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Lizzie Borden : Warps & Wefts

~ News, articles and photos about The Lady, The Crime, The City and The Era

Lizzie Borden : Warps & Wefts

Category Archives: Uncategorized

Second Street Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast Museum for sale.

11 Monday Jan 2021

Posted by Shelley in Uncategorized

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Surprising news broke tonight of the listing for sale of the popular bed & breakfast, open as a business for day tours and overnights since 1996. The listing details will be posted tomorrow morning with Century 21 as real estate agency. Visit the link below for more information.

https://wbsm.com/fall-river-lizzie-borden-bed-breakfast-for-sale/?fbclid=IwAR1Pz5vRyJMc3r5Q_KOnKRkUA7To4sEkUYiwd1DErkP80RmEPiVLXKywuLo

Happy 2021!

01 Friday Jan 2021

Posted by Shelley in Uncategorized

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Wishing all our readers a wonderful 2021 and many thanks for your support and comments this year. New to Warps and Wefts? You may find more posts of Borden Case interest on our companion media sites. Who knows what 2021 holds in store for Lizzie B.? Will Maplecroft be sold this year? New books about the case? Time will tell what the year will bring. Follow us on social media for the latest in Lizzieland.

Youtube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXL2DjTcaaXQUPkmaQQ25qw

Web https://lizziebordenwarpsandwefts.com Facebook https://www.facebook.com/lizziebordenwarpsandwefts

Publishing & Merchandise https://hollisterpress.comhttps://www.facebook.com/HollisterPress1992

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hollisterpress/ https://www.instagram.com/…/lizziebordenwarpsandwefts/

Companion sites : Friends of Oak Grove Cemetery https://friendsofoakgrovecemetery.org

https://www.facebook.com/groups/OakGroveCemeteryFallRiver

Mr. Walsh’s Photograph in Color

01 Tuesday Sep 2020

Posted by Shelley in Uncategorized

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Colorization can sometimes add another whole dimension to vintage black and white photos. We’ve done this one of the crime scene which makes you feel that this could be today and you are in the room.  That may be the sheet used to cover Andrew to the right, just over the top of the rocking chair. There is a small table there with books and a straw boater hat on it- looks like the sheet is tossed on top the table in this photo. Mr. James Walsh, a local portrait photographer, hired by the police department,  began photographing the crime scene around 3:30 in the afternoon. You will note the presence of a man standing far to the right, by the kitchen door. That man is likely a policeman, there are several possible candidates for who he might be.118673157_3519666828046278_4228243444951229120_n

Hudner’s Market

19 Wednesday Aug 2020

Posted by Shelley in Uncategorized

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You may recall that the Borden neighbor to the north, Addie Churchill, on the morning of the murder had just returned from a trip to Hudner’s meat market on South Main St. She would observe Bridget running up and down the driveway and the flurry of excitement near the Borden side door from her kitchen window. Addie called out to Lizzie who replied, “Do come over Mrs. Churchill, someone has killed Father.” The rest we know, but who were the Hudners? They were of Irish descent and had done well in the city of Fall River, by 1892, owning a chain of fine meat and provision markets in the city.  Here is an excerpt about the Hudners. A small sign saying “Hudner” can still be found on the building on Old Second Street.

10 Things About the Borden Case that Will Keep you Up All Night

08 Saturday Aug 2020

Posted by Shelley in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

istockphoto-654743270-170667a

A 19th century story illustration of a lady sit in a chair with her head and hand draped over the back. Taken from a story in the English illustrated Magazine of 1892

There are so many questions and things to ponder when considering the Borden case in its entirety, but let’s just think about August 4th until just a few days prior to the Inquest.  Inquiring minds want to know:

  1. Lizzie was alone in the house at the time of Abby’s murder and saw no other person coming in or going out of the house although she was in the kitchen by the side door most of the time. Bridget was outside washing windows. There are witnesses who saw her washing them.
  2. Bridget came in to fetch supplies and says the screen door was open and did not say she saw Lizzie in the kitchen. Where was Lizzie?
  3. Bridget will say that Lizzie laughed softly from the top of the stairs when she let Mr. Borden in the front door. Bridget will forget all about that 10 months later.
  4. Lizzie sees her father when he comes home around 10:45, and tells him Abby had a note and was gone out which stops him from looking for her. No note is ever found or the writer of the note. Lizzie suggests Bridget might want to go up to North Main St. to a dress goods sale. Bridget declines and goes up to the third floor to lie down. Lizzie is again alone downstairs with Andrew.
  5. Lizzie has admitted to the girls in Marion that she has a sharp hatchet she will bring with her Monday on her fishing trip. Her job will be chopping kindling for the stove.
  6. Lizzie claims to be in the hayloft at the time Andrew is murdered. She has to be out of the house. There is a dead body on the second floor, the dead body of Andrew on the first floor and Bridget is on the third floor napping with both other rooms locked up there. Lizzie gives different reasons for being in the loft and the length of time she says she is up there does not fit the timeline.
  7. Lizzie is in control of the alarm-sounding. Bridget is sent out of the house to fetch help, Lizzie never makes a move to get out of the house where a killer could be lurking. She has time to hide a weapon and tidy up before Mrs. Churchill makes a brief appearance and hurries off to get help.
  8. Lizzie goes upstairs after the body of Abby is found and changes into a pink and white striped wrapper and spends the day upstairs, frequently left alone. She will make two trips to the cellar that night. One is with Alice Russell, a friend staying in the house to help, who tags along, the other right after Alice goes to her room and she can return to the cellar alone.
  9. On August 6th she is told by the mayor that she is a suspect, late in the day after the funerals. On the morning of August 7th, alone in the kitchen for the moment, she tears up and burns a dress in the stove but is discovered by Alice Russell who walks in and Emma who steps out of the sink room to see what is happening. Where had that dress been the day of the search?
  10. Officer Medley, Edson, Desmond and others go back to the Borden house at 10 a.m. Monday, August 8th to resume looking in the cellar. Medley finds a handless hatchet with a short stub of freshly broken handle . It appears to have been recently washed and is coated with dust. Nobody saw this on the main search of the house Saturday.

Before the Hatchet Fell

24 Friday Jul 2020

Posted by Shelley in "Lizziewear", Borden Spaces and Places, Case Personalities, Fairhaven, Fall River families, Fall River Historical Society, Hatchets and Axes, Marion, New Bedford, Uncategorized

≈ 3 Comments

You have to admire the energy and endurance of those Victorian ladies.  Even in the sweltering heat of a July afternoon, corseted and wearing layers of clothing, they managed to look crisp and elegant. What’s more is that they managed also to have some fun while  looking so well turned out.

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It would be hard to believe that a person contemplating cold-blooded murder could have, a week before the crimes, presented such a fun-loving and carefree demeanor.  It was common to get out of the big cities in the heat of summer while the men stayed behind laboring and making more money.  Abby Borden herself had planned a little Swansea vacation with a lady friend to the Borden farm on Gardner’s Neck Road. If you have ever been, there is always a delightful breeze , good fishing, and beautiful scenery to be enjoyed.  Abby’s companion had to cancel and so she contemplated a sojourn with a relative in nearby Warren instead.

bathing-beach

Lizzie and Emma also decided to escape the city heat and take the train to New Bedford on July 21st. It must have been a great escape from the daily routine at #92 Second Street.  Emma hurried off to Fairhaven to enjoy the cool breezes of Fort Phoenix with its bandstand and shoreline attractions and a long visit to the Brownells on Green St. while Lizzie trotted off to see the Pooles, mother and daughter, at a boarding house on Madison Street.  Lizzie had thoughts of diversion in her mind:  pleasurable shopping jaunts, chatting with the Pooles who had known Lizzie since girlhood, and thoughts of Marion nearby with its enchantments of fishing piers, beautiful homes, boating and fishing and good friends .

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With all of this in mind, you can make a good case that this seems unlikely behavior for a would-be-murderess.  Lizzie had a little shopping excursion on July 23rd,  perusing dress fabrics and patterns and enjoying the shops of New Bedford.  On July 25th a most amiable opportunity for a day trip to Marion presented itself.  Lizzie was in the very distinguished company of Rev. Buck’s daughter Alice, Anna and Mary Holmes, Mabel and Louise Remington, Isabelle Fraser, Louise Handy, Annie Bush, Elizabeth Johnson, Mrs. James and Miss Edith Jackson, and Jennie Stowell.

(Converse Point, formerly Blakes Point)

Drone-8

Marion was a little “Newport North”with moorings for yachts, celebrities and artists, politicians and lawyers, doctors and the upper crust of society longing to get away from the heat and crowded cities.  Charming cottages and stately waterfront homes dotted the shoreline.  Tree-lined streets, a chapel, art studios, delightful quaint eateries and a music hall provided entertainment for the lucky residents and distinguished guests.

waterfront

(Marion waterfront)

Lizzie’s lady friends were busily playing house at Dr. Handy’s cottage and relaxing, Bohemian- style with back hair down and corsets loosened .  Lizzie was to join the band of merrymakers  on August 8th for jolly hours at the fishing hole and some slapdash housekeeping and high jinx with “the girls”.  Each lady had a little job to do which made the domestic chores seem so much more fun.  It is said that Lizzie was to tend to chopping kindling for the cook stove and that when told the kitchen kindling hatchet was a “dull thing” remarked that she had a sharp one she would bring that would be just the ticket.

handyDr. Handy’s cottage (original home photo courtesy of the Sippican Historical Society)

On the 25th of July, Lizzie left the Pooles and was at Blakes Point, which is now Converse Point, for a day trip.  Over time, the name has changed to whoever lives on the point at the moment.  A very snappy yacht was at the moorings, the MABEL F. SWIFT.  She was a trim Fall River craft owned by Charles W. Anthony, and a familiar sight to the Newport Yachting community on regatta days.  The Honorable Simeon Borden, the Honorable James Jackson, Holder W. Durfee, William Winslow, and R.W. Bassett were the gentleman aboard.  Friends, fun and sun in the bloom of summer were the order of the day.

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The Mabel F. Swift (Courtesy Historic New England)

The next day, Tuesday, July 26th, Lizzie would travel by carriage with Mrs. Poole and her daughter Carrie out to Westport to visit her old childhood friend Augusta Poole who had married and lived in a Victorian farmhouse with husband, Cyrus Tripp.  It was a bit of a journey out to the house by carriage and Lizzie spent most of the late morning and afternoon there visiting Augusta. The band of three ladies then departed for New Bedford where Lizzie parted company with the Pooles after a busy few days, taking the train to return home to Fall River.

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(The home of Mrs. Augusta Poole Tripp, Westport)

It was probably a reluctant but dutiful Lizzie who decided to forsake the fun and friends to return home to obligations and household drudgery.  Mrs. Borden would want to be going to the farm for a break, and someone needed to be at home to look after Mr. Borden, oversee his meals and well-being.  There were minutes to take at one of her many charitable organization meetings and Lizzie was conscientious. But there was the happy prospect of returning soon to the cottage of Dr. Benjamin Handy and the vacationing ladies on a spree with fishing at the pier to come.  Dr. Handy was born in Marion and was a surgeon and physician. Later on, Dr. Handy would report a “wild-eyed” man in front of the Borden house on Second St. around 10:30 on the day of the murders.  His Marion cottage was much-desired by friends and family as a “getaway” in the summer months.

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Dr. Seabury Bowen

Thus was the story of Lizzie’s week leading up to the murders.  On Tuesday night the Bordens would partake of swordfish steak for supper. The family was ill Tuesday night into the next day. Mrs. Borden was in no state of health to go visiting  anyone and on Wednesday morning she crossed the street to see Dr. Bowen and pronounced she was probably poisoned and Mr. Borden was taken sick too.   Later on, Dr. Bowen, much-concerned about his neighbors, crossed the street to call on the sickly Bordens only to be rebuffed by Andrew Borden for the house call and its possible expense. Lizzie, perhaps out of embarrassment at her father’s rude behavior, went promptly upstairs and Dr. Bowen went away.  Abby suspected there was something wrong with the family store-bought bread as once she heard of someone being taken ill from spoiled cream cakes.  Lizzie claimed to be ill herself that Wednesday, never leaving the house and resting in her room.  Soon Uncle John would arrive, enjoy a late lunch at the Borden table, rent a carriage and go over the river to Swansea.  The scene was set for the horrors to come the next day.  Did Lizzie go to Smith’s pharmacy to try to procure Prussic acid from Mr. Bence that day?  What was behind Lizzie’s proclamation to Alice Russell that Wednesday evening around 7 p.m. about “something is hanging over me. I am sleeping with one eye open”.  What happened to that carefree  young woman on vacation in Marion just a few days before?  Those are the questions that haunt us. Still.

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*References used in this article:  Lizzie Borden Past and Present, Leonard Rebello, Al-Zach Press, 1999.

Parallel Lives: A Social History of Lizzie A. Borden and Her Fall River, Michael Martins & Dennis Binette,  Fall River Historical Society, 2010.

Photo credits: The Sippican Historical Society, Marion MA., Historic New England, Shelley M. Dziedzic (all rights reserved).

Lizzie Goes Shopping in New Bedford

23 Thursday Jul 2020

Posted by Shelley in Uncategorized

≈ 3 Comments

window-shopping

 

Lizzie and Emma had left Fall River on a hot summer’s vacation to visit friends in New Bedford and Fairhaven on July 21st. The sisters split up in New Bedford as Emma went across the bridge to Fairhaven to stay for an extended visit with Helen Brownell and her widowed mother on Green Street.  Lizzie stayed in New Bedford and called upon Mrs. Poole and her invalid daughter, Carrie Poole. Lizzie had been close chums with Carrie’s sister, Augusta- now Mrs. Cyrus Tripp.  The Pooles lived in a rooming house at 20 Madison Street in the city, not too far from the commercial section.

On July 23rd, Lizzie went on a short shopping expedition alone to the shops not far from the boarding house on Madison Street. There she purchased some cheap day dress fabric and pattern to be made up by her seamstress back in Fall River. She did not shop very long, then returned to the Pooles.

In her inquest statement, Lizzie is asked about the last time she was away from home. Interestingly, she overestimates how long ago her trip to the Pooles was:

Q. When was the last time when you have been away for more than a night or two before this affair?

A. I don’t think I have been away to stay more than a night or two since I came from abroad, except about three or four weeks ago I was in New Bedford for three or four days.

Q. Where at New Bedford?

A. At 20 Madison Street

Lizzie was asked about the dress goods and pattern she bought on the 23rd.

“Q. Did you buy a dress pattern in New Bedford?
A. A dress pattern?
Q. Yes.
A. I think I did.
Q. Where is it?
A. It is at home.
Q. Where?
A. Where at home?
Q. Please.
A. It is in a trunk.
Q. In your room?
A. No, sir; in the attic.
Q. Not made up?
A. O, no, sir.
Q. Where did you buy it?
A. I don’t know the name of the store.
Q. On the principal street there?
A. I think it was on the street that Hutchinson’s book store is on. I am not positive.
Q. What kind of a one was it, please?
A. It was a pink stripe and a white stripe, and a blue stripe corded gingham.”

The police made a bad show of things when they revealed  on the stand that there was confusion about who searched the attic trunk, when, etc. and not recalling finding a dress pattern and cloth goods. In other words, it was a very unprofessional evidence-gathering  effort which cast an unflattering light on the men in blue. It was thought Officer Medley led the first attic search, then Assistant Marshal Fleet. Marshal Hilliard and Officer Desmond were also up in the attic as part of the search which was woefully uncoordinated.  The missing articles were finally produced very late in the process. Knowlton was satisfied with his examination of the materials but a lingering doubt continued as to whether or not a substitution could have been made.  It was not the first time the police had botched something concerning the search of the Borden house. 

Much was made about this dress yard goods and pattern. Did Lizzie somehow have the  dress made up, worn it during the double homicides, burn it and then her defense arrange to have duplicate fabric “found” later?  A local newspaper speculated on this scenario.

From the Evening Standard,  Fall River, Sept. 3, 1892 – Was It Possible For Defense to Have Duplicated the Goods? “The day after the Borden murder City Marshal Hilliard put two New Bedford officers at work in that city with orders to trace Lizzie Borden’s actions during the two weeks previous. They found that she had purchased a dress pattern of cheap material in a dry goods store in that city, and it was to this pattern that reference was made at the trial. Some importance was attached to the matter at the time of the discovery of the purchase. The police failed to find the dress pattern or any dress of it in their search at the Borden house. They made demand on the members of the family to produce the piece of goods or the made-up dress. If they could not do this the police wanted to know what had become of it. The family refused to move in the matter and the police at New Bedford searched the store to get a sample of the goods bought by Lizzie.

The last day of the trial the defense surrendered the piece of dress goods which Lizzie had purchased and it was still intact. The question has arisen in the minds of some people who believe as the prosecution does whether or not it was possible for the friends of the prisoner to have duplicated the dress pattern and surrendered the last purchased instead of the first, and that the first one might have been made-up and used by Lizzie Borden at the time of the murder and afterwards destroyed or put out of the way.”

It is, at the least, a very curious business. Lizzie, on the day of the murders, rested in her room dressed in a pink and white striped wrapper. Coincidence- or something else?

 

 

The Elegant Augusta Tripp

19 Saturday Oct 2019

Posted by Shelley in Case Personalities, Fall River families, Uncategorized

≈ 3 Comments

Lizzie’s Old School Chum, Augusta Poole (Mrs. Cyrus Tripp)

Shelley M. Dziedzic, October 2019 (all rights reserved)

During the hot summer week of July 13, 1891, Mrs. Borden decided to spend the week at the Borden farm over the river in Swansea which always seemed to have a breeze on the warmest of days.  With Mrs. Borden out of the house, Lizzie and Emma invited Lizzie’s old school chum, Augusta Poole, whom she had known since 1875 to spend the week with them at the house on Second Street.  Bridget was there to cook for the young ladies and privacy was assured. Miss Poole was about to be married to Cyrus Tripp of Westport and one can only imagine the “girls” giggling and chattering about the upcoming nuptials, married life, the wedding, setting up house in Westport and all the things ladies of that era enjoyed discussing. It’s fun to imagine this side of Emma and Lizzie, perhaps sitting up in the guest room with Augusta in their night gowns having a good gossip.  One year later something terribly different and horrifying would transpire in that same room.

 

The girls drifted apart over that year as Augusta, now Mrs. Cyrus Tripp, settled down to housekeeping in the Tripp homestead on Old County Road in Westport where her new husband was a sign, carriage and house painter.  His father, Preserved Tripp, had built the house in the eclectic Victorian style in 1874. The house and barn are still standing today.  Cyrus Tripp had been married before to the daughter of George  H. Gifford.

The Cyrus W. Tripp house on Old County Road

On July 21, 1892, Emma and Lizzie packed their traveling bags for an adventure and some fun away from the Second St. home.  Emma parted company from Lizzie in New Bedford and continued on to nearby Fairhaven to stay with Helen Brownell and her widowed mother on Green Street.  Lizzie split off to #20 Madison Street, which was a boarding house, to stay with Augusta’s mother and invalid sister, Carrie Poole.  During her stay with the Pooles, Lizzie went out with the family except for one morning, Saturday, July 23rdwhen Lizzie ventured out downtown to do some shopping all alone.  She was out for about an hour and a half and returned with a parcel of cheap yard goods to be made up into a house dress.

 

On Tuesday, July 26th,  Mrs. Poole, Carrie Poole and Lizzie traveled out to Westport to visit Augusta at the Tripp farm.  The group enjoyed a happy visit together and Lizzie left in time, with Mrs. Poole and Carrie to catch a connecting train back to Fall River.  Later, Officer Medley of the Fall River Police Department would interview Augusta Tripp about the visit.

 

On August 8, 1892, Augusta Poole Tripp would give her interview to Officer Medley remarking, ““Lizzie told me she thought her stepmother was deceitful, being one thing to her face, and another to her back.” Mrs. Tripp further went on to say that Lizzie  said that her stepmother claimed of having no influence over Mr. Borden, but Lizzie believed that Abby did or Mr. Borden would have never given Abby’s half-sister a large sum of money; Lizzie and her sister Emma did not know if they would get anything if Father should die. “ This conversation had been brought up on several occasions with the exception of the July 26, 1892, visit.

 

More information about the Borden house family dynamics came out at the inquest as Augusta expanded her recollections:  “Testimony of Augusta D. Tripp My name is Augusta D. Tripp, and in 1875, when I was a little girl, I began to frequent the Borden home. Lizzie and I were schoolmates, but throughout the years, I had never really become acquainted with Mrs. Borden.

 

By the summer of 1891, I had visited and slept over the Borden’s house during the week of Monday, July 13 thru Saturday, July 18. Now during the course of that week, Emma, Lizzie and Bridget Sullivan who they referred to as Maggie stayed with me. Mrs. Borden at that time was in Swanzey, and I did not see their Uncle Morse at the house. By the spring of 1892, I had spoken with Emma and Lizzie for about an hour; but since then, I became married and moved out of the city with having less contact with both girls.

 

When Emma, Lizzie, and Abby were together in the same room, Lizzie would speak to Abby more than Emma. I did notice that the relationship between them was not agreeable, but they always ate together at the dining room table. Throughout the years though, I had never heard Mrs. Borden say anything about the girls. Well! I do remember some years ago when Lizzie had made a couple of remarks to me regarding her stepmother, Abby. First of all, Lizzie never liked someone who was a two-faced liar, and secondly, she assumed that I was convinced by her into believing that she had sustained a higher level of influence over her own father, influence that her stepmother, Abby, did not possess. Even though, at one time, her stepmother had convinced Mr. Borden into purchasing property for Abby’s stepsister, Mrs. Bertie Whitehead; Lizzie’s feelings, I believe, remained the same.

 

When I think about the remarks that Lizzie had stated, it is my opinion, those remarks were targeted toward Mrs. Borden only, which has led me to believe that Lizzie was not overly fond about her stepmother, revealing an appearance of an unfriendly nature toward her. Now, if you do not mind, I just want to say a   little something about what I had heard from my invalid sister and, of course, what I stated to Officer Medley when he had questioned me. When I do speak of Officer Medley’s interview, I can only say that I did answer several of his questions, but I do not remember all that was said or the answers that I had given him at that time. I know that I did tell him that I would try to the best of my ability to recollect such past events that I thought would never resurface again. It was with much difficulty for me to search my memory and to try to recall these events that I believed to be nothing more than just talk among us women.

 

As for my invalid sister who is a feeble woman, Miss Carrie M. Poole of Madison Street in New Bedford , she had made a statement regarding Lizzie as saying something in the order of what may happen to her father’s estate if he were to die. Now, I cannot say for sure if Miss Poole actually heard that remark from Lizzie, it is only something that I am assuming was said. “

 

The portrait of Augusta Tripp was taken at Jamieson Studios at 173 Tremont St.in Boston and was sent Christmas 1913 to someone who had been in her Sunday School class.  The back of the photograph gives this date and the inscription “Mrs. Cyrus W. Tripp, my Sunday School Teacher”.  It is in the online photo collection of the Westport Historical Society and may be seen at this link in higher resolution. https://westhist.pastperfectonline.com/photo/D68BA21D-2E4A-4550-98A7-211567792616

Thanks and appreciation go to the Westport Public Library and the Westport Historical Society for their assistance in research materials for this article.

 

One has to wonder if Lizzie and Augusta kept up their friendship after Lizzie was acquitted.  Augusta was a very elegant and distinguished-looking lady in 1913.

The Tripp headstone, Linden Cemetery, Westport, Massachusetts

Happy Birthday Lizzie Borden.! Going strong at 159!

19 Friday Jul 2019

Posted by Shelley in Uncategorized

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Still in the news, still the talk of Fall River. Would she ever have dreamed she would still be remembered in 2019?

Dressing Miss Lizzie

23 Tuesday Apr 2019

Posted by Shelley in Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Coming in May! Warps and Wefts is excited to announce the publication of “Dressing Miss Lizzie”, a collection of paper dolls featuring clothing Lizzie wore as described in newspapers of the day. The collection includes the famous Bedford cord dress, the pink wrapper, the funeral ensemble and other garments described during the trial and acquittal and some surprises.

Cara Robertson and The Trial of Lizzie Borden on tour

26 Tuesday Mar 2019

Posted by Shelley in Uncategorized

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The Savoy bookstore in Westerly, R.I. was cram-packed with Borden case enthusiasts this evening as author Cara Robertson held forth on her new book, The Trial of Lizzie Borden. The author is currently on a book tour in New England and will be at the Fall River Historical Society tomorrow, Wednesday, at 5 pm. There were eager questions and much lively discussion tonight which is sure to be the case at every stop along the tour.
If you are anywhere near Fall River tomorrow evening- do not miss the book signing and a chance to hear Cara Robertson. Lizzie B. has not lost her luster!

History of Oak Grove is back in print!

31 Friday Aug 2018

Posted by Shelley in Uncategorized

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oak-grove-banner

The third printing is now available at  https://www.ebay.com/itm/323423665855  and includes some updates on the gate restoration which was completed earlier this year. The publication features three separate walking tours of graves of Borden-related personalities as well as information on the history of the 1855 cemetery.  Autumn is coming- the perfect time to visit Oak Grove Cemetery.

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What’s new in Lizzieland?

17 Saturday Feb 2018

Posted by Shelley in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

It’s been a while since we’ve had an update and many things have fallen into place recently.  The big news, of course, is that Maplecroft has been sold to the owners of the Second Street Bed and Breakfast Museum and will probably be open early this Spring. This is exciting for many who have wanted to see inside Lizzie’s home after the acquittal and the place where she passed away in 1927.

http://www.heraldnews.com/news/20180202/maplecroft-officially-sold-to-owners-of-lizzie-borden-bampb

LIZZIE, the upcoming film with Chloe Sevigny and Kristen Stewart was sold at Sundance and is to debut on the big screen sometime this summer.  August 4th would be a good date! There’s a lot to Google about the film including mixed reviews. A good many liberties have been taken with the history of the case but it should find an appreciative audience.

http://www.indiewire.com/2018/01/chloe-sevigny-lizzie-sundance-interview-1201921269/

Kristen Stewart as Bridget Sullivan

A new Lizzie play is previewing March 1st in Ontario at The Black Door.

https://www.southwesternontario.ca/whatson-story/8139316-black-door-theatre-presents-lizzie-borden-of-fall-river-/

Also in March, the Travel Channel will present a documentary by the British production company ICON which will travel all around Lizzie country: Taunton, Swansea, New Bedford and of course Fall River and the house on Second Street. No air date known at this time. Stay tuned.  Looks like a very Lizzie summer ahead.

Lots of Lizzie in the News

10 Sunday Dec 2017

Posted by Shelley in Uncategorized

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Nothing new to report on the sale of Maplecroft.  The price was recently lowered but no takers so far. It’s never looked better, inside and out!

maplecroft

Seems like we’ve been waiting forever for the upcoming Lizzie film.  Here’s what Fall River Development News has to say.

movie

“The city of Fall River will be receiving worldwide attention soon with the release of the Hollywood film Lizzie. The new film will have its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2018. Lizzie is a biographical thriller film directed by Craig William Macneill and written by Bryce Kass. The film is based on the true story of Lizzie Borden, who was accused and acquitted of the ax-murders of her father and stepmother in Fall River, in 1892. The film stars Chloë Sevigny, Kristen Stewart, Jay Huguley, Fiona Shaw, Jamey Sheridan, Kim Dickens, Denis O’Hare, and Jeff Perry.

The film could be a boon for tourism in Fall River, but the city will first need to come up with a plan to capitalize on the momentum. The city has been looking for a signature event for years to replace Fall River Celebrates America. Could a yearly Lizzie Borden event or convention be the answer?

The new look at the Borden mythos is billed as a “gothic psychological thriller with an indelible romance at its core.” The film will explore “the events that led up to the notorious murders of the Borden family — and reveals the many layers of the strange, fragile woman who stood accused of their brutal murder” and will pick up “when Bridget Sullivan, a young maid, comes to work for the Borden family, [and] Lizzie finds a sympathetic and kindred spirit, and what begins as innocent companionship eventually escalates into attraction, love and bloody vengeance.”

A new documentary for the Travel Channel just wrapped in Fall River.  Look for it in March. You will be pleasantly surprised to see Lizzie-related locations seldom visited and hear a few new angles.  Things to look forward to in 2018!

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Looking for a stocking stuffer for Lizziephiles?  Can’t go wrong with these two recent releases!

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August 5th trolley tour

21 Friday Jul 2017

Posted by Shelley | Filed under August 4th, Uncategorized

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Sarah Miller’s Lizzie Borden & The Trial of the Century

29 Thursday Oct 2015

Posted by Shelley in Uncategorized

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There is cause for rejoicing in Lizzieland!  Sarah Miller’s upcoming book, Lizzie Borden & The Trial of the Century is a winner.  Aimed at the young adult demographic, this is a page-turner for anyone wanting to get the facts on the infamous Borden double homicide of 1892.

Miller has an appealing you-are-there style which engages the reader from the start, but best of all, this is a work based on the source documents in the case without all the speculations, theories, rumors and misinformed myths which mislead and muddy the case .

Thoughtfully organized by chapter from the events of August 4th through the inquest, preliminary, trial and aftermath, this is a sensible read which enlightens and frankly,  – entertains.  The text is studded with inserts of useful knowledge set off in gray which provide useful background information on everything from the jury, Lizzie’s dresses to places and people.  These enrichments, along with a Who’s Who of all the important players in the story help to expand the reader’s  understanding of the finer points of the case.

The author’s aim to create a balanced view of the case, along with painting a truer picture of Lizzie as a real human being, not an axe-wielding caricature, as so often portrayed , has been amply realized.  It’s refreshing to see Lizzie in a neutral light while considering the possibility that she may have been innocent. This is a thinkers’ book which engages the reader from the very  first page and kicks those little gray cells into overdrive.

A cold winter ‘s night, a cup of hot cocoa and Miller’s, Lizzie Borden  & The Trial of the Century- nothing could be better for the true crime reader.  Just be warned, it will be a long night as you will not want to put this one down!

Maplecroft Memories

22 Saturday Nov 2014

Posted by Shelley in Uncategorized

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Over the years the Second Street Irregulars and the Pear Essential Players have been fortunate to be able to visit Maplecroft on many occasions, either individually or as a group. Photos allowed to be taken of the interiors were promised to be viewed privately until such time as the owner sold the house. Now these may be shared. The most remarkable feature about Maplecroft is the wood – floors, paneling and woodwork, especially the fireplace mantels. The stonework in Lizzie’s hearth in the back bedroom over the porch and the big stone chimney are memorable. It was very exciting to see her own dining room wall paper choice and the tin ceiling in the kitchen. Here is a sampling of the interiors and exteriors, from the entry to the third floor. It was thrilling to see the window seat in the front second floor room and imagine Lizzie watching out. Link to photo album below.

https://picasaweb.google.com/109993181558388557388/SlideAlbumMaplecroft

History of Oak Grove Cemetery Now Available

06 Thursday Nov 2014

Posted by Shelley in Uncategorized

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Fall River, Oak Grove Cemetery

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Released on Halloween, the 96 page, full color publication is now available at the Fall River Historical Society, Ebay, by Paypal, personal check, or money order via snail mail.  Postage by Priority mail within the continental United States will be $5.95. The publication is priced at $30.00.

Ebay link   http://www.ebay.com/itm/321575112181?ssPageName=STRK:MESCX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1554.l2649

The Paypal Send Money address is Revdma@aol.com, the total with Priority mailing postage is $35.95 for shipping within the continental United States.  Via snail mail, please send checks or postal money orders in the same amount to:  Shelley Dziedzic, P.O. Box 86, North Stonington, CT  06359. Personal checks made out to Shelley Dziedzic will need to clear before shipping. Shipping to Canada or outside the United States will be determined by the seller. Please contact Revdma@aol.com for those shipping costs.

The publication features 3 cemetery walking tours with bios and maps of Borden case-related graves, Victorian mourning customs, a glossary of cemetery terms, other famous burials, information on the Borden autopsies and funerals, and a history of the cemetery.

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Lizzie Borden Warps and Wefts

Lizzie Borden Warps and Wefts

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Articles

  • Bence & the Prussic Acid
  • Visit to Maplecroft
  • Abby’s Sisters
  • Another Side of Lizzie Borden
  • Articles
  • Borden Funerals
  • Bowen’s Preliminary
  • Brownells of Fairhaven
  • Dr. Bowen
  • Dr. Kelly
  • Dressing Miss Lizzie Fashions
  • Grand Tour
  • LizClipz
  • Lizzie’s Horses
  • Lizzie’s School Days
  • Murder in the Well
  • Nance O’Neil
  • Officer Medley
  • Services
  • Site Policies
  • The Borden Monument
  • The Elegant Augusta Tripp
  • The Real William Moody- A Muttoneater Quest
  • Victorian Fashion
  • W&W’s Writer
Warps-The threads which run lengthwise in a woven fabric, crossed at right angles to the weft. Wefts-The horizontal threads interlaced through the warp in a woven fabric. In 1876, Fall River had 1/6th of all New England cotton capacity and one-half of all print cloth production. The "Spindle City" as it became known, was second in the world to only Manchester, England.

Carved In Maplecroft’s Mantel

And old time friends and twilight plays, And starry nights and sunny days. Come trooping up the misty ways, When my fires burn low.

Lizzie and those pigeons

Lizzie's Inquest Testimony

Q. Can you tell of the killing of any animal? Or any other operation that would lead to their being cast there, with blood on them?
A. No sir. He killed some pigeons in the barn last May or June.
Q. What with?
A. I don't know, but I thought he wrung their necks.
Q. What made you think so?
A. I think he said so.
Q. Did anything else make you think so?
A. All but three or four had their heads on. That is what made me think so.
Q. Did all of them come into the house?
A. I think so.
Q. Those that came into the house were all headless?
A. Two or three had them on.
Q. Were any with their heads off?
A. Yes sir.
Q. Cut off or twisted off?
A. I don't know which.
Q. How did they look?
A. I don't know, their heads were gone, that is all.
Q. Did you tell anybody they looked as though they were twisted off?
A. I don't remember whether I did or not. The skin, I think, was very tender. I said, "Why are these heads off?" I think I remember of telling somebody that he said they twisted off.
Q. Did they look as if they were cut off?
A. I don't know. I did not look at that particularly.
Q. Is there anything else besides that that would lead, in your opinion so far as you can remember, to the finding of instruments in the cellar with blood on them?
A. I know of nothing else that was done.

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