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New for March
Some have speculated that had Lizzie not experienced a taste of the Good Life on her 19 week Grand Tour adventure, she may not have become so disenchanted with life at #92 in Fall River. Sadly, we do not know much about all of the places Lizzie visited, but it is possible, based on travel diaries and journals of the period, to piece together what it may have been like to make the transatlantic crossing in 1890 with a band of girlfriends for the first time, and imagine what fun Lizzie must have had. Maybe one fine day a diary or journal will come forth with more details, penned by one of the ladies who accompanied Lizzie. Until then, the Mutton Eaters Online article for March can be found at the top of the page- Making the Grand Tour! -
Patrick Doherty
1896 photograph courtesy Fall River Police Dept.Patrick Doherty arrived at the Borden house slightly after 11:30. His observations about the crime scene in the guest room are worthy of note, especially his remarks on the blood of Abby Borden, which would give good indication that her death was considerably before the death of Andrew Borden. Doherty was in the thick of things that morning, first having a good look at Andrew Borden’s wounds:
“I noticed there was one wound down here, across the eye, that was very deep. It looked to me on the left side of the face, the right side was on the sofa, and the eye seemed to be knocked out, hanging by some thread or something. There was another wound came down by the nose, or down by the cheek bone, the cheek bone was open wide, by the cheek bone clear down to the neck was laid right open.” (Preliminary)
Then Doherty followed Dr. Bowen upstairs to examine the body of Abby. Doherty moved the bed. His was the first examination, before the arrival of medical examiner, Dr. Dolan:
” I went to the foot of the bed; I looked at her. She was laying face downwards between the dressing case and the bed. I noticed three or four blood spots on the pillow sham, and a bunch of hair on the bed.
Q. How large a bunch?
A. Well, it was a small bunch.
Q. It was not a switch or false hair?
A. No, I think it was human hair that had been pulled out, or something, been cut out, or something.
Q. Give me some idea how much.
A. About half as big as that, I should think.
Q. On the bed?
A. On the bed. I wanted to examine the woman, but there was not room between the bed and dressing case to walk. I walked back to the foot of the bed, up around the north side of the bed, and I pulled it out about three feet, away from her.
Q. Towards the street?
A. No, pulled it against the north wall, away from her head.
Q. So to make the space between the bed and the dressing case, wider?
A. Yes. I pulled it away, and I went in, and I stooped down and I saw that she was lying in a pool of thick black blood, and her head was all cut.
Q. Face down, or back down?
A. Face down.
Q. How were her arms?
A. This way, something like that. I just put one finger here, and raised this a little bit so I could see under the hair around the ear better.”(Preliminary)
Afterward, Doherty ran down Spring St. to place a call to the city marshal. The telephone was in the undertaker’s shop which was opposite the Catholic Church (St. Mary’s). When Doherty returned to #92 Dr. Dolan was on the spot, and after speaking with the maid, Bridget Sullivan, Doherty enlisted Officer Mullaly in making a search of the house. The cellar door was locked, and rooms were searched with the exception of Emma’s room.
“Q. What did you find in your search?
A. We did not find anything.
Q. Were you one of those who assisted in finding the hatchets?
A. I was there when the officer had the hatchet; I did not find it.
Q. And the axes?
A. Yes sir.
Q. What officer had it when you first saw it?
A. Mr. Mullaly.
Q. You did not see where he got it?
A. I did not see where he got it. I saw him take it from a shelf about as high as his head.
Q. Did you make any examination of the hatchet yourself?
A. I just looked over his shoulder at it, that is, stood by his side and looked at it. ” (Preliminary)
Doherty also had an interview with Lizzie:
“A. I said “Miss Borden, where were you when your father was killed”? She said “I was in the barn”. I said “is there any Portuguese working on the farm over the River for your father?’ She said “no sir”.”Who works for your father?” She says “Mr. Eddy, and Mr. Johnson; and Mr. Eddy has been sick.” I asked her if either Mr. Eddy or Mr. Johnson were in town this morning, or up here to the house this morning. She said “no sir.” “Neither Mr. Eddy nor Mr. Johnson would hurt my father.”
Q. Anything more?
A. No Sir.
Q. Did she say anything about a noise, or hearing any noise?
A. Yes Sir. I asked her, I said “Miss Borden, did you hear any screams, or outcries”? She said “No sir. I heard some kind of a peculiar noise”. I says “can you describe the noise”? She says “no, not very well; something like scraping”. That is all the conversation I had with her.”(Preliminary)
Doherty was also sent to inspect the properties surrounding the Borden house and went to examine the views from the Chagnon house behind the Borden barn. Doherty would also give a good description of the dress Lizzie had on that morning as being a light blue background, a “challie” cotton print with a dark blue figure or spot on it, a description which is similar to that given by others.
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Feb. 17th History Club Meeting
Fall River History Club meetingWednesday, February 17, 2010, 6:30 pm
Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MATopic: The Fall River Fire of 1916
Presented by George PetrinThe fire started in the basement of the Steiger store in the evening of February 15, 1916 Over thirty businesses were destroyed and the losses totaled over 1.5 million.The fire burned for over 5 hours and consumed several acres of the business district.
March 17 Bob Kitchen will discuss the geology/geography of Fall River,and how Fall River became the largest producer of cotton in the world! -
Youtube Lizzie
Pear Essential Players Appear in Recent House Promo
Ric Rebelo has produced another great Lizzie video, this one promoting the Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast. The Pear Essential Players, a “Bordenian” Acting Troupe which performs only on August 4th, is featured in in 2008 and 2009 performances. The video is accompanied by wonderfully atmospheric music and commentary by co-owner, Lee Ann Wilber.http://www.lizzie-borden.com/ http://pearessentialproductions.org/
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1895 Murder for Christmas
Most “Boomers” will recall the big hit Lloyd Price had with Stagger Lee back in the 60’s but few probably know that there is a true story of Victorian crime connected to the pop tune. St. Louis, Missouri was the place where Stack Lee Shelton and Billy Lyons had some kind of disagreement on Christmas night- whether over gambling, politics, or a woman, is not clear. The final insult came when Billy took Stack’s fine Stetson hat, and Stack pulled out his gun and shot Billy dead on the spot in a bar room.Stack Shelton did time for the murder, ultimately dying in prison of tuberculosis in 1912. Their story has been immortalized in song in many versions over the years. Thanks to Murder by Gaslight for shining a light on this case. For much more about the details visit their link at http://murderbygasslight.blogspot.com/2009/09/staggerlee_05.html
Lyrics to the Lloyd Price versionThe night was clear, and the moon was yellow
And the leaves came tumblin’ down. . .I was standin’ on the corner
When I heard my bull dog bark.
He was barkin’ at the two men
Who were gamblin’ in the dark.It was Stagger Lee and Billy,
Two men who gambled late.
Stagger Lee threw a seven,
Billy swore that he threw eight.“Stagger Lee,” said Billy,
“I can’t let you go with that.
“You have won all my money,
“And my brand-new Stetson hat.”Stagger Lee went home
And he got his .44.
He said, “I’m goin’ to the ballroom
“Just to pay that debt I owe.”(bridge)
Go, Stagger LeeStagger Lee went to the ballroom
And he strolled across the ballroom floor.
He said “You did me wrong, Billy.”
And he pulled his .44.“Stagger Lee,” said Billy,
“Oh, please don’t take my life!
“I’ve got three hungry children,
“And a very sickly wife.”Stagger Lee shot Billy
Oh, he shot that poor boy so hard
That a bullet went through Billy
And broke the bartender’s bar. -
Nance O’Neil Speaks!
1931 Transgression starring Nance O’Neil as Honora Maury with
Kay Francis … Elsie Maury
Paul Cavanagh … Robert Maury
Ricardo Cortez … Don Arturo de Borgus
For more about the film, plot and stars, visit http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022501/ -
Lizzie’s Flower
Over the decades since Lizzie Borden’s death in 1927, the pansy has become the flower associated with her. She herself never claimed that this was her favorite, and we have only the well-known photograph of her wearing the pansy brooch at her throat as any indication that she liked the flower. Whether it was a favorite of Lizzie’s or merely a favorite blossom of the era cannot be known with any certainty. Postcards, other ephemera, jewelry, household decorations, needlework, painted china, and such are all lavished with pansies. It was a sentimental 
favorite, probably second only to blue forget-me-nots. Violets, which signify faithfulness, and rosebuds of varying colors were other flowers most often seen. The Language of Flowers was a popular code of the times, of which most ladies were very knowledgeable. Pansies, from the French “pensees” means “thoughts”. Naturally this was an ideal flower to associate with card sending and gift-giving. There is a very good possibility that Lizzie’s pansy brooch was a gift given to her by a lady friend of close acquaintance. Lizzie seemed to have a great many dresses in her closet which featured blue, so perhaps the blue-violet shades of pansies appealed to her for that reason. Another well-know name for the tiny johnny-jump up, a diminuative pansy cousin, was “heart-ease”. The motif was very popular in handwork for ladies of the time. A lady reporter who wrote about Lizzie’s neat bedroom mentions a pale blue coverlet worked in embroidered flowers by Lizzie. Too bad she did not mention what kind of flowers! Today a vase of silk pansies is kept in Lizzie’s bedroom on Second Street, a Victorian oil painting of pansies hangs above her bed and pansies are always planted in the garden at #92.Here is a poem by Louisa Don Carlos, born in 1874, one of many Victorian verses about the beloved pansy.
O give me not red roses,
That early dews have wet!
They speak to me of kisses
That are remembered yet.
O bring me not white roses,
That summer winds have drest!
For once I placed white roses
Upon a quiet breast.
But bring me purple pansies
If so you wish to please,
For them I have affection;
For pansies are “heart’s ease”.
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Victorian Screensavers
Just in time for Valentine’s Day- Victorian screensavers, icons and magnets. Click on this link and scroll away to Victorianize your computer today! http://www.corrieweb.nl/gaslight/screensaver.htm
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Views through the windows
On the morning of August 4th, if you were contemplating murder from inside #92, the first floor was a good place to be, for on the first floor a killer inside could be able to easily watch all four sides around the house without having to unlock doors and run up and down stairs. Lizzie has no confirmable alibi for either murder- but she claims she spent the morning in the kitchen by the stove reading during the interval when Abby Borden was murdered upstairs. With Bridget starting the window-washing on the south end, and Lizzie sitting at the table between the kitchen windows overlooking the south end- she could easily have seen all Bridget was doing. The windows are set so high from the ground, Bridget would not have been able to look inside the house or see anyone standing in a room, from the outside unless that person were standing in the window.
Bridget spent a leisurely time chatting with Mary Doolan, the Kelly maid from next door over by the south side fence (now a wall) which is clearly visible from either south-facing kitchen window. The southeastern kitchen window also has a good view into the Kelly backyard and the east window in the kitchen has an excellent view of the back yard (see 1893 photo below). Bridget got water from the barn. She admits to coming into the sink room via the north side entry once to get a dipper, and says she did not notice Lizzie in the kitchen. This confirmed that the north side screen door was unlocked- which proved a saving grace for Lizzie as an intruder could have gained entry through this door over the space of time it was unlocked, approximately an hour.
A few steps further from the kitchen into the sittingroom would reveal just how Bridget was getting along with the window-washing.
Sittingroom window views on south side, both window aspects.The dining room windows would have given a view of the driveway, side entry stairs and Mrs. Churchill’s house situated to the north end of the
Borden house. Today, with the removal of the Churchill house, the view is open and reveals much of Second Street and the lawn of the housing complex next door. The view from the north side parlor window also overlooks the driveway and what would have been the Churchill house.
Dining room window, north side
Parlor window, north side view of Second St.
West end of parlor, 1892 view of Dr. Bowen’s House, Boston Express Depot and Second St., one of two west end windows in the parlor. View currently occupied by the new court house.The kitchen was also the place to be to monitor all the doorways as well, with the cellar door and north screen door (photo below views of both) in plain sight, and the front door on the west end of the house could be heard if opened with a key, from the kitchen.
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Murder by Gaslight
Readers of W&W will surely enjoy this excellent site -here’s one for the bookmark to favorites! http://murderbygasslight.blogspot.com/
There’s just something about the glow of Victorian gaslight that seems to go with mystery and crime and dark winter nights. For fictional gaslight adventures, look into Victoria Thompson’s Gaslight Mysteries (all available on Amazon).
or the classic film thriller with Charles Boyer and Ingrid Bergman
Gaslight (1944) — Part 1
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Dr. Draper comes to call
The diningroom at Second Street now has a gallery of photos of physicians who were in one way or another connected to the Borden case. The most recent addition is Dr. Draper of Harvard Medical School, Boston, who assisted with the autopsy of Andrew and Abby Borden on August 11th in Oak Grove cemetery.
Dr. Draper has an uncanny resemblance to Dr. James Starrs, a forensics expert who had attempted to gain support for the exhumation of the Borden bodies in 1992. Professor Starrs was denied the request but did examine trial exhibits at the historical society and utilized ground penetrating radar to map the Borden plot.
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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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The Minister & the Mill Girl
The Rev. Ephraim Avery
It has been just a month over the 178 years since the body of poor Sarah Cornell was found swinging on a post in a Tiverton farmyard on a cold winter’s morning just before Christmas. With the recent publication of Rory Raven’s Wicked Conduct, reviews are appearing in area newspapers and interest is again renewed in the story of the pregnant mill worker and the suspicious circumstances surrounding her relationship with the Rev. Ephraim Avery. 
Sarah’s grave in Oak Grove cemetery has seen an increase in visitors and there is talk of a new grave marker to supplement the nearly illegible worn stone now in place. To read the full article by William Moniz of the Spirit, visit this link http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100114/PUB03/1140435
Amazon is offering the book at 13.59 plus 3.99 shipping and the volume is in stock.
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Hush Hush, Sweet Lizzie
The IMDB (International Movie Data Base) has likened Bette Davis’ portrayal of Charlotte Hollis in Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte to the life of Lizzie Borden. The 1964 film was a box office hit, and the haunting theme of the same name recorded by Patti Page enjoyed great success for years after.Charlotte Hollis is a reclusive spinster living in a decaying old mansion, who is believed by the citizens of her small city, to have murdered her suitor (a married man). The circumstances appear to have been a murder/suicide with Charlotte’s formidable father as the culprit who puts both an end to Charlotte’s lover and then to himself. Did Charlotte kill her true love (played by Bruce Dern) ? The town thinks she was guilty and that she got away with murder. The method of dispatch was a large, sharp meat cleaver, with the head and hand of Charlotte’s beau being savagely hacked off, reminiscent of the removal of the heads of Abby and Andrew Borden in Oak Grove Cemetery on August 11, 1892 to be stored as evidence.
Olivia DeHavilland plays Miriam, Charlotte’s refined, gentle cousin- an Emma Bordenesque, sisterly presence who harbors a dark, dark twisted secret, along with the trusted family doctor of many years played by Joseph Cotten ( an 1892 parallel to Dr. Bowen?!) There are plenty of turns and twists along the way, many witnessed by the household domestic servant, played superbly by Agnes Moorehead, who tries to protect Charlotte – not quite a Bridget Sullivan, ( the Borden’s household domestic who was home the day of the Borden killings) but still an interesting parallel.
The gossipings and whisperings of the townfolk in front of Charlotte’s house as well as behind closed doors and on the street harken back to the Fall River crowds on Second Street in 1892-93 and even later to French Street when Lizzie moved into Maplecroft.
The end of the film is very satisfying as we, the viewer, are privy to the real story of what happened in 1927 in the Hollis summerhouse (1927 also being the year of Lizzie Borden’s death). There are three more murders over the course of the film. Unlike the Borden story however, we find out the truth in the end. To view the murder scene with cleaver, visit this Youtube link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9csL2GVU1Y
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Lizzie Borden’s NY Times Obit
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Happy 2010!
2009 was a banner year for all things Borden. What will the new year bring? Everyone is anxiously awaiting the publication from the Fall River Historical Society, Parallel Lives of course.
Happy New Year to Warps and Wefts visitors. There will be a few new features in the coming year. Thanks for emails and support in 2009.
To read all about the hot topics and major events of 1910 visit this link http://www.historyorb.com/events/date/1910
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Christmas 2009
Wishing everyone a happy Christmas filled with good things, good friends and family, and good cheer!
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City Sites
Fall River Government Center decked out for Christmas.The center, which replaced the old Victorian City Hall, may be one of the few municipal government structures in the country to be situated directly over the top of a major interstate highway- a situation which has caused a few structural maintainance complications over the years.
The old City Hall
Two of the original front pillars are featured now at the beginning of Old Second Street.
