient and strange–lo! even here one
equally transient and strange!
As I flit through you hastily, soon to fall and be gone, what is this chant,
What am I myself but one of your meteors? -
What’s new this week?
Today’s Fall River Herald News has a wonderful article about New Jersey author Richard Behren’s book, Lizzie Borden: Girl Detective and the upcoming Saturday reading and booksigning http://www.heraldnews.com/newsnow/x1834540560/Historical-fantasy-novel-features-Lizzie-Borden-as-a-detective
photo credit: LeeAnn Wilber
Popular indy actress and fashion trend-setter, Chloe Sevigny strikes a familiar pose on the black sofa. Ms. Sevigny has family ties to Fall River and a great interest in the Borden case. Tuesday marked her second overnight visit to the house on Second Street.
Painting on #92 has come to a halt due to the weather. More scraping and primer touch -ups are in the future before color can be applied, hopefully next week. Costuming and casting have begun for the upcoming August 4th re-enactments. Busy days on Second Street.
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A Bit About Bowen
Dr. Seabury Warren Bowen was the focus for last month’s Mutton Eaters Annual Meeting at the Borden home in Fall River. Facts were pooled by members over the year and shared at the gathering. The fruits of the research are featured in this month’s Mutton Eaters Online for May http://lizziebordenwarpsandwefts.com/2996-2/ or accessed at the tab at the top of this page. Also of interest is Dr. Bowen’s tesitimony, also found at the top of the web site home page. Thanks to all the Mutton Eaters, the Worcester Historical Museum, Lauren Hewes, Robyn Christensen, Lorraine Gregoire, Lee Ann Wilber and all who made this article possible.
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Remembering John Fleet
Died May 10, 1916 (photo courtesy FRPD)
On May 10, 1916, John Fleet, former city marshal died of heart failure following several months of poor health. On May 9th he had been well enough to visit his daughter Harriet Isherwood and showed no signs at that time that death was imminent. He was stricken after midnight at his home at 85 Park St. and succumbed quickly. He was 69 years old.
Fleet was born at Ashton-Under-Lyne in Lancashire, England March 29, 1848. He had been in America for over 50 years at the time of his death, and had begun his working career in the American Linen mills. At the age of 16 in 1864 he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served until the end of the Civil War, taking part in many engagements under Admiral Farragut including the siege of Mobile and the battle against a Spanish fort. Fleet sustained a fractured arm on the same day Lincoln was assassinated when Fleet’s ship was blown up.
Returning to Fall River after the war, Fleet, who was rated as a “landsman” in the Navy, went back to work in the mills. He worked at the Fall River Boiler Company on Water St., then began a new career direction as a house painter and decorator until he was appointed to the police force on February 27, 1877 at the age of 29. His career would maintain a steady rise in this line of work, being promoted to sergeant on March 2, 1883, assistant city marshal on December 22, 1886 and city marshal on November 8, 1909. He retired on half pay May 31, 1915, when Medley, another officer involved in the Borden case became Fall River’s first Chief of Police, replacing the title City Marshal held by Fleet at retirement.
John Fleet was known as an efficient officer and was held in high esteem by fellow officers and citizens alike. He was the husband of Lydia Wallace Fleet, the father of four sons and a daughter and was also survived by two brothers and two sisters. His daughter was Harriet Isherwood, and sons were John W. of Seattle, Frank W., the manager of the Westport telephone exchange, Walter R., assistant superintendent of Borden City mills, and Arthur J., a designer. Surviving brothers and sisters were Richard and Samuel Fleet, Mrs. Fannie Lewis and Mrs. Ann Thackery. A third sister, Mrs. Elizabeth Meyers predeceased her brother a month before in Providence.
Fleet was a member of Richard Borden Post 46 G.A.R. , Mt. Hope Lodge of Masons, Odd Fellows and Puritan Lodge, K.P.
Chief Medley ordered the flag at half-mast at all stations and sent the following statement:
“ . . . His record shows clearly to the members of this department what can be accomplished by persistent effort and fidelity to duty. In his death the department loses a friend and the community a valued citizen. The funeral will take place Saturday afternoon, at which time I trust that as many members as can possibly make it convenient will attend. I have this day forwarded to Mrs. Fleet and members of the family a message of condolence from the department. As a token of respect the department will forward a floral emblem. “ W. H. Medley, Chief of Police
The funeral service was conducted from the home at 85 Park St. at 1:30 and was conducted by the Rev. Albert R. Parker of St. John’s Episcopal Church for immediate family and friends. The body was taken to St. John’s where Fleet had been a member for many years. The traditional Episcopal requiem was conducted and “Lead Kindly Light”, “Nearer My God to Thee”, and “Heart Be Still”were among the musical selections. A large number of police officers were in attendance including Chief Medley and Captain Dennis Desmond who had worked with Fleet on the Borden case in 1892. Following the service, interment took place at Oak Grove where at the grave the ritual for Grand Army members was carried out by Post 46. The Massachusetts Police Association sent a large floral tribute in the form of a policeman’s badge. R.I.P.
(sources: Fall River Evening News May 13, 1916, Fall River Globe May 10, 1916)
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Mutton Eaters On the Prowl
After the visit to the police station, the flock descended on the Fall River Public Library to have a look at the Fall River Room and exhibit of Fall River artist paintings. A happy hour was spent there looking through old street directories, postcards and reference materials-some rare, and all chock full of information about the city. After a tour of the library it was check-in time at #92 Second Street and preparations for the annual banquet, this year at the old Quequechan Club on North Main Street. Some Mutton Eaters opted for vintage clothing. The group handed out awards and enjoyed a superb dinner in the Captain Study on the second floor after taking a tour of the bowling alley and other rooms of the 1894 former gentleman’s club. Dinner was followed by the cutting of the 2010 Cheesecake- a tradition for the Mutton eaters, this year featuring a topper of Lizzie Borden counting dollars instead of sheep in her little bed back on Second Street. It was a late night with lots of singing and presentations by members which included new material on Dr. Seabury Bowen and Sarah Cornell. -
Second Street Irregulars Visit the FRPD
http://www.frpd.org/history.html
The annual Mutton Eaters weekend in Fall River 2010 is now just a good memory. The armchair sleuth group had a jam-packed weekend visiting Lizzie Borden-related sites for three days, beginning with a stop early Friday morning at the Fall River Police Department on Pleasant Street. Deputy Chief Moniz greeted the group in the entry foyer and took them to the second floor to meet the new Chief of Police, Chief Racine who recently took over the position from Chief Souza. Chief Racine knew his Bordenia, and solemnly (with a twinkle) swore in 18 new recruits as “official deputies” on the Borden case. The group enjoyed a great ten minutes chatting with the busy Chief, who mentioned there was a $200 reward on the “tip hot line” for any clue which would assist in solving a case. After reflecting on the FRPD and their involvement in the Borden case, the “Mutton Eaters” were treated, as a special surprise, to a complete tour of the entire facility from the booking room to the dispatch and receivng room to the holding cells. The Wall of Chiefs, which included Medley, Hilliard and Fleet was a big hit as well as the arrest book showing Lizzie Borden’s name. They learned that chief and deputy chief badges are turned in when the officer retires, and that the three numbers which appear over the badge are numbers of fallen policemen, killed in the line of duty. Currently three numbers appear although the force has actually lost more. The badge has not changed style since the era of Lizzie Borden as witnessed by the badge of Chief Medley, Fall River’s first titled Chief of Police. It was learned that the crime scene camera in the archive was not the one used by Mr. Walsh to photograph the Borden house, but was dated slightly after 1892.
Original blue lantern from the old FRPD building at Bedford and High Streets.
The facilty was impressive, with the 24 hour dispatch and call -in room a state-of-the art- facility. The night before the visit, Fall River sustained a large fire in a private residence, with the loss of one four year old child. The dispatcher took the group through the procedure of how the calls were received, and how the response teams were sent out. Also on the tour were the booking desk and a tour of the lock-up where sliding doors have replaced bars. Male and female detainees are separated from each other in different sections of the building.
During the visit a review of a recent incident involving the discharging of an officer’s gun during a chase was being conducted, which is general procedure. The briefing room was included and looked exactly like those seen on so many popular television programs. The white board showed ongoing activity around the city, using the historic terminology for the sections of the city like Corky Row, Flint, Globe, etc.
The visit was a highlight of the weekend for the group, and the viewing of the arrest book a special memory along with the great kindness and hospitality of the officers and employees.
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Harrington makes Lizzie Smile
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.
Phillip Harrington was born on April 17, 1859, making him just one year older than Lizzie Borden. The son of Irish immigrants, James and Mary Harrington, Phillip was one of four children born to the couple in Fall River. He was appointed to the police force on March 2, 1883. He was well-liked by his associates and very popular in Irish and Catholic social circles in the city. 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 marriage to Kate Connell, daughter of John 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. Capt. Harrington had not been well for some time but was feeling better the day of his nuptials. Stopping off in Newport before taking the night boat to New York to commence his honeymoon, Harrington was taken violently ill 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 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. As far as his knowledge of ladies’ clothing- he had lived with his sister Mary before his marriage, and no doubt learned much about the topic from her.On his birthday Saturday, April 17th, the Second Street Irregulars will be visiting the grave of Capt. Harrington to leave a pillow of white carnations, the floral tribute given by his bride.
Fall River Globe, Oct. 31, 1893
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To be a fly on the wall!
If we could only go back to August 4, 1892 in a time machine, there are plenty of places in #92 Second Street one would wish to be on that fateful day. Borden neighbor, Addie Churchill, was first on the scene after being attracted to the spectacle of Bridget Sullivan racing up and down the Borden driveway. Lizzie’s cool quip,“Oh do come over Mrs. Churchill, someone has killed father”-
or words to that effect have resounded down the century as being somewhat strange under the circumstances. Addie enters the house and gets the story from Lizzie, who is sitting in the turn of the lower steps of the back stairs.
(Prelim.) Addie Churchill
Q. What did you do or say?
A. I opened one of the windows and said “Lizzie, what is the matter?”
Q. Go right on now,
A. She said “O, Mrs. Churchill, do come over; somebody has killed father.”
Q. Go right on, if you please.
A. I closed the window, and went directly through my house out the front door, and went over to her house, and opened the screen door, and went in. Then she sat on the second stair at the right of the screen door, the back stairs.
Q. The stairs, as I remember the plan, came down, the foot of the stairs is very near the back door?
A. Just as the right of the door as you go in.
Q. She was sitting then opposite where she had been standing?
A. Yes Sir.
Q. What happened then?
A. I put my hand on her arm, and said “O, Lizzie”, I said “Where is your father”? She said “in the sitting room”. I said “where were you when it happened”? She said she went to the barn to get a piece of iron, and came back, heard a distressed noise, and came in, and found the screen door open.
Can you picture her there?
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Ric Rebelo releases clip
Documentary -maker, Ric Rebelo of Fall River has released a preview of his upcoming two hour documentary about the Borden case. Visit the link below for an eight minute clip. -
The Mutton Eaters Online
Warps & Wefts is pleased to announce a new feature for this site. Beginning this month, articles and photos of the exploits of the Second Street Irregulars will appear. The S.S.I. or “”Mutton Eaters” is an informal group of armchair sleuths from all over America who like to go “On the Road” whenever possible to chivvy out obscure and fascinating facts about the many individuals involved in the Lizzie Borden case. When the game’s a’foot there’s no telling what will happen or what they may find-and getting there is half the fun. This month the spotlight is on William Medley, one of the observant policemen on the scene of the crime August 4th. Our articles will remain for six months and are for private use only. To access this month’s feature, click on the tab Mutton Eaters Online Article above or this link http://lizziebordenwarpsandwefts.com/january-mutton-eaters-online-article/ You will feel as if you were riding right alongside!For more about the Second Street Irregulars visit http://secondstreetirregulars.org/
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Collecting Lizzie-abilia
Recently a letter surfaced in England written by Lizzie to a friend living there. The woman now owning the letter in the television programme that aired last week in Britain had the letter written to her grandmother by “L. A. Borden,” signed thus, over three pages, that was very conversational and ordinary in tone, being pre-murders. It was valued, very conservatively, at £600-800 or $1,200 to $1,600.
With the upcoming publication of the Fall River Historical Society’s Parallel Lives, (now delayed until late March -early Spring), Lizzie letters are much on the minds of Borden enthusiasts everywhere.
If a Lizzie Borden signature is out of your wallet range, many Lizzie-affiliated signatures can still be had for a bargain. The signatures of the Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts in 1892-96 and the former Governor, George Dexter Robinson, also better known as Lizzie’s head defense attorney, were bought recently for $30 on Ebay. Another former Governor’s autograph (John Davis Long 1880-1883) was thrown in as a bonus.
For more information about George D. Robinson(1834-1896) check out this link. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_D._RobinsonRobinson received 25,000 dollars in fees serving as Lizzie’s defense counsel. He remained a prominent lawyer until the time of his death in Chicopee at the age of 62. He is buried in Fairview Cemetery there.
Roger Wolcott (1847-1900) was Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts from 1892-1896 and Governor from 1896-1900.
Roger Wolcott
John Davis Long (1838-1915)
Governor of Massachusetts 1880-1883, Secretary of the Navy 1897-1902
The Navy destroyer USS Long (DD-209) was named after him.
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After the Axe
The number of post-trial, post-hatchet, Maplecroft plays is ever- growing. The public never wearies of imagining the possibilites of Lizzie’s life after the acquittal. If she was guilty, did she suffer twinges of conscience? Was she depressed- lonely? If she was innocent- how horrible was it living under the cloud of suspicion all those years? Why did Emma leave her sister? Who were Lizzie’s few friends who continued to call at the house on French St. ? So many unanswered questions opens up a rich field for exploration.Here is the Nick Pelino offering on the subject, written in 2006, available now on Amazon.com in the 10-12 dollar range.
Lizbeth of Maplecroft- After the Axe
2006 by Trafford Publishers
Paperback, 243 pages
isbn1425113893 (isbn13: 9781425113896)
“This is the two act play, available in print! It is based on the later life of the accused axe-murderess, Lizzie Borden, years after her acquital. A three woman play that has performed to great success. By the author of THE FINAL WORD: THE HALL-MILLS MURDERS and its sequel and equally popular THE HALL-MILLS TRIAL, Nick Pelino, Jr.
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After the Murders-a new Lizzie Play
(photo credit) CELIA FRANK/For Shorelines
Susan Roche (left) plays Emma Borden and Karen Garrett is Lizzie Borden in “After the Murders: The Quest of Lizzie Borden,” which will open Friday at Atlantic Beach Experimental Theatre.Lizzie’s on stage again -this time in a mystery drama by Fernandina Beach playwright Richard Wolf entitled “After the Murders: The Quest of Lizzie Borden”.
To read more about the new production which is set in the interval after the acquittal, visit this link http://jacksonville.com/community/shorelines/2009-10-21/story/abet_production_goes_after_the_murders_in_lizzie_borden_case
“After the Murders: The Quest of Lizzie Borden” will be performed Friday-Sunday, Oct. 30-31 and Nov. 6-7 at the Atlantic Beach Experimental Theatre. Performances are at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays. The theater is in the Adele Grage Cultural Center, 716 Ocean Blvd., Atlantic Beach. Tickets are $15, $12 for seniors, students and military. For reservations, call 249-7177 or visit www.abettheatre.com.
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Lizzie Overdose?
Got Ghost in the parlor?
There were some interesting online comments today as a result of an article posted in the Fall River Herald News- article and comments at this link http://www.heraldnews.com/news/x536357278/Medium-Lizzie-did-it
The popular Lizzie series at BCC featured a Canadian psychic last night, Kim Dennis, who claims to have channeled Lizzie in her livingroom. Nothing is hotter than the paranormal at the moment-both at the Borden Bed and Breakfast and as a popular culture phenomenon. TV is full of it, magazines and best-sellers are doing a brisk trade, and mediums, ghostbusters and psychics are riding the wave.
Ms. Dennis reveals nothing which others have not thought of before. Nearly every possible scenario has been well-imagined over the years since the famous murders: motive, method, weapon, accomplices, etc. There is an abundance of information online and in print about every detail of the crime scene and the principal players as well as a goodly number of who-dunnit theory books. Messages from the Great Beyond have been leaking through the ether since 1893 when a Ouija board was employed to seek out the answers to the Borden mystery.
What is interesting to read are the comments following the article. Is the public saturated with Lizzie Borden- or is it just Fall Riverites? It has surely been a Lizzie summer and autumn, with no end in sight. Whether a believer in the paranormal, or an avid scholar of the case, there’s no getting away from the fact that Lizzie will not be going away anytime soon-a haunting of sorts.
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New Oak Grove Calendar Unveiled
These high quality, full-color calendars are spiral bound and printed on heavy cardstock
Our calendars feature photographic contributions by Mary Beth Rigby and William Moniz as well as historic images donated from private collections
Layout by Ann Keane
Additionally, the birth dates of notable historical figures are observed throughout
Limited quantities of our calendars are available for $15 and make a wonderful holiday gift
Shipping is an additional $1 per calendar. Those in the Fall River area may arrange for pickup. Please call or email to reserve your copy or to arrange for pickup
Payment may be mailed to:
The friends of oak grove cemetery
96 colfax street
Fall river, MA 02720
Ph: 508-642-9636
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October 4th at Oak Grove
Don’t forget this Sunday’s tour which includes Borden-related grave stones!
History Underfoot III Tour – The Fall River Garden Club, Fall River Historical Society and The Little Theatre of Fall River, Inc. will be hosting their 3rd tour of this historic cemetery, sponsored in part by Citizens-Union Savings Bank. The group has graciously agreed to donate a portion of their profits toward the purchase of a Memorial Tree. F.O.G .has been invited to provide an informational table on our group and the work we are doing to restore Oak Grove. Past tours have been a tremendous success and we hope that you will plan to attend. Tour will be conducted from 11 – 3:30 and tickets for the fundraiser are $15. Rain date is October 11.
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Lizzie back in the newspapers!
Today’s South Coast Today puts Lizzie in the Press again with coverage of last night’s “Mock Trial”. Read the story at http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090925/NEWS/909250337
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Trick and Treat!
She’s back and better than ever! Spend Halloween with the Lady with an “edge”.
