The Fall River Tragedy: A History of the Borden Murders

by Edwin H. Porter

REV. E. A. BUCK.

When he had finished, the District Attorney read the short-hand report of the testimony of Miss Lizzie Borden given at the inquest, and taken by Miss White, the official stenographer. It was as follows: “My father and stepmother were married twenty-seven years ago. I have no idea how much my father was worth and have never heard him form an opinion. I know something about what real estate my father owned.” “How do you know?” Mr. Adams promptly objected. He said he did so on the ground of the admissibility of a statement, which was detrimental to her. Judge Blaisdell said he didn’t know that any statement the defendant might make would not be competent. Mr. Adams argued in support of his objection. He said any statement that did not bear directly on the issue between the prosecution and the defence was not material.

Judge Blaisdell allowed the introduction of the question and the answer was “two farms in Swansea, the homestead, some property on North Main street, Borden Block, some land further south and some he had recently purchased.” “Did you ever deed him any property?” “He gave us some land, but my father bought it back. Had no other transaction with him. He paid in five thousand dollars cash for this property. Never knew my father made a will, but heard so from Uncle Morse.” “Did you know of anybody that your father had trouble with?” “There was a man who came there some weeks before, but I do not know who he was. He came to the house one day, and I heard them talk about a store. My father told him he could not have a store. The man said: ‘I thought with your liking for money you would let anybody in.’ I heard my father order him out of the house. Think he lived out of town, because he said he could go back and talk with father.” “Did your father and anybody else have bad feelings between them?” “Yes, Hiram C. Harrington. He married my father’s only sister.” “Nobody else?” “I have no reason to suppose that that man had seen my father before that day.” “Did you ever have any trouble with your stepmother?” “No.” “Within a year?” “No.” “Within three years?” “No. About five years ago.” “What was it about?” “About my stepmother’s stepsister, Mrs. George Whitehead.” “Was it a violent expression of feeling?” “It was simply a difference of opinion.” “Were you always cordial with your stepmother?” “That depends upon one’s idea of cordiality.” “Was it cordial according to your ideas of cordiality?” “Yes.” Continuing: “I did not regard her as my mother, though she came there when I was young. I decline to say whether my relations between her and myself were those of mother and daughter or not. I called her Mrs. Borden and sometimes mother. I stopped calling her mother after the affair regarding her sister-in-law.” “Why did you leave off calling her mother?” “Because I wanted to.” “Have you any other answer to give me?” “No, sir. I always went to my sister. She was older than I was. I don’t know but that my father and stepmother were happily united. I never knew of any difficulty between them, and they seemed to be affectionate. The day they were killed I had on a blue dress. I changed it in the afternoon and put on a print dress. Mr. Morse came into our house whenever he wanted to. He has been here once since the river was frozen over. I don’t know how often he came to spend the nights, because I had been away so much. I have not been away much during the year. He has been there very little during the past year.

I have been away a great deal in the daytime during the last year. I don’t think I have been away much at night, except once when I was in New Bedford. I was abroad in 1890. I first saw Morse Thursday noon. Wednesday evening I was with Miss Russell at 9 o’clock, and I don’t know whether the family were in or not. I went direct to my room. I locked the front door when I came in. Was in my room Wednesday, not feeling well all day. Did not go down to supper. Went out that evening and came in and locked the front door. Came down about 9 next morning. Did not inquire about Mr. Morse that morning. Did not go to Marion at that time, because they could go sooner than I. I had taken the Secretaryship of the Christian Endeavor Society and had to remain over till the 10th. There had been nobody else around there that week but the man I have spoken of. I did not say that he came a week before, but that week. Mr. Morse slept in the spare room Wednesday night. It was my habit to close my room door when I was in it. That Wednesday afternoon they made such a noise that I closed the door. First saw my father Thursday morning down stairs reading the Providence Journal. Saw my mother with a dust cloth in her hand. Maggie was putting a cloth into a mop. Don’t know whether I ate cookies and tea that morning. Know the coffee pot was on the stove. My father went down town after 9 o’clock. I did not finish the handkerchiefs because the irons were not right. I was in the kitchen reading when he returned. I am not sure that I was in the kitchen when my father returned. I stayed in my room long enough to sew a piece of lace on a garment. That was before he came back. I don’t know where Maggie was. I think she let my father in, and that he rang the bell. I understood Maggie to say he said he had forgotten his key. I think I was up stairs when my father came in, and I think I was on the stairs when he entered. I don’t know whether Maggie was washing windows or not when my father came in.” At this point the District Attorney had called Miss Borden’s attention to her conflicting statements regarding her position when her father came in, and her answer was: “You have asked me so many questions, I don’t know what I have said.” Later, she said she was reading in the kitchen and had gone into the other room for a copy of the Providence Journal. “I last saw my mother when I was down stairs. She was dusting the dining room. She said she had been up stairs and made the bed and was going up stairs to put on the pillow slips. She had some cotton cloth pillows up there, and she said she was going to work on them. If she had remained down stairs I should have

seen her. She would have gone up the back way to go to her room. If she had gone to the kitchen I would have seen her. There is no reason to suppose I would not have seen her when she was down stairs or in her room, except when I went down stairs once for two or three minutes.” “I ask you again what you suppose she was doing from the time you saw her till 11 o’clock?” “I don’t know, unless she was making her bed.” “She would have had to pass your room, and you would have seen her, wouldn’t you?” “Yes, unless I was in my room or down cellar. I supposed she had gone away, because she told me she was going, and we talked about the dinner. Didn’t hear her go out or come back. When I first came down stairs saw Maggie coming in, and my mother asked me how I was feeling. My father was still there, still reading. My mother used to go and do the marketing.” “Now I call your attention to the fact you said twice yesterday that you first saw your father after he came in when you were standing on the stairs.” “I did not. I was in the kitchen when he came in, or in one of the three rooms, the dining room, kitchen and sitting room. It would have been difficult for anybody to pass through these rooms unless they passed through while I was in the dining room.” “A portion of the time the girl was out of doors, wasn’t she?” “Yes.” “So far as I know, I was alone in the house the larger part of the time while my father was away. I was eating a pear when my father came in. I had put a stick of wood into the fire to see if I could start it. I did no more ironing after my father came in. I then went in to tell him. I did not put away the ironing board. I don’t know what time my father came in. When I went out to the barn I left him on the sofa. The last thing I said was to ask him if he wanted the window left that way. Then I went to the barn to get some lead for a sinker. I went upstairs in the barn. There was a bench there which contained some lead. I unhooked the screen door when I went out. I don’t know when Bridget got through washing the windows inside. I knew she washed the windows outside. I knew she didn’t wash the kitchen windows, but I don’t know whether she washed the sitting room windows or not. I thought the flats would be hot by the time I got back. I had not fishing apparatus, but there was some at the farm. It is five years since I used the

fish line. I don’t think there was any sinker on my line. I don’t think there were any fish lines suitable for use at the farm.” “What! did you think you would find sinkers in the barn?” “My father once told me that there was some lead and nails in the barn.” “How long do you think you occupied in looking for the sinkers?” “About fifteen or twenty minutes.” “Did you do nothing besides look for sinkers in the twenty minutes?” “Yes, sir. I ate some pears.” “Would it take you all that time to eat a few pears?” “I do not do things in a hurry.” “Was Bridget not washing the dining room windows and the sitting room windows?” “I do not know. I did not see her.” “Did you tell Bridget to wash the windows?” “No, sir.” “Who did?” “My mother.” “Did you see Bridget after your mother told her to wash the windows?” “Yes, sir.” “What was she doing?” “She had got a long pole and was sticking it in a brush, and she had a pail of water.” “About what time did you go out into the barn?” “About as near as I can recollect, 10 o’clock.” “What did you go into the barn for?” “To find some sinkers.” “How many pears did you eat in that twenty minutes?” “Three.” “Is that all you did?” “No. I went over to the window and opened it.” “Why did you do that?” “Because it was too hot.” “I suppose that it is the hottest place on the premises?” “Yes sir.” “Could you, while standing looking out of that window, see anybody enter the kitchen?” “No, sir.” “I thought you said you could see people from the barn?” “Not after you pass a jog in the barn. It obstructs the view of the back door.” “What kind of lead were you looking for, for sinkers? Hard lead?” “No, sir; soft lead.” “Did you expect to find the sinkers already made?” “Well, no. I thought I might find one with a hole through it.” “Was the lead referred to tea lead or lead that comes in tea chests?” “I don’t know.” “When were you going fishing?” “Monday.” “The next Monday after the fatal day?” “Yes, sir.” “Had you lines all ready?” “No, sir.” “Did you have a line?” “Yes sir.” “Where was your line?” “Down to the farm.” “Do you know whether there were any sinkers on the line you left at the farm?” “I think there was none on the line.” “Did you have any hooks?” “No, sir.” “Then you were making all this preparation without either hook or line. Why did you go into the barn after sinkers?” “Because I was going down town to buy some hooks and line, and thought it would save me from buying them.” “Now, to the barn again. Do you not think I could go into the barn and do the same as you in a few minutes?” “I do

not do things in a hurry.” “Did you then think there were no sinkers at the barn?” “I thought there were no sinkers anywhere there. I had no idea of using my lines. I thought you understood that I wasn’t going to use these lines at the farm, because they hadn’t sinkers. I went upstairs to the kind of bench there. I had heard my father say there was lead there. Looked for lead in a box up there. There were nails and perhaps an old door knob. Did not find any lead as thin as tea lead in the box. Did not look anywhere except on the bench. I ate some pears up there. I have now told you everything that took place up in the barn. It was the hottest place in the premises. I suppose I ate my pears when I first went up there. I stood looking out of the window. I was feeling well enough to eat pears, but don’t know how to answer the question if I was feeling better than I was in the morning, because I was feeling better that morning. I picked the pears up from the ground. I was not in the rear of the barn. I was in the front of it. Don’t see how anybody could leave the house then without my seeing them. I pulled over boards to look for the lead. That took me some time. I returned from the barn and put my hat in the dining room. I found my father and called to Maggie. I found the fire gone out. I went to the barn because the irons were not hot enough and the fire had gone out. I made no efforts to find my mother at all. Sent Maggie for Dr. Bowen. Didn’t see or find anything after the murders to tell me my mother had been sewing in the spare room that morning.” “What did your mother say when you saw her?” “She told me she had had a note and was going out. She said she would get the dinner.” The District Attorney continued to read: “My mother did not tell when she was coming back. I did not know Mr. Morse was coming to dinner. I don’t know whether I was at tea Wednesday night or not. I had no apron on Thursday; that is, I don’t think I had. I don’t remember surely. I had no occasion to use the axe or hatchet. I knew there was an old axe down stairs and last time I saw it it was on the old chopping block. I don’t know whether my father owned a hatchet or not. Assuming a hatchet was found in the cellar I don’t know how it got there, and if there was blood on it I have no idea as to how it got there. My father killed some pigeons last May. When I found my father I did not think of Mrs. Borden, for I believed she was out. I remember asking Mrs. Churchill to look for my mother. I left the screen door closed when I left, and it was open when I came from the barn. I can give no idea of the time my father came home. I went right to

the barn. I don’t know whether he came to the sitting room at once or not. I don’t remember his being in the sitting room or sitting down. I think I was in there when I asked him if there was any mail. I do not think he went upstairs. He had a letter in his hand. I did not help him to lie down and did not touch the sofa. He was taking medicine for some time. Mrs. Borden’s father’s house was for sale on Fourth street. My father bought Mrs. Borden’s half sister’s share and gave it to her. We thought what he did for her people he ought to do for his own and he then gave us grandfather’s house. I always thought my stepmother induced him to purchase the interest. I don’t know when the windows were last washed before that day. All day Tuesday I was at the table. I gave the officer the same skirt I wore that day, and if there was any blood on it I can give an explanation as to how it got there. If the blood came from the outside, I cannot say how it got there. I wore tie shoes that day and black stockings. I was under the pear trees four or five minutes. I came down the front stairs when I came down in the morning. The dress I wore that forenoon was a white and blue stripe of some sort. It is at home in the attic. I did not go to Smith’s drug store to buy prussic acid. Did not go to the rooms where mother or father lay after the murder. Went through when I went up stairs that day. I wore the shoes I gave to the officer all day Thursday and Friday.” “I now ask you if you can furnish any other suspicion concerning any person who might have committed the crime?” “Yes; one night as I was coming home not long ago I saw the shadow of a man on the house at the east end. I thought it was a man because I could not see any skirts. I hurried in the front door. It was about 8:45 o’clock; not later than 9. I saw somebody run around the house last winter. The last time I saw anybody lately was since my sister went to Marion. I told Mr. Jennings, may have told Mr. Hanscom.” “Who suggested the reward offered, you or

your sister?” “I don’t know. I may have.” Mr. Knowlton now stopped reading, and announced: “This is the case of the Commonwealth.”