Today in History: Lizzie Borden Inquest Starts - #1LineWed

On this Day in History:

The inquest for the murders of Andrew Borden and his wife, Abby Durfee Borden began today on August 9, 1892. The inquest concluded on August 11.

Lizzie Borden was also called on to testify, though her testimony appeared mixed-up and sometimes nonsensical, maybe due to her being given morphine by her neighbor and family physician Dr. Seabury Bowen beforehand. Or maybe not. The testimony was not used at her trial the following year.

You can read Lizzie's testimony with questioning by District Attorney Hosea Knowlton HERE. 

It makes for interesting reading as she goes from saying she'd gone into the barn to find sinkers and then she was standing there eating pears.

** Does reading it change your mind as to Lizzie's guilt or innocence? Feel free to share your thoughts!

** As it's also 1 Line Wednesday - #1LineWed, here's a line from the inquest testimony asked by DA Knowlton. You really have to read or skim much of the testimony to get an idea of how this line fits in.

Q. I ask you again to explain to me why you took those pears from the pear tree?

A. I did not take them from the pear tree. 

  

  

  

* I followed the crimes and the trial, along with offering a possible solution to the crime, in my book, Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter. (new 2nd edition & new cover!)

* NEW! I also give Dr. Bowen an opportunity to share his side of things... and look at whether he was haunted by the events of that day in my latest, The Haunting of Dr. Bowen, A Mystery in Lizzie Borden's Fall River.

* I hope you enjoy reading them. Please leave a review. Even a line helps!

* BONUS!! Look for a new Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter story and a bunch of other fantastic apocalyptic stories and books. Get it here - wow! (Closed.)

Lizzie Borden - 125th Anniversary of Borden Murders #horror

I'm doing sporadic new and older posts about Lizzie Borden in honor of the 125th anniversary this year of the Borden murders.

Yes, it is nothing to "celebrate," but the murders of Andrew Borden and his second wife, Abby Durfee Borden have become part of history and folklore. Who hasn't heard that little ditty... Lizzie Borden took an axe, and gave her mother 40 whacks...

The real crime that August 4th morning of 1892 is no less horrific, even if the rhyme has the numbers wrong. See Borden autopsy reports. 

Though Lizzie Borden, the younger spinster daughter/stepdaughter, was charged with the crimes, the jury declared her not guilty of the crimes on June 20, 1893.  

Did she do it? What do you say? 

Let's hear what the fictional Lizzie, based on my book, Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter, has to say for herself:

What are you doing now?

Reading. I found a rather unusual book of poetry recently published called The shadow of death: poems, songs, and sonnets written by Eric Stenbock. Given recent turns of events, it fit my mood rather well.

 What keeps you awake at night?
Not what you think.

 Are you a glass half empty or half full person?
I would say half full. I’ve learned there are things you can’t control in your life, so it’s best to look forward.

What is it about Fall River that keeps you here?
I was born here and prefer to die here. No matter what others think of me, this is my home and always will be.

If you could have a five-minute conversation with anyone living or dead, who would it be?
I would ask my father one question: Why?
--Christine Verstraete

Amazon link - all countries

About LizzieBorden, Zombie Hunter by C.A. Verstraete:

Every family has its secrets…

One hot August morning in 1892, Lizzie Borden picked up an axe and murdered her father and stepmother. Newspapers claim she did it for the oldest of reasons: family conflicts, jealousy and greed. But what if her parents were already dead? What if Lizzie slaughtered them because they’d become zombies?

Monday!

A working weekend so I'm way behind on starting the week!

I'll have a May reading list and Lizzie Borden posts coming up this week.

In the meantime, I found this..... (Oh, so bad!)

125th Anniversary of Lizzie Borden Murders

This year marks the 125th anniversary of the Borden murders. I'll be posting and doing re-posts of different aspects of the crime. 

The Borden Murders

By Christine Verstraete

Most people today recognize the name of Lizzie Borden and her connection to one of the most heinous crimes of the 19th century. That on August 4, 1892, her father. Andrew Borden, and her stepmother, Abby Durfee Borden, were brutally hacked to death with a hatchet in their home. Even more shocking was that the dutiful, Sunday School teacher and spinster daughter, Lizzie, was arrested—and eventually declared not guilty—of the crimes in June, 1893.

Many say she did it. Some say she was covering for someone else. The crime remains unsolved. But what if she did it… because she had no other choice?

Here, in a nutshell, is a summary of the crime as described in my book, Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter:

The Crime:

Then Lizzie spotted it: the worn hatchet Father had left behind after he’d last brought in the newly chopped wood. No, no! Her mind filled with horror, but when her stepmother came at her again, Lizzie whispered a prayer for forgiveness and grabbed the handle.

The Accused:

Everyone, of course, would read the later newspaper accounts and say what happened was barbarous, cruel, horrific— and that anyone who did such a thing (namely her) was a full-fledged monster. 

The Trial:

What if she was found guilty? Would they—could they—hang her?

The Verdict:

“The trial is over, but my sentence continues. From day one, I have been hounded and watched, nothing has changed in that respect. Nothing.”

The Monsters:

It raised claw-liked hands at her—or rather stumps since most of its fingers were gone.

About LizzieBorden, Zombie Hunter:

Every family has its secrets...

One hot August morning in 1892, Lizzie Borden picked up an axe and murdered her father and stepmother. Newspapers claim she did it for the oldest of reasons: family conflicts, jealousy and greed. But what if her parents were already dead? What if Lizzie slaughtered them because they’d become… zombies?

Thrust into a horrific world where the walking dead are part of a shocking conspiracy to infect not only Fall River, Massachusetts, but also the world beyond, Lizzie battles to protect her sister, Emma, and her hometown from nightmarish ghouls and the evil forces controlling them.